Chapter 20: Suspected of Following the Wrong Script

On the deck of the flying vessel, the steward disciples of the Lingyun Sect stood on either side, while the accompanying elders sat cross-legged outside the uppermost cabin, eyes closed in meditation.

The unusual atmosphere made the children gathered at the center of the deck fall quiet, anxiety flickering in their eyes as they looked toward the elders above.

“Let’s begin,” one elder said, his eyes still closed, his tone indifferent as he addressed the steward disciples below.

The lead steward nodded to his fellow disciples, then stepped forward to the center, unfurled a scroll, and announced loudly, “Now, those whose names I call, step forward!”

One by one, names were read aloud. Each child whose name was called emerged from the crowd in alarm and stood at the very front.

When the last name was read, the steward rolled up the scroll and placed his hands behind his back. “Those whose names were called just now, you have two choices. First, you may be escorted back to Guangqiong City in the Northern Wasteland by designated disciples. Second, the sect will assign you to one of the sect’s affiliated families, where you will become outer disciples under a different surname.”

This pronouncement fell like a thunderclap, leaving the children below standing dazed and stunned.

Suddenly, a wail pierced the silence, rousing everyone. The crying child shouted, “I don’t want to go back! Why should I go back? I haven’t done anything wrong—why are you sending me away?”

Like a stone cast into a pond, the others called forward began to sob and wail as well.

“Do you need me to remind you of what you’ve done these past days?” the steward’s voice was cold. “If you cannot even control your own behavior, how can you hope to cultivate immortality? Allowing you to pursue cultivation would harm not only yourselves, but those around you.”

The children were then dragged away by other steward disciples, to await implementation of the decision at the next city they passed.

When Dongfang Shun arrived, Ji Yao finally realized that Dongfang Yu and his three personal guards were among those named.

However, only Dongfang Yu was sent back; the three guards chose instead to become outer disciples under affiliated families of the sect.

They knew well that if they returned to the Prince of Qi’s estate, their fate would be grim. It was better to accept the sect’s arrangement and keep their lives. After all, the emperor’s reach did not extend to the Central State, and the Prince of Qi would not trouble himself to come after them.

In fact, when Ji Yao heard their surnames and the name of the Prince of Qi’s estate, she instantly knew who they were.

In the world of cultivation, mortals existed alongside the magical, and there were kingdoms, though these were all controlled by great clans who used them to acquire cultivation resources and sustain their bloodlines.

Every family would send disciples with little hope of advancing in cultivation to serve as national advisors to the royal court. Sometimes, women of the clan with spiritual roots, but unable to cultivate, were married off to royalty, thus tightening the family’s grip on the nation.

The greatest mortal kingdom in the Northern Wasteland was the Qiyao Dynasty, whose royal family bore the compound surname Dongfang, and whose national advisors served under the Lord of Guangqiong City.

Ji Yao’s love of gossip had allowed her to pick up all these details during her half-year stay in Guangqiong City. She might not know much of the Central State, but the Northern Wasteland was all too familiar to her.

It was said the current old king of the Qiyao Dynasty had four sons, of whom the second, the Prince of Qi, was most favored. The Prince of Qi’s mother was both the empress and the daughter of the national advisor.

The Dongfang Shun before her was the Prince of Qi’s eldest son, while the chubby Dongfang Yu was his second son.

The difference lay in their mothers: Dongfang Yu was the son of the Prince’s principal wife, while Dongfang Shun was born during the Prince’s youth, the result of an affair with a woman from the cultivation world before he married.

After giving birth to Dongfang Shun, this woman, still recovering from childbirth, journeyed alone to a relic’s cave to rescue the Prince of Qi, who had become trapped within. In the attempt, she lost her life.

In truth, the Prince of Qi was to blame—his cultivation was low, merely at the third level of Qi Refining, yet he dared to explore ancient cultivator ruins with a band of itinerant cultivators. Naturally, he ended up trapped, while the others fled, none willing to risk themselves to save him.

In the end, only a vigilant guard keeping watch outside sensed trouble and, without waiting for the others, hurried back to inform Dongfang Shun’s mother.

Thus, the Prince of Qi was rescued, but the woman perished in the ruins, leaving behind a newborn child—Dongfang Shun.

As the saying goes, what is lost becomes cherished as moonlight, and what is unattainable appears as a coveted delicacy. Thus, Dongfang Shun’s mother became the Prince of Qi’s moonlight, while the son she left behind became the scapegoat upon whom he could vent his grief.

Unable to accept the woman’s death, the Prince of Qi avoided reality, convinced that having the child was the very reason his beloved perished. Yet, as the child was her only remaining bloodline, he took Dongfang Shun back to his estate, ordered that he be well cared for, but otherwise ignored his existence.

Thus, Dongfang Shun grew up neglected and obscure, reaching twelve years of age amid mockery and hardship that did not bear repeating.

The Prince of Qi’s second son, Dongfang Yu, was doted upon by his mother. Early on, it was discovered that he possessed four spiritual roots. In that world of scarce resources, his mother, through power and connections, managed to gather all sorts of pills and medicines. After a year’s effort, she succeeded only in helping Dongfang Yu reach the stage of drawing in spiritual energy—still short of even the first level of Qi Refining.

Originally, the grand recruitment of disciples by the seven great sects would have had nothing to do with Dongfang Shun. But, having overheard the servants gossiping, he became unwilling to spend his life languishing in the Prince of Qi’s estate. Seizing an opportunity, he pleaded before his father, using his late mother as leverage, and finally, the Prince relented and agreed to let him participate in the tests.

Before leaving, Dongfang Shun took with him the sachet left by his mother.

Perhaps thanks to his mother’s excellent spiritual roots, Dongfang Shun shocked everyone at the entrance test by displaying three roots—metal, wood, and water—with metal dominating, wood and water present only in small measure, and, most astonishingly, the purity of his metal root reached ninety percent.

Such a talent was almost comparable to a Heavenly Spiritual Root. It was clear that Dongfang Shun’s future in Lingyun Sect would be very different from his past.

Dongfang Yu seemed to know this as well. Somehow, he learned that the sachet left to Dongfang Shun by his mother contained a rare cultivation treasure. He tried to seize it before they reached the sect, leading to the scene Ji Yao had witnessed earlier.

“Thank you for what you did just now,” Dongfang Shun said sincerely, his eyes clear and bright.

Having learned the full story, Ji Yao felt that something was amiss, though she couldn’t put her finger on it.

When Dongfang Shun expressed his gratitude, she replied indifferently, “I didn’t help you. There’s no need to thank me.”

In fact, Ji Yao’s knowledge of Dongfang Shun extended only to his identity and the rumors about his background. As for the entrance test and the reason for the fight over the sachet, those were explained by Dongfang Shun himself.

“No,” Dongfang Shun insisted, “if not for your spell, I wouldn’t have escaped being robbed today.” He spoke with conviction.

Ji Yao fell silent. Was he trying to forge a forced connection?

“At the time, I merely thought you were blocking my way—nothing more.”

Dongfang Shun looked awkward for a moment, then quickly relaxed, grinning with confidence.

“If you say so, then so be it! Once I, Dongfang Shun, have set my mind on something, I will remember it always. Your kindness—I will never forget!”

Wait, what? Brother, what exactly are you remembering? You’re remembering it, but I haven’t said or done anything! Must you look at me like you’ve decided on me for life? Where did this domineering romance come from?

Abruptly, Ji Yao’s eyes widened as realization struck. Now she knew what had felt wrong.

Good heavens! Had she stumbled into the wrong story altogether?