"Brother Hua, what's exactly going on between you and that surnamed Chu?" Mu Rongsa thought these two might not come to an agreement and were about to fight. He had prepared the money and was ready to repay on Hua Che's command. Unexpectedly, after waiting for a long time, he saw the two of them holding hands like good friends, walking together towards Lingxiao Peak.

Hua Che, feeling exhausted, said, "It's complicated, difficult to explain in a few words ah!"

Mu Rongsa anxiously said, "Then make it short, it's hard for me to be the one stuck in the middle of you two.”."

"Just consider it..." Hua Che paused and said, "We were together for a while, then broke up, just something like that."

"Ah?" Mu Rongsa stared blankly, clearly not understanding.

Wanting to clarify, he was about to ask again, but Chu Binghuan, who was walking in front of them, suddenly turned around and gave him a cold stare. Mu Rongsa, bewildered, after a moment's pause, cautiously caught up with Hua Che, muttering, "Where did I offend him?"

Hua Che said, "Maybe he thinks you're my new love interest."

"What the hell!?" Mu Rongsa understood this sentence and grabbed Hua Che, not letting him go. "This is a big misunderstanding. I, Young Master Mu Rong, am innocent. When did I have anything with you? I consider you as a brother. Don't have any improper thoughts about me!"

Hua Che, annoyed by the noise, explained innocently, "He's the one with wild imagination, not me."

"Then quickly explain it to him!" Mu Rongsa shouted, but after yelling, he felt that something was wrong. As proud and arrogant as he was, why should he kneel down and explain?

"Humph, this Young Master walks straight and sits upright. Am I afraid of him, Chu Binghuan!"

Hua Che chuckled, "So, should I still go explain?"

Mu Rongsa smirked, "Hehe, it would be nice to see the young master Chu being frustrated!"

Mu Rongsa deliberately enjoyed the show, but Hua Che was somewhat troubled.

He decisively broke off the engagement, thinking that would be the end of it, but unexpectedly, Chu Binghuan deliberately followed him. Not only did he return the token, but he also insisted on going to the Lingxiao Palace with him.

This behaviour was somewhat unusual.

You see, Chu Binghuan was wholeheartedly devoted to the Dao, with a single-minded focus on cultivation and yearning for ascension. He didn't care or want anything related to emotions and love, solely concentrating on his cultivation , even more indifferent than those cultivators who followed the heartless Dao.

How could Chu Binghuan, who was originally calm and detached, change his temperament after a lifetime?

Hey, nothing is predetermined, just like his originally robust and strong body that had now become frail and shaky!

"About your body,"

Hua Che was stunned as Chu Binghuan appeared in front of him, seemingly out of nowhere.

Perhaps sensing that his words were too abrupt, Chu Binghuan paused before adding, "According to my mother's maidservant, is your body not well?"

Hua Che laughed at the words, nonchalantly saying, "No, I can eat, sleep, jump, and run."

Chu Binghuan didn't believe his nonsense, grabbing Hua Che's wrist and checking his pulse.

At the moment when the warm fingertips touched the icy skin, both of them shivered. Hua Che didn't expect Chu Binghuan's hands to be so warm, while Chu Binghuan didn't expect Hua Che's body to be so cold after such a long mountain journey.

Feeling a bit flustered, Hua Che instinctively wanted to retract his hand, but Chu Binghuan firmly held it.

"Innate insufficiency," Chu Binghuan said with a cold expression. Compared to Hua Che, he seemed even more surprised, as if Hua Che's body being unwell was an astonishing thing.

Hua Che, seeing this unusual reaction, became even more puzzled.

At this moment, a few people walked up from below the mountain road, with different appearances—some in common linen clothes, some in luxurious silk, some bare-handed, and some holding precious swords.

A swordsman impatiently said, "Are you coming or not? Registration is about to end. If you're going up, hurry up; if not, get lost."

Before Hua Che and Chu Binghuan could say anything, Mu Rongsa, who was in front, became impatient, "How can you talk like that? Do you know who I am? Do you know who my father is?"

"Who cares who your father is. Make way quickly!" The swordsman arrogantly said.

Hua Che and Chu Binghuan moved aside on the road. However, as the sword cultivator approached, he abruptly pivoted to scrutinize Hua Che."The old, the weak, the sick, and the disabled still want to seek immortality and Dao. Go home quickly. I heard that the disciple selection in the Lingxiao Palace is also strict. If you can't find a master, be careful not to lose your life!"

Mu Rongsa was so angry that he was about to take action but was pulled aside by Hua Che. "Sa Sa, let's wait and see. Let's see if this Dao friend can stay in the Lingxiao Palace as he wishes. Besides, let's see whose life is longer."

The swordsman snorted coldly and left. Hua Che walked past with his arms crossed, and Mu Rongsa was so angry.

Hua Che had lived for hundreds of years, long past the age of fighting for dominance. Compared to the retribution he faced as the Demon Lord in his past life, this was really too trivial.

Chu Binghuan looked at the swordsman from a distance but remained silent.

A group of people passed by Hua Che, and finally, a thin and small sprout followed. Somehow, the bottom of his feet slipped. If Hua Che hadn't instinctively reached out and caught him, he would have fallen and made a fool of himself.

*

When they arrived at the Lingxiao Palace...

Seeing is believing; this place was truly in decline. The bricks and tiles were broken and not worth repairing, tables and chairs were cracked and not worth fixing, and the walls hadfallen off, but no one had bothered to repaint them. On the contrary, the Sect Master looked spirited, wearing a clean plain robe and accompanied by five disciples and an immortal crane.

Yes, this was the entire lineup of Lingxiao Palace.

Hua Che: "..."

Chu Binghuan: "..."

