The Immortal Venerable Used Me and Then Abandoned Me - Chapter 15

Jian Zhu flew back and landed on the Crane-Greeting Platform, scanning the area only to find that Huai Wang was still nowhere to be seen.

Above Master Hui Yu’s Zhanting Peak, the sky was already dense with purple clouds. A classic omen preceding a lightning tribulation. The surrounding magnetic fields were in upheaval, and a fierce gale tore through the landscape with destructive force, snapping the trunks of trees on nearby peaks like mere twigs.

In the courtyard, the spirit crane let out a long, piercing cry, and its body suddenly expanded. Under Jian Zhu’s hopeful gaze, it spread its powerful wings to protect the vegetable seedlings beneath it.

Jian Zhu: “…”

He gave the spirit crane a long, deep look. He thought to himself that when Huai Wang returned, he absolutely had to tell him just how “grand” the priorities of his pet crane truly were.

Boom! A clap of thunder overhead snapped his attention back.

Jian Zhu focused his gaze, only to see what looked like a massive celestial net draped over the mountains. It was a giant array of densely woven talismans and interlaced lightning locks, operating on the “Nine Revolutions and Seven Stars” pattern, a formation of infinite lethal permutations.

Those talismans were identical to the ones on the two previous teleportation arrays.

The surrounding spiritual energy was being dragged in by the array, swirling like thick, surging clouds of dust as it funneled entirely into Zhanting Peak. The skyrocketing surge of energy alerted the elders of the nearby main peaks, and five of them took to the sky simultaneously.

Master Dong Ying looked at the talisman array atop Zhanting Peak and muttered with a frown, “These talismans originate from Yingzhou.”

“There is likely foul play afoot!” Master Gui Ting and another elder remarked. “Let us find the Sect Leader first.”

The two vanished into streaks of white light, leaving the remaining three lost in thought:

“Why would a Yingzhou talisman array appear in our sect?”

“The Young Sect Master of Tianque visited so suddenly just a few days ago, could it be…”

“And the one who received him was that disciple of unknown identity, Jian Zhu!?”

Suspicions reached their peak at that moment. The elders exchanged glances and turned as one, flying toward Cang Mountain.

…

The Crane-Greeting Platform was a world of frost and snow, vast and mourning-white. Only a single figure in grey stood alone in the snow, his robes fluttering in the turbulent currents.

Jian Zhu looked up as three streaks of white light arrived above Cang Mountain in an instant. Masters Dong Ying, Xu Qi, and Shou Chen hovered in mid-air.

Cang Mountain was protected by the restrictions Huai Wang had set, and outsiders could not enter, so they stood outside the barrier.

“Disciple Jian Zhu, you are suspected of colluding with outsiders to harm an elder. We advise you to leave the mountain of your own accord and follow us to the Hall of Discipline for interrogation.”

Jian Zhu stood inside the barrier with his hands tucked in his sleeves, looking like a bored doorman. “Elders, one should be reasonable. And if you won’t be reasonable, at least be logical.”

What kind of villain would be as much of a “salted fish” as he was, spending every day planting vegetables and teasing birds?

Master Dong Ying said, “There are too many points of suspicion surrounding you. If you have a clear conscience, call the Young Master of Tianque here to face a cross-examination.”

“He was caught and dragged home by his family,” Jian Zhu said. “I can try to send him a transmission.”

The three elders remained huddled outside the barrier, staring at him unblinkingly. They watched as Jian Zhu pulled out a communication stone with a poised and practiced manner. With a flick of his wide sleeve, his spiritual sense swept over it.

A moment passed. Nothing happened.

“……….”

Jian Zhu paused, swept it again, and then again. The communication stone acted as if it were dead; there wasn’t a single ripple of activity.

The three elders outside the barrier had already drawn their magical artifacts. He tucked the stone away with forced composure. “The signal in the mountains isn’t very good.”

Master Xu Qi had no patience for his nonsense and raised his artifact, prepared to forcibly break the restriction.

Beside him, Master Shou Chen raised a hand to stop him, turning to Jian Zhu instead. “You can hide in Cang Mountain for a while, but not forever. When the Immortal Venerable returns, even he will not protect you.”

