Chapter 143: A Wave of Unmarried Fiancées Approaches

(This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation)

At the scene of the Autumn Duel yesterday, after Ji You unleashed his final seven swords, Chu He was once again knocked out of the arena. Yet, he quickly stood up.

Though his body was drenched in blood, his numb expression suggested that he was seemingly unharmed.

At the time, everyone believed that Chu He was fine, thinking those seven strikes had only inflicted superficial wounds.

Thus, they awaited the second match, eager to witness more of the Chu Clan’s foundation.

However, the truth was far grimmer. While Chu He appeared to have sustained only flesh wounds, in reality, his hand bones had been completely shattered by the immense force of the sword qi.

Had he raised his hands then, the crowd would have seen a horrifying sight: two broken hands, dangling limply, held together only by shreds of skin.

It was said that the Chu Clan was deeply alarmed and forbade any outsiders from approaching Chu He.

The Office of Affairs later dispatched a disciple to examine his injuries.

To call them merely broken was an understatement—those hands had been reduced to rubble.

What puzzled the disciple, however, was Chu He’s complete lack of reaction. He showed no expression of pain, his gray eyes lost in a daze, as if his very soul had departed from his body.

Whether out of concern for his son or for some other reason, the Chu Clan’s patriarch decisively refused to proceed with the second match, hurriedly taking Chu He away.

With no way to continue, the duel naturally ended.

Thus, the “best-of-three” format was rendered moot.

Out of respect for the Chu Clan, the Office of Affairs did not publicize the outcome.

In truth, the Autumn Duel’s results had never been deliberately disclosed to the public in past years, for this was ultimately a minor competition between the Heavenly Script Academy’s Outer Court and Inner Court.

It was only because Ji You’s name carried such weight and because Chu He had been in the spotlight since his enrollment that this outcome drew such widespread attention.

Thus, from the autumn of Taichang Year Two to the autumn of Taiyuan Year One, nearly a year had passed, and the once-renowned wandering rogue cultivator had now successfully entered the Inner Court, shattering all speculation with his seven swords.

A wandering rogue cultivator had bested the descendant of a prestigious clan and ascended Mount Ni.

At this moment, Lu Qing Qiu stood frozen within the Instructor’s Hall, unable to even hear the gentle patter of the autumn rain outside.

She had always known Ji You was strong, but when the reality of his entry into the Inner Court settled in, it still felt like an illusion.

No one doubted Ji You’s strength, for from the streets of Shengjing, through Qiling, to Spirit Sword Mountain, and finally to yesterday’s White Jade Terrace of Ascension, his swordsmanship had been witnessed by all.

Yet, her daze was not from disbelief in his power—it was from the sheer absurdity of his background.

It was as if a farmer, whose life had always been spent facing the soil with a hoe in hand, had miraculously defeated an aristocrat born into wealth and privilege.

Instructor Ma was right—Ji You had merely begun to show his divine talent. Those closest to the well always get to drink first.

Lu Qing Qiu bit her lip lightly, her gaze stirring with ripples.

“Have you heard? Ji You won.”

“I heard at noon. They say Chu He’s hands were shattered after the first match and he could no longer fight.”

“So that means Ji You is entering the Inner Court…?

“Who else could it be?”

Within half a day, the rumor of Chu He’s shattered hands had spread throughout the Outer Court.

Many disciples exchanged glances, their minds inevitably replaying the memory of those seven swords from the day before.

And at this moment, their feelings mirrored Lu Qing Qiu’s.

Even though they had long known Ji You was powerful, the reality of a wandering rogue cultivator entering the Inner Court still felt unreal.

But then again, if not him, who else?

“A sword that even Chu He couldn’t withstand…”

“We all know that survival in the Immortal Sect is not always about talent but about one’s background. Senior Sister Wen Zheng Xin has a talent equal to He Ling Xiu, yet she still lost because the Wen Clan cannot compare to the He Clan. Ji You wasn’t selected for the Inner Court—he simply cut his way in.”

The phrase “cut his way into the Inner Court” had unknowingly spread from the mouth of one disciple, and soon, many others began quoting it.

