Since I’ve learned the dangers of overly using the scan from my previous encounters, I use the next best thing to finding out myself.

“So… how does the cart know where people want to go?”

I decided to just ask.

The answer comes quickly from Luan Mao.

“Oh, you place your hand on a part of the cart, which takes you into an illusionary space. There you basically indicate what you are looking for and it will take you there.

“It works better the more you know about what you want.”

I hear a sigh from the other potentially eldritch librarian, Luan Ling.

“Sigh.

“I’m so used to seeing the new sect members fumble around from place to place that it was a kind of disappointing to see your group head right to the sections they need…”

… Please don’t be disappointed by such a thing.

Despite my thoughts, we head together to one cart, with them leading the way.

The closer we get, the larger I realize the one they picked is. It honestly is more comparable to moving trucks' size.

“Uh… do we need one that large? I’m just stopping by to see some members and then heading to one of the other sections.”

They both tilt their heads while shuffling slightly closer. Giving me a slightly eerie feeling again, though I feel it’s not an intentional action.

Them moving so in sync with each other and with that slight blur that pops up from time to time, is what’s doing it for me.

“You’ll be giving the additional information you promised earlier, right? So, we’ll need space for the research material once you are done with your stuff.”

The one I recognize as Luan Ling speaks up, but she pauses right after, as if there is something she wants to add. And for the first time, they seem slightly out of sync. Luan Mao is looking at her sister curiously and adds something, after looking at me.

“Hmm… and it might be pretty nice to just see what you choose to do as well.”

She pulls her sister into the cart and motions me over.

I quickly climb in and can see the shape of a handprint appear before me. Something no one else can see. It is easy to infer that both Mao and Ling have one before them as well.

I find it curious that my healing ability doesn’t prevent me from seeing illusions like this, but would protect me from others. Perhaps it depends on the purpose?

… maybe even the intention. I’ll need to test some things a bit later with it.

Either way, I place my hand on it and am put into the illusory space the twins had mentioned. It’s a simple room with a holographic map on it.

A voice speaks out.

“What are you searching for, within this Radiant Library?”

… I wonder what it would give me if I said something esoteric like Love? I’m curious enough to try later, when I have more time.

Funnily enough, this system doesn’t require verbal illusionary input.

It gives a low flash before highlighting eight different areas on the map. Which confuses me a little, as I only really know of two, maybe three people that might fall under the ‘love’ category with me at this location. Eight, on the other hand, seems like far too many.

Obviously, this isn’t something that I can take too lightly. The library isn’t giving much information, so I search it out using my own ways.

The first three were obvious, but a pleasant confirmation. Ai, Lin, and Mei Lin.

I was almost completely sure on Ai and Lin, but I was really hoping that there were positive feelings from Mei Lin, being that I truly consider being like a little sister to me.

This shows me that the library’s method isn’t looking at just romantic love.

Of course, Ai and Lin are mostly romantic love, but, luckily, Mei Lin seems to have mostly familial love.

The little romantic love that’s there from her, I will squash and eliminate with a vengeance.

Since none of the Yellow Sashes (in my group at least) were part of the sect, they didn’t come with us to the library.

The fourth that comes up, is in the outer court section looking at a cultivation method, is Ming, the giant man that I had healed and brought with me as part of my inner circle.

It seems he has a deep, friendly, admirative love towards me. Clearly grateful for how I’ve helped him so far.

… I need to hang around more guys. There are quite a few decent ones around, that I think I can relax around. Considering this… maybe I should include Ming in that.

It’s just tough to make guy friends, in a way. Back at home, there were things I could connect with others around me with. Games, anime, or other modern stuff.

Out here? I… know little outside of the scan. I come from a totally different culture.

And while women are a totally different type of confusion, it’s strangely easier for me to get along with them.

I don’t know…

But either way, I’m going to make this work. There are a few people I’m going to get to know. Because I won’t know if I don’t try.

Committing to that action in my mind, I move on to the next.

Which brings me to one that makes me feel a little weird.

It’s the ‘More Daddy’ woman, Tao Chenguang, who’s the servant of a noblewoman, Lin Qiang, in my group.

… though I don’t think I did enough to warrant a feeling of love from her. Lust maybe, but not love.

I may be discounting the effect of my healing abilities and the change it has on people’s lives, though. Not adding in repeated exposure to my ‘scent’.

Which brings me to another person in the group that worries me a little.

Shi Ji, the blonde-haired, red-eyed woman. She definitely had a big whiff of my scent at first. But at this point, there are probably other things influencing her thoughts.

As I get better and stronger, while doing the same for her, it certainly could sway a person’s heart. Not only that, but she’s already invested into me a bit… which I still need to pay her back for.

I’ll have to keep that in mind, going forward.

The last two people are women again, though one is a romantic/friendly mix, with the other being pure friendly love.

Min is the redhead who was originally with Shi Ji’s group and my scan showed me would be an amazing long-term addition for my group, back on the stairs. Shy, but clearly friendly.

I have had little interactions with her, despite her friendly feelings. Maybe it was helping her to get her own feet out from under Shi Ji? Guess I’ll have to find out later.

There’s no way that I won’t check into these more, now that I know these people have strong feelings towards me.

The last person is Yan… the woman who asked for help just before ‘more daddy’ showed up. Who was the first to accept a questionably exploitative agreement from me that I have no intention of following through with.

The same person whose body proportions borders on the monstrous. She’s absurdly curvy and because she wears heavy clothing all the time, it looks like she’s a big woman. But she’s not.

Though, in some ways, she actually is.

Hers seems to be a romantic/friendly mix. I’m guessing the romantic side might be because I told her I would ‘use her in different ways than a man’. The friendly side might be because she’s seen I haven’t acted on such a thing.

… the wordage for my scan bothers me a little, but I guess it was right in a way.

There are some surprises, though.

Chen and Ju, the two poor brunette women I originally recruited into my inner circle, don’t seem to have love for me… though I probably shouldn’t expect that from them. They mainly seemed to be in this for the benefits and were too careful of each other to get caught up in things. I do sense more friendliness from them, though.

But I feel there is the potential to change from Ju, though I’m not sure why.

I don’t know how this system could tell their feelings, but I suppose they likely would have talked or showed it.

…I should check.

It seems this illusion touches on the emotional side of the user, gaining some insights. That’s quite disturbing.

Reminds me of social media sites gathering data to build a profile.

Either way, now that I have satisfied my curiosity, I turn my attention to my path forward.

I’ll be stopping by each of my people’s areas to check with them. Starting with the easiest ones first. It doesn’t seem like anyone will quit early, especially since they’ve been told I’ll be checking in on them.

Well.

Time to jump around a little.