Five Taels of Immortal Fate

Hong Yuan was hardly some ruthless figure whose expression never changed even with Mount Tai collapsing before him, whose will was as firm as iron and stone.

He had closed and opened his eyes, only to suddenly transmigrate into a completely unfamiliar world, acquire a new shell of a body, and assume a new identity. He was thoroughly bewildered and panicked too.

It was like thorns at his back, needles beneath him, a fishbone lodged in his throat...

Panic and terror hung heavily over his heart. He could only barely suppress them. He couldn't exactly scream and shout to vent, could he? That would be far too small-fry.

Especially when he had started out in this unfathomably strange Jade Wutong Immortal Realm, with no clue what lay beneath its surface. Hong Yuan's mind, steeped in countless films, novels, and horror games, could not stop spinning wild fancies. The more he thought, the more uneasy he became.

Now that he had discovered extraordinary beneficial changes in himself, his unease was at least slightly relieved.

He had no time to study the "transmigration benefits" in his body. His gaze sharpened, and he saw a head suddenly emerge from the bottom of the fog-shrouded stone pavilion, white and hazy all around.

Then came the upper body.

The bottom of the lakeside pavilion was apparently connected to some passageway. A beautiful woman in a plain white dress emerged from it, her cloudlike hair gathered loosely, a jade qin cradled in her arms. She raised her face and furtively glanced about the lakeshore like a thief. Though she knew the thick fog made even those two or three zhang away impossible to distinguish, she still looked somewhat guilty.

She let out a breath, bent down to pat the dust from her skirt, and placed the jade qin on the wooden table in the pavilion. Then she knelt upon a round cushion. Still dissatisfied, she rearranged the folds of her skirt, adjusted the slightly crooked cushion, and only then nodded lightly, her slender jade hands hovering over the strings.

Hong Yuan did not know what expression to make and kept a stiff face as he heard someone mutter and curse, "This filthy fog is truly infuriating. It has kept me from admiring the immortal maiden's peerless beauty. How hateful."

Several people beside him nodded in agreement.

Heh! If you could truly see her clearly, I'm afraid your illusions would shatter all over the ground.

Though perhaps not. The woman in white was indeed exceptionally beautiful. Amid the mist, she possessed the graceful bearing of one riding the wind through the void, floating as though about to take flight.

Zheng! Zheng zheng!

Strands of clear music rose again, passing through the hazy white mist like a warm spring breeze, like a murmuring stream flowing through a courtyard.

Hong Yuan fixed his gaze upon her.

The woman in white had adopted a cool, indifferent expression. Her pearl hairpin swayed, catching the last traces of sunset and making her seem ever more remote and unattainable. Her hands rose and fell within her cloud sleeves, her long pale fingers like sprites dancing upon the strings, each leap bringing forth a pleasing note.

The qin music began soft and winding, like tender whispers of affection, like harmonious instruments between lovers, lingering and sorrowful, leaving one lost in flawless reverie. Then, without warning, a soaring cry erupted.

The clear notes suddenly climbed, transforming into an immortal crane spreading its wings. In the space of a breath, it rode clouds and mist straight into the azure heavens, rising beyond the immortal realm atop the jade terraces.

It was as though heaven and man had been forever sundered. Of the former lovers, one had fallen into mortal dust while the other ascended in rosy clouds to heaven. From then on, immortal and mortal walked different roads, never to meet again through a thousand, ten thousand years. It made tears well up uncontrollably.

At that moment, the music became ethereal and hollow, distant and lingering, like phantom notes that had fallen into the mortal world from a feast of immortals and saints within the palaces of the nine heavens.

Hong Yuan felt as though he were listening to "The Wizard of Oz."

Even in another world, beauty was understood alike. This qin piece was undeniably exquisite and enchanting.

The others were even more entranced, their souls drifting beyond the nine heavens along with the changing melody.

Especially as the fog slowly thinned, the crowd craned their necks toward the pavilion. They could see the woman in snow-white robes within, though she stood seven or eight zhang away and was not particularly clear. Yet it was precisely that faint haze that allowed them to sketch a beauty beyond measure in their minds.

