Knowledge is rent

The voice from inside the door, identifying itself as the "Clerk of Forbidden Books," carried obvious surprise and a hint of offended anger. A massive surge of mental energy receded like a tide, and then, the seemingly ancient wooden door silently slid open a crack, just wide enough for one person to pass through sideways. Behind the door was not the expected library, but a swirling vortex of countless glowing characters and symbols, radiating a dizzying torrent of information.

"Ignorant fool, how dare you desecrate the temple of knowledge? Rent? Here, only knowledge is eternal; worldly matters are not worth mentioning. If you can safely pass through this 'Corridor of Truth' and arrive before me, perhaps I will consider listening to your... nonsense."

The voice came directly from the depths of the vortex, carrying an indifferent, condescending tone. This was clearly a show of force, a test. Ordinary players, and even seasoned experts, would be instantly overwhelmed by the massive amount of chaotic information and rendered incomprehensible if they were caught in this labyrinth of knowledge.

Jiang Yu stood at the doorway, peering into the vortex with a look that showed no fear, but rather a hint of disdain. He raised his hand and gently touched an ancient rune that had floated past him, emitting a faint glow. The rune flickered, seemingly extremely unstable.

"Oh," the boy responded, but instead of retreating, he picked up his rusty machete and stepped inside.

The anticipated mental shock did not materialize. The instant Jiang Yu stepped in, a faint, almost imperceptible halo seemed to emanate from his body. All the chaotic information and mental tentacles that tried to approach him slid away naturally, like water encountering an invisible barrier. He walked slowly but steadily, his gaze not even lingering on the ancient knowledge that would drive outside scholars mad, but heading straight towards the depths of the vortex, towards the location of the mental core.

"Your 'Corridor of Truth' is based on the model of 'spiritual representation' in Chapter Seven of the Eribes Scroll, right?" Jiang Yu asked casually as she walked, her clear voice standing out amidst the flood of information.

The being inside the door fell silent for a moment.

Jiang Yu continued, "However, you used the 'Karendo Transformation' from 'Whispers of the Abyss' at the node connections, attempting to increase the maze's deceptiveness. The idea is good, but the third paragraph of Chapter Seven of the 'Eribers Scroll' clearly mentions that the model's mental energy transmission has unidirectional inertia. Forcibly grafting a dynamic transformation would lead to instability in the core structure. For example... the third energy node on your left rear, hasn't it been flickering intermittently lately? Also, you used 'Ancient Dragon Language' to write the defensive runes for the west corridor. The explosive syllable energy of the Dragon Language clashes fundamentally with the tranquility of this model, like planting explosives in a reservoir. No wonder the energy dissipation rate of your corridor is so high."

With each word he spoke, the mental fluctuations at the core within the door trembled violently. These subtle problems, which even the administrators themselves vaguely sensed but could never pinpoint the root cause of, were revealed by this seemingly ordinary young man with a chilling precision.

"You...who exactly are you?!" The administrator's voice lost its previous composure, replaced by surprise and doubt. When did the Supreme God acquire such a being, so well-versed in ancient knowledge?

Jiang Yu had already traversed the long corridor when a breathtaking view suddenly opened up before him. It was an incredibly magnificent circular hall, its high dome resembling a starry sky. Countless bookshelves stood like towering trees, filled with books of various materials, each emitting a different kind of light. In the center of the hall, on a throne formed from countless books, sat a blurry figure composed entirely of spiritual energy. It had no fixed form, but one could sense the shock emanating from its core.

Jiang Yu stopped ten steps away from the throne, brandishing the machete in his hand, his tone still calm: "I told you, I'm a rent collector. Messenger of the Supreme God, Jiang Yu."

He looked up, his gaze seemingly piercing through the spiritual illusion, directly seeing the manager's true nature: "You owe rent for fifteen years. According to the original contract, it should be paid in 'pure spiritual essence' or equivalent 'rare knowledge.' Seeing that you have quite a few books here, you can use knowledge to pay off the debt."

The manager's phantom flickered, seemingly deep in thought. A head-on confrontation? The opponent could easily see through the weaknesses of his prized maze; their strength was unfathomable. Reasoning? The fact remained that rent was in arrears.

“Your Excellency,” the administrator’s tone softened considerably, even taking on a hint of negotiation, “it’s not that I intentionally delayed payment, but rather… in recent years, fewer and fewer ‘visitors’ have been able to arrive here and provide ‘high-quality fear and wisdom’ as nourishment for their knowledge. My own resources are also gradually drying up, and I simply cannot afford to pay such a huge rent…”

Jiang Yu nodded in understanding, then pointed to an inconspicuous little bookshelf next to the throne, on which were several tattered-looking leather scrolls piled up casually: "I understand. In that case, we'll forget about the interest on the fifteen years of rent you owe, and for the principal, we'll use the top scroll of that pile to pay it off."

The administrator looked in the direction Jiang Yu pointed, and the spiritual entity suddenly froze. That pile was a collection of "useless junk" it had casually gathered during its travels through various dimensions in its early years. The top scroll seemed to be a... handwritten manuscript recording vulgar jokes and farcical stories from various planes? What value could this thing possibly have?

"Envoy... are you sure? That was just..."

“I’m sure.” Jiang Yu interrupted it, her tone leaving no room for doubt. “The first edition of ‘The Pan-Dimensional Collection of Humor,’ a handwritten copy, by ‘Anonymous Pleasure-Taker.’ Using it to pay your fifteen years’ rent, you’ve made a profit.”

The administrator was completely dumbfounded. It couldn't understand the messenger's thinking at all. But it could sense that the boy wasn't joking; his gaze was calm yet carried an undeniable authority, much like a more terrifying being in its memory.

Using a worthless, laughable book to pay fifteen years' rent? That's utterly absurd!

But... if it's true, it undoubtedly got a great deal.

The hesitation lasted only a moment. A powerful survival instinct (or perhaps a desire to gain an advantage) made it decide immediately. The tattered leather scroll flew off the bookshelf and slowly drifted toward Jiang Yu.

"As you wish, Your Excellency. This scroll will be used to offset fifteen years' rent." The manager's voice carried a hint of relief and disbelief.

Jiang Yu reached out and took the scroll, without even glancing at it, casually stuffing it into his seemingly empty pocket (which was actually a small spatial device left behind by the main god). He nodded in satisfaction: "The deal is done. The next rent collection is in fifty years, remember to prepare in advance."

After saying that, he turned and left without any hesitation, as if he were just completing a trivial transaction.

Only after Jiang Yu's figure disappeared at the entrance of the Corridor of Truth and the gate slowly closed did the Keeper of Forbidden Books recover from his great daze. He looked at the empty hall, then "looked" at the pile of truly precious forbidden books beside the throne, and an extremely absurd feeling welled up in his heart.

This new rent collector... something seems off about him?