Transmigration: The Peerless Immortal Husband - Chapter 82

Although this was their first encounter with the strange old man, Chi Changye and Gu Yao quickly realized who he was—Elder Yi of Sword Peak. Everything about him, from the sword aura emanating from his body to his distinctive appearance, made it clear.

“You’re a sword cultivator. Why are you wasting your time in the Outer Academy instead of joining Sword Peak?” The strange old man asked Chi Changye, his face full of regret. Elder Yi had been secretly observing Chi Changye for several days and was dismayed by what he saw: Chi Changye seemingly idle and aimless, spending little time seriously practicing his swordsmanship. Instead, he was always tagging along with Gu Yao, a pill alchemist, either reading miscellaneous books or drawing talismans. Elder Yi could no longer tolerate it and jumped out to confront him.

Gu Yao noticed that the old man’s gaze carried a mix of resentment and misplaced blame when it landed on him. He wisely decided to stay silent, not wanting to provoke the elder further. The only reason he hadn’t been shoved aside outright was likely due to his status as an alchemist. It was better to let Brother Ye handle this situation.

“Elder Yi,” Chi Changye subtly moved to shield Gu Yao behind him, cupping his hands respectfully. “To cultivate the body, one must first cultivate the mind. I feel that my state of mind is not yet fully prepared and requires further refinement. I appreciate your kindness.”

‘What a ridiculous excuse,’ thought Elder Yi, not believing a word of it. However, with the Headmaster having already spoken on the matter, Elder Yi couldn’t forcibly drag Chi Changye to Sword Peak. Stroking his beard, he snorted coldly before flinging two jade slips toward Chi Changye. “You’ve already been designated as someone for Sword Peak. Take these and study them.”

Once Chi Changye caught the jade slips, Elder Yi didn’t spare him another glance and left in a huff, his sleeves billowing as he walked away, leaving the two of them a little dumbfounded.

Gu Yao stepped out from behind him. “It seems Elder Yi’s main purpose in stopping you wasn’t to recruit you into Sword Peak but to deliver these items.”

Chi Changye looked at the jade slips in his hand. One was new, while the other was old and exuded an air of ancient simplicity. Without rushing to inspect them, he stored them in his storage bag and said, “Let’s head back. Elder Yi meant no harm.”

If anything, it was likely out of frustration at seeing untapped potential and an eagerness to recruit talent.

“Alright,” Chi Changye replied.

The two resumed their journey. Not long after they left, several figures appeared at the spot where they had been, including Master Cai of Martial Peak. Watching the direction Elder Yi had departed, he said displeased, “That old man really set his sights on that kid. He specifically stepped in to mark him with the Sword Peak’s brand in advance? Utter nonsense!”

“Forget it. At least Elder Yi didn’t immediately drag the boy into Sword Peak. It shows he still respects the Headmaster’s decision,” another voice said, attempting to mediate.

“No, something’s off,” Master Cai said urgently. “Did you notice the jade slips Elder Yi handed over just now? That must’ve been ‘the one’, right? What exactly is that old man planning?”

“Probably not,” another chimed in, trying to dispel the suspicion. “You might be overthinking it, Master Cai. Elder Yi knows the rules.”

Their back-and-forth eventually calmed Master Cai’s doubts, though not completely. Glancing one last time in the direction Chi Changye and Gu Yao had gone, he grudgingly left with the others. Their conversation, however, soon shifted to Gu Yao. His remarkable talent in alchemy was evident, but they all found it a pity that such a prodigious ability was housed in someone with merely four spiritual roots—a limiting factor.

Unaware of the specifics of this conversation, Chi Changye and Gu Yao walked far enough away before glancing back a few times. Despite those people hiding in the shadows, their blatant scrutiny had not gone unnoticed. Particularly for Chi Changye, even though his cultivation had regressed, his perspective and senses—shaped by having once been a Golden Core cultivator—made it impossible for him to miss such attention.

Once back at their courtyard, Chi Changye activated the formation. For those cultivators to probe the courtyard without alerting them would now be no easy feat.

After preparing tea and some spirit fruits, the two sat down at the stone table beneath the tree. Chi Changye took out the two jade slips Elder Yi had given him.

Starting with the newer one, Chi Changye immersed his spiritual sense into the jade slip. Seeing that it would take some time for him to finish, Gu Yao sipped his tea, nibbled on a spirit fruit, and casually pulled out a book to read. Neither disturbed the other.

When Chi Changye finally withdrew his spiritual sense, Gu Yao had already finished two cups of tea and two fist-sized spirit fruits. Seeing Chi Changye open his eyes, Gu Yao leaned forward with curiosity, eager to know what that strange old man had given him that had stirred up so much interest among the academy’s higher-ups.

Chi Changye chuckled softly, took a sip of the spirit tea before him, and said, “It’s an introduction to Sword Peak—its purpose, its significance, and the many outstanding sword cultivators it has produced throughout history. Within the Tianfu Academy, Sword Peak exists solely to safeguard it.”

“Wait, Sword Peak? Not Martial Peak?” Gu Yao asked, surprised.

“That’s right, Sword Peak. Its role in Tianfu Academy is exceptional—well, it ‘used’ to be. These days, both Tianfu Academy and Sword Peak have declined. Sword Peak especially has become a place very few are willing to join. If it weren’t for the fact that the current Headmaster comes from Sword Peak, its reputation might be even worse.”

Chi Changye’s eyes gleamed with interest as he continued, “That said, within the academy, Sword Peak holds the most complete inheritance. For as long as Tianfu Academy has existed, Sword Peak has been its guardian. I think there’s more to it than meets the eye. It’s worth investigating.”