Upon hearing this, both the Outer Court instructors and the Stewards of the Office of Affairs felt deeply conflicted.

For in their hearts, they knew that this statement was undeniably true.

His path had been fraught with obstacles, yet with a single sword, he had truly slashed open the gates of the Heavenly Script Academy’s Inner Court.

Meanwhile, word of “Chu He’s hands being shattered by the shock” gradually spread beyond the Heavenly Script Academy, reaching Shengjing, and eventually, the noble clans of the capital.

In Spring Blossom Alley, Dou Yuan Kong stood with a dozen household guards, his gaze dark and brooding as he stared at a modest courtyard at the corner of the street.

“Have you confirmed it? She lives here?”

“Yes, Young Master. Miss Wei Rui’s letters have all been sent to this address.”

Hearing the servant’s report, Dou Yuan Kong’s eyes gleamed with murderous intent.

He and Wei Rui of the Wei Prime Minister’s Estate had grown up as childhood sweethearts, and with both families approving of their match, it was practically a heaven-ordained union.

Yet in recent days, Wei Rui had been sending letters to the residence of some lowly scribe from the Department of Immortal Observers—a mere scholar from some backwater village.

The son of Minister Dou felt the horns of betrayal pressing upon his head. This was an insult beyond tolerance.

In truth, Dou Yuan Kong had been aware of the scholar named Kuang Cheng since the refugees’ northward migration in spring.

But at the time, due to certain matters within the Heavenly Script Academy, he had restrained himself.

However, patience had its limits…

Just as he raised his hand to signal his men to storm the house, three blade-wielding guards intercepted them and silently escorted Dou Yuan Kong away from Almond Blossom Alley to Hongxiang Tavern.

Dou Yuan Kong did not resist, for he recognized these guards as belonging to Prince Chong’s Mansion.

In less time than it takes to finish a cup of tea, the son of Minister Dou was escorted into the tavern, only to see Princess Chang Le of Prince Chong’s Mansion sipping tea by the window.

“Dou Yuan Kong greets Your Highness.”

Zhao Yun Yue turned her head slightly. “The Autumn Duel of the Heavenly Script Academy has ended.”

Hearing these words, Dou Yuan Kong froze for a brief moment.

He had assumed that the Princess had summoned him due to the complex political climate within the court, possibly to warn him against unnecessary entanglements. Yet, unexpectedly, her words concerned the Autumn Duel.

As the son of a high-ranking court official and a member of the Pro-Immortal Sect, Dou Yuan Kong was well aware of the rivalry between Chu He and Ji You in the Inner Court.

Rumors had already spread that Ji You had displayed overwhelming prowess the previous day, defeating Chu He in the very first match, sending him off the stage. This outcome had indeed caught Dou Yuan Kong by surprise.

However, he also understood the deep foundations of the noble clans. The Chu Family, in particular, was a thousand-year-old household, its existence intertwined with the very rise of the human race. Even if Chu He had suffered an unexpected loss, Dou Yuan Kong believed that he could not possibly be defeated entirely.

Yet, the expression on Princess Chang Le’s face made him widen his eyes. An unsettling realization crept over him—one he was unwilling to face.

“Ji You won?”

Zhao Yun Yue set her teacup down and nodded.

Dou Yuan Kong found it incomprehensible. “How could he have won? What about the second match?”

“There was no second match,” she replied. “By the time the first match ended, both of Chu He’s arms had already been shattered. According to the rules of the Heavenly Script Academy, any participant unable to continue or who voluntarily concedes is considered defeated, thus ending the Autumn Duel.”

“His… arms were broken?”

Zhao Yun Yue was silent for a moment before explaining, “To be precise, ‘broken’ might not be the right word. According to a disciple from the Office of Affairs, at the moment of impact, the bones in Chu He’s arms were completely crushed.”

Dou Yuan Kong gritted his teeth. “How could someone from that backwater place of Feng Prefecture possibly have won?”

“Yet, this is the reality,” Zhao Yun Yue responded calmly. “Whether you believe it or not is irrelevant. Now that Ji You has entered the Inner Court, his status has changed. He may even become the sole patriarch of a noble house in Feng Prefecture. Moreover, the scholar Wei Rui has been in close contact with him. You should act with greater caution.”

