The Immortal Venerable Used Me and Then Abandoned Me - Chapter 3

For a moment, you could have heard a pin drop. Even the inner disciples in the spectator stands fell silent.

Jiang Chaoyun, standing closest to Jian Zhu, was taking the full brunt of this “beauty critical hit” and found it a little hard to breathe.

Jian Zhu held his bamboo hat in his hand, the white veil pooling at his feet.

Jiang Yin’s pupils shrank in shock. The companion beside him murmured blankly, “He really is unsightly…”

Easily capable of causing an accident, more like.

The frozen crowd gradually came to their senses, their gazes darting back and forth as they whispered:

“An ex-husband… male Daoist companions?”

“With looks like that, he still got dumped? What kind of blind idiot was it!”

“From the sound of it, the other person is from the Lin Yuan Sect. Too bad he gave that kind of answer; he’ll likely be kicked out of the trial.”

“Silence!” A sharp reprimand from above cut through all the gossip. Elder Hui Yu looked down, scrutinizing Jian Zhu. “What exactly do you take the Lin Yuan Sect’s disciple selection for?”

Jian Zhu replied, “An opportunity to express myself.”

Hui Yu took a deep breath, still trying to figure out how to respond to that, when the silent Master Wei Yi suddenly spoke up. “Is what you said true?”

There was no trace of anger on his face as his gaze met Jian Zhu’s across the ten-meter gap.

Jian Zhu replied candidly, “I wouldn’t dare deceive you.”

“This is preposterous!” Elder Hui Yu snorted heavily. “Sect Leader, why bother asking him anything else? In my opinion, he should be expelled from the sect grounds immediately!”

Master Wei Yi shook his head and sighed softly. “Hui Yu, he is merely a man consumed by deep affection.”

Jian Zhu: “…”

Hui Yu frowned. “But—”

“Say no more. Our Lin Yuan Sect is as vast as the sea, embracing a hundred rivers. All living beings have their pursuits, regardless of status or origin.” Master Wei Yi spoke as he flicked his horsetail whisk, then turned to Jian Zhu. “What is the name of the person you seek? I shall have him summoned.”

Jian Zhu paused. Since Huai Wang didn’t recognize him, he couldn’t unilaterally declare them as Daoist companions. If he did, he wouldn’t even have to wait for Huai Wang to come hack him; the crowd of Lin Yuan disciples present would bury him alive themselves.

He replied, “Cang Yu.”

The Sect Leader turned to look at Master Dong Ying, who was in charge of the disciple registry. The latter thought for a moment before shaking his head. “There is no such person in the sect.”

Jian Zhu’s face clouded with feigned sorrow. “It seems it was an alias.”

The Sect Leader’s heart grew heavy with complicated emotions: …Poor lad, he’s been scammed into a fake marriage.

“Very well. If you can pass the subsequent trials, you may stay within the sect to search for him.”

“Many thanks, Sect Leader.”

With the matter settled, Jiang Chaoyun breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness the Sect Leader is reasonable.”

Jian Zhu lowered his head, adjusting his white veil with a smile, which immediately caused a chorus of audible gasps from those around him.

Jiang Chaoyun felt a lingering fear. “Brother, please stop smiling. I’m a straight man, but your smile is making my heart flutter with anxiety.”

Jian Zhu: “…”

Jiang Chaoyun continued, “And think about it! Maybe your ex-husband is hiding in some corner watching you right now. If he sees you smiling like a blooming flower at others… how awkward would that be?”

Jian Zhu once again marveled at Jiang Chaoyun’s imagination. “He won’t come.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he received a look of deep pity. Jiang Chaoyun grabbed his shoulder. “If he doesn’t come, forget him! Once you’re in the Lin Yuan Sect, there are plenty of fine young men for you to choose from. Why care about that idiot?”

Jian Zhu gave him a long, profound look. “…”

Youthful ignorance is indeed a form of lonely courage.

________________________________________

The Cultivation Test

Next was the test of cultivation levels.

A Spirit-Testing Wall was placed in the center of the field. As pillars of light began to rise one after another, everyone’s natural talent was presented in the most direct way possible.

When it was Jian Zhu’s turn, he stepped forward and channeled his spiritual energy into the wall.

The energy surged, the light pillar smashing through the Foundation Building threshold. A small ripple of amazement spread through the crowd. The disciple recording the levels couldn’t help but steal an extra glance at him. “Late-Stage Foundation Building.”

The age limit for the selection was 25. Reaching Foundation Building already marked one as a genius; while direct descendants of great clans relied on piles of spirit medicine to get there, for a common cultivator without a background to reach the Late-Stage was enough to bring glory to an entire lineage.