Gu Yao tilted his head, pondering. “If Sword Peak’s inheritance is truly so complete, why does its overall strength lag behind Martial Peak? Apart from the Headmaster, Sword Peak’s current state doesn’t seem to match its legacy.”

It was an odd contradiction that left him puzzled.

Chi Changye explained with a smile, “Because only those who pass the Sword Pavilion are eligible to receive the inheritance. The Sword Pavilion was left by the first generation Sword Peak Master. This jade slip doesn’t specify exactly when it was established, but Elder Yi left a message for me at the end.”

“What did he say?” Gu Yao asked, his eyes wide with curiosity.

Chi Changye smirked. “He said that as long as I pass the Sword Pavilion, I will get what I want.”

“What you want?” Gu Yao suddenly realized something, his expression surprised. “Could it be…?”

Chi Changye understood what Gu Yao was thinking and nodded. “I think it’s very likely. From the introduction to Sword Peak in the jade slip, its origins are quite remarkable. Originally, Sword Peak and Tianfu Academy had a much broader scope. I don’t know what happened later, but the entire Tianlin Continent has been restricted. The only way to communicate with the outside world is through the teleportation array left by the Changxian Sect.”

Gu Yao smiled in realization. “It seems we made the right choice by coming to Tianfu Academy! Brother Ye, you need to keep pushing forward. What about the second jade slip?”

Chi Changye chuckled, “Take it slow. There’s no need to rush into the Sword Pavilion. Now that we’re here, there will be opportunities eventually. As for this one, it can’t be opened for now. There’s a layer of restrictive seals on it. The person who sealed it was a very skilled sword cultivator. To break it, we need to use sword Qi, just like he did. This sword cultivator’s cultivation is no weaker than the Golden Core stage.”

Gu Yao clicked his tongue. “It seems that the so-called ‘garbage bin’ of Tianfu Academy, in the eyes of the cultivators on Tianlin Continent, is actually a place full of hidden talents. The jade slip that was casually tossed out was sealed by a Golden Core sword cultivator. Such a sword cultivator must be from Tianfu Academy. What are the Beixing Sect and the Changxian Sect compared to that?”

“Does the sword cultivator who can break the seal need a certain level of cultivation?” Gu Yao suddenly asked.

Chi Changye replied, “Yes, but just give me a little time, and I’ll be able to break it. I understand what you mean, Xiao Yao. You’re saying the academy must know about my situation, right?” Seeing the concerned look on Gu Yao’s face, Chi Changye reached out and ruffled his hair. “Even if they know, it doesn’t matter. Right now, it seems I’m quite useful to them.”

Although he had been at Tianfu Academy for only a short time, the various things he had encountered had shown Chi Changye that there were many secrets hidden within the academy. This piqued his interest much more than joining other forces.

“I’m glad you understand, Brother Ye. Just be careful,” Gu Yao advised.

Chi Changye nodded and smiled.

Wuming Peak (Nameless Peak)

The fishing by the lake went from being a solitary activity to a shared one, as another person arrived: Elder Yi from Sword Peak.

“Did you give that jade slip to Chi Changye?” Dean Yu asked, his eyes still closed. “Are you sure he can break the seal on the jade slip?”

Elder Yi, known for his hot temper, reeled in his fishing line to check. There was no fish on the hook. “Didn’t the dean say that before his injury, Chi Changye was probably a Golden Core sword cultivator? I think there should be no problem. If he can’t break the seal, no one among the students will be able to. Dean, perhaps this is the opportunity for our academy to change. Don’t you want to give it a try? Otherwise, when the dean eventually… our Tianfu Academy might not be able to hold on much longer.”

Dean Yu sighed deeply, finally opening his eyes. His gaze was filled with helplessness, but there was also a hint of hope because of Elder Yi’s words. “Fine. Maybe, as you said, the opportunity for change is within this student. Let’s wait and see.”

“Dean…” Elder Yi, despite his old age, felt a lump in his throat, nearly moved to tears.

Dean Yu scowled, “You’re of such an old age, and still pulling this stunt. The Sword Pavilion still needs you to guard it!”

“Don’t worry, Dean. As long as I, Yi, am here, the Sword Pavilion will be safe. Even if those people want to, they won’t step foot into the Sword Pavilion!” Elder Yi’s face flushed red, and he patted his chest in assurance.

After that day, Chi Changye gained an additional task. Whenever he had nothing else to do, he would take out the ancient jade slip. By slowly and steadily working on it day by day, he would eventually wear down the seal on the jade slip. The sword Qi surrounding it couldn’t harm him.

Jiang Yan and Zhou Li came to the courtyard again, this time to discuss business with Gu Yao.

“The Xingyue Chamber of Commerce wants that series of beauty pills?” Gu Yao asked, surprised.

“Yes,” Jiang Yan smiled. “There are two options. One is that our Xingyue Chamber of Commerce pays a certain amount of spirit stones and buys the formula outright. The second option is for Junior Brother Gu to take shares in the formula, receiving 20% of the profits from the pills. If there are other pills in the future, you will receive the same share.”

Gu Yao couldn’t help but scratch his ear. Was this a delivery of spirit stones to his doorstep? “You really mean I can take shares? Wouldn’t that be a loss for your Xingyue Chamber of Commerce?” He thought the Chamber would prefer to buy the formula outright with a lump sum of spirit stones.

Jiang Yan smiled gently and laughed softly. “Who told Junior Brother Gu that your potential is immense? I don’t even know what other wonderful things you’ll come up with in the future. If we only focus on immediate profit, that’s the most foolish approach. What do you and Brother Chi think?”