Martyr

The Celestial Academy's selection of new disciples is an annual event that usually doesn't garner much attention. However, this year, it's attracted a lot of eyes simply because Chu He is joining.

But no one ever expected that the one who would sense the Heavenly Tome wouldn't be Chu He.

Ji You?

There are no prominent Ji families in the Qingyun World, so the heavenly light that appeared that night sparked countless discussions.

Cao Jinsong heard the news late at night and was almost moved to tears of joy.

This young man found in Yuyang County is extraordinary, truly extraordinary!

Besides him, another person had already arrived at Bingshui Lake's Elegant Garden, waiting by the door. After Ji You came out, they presented him with a visiting card.

The card was from Prince Chong. It offered sincere congratulations and apologized for not bringing enough cards due to the hurried nature of his arrival. It also mentioned that upon hearing Ji You had sensed the Heavenly Tome yesterday, the Prince had specifically arranged a banquet at his mansion for them to share drinks and conversation.

Ji You smiled as he looked at the card and returned it to the servant.

He didn't have a good impression of immortal sects, and he had an even worse impression of bureaucrats.

If immortal sects were the culprits behind the people's suffering, then the Great Xia was undeniably an accomplice.

He'd rather go to the Heavenly Tome to comprehend the Dao than engage in polite conversation with political figures.

Thinking of this, Ji You suddenly recalled the woman in the red dress he had seen yesterday, and her slender, delicate, snow-white feet.

Hmm, the path of the feet is also a path.

Ji You stretched and walked out of the courtyard, heading to the Immortal Cuisine House. As soon as he entered, he ran into Lu Qingqiu and her companions, with Fang Ruoyao following behind.

Lu Qingqiu gazed at him, then suddenly revealed a faint smile and gave him a slight bow.

While Ji You might have just been a rogue cultivator from the countryside yesterday, today… things were different.

Being able to sense the Heavenly Tome meant he had already set foot in the Inner Court. Even she, the young lady of Yunzhou, seemed to have some interest in befriending him.

Ji You didn't become arrogant just because he sensed the Heavenly Tome. He cupped his hands towards her and went to the food counter.

After looking over the dazzling array of dishes, he chose Stir-fried Immortal Grass. Then, because his wallet was a bit thin, he started contemplating his list of targets for robbery today…

After eating, Ji You returned to Bingshui Lake's Elegant Garden, only to find another servant standing at the entrance waiting for him.

He initially thought it was another visiting card from Prince Chong. He took it and glanced at it, his brow furrowed. He then headed down the mountain.

At this time, in Shengjing city, soldiers were posting imperial edicts on Yong'an Street. Ji You glanced at them and then took a roundabout route to Chunhua Post Station in Chunhua Alley.

"Top scholar…?"

Kuang Cheng, who had been unconscious for three days and three nights, now nodded with renewed vigor, "Mm."

Ji You stared blankly at Kuang Cheng, "How much is the salary? Can you give me half?"

"He hasn't been assigned a substantive post, so there's no salary."

Ji You blinked. He had received a note from Kuang Cheng this morning with just two words: "Successfully passed."

What surprised him even more was that Kuang Cheng had actually achieved the top scholar rank. He had been sighing with emotion all the way here, thinking to himself that his Yuyang County truly produced talented individuals.

But then, no salary…

Kuang Cheng pondered for a long time before speaking, "Actually, this is all thanks to you, Brother Ji."

"Why thank me?"

"I wrote an essay titled 'Since ancient times, who hasn't died? Let's leave a loyal heart to shine on history,' and His Majesty personally selected me as the top scholar…"

Hearing this, the playful smile on Ji You's face slowly vanished.

He knew the Great Xia emperor had long wanted to restore imperial power but was hampered by the court being controlled by Chancellor Wei and Prince Chong. The emperor lacked capable people at his disposal.

Therefore, he had opened up special imperial examinations this year and invited the Divine General of the North back to stabilize the situation, all with the aim of reforming official administration.

But the emperor didn't use just anyone. What he wanted were people who weren't afraid of death, people who dared to die.

"Kuang Cheng."

"Mm?"

Ji You looked at him intently, "Don't be a martyr for the emperor."

Kuang Cheng was slightly taken aback. After a moment of silence, he smiled faintly, "I naturally wouldn't be so foolish…"

"You need to understand, the saying 'Since ancient times, who hasn't died? Let's leave a loyal heart to shine on history' is a lie. I can't even do it myself, how can you?"

