Chapter 1: Falling off the Cliff

Wen Xu was certainly not blind. On the contrary, he had excellent vision, free of the nearsightedness that plagued most scholars from overusing their eyes. Yet, in many ways, his eyes were worse than those of a blind man.

At least a blind man could openly fail to recognize anyone, but he could not. He had perfectly normal vision, yet he simply could not remember anyone’s face.

If he were a high-ranking noble or general, he would not have to care about anyone’s reactions. But he was of humble birth. Had he not been fortunate enough to be adopted by Old Scholar Wen, he might still be an abandoned child on the streets, liable to freeze to death in the biting wind at any moment.

Indeed, Wen Xu had once been a nameless beggar child.

Truth be told, the life of a beggar, especially a young one, was incredibly harsh. Because they never changed their clothes or washed their faces, young Wen Xu could easily recognize each of his companions.

If he had been content with such a life, his inability to recognize faces would have been harmless.

But he was not content to remain a beggar. When he heard that Old Scholar Wen was looking to adopt a clever son, he did everything he could to cross paths with him and show off his intelligence. Fortunately, he seemed to be genuinely gifted. It did not take long for the old scholar to adopt him and name him Wen Xu. Thus, he went from a mere beggar to the son of a scholar.

But at the same time, he also learned why the old scholar had adopted him. First, the old scholar had no wife or children and needed a son to carry his funerary urn and perform his funeral rites. Second, it was because of the old scholar’s obsession with the imperial examinations.

In other words, the old scholar felt that his own prospects in the examinations were hopeless, so he placed all his expectations on his adopted son.

But Wen Xu did not find studying to be a chore. On the contrary, he actually quite liked it. Whatever he read was instantly committed to memory, remaining there no matter how much time passed. Socializing, however, was a different story. He still could not remember what anyone looked like.

Wen Xu was a clever man. He worked hard to hide this flaw, and he did so with great success. Even his study page only thought that his master studied too hard and was simply forgetful with people.

As for the old scholar, he only cared about Wen Xu’s studies. Furthermore, an inability to recognize faces was practically unheard of, so he naturally never suspected a thing.

Wen Xu’s life settled into a peaceful routine. Step by step, he met the old scholar’s expectations, passing the entry-level exams to become a scholar, and then, at the age of eighteen, earning the rank of Juren^[1], making him the youngest Juren in Bizhou Prefecture.

The dilapidated threshold of the Wen family home was nearly worn down by the gifts of wealthy merchants. Old Scholar Wen was so ecstatic he spoke incoherently, crying that heaven had eyes and that he must offer prayers to their ancestors. In contrast, Wen Xu himself remained entirely calm.

But when others saw him so composed, they praised his extraordinary temperament and predicted he would become a great talent in the future. This made Old Scholar Wen even happier. Though he had been quite ill, he was suddenly able to get out of bed and walk.

But once the excitement passed, Old Scholar Wen’s health took a turn for the worse, and he was soon on his deathbed.

Wen Xu still remembered his adoptive father’s final days. Truth be told, the dying do not look very pleasant. Fortunately, since he could not recognize faces, he only remembered that his adoptive father had withered into a bundle of dry bones, tightly wrapped in brown skin, harboring a soul that had already grown old.

He had originally thought there was not much warmth between them as father and son. But to Wen Xu’s surprise, on his deathbed, his adoptive father told him that if he did not want to continue with the imperial examinations, he could stop. It was only because of his own obsession that he had been so strict. After his death, Wen Xu could choose his own path in life without worrying about what others thought.

Wen Xu had certainly heard the saying that a dying man’s words are kind. Yet, looking at his deceased adoptive father, he felt nothing other than a hollow emptiness in his heart.

In truth, he had wanted to tell his adoptive father that he did not hate studying, nor did he hate the strictness. He was just… perhaps he was simply a freak, which was why his biological parents had abandoned him at birth.

Following his adoptive father’s wishes, Wen Xu laid him to rest and built a thatched hut by the grave to observe the three-year mourning period^[2].

During these three years, he saw no one, even sending his study page away.

He read every day, walked in the mountains when he was tired, and even tended a small vegetable patch. If the county magistrate had not sent someone to ask if he was going to the capital for the examinations this year, he would have almost forgotten he was a Juren.

Wen Xu pondered in front of the old scholar’s grave for a long time before deciding to go out and see the world.

He had studied for so many years and put in so much effort. Even if he could not pass the highest examinations, he should still go out and see the wider world. Wen Xu felt it was time for him to leave Bizhou Prefecture.

After all, he was no longer the street beggar who could be bullied at will.

Wen Xu believed he was fully prepared. In fact, because of his condition, he preferred to plan before acting. Since he could not recognize faces, he would observe people’s clothing habits, walking postures, voices, and personal speech patterns. Although this was troublesome, it was what he had always done.

Three years had passed, and he might have been a bit out of practice, but… surely not this out of practice.

Wen Xu was absolutely certain that he had never seen a single one of the three people in front of him before. Yet, these very three people had pursued and tried to kill him for seven days and seven nights shortly after he arrived in the capital.

Just moments ago, Wen Xu had taken a slash to the chest, and his arm was bent backward at an unnatural angle. His blood dripped onto the dirt, quickly vanishing from sight. He knew he could not run anymore.