“I have been childhood friends with Wei Rui, yet she—”

Before he could finish, Zhao Yun Yue cut him off with a chilling gaze. “In Azure Clouds Dominion, Immortal Authority is paramount. Do you truly believe you can risk offending a Heavenly Script Academy disciple of the Upper Five Realms over mere sentiments?”

Silence engulfed Dou Yuan Kong. He had never imagined things would unfold in such a manner.

A rogue cultivator from a remote countryside, lacking any background and facing the glaring hostility of a thousand-year-old noble clan, had somehow stepped into the Inner Court, one step at a time.

Zhao Yun Yue, indifferent to his growing despair, gracefully departed the tavern. She made her way to a painting studio, where she retrieved a parchment package.

The previous day, after witnessing the Autumn Duel, He Ling Xiu had arranged for a painting to be copied from the original draft held by a disciple of Spirit Sword Mountain. Zhao Yun Yue had paid extra to have another copy made for herself.

Inside the package was a meticulously rendered painting—an image of a young white-robed sword cultivator, bare-chested, exuding a peerless aura of elegance and grandeur.

Indeed, the words of Spirit Sword Mountain held true.

A sword and a youth—an impeccable match.

Zhao Yun Yue gently pressed the painting against her chest, her eyelashes fluttering.

Cultivators lived longer than mortals, so their marriages were not arranged as hastily. However, Zhao Yun Yue’s age was now suitable for choosing a husband.

Each year, Prince Chong invited the Seven Great Immortal Sects’ disciples to his mansion, harboring the intention of arranging a suitable match. Despite the many talented young men she had encountered, Zhao Yun Yue had never felt any urgency.

Yet at this moment, an unbidden thought arose.

At the founding of Great Xia, the Heavenly Script Academy was revered as a sacred sect, with its first emperor having been one of its disciples.

Thus, many inner disciples of the Heavenly Script Academy had historically married into the imperial family and noble clans.

With this precedent, Zhao Yun Yue resolved to meet Ji You and gauge his thoughts before requesting an imperial decree for marriage.

Although not a disciple of the Seven Great Immortal Sects, she had still been accepted as a personal disciple of an Elder of Spirit Sword Mountain.

By that status alone, she was considered part of the Inner Court of Spirit Sword Mountain, even a direct disciple.

From her perspective, she and Ji You were well-matched in both standing and cultivation.

And so, on that early autumn’s rainy day, numerous letters arrived at a small courtyard by Azure Lake, sent from the Capital, the Outer Court, and across the Nine Provinces.

Among them were handkerchiefs, silk sleeves, and even intimate garments, including a pink undergarment from an unmarried noblewoman in the capital.

The content of each letter was largely the same—an invitation to a private meeting with Ji You, where they might share a drink.

But to the astonishment of these women, all of their letters were returned.

Some had been opened, while others remained sealed, their wax seals unbroken.

When Princess Chang Le received her rejected letter, a look of disbelief flickered in her eyes.

“He refuses to see me? Are you sure he understands why I invited him?”

Her maidservant nodded. “I made it quite clear, even using direct words such as ‘a desire to become Dao companions’…”

“And he still refused?”

“Yes…”

Zhao Yun Yue’s eyes widened in shock. “I am a direct disciple of an Elder of Spirit Sword Mountain, my Immortal Status even higher than his. He hails from the countryside, while I am a Princess of Great Xia—and yet, he dares to look down on me?”

The maid hesitated before adding, “Many women from the Outer Court also sent him letters, even including intimate garments. Miss Lu from Yun Prefecture was among them.”

“Then which one did he accept?”

“None, Your Highness. Ji You accepted none of them.”

Zhao Yun Yue faltered for a brief moment, then a flush of both shame and anger rose to her cheeks.

“If he seeks to establish a noble family, he must consider his descendants. He will need an heir, yet he rejects even me? Does he intend to marry the Little Mirror Master of Spirit Sword Mountain instead?”

Among all the women in the world, none were as noble as the Little Mirror Master of Spirit Sword Mountain.

By drawing that comparison, Princess Chang Le was ridiculing Ji You for his arrogance.

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