My fate is decided by money, not heaven

Beneath the cold winds of early winter, Cao Jinsong tipped back his head with a sigh, then headed to the Outer Court's Sect Affairs Pavilion. He exchanged his token for his monthly stipend, tucked it into a money pouch, and tied it shut.

Though this was a sect assignment, one still had to carry some silver when traveling outside.

His monthly stipend was not much, but it was still his contribution as a teacher.

At that moment, the setting sun was like blood, and the long clouds blazed as if set afire.

After leaving the Sect Affairs Pavilion, Cao Jinsong reached the vicinity of the White Jade Platform and saw a circle of students gathered there, whispering as they stared toward the Mountain Gate.

"Why aren't you cultivating? What are you blocking the way here for?"

Whenever Cao Jinsong saw students who had managed to remain at the Celestial Academy yet did not know how to cherish the opportunity, he became angry and could not help putting on a teacher's stern authority.

Several nearby disciples turned at his voice. Seeing him, they immediately bowed. "Greetings, Instructor."

"No need for ceremony. What happened?"

"There is a young lady at the Mountain Gate. Looking at her has made my Dao heart somewhat clearer..."

"?"

Taking advantage of the gap as the students moved aside, Cao Jinsong saw the scene beneath the Mountain Gate.

She was a woman of immortal grace and peerless beauty, dressed in a long cloud-brocade gown that outlined her full, slender figure. Her chin was raised slightly, her eyes cold and clear as ice. Beneath the slanting sunset that set the heavens ablaze, she stood gazing at the towering characters above the Mountain Gate.

The Celestial Academy's protective grand formation was always operating. Anyone who was not a Celestial Academy student needed permission to enter.

Yet the woman seemed unconcerned. As she approached, the aura around her steadily surged outward, contending evenly with the formation blocking her path without yielding half a step.

Ordinary students might not have been able to discern the hidden meaning within, but Cao Jinsong frowned slightly.

He discovered that Sword Qi filled the woman from head to toe, sharp beyond compare. Even he found it somewhat frightening.

At that moment, wind and waves mingled with Sword Qi, surging ever more fiercely.

When the Celestial Academy had set up its formation, its first layer had been designed only to obstruct intruders, lest it harm someone by mistake.

When ordinary students found they could not enter, they would stop advancing.

But the woman did not stop.

Thus, the second layer's killing formation gradually began to glow, while behind the woman before the formation, a mysterious arc also lit up, as though something were condensing.

Cao Jinsong rubbed his eyes. Just as shock rose within him, he saw both the formation and the mysterious arc vanish, as if they had been nothing more than an illusion.

The woman suddenly walked into the Celestial Academy. She could not help lifting her head to look toward the white sleeve lightly waving from the summit of Mount Ni, her expression somewhat puzzled.

The Seven Great Immortal Sects had been secretly competing with one another for many years, none willing to concede defeat.

She had merely wanted to test the power of this sacred sect's formation. She had never expected to be invited inside, have her Dharma Idol dispersed, and have the heavenly secrets here concealed all at once.

After pondering for a long while, she slightly raised a hand toward the mountain and bowed, then stepped onto the Ascending Immortal White Jade Platform.

At this time, students along the Outer Court's covered corridors and arched bridges gradually stopped in their tracks and looked over.

The woman possessed heavenly beauty, unlike anyone of the mortal world. Even the slightest furrow of her brows was breathtaking, and as she stood gracefully upon the White Jade Platform, she became a scene unto herself.

What drew even more attention, however, was her clothing and accessories.

That cloud-brocade gown was made of extraordinary material, seemingly an immensely valuable Dharma artifact.

The two spirit swords tied at her waist were clearly no ordinary items, while the three spirit hairpins casually placed in her hair were even rarer treasures.

"Which ancient Aristocratic Clan's young lady is she?"

"I don't know. I've never seen her in the Outer Court..."

"She isn't wearing an immortal robe. Perhaps she is a senior sister from the Inner Court?"

"What makes you say that?"

"With such heavenly beauty, how could our Outer Court deserve her?"

"This is a true Fairy. Compared to her, even Miss Lu seems somewhat vulgar..."

Lu Qingqiu, the eldest daughter of Yun Province, happened to be at the Dao Comprehension Ground. Hearing this, she frowned, but even so, she had to admit that the other woman's immortal aura was overwhelming.

What drew Eldest Miss Lu's attention most, however, were the three spirit hairpins on the woman's head.

Back then, when the Lu Household's first mine had been excavated to its deepest reaches, they discovered an enormous, intact spirit core containing an ocean of pure spiritual energy.

Lu Qingqiu's father had ordered it forged into four spirit hairpins. Three had been sold for sky-high prices, while the last had been kept for her.

Precisely because she knew the value of those hairpins, she found it unbelievable.

Anyone who could afford all three hairpins had to either be blood kin of an immortal sect or belong to a Millennial Noble Family like the Chu Household.

Seeing the reactions of the surrounding students, Cao Jinsong could not help spitting.

What a decline in public morals! Our Ji You would never act like this!

Just then, the woman's brows drew together slightly as she swept her cold gaze across the area.

