Manhood's Eternal Adolescence

"Patriarch Wei, what is the origin of your family's heirloom Blue Jade?"

The mysterious government figure's words eased Wei Wuwei's mind somewhat. Though this matter counted as a secret, it wasn't truly unspeakable—and besides, this situation wasn't one where Wei Wuwei could simply do as he pleased.

"Your Excellency may not know, but it has been passed down through word of mouth in my family: an ancestor of the Wei clan once saved an Immortal Crane. Afterwards, the crane returned with a jade in its beak, gifting it to our ancestor to repay the kindness. This Blue Jade has been passed down through generations, and now it has reached my hands, Wei Wuwei's..."

"Indeed, some elders have said carrying this jade can ward off evil and dispel misfortune, but this is merely hearsay—there is no proof whatsoever!"

Having said this, Wei Wuwei paused and glanced at the Black-Clothed Figure lying motionless on the ground.

"Becoming an immortal is far too ethereal. In our Great Zhen, Emperor Zhengyuan spent half his life seeking immortals and the Dao, only to die early of melancholy. Zuo Kuangtu was called a Sword Immortal, yet didn't he also die with resentment?"

Wei Wuwei found it utterly ridiculous. Even if they actually obtained the Sword Intent Scroll, cracked its secrets, and found Zuo Kuangtu's peerless Secret Manual, even if they gave them the Blue Jade—relying on these things to become immortals? The emperor, with all the power in the world, couldn't achieve it, so how could these people?

"Absolutely absurd. Going to a temple to pray to gods and Buddhas would be more practical. I never thought I, Wei Wuwei, would be attacked by a bunch of lunatics!"

To be honest, based on intuition, Ji Yuan believed Wei Wuwei's disdain was not feigned. That is to say, the Wei family truly only knew a story passed down from their ancestors, and even thought this Blue Jade, aside from being valuable, might not possess any divine properties.

However, the Black-Clothed Figure on the ground did not refute him either, instead quietly circulating his qi to calm his internal injuries, patiently waiting for Wei Wuwei to finish his mockery before preparing to speak. His attention was mainly fixed on Ji Yuan.

His fear was that this government man would unhesitatingly enforce the law. The fact that he hadn't acted yet meant there was still room for negotiation. He glanced at the other Black-Clothed Figure companion, who had long since passed out, while Xiang Feng and the others he paid no mind.

"Indeed, everything you, Wei Wuwei, said is correct. But dare you claim there are no immortals in this world? Six years ago, without wind or rain, Guangdong Lake flooded thirty li—who among the disaster-stricken residents along the shore doesn't know? Two years ago, Bladesman Du Yutian slayed a ghost after drinking, and the frost on his blade did not recede for three days—who among those close to the Du family hasn't heard? The Smiling Rakshasa once dreamed of the Northern Capital City God Emissary reaping souls, and upon waking, his friend passed away from illness. From then on, he changed his self-title to Smiling Soul Reaper... These are not mere rumors of the martial world!"

Seeing that Ji Yuan remained unmoved, his dark face seemingly mocking him, the Black-Clothed Figure grew increasingly agitated.

"Your Excellency, five years ago, I smashed a jar of aged fine wine by the banks of the Chunmu River, attracting a Black-Backed Giant Turtle. This giant turtle could speak human language and demanded good wine from me, saying it wanted to offer it to the Chunmu River God. From then on, every year on the fifteenth of May, I would go to the riverbank to deliver wine. This matter is absolutely true—not a single word of falsehood!"

Hearing this, aside from the other Black-Clothed Figure who had already fainted, even the remaining Five Thieves of Yan, who had been listless on the side, were visibly astonished. Clearly, they had not known about these mystical matters of immortality before.

As for Ji Yuan, though his face appeared expressionless, inwardly he was already deeply shaken. Yet he still restrained his excitement and spoke in a hoarse, cold voice.

"Continue!"

The Black-Clothed Figure swallowed his saliva and glanced at Wei Wuwei, who was frowning in thought.

"That giant turtle said it wouldn't accept my fine wine for nothing, and told me of three places where one could obtain Immortal Destiny. First, the Sword Intent Scroll—it stated plainly that it is hidden in the Fan Family of Dingyuan Prefecture. The old turtle explicitly said that the Long Sword Qingying has already nurtured spiritual intelligence, a naturally spiritual object; obtaining it brings its own opportunities. Second, the Wei family's heirloom Blue Jade..."

The Black-Clothed Figure paused here, as if unwilling to say too much about the Blue Jade matter, and simply skipped over it to continue.

"The third Immortal Destiny lies thousands of li away in Tongzhou. As long as you, sir, spare me today, this Wei family Blue Jade is yours for the taking. After I recover from my injuries, I will tell you how to use this Blue Jade to seek Immortal Destiny!"

A gentle evening breeze blew past, yet it carried no chill.

Even if everything he had heard before seemed utterly absurd, at these words, Wei Wuwei's back burned with tension.

"Your Excellency, surely you wouldn't believe the wild nonsense of a treacherous bandit! You saved my life, Wei Wuwei—even gifting you this Blue Jade as thanks would not repay the debt of a life!"

