"Lin Chan had gone out early."
At this moment, only Wang Yunxuan and Zhou Sheng were in the small courtyard, so Wang Yunxuan answered.
"Where did he go?"
One of the young men asked.
"He should be... You're Sword Sect disciples! Young Master! They're from the Shu Mountain Sword Sect, come quickly!"
Wang Yunxuan recognized their identities and shouted excitedly.
The young man frowned. They had no time to waste arguing with two mortals.
Hearing Wang Yunxuan's voice, Zhou Sheng hurriedly leaped out of bed, threw on a garment, and came outside.
"Senior brothers! Two senior brothers, I am the Heir of the Marquis of Wei. Take me up the mountain quickly—I am willing to cultivate on the mountain."
Zhou Sheng said even more excitedly than Wang Yunxuan.
After being out for so long, he had finally encountered immortals.
"It is not yet time for the mountain to open, and we have no authority to bring mortals up the mountain. We have come to find a youth named Lin Chan. Have you seen him?"
One of the gentler Sword Sect disciples stepped forward and said.
"I am the Heir of the Marquis of Wei! The Marquis of Wei of Rong Country!"
Zhou Sheng shouted.
"Forget the Marquis of Wei—even if the Crown Prince of Rong Country or the Emperor of Rong Country came, it would still be impossible!"
The other Sword Sect disciple said impatiently.
"You. Where did Lin Chan go?"
He turned to Wang Yunxuan.
"He should be over at the Herbal Shop. He often goes there."
Under the Sword Sect disciple's gaze, Wang Yunxuan answered instinctively.
Having obtained the information, the stern Sword Sect disciple immediately took off on his sword.
"Sorry for the disturbance."
The gentler one followed after him.
"Wait! Take me with you! I want to go to Shu Mountain too!"
Zhou Sheng hurried after them, but no matter how fast he ran, he could not outrun a Flying Sword.
At Qian's Herbal Shop, Lin Chan was trying to fish for information from Shopkeeper Qian when two sword-bearing young men entered.
"Lin Chan! Come with us!"
Upon seeing Lin Chan and confirming that he was the Portrait Person, the two walked over.
"Senior brother!"
Shopkeeper Qian, already middle-aged and nearing old age, instinctively saluted the two Sword Sect disciples.
This was Shu Mountain's rule: regardless of age, Registered Disciples had to address Inner Sect Disciples as senior brothers.
"This matter has nothing to do with you. There is no need to be nervous."
The gentler young man said to Shopkeeper Qian.
"You are Sword Sect disciples. Why are you looking for me?"
Lin Chan looked utterly bewildered. He had no idea what offense he had committed, and he did not know any disciples of the Shu Mountain Sword Sect.
"You need not be nervous either. Our Martial Uncle Xuan Chen merely wishes to ask you a few questions. Just follow us up the mountain."
The gentle young man said.
"I do not know what has happened. How could I dare go with you?"
Lin Chan said.
But with the two blocking him like this, there was no chance of escape. Before leaving, he had to get to the bottom of it.
"Martial Uncle Xuan Chen only told us to escort you up the mountain and did not tell us the reason. Still, you need not worry. Shu Mountain is a righteous sect; we will not slaughter the innocent indiscriminately."
The gentle-faced young man patiently explained.
Lin Chan recalled everything from childhood to the present. He had basically never done anything bad. Besides, with nowhere to run now, he could only nod in agreement and follow them out.
The two Sword Sect disciples kept Lin Chan between them, as if to prevent him from escaping.
After leaving the Herbal Shop, the gentler young man summoned a Flying Sword and extended a hand to Lin Chan.
"Let me carry you! My skill is not bad, so you need not worry about falling off. But you must behave yourself too. If you fall from the sky, I will not be responsible for you."
The young man said with a smile.
Lin Chan nodded and stepped onto the Flying Sword. It felt as though he were standing on a tightrope, constantly afraid of falling.
The young man's Sword Riding technique truly was as good as he had claimed. They sped along without Lin Chan feeling any jolting, and he quickly adapted.
Then, led by the two of them, he flew high into the sky and arrived atop a mountain peak that towered into the clouds.
Amid the mountaintop stood countless Palace buildings, scattered in a pleasing arrangement.
The two brought Lin Chan into a Palace in an excellent location.
"Martial Uncle Xuan Chen! We have brought him."
The two stood outside the great hall with their hands behind their backs.
"Good! You may withdraw!"
A calm voice came from within the hall.
Upon hearing that voice, the two Shu Mountain disciples who had brought Lin Chan here immediately took their leave.
"Young friend, come in for a talk!"
That voice came again.
Lin Chan entered the hall in a daze and saw a male and female cultivator seated on meditation cushions in positions of honor, both wearing dark ochre Daoist robes.
Both were very young, their skin flawless and fair, like ice flesh and jade bones. Their eyes were closed, as though they were meditating in trance.
When Lin Chan entered, the female cultivator opened her eyes and shot him a fierce glare.
Although her features were exquisite, making her the most ethereal and transcendent woman Lin Chan had ever seen, he vaguely sensed killing intent from her.
"So it was you. You stole my Merit!"
The female cultivator said irritably.
"Junior Sister! I told you long ago that Merit cannot be manipulated. Now that things have come to this, why keep dwelling on it?"
The male cultivator spoke calmly.
"That Merit was not yours. Naturally, you can be so magnanimous."
The female cultivator remained dissatisfied and turned to glare at the male cultivator.
The male cultivator merely smiled without speaking, and the female cultivator could not say anything further.
Lin Chan, however, was completely baffled.
Merit?
What Merit?
"How should this matter be handled now?"
The female cultivator asked.
"Now that it has come to this, do you intend to kill him? Go back first. Leave this matter to me."
The male cultivator said helplessly. He knew that if he did not do something, the Lin Chan before him would probably suffer.
"Senior Brother, interrogate him properly!"
The female cultivator said angrily. Then she rose and rode the wind away.
The male cultivator watched her retreating figure and sighed.
Then he looked at Lin Chan and casually used his magic power to retrieve a meditation cushion from a corner of the hall, setting it down before him.
"Sit and speak."
The male cultivator said gently.
"Yes, Immortal Master!"
Imitating the male cultivator, Lin Chan sat cross-legged on the meditation cushion.
The moment he touched the cushion, Lin Chan felt the unease in his heart dissipate, replaced by calm.
"You are from the Lushan Lin Family?"
The male cultivator asked.
"No. I am from a small city called Yulin City in eastern Rong Country."
Lin Chan immediately denied it. He did not want anything to do with the Lushan Lin Family.
"That does not really matter."
The male cultivator smiled, then took a bronze Bagua mirror from his sleeve.
Driven by magic power, the bronze mirror flew into the air and began to grow larger and larger, shining down upon Lin Chan.
The male cultivator glanced at Lin Chan's reflection in the mirror and said:
"This is the Void Clarity Mirror. It can see through your heart and distinguish truth from falsehood. Please answer my questions honestly from here on, so I may determine how best to handle you."
"Immortal Master! What crime have I committed?"
Lin Chan could not help asking.
The man before him was questioning him as though he were a criminal, making him feel deeply uncomfortable.
"It is a long story. On your journey to Shu Mountain, did you encounter a tiger—a huge savage tiger with brow markings that resembled eyes?"
The male cultivator asked.
At the request of many readers, a VIP membership ad-free feature has now been introduced.
Click to view
Before you continue