The wind rushed into Jian Zhu’s sleeves, making them billow at his sides.

He looked at the three elders outside the barrier and suddenly smiled. He took a step forward, walking right out of the Cang Mountain barrier. “I have a clear conscience, so I shall accept this interrogation.”

He had never intended to hide within Cang Mountain. In this lonely world, he could lean on Huai Wang, but he could also stand entirely on his own.

________________________________________

The Interrogation Room of the Hall of Discipline

The walls were forged from black iron, and the room was filled with interlocking binding chains. The light was dim. Both of Jian Zhu’s hands were shackled, the heavy chains dragging on the floor. The metal rings gripped his slender, white wrists tightly, feeling as cold and damp as a maggot clinging to bone.

He leaned against the iron wall, one hand resting on his knee.

Xu Qi and Shou Chen had gone to Zhanting Peak to help Master Hui Yu break the array and protect his breakthrough, leaving Dong Ying to guard him outside the interrogation room.

Dong Ying advised, “Leniency to those who confess, severity to those who resist. If you’ve done something, make amends quickly. Returning to the right path now might yet save your life.”

Jian Zhu sighed. “I’d also like to know what it is I’ve done.”

Dong Ying began to count on his fingers for him. “Concealing your cultivation to sneak into the Great Selection, vanishing during the trials, skipping classes for entire days with no explanation, having a deep-seated grudge against Hui Yu, being on suspiciously close terms with the Young Sect Master of Yingzhou, and the fact that the Young Master fled overnight right before trouble started.”

“That’s enough,” Jian Zhu quickly cut Dong Ying off. “If you keep going, even I’m going to start suspecting myself.”

Dong Ying: “Right?”

“…”

The two fell into silence for a while. Finding the quiet unbearable, Jian Zhu pulled a handful of sunflower seeds out of his spatial bag and started cracking them to pass the time, even offering a handful to Dong Ying.

Crack, crunch… The icy interrogation room was suddenly filled with the rhythmic sound of snapping shells.

Dong Ying munched on the seeds while giving him a “live broadcast” of the latest news. “The Sect Leader has already gone to check on Hui Yu’s situation. Since you won’t confess, we’ll just have to wait for the news.”

“It’s no bother.” Jian Zhu continued to crack the seeds, crack-crunch. “Wasting time is what I’m best at.”

“…”

The interrogation room was damp and bone-chillingly cold. The intermittent sound of water, drip, drop, echoed through the space—staying here for long was its own form of torture.

After an unknown amount of time, a commotion stirred outside the Hall of Discipline.

Master Gui Ting walked in. He stared at the two small piles of sunflower seed shells on the floor for a few silent seconds before speaking. “The Sect Leader summons you. Bring the disciple Jian Zhu to Zhanting Peak.”

Master Dong Ying, as if by accident, stuck out his foot and kicked the shells under the stool before turning to release Jian Zhu.

Jian Zhu rubbed his wrists and followed along with an air of easy grace. “Lead the way.”

…

By the time Dong Ying and Gui Ting brought Jian Zhu to the scene, Hui Yu had already been laid upon a couch, his eyes closed and unconscious.

His face was a sickly blue-grey, but from the neck down, he glowed with an unnatural, blood-red hue—the result of a sudden surge in spiritual energy that had nearly burst his meridians.

His meridians, along with the talisman array, had been forcibly sealed by the combined efforts of several sect masters. His life was saved, but his spiritual power was obstructed, leaving him unable to use it.

Wei Yi turned back from the bedside. “Were you aware of this?”

Jian Zhu replied, “I am quite surprised.”

Wei Yi scrutinized his expression closely. “The word in the sect is that there is deep-seated resentment between you and Hui Yu.”

The entire room—five elders, the Sect Leader, and several mountain-guarding protectors at the door—fell silent, all watching him.

Jian Zhu: “How could that be? Ours is a relationship of ‘love and slaughter’.” (Note: Frenemies/star-crossed rivals).

Everyone: “…”

Wei Yi pondered. “Hui Yu is currently unconscious. Your one-sided account is hardly convincing.”

Jian Zhu remained silent. What Wei Yi said was the truth. Karma is an intertwined web; from the moment he intervened in the Yingzhou talisman array, he was destined to be pulled in.