Jian Zhu offered his thanks and turned to step aside.

As he passed by Jiang Yin, he spoke slowly under the other’s glaring gaze: “Don’t be angry. It was just luck.”

Jiang Chaoyun let out a wanton, rude, and villainous laugh.

________________________________________

Combat Trials

With the results out, the participants were divided and drew lots for pairs to engage in practical combat.

The trial platforms were made of Black Smelting Stone, with Five-Element Heavenly Boundary arrays set at the four corners to suppress lethal blows.

During the matches, shadows of swords crossed and talismans flew as several rising stars began to shine. As the top sect in the world, the aspirants’ talents were not lacking; some could even be called “stunningly brilliant” within the Three Realms.

After a few rounds, it was Jian Zhu’s turn. He stood in the center. Opposite him was a young man with tightly bound sleeves and a sword at his waist—his opponent, Fu Chengxue.

Fu Chengxue cupped his fists in greeting. “Friendship first, competition second.”

If it weren’t for the fighting intent practically poking him in the face, Jian Zhu might have actually believed him. He gave a light flick of his wide sleeves in return. “Naturally.”

And trust between humans comes third.

The match began.

Fu Chengxue’s spiritual energy suddenly filled the arena. His body blurred like shifting clouds, and in an instant, he was in front of Jian Zhu.

“Late-Stage Foundation Building!?” The crowd below erupted in an uproar.

Jian Zhu watched Fu Chengxue approach in a heartbeat. He didn’t move his feet; only his green robes billowed backward in the fierce wind. The red jade on his silver hair ribbon glowed under the sunlight, looking like a masterpiece of art in the eyes of the onlookers.

Below the stage, Jiang Chaoyun yelled anxiously, “Stop posing and dodge!”

Jian Zhu: …

He wasn’t posing; his waist just hurt too much to move.

The sharp sword qi pointed directly at his face. A mere inch before contact, Jian Zhu pivoted on his heel. His hem fanned out like a green lotus, and the sword qi seemed to melt away like ice and snow.

After a single rotation, he moved like shifting sand, sending the attack back exactly as it came—Rip! The sword qi tore through fine silk, and Fu Chengxue clutched his shoulder, retreating several feet with a look of astonishment.

The sword qi had entered his body, bone-chillingly cold.

Jian Zhu stood where he was, his position unchanged by even a hair’s breadth.

…

The winner was decided in just a few breaths.

Fu Chengxue collapsed at the edge of the platform, panting heavily. Jian Zhu looked exactly as he did when he stepped on. His clothes were not even ruffled, showing no trace of a struggle.

Fu Chengxue stood up. “I have lost.”

Jian Zhu said kindly, “It’s alright. Friendship first.”

Fu Chengxue: “…”

Among the seats, Master Wei Yi watched the figure strolling off the stage, the furrow in his brow deepening.

Formless yet substantial, the Way follows nature. Between those two simple moves lay a comprehension of Heavenly Laws that did not match his cultivation level at all.

Moreover, he couldn’t help but feel he had seen this style somewhere before…

________________________________________

Evening in the Sect

The combat concluded with nearly half of the participants eliminated.

Both Jian Zhu and Jiang Chaoyun remained. They would stay overnight at the Lin Yuan Sect with the others and face the final trial tomorrow.

After dinner, the sun set like sinking gold as evening approached.

Lights flickered across the Six Halls and Eight Courtyards. Inner disciples in dark-green robes walked the gravel paths in small groups.

As Jian Zhu and Jiang Chaoyun walked back together, they encountered many inner disciples who showed Jian Zhu great enthusiasm:

“Keep it up, Little Junior Brother! Try to stay in the sect; Senior Sister will protect you!”

“If you make it, come to Yuhui Peak to play with Senior Brother!”

“No, come to Dianlai Peak instead! We have so many handsome Senior Brothers~”

The tones were melodic and inviting, almost as if they were soliciting customers.

Jian Zhu: “…”

The two parted ways after exchanging thanks. The night breeze brushed against his face, lifting a stray lock of hair at his temple. The last rays of the setting sun traced a golden halo around the silhouette of his profile.

Jiang Chaoyun said enviously, “Look at you! M aking a name for yourself before you’ve even officially entered the sect.”

Jian Zhu replied knowingly, “It can’t be helped. People start for the talent and stay for the character.”

Jiang Chaoyun: “…”

He sighed. “There’s a reason Jiang Yin was so red-eyed with fury from your comebacks.”

