Chapter 18: Everyone Wants to See the Heavenly Book First

When attuning to the Heavenly Book, a faint glimmer first appears, fleeting as a shooting star.

Those with affinity can easily follow the light, drawn near to the Dao, where all paths of the world unfold above you—but the time is brief; grasp as much as you can.

But if you lack affinity with the Heavenly Book, no matter how hard you chase, you won’t catch it—my fellow students from the same cohort were just like that.

Six years ago, some of them saw that beam of light multiple times, yet ultimately could not enter.

The next morning, in the Enlightenment Ground.

Chu He and Lu Qingqiu tried for two days but still could not sense the Heavenly Book, so they sought help from Ban Yangshu, the inner court disciple recommended by Chong Wang.

This Senior Ban had successfully sensed the Heavenly Book in the outer court and later entered the inner court; now he had reached the Upper Realm of Tongxuan.

Following the footsteps of seniors is the fastest way to cultivate.

Ban Yangshu was genuinely upright, and since Chong Wang paid close attention to sensing the Heavenly Book, he shared everything without holding back.

After hearing him, Lu Qingqiu and Chu He fell into thought, as if gaining some insight.

“By the way, where’s that Ji You, the one who’s fully refined in the Lower Realms? I haven’t seen him.”

“He… he went to the Trial Sword Grove again today.”

Ban Yangshu blinked slightly: “Cultivating both martial and spiritual paths?”

Lu Qingqiu nodded, equally baffled.

She had believed Ji You had felt the difficulty of enlightenment last night in the Ground, and expected him to abandon martial arts as a minor path, joining them in meditating from dawn till dusk.

Yet the truth was, he still went to the Trial Sword Grove today—truly incomprehensible.

And it wasn’t just Lu Qingqiu who found this surprising; Wang Jiaoxi in the Trial Sword Grove was equally curious about what this unusual contender for an inner court slot was thinking.

“I heard Lu Qingqiu and Chu He have already gathered a strand of mysterious light—how can you still have the heart to come here and train martial arts?”

“Isn’t it said that if you never break through, you might be expelled from the Heavenly Book Academy? I need some skill to fall back on—maybe I’ll even become a bandit up the mountain.”

“?”

Ji You swung his wooden sword, relentlessly thrusting, slashing, and stabbing through the grove: “Have you ever met a bandit, Master Wang?”

Master Wang laughed at the sound: “This is Shengjing, the capital of Daya, with our Heavenly Book Academy standing guard—how could any bandit dare cause trouble here?”

“Interested in seeing one? I hear bandits also cultivate both martial and spiritual paths, and their swordplay is quite refined.”

“So you mean this Meng Xinghun of yours is actually a bandit?”

Ji You sheathed his sword and wiped sweat from his brow: “For one or two taels of silver, I’ll take you to meet him.”

Master Wang stared at him for a long moment, then pulled a tael of silver from his sleeve: “When do we go?”

“Now.”

“?”

Ji You tossed down his wooden sword and ran off, turning back from afar: “Master, I have no money for food—consider this a loan. I’ll repay you double, I swear.”

Wang Xin’an stood frozen, then suddenly widened his eyes—holy shit, this guy’s a real bandit!

In a flash, Ji You arrived at the Immortal Dining Hall and filled his belly with silver.

But this couldn’t go on—he needed to find a way out.

He was an outsider who slipped into a major sect with only self-taught cultivation, with no family behind him, barely able to afford food.

Failing to enter the Dao wasn’t that shameful—but starving to death? That was embarrassing.

After eating, Ji You saw the day was still early, so he rose and descended the mountain, deciding to check on his old friend Kuang Cheng, who was preparing for the exams.

He didn’t know Shengjing well, only that Kuang Cheng lived at Chunhua Relay Station, so he asked directions along the way and ended up at a place he recognized all too well.

This was a quiet alley during the day, but Ji You had seen it at night.

At night, this place was full of playboys, and every heart here was yellow…

?

Ji You wasn’t sure at first—until he found the relay station and saw Kuang Cheng, who sat in a cramped room, hanging himself from a beam with a needle stuck in his thigh, studying classics by lamplight, the wick of the oil lamp long burned out, limp against the rim.