"Don't worry, Brother Ji. My responsibility is to revitalize the Kuang family. I won't lightly sacrifice my life. I'm very timid, unless you become the Sect Master of the Celestial Academy and back me up."

Seeing that he wasn't forcing himself, Ji You finally felt relieved. "I also have good news. When everyone was sensing the Heavenly Tome yesterday, the Heavenly Tome came to sense me."

Kuang Cheng's eyes widened. "As expected of us!"

"Things will get better from now on."

Kuang Cheng looked at Ji You, unsure if he was referring to their lives together, the lives of the people of Yuyang County, or perhaps both.

However, speaking of Yuyang, he suddenly remembered something.

The night before they set off for the capital, he had suddenly seen starlight falling in his courtyard, like fireflies, constantly dancing.

The young scholar had never seen such a strange sight, so he called his family. But they said they hadn't seen anything, as if only he could see it.

He wanted to ask Ji You what that was, but in the end, he didn't.

He wasn't a cultivator, so how could he possibly see starlight falling from the sky? He must have just imagined it.

Afterward, the two left the inn. With the few remaining silver coins, they found a small eatery and ordered three vegetarian dishes and a small jug of wine.

Although it seemed a bit shabby, it was still a form of mutual congratulation.

Meanwhile, on the street next to this small eatery, inside the incredibly luxurious Xihe Tower, a group of Outer Court disciples from the Celestial Academy were drinking in silence.

This should have been the best time for cultivation, but Ji You's sensing of the Heavenly Tome last night had shattered their already fragile Dao Hearts.

He remembered the first day they went to the Dao Comprehension Ground to meditate. Everyone had mocked the rogue cultivator from the countryside, calling his martial arts practice a waste of time.

But in the end, it was he who sensed the Heavenly Tome.

And their so-called sleepless nights and skipped meals had completely become a joke.

Chu He was also at Xihe Tower at this time, but he wasn't with the others. Instead, he sat alone in a private room on the third floor, surrounded by empty wine jars.

Next to his chair, a singer lay on her back, covered in bruises from fist blows, her life hanging in the balance.

As the second son of the Chu family, he had always considered himself extraordinary. To avoid living in his elder brother's shadow, he had given up the Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion and resolutely chosen the Celestial Academy, determined to forge a path uniquely his own.

His elders had praised his lofty ambitions and fully supported his decision.

But he never expected that just after he enrolled, a rogue cultivator from the countryside would replace his elder brother and become his new shadow.

Last night, Ji You had gathered two spiritual lights.

At this speed, how could he possibly keep up?

But why him? A mere mortal from the countryside whom he could usually crush with a flick of his wrist, had now made him lose face completely. How could he accept this?

Just then, a waiter from Xihe Tower came up to serve wine. Upon seeing the singer's tragic state, he almost dropped the wine jar in his hand in fright.

Chu He looked up sharply, his eyes flashing with killing intent.

In his eyes, Ji You, this servant, and this singer should all have been content to live as mere mortals.

However, at that moment, the page boy serving Chu He rushed upstairs, saving the waiter's life.

"Young Master, Young Master, someone from home is here, they're outside."

"What?"

Chu He instantly sobered up. Looking at the flustered page boy, he suddenly realized that the news of his defeat by a rogue cultivator from the countryside had likely reached his family.

He scrambled to his feet and stumbled downstairs, where he saw a hook-nosed old man.

This was not a member of the Chu family, but a retainer who had previously served his elder brother.

The hook-nosed retainer, his face ashen, led Chu He down a hidden alleyway, handed him a box of pills, and a letter.

"Die with honor, or bring shame to the clan."

The letter contained only a few short words, yet they made his eyes tremble and his face turn pale.

After a long while, he remembered the box of pills and reached out to open it.

He didn't know if he was seeing things, but at the sight of the pills, Chu He seemed to see ten curled-up, struggling infants, but they vanished in an instant. Instead, a surge of immense immortal energy appeared.

This immortal energy was like the heavenly light Ji You had sensed when he sensed the Heavenly Tome, leaving Chu He utterly awestruck.

"I thought the second young master would surely enter the Inner Court, but I didn't expect him to be trampled underfoot by a rogue cultivator from the countryside in less than three days. What a pity for this hard-won divine pill."

"This... what kind of pill is this?"

"This pill is rare in the world. It can unleash your full potential and make your cultivation speed far surpass that of ordinary people. Take one first, then one every seven days. I will guard you while you take the medicine."

"Are there really such potent pills in the world? Will there be side effects?"

The hook-nosed old man looked down at him with a cold expression and did not reply.