Chapter 351: Don’t Bully the Young and Poor!
Northern Frontier, Yan Family of Flame City.
"Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west—don't bully the young and poor!"
In the spacious hall, an eight-year-old boy stood tall, his words ringing with determination, his face filled with defiance, his eyes seemingly harboring the spirit of a lion.
Yet the response he received was nothing but a disdainful sneer.
Despite such treatment, none of the Yan Family dared show the slightest dissatisfaction—for the visitor's background was simply too formidable. They were the sole hegemon of the Northern Frontier.
The Divine Martial Gate of the Northern Frontier!
"Enough with this meaningless drivel, Yan Xiao. Both your parents are dead now, while our young lady is about to enter the Divine Martial Gate, embracing a far greater future."
"Do you wish to hold her back like this?"
"The young lady is grateful for the resources you've provided her over the years, but you two are no longer of the same world. Part ways now, and may all be well!"
"Hurry up and annul the engagement!"
At these words, the boy immediately turned his gaze toward the cold-faced girl standing beside the middle-aged man who had spoken. Once upon a time, they had been seen as the perfect golden couple. But now that she had gained the favor of the Divine Martial Gate, everything had changed. A parentless, helpless boy with only passable talent was like an ant on the ground compared to her—a star in the sky.
The former could only look up at the latter.
With this thought, the girl simply withdrew her gaze, no longer sparing him a glance. Meanwhile, the middle-aged man beside her spoke impatiently:
"Enough, sign it quickly."
With that, he pulled a contract from his sleeve and tossed it before the boy: "The young lady still has to hurry to the Divine Martial Gate for cultivation. There's no time to waste!"
"..."
Though the boy longed to fling the contract back in their faces, in the end, he swallowed his grief and tremblingly picked up the paper.
Circumstances forced his hand.
'Today's humiliation will be repaid a hundredfold!'
The boy swore inwardly as he signed his name, tears welling in his eyes as he glared at them, struggling to maintain the last shred of his dignity.
BANG!
Just then, the main gate of the Yan Family suddenly burst open, and a figure strode in—his aura calm, appearing at first glance like an ordinary mortal.
"Who goes there!"
Instantly, everyone present shouted in anger—except for the middle-aged man who had forced the boy to sign the contract. His face paled with terror.
He had been enveloping the entire Yan Family with his divine sense all along. With his Qi Refining Perfected cultivation, who could possibly enter the Yan Family unnoticed? Realizing this, the man dared not hesitate and immediately dropped to one knee, bowing respectfully: "This humble cultivator greets the True Person!"
Yet True Person Dangmo paid him no heed.
Instead, he pinched his fingers in calculation before turning his gaze to the tearful, defiant boy in the hall. His eyes softened, and then he smiled:
"Daoist Lü, it's been a long time."
The boy blinked in confusion: "You are...?"
"My name is Ye Guangji."
As he spoke, True Person Dangmo reached into his sleeve and retrieved a token: "You and I shared a bond in a past life. Thus, in this life, I've come to guide you."
With that, he pressed the token into the boy's hand:
"From this day forth, you are my sole disciple—True Person Dangmo's only successor, the true disciple of the Jiangnan Sword Pavilion, leader of the righteous path. Come, return with me to Jiangnan to uphold justice."
Silence fell—followed by an even more explosive uproar.
"The Jiangnan Sword Pavilion!?"
"The one that rivals the Demon Sect... How is this possible? What right does this trash have?"
"Could he be the reincarnation of a Foundation Establishment True Person!?"
The middle-aged man's expression froze completely. He was no ignorant fool. Turning to the boy, he saw his lips still trembling.
One moment ago, the boy had been east of the river.
Yet in the next, he had crossed to the west.
"Pfft—"
Life's ups and downs came too swiftly, and happiness arrived too suddenly. The boy's tears hadn't even dried before a grin broke across his face—one he simply couldn't suppress.
At the same time, it was as if some shackle had been shattered.
BOOM!
In an instant, a surge of fortune—visible only to True Person Dangmo—erupted from the boy's impoverished body, prompting the True Person to nod slightly:
'Daoist Lü's methods are truly remarkable...'
"It actually worked!"
Lü Yang witnessed the entire scene through [Puppet on Strings] and nodded in satisfaction: "This fate of [Fallen Genius] has now reached its completion!"
Everything had been his arrangement.
To be precise, eight years ago, he had divined a fate for his avatar—one of "fallen genius, accumulating strength for a comeback."
To maintain this fate, one had to [abstain from luxury]—in other words, live in hardship, endure humiliation, and strive fruitlessly for everything until an external force shattered the stagnation, allowing rebirth and the accumulation of strength to repay past suffering a hundredfold.
"After eight years as trash, fortune has lain dormant for just as long."
"Now awakened in a single moment, fortune surges skyward—perfect for wielding [Sign of Fortune Drawing]. No matter the matter, the odds of drawing [Great Auspice] are exceptionally high!"
Thinking this, Lü Yang felt quite pleased with himself.
After all, this was a fate he had painstakingly woven. Though it required enduring prolonged suffering—well, an avatar was meant to suffer for the original!
If it doesn't suffer more, how can I enjoy blessings?
See now—the avatar's bitterness ends, and sweetness comes to the original!
"Still, this method isn't particularly sophisticated. True Person Dangmo likely saw through it... though he probably assumed it was a contingency I left before reincarnation."
"Regardless, with this fate now complete and the fortune erupting—combined with the avatar's past-life origins—it should be more than enough to earn the Sword Pavilion's regard."
Without hesitation, the avatar followed True Person Dangmo away.
Yet as they departed, True Person Dangmo sighed and cast a technique into the avatar's sea of consciousness, causing Lü Yang to narrow his eyes:
"A secret method to erase past lives..."
This was hardly surprising. After all, the avatar was an outsider, not a direct descendant of the Sword Pavilion. Without abandoning its past, it could never become a true disciple.
Only by doing so could it gain the Sword Pavilion's trust.
"...Fine. With [Puppet on Strings] in play, no matter how thoroughly the past is erased, the avatar remains under my control. It won't affect me in the slightest."
Lü Yang quickly regained his composure.
Through [Puppet on Strings], he watched as True Person Dangmo merged with a sword-light, traversing the void with the avatar in tow. Before long, they returned to Jiangnan territory.
Then Lü Yang beheld the [Sword Pavilion].
Though he had been in Jiangnan for so long, caution had kept him from ever approaching the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion's mountain gates, lest he expose his secrets.
This was his first glimpse.
Before him loomed a towering, cloud-piercing peak—like a divine sword thrusting from the earth, its blade aimed at the heavens, its full majesty impossible to behold.
Never mind whether all Sword Pavilion disciples were sword cultivators.
At the very least, judging by the image projected by their mountain gates, they certainly played the part well.
True Person Dangmo rode the sword-light, soaring into the Sword Pavilion before ascending through the clouds. Only upon reaching a hall perched on the edge of a cliff did the light fade as they landed.
"Greetings, True Person Dangmo!"
Two young disciples at the hall's entrance hurried forward to bow. True Person Dangmo acknowledged them with a nod before leading Lü Yang inside.
"This is the Hall of Reception."
True Person Dangmo explained: "Every disciple entering our sect must undergo an examination of their origins here. Only those with profound roots may become true disciples."
With that, he gently nudged Lü Yang forward.
The Hall of Reception housed a narrow passage resembling a ancestral shrine. At its head stood an altar bearing a sword and an incense burner.
True Person Dangmo then handed Lü Yang three lit incense sticks and said solemnly: "Go, offer these to our founder."
"From this moment on, you are a true disciple of our Sword Pavilion."