Mu Rongsa: "..."

Why bother with an assessment! Just accept everyone directly!

Sure enough, ssomeone among the crowd, seemingly thinking like Hua Che, asked on his behalf. Sect Master Zhuang Tian laughed heartily, "Hey, we have to test everyone, we can't afford to keep so many people in Lingxiao Palace!"

Crowd: "..."

Nothing is worse than sudden silence.

In the crowd, the thoughts of the students varied. Some felt deceived by the grand name of "Lingxiao Palace," while others thought all of this was an illusion. Perhaps there was another world, and the fact that such a magnificent name could be chosen must mean it was extraordinary.

Mu Rongsa looked around, planning renovations and reconstruction after he inherited the position of Sect Master. Hua Che found the place quite suitable, free from the scheming and intrigue of fame and fortune, tranquil and at ease without political struggles.

Chu Binghuan had no particular thoughts; wherever Hua Che was, he would be there too.

Before long, the senior disciples of Lingxiao Palace distributed papers to everyone. Sect Master Zhuang Tian said, "The rules and content of this year’s disciple assessment are written on the paper. Everyone must read it carefully."

Hua Che quickly glimpsed over the paper, read it at a glance, and then couldn't help but slip away.

Everyone had different expressions: some seemed to see something ridiculous, some were at a loss for words, some were full of horror, some were full of disdain, and there was one person who looked utterly bewildered.

Hua Che recognized him as the sprout he had helped at the foot of the mountain. The boy looked anxious, his eyes lost, and even dropped the paper.

This bean sprout was illiterate?

he didn't seek help from others, muttering as if he understood.

Children have thin skin, strong self-esteem, and with fierce competition around him, this sprout naturally felt embarrassed not knowing how to read.

Hua Che sighed, stealthily approaching the sprout, unfolding the paper, and loudly reading to himself, pretending there was no one else there: "Lingxiao Disciple Code, respect the teacher and emphasize the Dao, discern the source of water, avoid associating with evil, and never break trust or abandon righteousness. The content of the new student assessment is to survive for three days on Qingcheng Peak."

The sprout was stunned and subconsciously looked towards Hua Che, who seemed to have casually mentioned something.

The arrogant sword cultivator beside him shouted, "Why speak so loudly? Trying to gain attention?"

Hua Che glanced at him, smiled, and said, "Exactly! I intentionally wanted to show off a bit, catch the attention of Sect Master Zhuang Tian. Maybe he'll make an exception for me and directly accept me as a closed-door disciple."

The sword cultivator said, "What are you daydreaming about in broad daylight? Dreaming big!"

Hua Che smiled and did not engage in a verbal dispute. The bean sprout looked at Hua Che, hesitated several times, not knowing what to say. He was not a fool; how could he not understand Hua Che's kind intentions? Feeling a warmth in his heart, he looked at Hua Che with gratitude.

Chu Binghuan observed this, knowing Hua Che's character well, but he didn't expect him to be more attentive and considerate than he had imagined. At least he didn't go to others and say, "You can't read, let me read for you," which would crush the other's dignity and make himself appear too eager to show off.

These twists and turns were beyond Mu Rongsa's understanding. He was still contemplating whether marble or glazed jade would be better for the ground.

Zhuang Tian, despite looking over sixty, had white hair that he didn't bother tying up, letting it flow freely in the wind. He displayed a goatee on his chin and had a slightly chubby figure. Wearing a plain Daoist robe. If he didn’t smile or talk, he would truly look somewhat like an immortal.

Unfortunately, Zhuang Tian was fundamentally a flippant person. Whenever he smiled, the wrinkles on his face gathered together, appearing both funny and kind.

"Qingcheng Peak has many traps. Don't sleep too soundly at night; beware of being eaten!" Zhuang Tian gave a final warning, pushed his eldest disciple aside, and introduced, "This is Wen Yuan, your future eldest martial brother. He will accompany you to Qingcheng Peak, and if you encounter any danger, just call for him. Also, for the development of the entire cultivation world, every three years, major sects will send their disciples to smaller sects for on-site guidance. Our Lingxiao Palace is fortunate this time to be guided by an immortal from Shangqing Sect. How about it, excited or not!"

Cheers erupted from the crowd. For sects like Fengming Valley and Yuntian Shuijing, every disciple recruitment drive resulted in overcrowding. Moreover, with the fierce competition, the selection process was extremely strict.

Some people were clever, finding alternative ways. They bought information about where disciples from Shangqing Sect would go to guide and, during the assessment, showcased their talents or directly flattered the Shangqing disciples. They might be able to enter Shangqing Sect by ingratiating themselves.

As a sect leader, Zhuang Tian didn't like this practice. Named as on-site guidance, it was, in reality, openly spying on the rising stars of other sects. Finding someone good, they would directly take them away.

Wasn't this undermining the foundation of other sects?

During Hua Che's previous life as one of the accomplished students at Shang Qing Immortal Sect, he had undertaken numerous challenging and ungrateful assignments of this nature. The leaders of various sects would flatter him openly while harboring suspicions behind the scenes. Prospective disciples would even resort to bribery, attempting to win his favor in clandestine ways. It had proven to be quite annoying.

In the crowd, the sound of joy suddenly spread. It turned out that for the guidance this time, an immortal from Shangqing Sect was coming. How exciting!

Lingxiao's senior disciple Wen Yuan used a spell to take everyone away; the group spent about an hour reaching Qingcheng Peak.

Hua Che had been thinking about who from Shangqing Sect would be coming until they arrived at the summit. When the Shangqing disciples, who had been waiting for a long time, leisurely walked up to meet them, Hua Che was momentarily stunned.

It was Lu Yao.

 

Translator : DarNan