Chapter 32: What Face Do You Have to Worry About, Given Your Status?
Yeop Ryeong collapsed the moment she returned to the lodging.
Yeop Hyeon laid her on the bed, but she suddenly curled up and began trembling violently. Startled, he hurriedly covered her with a blanket.
She kept shaking. Yeop Hyeon suddenly examined the Celestial Cold Jade hanging around her neck. His expression hardened like stone.
Frost had formed on the Celestial Cold Jade, the very item that had been suppressing her frigid energy!
“Heavenly Maiden!?”
Yeop Hyeon called out to her in desperation.
“Heavenly Maiden, this……”
Send that item to me!
Yeop Hyeon immediately sent the Celestial Cold Jade into the Gyeok Ok Tower. Moments later, it returned to his hand, fully restored to its original function.
He quickly hung it back around Yeop Ryeong's neck, and her complexion began to improve.
Only then did Yeop Hyeon let out a sigh of relief.
At that moment, the Heavenly Maiden's voice echoed.
The spiritual power infused in that item is nearly depleted. At most, it will last a day. After that, it will lose its effect completely.
The Celestial Cold Jade will lose its power!?
Yeop Hyeon's face hardened like stone. If the Celestial Cold Jade became useless, how would he manage Yeop Ryeong's frigid energy!?
He burst out of the room.
Stepping into the attached courtyard of the detached house, Yeop Hyeon gazed at the bright moon in the sky and clenched his fist.
Tomorrow was the day Changmok Academy recruited new students!
If he could enter Changmok Academy, he could take Yeop Ryeong to a physician. Then, his little sister would no longer have to endure this suffering!
At that moment, the door opened, and Lu Xiaoruan entered the courtyard. Seeing Yeop Hyeon there, he spoke up.
“I'm sorry about what happened tonight.”
Yeop Hyeon shook his head.
“It had nothing to do with you, City Lord.”
“Truth be told, I'd always thought well of the Eldest Prince until now. But after tonight, I see he's not the man I imagined. Sigh… The imperial family truly excels at deception.”
Yeop Hyeon hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“If I may be so bold, City Lord, weren't you too hasty in choosing sides? Moreover, I'm not sure those above would even desire such a situation.”
Lu Xiaoruan gave a wry smile.
“I know that well enough. It's just… I'm afraid that if I don't align myself now, I won't even get the chance later.”
“In my view, City Lord, you need only pledge your loyalty to His Majesty the Emperor. As long as he lives, the Lu family will face no troubles.”
Lu Xiaoruan nodded in agreement.
“I think the same. I don't want my clan dragged into the power struggle for the crown prince's seat.”
Yeop Hyeon nodded silently, and Lu Xiaoruan smiled, changing the subject.
“Tomorrow's finally the day Changmok Academy selects new students. If you enter, could you look after my unworthy son a bit?”
“Hahaha, I haven't even passed yet. I'm just an applicant.”
“You're too modest. If Changmok Academy lets a talent like you slip away, it would go down as the worst blunder in their history!”
Yeop Hyeon just smiled without replying to Lu Xiaoruan's words.
The two chatted briefly before parting, and Yeop Hyeon returned to the Gyeok Ok Tower.
The moment he stepped in, a faint sound came from upstairs.
It was very subtle, but Yeop Hyeon heard it clearly.
“Heavenly Maiden, that sound……”
You already know, don't you?
Yeop Hyeon gave a wry smile.
“Heavenly Maiden, who is imprisoned on the second floor of the tower?”
One thing's certain—it's no friend to you. Once you enter Changmok Academy, find the Spirit Sword, raise your realm, and it will resolve itself.
Yeop Hyeon nodded. The situation in the Gyeok Ok Tower was deeply unsettling—a major worry for him. Even by his senses, the entity on the second floor didn't feel benevolent.
Though it was just a baseless 'feeling,' the problem was that it felt like a warning from the tower itself. He resolved to hasten his realm advancement, just as the Heavenly Maiden advised.
Of course, the first priority was entering Changmok Academy.
Dawn on the day of Changmok Academy's new student recruitment.
As the red sun slowly rose, Yeop Hyeon left through the main gate with Yeop Ryeong. Outside, Lu Xiaoruan and his son were waiting.
Lu Xiaoruan was visibly impressed by Yeop Hyeon's appearance. Already striking, Yeop Hyeon looked even more dignified in his clean white robe. If he wore a sword at his waist and revealed himself as a sword cultivator, he'd surely captivate no small number of girls in the Imperial City.
Yeop Ryeong was no less stunning. In a skirt blending black and green, with her hair braided long down her back, she looked endlessly graceful—a future beauty destined to steal countless hearts.
Gazing at them, Lu Xiaoruan sensed their lineage was anything but ordinary.
Shaking off idle thoughts, Lu Xiaoruan smiled.
“Then let's head out!”
Changmok Academy wasn't far from their lodging. The four decided to go on foot.
That morning, the Imperial City buzzed with excitement from early on. Changmok Academy's recruitment day was Jiang Kingdom's grandest event. For anyone seeking success, entering Changmok Academy was the fastest path.