The rapid blood loss made his vision spin, and the three men in front of him seemed to multiply into nine. He shook his head hard, but it did little good. Clutching his shoulder, Wen Xu leaned against a large boulder at the edge of the cliff, able only to watch helplessly as the three men closed in, step by step.

“Go on, run. Why have you stopped?”

I would love to run, Wen Xu thought, but I really can’t move another inch. He opened his mouth and said, “At least let me die knowing why.”

“Kid, if you want to blame someone, blame the fact that you were born with the wrong face. Remember to reincarnate better in your next life.”

The speaker clearly knew the danger of delaying. Furthermore, this slippery scholar was incredibly cunning. Despite having only rudimentary martial arts skills, he had managed to evade the three of them for seven whole days. If word of this got out, they might as well go back to their hometowns and become farmers.

A steel blade was raised, flashing with a cold, sharp light. As the glare filled Wen Xu’s vision, the old scholar’s dying words suddenly echoed in his ears. What, in the end, had his life been for?

Was it reading so many books to please the old scholar, only to be told that he didn’t actually have to?

Or was it going through all the trouble of reading so much, only to be inexplicably hunted down the moment he stepped into the capital?

Or should he have never struggled at all, and just remained an obedient beggar?

No.

Wen Xu felt the biting wind rushing toward him. At this moment, he was closer to death than he had ever been, yet a fierce desire to survive erupted within him. One last gamble, he thought.

He would rather throw himself off the cliff than die at the hands of these three men.

Right then, a sudden, strange gust of wind swept up from the valley below. Wen Xu forgot the pain racking his body and ran desperately toward the edge. A steel blade was already pressing against his back, and he could even picture the tip piercing his flesh. Then, in the next instant, he was swept up by the wind and fell into the deep abyss.

Aside from the dense splatters of blood on the ground, there was no trace left of his existence.

“Boss, what do we do now?”

“Go down and look! Dead or alive, we need to find him. If we mess this up, we’re both dead!”

“B-b-but Boss, that’s the Dead Man’s Forest down there! The famous Dead Man’s Forest where people only go in and never come out. No one has ever walked out of there!”

Hearing this, the boss’s expression shifted drastically, though he quickly regained his cold composure. “Since it’s the Dead Man’s Forest, that works out. We’ll wait outside the forest for three days. If he doesn’t come out, he’s almost certainly dead inside.”

Besides, given the kid’s injuries, he wouldn’t survive the night without medical attention.

Yet for some reason, the boss felt a sudden pang of unease. He couldn’t shake the feeling that things weren’t that simple. That scholar was truly bizarre.

*

In the year 485 of the Xinlu era, it was once again time for the cultivation world’s once-every-six-years disciple recruitment. Bian Chunzhou arrived at the Yonglu Mountain Range early to register. As one of the Five Great Sects, Yonglu Mountain was located in the deepest part of the mountain range, and it recruited the fewest new disciples among the five.

Bian Chunzhou wasn’t greedy. As long as he could become an outer disciple^[3], this trip would be a success.

“Take your token. Gather at the center of the formation in three days for the preliminary trial. Latecomers will not be admitted.”

Bian Chunzhou carefully tucked it away. Three days later, he headed to the center of the formation early in the morning to queue. When he arrived, the sky was barely light, but a long line had already formed at the entrance. Most were like him—people who had some basic Qi Refining foundation but had not yet truly set foot on the path of cultivation. Of course, there were also children from prominent cultivation clans; not only did they have storage bags hanging from their waists, but they also held magic tools in their hands.

Bian Chunzhou looked on with burning envy, silently averting his eyes.

Sigh, when will I ever get to live like that? Rogue cultivators really have no future. To think that he, a perfectly fine, fragile elite university student^[4], had suddenly crossed over to the cultivation world before he could even graduate and reach the peak of his life.

He had no shocking talent or family background, nor did he have any dramatic transmigration destiny filled with deep-seated hatred. All he had was a thatched cottage and a few spirit stones. His rogue cultivator father had died early. After spending a long time gathering information about the Hengze Continent, he had finally chosen Yonglu Mountain.

So, please, please, let me know the answers to this exam! Even if I don’t, let me guess them right!

Holding onto this optimistic mindset, Bian Chunzhou handed in his token and went to the preliminary trial transit area. Only after entering did he learn that Yonglu Mountain’s preliminary trial involved sending the examinees into a dense forest realm. The more spiritual plants they brought out, and the higher their grade, the higher their chances of passing.

In other words, they were a bunch of free herb-gatherers, and they were doing it willingly and eagerly.

Bian Chunzhou: Nice.

While waiting for the teleportation, Bian Chunzhou checked his belongings once more. He had a low-grade sword inherited from his father, and in his pouch, the Blood Recovery Pills and Qi Replenishing Pills he had bought with all his savings. They were the lowest grade, of course, but even so, they were enough for his needs.

Bian Chunzhou felt a bit anxious, even having the illusion that he was heading to the college entrance exam^[5] again. But once he passed through the formation and landed safely, he had no time for random thoughts at all.

Because the moment he landed, someone crashed right into him. Good grief, if he hadn’t at least been in the Qi Refining Stage^[6], he probably would have died a second time.

“Hey, why are you so inconsiderate? What’s the big idea, crashing into someone like that! Say something!”