Upon returning to the East Courtyard, they found several trial-takers gathered in small groups discussing cultivation. Jian Zhu noticed Jiang Yin was also in the courtyard, but he didn’t linger and headed straight back to his room.

The guest rooms were shared by two people, so Jian Zhu and Jiang Chaoyun stayed together. Once inside, Jian Zhu straightened his bedding and pulled out a change of clothes.

“I heard there’s a natural bathhouse behind the mountain.”

Jiang Chaoyun perked up, once again summoning his store of marketplace rumors: “Bathing is good! Very good! The bathhouses in the Lin Yuan Sect are all fed by spiritual springs flowing from the spirit veins! One soak refreshes the mind, two soaks preserve eternal youth, and three soaks bring immortality!”

Jian Zhu didn’t know where he was picking up these rumors. “So, you’re saying the Sect Leader and Elders all just ‘dry clean’ themselves?”

“…” Jiang Chaoyun pondered for a moment; the rumor was instantly debunked.

As they spoke, the sky outside grew much darker than it had been during dinner, leaving the courtyard in a dim, yellowish twilight. Only the two inner disciples guarding the gate carried lanterns, and many people were standing near the entrance.

Seeing that Jiang Chaoyun was still packing, Jian Zhu got up and went out.

He walked over to the two disciples at the gate. “Senior Brothers, is one permitted to walk around the front mountain freely?”

One disciple replied, “Of course not. You haven’t officially joined the sect yet. The only places you can go are the dining hall, your quarters, and the bathhouse on the back mountain. Don’t wander into other areas without reason.”

Jian Zhu said, “I ate a bit much at dinner and wanted to take a stroll.”

“Eh, just bear with it.” The disciple finished speaking and then glanced at Jian Zhu again. The warm lamplight made the man look gentle and radiant. He couldn’t help but explain further, “It’s not that we’re being unreasonable, but things have been tense lately. Not long ago, an unidentified intruder broke into our sect, and even the Immortal Venerable…”

“Ji Lan!” the other disciple interrupted sharply.

Ji Lan realized he had said too much and quickly waved his hand to dismiss Jian Zhu. “Alright, alright, stop asking questions.”

He then looked around at the others nearby. “The rest of you, act like you didn’t hear that!”

“Understood, Senior Brother!” several people nearby responded. Jiang Yin also answered, looking thoughtful.

Having failed to get permission to wander, Jian Zhu turned back to his room, only to run into Jiang Chaoyun at the door. The latter was clutching his clothes and sounded reproachful: “We agreed to go bathe together, yet you tried to sneak off without me!”

Jian Zhu went inside to grab an outer robe. “I was only scouting the path.”

Jiang Chaoyun looked at the “path” that hadn’t even made it past the courtyard gate and followed Jian Zhu with a suspicious look.

Leaving the courtyard, they followed a trail up the mountain. Lush trees and low shrubs surrounded them, and irregular stone steps were embedded in the soil.

After walking half a mile, they heard the sound of water and the air turned humid. Jian Zhu followed the mountain steps inward for a few hundred meters, turned a corner, and a large expanse of warm water appeared before them.

White steam rose from the surface, creating a hazy mist. Two or three people were already sitting in the pool; dark-green outer robes draped over the edge indicated they were inner disciples of the Lin Yuan Sect.

Their conversation stopped as they looked up, and they all froze simultaneously upon seeing Jian Zhu’s face.

Jiang Chaoyun stripped off his outer robe in a few quick motions and dove in with a splash, sending ripples across the water. The commotion drew the disciples’ attention; they snapped out of it and looked away.

Folding his outer robe at his feet, Jian Zhu entered the pool wearing his thin inner shirt. The white fabric clung to his body as it soaked up the water. Jiang Chaoyun stole a glance and secretly thanked his lucky stars that he was as straight as an arrow.

He hadn’t forgotten that Jian Zhu liked men and felt the need to warn him: “Isn’t your clothing a bit thin…?”

Jian Zhu said slowly, “I can hardly bathe fully armored.”

Jiang Chaoyun insisted stubbornly, “Why not?”

Jian Zhu: “Then it wouldn’t be called ‘bathing,’ it would be called ‘falling into the water.'”

Jiang Chaoyun imagined the scene and suddenly found it quite logical.

The two had only been soaking for a short while when voices and footsteps approached from behind. As the sound drew closer, Jiang Chaoyun’s expression darkened.

Sure enough, within moments, Jiang Yin and his group rounded the corner and appeared at the poolside.

Jiang Yin wasn’t surprised to see them. He and his companions shed their outer robes and entered the water as well.

The groups were quite close. Likely cautious because of the inner disciples’ presence, Jiang Yin didn’t offer any provocations. He merely spared Jiang Chaoyun a contemptuous glance before turning to chat with his companions.

