Chapter 25: Storms Gather

A single day can feel remarkably fleeting, passing in the blink of an eye. Yet a single day can also feel unbearably long—so long that one must wait a year just for it to arrive.

As the sun dipped below the horizon and the bright moon rose into the sky, Xu Yuan had once again returned to the heavens. Everything was just as he remembered—familiar sights, familiar forms, unchanged as if a thousand, ten thousand years might pass without the slightest alteration.

This place was like a lifeless prison, with only him—a solitary living soul—unable to breathe any spark of vitality into its confines.

...

Xu Yuan’s departure stirred little commotion. Yet the things he accomplished in a single day were enough to send shockwaves through Qingshan County.

The magistrate of Qingshan County, Wang Hongbo, was assassinated!

A county magistrate is neither a particularly high nor a low position, but for someone to brazenly break into the county office and commit murder in broad daylight was nearly unheard of.

Whether Wang Hongbo was good or evil, to act so boldly was nothing short of a direct challenge to the authority of the court!

In a sense, to murder a government official, whatever the pretext, was tantamount to rebellion!

Such a crime demanded a swift and harsh response.

The news was quickly relayed up the chain of command, and soon enough imperial agents arrived to hunt the killer, determined to cut through the chaos and brook no further insolence from traitors and criminals.

Yet, things did not go as planned. Despite thorough investigation, the authorities only managed to trace the fugitive’s movements after the assassination—the culprit had, unbelievably, taken Wang Hongbo’s purse and spent it at a tavern on a hearty meal!

But the trouble lay precisely there: after buying food, the man simply shouldered his bundle and walked out of the city.

Witnesses claimed to have seen an exceptionally handsome man dressed in white, carrying a pack, striding toward the vast wilderness of the mountains.

The endless mountains! Once a man disappeared into that wild expanse, finding him would be like searching for a needle in the sea.

Clearly, the perpetrator was cunning—after killing the magistrate, he vanished into the mountains, even daring to buy food in plain sight beforehand, a blatant act of provocation. All signs pointed to a carefully premeditated crime!

Yet that was as far as things went...

In this age, once a criminal escaped into the mountains, finding him was almost impossible.

The officials recruited over a hundred hunters to comb the forests for half a month, but their search yielded nothing. In the end, they could only issue a wanted notice.

To continue searching would be a pointless waste of resources; even a thousand men might not suffice to search a single mountain. And as for the fugitive, once he vanished into the wilds, who could say where he had gone?

It was impossible to close the case, so they could only declare him wanted.

As long as the world belonged to Qi, the fugitive could only survive in isolation or else become a bandit outright.

Should he ever set foot in the bustling towns and be recognized, the authorities would show no mercy!

After the failure to find the fugitive in the mountains, the investigators turned back to Qingshan County, trying to trace any sign of him. But it was as if he had no household registration, no trace of his origins...

All evidence suggested that this criminal was likely a master of the martial arts—and perhaps not even one native to Qi.

Since the appearance of strange omens in the heavens, many such men had ventured into Qi seeking celestial traces and immortal secrets; incidents like the one in Qingshan County were no longer rare.

But this time, it was especially grave.

Unlike previous occasions, when something fell from the heavens, this time the supreme celestial palace had manifested openly in the mortal world!

How could those seeking immortality in Qi resist such temptation? They were nearly driven mad, wandering everywhere in search of the immortal realm, and their clashes with the authorities became ever more frequent.

No matter how swift the news, individuals could never keep up with the government.

The more audacious even turned their ambitions toward the imperial court itself...

Thus, what happened in Qingshan soon paled in comparison to the chaos that swept Qi. The strange celestial phenomena set the whole realm ablaze, leaving all officials harried and frantic.

And that was not all. That same year, the Emperor of Qi held a grand ceremony to honor heaven and earth, recounting his virtues and proclaiming his achievements...

In short: “Heaven has shown its favor through omens, and my virtue shines upon the realm—this is Heaven’s encouragement and recognition!”

None of this truly mattered. What mattered was that the Emperor, seizing the opportunity, ordered all regions to present auspicious signs, promising rewards based on their merits.

What? No auspicious signs?

The immortal palace has manifested in the skies—surely that is a sign of the immortals’ guidance and approval! How could there be no auspicious omens?

And so, officials across the land scrambled madly to find or invent auspicious signs in hopes of imperial favor.

It was not only the martial artists who craved immortality—even the Emperor himself did! The celestial palace in the sky had become a spark, igniting countless desires; even the Emperor was not immune—in fact, he was more eager than anyone!

As the saying goes: What the ruler desires, his subjects will pursue.

With imperial decrees demanding auspicious signs from every region, what choice was there?

The search began in earnest, and as one thread was pulled, the whole tapestry trembled. Some who had not previously set their sights on the court now turned their attention there.

“You’re searching for immortality? How convenient—I am too! What have you found? Show me!”

In every province, as officials sought to please the Emperor—whether by scouring the land for omens or racking their brains to conjure them from thin air—it was as if a ladle of water had been thrown into a pot of boiling oil.

This was a year of upheaval.

Countless people, driven by myriad motives, traveled, collided, and fought...

The events in humble Qingshan County were quickly forgotten.

Another year passed in the mortal world.

...

Xu Yuan opened his eyes to a flourishing peach grove, each branch and treetop bejeweled with dewdrops, the delicate blossoms a breathtaking sight.

At a glance, the forest seemed even larger and more vibrant than before.

Before he could take in the scene fully, a voice—now quite familiar, full of delight—rang out from among the trees.

“Master Xu, you’ve come!”

A vigorous figure soon bounded over—none other than Ji Wu.

“We meet again...” Xu Yuan, stunned for a moment, soon collected himself and greeted him with a smile.

“Master Xu, when did you arrive? I come here early every morning, but I haven’t seen you.”

Ji Wu’s hopeful gaze settled on Xu Yuan.

Xu Yuan did not answer, but his eyes roamed over Ji Wu before he remarked, “You’ve grown taller.”

Ji Wu indeed had grown—not only was he now nearly up to Xu Yuan’s chin, he had lost much of his boyishness, his frame grown sturdy and muscular, his bronzed skin stretching the fabric of his clothes.

This time, he no longer looked like a child, but a young man on the cusp of adulthood.

“Master Xu, since you are here at last, let me welcome you properly.”

Ji Wu had indeed matured—no longer did he impatiently plead to become a disciple as before. He had learned subtlety.

“What great events have happened in this year I’ve been away?” Xu Yuan asked casually.

“Oh, there’s been plenty! Let me tell you, Master Xu...”