I Refused To Be Reincarnated
Chapter 593: The Viper’s Revenge

Chapter 593: The Viper’s Revenge

Ragged growls escaped the elder’s lips as his knuckles whitened. When did mere inner disciples dare mock an elder? Worse, Adam was right. He had no desire to face Shen’s and Fei’s scrutiny.

His anger receded as he remembered the last time someone poked these two sleeping tigers’s tails twelve years ago.

Not only had they confronted him, but they did it in public without care. Attracted by the ruckus, he had emerged from the library like everyone else, only to watch a proud elder being savagely beaten up. The consequences? That elder lost his prestige. His disciples abandoned him out of shame, and no one ever treated him with respect again until he returned his robes and left the sect.

Blood drained from his face, and horror replaced anger. He wouldn’t share this fool’s fate! Besides, now that he calmed down, he realised he had overreacted because of the kid’s disrespect. What sixth floor? The supervisors would never let two kids reach that closed place.

But he wouldn’t let this slide, either.

"Humph." He waved a dismissive hand. "Go, but don’t expect any discount from me."

After Adam and Misha shrugged and stepped to the first floor, he retrieved a jade slip and whispered.

"Two disciples disrespected your master. What shall you do?"

A voice laced with suppressed anger echoed from the slip.

"They dared? We’ll bring you their stiff corpses by tomorrow!"

He facepalmed and rolled his eyes. What with the excessive violence? Did his stupid disciples want Shen to investigate the matter? No, there was a better way, one that would allow him to see why Shen chose them while avenging himself.

"Provoke them in official duels when they come out." His eyes blazed with ridicule. "A public humiliation and messing up with their ranking should teach them a valuable lesson."

"Understood. We’ll make them cough blood and break their legs in the arena," the voice answered, the creak of a shutting door echoing in the background.

A cruel smile split the elder’s face as he stored the talisman in his spatial ring. With this, Shen would have nothing to complain about. After all, duels were common, and accidents occurred when hot-blooded youths overestimated themselves.

Meanwhile, Adam stepped onto the first floor and greeted the supervisor—an inner disciple leaning against the wall.

A spear resting in his hands, the twenty-year-old man returned the greeting before launching into a series of instructions.

"You can browse the manuals for an hour. Past that, you’ll have to pay ten sect points per additional hour." He raised his finger and narrowed his eyes to emphasise his words. "Don’t force me to kick you out. But if words aren’t enough, know that you’ll be banned for a month if I do, so play with fire at your own risk."

Adam nodded, watching the man retrieve a talisman and wave it.

"This will seal your spatial ring for an hour. The sect has zero tolerance for stealing. We’ll destroy your dan tian and expel you if you try."

Noticing the kids’ well-behaved nods, the supervisor continued with the few last rules.

"You can borrow a cultivation and combat technique after each breakthrough or every half a year. I’ll check it before you go down to pay and receive your return date. Choose carefully. The better techniques are priced higher."

Adam watched the supervisor seal his spatial ring, then cupped his fists.

"Thank you for the clear instructions, senior."

The discussion over, he turned to the shelves filled with thousands of booklets, most stitched together with coarse threads.

A few outer disciples frowned hesitantly, glaring at the books as if facing a life-or-death decision. On the side, inner disciples leaned or sat against shelves, leisurely reading one technique after another and enjoying the incense’s soothing scent.

Adam exchanged a glance with Misha before they scanned the shelves, knowing they needed to find the right starting points—the introductory manuals that would unlock the path to more advanced techniques after their next breakthrough.

They read and dismissed techniques one after another for the next half an hour before Misha waved at him, a red booklet in her hand.

"What do you think about this one?" She whispered, showing the title painted in bold characters: Scarlet Dragon Inferno Fist Volume I.

Intrigued, he skimmed through the pages, his smile widening with each information. It would become a core formation realm technique after they mastered all four volumes, a valuable find!

"We’ll take it." He patted her head, raising his thumb. With a decent offensive skill, they needed something to complement it. "Let’s search for a movement technique or the method to ride swords."

After skimming through the sect’s impressive collection, he finally found what he sought.

He grinned at the blue sky painted on the cover. An eastern dragon twirled in the middle, its head piercing upward and its clawed feet gripping artistic clouds as support.

"It’s not exactly Shen’s technique, but I can derive it after mastering this one." He showed the title to Misha: Azure Dragon’s Celestial Spiral Volume I.

After reading the first page, she shook her head.

"You’ll waste too much time since I have no affinity for clouds. I’ll ask Shen to share his later." She chuckled. "It can’t be that valuable since we’ve seen so many use it."

He felt a bit bad that she couldn’t learn it. But since her answer made sense, he nodded. After all, this six-volume technique would allow him to condense clouds under his feet. Imagining riding them caused his steps to hasten toward the supervisor.

The man checked the booklets, a brow raised and his hand trampling around the cover.

"Juniors, these... are a bit too hard for your age." He also wanted to tell them about the horrible price but refrained. They’d learn about it if they insisted, anyway.

He sighed when Adam and Misha shrugged, their eyes sparkling with determination. He had seen so many like them—all dreaming about grand techniques—only to return, shoulders slumped and lips twisted in regret.

"Don’t complain that I didn’t warn you." He gestured to a glowing formation, convinced that a disciple should start with weak techniques to deepen his understanding for many years before jumping to works divided into volumes.

After the formation shone green, showing that they had stolen no books, he watched them leave, impatient to hear their outraged yells when the elder told them about the price.

A moment later, the viper smirked before the red and blue books.

"Did Shen forget to teach you anything, kids?" he said, his voice dripping mockery. "These are part of larger works. Even if they only cover the basics, they share its price." He stretched his golden card, gloating at the sweet revenge. "Three and seven hundred sect points. You have two weeks to return them."

However, he frowned when Adam took out his jade card without a word. Did he really have enough? Why wasn’t he complaining?

Mouth gaping, he watched as the kid transferred the money, cursing Shen’s generosity and lack of education. Still, he had bled their finances and shortened the borrowing time to the limit, which was better.

Adam glared at him, veins throbbing before he turned and stomped out.

’Two weeks? Don’t push it too far, old fool. Some fates are worse than death.’

Misha patted his back and shook her head conveying it wasn’t worth the trouble as they emerged outside.

He nodded, inhaling to calm down. Yet, four parasites decided he should remain angry a little longer...

Strolling as if the streets were theirs, the three dragons on their robes fluttered alive as they stopped before him.

"Never seen such ugly bastards in my life!" A fourteen-year-old teen spat before him, followed by the three others. "What retarded elder gave you those robes? Remove them before you give the idea that any beggar can join our prestigious ranks."

Misha growled like a wolf, dissatisfied by the insult directed at Shen and about to diss them for mocking Adam.

Meanwhile, Adam stopped her, his eyes narrowed on their average looks, raised brows and smirks.

Ugly? That was the last word anyone would use to describe his stylish sky-blue hair and eyes, smooth porcelain skin, and incredibly handsome features.

’Trying to provoke us?’ He cracked his neck, his fingers tightening into a fist. ’Seems like this elder is more considerate than I thought. He even sent a relief squad after angering me.’

An amused smile played on his lips as he pointed at them and decided to play along.

"One on one, or should I slap your four mouths together?"