Library

“Heading out?”
Zhou Changcai craned his neck to watch the two leave.
As he gazed at the backs of Lü He and Cheng Yan, Zhou Changcai sighed inwardly.
In the past, it hadn’t bothered him much, but now, living under the same roof with such diligent scholars, he felt increasingly unsettled, as if something was gnawing at him.
He didn’t quite understand why; he had never cared for studying before.
The more he dwelled on it, the more irritable he became.
Knowing himself unsuited for the scholarly path, he was restless and bored.
Unlike Wu Agui, who seemed born for pleasure, Zhou Changcai was equally skilled in both gambling and vice. Yet, for him, womanizing held little appeal—it was merely a bodily function, a routine convenience. Only gambling stirred his spirit, bringing an indescribable comfort.
On the very first day, he befriended the troublemakers at the academy.
He’d heard that each evening, students flocked to an underground market at the temple behind the academy’s northern hill, where silver could buy anything. He planned to drag Wu Agui along to explore the temple.
Hearing there would be women, Wu Agui’s eyes gleamed, hands rubbing together. “You truly know me, Brother Changcai. Let’s go, let’s take a stroll to the hill together.”
...
The library was indeed a place of importance, but students were not barred from studying there.
A senior patrolling the night carefully checked the bronze lamps extending from the pillars.
The lamps were covered with a thin layer of glass, so even if knocked over, the bronze would not ignite.
The steward warned strictly against the use of open flames and the destruction of books or scriptures; everything taken must be returned to its place.
With their waist tokens, the two entered the towering treasure house.
Students were allowed only on the lower three floors; above that was forbidden.
Cheng Yan and Lü He found a spacious spot to spread their mats.
They moved over ready-made desks, lit the lamps, and began their studies.
As soon as Huibao entered, he sprawled on the ground, sniffing carefully, then, as if sensing a direction, dashed into the darkness.
“Hey.”
Cheng Yan dared not raise his voice in the library; even the slight sound drew discontented glances from nearby seniors. He had to plead with Uncle Cat to quickly retrieve Huibao, lest the mouse cause trouble.
Old Cat Lu Xun did not intervene immediately, strolling leisurely behind Huibao, perhaps because the mouse had found something interesting.
Huibao pressed his nose to the red brick, rear raised high as if mopping the floor with his body.
He sniffed here and there, paused, changed direction, and then began to climb the wooden stairs.
Unlike the flamboyant Drunken Tower, the library was grand and austere, built strictly according to tradition.
On the second floor, fewer students studied; numbers picked up again on the third.
Huibao did not linger.
Old Cat Lu Xun followed Huibao up to the fourth floor.
No sooner had they arrived than the previously lit fourth floor plunged into darkness. Pairs of tiny eyes stared at the two intruders.
Huibao squeaked and looked back at Old Cat.
The White Deer Cave Academy had a long history; anything ancient was likely to become a spirit or cause mischief. The lamps had flickered before; now, such abnormality surely meant the work of library sprites.

Old Cat had little interest in these sprites, meowing softly to signal Huibao to continue searching.
Huibao, initially timid in the unfamiliar setting, grew bold with the black cat backing him.
Once more, he pressed his nose to the ground, sniffed around, found the direction, and bulldozed forward. Soon, he led the big black cat to the stairway leading to the fifth floor, about a yard high, and was about to ascend.
Thud.
Huibao landed on his rear.
Grimacing, he rubbed his rump, black-bean eyes searching for the cause.
Black Cat Lu Xun pondered, feeling as if an invisible wall blocked their path.
“Heh heh.”
A muffled laugh came from the darkness.
“Ha.”
After the initial chuckle, a chorus of strange laughter echoed all around: “Hahaha!”
Lu Xun’s golden beast eyes swept the darkness, which seemed as clear as dusk to him. Leaping forward, he pinned a fleeing shadowy figure with a paw.
The little figure cried out in panic, “Book Elder, help!”
The old man dozing above was jolted awake, lost his footing, and tumbled down, landing in a heap on the floor. Astonished, he exclaimed, “Where did this tiger come from?”
“It’s not a tiger, Book Elder! Perhaps your eyes are failing you,” the large face on the plaque chuckled.
A bronze lamp, hiding behind a bookshelf, shook its head, the wavering flame gradually stabilizing and illuminating the scene.
The black cat held the ink sprite down, golden eyes surveying the surroundings.
The Book Elder swayed, growing from a pot-sized form into a hunched old man, his face lit with smiles as he reached out, “Raccoon cat!”
He tried to pick up the black cat.
The cat snatched up the ink sprite in its mouth and retreated, eyes darting.
“Help, help!” the ink sprite cried in terror.
At this, the library erupted with clattering sounds, and soon, all manner of strange sprites gathered round.
Huibao cowered behind Old Cat’s hind legs.
The Book Elder soothed, “Let him go; we won’t harm you!”
Old Cat gently released the ink sprite, who quickly scuttled behind the Book Elder.
The monsters began to chatter.
Lu Xun squinted his golden eyes and thought, “How strange.”
None of these sprites radiated dangerous energy, yet all could speak.
Black Cat Lu Xun pointed a paw at the yard-high stairs.
The Book Elder picked up a bronze lamp with limbs and smiled, “To go up to the fifth floor, you need the master’s permission; even we seldom go there.”
“We haven’t seen you before.”
The lantern-eyed plaque stared at the cat and mouse, chuckling, “A cat and mouse pairing.”

“Must be spirits.”
“Yes, indeed.”
...
The monsters chattered, some bold enough to circle the cat and mouse. They’d seen raccoon cats before, but never such clever ones, and started speculating about their origin.
The academy was never short of sprites.
Huibao, sensing no hostility, relaxed.
Lu Xun glanced at the stairs to the fifth floor, then back, “Meow…ooow? (Strange, they can all speak.)”
Since treasure hunting upstairs was impossible, Lu Xun decided to return with Huibao to the first floor; he still needed to read and write, and later that night had an appointment in the ancient pine grove to learn Ape Fist.
The Book Elder stroked his grizzled beard and laughed, “Ah, you mean that. Whenever the academy is lively, the master enlightens newly formed sprites, and they learn human speech.”
A look of surprise appeared on the black cat’s round face.
That was exactly what he’d meant, but he hadn’t expected the Book Elder to understand cat language.
Even more astonishing was that these little monsters had been taught to speak by humans.
To give sprites the gift of speech—the master’s abilities must be extraordinary.
Thinking of this, Lu Xun turned toward the fifth floor; surely, even if treasures were up there, they could not be taken.
A gentleman loves wealth, but acquires it rightly; better not to court trouble. Black Cat Lu Xun gently carried Huibao in his mouth, nodded to the Book Elder, and bounded down the beams and stairs to the fourth floor.
...
Cheng Yan opened a book, and a black cat’s head popped out.
He looked again—a large mouse was curled at his feet, pulling his robe over its belly, settling into a comfortable pose.
Cheng Yan smiled knowingly and pushed the book aside.
He spread a sheet of rice paper across half the desk, grinding ink himself.
The black cat extended a furry paw, flexed a sharp claw, dipped it in the inkstone, and began copying the text—first, the Book of Songs taught at midday.
Cheng Yan did the same, though with a wolf-hair brush rather than his fingers.
Man and cat worked in silent harmony at the desk.
Returning from the restroom, Lü He was dumbstruck.
“Cheng… Brother Cheng.”
“Shh.”
Cheng Yan made a silencing gesture.
Lü He shook his head in helpless amusement—now even monsters were studying.
Were they aiming for the imperial exams as well?