The portly Wei Wuwei spoke with righteous conviction, directly retrieving the Blue Jade from his bosom and handing it to Ji Yuan, his face turned toward the Black-Clothed Figure on the ground.

"But this man not only spouts nonsense, he also stirs up storms in the martial world and causes countless killings. By both law and reason, he cannot be lightly forgiven!"

Wei Wuwei was extremely reluctant to give away the Blue Jade, but he dared not gamble. Even if the possibility was minuscule, what if this mysterious expert was tempted and believed the talk of immortal opportunities? Clinging to the family heirloom might invite disaster!

Moreover, what the Black-Clothed Figure said was truly eerie—even Wei Wuwei himself felt ripples in his heart. Judging others by himself, Wei Wuwei chose to measure a gentleman's heart with a petty man's mind!

If he had indeed taken a liking to it, he hoped this offered step-down would have some effect. Wei Wuwei's angry shout at the Black-Clothed Figure was actually a cover for his own nervousness!

At this moment, Ji Yuan's mind raced. Facing the Blue Jade offered by Wei Wuwei, he was extremely tempted. But as a half-cultivator of immortality, Ji Yuan had spotted an obvious flaw in the story of the Immortal Crane repaying kindness that Wei Wuwei had just told. If it were him, the key to repaying kindness with jade should not be the jade but the person!

Ji Yuan would rather be overthinking than risk any variables. Moreover, there was one most crucial reason.

With blind observation, the malevolent aura on this Black-Clothed Figure was almost bursting forth—he was definitely no good bird. And this Wei Wuwei was no saint either. If he truly wanted to be thorough, would he have to force out the specific Immortal Destiny and then silence them? Could he kill people? Could he harden his heart? Killing a vicious bandit might be possible, but could he rest easy killing Wei Wuwei and the others?

'Is this the kind of person I, Ji Yuan, am? When teaching Fierce Tiger, I said one must cultivate humanity before cultivation. If I want to become an immortal, do I stop at nothing? The immortals in my heart are carefree and unrestrained but never ungrateful. They see the warmth and cold of the human world and can both grieve and laugh with emotion! What kind of immortal would a monster become?'

A man remains a chuunibyou until death. At this moment, Ji Yuan's chuunibyou spirit surged, and instead, his mind became more open.

'When lecturing Little Fox, I seriously said that people should not be too greedy. Am I not ridiculous now?'

Ji Yuan had to admit that his current thoughts might be somewhat naive. But since he had the choice, why not choose the path with fewer variables and a clear conscience? At least he already had the Sword Intent Scroll in hand!

Taking a deep breath, now that he had made his decision, his heart felt as unobstructed as if all meridians were connected, and his whole body experienced an indescribable comfort. Ji Yuan simply attributed it to the satisfaction of solving a difficult problem.

Looking again at the Blue Jade Wei Wuwei was offering, without any burden, Ji Yuan also felt a hint of playfulness. He naturally reached out, took the warm Blue Jade, played with it in his hand for a moment, then turned his head to look at Wei Wuwei.

"Patriarch Wei, this Blue Jade is your Wei family's heirloom treasure. Moreover, if what this man says is not false, it is even a treasure related to the path of immortals. Are you giving it to me just like that? Is it true gratitude, or are you afraid I might make a move against you?"

These words nearly made Wei Wuwei's body tremble, and only his strong will and considerable weight concealed it.

"Don't laugh at me, Your Excellency, but I, Wei Wuwei, am most afraid of death. Yet I am not so petty as to measure a gentleman's heart with a petty man's mind! This jade pendant, I truly and sincerely wish to give to you, sir. Besides, could being an immortal compare to enjoying wealth and honor in the mortal world as I do?"

Ji Yuan grinned, suddenly finding Wei Wuwei quite an interesting character.

"Haha... haha..."

This laughter was both directed at Wei Wuwei and a release of his own delight in body and mind.

Of course, Ji Yuan's sudden loud laughter startled everyone. He weighed the jade pendant in his hand, then tossed it back to Wei Wuwei, who caught it hastily.

"I am merely passing through here and still need to pursue an important case. I have delayed long enough. I'll trouble Patriarch Wei to hand over all the criminals to the Government Office!"

Having said this, Ji Yuan directly gathered his qi and leaped. With Lightness Skill, he sprang onto a tree by the Official Road, using it for leverage, bending a small poplar slightly, then released the force.

"Whoosh"—his entire body shot out directly, frequently borrowing force from tree trunks, his speed increasing with each leap, showing no intention of turning back.

Everyone was stunned. It was Wei Wuwei who reacted first, hastily shouting toward the retreating figure.

"May I ask your esteemed name, Your Excellency!"

Only until the silhouette disappeared was there no response at all.

In the woods, on the official road, beside the carriage—utter silence.

Wei Wuwei turned his head, swept a glance over the still-stunned bandits and the black-clothed figure, patted his chest to soothe his own breathing, and spoke with a laugh he couldn't suppress.

"Uh... seems you've all landed in my hands, hehehehe!"

Embarrassed, I've been too busy with work and writing to check the backstage much. Thanks to fellow reader Fengchi Gujin for the 10,000 coin tip, becoming this book's Alliance Leader, and thanks to all other readers for your collections, votes, investments, and tip support. Time's tight, so I won't list them one by one!! Thank you all!