His slender white fingers rubbed together inside his sleeves. He began to consider the possibility of breaking through the seal of the Lin Yuan masters to head to Yingzhou and search for clues himself.

As the atmosphere in the room grew increasingly tense and stalemated, the elders exchanged glances, having already reached a decision on how to deal with Jian Zhu.

Just then, a commotion suddenly erupted outside.

Wei Yi looked toward the door. “What has happened?”

A protector stepped out and returned shortly in a hurry. “Reporting to the Sect Leader, dozens of inner disciples are outside Zhanting Peak, presenting a petition!”

Jian Zhu’s heart gave a jolt, and his eyes snapped upward.

The Sect Leader was also stunned. He cast a glance at Jian Zhu and strode outside. “Let’s go see.”

…

The group arrived outside Zhanting Peak.

Before them was the vastness of heaven and earth, and above them was the gargantuan celestial array. Set against the distant, overlapping mountains, more than thirty of the sect’s top disciples stood before the long stone steps, their identical grey disciple uniforms lined up in perfect order.

Standing behind the Sect Leader, Jian Zhu felt a sudden tremor in his chest.

Wei Yi spoke in a heavy voice, “What is the meaning of this?”

“Sect Leader, we request a stay of proceedings regarding Junior Brother Jian Zhu!”

“On what grounds?”

Senior Brother He raised his voice. “Junior Brother Jian Zhu bears no grudge against Elder Hui Yu. Some time ago, when the Elder nearly made a mistake during a lesson, it was the Junior Brother who stepped in to help.”

Only the disciples present in that class knew of this. Wei Yi exchanged glances with the surrounding elders and said solemnly, “Is this the truth?”

Senior Sister Xu was firm. “We have received his kindness; we dare not deceive.”

The rest of the disciples folded their hands in a bow. “We beg the Sect Leader and Elders to reconsider!”

Their voices echoed through the mountain gates, washing over the clouds and sky.

The spirit of youth is straight and pure.

They only knew that they had received a favor; if they remained silent when they should speak, how could they call themselves fellow disciples? As for the complexities of the world or hidden conspiracies, such things were not yet within their consideration.

Jian Zhu suddenly recalled the light rain on the eaves that day, and the four characters carved into the water-soaked tiles: “Lin Yuan Saves the World.”

The brushstrokes were vigorous and bold, like dragons coiling through clouds.

He had originally come here solely for Huai Wang, but for the first time, he felt a sense of belonging to the sect.

…

The disciples present were all the beloved pupils of the Sect Leader and the elders. Faced with a collective petition, the authorities had to weigh the situation.

After the disciples were dismissed, Jian Zhu stood at the mountain gate, watching Wei Yi tug at his beard in frustration.

Master Dong Ying moved Wei Yi’s hand over to his whisk, giving him something else to tug on. “If all else fails, keep Jian Zhu in the Hall of Discipline for now. We can ask Hui Yu for the details once he wakes up.”

Hearing this, Jian Zhu wanted to slip away again. He didn’t want to be locked up. The poor conditions were secondary; the main issue was that it shackled his free soul.

Wei Yi pulled out a few more hairs. “Who knows when Hui Yu will wake.”

Jian Zhu offered a prayer. “Do not worry. Let us clasp our hands together, make a wish, and look up at the sky. It will come true.”

“…”

Just as Wei Yi was about to scold him for being absurd, a shooting star streaked across the sky.

Clap! Jian Zhu pressed his palms together. His conviction was so strong that the Sect Leader and elders instinctively closed their eyes and made a wish along with him:

“Grant that Elder Hui Yu opens his eyes immediately.”

After a moment of silence, a cool, indifferent voice rang out in front of them. “What are you doing?”

Jian Zhu opened his eyes to see Huai Wang standing there.

Having not seen him for days, Huai Wang was as cold and handsome as ever, like a banished immortal from the clouds. His silver hair was neatly bound in his crown, though his outer robe was slightly disheveled—he must have rushed back from a great distance.

The Sect Leader and the others lowered their hands, their faces flushing slightly with embarrassment. “Immortal Venerable.”

