Chapter 136: The Betrothal

Yonglu Mountain recruited new disciples once every six years. Generally speaking, the intake was not large. Even including outer sect disciples, there were seventy or eighty at most, and inner sect disciples were rarer still. In Wen Xu’s cohort, for instance, there were only five of them, and that included him, a mortal who had stumbled into the secret realm by mistake.

Yet now, there were already at least seven or eight hundred candidates of the right age in Langyuan City. Registration had not even begun yet; by the time it did, the number would likely exceed two or three thousand.

One had to realize that all of Yonglu Mountain’s inner sect disciples combined numbered just over three hundred. The chances of successfully passing the entrance exam were so slim that doing so would be like ancestral graves pluming with smoke. It was no wonder that Bian Chunzhou, despite being a transmigrator, had never dared to hope too much about getting into such a prestigious institution.

Everyone was naturally well aware of this. Adopting a pragmatic approach, they knew that even if they could not get into Yonglu Mountain, there were many other sects, large and small, in the vicinity of the Yonglu Mountain Range. These sects naturally would not miss such a perfect opportunity to ride the coattails of the main event. Every time Yonglu Mountain opened its gates, they would do the same. In other words, when the big brother ate meat, the little brothers got to drink the broth.

Occasionally, smaller sects would manage to scoop up a few promising talents. Of course, most candidates still prioritized Yonglu Mountain. After all, what if a miracle happened?

“I heard that the last time Yonglu Mountain opened its gates, the inner sect actually accepted a disciple with Water-Fire Dual Spiritual Roots. That’s a textbook useless spiritual root. I wonder if I’ll have that kind of luck, to suddenly catch the eye of a Yonglu Mountain powerhouse and be taken in?”

“Oh, give it a rest. Yonglu Mountain isn’t some third-rate sect or family estate where you can buy your way in with spirit stones. Even if he has a useless spiritual root, he still passed the first three rounds of the entrance exam. Can you do that?”

“Who the hell do you think you are, talking down to me like that? If I can’t pass, do you think you can?”

The speaker cast a sidelong glance at the young master. “At least he is already an official, established inner sect disciple of Yonglu Mountain. If what you just said reaches his ears, do you think you’ll be able to take the three exams in peace?”

Bian Chunzhou: …For the record, I’m really just passing by. Besides, how could I possibly have the power to interfere with the entrance exams? This gentleman thinks far too highly of me.

“You…” The young master’s mind raced. “If you dare spread this around, I’ll make sure you pay for it!”

“Oh, I’m so scared.” The speaker’s tone was thoroughly obnoxious as he immediately scurried behind Bian Chunzhou. “Immortal cultivator, this man is openly insulting Yonglu Mountain in Langyuan City. Are you just going to stand by and watch?”

Bian Chunzhou thought to himself, If I had known, I would have stayed in Handan Pavilion and watched Chen Zuizui pick out ugly clothes instead.

Only then did the young master realize a Yonglu Mountain disciple was standing right behind him. He had no idea how long the man had been listening. Judging by the disciple token at the man’s waist, he was a Foundation Establishment cultivator. A Foundation Establishment cultivator was no big deal, but since the man belonged to Yonglu Mountain, the young master could not help but feel a bit nervous.

He opened his mouth to explain, but the young Foundation Establishment cultivator spoke first. “What a coincidence. I happen to be that very Water-Fire Spiritual Root disciple from Yonglu Mountain who made the cut. What were you two discussing just now? Why don’t you say it to my face?”

Both of them were stunned. No way, what are the odds?!

“Wait, that’s not right. You’ve already reached Foundation Establishment? Then… you…”

Bian Chunzhou laughed inwardly, hands on his hips. “Is Foundation Establishment in six years really that hard? I have a friend who reached Foundation Establishment just three years after entering the path. That’s quite common on Yonglu Mountain.” Wow, this feels amazing! Who cares, I’ll just brag first and worry later.

Foundation Establishment in three years?! He had to be bluffing. How could that be possible? Even if someone cultivated day and night without sleep, they could not possibly succeed in three years. Although they knew large sects had many geniuses, this was surely impossible…

Having gossiped about someone right in front of them, neither of them dared to say another word. They hurriedly apologized and slipped away, terrified that this Water-Fire Spiritual Root cultivator would hold a grudge and make life difficult for them.

But Foundation Establishment in three years was simply too exaggerated. Refusing to let it go, the two of them teamed up to ask around and verify the truth. And then,

“It’s actually true? This… I wouldn’t even dare to dream of something so ridiculous!”

Six hundred years ago, Sword Venerable Meixi had burst onto the scene, overshadowing every genius for the next six centuries. They had thought Sword Venerable Meixi’s feats back then were ridiculous enough, but they had not expected this.

“Is this the power of a great sect?”