She seemed long accustomed to being the center of attention and showed not the slightest panic. Instead, that single glance made many watching students avert their eyes, no longer daring to look at her.

Cao Jinsong flicked his sleeve and left, hurrying to the elegant garden across from Bishui Lake.

Ji You had returned from Wanzhuo Mountain with his shoulder bandaged. He sat on a stone bench beneath an osmanthus tree, while a bundle of chopsticks borrowed from the Immortal Cuisine Hall floated before him.

The chopsticks were brimming with spiritual energy, constantly darting and weaving through the air, charging left and stabbing right as they tore through the sky.

Because they were so small, the chopsticks seemed to fly in utter disorder. Yet upon closer inspection, one could see that their flight paths were entirely Sword Techniques.

"What are you doing?"

"Controlling swords."

With a movement of Ji You's Divine Sense, the chopsticks flying through the air buzzed and shot back into their holder.

After experiencing two battles, he had realized that using one mind for many tasks was an immense hurdle that needed to be overcome.

If he did not solve it, his combat endurance would be greatly reduced.

In team battles, others could cover for him, but if he faced an enemy alone, it would become his greatest weakness.

The solutions were simple—there were only two.

The first was to continually train his Divine Sense, allowing himself to endure longer and manipulate multiple focuses with greater ease.

He had always been doing this and had never once slackened.

The other method was to turn sword techniques such as flying thrusts, flying slashes, and flying lifts used in sword control into habits.

Habits were frightening things. The deeper the memory was branded, the less Divine Sense they consumed. It was equivalent to consolidating Sword Techniques into hotkeys ready to trigger at a touch.

For now, the results seemed quite good. At the very least, the chopsticks before him could have one draw a square while another drew a circle.

After hearing his explanation, Cao Jinsong did not quite understand, but he still exclaimed that this young man was extraordinary. Yet after that praise, his mood quickly sank again.

Ji You noticed something was amiss and could not help asking, "What happened?"

"The evil spawn have thrown the world into chaos. They have devoured quite a few disciples of the immortal sects and even attacked the Pill Sect. The Affairs Management Courtyard dispatched many disciples to investigate, and eventually identified three ruins in Qiling Town, Yuhe Town, and Beisha Town. Now people need to be sent inside."

Ji You could not help recalling the figures that had constantly been flying away from the Inner Court these past few days. Understanding dawned on him. "Am I among them?"

Cao Jinsong nodded. "That's right. The Affairs Management Courtyard thinks you are unmatched in bravery, exceptional in swordsmanship, one in ten thousand..."

"If they truly thought that, I would not have been sent."

Cao Jinsong rolled up his broad sleeves. "Everything I said before is true, but it cannot be ruled out that they hope you will make way for the children of Aristocratic Clans. After all, your performance upon entering the academy really has threatened some people."

Ji You tapped the tabletop lightly with his knuckles, the corner of his mouth lifting. "Have they ever heard the saying, 'My fate is mine to decide, not heaven's'...?"

"I haven't, but there is a reward for this investigation. One hundred taels of silver."

"Hm? There's money? Then my fate is decided by money, not heaven."

Cao Jinsong's mouth twitched. This boy truly treats wealth as his life.

With a sigh, he pulled out a money pouch from his robes. "I knew you liked these things. Here, I prepared travel funds for you."

Ji You glanced at it. "Forget it. Keep it for me first."

"Heh, now that's strange. Did you get rich?"

"Money only has meaning if you live long enough to spend it."

Cao Jinsong's expression turned serious at once. "Don't force your way into danger. Inner Court disciples will be going with you. When the sky falls, the tall ones hold it up. You don't need to risk your life."

Ji You nodded. "When do we leave?"

"Probably three days from now, but no one knows how long the whole journey will take. If it affects the Inner Court selection..."

"I'll return before the Inner Court selection."

Upon hearing that, Cao Jinsong no longer felt his usual optimism.

Chu He was now only one step away from the upper five realms. After entering the Profound Connection Realm and supplementing his cultivation with pills, his Profound Connection Realm might advance swiftly.

Ji You, meanwhile, was still far behind. Without Heavenly Tome assistance, he could not even guarantee his cultivation time.

Most importantly, there was clearly more than one upper-five-realm cultivator among those behind the evil spawn incident. If they truly encountered them, even their safety would be uncertain.

"I need to tell Kuang Cheng about this..."

Ji You did not notice Cao Jinsong's worries. Instead, he considered his arrangements for the coming days.

He decided to make a trip to Shengjing tomorrow and tell the scholar about it.

Besides...

He also needed to visit Void Mountain and let that easily angered Fairy know, or she would throw another tantrum.

Ji You was not exactly close with her, but neither were they strangers. Still, saying things plainly whenever there was something to discuss seemed to have become a habit.

"Instructor Cao, I'm going to the Dao Comprehension Ground."

"You're still going to the Dao Comprehension Ground at a time like this?"

Cao Jinsong's lips trembled, as though a teacher's emotion welled up within him.

He was about to be transferred out of the Celestial Academy, yet even so, he had not forgotten to devote himself to the Dao. Ji You truly was different from those children of Aristocratic Clans.

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