[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-watching-the-immortals-fall":3,"chapter-watching-the-immortals-fall-watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-23":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Watching the Immortals Fall",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2259896,4410,"Chapter 23: The Martyr","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-23",23,"\u003Cp>The selection of new students at the Heavenly Book Academy happens every year and rarely draws attention—until this year, when Chu He’s enrollment attracted much notice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no one ever imagined that the one who resonated with the Heavenly Book was not Chu He.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There had never been a Ji family of note in Qingyun Realm, and that night’s celestial light sparked endless speculation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Jingsong heard the news late at night and nearly wept with joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This boy, found in Yuyang County, is truly extraordinary—extraordinary indeed!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides him, another person had arrived early at the Green Water Lake Elegant Garden, waiting outside the gate to hand Ji You a formal visitation note.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The note came from Prince Chong, sincerely congratulating him, lamenting that he had arrived too hastily on the day of enrollment and failed to bring enough invitations, expressing shame, and adding that upon hearing Ji You had resonated with the Heavenly Book yesterday, he had specially arranged a banquet at his princely mansion to share wine and conversation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You smiled as he read the note, then returned it to the servant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had no fondness for immortal sects, and even less for bureaucrats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If immortal sects were the root cause of the people’s suffering, then Great Xia was hardly an innocent accomplice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rather than exchange empty pleasantries with court politicians, he’d rather go to the Heavenly Book to seek the Dao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, Ji You suddenly recalled the woman in the red dress and her slender, snow-white feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, even the feet have their Dao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You stretched, stepped out of the courtyard, and headed for the Immortal Dining Hall—where he immediately ran into Lu Qingqiu and her group, including Fang Ruoyao trailing behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Qingqiu gazed at him, then offered a faint smile and gave him a slight bow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If yesterday Ji You was merely a rural self-cultivator, today… he was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To resonate with the Heavenly Book meant one foot had already stepped into the Inner Court—even she, the daughter of Yunzhou, seemed to have developed some interest in cultivating ties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You did not grow arrogant because he had resonated with the Heavenly Book; he bowed to her, then walked to the food counter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After surveying the array of dishes, he chose a simple stir-fried Gathered Immortal Grass—and, finding his purse empty, began pondering his robbery list for the day…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After eating, Ji You returned to the Green Water Lake Elegant Garden, only to find another servant waiting at the gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He assumed it was another note from Prince Chong, but when he took it and glanced at it, his brow furrowed, and he immediately descended the mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, imperial soldiers in Shengjing were posting royal edicts along Yonganjie; Ji You glanced at one, then turned down winding alleys until he reached the Chunhua Inn in Chunhua Lane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Top Graduate…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kuang Cheng, who had slept for three days and nights, now sat up alertly and nodded: “Mm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You stared at Kuang Cheng: “How much is the salary? Can you split it half with me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No official post filled, no salary.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You froze—he had received Kuang Cheng’s note that morning, which simply read “Passed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What stunned him even more was that Kuang Cheng had become Top Graduate; on his way here, he’d been marveling aloud, thinking, “My Yuyang County truly produces talent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet—no salary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After long thought, Kuang Cheng spoke: “Actually, I owe this to Brother Ji.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why thank me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I wrote an essay with the line, ‘Since ancient times, who escapes death? Let loyalty illuminate the annals.’ The Emperor personally selected me as Top Graduate…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At these words, Ji You’s mocking smile slowly faded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew the Great Xia Emperor had long sought to revive imperial authority, but the court was controlled by Prime Minister Wei and Prince Chong, leaving the Emperor with no loyal men to rely on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So this year, he opened a special imperial examination and summoned the Northern Defense Divine General back to oversee matters, aiming to reform the bureaucracy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Emperor didn’t take just anyone—he wanted those unafraid of death, even willing to die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kuang Cheng.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You stared at him intently: “Don’t become a martyr for the Emperor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kuang Cheng blinked, then after a long silence, smiled faintly: “I wouldn’t be so foolish…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Listen carefully: that line—‘Since ancient times, who escapes death? Let loyalty illuminate the annals’—is a lie. I can’t even live by it, let alone you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry, Brother Ji. My duty is to revive the Kuang family—I won’t throw my life away lightly. I’m a coward, unless you become the Head of the Heavenly Book Academy and back me up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Kuang Cheng wasn’t forcing himself, Ji You finally relaxed: “I have good news too—when everyone was resonating with the Heavenly Book yesterday, it resonated with me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kuang Cheng’s eyes widened: “No wonder we’re a match!