The distance between the lakeshore and the pavilion was like the chasm between mortals and immortal maidens, impossible to cross. They could only hold their breath, gaze up in admiration at her immortal visage, and quietly listen to immortal music.

As the qin music gradually calmed and its lingering notes seemed to signal its end, a crisp, sweet voice suddenly rang out. "Twelve jade towers fashioned false phoenixes and cranes; rainbow robes secretly locked the cloud corridors. A little maid held a spell and governed moonlight; the cinnabar furnace breathed mist into emptiness, and gauze socks gave birth to fragrance on their own..."

Footsteps sounded in the quiet corridor nearby. Several lanterns slowly approached, each carried by a pretty maid. The leader was especially delicate and lovely. Though she too was a maid with coiled hair, she wore magnificent rainbow robes and carried an ornate palace lantern. She gracefully reached the large incense burner and said with a smiling voice, "This servant is called Xiao Chan, a lamp-bearing attendant under the Immortal Maidens. Greetings, all immortal seedlings!"

She gave a graceful curtsey, her bearing elegant, drawing nearly everyone's eyes toward her.

Only Hong Yuan noticed thick fog spreading once more over the lake, waves rising as the stone pavilion silently sank away. The "Miaoyun Immortal Maiden" vanished with it.

Hong Yuan caught sight of this, but did not reveal anything.

If his hearing and vision had not become much sharper, and if he had not been influenced by the atmosphere of this setting, he might truly have believed this was some immortal realm.

Of course, Hong Yuan had not completely dismissed it even now.

After all, he knew very little about this world. The original owner's more than ten years of memories had mostly been spent studying and attending school. He had not even left Qingxu County more than a few times. With one leaf blocking his sight, those memories held little value as reference.

All Hong Yuan could say was that he had already become suspicious of this so-called "Jade Wutong Immortal Realm," privately wondering whether it was merely some people playing at gods and ghosts.

He did not act rashly, remaining silent as he turned his gaze toward Xiao Chan and the other maids.

If this immortal realm was real, it was naturally awe-inspiring. If it was false, the wealth and resources it displayed were even more alarming.

How could Hong Yuan dare be anything but cautious?

Yang Lie, Hook-nosed Youth, and a group of other "old hands" familiarly bowed and saluted. "Greetings, Immortal Maiden Xiao Chan."

Seeing this, the others hurriedly stepped forward and followed suit. Hong Yuan was no exception.

"Mm, no need for such courtesy!" Only after everyone had finished saluting did the maid Xiao Chan nod and smile lightly. Her beautiful eyes shifted, their autumn-water depths seemingly carrying a seductive charm. As her gaze swept over them, some people in the garden felt their bones go soft and could not look away.

With a smile at her lips, Xiao Chan examined every person in the garden. Satisfaction surfaced on her pretty face. "This batch of new seedlings has a few more than the last. I hope a few more can remain..."

She waved her sleeve and pointed to one of the maids behind her. "Guo'er, take the immortal seedlings who have already entered the sect ahead. Do not keep the Immortal Maidens waiting too long."

"Yes!" Guo'er nodded toward Yang Lie, Hook-nosed Youth, and the others, then led the way into a corridor.

More than a dozen people remained in the garden. Before Xiao Chan could speak, someone impatiently asked, "Immortal Maiden Xiao Chan, what are we supposed to do next?"

Xiao Chan smiled. "Do not be impatient. Since you have been chosen to enter the immortal realm, most of you can remain. You need only undergo a test of your capacity and pass it!"

"What is capacity?"

"What if we cannot pass?"

Xiao Chan waved a hand, quieting the crowd. Her lovely face became solemn. "Seeking immortality and pursuing the Dao, the true road to eternal life—what a difficult undertaking that is! Since ancient times, kings, nobles, generals, and ministers have exhausted endless wealth and effort, only for it all to come to nothing. Only the Immortal Maidens of our Jade Wutong Immortal Realm cherish the people and have opened this immortal gate to recruit immortal seedlings..."

