The speed at which the entity traveled was startling. What made it even more surprising was how little sound was created by its movements.
A second later, it appeared on the first floor.
Its movement was ghostlier than a true ghost.
While it was on the fourth floor, its features were a blurry shadow. The moment it arrived on the fourth floor, it took on a completely different image.
He appeared as a scrawny old man.
The old man wore plain but elegant long robes without a speck of dust or dirt on his being. His white hair and beard added to the ethereal vibe which he exuded. He widened his eyes, and a ball of light sparkled before him. In an instant, he was able to see Lin Jin rummaging through the room even though there was a concrete wall between them.
The old man stood there motionlessly, studying his subject with great curiosity. He was clearly perplexed by Lin Jin’s strange behavior.
Lin Jin would go on to rummage through the drawers for a while, but the old man nevertheless stood there watching him. When Lin Jin was ready to leave the second room, the old man pondered before teleporting back into his room on the fourth floor.
He clearly wasn’t fond of being detected or disturbed.
One could also say that he couldn’t be bothered any longer after finding out that Lin Jin was a new lecturer here at the academy, as baffling as his behavior was.
After emerging from the room, Lin Jin looked around suspiciously.
“That’s strange. Why did I sense that someone was spying on me?” Lin Jin muttered to himself. Doubting his senses, he asked Xiao Huo about it too.
Xiao Huo didn’t sense anything strange.
“Forget it, let’s continue!” Lin Jin figured he was thinking too much. Of course, the reason why he didn’t care was partly due to how absorbed he was by the happiness of adding so many new entries to the museum so quickly.
How exciting!
This was like reaping rewards that he did now sow. It felt better than copying off someone’s homework. After harvesting two rooms, the new entries in the Museum of Deadly Beasts had exceeded five hundred.
Prior to this, such an achievement had been unimaginable to Lin Jin.
As he recorded new beasts, the museum gradually became much more spacious too. The next reward would be coming soon.
And so, Lin Jin looked up and rushed into the third room.
By the time the sun began to set outside, Lin Jin finally finished the fifteen rooms on the first floor. At that point, he had successfully recorded over four thousand new beasts. The number of entries he made in half a day far exceeded what Lin Jin had gathered over the past few months.
The moment Lin Jin made it past the ten thousand milestone, the museum issued his next reward.
Advanced Beast Deterrence.
‘It’s finally here!’
Lin Jin had been waiting so long for this Advanced Beast Deterrence that it felt like the flowers in his heart had withered away. Reading the description, he learned that Advance Beast Deterrence allowed him to intimidate creatures Rank 5 and below.
The catch was that it did not have a hundred percent success rate when used against Rank 5 beasts.
Against certain Rank 5 beasts with unique powers or rare bloodlines, Lin Jin’s deterrence ability had a chance of failing.
Even if it did fail, the creature would still be affected to a certain extent.
Upon seeing this, Lin Jin was a tad disappointed because this was a little different from the Advanced Beast Deterrence he had hoped for. Still, it was better than nothing.
Lin Jin was still in the mood for more, so although the sun had set outside, he had no plans of going back.
Mr. Zhong hasn’t returned anyway, so he would carry on.
And so, Lin Jin headed for the second floor.
For a moment there, Lin Jin could be seen shuffling around the Beast Appraisal Pavilion.
The shadow on the fourth floor was once again alerted.
Like before, it took on the form of an old man. Using that same peculiar method of his, he appeared on the second floor and started spying at Lin Jin through the wall, observing his every more.
However, as if the old man had found something interesting, there was a curious look in his eyes.
Instead of returning to the fourth floor, the old man teleported behind Lin Jin this time.
He made no sound as he did so.
Given their close proximity, Lin Jin sensed his presence immediately.
The moment he turned around, he was greeted by the sight of an old man staring silently at him. This startled Lin Jin. Anyone else would be just as frightened if someone appeared behind them without making a single sound.
Noticing the old man’s dignified appearance and his intimidating aura, Lin Jin knew he wasn’t an ordinary person.
Lin Jin was a newcomer so he didn’t know much about the Beast Appraisal Pavilion. Wang Xin had mentioned that lecturers of the academy frequented this place to cross-check the reference books.
Hence, Lin Jin assumed that this old man was one of the academy lecturers.
The man held his hands behind his back, and his sleeves were hidden away. However, based on his pressuring aura and mysterious movements, Lin Jin did not dare to disrespect the old man.
Lin Jin saluted the old man with a bow. “Sir, is something the matter?”
There must be a reason for him being here.
Otherwise, why would the old man be standing behind, staring straight at him?
Upon hearing the question, the old man finally broke the silence.
