Weird, my gaming life

"He's changed," Zhu Wanying said, seemingly to herself.

Lin Yuan walked to her side, looked at the falling plum blossoms, and said calmly, "It's not that he's changed, it's that he used to hide it very well."

Zhu Wanying trembled, turned her head to look at Lin Yuan, and suddenly her eyes reddened, but she stubbornly refused to let the tears fall.

Am I stupid?

Lin Yuan did not answer yes or no.

He reached out and caught a plum blossom that had drifted down from who-knows-where.

"Not stupid, just it's time to grow up."

Zhu Wanying was stunned for a moment. Looking at Lin Yuan's serious profile, the sadness she felt because of Zhao Shixun slowly dissipated.

Yes, it's time to grow up.

She took a deep breath, inhaling the cool air of the courtyard into her lungs, and then slowly exhaled.

"Come on, accompany me to the library."

She suddenly spoke, her tone returning to normal.

"Um?"

Lin Yuan was somewhat surprised.

"Didn't Father give you a token? You can move freely within the palace."

Zhu Wanying winked at him, a sly smile playing on her lips. "I also want to see what treasures this place that fascinates you so much has."

Seeing her regain her spirits, Lin Yuan's lips curled up slightly.

"it is good."

……

Inside the library.

Lin Yuan was speechless when he saw Zhu Wanying, who looked like she was here for the first time.

This princess is a bit useless! She has such a huge treasure trove in her family, yet she has never visited it even once.

"Lin Yuan, this place is so big!"

Zhu Wanying couldn't help but sigh as she looked at the enormous library.

Lin Yuan hummed in agreement; he was already familiar with the environment here.

"Take a look around on your own, but don't go above the third floor; there are traps and formations there."

Lin Yuan gave a brief explanation and then walked familiarly toward the Martial Treasure Pavilion on the fourth floor.

"Hey! Where are you going!"

Zhu Wanying hurriedly called out to Lin Yuan, who paused for a moment.

"I'm going to the fourth floor. The book I want to read isn't down here."

Zhu Wanying immediately pouted.

"Why can you go to the fourth floor, but I can't!"

Lin Yuan glanced at her and said, somewhat speechless.

"Please, do you understand what's on the fourth floor? Just stay down here and behave."

Zhu Wanying wanted to say something more, but when she heard Lin Yuan's words, which sounded like those of a child, she stopped talking for some reason.

"Okay, you need to come down soon. I'm not used to not having you around."

After saying that, he obediently started browsing on the first floor.

Seeing her obedient appearance, Lin Yuan couldn't help but smile helplessly.

I don't know if this little girl is genuinely obedient or just insecure.

Thinking about how she had just had a falling out with her fiancé, Lin Yuan shook his head. Actually, he could understand her feelings.

Just like when my mother chose my brother and left me alone in the orphanage.

I was the same way back then, desperately needing to find a pillar of support in that unfamiliar world.

However, she was luckier than Zhu Wanying, possessing the cheat code of the game world, which gave her endless opportunities to become stronger, so she didn't seem so uneasy.

The wooden steps creaked softly underfoot, echoing through the spacious library.

On the first floor of the vast library, only Zhu Wanying remained.

The air was filled with the scent of old books and ink, and it was so quiet that you could hear your own heartbeat.

She looked around somewhat bewildered; the collection of books here was far greater than she had imagined.

Rows of towering bookshelves seem to hold an endless supply of books.

Zhu Wanying initially just wandered around aimlessly, her fingertips tracing the spines of thick books, feeling the weight of history.

But soon, Zhao Shixun's hypocritical and gentle face, and his harsh words, uncontrollably surfaced in his mind.

You are a princess with no one to rely on...

"Only by choosing sides early on can we save our lives in the future..."

Zhu Wanying's face tightened instantly, and the confusion and unease in her eyes faded, replaced by a stubbornness and unwillingness.

She stopped wandering around and went straight to the area marked with the character "史" (history).

She wanted to see what kind of lives those so-called princesses actually led in the long history of the Ming Dynasty.

She pulled out a copy of the Imperial Genealogy, turned the yellowed pages, and saw a series of unfamiliar names.

She saw her great-aunts who had died suddenly and inexplicably in the palace;

I saw those elders who were used as political pawns, married off to the sons of powerful officials, and ultimately died in despair in their husbands' families.

Most of their names are followed by the cold word "deceased" and a life that was tragically short.

Her heart sank little by little.

Unwilling to give up, she searched for a long time and found a book of unofficial historical records without a cover in an inconspicuous corner.

The pages were tattered, and the handwriting was illegible; it was clearly not an official compilation. She opened it as if possessed.

The book records the story of Princess Anle during the Jingtai era. She was also the emperor's darling, innocent and charming, and deeply loved.

She fell in love with a talented young scholar who had passed the imperial examination. The emperor, who also loved his daughter, disregarded public opinion and granted the marriage.

However, not long after the marriage, the old emperor died and a new emperor ascended the throne.

The once-glorious imperial son-in-law was purged by the new emperor and his entire family was exiled because he chose the wrong side.

Princess Anle was stripped of her title and imprisoned in the Cold Palace, where she died less than a year later.

The last line of text on the page is just a small line, like the author's sigh.

"In the imperial family, favors are as fleeting as clouds; without power and influence, one is ultimately a fish to be slaughtered."