The highest grade of spiritual root, superb comprehension for cultivation, a talent for the sword recognized by the Shattering Heaven Sword Light, and a Body Integration powerhouse as a master. If he had been blessed with just one of these, his parents would have practically worshipped him. The gap between a genius and an ordinary person was far wider than they had ever imagined.

Such awe was a common sight in Langyuan City these days. Ever since Wen Xu joined Yonglu Mountain, the sect had never deliberately promoted their peerless genius. However, a genius deserved to be treated like one. If he remained completely unknown, wouldn’t outsiders think Yonglu Mountain’s reputation was undeserved?

Besides, their Little Grand-Uncle Master was so impressive. Not showing him off would be like wearing fine silks in the dark. Moreover, he was the perfect recruitment brochure. And Yonglu Mountain had more than just their Little Grand-Uncle Master when it came to geniuses.

Thus, when Wen Xu finished helping Chen Zui pick out clothes in Handan Pavilion and went to pay, he discovered that the shopkeeper actually recognized him. Not only did the shopkeeper recognize him, but he also wanted to give him a discount.

However, Chen Zui was honest to a fault. “I have spirit stones. There is no need for a discount.” Besides, his mother wouldn’t like discounted clothes anyway.

The shopkeeper was left speechless. Fine, then.

Once the two of them stepped out of Handan Pavilion, Chen Zui saw Bian Chunzhou wearing a strange grin. “What’s wrong with you? Why are you smiling so weirdly?”

33″>”What do you mean weird?” Bian Chunzhou stole a glance at Wen Xuxu. “I just ran into two people who were talking about me. I didn’t expect myself to be quite famous.”

Chen Zui said, “…I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m going to mail these clothes.”

Bian Chunzhou craned his neck to peek at the wrapped clothes in Chen Zuizui’s arms. Judging by the peek of color he saw, it looked good. It seemed Wen Xuxu’s taste was highly reliable. “Go ahead, go ahead. We’ll wait for you at the entrance of the market ahead.”

“The market entrance might not be a good idea.” Wen Xu had already noticed that countless eyes were, consciously or unconsciously, drifting toward him. It seemed he had better not come down the mountain for a while.

“Why?” By the time they reached the market entrance, Bian Chunzhou did not need Wen Xu to answer. He saw it for himself. Good grief, they seemed to have become celebrities. “Let’s go, let’s go. Let’s sit down in Tianxin Pavilion up ahead first.”

As soon as the two of them left, the onlookers who had been secretly watching began to whisper. “Is that the newly minted Little Grand-Uncle Master of Yonglu Mountain? Even his looks are so handsome and pleasant. Does he have any worries in life at all?”

“Probably not. But on second thought, having such a genius in the cultivation world brings some peace of mind.” After all, the Demon Seed had once appeared. Even though it was quickly eliminated, the cultivators all knew in their hearts that the demons would inevitably make a comeback.

“You have a point. Geniuses have their merits, but we ordinary cultivators can’t let our guard down either.” The speaker sighed, then added, “I wonder if this year’s entrance exam will be difficult. I hope they test the areas I’m good at.”

“Well, you’ve jinxed it now. Since you said that, I’d better go study the things you’re bad at.”

“Hey!”

The two chased each other away. Just then, a neat procession of cultivators dressed in black and red robes, carrying treasure boxes, marched down the street in the direction the two had just come from. Judging by their bearing, they seemed to belong to an influential family.

“Shh, keep your voice down. Those are people from Xishan City’s City Lord’s Mansion.”

Once the black and red figures vanished into the distance, the man finally spoke to his friend. “Although Xishan City and Langyuan City are only separated by the Tenfold Mountains, the relationship between the two cities has always been strained. The appearance of Xishan City’s people in town this time is probably related to that famous marriage alliance.”

“What? What dao companion?”

“Well…”

As it turned out, the City Lord of Xishan City was surnamed Lin, and his cultivation level was on par with Xia Huainan of Langyuan City. The two had clashed in their youth, and their relationship now was mediocre at best, to the point where they basically had no contact at all.

As for the reason, rumors in the streets claimed that City Lord Xia was a man of noble character who refused to associate with City Lord Lin, who wallowed in worldly desires. Meanwhile, City Lord Lin had publicly accused Xia Huainan of chasing fame and reputation, which only worsened their relationship.

However, it had to be said that City Lord Lin of Xishan City was indeed a bit too generous with his affection. Word had it that in the City Lord’s Mansion, there were dozens of officially recognized wives and concubines, many of whom were female cultivators with decent talent. As for his other fleeting flings with both women and men, they were simply too numerous to count.

Indeed, City Lord Lin was not picky at all; anyone good-looking could become his darling. Yet, despite his flawed personal life, he was a highly capable ruler. Xishan City was exceptionally well-governed, to the point where many daughters of ordinary families took pride in marrying into the City Lord’s Mansion.

