Chapter 5: Young Master Ji Glows Brightly!
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
Qiu Zhong had knelt in the County Magistrate’s Hall for an entire day. By the time he collapsed from exhaustion, some kind-hearted souls carried him back to his home. Yet, rumors on Archway Street still swirled: today, Young Master Ji once again had not stepped out of his residence.
However, no one witnessed the strange phenomenon later that night. As the stars and moon turned in their celestial dance, waves of qi roiled along the empty street. The clouds in the night sky shattered into pieces and scattered, leaving the crimson scar of blood across the heavens to appear even more menacing.
Kuang Cheng’s household steward, who rose at the Hour of the Pig to relieve himself, noticed how unusually bright the night sky seemed. Meanwhile, beneath this same sky, Cao Jin Song, an instructor of the Heavenly Script Academy, gazed solemnly into the distance. His thoughts lingered on the aura he had sensed in the Ji household, leaving him deeply troubled.
[Ji You…]
This youth, not even twenty years old, had reached the upper Essence Refinement Stage, standing one step away from perfecting the Lower Three Stages. Such progress was beyond astounding for a wandering rogue cultivator from the countryside.
But what was truly terrifying… He had only just stepped into the upper Essence Refinement Stage at twilight, and now, within the span of two hours, he was already striving toward completion of the Lower Three Stages. Could he truly believe that it was possible to break through two realms in one day?
Over the course of millennia, even the shortest recorded time to ascend from Essence Refinement to the peak of the Lower Three Stages had been half a year. Not even the geniuses who later ascended had ever been exceptions. Success was not the concern here—it was whether he feared death at all!
Yuyang County, part of Feng Prefecture, had not produced a cultivator under twenty who had completed the Lower Three Stages in over a century. Cao Jin Song, who cherished talent, had originally planned to wait a year before inviting Ji You into the Heavenly Script Academy, pretending to know nothing about his rogue cultivation origins.
Yet, Ji You’s recklessness baffled him.
Still, it made sense—this young man’s desperation likely stemmed from his determination to save that mortal girl, Qiu Ru, who was destined to be used for refining pills. A rogue cultivator might be able to reach the upper Essence Refinement Stage, but without a proper background, they would remain in obscurity. Only by completing the Lower Three Stages and gaining the academy’s protection could Ji You hope to save her.
But, unfortunately for him, attempting to perfect the Lower Three Stages in a single night was pure folly. When he failed, and if he then witnessed Qiu Ru being taken away, his Dao heart might shatter—if not, it would still be marred by deep inner demons. Cao Jin Song could not help but feel anxious at the thought.
As he brooded, Pei Ru Yi had just finished her cultivation session. Seeing the instructor sighing in the courtyard, she hesitated before approaching him, her expression curious. Ever since the appearance of the rogue cultivator in Yuyang, the instructor had seemed particularly preoccupied.
“Instructor? It’s so late. Why are you still here in the courtyard?”
“Tomorrow, Immortal Worship Mountain Manor will send someone to visit. Summon Prefect Fang and have him bring the Qiu father and daughter. You and I will think of a way to protect the girl.”
“?”
…
By dawn the next day, the day of tribute tax collection had arrived. The streets of Yuyang County bustled with carts and horses. Shouts echoed everywhere as constables of the Banner Squads patrolled alongside the supply wagons, ensuring the grain deliveries were properly accounted for.
Yet, all eyes were on Qiu Ru.
For early that morning, an immortal from Immortal Worship Mountain Manor had arrived in Yuyang County to meet with the Heavenly Script Academy instructor residing at the County Magistrate’s Hall. Not long after, constables were dispatched to fetch Qiu Ru and her father, Qiu Zhong, from beyond the city walls. Old Qiu, unwilling to let go of his daughter, was detained alongside her. Only Madam Li Shu Ping was left behind, fainting in despair within their courtyard.
Everyone who heard of this sighed in pity. The Qiu family seemed destined for ruin.
Meanwhile, Fang Ruo Yao stood under the covered corridors of the hall. Beside her were Jia Si Cong, Dong Wei, and others who had come to see her off. Even Kuang Cheng had been urged by his elders to attend. The crowd gathered there watched the immortals within the main hall as they discussed matters. Even from a distance, the faint, oppressive pressure of their presence could be felt.
“Miss Fang, what are the immortals discussing?”
“They… they’re talking about the Qiu family. The immortal from Immortal Worship Mountain Manor does not seem very kind,” Fang Ruo Yao murmured, her gaze flashing with confusion.
The seven great immortal sects had agreed long ago not to interfere in each other’s teachings. Why had her instructor, who had never shown interest in the Qiu girl’s plight before, suddenly decided to take action?
Time passed quickly from dawn to noon. By the third quarter of the Hour of the Horse, the grain carts dispatched by the County Magistrate’s Hall were returning with Great Xia’s tax tribute. Workers were busy registering the deliveries in front of the storage warehouse. Within the hall, however, the atmosphere had grown increasingly tense.