“Ever since coming here, you’ve been rummaging through everything. I wonder if there’s a deeper meaning to your actions?”
Ouch!
Lin Jin thought, ‘This old mister has keen observation, but I’m pretty sure I was the only one around here, so how did he see what I was doing?’
Then, Lin Jin remembered that strange feeling of being watched earlier.
Looks like it was this old man’s doing.
How he did it, Lin Jin had no idea. Admittedly, the speed at which Lin Jin went through the samples would appear confusing to most people.
Judging by the man’s wrinkles, he should be a veteran appraiser, so Lin Jin naturally had to show him some respect.
Thinking quickly, Lin Jin replied, “Sir, my name is Lin Jin and I’ve just arrived today as the academy’s lecturer. I heard that Heavenly Spiral Academy’s Beast Appraisal Pavilion is filled with all kinds of beast specimens so I came to look at them out of curiosity. As for your question, I will say there is none. If I have disturbed you, I will gladly leave this place at once.”
It was getting late and Mr. Zhong would probably be back soon so it was okay for him to leave. As he still had three months here, Lin Jin figured he could just come here during his free time to ‘harvest’ the remaining specimens so there was no need to be in a hurry.
The old man studied Lin Jin before saying, “A new lecturer? When you touched the specimens earlier, I noticed spirit energy in your fingertips. Is it a type of secret appraisal method?”
Now, this startled Lin Jin.
Since he started using the museum, no one had ever noticed this before. Even Lin Jin was unaware that spirit energy was circulating on his fingertips as he touched a specimen.
He wore a dumbstruck expression.
Then, the old man spoke again, “Let me ask you, on the first floor’s third room, which beast’s specimen lies inside drawer number two hundred and seventeen?”
An answer immediately came to Lin Jin’s mind. Not only did he know what the drawer contained, but he also had the full details of that particular beast.
However, Lin Jin deliberately answered, “Uhm… I don’t remember.”
He had to keep a low profile.
The old man seemed unconvinced. “You don’t remember? I think you’re lying. You were definitely using a unique appraisal method earlier. How about this, you teach me this secret method, and I’ll teach you a corresponding secret method so we can call it even. What do you think?”
Upon closer observation, one could see the burning passion burning in the old man’s eyes. He was obviously certain that Lin Jin possessed knowledge of a unique appraisal method.
Admittedly, this old man’s eyes were keen, and he was no ordinary person.
But Lin Jin couldn’t possibly admit that he had the museum.
“Sir, I really don’t know any secret appraisal method. I was really just curious and when I touched the specimens, so I used the sixth ‘touch’ method of the Basic Appraisal Methods. If Sir would like to hear about the Basic Appraisal Sixth Method, I can tell you a bit about it.”
Lin Jin started playing dumb.
The old man went into deep thought. Then, without saying a word, he turned and left.
Lin Jin mused, ‘What a strange man.’
But it was a good thing he left.
Lin Jin now knew that it was time to leave the Beast Appraisal Pavilion. Otherwise, the old man might come back at bug him, so he snuck out of the place silently.
However, as he left through the door, an angelic young woman in green robes materialized in the hall on the first floor, exactly like a ghost. She watched as Lin Jin left the building.
“Why did he leave so suddenly? I was thinking of meeting him with a different appearance so he might just tell me what that secret method was. Aren’t all young men powerless against beauties? My current looks should be enough to destroy cities, right?”
The young woman in green was visibly confused.
At that moment, another silhouette approached the pavilion. It was Zhong Zifeng.
The young woman in green shifted, disappearing without a trace.
Zhong Zifeng naturally caught a glimpse of her silhouette and was stunned. He had just run into Lin Jin earlier and conversed briefly with him. Right after that, he found a beautiful green silhouette when he arrived at the pavilion.
Zhong Zifeng wasn’t shocked but he was slightly surprised. Then, he simply went up to the fourth floor and bowed low at a huge painting on the wall.
“Senior Shu, do you have any instructions?”
There was no answer. However, if one were to observe closely, that large painting seemed to be an inner room. It had chairs, tables, and several paintings on the walls. There was even an old man, an elegant young master, and a young woman in green. Paintings of rare beasts were scattered everywhere.
There were paintings within a painting.
If Lin Jin were here, he would surely recognize the old man in the painting to be the exact person he had just met earlier.
Every person in the painting donned beast patterned sleeve guards. By counting them, one would be surprised that they all had five rings.
Five-ringed beast pattern sleeve guards!
Silence ensued. After waiting for a while, Zhong Zifeng left the room quietly. However, before exiting, he stole a glance at the plaque under the painting.
There was a name on that plaque.
Shu Xiaolou!