As for why, first, City Lord Lin was extremely handsome. Second, perhaps due to his lineage, there were at least thirty Young City Lords in Xishan City’s City Lord’s Mansion, and most of them could cultivate. In other words, if a woman could marry the City Lord and give birth to a child with cultivator blood, regardless of whether it was a boy or a girl, she could truly elevate her social status.

“More than thirty? That’s insane! Then what about the marriage alliance you just mentioned?”

“That brings us to City Lord Lin’s first wife.”

Although City Lord Lin was promiscuous, he was said to have been deeply devoted to his first wife in their early years. Unfortunately, she was not a cultivator. Even after taking youth-retaining and longevity pills, she lived for less than two hundred years. Rumor had it that the first wife was a woman of devastating beauty and refined grace. She had once made a promise with a close friend that if they both had children, and if both children were willing, their families would be joined in marriage.

The legacy of great families was always tied to reproduction. Even cultivators who cared little for worldly desires would produce offspring to carry on their lineage. For some families, even if their children could not cultivate, they could still marry into other families to exchange for cultivation resources.

With his vast wealth and power, City Lord Lin had no need to rely on a marriage alliance to secure his position. Moreover, his first wife had never given birth, so there was naturally no talk of fulfilling the betrothal.

“If that’s the case, why did you say…”

“Don’t be impatient, let me finish. Didn’t I mention that Xishan City has over thirty Young City Lords? While most can cultivate, their talents vary. The one with the most outstanding talent is the Seventeenth Young City Lord, named Lin Zhishan. He has already reached the Golden Core realm. Although he isn’t on the Heaven’s Pride List, he is still a rare genius in this world. Oh, of course, he can’t compare to Yonglu Mountain’s Little Grand-Uncle Master with the Wind Spiritual Root.”

Lin Zhishan inherited his father’s good looks, possessing the elegant bearing of a noble family and the spirited vigor of youth. Had he not been so young and his mother’s clan so weak, he would surely have been a frontrunner to become the next City Lord of Xishan City.

“I heard the Seventeenth Young City Lord also came to Yonglu Mountain to participate in the entrance trial back then.”

“Could someone with his talent fail to get into Yonglu Mountain?”

“I heard he passed the trial, but due to family matters, he didn’t join the sect. However, during his visit to Langyuan City, he happened to meet the daughter of that first wife’s close friend. The two fell in love at first sight, each swearing to marry no one but the other.”

“Such a thing actually happened?”

“Right? Quite a coincidence, isn’t it? The original marriage alliance was just a joke between two ladies, yet fate worked in such mysterious ways. Because of this, City Lord Lin dotes on the Seventeenth Young City Lord even more. It seems this perfect match is finally getting married.”

“Are they actually holding a grand wedding in Langyuan City?”

“Do you know which family that close friend of the first wife belongs to?”

“Of course I don’t. Where do you get all this gossip anyway?”

“Just picked it up on the streets. It’s the most famous family in Langyuan City, the Xia Family.”

“City Lord Xia’s family?”

“Indeed.”

“…But doesn’t City Lord Xia have a terrible relationship with City Lord Lin? How could he hold his nose and agree to become in-laws?”

“You’ve misunderstood. City Lord Xia has kept his reputation clean and never married. He has no children, not even a single disciple. The junior he dotes on most is Young City Lord Xia Ying.” To prevent his friend from misunderstanding again, he quickly added, “Young City Lord Xia Ying is City Lord Xia’s niece. She has exceptional talent and has already joined Yonglu Mountain, so she naturally wouldn’t entangle herself in romance. The one marrying the Seventeenth Young City Lord is Xia Rui, the daughter of the Xia Family’s head.”

“How complicated. But with such prestigious identities, it’s no wonder they’re holding a wedding in Langyuan City as well.”

The two men had guessed correctly. The marriage alliance between the Lin Family of Xishan City and the Xia Family of Langyuan City was indeed about to be fulfilled. Taking advantage of Yonglu Mountain opening its gates to recruit disciples, City Lord Lin also had several children who wanted to register for the entrance trial. Consequently, many people from Xishan City had arrived, setting up a massive portable manor just outside the city.

The servants dressed in black and red were bustling about Langyuan City to deliver the wedding invitations.

Wen Xu hadn’t expected that he would receive a wedding invitation just by going down the mountain. “An invitation for me to attend?”

“Yes. We would be deeply honored by your presence.”

Wen Xu had little interest in it, but he was always tactful. As long as others didn’t provoke him, he would never make them lose face. So, he simply said he would go if he had time. As for whether he actually would, that was another matter entirely.

The messenger left as quickly as he had arrived, even thoughtfully settling the bill for him before leaving.