It was the gateway for young martial artists. Each recruitment drew geniuses from across the kingdom to the Imperial City, along with their families.
Thus, the city teemed with more crowds than usual.
In truth, Yeop Hyeon knew nothing of this. Without Lu Xiaoruan's kindness, they'd have slept on the streets—all lodgings had been booked solid a month in advance.
Yeop Ryeong was thrilled too. If Yeop Hyeon passed, they'd have a place to rely on and a secure future. Even if her illness persisted, her brother wouldn't face solitude alone.
As the four walked, crowds swelled thicker. All heading to one place.
Changmok Academy!
On the Imperial City's north side loomed Cang Mountain. Towering about a thousand zhang high, even its midway point overlooked the entire city.
And Changmok Academy stood atop Cang Mountain.
En route, Lu Xiaoruan chuckled.
“Countless dynasties have risen and fallen here, but Changmok Academy has endured on Cang Mountain through the ages. Alongside Chwiseonru, it's one of the two pillars upholding the world.”
“Is there a Changmok Academy in other countries too?”
Lu Xiaoruan nodded at Yeop Hyeon's question.
“Of course. Its main headquarters is in the Divine Continent of Central Earth, they say—far beyond Jiang Kingdom!”
Lu Xiaoruan smiled at Yeop Hyeon.
“When the chance comes, leave Jiang Kingdom and Qingzhou behind. Explore the vast world—you'll see and learn so much more!”
“That's too distant a tale. Surviving here comes first!”
“Hahaha, true enough!”
They soon reached the base of Cang Mountain. Looking up, the dizzyingly steep peak loomed.
Already, aspirants packed the foot of Cang Mountain.
Yeop Hyeon was inwardly shocked. The minimum cultivation among that throng was Control Qi Realm, and they were all young.
As if reading his mind, Lu Xiaoruan laughed.
“No need for surprise. With Jiang Kingdom's tens of millions, gathering this many geniuses is only natural.”
Yeop Hyeon nodded. In a small city like Qingcheng, reaching Control Qi Realm before eighteen marked a genius among geniuses. But in larger cities, such talents weren't rare.
Across the whole kingdom, calling them geniuses might be a stretch.
Just then! Near the peak of Cang Mountain, an immortal crane appeared. It descended swiftly over the crowd, and an elder dismounted from its back.
“This old man is Cang Zhong, outer court elder of Changmok Academy and proctor of today's exam. The new student quota is twenty in total. Only those passing three gates qualify. Should more than twenty pass, they will duel to determine the final admits.”
Twenty!
The crowd buzzed at the number.
Over a thousand were gathered. Just twenty successful?
Most would be eliminated.
Even Yeop Hyeon's expression darkened.
Today's competition would be fierce and grueling!
The elder's voice rang out again.
“The first gate: climbing the mountain. Fail to reach the midway point, and you're disqualified immediately!”
Climbing the mountain?
Yeop Hyeon looked puzzled at Lu Xiaoruan.
“That simple?”
Lu Xiaoruan shook his head.
“Far from it. The mountain is shrouded in formations. Most here are Control Qi Realm, but many lack stability. The first gate filters out those with shaky foundations.”
Yeop Hyeon nodded, then glanced at Lu Ming.
“City Lord, but Lu Ming isn't Control Qi Realm, is he?”
“Haha, my Ming'er falls short, but he'll enter via a special route.”
Special route?
“What kind?”
Lu Xiaoruan looked awkward.
“Truth be told, we donated a sum. Like donation admission. He'll join the lower class, not as a formal student. They have fine instructors, but it's a far cry from regulars—and his status won't match.”
“Father! Must you say that and embarrass me in front of Brother Yeop!?”
Lu Ming grumbled, but Lu Xiaoruan snapped angrily.
“You brat! What face do you have to worry about, given your status!? If you'd worked harder, your father wouldn't have to beg around for your admission!”
Lu Ming pouted but said nothing.
Yeop Hyeon and Yeop Ryeong exchanged glances and burst out laughing.
Lu Xiaoruan said to Yeop Hyeon,
“Let's head to the starting point.”
The group followed other participants to the trailhead up Cang Mountain. Beside the path stood a long wooden stake with a man—dead who-knows-when—hanging from it.
The crowd murmured at the sight.
Yeop Hyeon asked Lu Xiaoruan,
“City Lord, who is that?”
“A student of Changlan Academy.”
“Changlan Academy?”
Yeop Hyeon looked baffled.
“In our Jiang Kingdom too?”
“Yes. No surprise you don't know—few do. Until the last dynasty, Changlan Academy rivaled Changmok Academy as twin pillars. For some reason, they held life-or-death duels every three years, bitter enemies. Changmok Academy rose while Changlan Academy declined. For the past fifty years, their students have lost every duel. This one's a defeated Changlan Academy student. You'll see more corpses on the climb.”
Lu Xiaoruan shook his head.
“Sigh, they say if Changlan Academy wins, they retrieve the bodies. But now, not one student can beat a Changmok Academy one.”