Volume One: Autumn Festival Chapter Four: The Moon Fills the Western Pavilion

“Three seniors.”

Su Lingyi and Du Yanru appeared in the alley.

The white-robed cultivator looked at them and smiled, saying, “It seems that the Fish Abyss Academy isn’t taking the arrival of immortals in the mortal world very seriously, sending two novices who haven’t fully embarked on the path of cultivation.”

Su Lingyi frowned deeply but said nothing.

In the Sui Kingdom, some sects held lofty status; even high-ranking officials in the court dared not provoke them lightly.

After all, the three before them were genuine cultivators. Although their origins were unclear, caution was necessary.

At this moment, the cultivator in the azure robe was staring intently at a dilapidated courtyard.

Because it had been uninhabited for years, weeds had overgrown the yard. The half-open door was entangled in cobwebs, giving off a somewhat eerie vibe.

“There’s something wrong.”

The white-robed and purple-robed cultivators exchanged a glance.

The former lightly waved his hand, and a gust of wind swept the dust into a frenzy. The house doors all swung open with creaking sounds.

Inside the room facing the courtyard door hung a weathered painting.

The painting depicted a house and fields.

Du Yanru asked curiously, “Senior, what’s wrong?”

The azure-robed cultivator said nothing but stepped inside directly.

The white-robed cultivator smiled and said, “The path of cultivation is long and arduous. We have wasted half our lives just to barely enter the door. Today’s encounter is fate, and we consider it a good omen to establish a friendly tie with Fish Abyss Academy. You cultivate within the academy, knowing only theory, but the real mortal world is more dangerous than you can imagine.”

“As the saying goes, reading thousands of books isn’t as good as traveling thousands of miles. This is also why Sword Pavilion sends many disciples down the mountain each year. Our greatest enemy as cultivators is the demons. Without sufficient experience, one risks dying before achieving success.”

Historical records show that demons first appeared six hundred years ago.

There was once a war between mortal cultivators and demons.

The most recent conflict involved many nations in the mortal realm and lasted over thirty years, with extremely fierce battles.

Now, only the Sui Kingdom and Xiqin divide the mortal world, which attests to the severity of the trials.

All the elder cultivators at the peak perished.

The mortal world underwent an unprecedented purging.

Successive generations of cultivators vowed to dedicate their lives to exorcising demons.

Thus began the long quest for immortals.

If a true immortal could manifest, cultivators firmly believed their grand ambition would no longer be mere fantasy.

Although Du Yanru and Su Lingyi trained at Fish Abyss Academy, they had not truly entered the path; demon hunting was naturally not their responsibility.

If not for Du Yanru’s origins in Huncheng and the current mission to seek traces of immortals, they wouldn’t have been sent.

She glanced nervously at the azure-robed cultivator standing in the dilapidated courtyard and swallowed.

“Huncheng lies on the border of Kutan. Some minor demons lurk there, which is not unusual. But what’s strange is that although demons are present, it’s hard to sense them in Huncheng. If we weren’t standing here ourselves, they might have slipped by unnoticed.”

The white-robed cultivator grew serious, recalling the large-scale appearance of the demon Luoyong on Qixia Street.

He could only attribute the cause to the immortal traces. Since an immortal manifested, Huncheng must have something extraordinary.

Inside the dilapidated courtyard, the azure-robed cultivator gripped the sword on his back. Gusts of cold wind swept over him, causing his hair and robes to flutter. Within the room, a faintly flickering crimson glow glowed seductively.

His gaze fixed on the painting on the wall.

Standing before the real door, he stared at the house in the painting, as if seeing a pair of eyes there.

“I’ve found you.”

He murmured, and the sword in his hand howled as it shot forward, aiming to shatter the painting.

Suddenly, a plume of black smoke rose. The flying sword was blocked and forced back into the cultivator’s hand.

“A demon of some skill indeed.”

The azure-robed cultivator seemed intrigued.

The flying sword trembled lightly, then increasingly violently.

Its sharp ringing became clear and crisp, and at a moment, like an arrow released from a bowstring, it directly entered the painting.

The seemingly ordinary painting suddenly gained a flying sword.

Then the painting came alive.

The wheat in the fields swayed with the wind, and the flying sword pointed directly at the house in the picture.

The azure-robed cultivator focused intently.

Manipulating the flying sword within the painting, a sword aura swept across the scene, instantly destroying the house.

A gray-white mist-like vapor quickly spread from the painting, enveloping the entire dilapidated courtyard.

Su Lingyi and Du Yanru’s spirits wavered.

Before Su Lingyi appeared many graceful and beautiful women.

But having already half crossed the threshold into cultivation, he quickly steadied himself, though it was difficult to break free immediately.

Meanwhile, Du Yanru, in a daze, saw the face of Jiang Wang.

Though slender, his features were dignified and sharply carved, his eyes gleaming with radiance, and a seductive smile played at his lips, captivating her completely.

Only the three cultivators present remained unaffected.

“How dare you, shameless demons!”

“Demon” here referred to a general term for certain spirits.

These were remnants of great demons that had ravaged the mortal world a century ago, able only to hide inside paintings or various old artifacts.