Huai Wang acknowledged them and then looked at Jian Zhu. A patch of the latter’s hem was soaked; even from a meter away, one could feel the damp chill radiating from him. A sign he had been in the Hall of Discipline.

Some people look more vivid the colder they get, and Jian Zhu was exactly like that. Though the chill hadn’t dissipated, his lips were a deep crimson, making his skin look even whiter and his eyes darker.

Huai Wang took only one look before shifting his gaze.

The presence of the talisman array overhead was too intense to ignore; he didn’t even need to ask to know what had happened. He said, “Take me to see him.”

“Yes, Immortal Venerable.”

Jian Zhu started to follow the group. As his sleeves fluttered, he realized his hem had already been dried by spiritual energy.

…

Back inside Hui Yu’s room, the Sect Leader and the others stood to the side. Huai Wang walked to the couch in a few steps and extended his hand to sense the situation from a distance.

Tucking his newly dry sleeves, Jian Zhu watched Huai Wang’s profile. The man’s brow was deeply furrowed and his lips were pressed thin. Clearly, the situation was not optimistic.

Before long, Huai Wang withdrew his hand. “His life is not in immediate danger, but his spiritual energy cannot be used until the root cause is identified.”

Wei Yi was the picture of distress. “For such a thing to happen within our sect, could a spy have infiltrated our ranks? But what would be the purpose of doing this? To undermine Lin Yuan’s status as the number one immortal sect?”

As he prattled on, the hairs of his whisk fell out in clumps. Suddenly, he heard Huai Wang speak: “I am going to Yingzhou.”

The voices came to a dead stop. Not just Wei Yi, but everyone in the room looked at Huai Wang in shock. “The Immortal Venerable is leaving the mountain again? There is no need for you to personally handle a matter such as this.”

“I have other business,” Huai Wang said indifferently.

Wei Yi and the others fell silent.

Jian Zhu inconspicuously shuffled toward him, his body language screaming: Take me with you, take me with you.

Whether Huai Wang didn’t see him or simply ignored him, he turned to leave. Master Dong Ying had already walked over naturally, waving a hand at Jian Zhu. “Come on, back to the Hall of Discipline with me…”

Huai Wang took two steps and stopped. “He comes with me.”

Jian Zhu’s heart gave a leap. Heaven knows he had already been fingering the magical artifacts in his spatial bag just a moment ago.

The people present went blank for a good while. “…What?”

Jian Zhu flew like a shadow from under Dong Ying’s hand, tagging along behind Huai Wang. Excellent—no need to go broke running away now.

Wei Yi took a step forward. “Immortal Venerable, he has not yet been cleared of suspicion.”

“Which is why I am taking him to Yingzhou for a cross-examination,” Huai Wang replied, his expression unchanged. “With me present, are you still afraid he might run?”

The Sect Leader and the Elders: “…” That actually makes a lot of sense.

Having spoken his piece, Huai Wang turned. “Let’s go.”

Jian Zhu followed along, his sleeves swaying with every step.

________________________________________

The House Always Wins (or Collapses)

Returning to Cang Mountain once more gave Jian Zhu the illusion of having been away for a long time.

He followed unhurriedly behind Huai Wang. Huai Wang’s silver hair cascaded down his back. The evening’s tempest had passed, the surging spiritual energy had dissipated, and the night sky was now clearer than usual, with brilliant stars scattered across his shoulders.

To be draped in starlight and moonlight—so this was what that scene looked like.

“Immortal Venerable.”

“What?” Huai Wang didn’t stop.

Jian Zhu opened his lips. For a moment, there were many things he wanted to ask: Where did you go these past few days? How did you get the news to rush back? Why did you bring me along?

But in the end, it all dissolved into a light chuckle that drifted into Huai Wang’s ears with the night breeze.

Huai Wang turned his head. “What are you laughing at?”

A smile full of amusement played at the corners of Jian Zhu’s mouth. “I have some news for you.”

“Hm.”

“Earlier, when the spiritual energy surged and the magnetic fields went haywire, Cang Mountain was also affected.”

Sensing something, Huai Wang stopped and turned to face him.

Jian Zhu smiled, pointing toward the courtyard. “Your house collapsed.”

“But don’t worry, your spirit crane is very sensible. It protected the vegetable seedlings perfectly.”

“…”