"Yet even with the Immortal Maidens bestowing an immortal path, whether one can step upon it depends on barriers. First, natural talent; second, capacity. Your natural talents are all decent enough, but as for your capacities..."

Xiao Chan paused, then smiled again. "Still, even if you cannot enter the sect this time, there is no need to lose heart. You may yet have another chance in the future. And our immortal realm will not let you leave empty-handed. We will offer five taels of immortal fate as a gift!"

Five taels of immortal fate!

Did this "immortal fate" mean silver?

Hong Yuan's face twitched. Xiao Chan had already raised her palace lantern and walked among the crowd. Suddenly, she arrived before him, tilted up her pretty face to study him closely, and her eyes shone with wonder.

"Immortal Maiden Xiao Chan, is there something wrong with me?" Hong Yuan touched his face and smiled faintly, displaying the manner of a modest gentleman, though inwardly he had grown more wary.

A blush rose on Xiao Chan's pink cheeks. She only felt that his smile was dazzling beyond measure and hurriedly said, "No! It is only that this servant had long heard of Young Master Hong's reputation. I never expected to see you today. You... you are even better-looking than I had heard!"

Hong Yuan's eyes flickered. "Oh? Miss Xiao Chan knows me? It is truly Hong's honor!"

With practiced ease, he changed "immortal maiden" to "miss," drawing their relationship closer as his mind rapidly turned.

In Qingxu County, Hong Yuan did possess a modest reputation. He had always been known for his learning, was a promising student of Qingxu Academy, and had been born with a handsome face. With talent and looks alike, it would have been difficult for him not to become known.

Of course, after the imperial court abolished the civil service examinations, that little fame had scattered with the clear wind.

Yet the fact that Xiao Chan had heard of him indicated one thing: even if the Jade Wutong Immortal Realm was not within Qingxu County, it certainly could not be far away.

Xiao Chan did not become angry at his calling her "miss." Instead, she smiled sweetly. "Naturally, I have heard your name. Moreover, Young Master Hong's Immortal-Mortal Contract was signed here with this servant."

"Immortal-Mortal Contract?" Hong Yuan's expression froze, and his scalp inexplicably tingled. "What is that? When did Hong sign anything? Miss Xiao Chan, do not tease me."

"How could I tease you, Young Master? Once the Immortal-Mortal Contract is signed, you become a person of the immortal realm, body and soul alike belonging to it. Even if your capacity is somewhat lacking, you will not be cast out. Besides Young Master Hong, there is one other person in the garden who signed this contract as well..."

Xiao Chan gestured behind her. A little maid brought out a volume of silk documents. Xiao Chan took it and opened it, extracting a thin golden slip as delicate as a cicada's wing before unfolding it in front of Hong Yuan.

Hong Yuan scanned its contents. It was essentially a deed of sale. When his gaze fell upon the signature at the bottom of the golden slip, it was unmistakably his name: "Hong Yuan."

But it was not his signature.

Still, the more Hong Yuan looked at those two characters, the more familiar the handwriting seemed. Gradually, the image of a plump man with an honest face, a kindly expression, and a perpetually smiling look emerged in his mind.

Hong Yuan's face darkened like still water.

Xiao Chan tapped the red seal beside the signature and smiled. "That day, Young Master was dead drunk. Your good friend Huang brought you here and signed the Immortal-Mortal Contract on your behalf. At the time, you agreed as well. This seal was personally pressed by you."

"You have put it so sincerely. How could I possibly not believe you? What kind of person would I be otherwise?"

Hong Yuan did not argue. The setting of this time and place resembled a feudal dynasty, and that contract was not much different from a slave agreement. It meant that if the Jade Wutong Immortal Realm beat him to death now, the authorities would not even inquire into it.

If the civil service examinations had not been abolished, he would still have had the status of a scholar, and they might have held back somewhat. But—

"Fatty Huang, you really were the original owner's good friend. No wonder people at the academy used to curse you behind your back as a weasel!"

