图库cc

"Young Master Vanderlin, could it be that you already know the way to the Martial Arts Repository?" Berucha asked with a wry, awkward smile.

"Mm," Vaan admitted as he casually replied, "There was a detailed map with explanations in one of the guidebooks."

When Berucha heard that, he couldn\'t help but feel embarrassed.

So it turned out that Young Master Vanderlin already knew the way to the Martial Arts Repository, and he still allowed him to lead the way instead of rejecting him. Berucha felt grateful once he understood that.

Young Master Vanderlin was giving him a chance to be acquainted with him.

Nevertheless, Berucha also couldn\'t help but feel shocked in his heart. He had seen Young Master Vanderlin flipping through pages in the Registration Hall like he was only skimming them.

Who knew he would actually memorize anything from it?

\'Geniuses are made from a different mold,\' Berucha thought self-

deprecatingly and sighed at his only mediocre talents.

"Thank you, Young Master Vanderlin."

"What for?"

"For giving me a chance to make your acquaintance, Young Master Vanderlin. I don\'t want to hide it from you. My talents are mediocre, and I am unlikely to become a powerful Body Refiner in this lifetime unless I get an opportunity. That\'s why I approached you."

"Since you are honest, I will also tell you something, Martial Brother Berucha. I am just a guest fighter hired by Duke Zaahir. There will be many people who will come to make trouble with me. As such, you will not have peaceful days being around me and will even suffer alongside me. Despite that, do you still dare to stick around me?"

Berucha was quickly surprised but he quickly understood Vaan\'s meaning.

Although the truth behind the western region\'s plight wasn\'t widespread, any knowledgeable person could guess it had something to do with the rivalry between the three dukes. And while these three dukes wouldn\'t kill each other due to their brotherhood, it was different for the people working under them.

Considering Duke Zaahir was in a disadvantageous position, his people were more likely to suffer and face dangers.

Furthermore, Vaan wasn\'t Duke Zaahir\'s son or anything, just a hired outsider. Thus, even if Berucha wanted to align himself with Duke Zaahir\'s faction, he was unlikely to receive any support from Duke Zaahir.

In other words, associating with Vaan won\'t give Berucha any benefits from Duke Zaahir and might even make his life miserable due to Duke Zaahir\'s rivals.

A normal person would have shied away after weighing the options, but surprisingly, Berucha didn\'t fall into this category.

"I\'m not afraid of death, Young Master Vanderlin. I\'m only afraid of being mediocre my whole life!" Berucha firmly stated, gritting his teeth with a determined look.

It was do or die.

Berucha decided to take a big gamble by associating himself with Vaan. Despite what Vaan said to him, Berucha had a faint feeling that he wouldn\'t regret his choice. Berucha had no confidence or basis to back up this thought.

However, looking at Vaan\'s calmness gave Berucha an unfathomable feeling, like he was looking at a tall mountain that wouldn\'t bend to wind or rain.

Nevertheless, Berucha ultimately chose to associate with Vaan because he had no other choice.

No one else would take Berucha due to his mediocre talent and looks. He was a nobody with nothing special. In the eyes of other strong factions, there was no benefit to taking him in.

\'Young Master Vanderlin is the only person who hasn\'t looked down on my mediocre talents, and he is even younger and more powerful than me. Young geniuses are naturally arrogant, but not Young Master Vanderlin.\'

\'Since Young Master Vanderlin seems reliable, I should put my trust in him,\' Berucha thought. He made his choice with zero expectations of receiving Duke Zaahir\'s support.

Although Vaan had only spoken a few words, Berucha went through a great deal of thinking before making his ultimate choice.

"That\'s good," Vaan casually smiled and said, "I don\'t care about people\'s power or background anyway, only their character."

"I don\'t care about people\'s power or background anyway, only their character…" Berucha quietly repeated before his eyes lit up.

Only a strong person would dare say such a thing.

Nevertheless, Berucha was fearful that their words might have been heard by others and offended some people. Thus, he cautiously studied his surroundings. After seeing no one around, he sighed with relief.

They were passing through a small lake called Coldmoon Lake, a serene place where few people come to meditate. Compared to practicing martial skills, surpassing physical limits, or completing missions, spiritual meditation was an unpopular activity.

Sometime later, Vaan and Berucha eventually reached the Martial Arts Repository, a grand nine-story round pagoda building with an additional eighteen underground floors.

Dozens of martial students could be found constantly entering and exiting the building at any given time. There were more people entering than leaving the building. But from time to time, a large number of martial students would leave at once.

The rules of the Martial Hall did not permit anyone to take out the martial arts and cultivation methods stored inside the Martial Arts Repository.

However, there were some exceptions for martial instructors when they wanted to use a specific book as lecture material for their class. Even so, they still had to go through the proper procedures before they could borrow the books.

Otherwise, they could only peruse the martial arts and cultivation methods while they were staying inside the building.

When Vaan entered the building, he found all the bookshelves arranged along the walls while the central area of each floor was used as reading space.

As an honorary core member, Vaan was permitted to peruse any martial art book and cultivation method found on the top nine floors free of charge. He also had access to the first six underground floors, but contribution points were required to learn anything there.

Nevertheless, Vaan was eager to absorb all the knowledge the Martial Arts Repository had to offer.

"I will most likely spend the whole day here," Vaan calmly stated before turning to his side, asking, "What about you, Martial Brother Berucha?"

"Huh?"