Chapter 76: The Trial of the Immortal Emperor Ru Long
(This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation)
Yuan Cai Wei, having consumed the Spirit Extinguishing Pill, was utterly exhausted from the arduous escape. Her soul and body drained, she retired early to rest.
Ji You remained seated, contemplating the intricacies of the ruins they had encountered. His mind churned, attempting to piece together the elusive truths behind their experiences. He reached for the teapot to refill his cup. Yet, instead of grasping the teapot, his hand met something cool and smooth—a small, jade-like hand.
Startled, he froze, unwilling to look up. [Could this touch signify a promise?]
Yuan Chen, holding the handle of the teapot, shuddered slightly. “Brother-in-law, do you want some tea? Shall I pour it for you instead?”
“?”
Ji You raised his gaze to identify the owner of the hand, then swiftly withdrew his own. [No wonder the joints felt so pronounced.] “No need, I don’t particularly enjoy tea.”
Nearby, Yan Shu Yi was sipping her tea with small, deliberate sips. Her fierce yet endearing gaze fixed on him. [This rascal… Did he just try to hold my hand?]
Before anyone could respond further, hurried footsteps echoed from outside, followed by a voice: “Excuse me, is Ji You present here?”
Zhuo Wan Qiu opened the door to find a tea pavilion’s servant holding a slip of paper. “Earlier, someone came seeking you, Young Master Ji. They described your appearance, and I thought to myself, with such extraordinary bearing, it could only be you. So, I searched and brought this message.”
Ji You accepted the slip and scanned its contents. A faint crease appeared between his brows. “So that’s what I forgot.”
The servant lingered, rubbing his hands expectantly without leaving. Noticing this, Zhuo Wan Qiu retrieved a silver coin from her waist pouch and placed it in his palm.
Ding Yao found her actions peculiar. [This is a matter between Heavenly Script Academy disciples. Why is a Spirit Sword Mountain disciple offering payment?]
Yet Zhuo Wan Qiu remained silent, her expression unreadable. [I’ve figured it all out already.]
“My senior brothers and sisters are waiting at the previous tea pavilion. I need to inform them that I’m safe.” Ji You stood, his gaze briefly settling on Yan Shu Yi before turning to Yuan Chen. “I’ll be back tonight. We’re staying here.”
Yuan Chen blinked in surprise. [Brother-in-law is incredibly considerate. He’s clearly saying this for my sister’s sake, even though he’s speaking to me.]
The Mirror Master of Spirit Sword Mountain, her demeanor as aloof and unmatched as ever, remained silent, her only focus on the bubbles forming in her tea.
Leaving the leisure courtyard, Ji You arrived at the tea pavilion where he found Pei Ru Yi, Wen Zheng Xin, Ban Yang Shu, and Bai Ru Long waiting for him. Other disciples had been settled at an inn within the city.
“Ah, it’s the illustrious Goddess Ru Yi, Fairy Zheng Xin, Celestial Lord Yang Shu, and Immortal Emperor Ru Long.” Ji You cupped his fists. “I am but a humble, rural cultivator—Ji You, the plain disciple of the Seven Swords and practitioner of both martial and Daoist arts. Greetings to all.”
The four reddened with embarrassment, about to dismiss his words as flattery, when they noticed a peculiar aura around him. The distinction between the Lower Three Stages and the Upper Five Stages was unmistakable. Ban Yang Shu was the first to react, his mouth agape. “Junior Brother, have you reached Profound Comprehension?”
Ji You nodded. “I broke through today at midday.”
“How could it be the mid-stage already?!”
“The oppressive killing qi in the mountains was too stifling. Once I emerged and saw clear skies, I couldn’t hold back anymore.”
Pei Ru Yi regarded him thoughtfully, recalling Cao Jin Song’s assessment: [This one is extraordinary.] Once dismissive, she now found herself silently agreeing.
The group exchanged information about the ruins. Upon hearing Ji You’s discoveries, they all shuddered. [If we had pressed on heedlessly, we might have become mere footnotes in someone else’s immortal destiny.]
“Junior Brother, are you returning to the Heavenly Script Academy?” Pei Ru Yi asked.
Ji You met her gaze. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I? I will enter the Inner Court. Not even Heaven’s Will can stop me. Mark my words.”
The four exchanged glances. [Chu He is in for a formidable challenge.]
Here was Ji You, a rural cultivator who had first attuned to the Heavenly Tome and now ascended directly to mid-stage Profound Comprehension. Chu He’s luck seemed to have turned for the worse.
They agreed on a departure schedule and decided to take an immortal ship back to the capital for safety.
Bai Ru Long glanced around and asked curiously, “Brother Ji, have you rescued your fiancée yet?”
“What fiancée?”
“Earlier, Zhuo Wan Qiu from Spirit Sword Mountain informed us that danger was brewing in the mountains and urged us to leave. She specifically mentioned you, so I told her you went to rescue your fiancée.”
Ji You paused. “Zhuo Wan Qiu warned you to leave?”
Wen Zheng Xin nodded. “Yes, she claimed it was by the Appraiser’s decree that we had to evacuate immediately. I thought perhaps Spirit Sword Mountain didn’t want to completely antagonize our Heavenly Script Academy.”
Ji You’s expression remained unreadable as he turned to Bai Ru Long. “Immortal Emperor Ru Long, come with me to a quiet corner and explain this fiancée business in detail.”
“?”
“Eh?”
“Brother, I was wrong!”