Hong Yuan could only feel that it was no wonder the original owner had suffered from "shortsightedness." His judgment truly was poor, to have made friends with such a person.

As Xiao Chan chatted with Hong Yuan, the others began to show envy. Among them, a burly man with thick brows, a square face, and a powerful frame even taller and stronger than Yang Lie glanced at Hong Yuan before cupping his hands toward Xiao Chan. "Immortal Maiden Xiao Chan, I am Wang Ai. May I ask how this capacity is tested?"

Hearing this, Xiao Chan returned to the other maids and smiled. "Testing capacity is indeed the highest priority. All immortal seedlings, follow me to Ascension Hall. Enter the Flying Immortal Pool, wash away mortal dust, and shed your mortal bodies!"

Having said that, Xiao Chan led several maids ahead.

"Move!" Wang Ai shoved his massive body forward, knocking the two people blocking his path staggering aside. Without slowing, he swung a thick arm, driving half his body toward Hong Yuan.

Hong Yuan sidestepped and avoided him.

Having failed to hit Hong Yuan, Wang Ai snorted coldly. Without turning back, he strode ahead and followed Xiao Chan and the others.

Artificial hills and flowing water, winding paths leading into secluded depths.

After passing through another courtyard and turning down two corridors, surging heat rushed toward them, warming the night that had already grown dim and cold.

The plaque of Ascension Hall came into view.

The hall doors stood wide open.

Within were brocade curtains and tassels, incense burners exuding fragrance, and in the center, a hot spring pool. Mist filled the room, while numerous beautiful maids waited at the side, making it seem like a blessed immortal land.

The hot spring pool was not particularly large, around four or five zhang long and less than one zhang wide. Several screens had been erected over it as partitions, dividing it into seven even smaller bathing pools.

Pretty maids moved between them, scattering flower petals over the water. Other maids carried gleaming white jade bowls, pouring viscous medicinal liquid into the pools.

"Immortal Maiden Xiao Chan!" Wang Ai stopped before Xiao Chan and looked toward the hot spring pools.

Xiao Chan glanced at Wang Ai, clapped her hands to summon the maids, and said calmly, "Everything as usual. Each of you, take someone into the Flying Immortal Pool to shed their mortal form... mm, and test their capacity as well."

"Yes!" The maids accepted the order, each going to lead a new seedling away. A little maid approached Wang Ai and brought him to another pool.

Xiao Chan, meanwhile, jogged two or three steps to Hong Yuan and said, "Young Master Hong, this servant will conduct your test."

With that, she pulled Hong Yuan to an empty pool, extended her fair little hands, and began unfastening his robe. Hong Yuan's expression changed drastically. "Miss Xiao Chan, what are you doing? Men and women should not touch without propriety. Miss, please conduct yourself with dignity."

Seeing his alarmed look, Xiao Chan instead burst into laughter. "This is the Flying Immortal Pool. If you do not remove your clothes, how will you soak your entire body and shed your mortal flesh?"

Her two little hands became even more aggressive.

"Don't come any closer!"

Hong Yuan looked as though he had seen venomous snakes and savage beasts, trembling in "fear."

He "struggled" with all his might, but he was merely a "frail scholar too weak to truss a chicken." Although he was a head taller than Xiao Chan, and although she looked as though a single punch could make her whimper in tears, that was merely an appearance. She was truly an "immortal maiden of the immortal realm." Her two tender white hands seemed to possess the strength of a thousand jun, and within moments, they had stripped off Hong Yuan's robe.

Gulp!

Xiao Chan swallowed, her beautiful eyes staring blankly, reluctant to move away from Hong Yuan's body. Her face burned hot as crimson spread over her cheeks. "Young Master, this servant thought you were merely a refined and delicate gentleman. Who would have thought... who would have thought gentlemen could be so strong?"

Hong Yuan was stunned as well.

He lowered his head to look.

The original owner had spent long hours sitting in the study and rarely exercised. His body could not be called weak, but it was certainly not robust. His arms and legs looked slender, and he had little strength.