Zhu Wanying's body trembled slightly; the words "ultimately becoming fish on the chopping block" were so glaring.

She seemed to see her own future reflected in the scene.

Wasn't her marriage to Zhao Shixun a form of support that her mother had found for her?

But now it seems that this very entity is a vicious wolf that preys on people.

She stared at the words on the screen, her chest heaving violently.

An unprecedented fear and clarity washed over her understanding built up over the past decade.

She couldn't go on like this anymore; she couldn't continue being that naive princess who only knew how to act spoiled and rely on her father's affection.

.........

At the same time, Lin Yuan had already arrived at the Martial Treasure Pavilion on the fourth floor of the library.

Although the "Divine Shift Tiger Step" is now exquisite, it is ultimately only a high-grade technique and can no longer match his current cultivation level.

Moreover, "Tiger Steps of Divine Speed" is more inclined towards short-range bursts and maneuvers, and is somewhat lacking in large-scale pursuit and evasion.

He needs a movement technique that is better suited for long-distance running and unpredictable changes of direction to make up for his weaknesses.

Lin Yuan glanced at the sealed book boxes and walked directly to the bookshelf containing movement technique manuals.

In an instant, a martial arts manual about movement techniques appeared before his eyes.

"The Thunder Step is powerful and heavy, too fierce, and easy to target."

Lin Yuan shook his head. He had to admit that the introduction was clear and easy to understand, pointing out both its advantages and disadvantages.

"The 'Willow Catkins in the Wind' technique is agile and graceful, but unfortunately it lacks variation. If you encounter a master of lightness skills, you can see through the trajectory at a glance."

"The skill 'Shrinking the Earth to an Inch' requires earth-elemental true energy. Although it is magical, its startup animation is too long, making it unsuitable for combat."

As Lin Yuan scrolled through the manuals, the slogans on them made him both laugh and cry.

Finally, Lin Yuan's gaze settled on a dusty book box, because it had no introduction or name.

Lin Yuan stepped forward and brushed the dust off the book box.

After hesitating for a moment, I finally couldn't resist my curiosity and reached out to cover it.

In an instant, the seal on the book box slowly disappeared.

At the same time, Lin Yuan paused, and silently took out the dark token that the old eunuch had given him from his chest.

It took Lin Yuan a long time to come back to his senses after looking at the dense cracks on the token.

So this token has a limited number of uses!

Lin Yuan felt a pang of pain in his heart; he had been planning to devour all the secret manuals here.

After all, such good conditions don't come around often.

But thinking about it, it makes sense; after all, this is the royal library.

Even if the royal family is extremely generous, how could they possibly allow an outsider to browse these Yellow-level secret manuals, which are enough to drive people crazy in the martial arts world, indefinitely?

Lin Yuan regretted his impulsive decision. He wished he hadn't acted so rashly. What if this wasn't the cultivation method he wanted?

However, the regret only lasted for a fleeting moment.

With a foundation of superior martial arts at the lower three levels, he could certainly find a way to improve his movement technique if he really needed one at the Yellow level.

However, stacking techniques requires more time.

Time was incredibly precious to him until he was certain his plan would succeed.

Lin Yuan carefully picked up the somewhat tattered manual from the box.

Upon unfolding it, there were no words on it, only a few simple human figures sketched with a few strokes.

The figures in the picture are in various poses; some blend into the shadows like ghosts, while others seem to brush against the water like a gentle breeze.

Others seem to be jumping between different spatial nodes.

There are no move names, no mental techniques or incantations, only pictures.

Ordinary people would just think it's a child's doodle.

But in Lin Yuan's eyes, these paintings seemed to come alive.

Every turn of the line, every drop of ink, embodies an ultimate understanding of space and speed.

This is a skill that goes far beyond the realm of "body techniques"; it is closer to the "Tao."

Lin Yuan's heart raced, and his powerful comprehension reached its peak at this moment.

Those simple diagrams decomposed and recombined in his mind, transforming into countless lights and shadows, demonstrating all sorts of incredible ways of movement.

After an unknown amount of time, Lin Yuan slowly withdrew from his comprehension.

I was pleasantly surprised, but also a little disappointed.

This manual only covers the first three steps; the more advanced parts are missing.

Lin Yuan gently put down the nameless movement technique book and closed the book box.

I can't help but marvel once again at the exquisite nature of this technique.

This is definitely more than just Yellow-level; based on the martial arts references he has accumulated over the past few days, this technique is at least Profound-level.

It's probably because it's incomplete, and because without exceptional comprehension, one simply can't understand what this manual is about. That's probably why it's placed here.

If the first three steps are so ingenious, how amazing must the following steps be?

The first step, "Leaving a Shadow," leaves a lasting afterimage in place for several breaths, just like a real shadow, while the real body has already fled far away.

The second step; "Illusion", the footwork unfolds, within a radius of thirty feet, there are many shadowy figures, making it difficult to distinguish between reality and illusion, so that the enemy cannot pinpoint the real body at all.

The third step, "Maze," represents a glimpse into the workings of space. It allows for near-instantaneous blinking over short distances.

With a single step, one is already several feet away, the trajectory unpredictable and elusive.

These three steps demonstrate the full potential of surprise attack, deception, evasion, and stealth.