Hearing footsteps, Kuang Cheng turned his head.

“Brother Ji, what brings you here?”

“Didn’t you say you found a quiet, scholarly place?”

Kuang Cheng sighed, closing his scroll: “The building across was originally a bookstore, but five years ago it became a brothel—and my map of Shengjing is eight years old.”

Ji You pulled up a stool and sat: “Was this intentional—or just careless? Can’t you find another place?”

“But with such reasonable prices, a desk, and oil provided, this is the only place left.”

“How’s your preparation going?”

Kuang Cheng paused, then spoke: “I’ve only prepared so far.”

Ji You raised an eyebrow: “So confident?”

“The Emperor is opening a special imperial examination this year, recruiting far more candidates than before.”

“Why this change?”

“Rumors say the Emperor finds the court too stagnant and wants to select new officials to reform the bureaucracy.”

Ji You listened without reaction, merely nodding slightly—he thought: now that immortals rule the world, imperial power is weak; no matter how much they reform, it won’t change much.

Just swapping out the people around him for ones he finds more pleasant.

But bureaucratic reform also touches many immortal sect matters.

For example: tax collection and oversight, harvesting and transporting spirit herbs and mineral veins, circulation and turnover of elixirs.

One misstep could trigger a chain reaction, stirring up more chaos—perhaps soon, Shengjing will be swept by storms.

“Brother Ji? Brother Ji?”

“Hmm?”

Seeing Ji You return to himself, Kuang Cheng said: “Don’t just talk about me—how are you doing in the Heavenly Book Academy? Is your cultivation going well?”

Ji You rested his hands on his knees: “Everyone’s competing for inner court slots, rushing daily to sense the Heavenly Book—they say if you succeed, you’re basically in.”

“Has anyone succeeded?”

“A hair’s breadth off, and you’re miles away.”

Kuang Cheng nodded after hearing: “So cultivation is as hard as studying—yet in the end, you’ll win, no surprise there.”

Ji You chuckled: “You know who these people are? Sons of immortal clans, daughters of families with mines, spending thousands of taels on elixirs like they’re candy!”

“But you still have confidence, don’t you? You always keep your plans silent until they’re done.”

Kuang Cheng was even more confident: “Maybe you’re already planning to become the Patriarch.”

Ji You fell silent for a long moment: “Actually, I have no money for food—I’m thinking of stealing your five taels.”

“?”

“Hurry up!”

Kuang Cheng’s lip twitched, then pulled a flat money pouch from his pack and emptied out roughly eight taels in silver coins.

Seeing this, Ji You immediately frowned and glared—his pouch, once swollen, now flat, felt like someone had stolen and spent his own money.

He pointed out the window toward the brothel-lined street: “You, scholar, spend your days in yellow pleasures?”

“Huanghuang? Indeed—before the exam, my heart never settles.”

“No, I mean—unless you’ve had your yellow pleasures, today isn’t over?”

Kuang Cheng stared blankly, then followed his finger to the window, blushing furiously—he finally understood the implication: “Nonsense! I am a man of virtue!”

“Then where did my money—no, your money—go?”

Ji You felt the words burn his tongue, spun around three hundred and sixty degrees, nearly said it right.

Kuang Cheng looked at his pouch in disbelief: “This is my money!”

“Forget whose money—how could you spend so much in less than three days in the capital?”

“I donated it.”

Kuang Cheng tied the pouch shut, muttering: “Winter’s coming in a few months—there’s an orphanage in Xicheng with no quilts. I saw it while buying books, got carried away, and donated.”

Ji You fell silent for a long moment, still pained about his money.

Wait—no, his money.

Two outstanding youths from Yuyang County, now reduced to a few taels of silver—what a joke, dreaming of fate’s winds.

Ji You pushed the silver back: “Forget it, Top Graduate—don’t starve before the exam. I’m leaving.”

“Brother Ji, don’t just fixate on inner court disciples—aim higher! Become the Patriarch!”

“Understood.”

(End of Chapter)