This was supposed to be the hour they departed for the capital city. Fang Ruo Yao was growing anxious, unsure if they would still be able to leave that day. Unlike her, the others were more focused on whether the Heavenly Script Academy would succeed in protecting Qiu Ru. Fang’s journey to the capital was a personal matter, but the fate of Qiu Ru had captured everyone’s curiosity.
From the way things appeared in the hall, Immortal Worship Mountain Manor seemed unwilling to compromise, and the situation was growing ever more dire.
Even the illustrious Heavenly Script Academy, hailed as the foremost sect in the land, cannot truly command the entire world of immortals. This truth became evident when the fate of the young girl from Clan Qiu, Qiu Ru, seemed sealed in death.
At that moment, a constable guarding the County Magistrate’s Hall came rushing in, stumbling in his haste. He nearly collided with a pillar as he panted for breath.
“Reporting to Miss Fang! Th-the young master of Clan Ji, Ji You, has arrived!”
“?”
Fang Ruo Yao and those who had gathered to see her off were momentarily startled. They exchanged glances, puzzled. “Why would he come here?” Fang asked.
The constable shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“Could he be here to plead for that Qiu girl?” someone mused.
Jia Si Cong chuckled. “Impossible! If he truly intended to plead, why not come two days ago? Or even yesterday? Why choose today? I suspect he’s here to send Miss Fang off to the capital.”
At this remark, the group burst into laughter.
Several days ago, Fang Ruo Yao had held a grand banquet for her departure, but Ji You had not been invited. Now, like a fool painting his own face with mockery, he had come unbidden, clutching a warm heart only to press it against the cold stone of indifference.
Fang Ruo Yao frowned, displeased, and addressed the constable, Brother Zhong. “Please intercept him and tell him I acknowledge his intentions, but he should return home.”
“I… I did try to stop him,” the constable stammered. “But… but I couldn’t.”
“Why not?” she asked, her tone sharp.
Brother Zhong swallowed nervously. “He… he’s glowing…”
“???”
His report left everyone stunned. Glowing? What could that mean? Before anyone could inquire further, a fierce wave of Qi swept through the hall’s entrance.
The courtyard, framed by a corridor and filled with County Prefect Fang Zhong Zheng’s beloved chrysanthemums, was suddenly consumed by the gale. Every petal and leaf was stripped bare as a figure strode in. Each step covered a distance of ten zhang, accompanied by dazzling flashes of spiritual light that made it nearly impossible to look directly at him.
Ji You appeared in the courtyard, his stance tall and unwavering, his sharp gaze like the edge of a blade. Waves of spiritual energy roared around him, their sound like the beating of a war drum.
Ordinarily, Ji You was seen as little more than a skittish monkey, a timid mouse. But at this moment, he resembled a tiger descending from the mountain, exuding a terrifying and unstoppable aura. A single sidelong glance from him cut through the crowd like a knife.
Beyond the radiant aura and overwhelming momentum, Ji You also wore something completely different from his usual faded blue robe. Today, he was dressed in an embroidered brocade garment adorned with gold thread and cloud patterns. He looked like a young noble reborn, though this time with an ethereal immortality that transcended mere mortal vanity.
Among the youth of Yuyang County, Kuang Cheng was considered the most refined and elegant. However, as Clan Ji’s decline deepened, many had forgotten that Ji You had once stood shoulder to shoulder with him in reputation.
In an instant, the entire corridor fell silent. All eyes were fixed on the figure bathed in celestial light. Jia Si Cong, Dong Wei, Fang Ruo Yao, and even the stoic Kuang Cheng stared in shock.
Since the fall of Clan Ji, no one in the county had taken Ji You seriously. His recent two-day retreat at home had only fueled their ridicule. To them, Ji You’s timidity would eventually give way to resignation, and he would surface after the girl’s ordeal was done. When that happened, their jeers would only grow louder.
They’d mock him as they had during Clan Ji’s fall and the annulment of his engagement to Fang Ruo Yao. They’d laugh at his cowardice, his meekness, and his inability to stand tall—suggesting he might as well take his own life. They might even tease him about his former fiancée, now headed for the Heavenly Script Academy, by hinting at whether he planned to rely on her future status.
But none of them could have anticipated Ji You’s arrival today. With his commanding stride and a gale that announced his presence, he shattered their preconceived notions.
Immortal.
The word echoed silently in their minds as they watched him. Ji You, who had remained in seclusion for two days, had emerged as an Immortal.
The one most unable to process this revelation was none other than Fang Ruo Yao, who had once been betrothed to him. Five days earlier, she had received the joyous news of her acceptance into the Heavenly Script Academy. From that moment, she had begun to carry herself as a cultivator, often proclaiming, “In my Heavenly Script Academy…” or “We cultivators…”
But today, as she stood before Ji You, his body radiating spiritual brilliance and his aura like a raging sea, she realized the truth.
The man she had so decisively broken off an engagement with—the one she had looked down upon—was now an immortal beyond her reach.
“How could this be…” Fang Ruo Yao’s lips trembled as she struggled to speak. “He… he has been hiding at home all this time…”
Her voice faded into the silence of disbelief.