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Things will get better from now on.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kuang Cheng looked at Ji You, unsure whether he meant their own future, the fate of Yuyang County’s people, or both.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But mentioning Yuyang reminded him of something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The night before they departed for the capital, he had seen in his courtyard a sky full of falling stars, each the size of fireflies, dancing endlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young scholar had never seen such a strange sight, so he called his family—but they saw nothing, as if only he could perceive it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had wanted to ask Ji You what it meant, but in the end, he said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t a cultivator—how could he see stars falling from the sky? Probably just a trick of the eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the two left the inn, using their few remaining silver coins to buy three simple vegetable dishes and a small pot of thin wine at a modest eatery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though humble, it was still a mutual celebration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, in the luxurious Xihe Restaurant next door, a group of Outer Court disciples of the Heavenly Book Academy sat in silence, drinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This should have been the best time for cultivation, but last night’s news of Ji You resonating with the Heavenly Book had shattered their already fragile Dao hearts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recall that first day they went to the Meditation Grounds—everyone had mocked the rural self-cultivator for wasting time practicing martial arts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet in the end, it was he who resonated with the Heavenly Book.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their so-called sleepless, tireless devotion had become a complete joke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu He was also at Xihe Restaurant, but apart from the others—he sat alone in a private room on the third floor, surrounded by empty wine jars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside his chair lay a courtesan, unconscious, her body covered in purple-black bruises from fists—barely alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the second son of the Chu family, he had always considered himself superior; to escape his elder brother’s shadow, he abandoned the Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion and chose the Heavenly Book Academy, determined to forge his own path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His elders praised his lofty ambition and supported him wholeheartedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he never imagined that upon entering the Academy, a rural self-cultivator had replaced his elder brother as his new shadow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last night, Ji You gathered two beams of spiritual light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that pace, how could he possibly compete?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But why him? A mere rural peasant, whom he could crush with a flick of his wrist—now he had humiliated him. How could he forgive it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the restaurant boy came up with more wine; seeing the courtesan’s state, he nearly dropped the jar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu He turned sharply, his eyes blazing with murderous intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his view, Ji You, this servant, and this courtesan—all should have remained humble, ordinary mortals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just then, Chu He’s page rushed up the stairs and saved the boy’s life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, Master—someone from home is here, outside.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu He snapped awake, stared at the panicked page, and suddenly realized his defeat by a rural self-cultivator must have reached his family’s ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He scrambled up, stumbled downstairs, and saw an old man with a hooked nose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was not from the Chu family—he was a retainer who had once served his elder brother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hooked-nose retainer now had a livid face; he took Chu He to a secluded alley and handed him a box of pills and a letter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Die to preserve your name—or live without disgracing your clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The letter contained only one short sentence, yet it made his eyes tremble and his face turn pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long after, he remembered the box of pills and opened it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether from fatigue or illusion, at the sight of the pills, Chu He seemed to see ten curled, writhing infants—but they vanished instantly, replaced by a vast surge of immortal energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That immortal energy was like the celestial light when Ji You resonated with the Heavenly Book—leaving Chu He utterly stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I assumed Second Young Master would surely enter the Inner Court. Who knew he’d be trampled underfoot by a rural self-cultivator in less than three days? What a waste of such rare divine pills.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What… what kind of pills are these?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These pills are exceedingly rare—they will unleash your full potential and accelerate your cultivation far beyond normal limits. Take one now, then one every seven days. I will guard you during each dose.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are there side effects? Such potent pills—could they harm you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hooked-nose old man stared coldly down at him, silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1571,"2026-06-19T15:28:39.995Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","0ca16942c799412705e6c41fa8db39673d25abcd9a4426456071025ca8ab6deb","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-24","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-22",430,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwatching-the-immortals-fall-cover.jpg"]