Library of the Heavenly Sage

In a place where everything around was white, rows and rows of infinite bookshelves full of books spanned across with no ends.

A man sat in front of one of the bookshelves with his back leaning on it while reading a book titled, "Records of the heavenly physiques".

After reading pages about "Pure Yin Physique", this includes symptoms, weakness, and how to treat it. The book then became shining and the man was absorbed into the book.

...

The man appeared on top of a snow mountain. In front of him was a woman with an exceptional figure wearing white and blue clothes, a beautiful cold face, long silky black hair, and glittering sparkly blue eyes.

She stood there motionlessly as if she was a statue but a cold white smoke occasionally appeared under her nose, implying that she was alive and breathing.

The man as if he was used to doing it, naturally went forward and undress the woman. Her full white naked body was revealed fully to the man's eyes but unlike a normal man, no excitement was seen in his eyes.

He holds her right hand to check her pulse and with his right hand, he gently puts his palm on the skin below her abdomen. After a while, he retract both of his hands and took out s bunch of gold needles. He took a few golden needles and puncture a few points on the woman's body, this included abdomen, right shoulder, right chest, left chest below the breast, left shoulder, below the neck, and below the abdomen. He then took a few pre-prepared small white-looking pills and put them in her mouth.

After a while, the man check her pulse again and then pulled all of the needles out. He then put her clothes back and muttered in a small voice, "Pure Yin physique, it was a result of prolonged exposure to cold poison in the womb, the chance of a child appearing with this physique is 0.4%. The Pure Yin Physique helps the host absorb more Yin Qi faster but because of the cold poison that has already integrated into the host bones, it was a double edge sword that will kill the host at the age of 30. This can be countered by breaking through the Golden King realm, not a permanent solution and the cold poison can relapse after a while. If the cold poison is forcefully removed then the host will die. It can be cured by blocking 7 essentials Qi way and using a non-lethal poison to replace the cold poison. This method will result in a decrease of 10% strength but it will be permanently cured".

After saying that, the man disappeared and then appeared back in the library.

Looking at the book for a while the man sighed.

"I think that's the last book?", The man put the book back on the bookshelf behind him.

"The progress bar", The man looked down and a transparent progress bar appeared with a percentage of 100%

"Yep, that's the last book, finally some peace", The man then lay on the floor and remembered when he first came here.

...

His name is Zhao Fu, he had a normal family until he was 18 when both of his parents died in a car accident. The reckless driver that hit them from the side was drunk at that time. He brought this matter to court but unfortunately, his opponent was actually a second-generation rich man, and not only they don't get any compensation but also had to pay a fine for the accusation. The world is unfair, isn't it? well, he learned that the hard way.

To pay for the fine he can only mortgage his parent's house and rent a small apartment in the slums. It was uncomfortable at first because the place was unhygienic but eventually he got used to it.

He started doing odd jobs during the day and part-time in a local restaurant as a waiter at night. It was hard work but it pays for his tuition. He thought at that time that everything was going smoothly, he was going to finish college, find a fixed job and possibly buy a house, get married and have children. But as if he has not suffered enough, he was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer at the age of 21, just before his graduation.

He had a mental breakdown at that time. Like what can he do? what is he fighting for all this time would be for naught and he can't do anything. He had no money, no friends since he was too focused on studying, and no more family that was close to him.

Since he was about to die anyway, he decided to die while doing the thing he loved the most that is reading. He really likes to read pretty much everything that he can read. The library can be said to be his only safe haven in this world now.

When he walked into the library, he met an acquaintance, a beautiful girl with hair tied in ponytail who tried hard to reach a red book on one of the bookshelf. He step forward and took the book for her. When the girl turned to look at him her confused face immediately turned into a surprised and happy smile.

"Big brother!", she said.

This girl is Mo Qing, she is his old neighbor's daughter, they moved out just before his parent's car accident and he doesn't know where.

He and this girl were actually very close, of course, she was initially very scared of him but after a while, she started calling him brother. They played a lot together and when they were about to move she cried very hard until he was able to calm her down and let her sleep.

Unexpectedly, they would meet here.

"Qing'er, how have you been?", Zhao Fu smiled.

"Um, Qing'er is fine, how about big brother?", Mo Qing asked as she smiled brilliantly.

"Mhm, I am fi- Cough cough cough", When he was answering her he suddenly started coughing.

It continued for a while and Mo Qing asked with concern, "Big brother, are you ok?".

"Cough Cough, I'm Cough fine... it's just a little cough, don't need to worry about it", Zhao Fu took a deep breath to ease his cough.

"Even if it's a little cough, big brother still needs to go to the doctor", Mo Qing said with concern.

"No, no doctor, there's truly no need...", Zhao Fu shook his head as he assured her.

"Umm... okay, ah brother where are you living now? I visited your house but turns out other people lives there and there's no news about you. I know about your parent's brother, how about you live with us? so brother doesn't need to feel lonely".