Unless one was a cultivator with strong willpower, it was difficult to escape the webs they wove.

Even a slight misstep could cause cultivators to suffer greatly.

The white-robed and purple-robed cultivators immediately stepped forward to help.

Three flying swords appeared together, shredding the painting to pieces.

Without a vessel to hide in, the demons were exposed.

However, a wisp of azure energy escaped from the shattered painting and fled straight out of the alley.

Jiang Wang had just arrived in the broken alley.

He saw the azure energy hurtling toward him.

Caught off guard, he had no time to react.

But a protective Xiao Yu drew her sword, slashing fiercely at the azure energy.

The energy split into two, attempting to pass by Jiang Wang on both sides.

Suddenly, a sizzling sound rang out.

A scorching hot air current swept through the alley, accompanied by a piercing scream.

The azure energy instantly evaporated as if nothing had happened.

Su Lingyi quickly regained clarity, breathing heavily.

Du Yanru’s face was flushed with blooming beauty; catching sight of Jiang Wang in the broken alley, the scene in her mind flashed vividly, her shame and anger deepening as she instinctively turned her head away.

Neither of them witnessed what had just transpired, but the three cultivators saw it clearly.

They exchanged a glance and then all approached Jiang Wang.

“We are cultivators of Moon Full West Tower. May I ask which mountain you come from? Are you also here for the immortal traces?”

Moon Full West Tower was a sect within the Kutan region.

Because cultivators were scarce and of generally low aptitude in the world, those less talented had difficulty rising in grand sects. Those who met and bonded formed sects like Moon Full West Tower as refuges for the discontented on the cultivation path.

Such sects existed throughout Sui Kingdom society.

Jiang Wang, who had suddenly appeared, had easily slain the demon remnants.

This made the three cultivators consider many things.

After one hundred days of foundation building, the Realm of Insight was the true first realm for cultivators.

Those who reached its peak could return to their original nature.

Elders were not necessarily weak, as they might prefer not to recover their youthful appearance.

But the young could very well be great cultivators who had returned to their true form.

Unlike Su Lingyi and Du Yanru, who could see through at a glance, Jiang Wang seemed an ordinary person to them.

Yet what happened moments ago proved otherwise.

To them, Jiang Wang was either a great cultivator returned to his true nature or a disciple of a grand sect.

Though Su Lingyi and Du Yanru also came from Fish Abyss Academy, it was difficult to compare them to cultivators of the same age who had truly entered the path.

Regardless of which category Jiang Wang belonged to, he was worthy of respect from the three cultivators.

Jiang Wang was slightly breathless.

Looking at the three cultivators before him, he was surprised to find them regarding him with a hint of respect. For a moment, he was at a loss for words.

Beside Jiang Wang, Xiao Yu’s expression was also shocked.

She couldn’t help but wonder if her master had been hiding his true strength all these years.

When the azure energy charged straight at them, Xiao Yu clearly saw a terrifying face within it.

Having seen much, she knew it was a demon.

Thinking her master was so powerful and given her the peerless secret manual, she resolved to train even harder.

Seeing Jiang Wang remain silent, the three azure-robed cultivators nodded with relief.

They guessed Jiang Wang might be a disciple of Sword Pavilion.

It was well known among cultivators that Sword Pavilion sent disciples down the mountain each year, but these disciples never revealed their identities.

People could only guess their identity by the swords they used, and their guesses were always correct.

With this in mind, the azure-robed cultivators showed even more respect.

After all, Sword Pavilion was the largest sect in Kutan. Anyone who came from there could likely trample down Moon Full West Tower.

The azure-robed cultivator cautiously asked, “May I ask your honorable surname?”

Jiang Wang was taken aback and said, “My surname is Jiang...”

The azure-robed cultivator quickly cupped his hands in salute. “Mr. Jiang, we have already ascertained that an immortal has manifested on Qixia Street. But to confirm the target, we may need more time. Since you have arrived, if difficulties arise, we may need your assistance. We will not disturb you any longer. Farewell.”

Jiang Wang silently watched them talk to themselves and then respectfully departed.

Though his purpose here was to face danger once more, seemingly that task was accomplished. Yet why did he feel something was amiss?

Had it already ended before he even understood what had happened?

Watching the three azure-robed cultivators soar away, he showed a look of envy.

Du Yanru still blushed as she looked at Jiang Wang.

She didn’t understand why the three seniors treated Jiang Wang the way they did.

Was the Xunyang Marquess Mansion’s influence truly so great?

Su Lingyi guessed something and his face darkened, thinking Jiang Wang was likely stronger than he had imagined.

While Du Yanru fretted, Jiang Wang looked at her.

Seeing her face flushed excessively, he kindly reminded, “You seem ill. You should go home and take some medicine.”

Du Yanru snapped back in embarrassment and anger, “You’re the one who’s sick!”

Jiang Wang replied matter-of-factly, “Yes, I am.”

Du Yanru was speechless.

She snorted coldly and hurriedly pulled Su Lingyi away.

Unnoticed by Jiang Wang, a pair of eyes had been watching him and slowly vanished into the darkness.