Yet now, it was as though he had consumed the heavenly treasures and miraculous pills described in martial arts novels. His entire body seemed to have been reborn.

His body was like refined iron forged in a furnace. His shoulders were broad, his back straight, his waist and abdomen lean. The bit of soft flesh on his stomach had vanished, replaced by clearly defined abdominal muscles that rose and fell faintly with his breathing like a drawn bowstring, brimming with fierce explosive power.

Joy rose in Hong Yuan's heart.

Sure enough, his transmigration benefit was not merely sharper ears and brighter eyes. His body had been optimized in every aspect.

He extended one hand and directly wrapped Xiao Chan into his embrace. This little maid was petite, but she appeared to weigh around ninety jin. Yet Hong Yuan exerted only a little strength and lifted her one-handed.

"Ah! Young Master, don't be like this!" Xiao Chan cried softly, feeling her body go weak and limp. Her two little hands feebly pushed against his steel-bar-like chest. Even touching it made her feel her fingers were about to break.

Of course, that was only because Xiao Chan feared using immortal power and injuring Hong Yuan. Otherwise, if she unleashed that ten-million-jun force, how could Hong Yuan, a mere mortal, withstand it?

"Young Master, enter the Flying Immortal Pool first. Do not delay the important matter. Later... later, when there is time, this servant will serve you." Xiao Chan did not seem afraid as she spoke softly.

Hong Yuan immediately set Xiao Chan down.

The moment she was free, she puffed out her cheeks and thrust both hands forward. "Young Master, you are too bad!"

With a splash, Hong Yuan was pushed straight into the hot spring pool.

See? How could a mortal contend against an immortal maiden? The moment she got angry, her true colors showed!

Xiao Chan removed her rainbow robes by the poolside, leaving only thin undergarments before leaping into the water. Warm splashes scattered over Hong Yuan.

"This servant shall help Young Master shed mortal dust!"

She rubbed her fair little hands over Hong Yuan's body, her eyes glowing and a smile resting on her lips. The warm water soaked through her clothes, revealing and concealing in turns.

As an upright gentleman, Hong Yuan naturally understood the principle of not looking upon impropriety. He immediately gave a soft snort and closed his eyes. Who could not withstand such a trivial test?

"Ah!" Before long, Xiao Chan suddenly cried out, her cheeks flushed red. "Young Master, do not touch me at random."

Hm? Hong Yuan abruptly opened his eyes. He looked at Xiao Chan, then at the pool water hidden beneath flower petals, and felt a little sore. "Miss Xiao Chan, do not make false accusations first."

At that moment, the clear voices of maids sounded one after another from behind the surrounding screens.

"Capacity: above average."

"Average. Acceptable."

"Excellent!"

Before the commotion could fade, a disdainful sneer came from a nearby partition. "Terribly poor. This young mas... whoever you are, you may leave. The immortal realm has no fate with you. Oh! No, that is not right. The immortal realm has five taels of immortal fate with you. Collect it later and leave quickly. Do not delay your journey home."

"Ah!" A man's miserable cry rang out beside them, full of grief and indignation.

"..."

Hong Yuan looked at Xiao Chan. Is something wrong with me, or is something wrong with you people? What exactly is this capacity measuring?

"Perfectly ordinary..." Xiao Chan answered without missing a beat.

You shameless liar!

Hong Yuan rose to his full height, sending waves crashing over Xiao Chan and knocking her onto her back. She swallowed two mouthfuls of water and coughed repeatedly. Hong Yuan only found it noisy. Do you even know what I was asking? You just spout nonsense and answer at random?

His ears buzzed, and at that very moment, an even louder cry of astonishment rang out. "Young Master Wang Ai, supreme among the supreme... I have never seen such a magnificent figure..."

"Hehe!"

Hong Yuan laughed. He had finally confirmed that this so-called Jade Wutong Immortal Realm, these Immortal Maidens and immortal maidens, were all utter nonsense. If they were really immortals, then he had seen a damn ghost!