Their conversation was strictly about “high-society networking” and “the cultivation of heaven’s favored children.”

The warmth of the pool was lulling; Jian Zhu listened for a while and began to feel drowsy. The sound of water splashing nearby startled him awake. He opened his eyes to see Jiang Chaoyun getting out and pulling on his outer robe. “I’m done. I don’t know who’s farting in the water, but the smell is killing me.”

Jiang Yin’s conversation cut off. He sneered, “If you can’t handle a spiritual spring, just say so. Don’t make excuses. It’s a waste to feed fine grain to a mountain pig.”

“You—”

“I’ll head back with you then,” Jian Zhu interrupted their bickering, rising from the water with a splash.

He braced his hands against the edge of the pool. Droplets of water rolled off onto the shore, leaving dark spots on the stone.

The tips of the ears of one of the direct descendants next to Jiang Yin turned red; he took one look and quickly lowered his head. Jiang Yin gave a mental tch as his eyes swept over the man emerging from the water.

Jian Zhu’s build wasn’t frail. The thin inner shirt clung to his frame, revealing a smooth, well-proportioned aesthetic. Even though Jiang Yin knew the man had a male companion, he still couldn’t view him as a woman.

Just as Jiang Yin was about to look away, he suddenly caught a glimpse through the semi-transparent fabric—near the side of Jian Zhu’s waist, there seemed to be a blood-red scar.

He froze.

Whoosh— An outer robe was draped over Jian Zhu’s shoulders, blocking his inquisitive gaze.

Jian Zhu tied his belt and headed toward the mountain path they came from. “Let’s go back.”

Jiang Chaoyun followed him away from the bathhouse. By the time they had walked a few hundred meters, the sky was completely dark. The wet inner shirt felt a bit chilly.

Jiang Chaoyun spat, “To run into them even while bathing… what bad luck!”

Jian Zhu walked ahead with his hands tucked into his sleeves. “In the journey of life, eight or nine times out of ten, a meeting is a twist of fate.”

Jiang Chaoyun recoiled. “Bah, a cursed fate, more like!”

Jian Zhu chuckled as he descended a few stone steps. The trees on either side of the path thinned out, revealing the starlit canopy above. Mottled shadows fell across him, and his outer robe billowed slightly as he walked.

Jiang Chaoyun was still agonizing over that supposed fate. “We must be part of that remaining one or two percent. What’s the remaining one or two?”

Jian Zhu’s thin lips parted. The night wind swept through the forest, the rustling of the leaves drowning out his voice, crumbling his two-word reply into the evening breeze until it vanished into the night.

The wind died down and the trees grew still. His silhouette was already five or six meters ahead. Jiang Chaoyun snapped out of it and hurried to catch up.

…

The next morning, the first light of dawn broke through the clouds.

Jian Zhu put on his outer robe and pushed open the door. Facing the direction of the sunrise, his face was bathed in a thin layer of morning light.

Jiang Chaoyun came out while still adjusting his sleeves. He looked up and was momentarily dazed by the other’s profile.

He froze mid-motion.

…I can’t help but feel that my fellow Daoist is exceptionally radiant today. Almost as if he’s heading off to a secret rendezvous with an old flame.

Jian Zhu walked ahead with his hands tucked into his sleeves. “In the journey of life, eight or nine times out of ten, a meeting is a twist of fate.”

Jiang Chaoyun recoiled. “Bah, a cursed fate, more like!”

Jian Zhu chuckled as he descended a few stone steps. The trees on either side of the path thinned out, revealing the starlit canopy above. Mottled shadows fell across him, and his outer robe billowed slightly as he walked.

Jiang Chaoyun was still agonizing over that supposed fate. “We must be part of that remaining one or two percent. What’s the remaining one or two?”

Jian Zhu’s thin lips parted. The night wind swept through the forest, the rustling of the leaves drowning out his voice, crumbling his two-word reply into the evening breeze until it vanished into the night.

The wind died down and the trees grew still. His silhouette was already five or six meters ahead. Jiang Chaoyun snapped out of it and hurried to catch up.

…

The next morning, the first light of dawn broke through the clouds.

Jian Zhu put on his outer robe and pushed open the door. Facing the direction of the sunrise, his face was bathed in a thin layer of morning light.

Jiang Chaoyun came out while still adjusting his sleeves. He looked up and was momentarily dazed by the other’s profile.

He froze mid-motion.

…I can’t help but feel that my fellow Daoist is exceptionally radiant today. Almost as if he’s heading off to a secret rendezvous with an old flame.