Bian Chunzhou had received an invitation as well, though he knew they had only given him one out of respect for Wen Xuxu. “What an extravagant invitation. It’s actually written with spiritual herb sap. I heard this sap is impervious to both fire and water, and a tiny bottle of it costs a thousand spirit stones.”

What a lavish gesture. As expected of the incredibly wealthy City Lord’s Mansion.

Wen Xu reached out and touched the invitation. “With such exquisite craftsmanship, both families must place great importance on this.”

Despite his words, he had absolutely no interest in this so-called alliance between the two cities. He casually tossed the invitation into the depths of his storage ring. “Are you going?”

“If you’re not going, why would I?” Although Bian Chunzhou loved a good spectacle, it was a pity that he had to enter the secret realm for body tempering as soon as he returned to the mountain. If he delayed any longer, he feared the Back Mountain Secret Realm would blacklist him.

It was quite a shame when he thought about it; he was actually going to miss the disciple recruitment trial.

“What’s so interesting about other people’s trials? You should have entered the Back Mountain Secret Realm to cultivate long ago,” Chen Zui said as he finally returned from sending his packages, a hint of anger visible on his face.

Bian Chunzhou couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Who managed to make you angry? Don’t tell me your mother wrote another letter to scold you?”

“Of course not. My mother wouldn’t do something so pointless.” In Chen Zui’s heart, his mother was the best in the world, while Wen Xu and Bian Chunzhou were tied for a close second. “It’s just that on my way back, I ran into a few cultivators bullying the weak. I couldn’t stand it, so I taught them a lesson.”

Bian Chunzhou was utterly astonished. “Isn’t your saber the only thing you care about?”

“Yeah, so what?” Chen Zui saw absolutely nothing wrong with it. “The manual Wen Xu gave me says that if you see the weak being bullied, you should offer help if circumstances permit.”

In Langyuan City, as a disciple of Yonglu Mountain, Chen Zui felt it was his bounden duty.

“You updated the booklet for him again?” Bian Chunzhou turned his head.

Wen Xu paused as he raised his teacup. “Yes, I added a couple of entries.” Chen Zui’s Foundation Establishment had given him a deeper understanding of blockheads, so he had updated the booklet’s contents upon his return as a gift to congratulate him on his breakthrough.

“But if even you could tell it was bullying, those people must have gone way too far. You should have sent them to the City Lord’s Mansion to be locked up for a couple of days.”

Chen Zui nodded. “I did. That is why I was delayed.”

“Was that in the booklet?”

He nodded again. “It was.”

Bian Chunzhou could not help but give him two thumbs up. “Wen Xuxu, you’re incredible!”

The three sat in Tianshui Pavilion for a little longer before riding their swords back to the sect. As luck would have it, they had gone down the mountain today and missed the auspicious glow of Xia Ying’s Foundation Establishment.

“Congratulations! With this, out of the five of us who joined the sect together, only Lin Congcong has yet to reach Foundation Establishment.”

At the thought, Bian Chunzhou could not help but chuckle. It was only because Lin Cong was currently in seclusion; if he knew about this, he would probably jump up in a rage and try to beat someone.

Xia Ying also knew about the relationship between the two. She could not help but laugh at his words. “Don’t worry, once Junior Brother Lin succeeds in his Foundation Establishment, I will be sure to pass these words on to him.”

“Wow, Junior Sister Xia Ying, you’ve actually gone bad!”

Xia Ying gave a soft snort. Succeeding in Foundation Establishment was naturally a matter of great joy for her. After chatting with her fellow disciples for a bit, she happily went down the mountain to see City Lord Xia.

She naturally had to tell her uncle about a milestone as joyous as her Foundation Establishment in person.

However, as soon as Xia Ying arrived at the City Lord’s Mansion, she saw the main gate newly decorated. Large red silk ribbons hung from it, and the red lanterns seemed to be burning deep-sea fish oil, a specialty of the Hanhai Region. She wondered why there was such a grand display. Was her uncle celebrating a milestone birthday? But that could not be right; this was clearly a setup for a wedding.

No way. Could her uncle be…

Her uncle had not even notified her about such a major event. Was he afraid she would feel uncomfortable or disapprove of him starting a family?

“Congratulations on your Foundation Establishment, Young City Lord, but you are overthinking it.”

“What?”

“It is not the City Lord taking a wife, but Miss Xia Rui who is getting married.”

Xia Rui? Xia Ying frowned. Before her talent was tested, she had not had a very good life in the main family branch. It was only after her uncle took her in and guided her that her personality became cheerful. “If she is getting married, shouldn’t she be wed from the main family’s estate? Why make such a show of it at the City Lord’s Mansion? And the City Lord actually agreed to this?”

“The City Lord gave his tacit approval.”

Xia Ying’s steps faltered, disbelief written all over her face.