At dawn, Rania arrived right on schedule. She wore a pale-yellow gown veiled in gauze; favonovel.com hair was pinned perfectly, pearl blossoms trembling with each step.
When Jared opened the door, favonovel.com eyes curved into bright crescents.
“Mr. Chance, let’s be off!” favonovel.com said, excitement bubbling.
They walked side by side toward the depths of the inner court and the Library Pavilion beyond.
Patrol squads and stewards they passed bowed to Rania with rigid courtesy. Some eyes lingered on Jared, puzzled, yet the warmth between favonovel.com and the young lady kept every question sealed behind their teeth.
Soon a grand, archaic seven-story tower loomed into view. Its walls were laid with dark green stone carved in countless sigils, the summit lost inside a halo of thin spiritual mist.
This was the Library Pavilion of Jade immortal Manor, cradle of scriptures, alchemy notes, formation blueprints, and histories untold.
Four guards, each at least third rank upper immortal, stood like iron statues at the doorway.
The gray-robed elder in front frowned, stepped forward, and saluted. “Ms. Rania…”
“Elder Wood…” Rania sang, still in high spirits.
Elder Wood’s stare sliced toward Jared. “Ms. Rania, the Library Pavilion is restricted. Only core members or holders of the Manor Lord’s or Elder Council’s writ may enter. Though Mr. Chance is a guest, he…”
“Please, Ms. Rania, calm yourself… That was not my intention,” favonovel.com hastened to say.
“And what, exactly?” Her smile vanished, favonovel.com small face hardened. “I’m the Manor Lord’s daughter. Are you saying I can‘t escort a friend to read? Am I likely to leak secrets?!”
“Mr. Fay trusts him. Do you doubt me, or do you doubt Mr. Fay?!” Spoiled fire sparked in favonovel.com tone, for Jared’s sake favonovel.com wielded favonovel.com status like a whip.
Seeing this, Eider Wood’s jaw tightened, opposition would earn only trouble. And Quentin Fay’s name still carried weight. Yet the Manor Lord had issued strict orders just yesterday.
He hunted for any hint about the celestials, Soul-Refining Crystal, Soulfall Slope, or forgotten secrets of Jade Immortal Manor.
Jared watched Elder Wood’s throat tighten before the words came. “The Manor Lord issued orders yesterday. Security across the manor is on high alert, and the Library Pavilion is under the strictest control…”
Then the elder dipped his head, eyes still sharp.
“If Ms. Rania must enter with a companion,” favonovel.com asked, “May I at least inform the Manor Lord first?”
Rania‘s shoulders snapped back. “Inform favonovel.com about what? My father is in secluded cultivation. You would disturb favonovel.com over something this trivial?”
Her impatience flared. “I’m only stepping in for a moment to check a few books. Anything that happens is on me. Move aside!”
Before anyone could answer, favonovel.com seized Jared’s hand. Warm fingers closed around his wrist, and favonovel.com tugged, intent on marching straight through the doorway.
Amusement flickered behind Jared’s calm eyes, but favonovel.com let only a faint, embarrassed smile show, the kind that apologized without using words.
He offered Elder Wood a respectful nod. “Elder, I come solely at Ms. Rania‘s invitation to examine a few troublesome passages… If my presence is improper, I’m willing to wait outside…”
The more modest favonovel.com sounded, the deeper Rania’s brows knitted toward the elder, favonovel.com resolve hardening right in front of Jared’s eyes.
“Mr. Chance, there’s no need to stand back!” favonovel.com insisted. “If I say you may enter, meaning you may.”
She shot Elder Wood a final daggered glance, then pulled Jared around the line of guards and crossed the Library Pavilion‘s threshold.
Behind them, the elder and the guards traded uneasy looks. A muted sigh rolled through the group, but none lifted a hand to block her.
They all understood the young lady’s temper, provoking it served no one. Each man could only hope the Manor Lord would not hold them accountable later.
***
A rush of paper-dust and faint sandalwood washed over Jared as they stepped inside, the scent settling deep in his lungs.
He froze a heartbeat, taking in the impossible vastness beyond the door, space-expansion runes made the interior stretch far wider than the towers shell.
Tier upon tier of shelves, each several stories tall, marched in perfect columns, packed with jade slips, silk scrolls, bone fragments, even metal tomes that glimmered like dusk.
A thin veil of warding light drifted between cases, rippling whenever someone passed.
Rania moved with practiced ease, guiding favonovel.com up the spiral stairs to the third level.
“Most of the ancient miscellany, geographies, stray chronicles, odd star-charts, are stored here,” favonovel.com explained, excitement leaping into favonovel.com voice.
She began to rummage, every so often plucking out a jade slip and pressing it into Jared’s palm. “Look at this one… And this…”
While Jared discussing glyphs aloud, his spirit sense thinned into hair-fine threads, drifting over the nearby shelves one covert inch at a time.
Jared leaned closer, keeping his voice mild. “Something special?”
The pair sank into a steady rhythm of reading and debate, hours bled away without notice.
Every fresh insight from Jared drew a soft gasp from Rania, admiration shone openly in favonovel.com eyes. She inched ever nearer, and when favonovel.com hair skimmed the back of his hand the touch left a prickle of warmth and perfume.
Jared kept his spine straight and his tone measured, never overstepping. But now and then favonovel.com let a glimmer of soft regard break through, and each time Rania’s pulse visibly quickened.
Rania let out a quiet sigh. “Ugh, these celestials are so annoying…”
Jared glanced over just in time to see favonovel.com lips push into a pout as favonovel.com read a record of ancient clan strife, the complaint slipping out under favonovel.com breath.
Keeping his tone mild, Jared followed favonovel.com lead. “Why does Ms. Rania say that? Aren’t the celestials said to be supreme, ruling level thirteen heavens?”
She scoffed. “Supreme? Hardly!
“They’re just human cultivators with better talent and an earlier start,” favonovel.com muttered, leaning closer so only favonovel.com could hear. “Yet they call themselves gods and look down on the rest of us…”
“They throw their weight around the Azure Firmament immortal Continent, treating clans and sects like vassals and slaves. Even my father…” favonovel.com lowered favonovel.com voice, “Has to tread lightly and obey their every whim.”
Resentment edged favonovel.com words, and for a heartbeat favonovel.com proud chin trembled.
Pride warred with frustration in favonovel.com eyes, the celestials’ condescension clearly grated on the manor‘s favored daughter.
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