After a while, Bai Ru Long, the Immortal Emperor, returned to the tea pavilion. His once-pristine money pouch now dangled empty, and he slumped like a flower scalded by boiling water.
[Dammit, I’ve run into a bandit.]
Ji You, meanwhile, had a triumphant grin plastered across his face as he sat back in his chair. Glancing at Ban Yang Shu, he couldn’t help but ask curiously, “I’ve already entered the Profound Comprehension Stage, so why can’t I sense Senior Brother’s aura?”
Ban Yang Shu chuckled lightly. “I was trapped at this stage for a long time, unable to merge with the Dao. But after facing life and death, I broke through.”
“So that’s it,” Ji You nodded in understanding.
Wen Zheng Xin chimed in with a mischievous smile. “We killed a lot of Malignant Beings back then, but he wouldn’t stop rambling about hearing the heavens roar, just like in the stories. Turns out, he actually broke through.”
Ban Yang Shu knew she was teasing and said calmly, “Perhaps I was too immersed in the moment.”
As the group conversed, Bai Ru Long stayed silent. When he had been carving characters earlier, he too had felt something inexplicable. Later, when thunder roared in the skies, the sensation had deepened. Now, he felt as though he was on the brink of a breakthrough, though it wasn’t yet fully clear.
Pei Ru Yi interrupted the conversation, addressing Ji You. “Let’s eat. This meal is on me—consider it thanks for saving my life.”
Ji You gave her a thumbs-up. “Senior Sister, you’re so generous. But I suggest letting Ru Long pay instead.”
“Ji Brother, I’m broke…” Bai Ru Long stammered.
“You can borrow from me. Pay me back with interest,” Ji You retorted with a grin.
Bai Ru Long’s lips quivered, and he silently lamented. [A fiancée is supposed to bring honor, not hold grudges.]
…
By the time Ji You left the courtyard of leisure, dusk had already fallen. After the meal, night descended. Wen Zheng Xin offered to take him back to the relay station, but he refused, saying he’d be staying with friends instead.
As he walked out of the tavern, he paused after several steps, gazing up at the sky. For the first time since the sky had opened at noon, they could see a proper nightfall, complete with a crescent moon hanging in the heavens.
But…
The blood-red scar stretching across the sky had grown even larger.
Even now, Ji You had no idea what the scar was. He had asked countless people, only to be told that it had existed since ancient times.
After pondering for a long time without answers, he returned to the courtyard of leisure. The group had been on edge for days and was utterly drained. Yuan Chen and Zhuo Wan Qiu had already retired for the night.
In the courtyard, only Yan Shu Yi remained. She sat perched on the wooden railing in front of her room, lazily swishing a piece of foxtail grass in her hand. She looked ready to yawn from exhaustion.
Though she appeared relaxed, her recent days had been fraught with tension. The rise of an immortal signified a disturbance in the Daoist Lineage, and hers belonged to Spirit Sword Mountain.
Hearing the door creak open, Yan Shu Yi turned her gaze toward Ji You. Her eyes sparkled as she watched him approach.
[Zhuo Wan Qiu came to fetch us, specifically looking for you.]
[They mentioned it was under the Appraiser’s command.]
The recent conversation echoed in Ji You’s mind. He strolled closer and, without a word, reached out to pinch Yan Shu Yi’s left cheek. It felt cool to the touch yet smooth as jade.
The young Appraiser froze in surprise. She glared up at him with fierce eyes.
…
Ding Yao had yet to fall asleep. Too many thoughts plagued her mind—whether to report their location to the Dao Seeking Sect, and how Min Cheng was faring. Tossing and turning, she finally gave up on sleep and opened the small window by her bedside.
Through the window, she witnessed an astonishing scene under the moonlight.
The Appraiser was seated on the railing, head tilted upward. That Heavenly Script Academy disciple, Ji You, stood before her, pinching her cheek.
[This man must have a death wish!]
She envisioned a scene of bloodshed, with Ji You’s offending hand severed at the wrist.
Yet, to her shock, Yan Shu Yi merely shot him a sharp look before allowing him to continue. Her legs dangled lazily as she gazed at the night sky.
Eventually, she flicked the foxtail grass in her hand a couple of times and handed it to Ji You. He took it and tucked it behind his ear.
Neither spoke a word throughout the exchange. Only the moonlight and the sound of the breeze accompanied them.
After some time, Yan Shu Yi yawned again, hopped down from the railing, stretched, and returned to her room. Before closing the door, she playfully waved a small fist at Ji You.
Witnessing this, Ding Yao shut her window with haste. Sitting by her bed, she stared blankly for a long time, utterly perplexed.
She had always thought Ji You’s interactions with Yan Shu Yi were thanks to his connection with Yuan Cai Wei. But now, it seemed they had known each other for much longer, and their relationship was anything but ordinary.
This realization made everything suddenly fall into place. Ji You’s restraint, Yan Shu Yi’s tone, Zhuo Wan Qiu’s odd demeanor…
Still, it didn’t make sense. Their statuses were worlds apart. In this realm, everything adhered to balance and reciprocity. Only a direct disciple could match another direct disciple; that was the natural order.
But this implausible conjecture perfectly explained all her observations.
[What could the Appraiser be thinking?] she wondered, baffled. And as she pondered, she couldn’t help but pity the direct disciple of the Dao Seeking Sect, who had courted Yan Shu Yi for so long without earning so much as a glance.
Meanwhile, Ji You casually pinched her cheek as though it were nothing.