"No need, I live far, I only came here on a whim after a business trip", To prevent her from seeing his sorry state, he can only lie.

"Oh... then brother, I always remembered that you love to read so I also started to read a lot of books myself!".

"Is that so?", Zhao Fu smiled as he patted her head. It's been a while but except for her getting a little taller, the feeling is still the same.

"Mhm! so I have read this... and ..."

They talked a lot and after a while, Mo Qing had to leave.

"Big Brother, give me your number, let's text each other sometimes", Mo Qing took out her phone.

"Mhm okay, my number is... XXX XXX XXXX", He purposely didn't take out his phone because the phone he use was so out of date.

"Then see you later brother!".

"Yeah", Zhao Fu smiled as he wave.

"Maybe it's not so bad after all", Zhao Fu laughed and then sighed, "What am I thinking, a dying useless man".

He shook his head, took a few books, found a secluded seat, and started reading.

...

A few months later.

Zhao Fu sat on a chair on top of the mountain, overlooking the city. He looks pale and sickly,

His phone then rings. The name of the caller was Mo Qing. He also see a bunch of message asking where he is.

"Hehe, it looks like she found out after all", Zhao Fu sighed.

In these few months, they have been conversing together, going to places, and deepen their relationship.

To be honest, He wanted to make her forget him on the first time they met, but he can't help but wanting to make some memories before he dies. Is it selfish? yes. Does he regret it? that's also a yes. But can't he be selfish before he died? anyway she will probably forget about him after a while.

Cough cough cough. Suddenly, he start to violently coughing.

Each cough felt like taking a piece of life out of him.

And finally, he lay back on the chair with peaceful face. His last time felt painful, but his memory these few months gave him the strength to forgo all that pain.

...

In the library.

When he first appeared here, he thought this was a heaven created just for him. A library full of books, but when he saw their titles he felt weird. All of these books are for cultivating immortal, or so it said. From martial arts, sword arts, alchemy, beast taming, and a lot more.

There's also a progress bar that appeared in front him everytime he thought about it and a voice saying to completely read all of the books here.

When he first read one of the book first content, he was sucked into it and appeared in a weird world with just 2 person inside, him and a stranger. Each time he had to fully learn what was in that content, for example, a sword art, then he had to master the sword art. Saint pill alchemy, then he had to make the saint pill himself. He can't skip any content and it has to be one of the time, otherwise he would forget what he read and start from beginning.

...

Back to the present.

It took him a long while, but he finally made it.

He mastered every single thing in this library, whether it's sword art, saber arts, lance art, alchemy, beast taming, artifact making, formation, divination, martial arts, and more.

Fortunately he doesn't feel anything here, no hunger, thirst, and tired. He always felt energetic and his mind was always clean and spacious.

"Well then, I already finished everything, what's next?".

He didn't have to wait for long. A transparent screen appeared in front of him.

[Congratulation, you have completed the trial of the Heavenly Sage. You are eligible to choose between two options]

[Option 1 : Inherit everything, get infinite wealth and knowledge of the Heavenly sage, and rule the new world]

[Option 2 : Return everything, Go back to the past]

When Zhao Fu looked at both of the option he froze at option 2.

"D-does it mean like, return... to when my parents are still alive?"

[No, turning back time is already breaking a lot of worldly rules. Returning the dead that already reincarnated will result in punishment from heaven]

"Reincarnated? so that mean they are somewhere? like in earth?"

[Yes]

"C-can I find them if I went to the past?", Zhao Fu asked, looking very hopeful.

[Yes, in ten years after your return they will reincarnate as a baby of 2 different families. You only need to find them yourself. Please do take note that even if they were a couple before they reincarnate, it might not be so after]

"I see, then I choose option 2"

[Are you sure? you want to give up all that wealth and power for just two unimportant person?]

"For you they might be not important, but for me they are everything. Besides, they are not the only reason".

[...]

[Good, looks like I didn't choose the wrong person]

[When I was still human I was a weak person that was shunned by fate. I started to climb high no matter what I do, betray, kill, steal, I'll do anything for power. In the end when I look back, what I see is just infinite loneliness. The power that I was chasing all this time became a slow poison for me. I was hated by an entire world and in the end I left and start in a path of ultimate knowledge. I regret all my past but unfortunately for me, there's no turning back time. You are lucky young one, the power of this world was very weak so I can turn back time specially for you but that's it]

[Just like me, oh young one that was shunned by fate. When you return, I want you to hit fate in the face]

[This is my last consciousness and I will truly die after this, I will leave everything to you young one. Don't live in regret just like me]

[I call this place the "Library of the Heavenly Sage". Use it well, and don't forget, "Knowledge is also a type of power]

After saying this, Zhao Fu looked at his feet that started to turn invisible and thanked while bowing 90 degrees, "Thank you very much, I will definitely try to live up to your expectation".

The light flashes and he disappeared.