Chapter 23: Yearning for a Glimpse of the Immortal

Legend has it that immortals bestowed treasures upon the royal family, artifacts capable of transmitting voices across thousands of miles. As the decennial Immortal Ceremony approached, the immortals would send messages to the emperor. Now, the sounding of the golden bell signified that an immortal had contacted the emperor.

“At last, we shall meet the immortals!” Li Jian’s heart stirred with excitement. Having traversed this realm and lived three lifetimes, he still had no inkling of what kind of “immortal” existed in this world. Were they the cultivators from tales of mortal ascension, or the celestial emperors of the heavenly court? It mattered little—so long as they weren’t the bizarre, sinister immortals from twisted legends, he could accept them.

“The golden bell has rung; in ten days or so, the immortal master will descend. Have you mastered ‘Floating Reed Steps’?” Interrupted by the nine chimes of the bell, Ning Sujin set aside the previous argument, her tone tinged with subtle concern.

Li Jian was equally puzzled. Upon meeting Ning Sujin today, he’d asked about Ning Yutan’s fortune, only to hear the answer remained unchanged. He had believed the great misfortune would occur on the journey, but the crises had been resolved, and even now, the ominous fate persisted. This forced Li Jian to reconsider.

Would there still be danger in the days before the immortal master’s arrival? Or… Could it be that even after ascending to the immortal realm with the master, peril lurked?

“I’ve mastered it!” Sensing Ning Sujin’s faint worry, Ning Yutan swallowed her pride and answered honestly.

Ning Sujin cast her a sidelong glance. “Believe it or not, my intuition still warns of great misfortune for you! Keep your wits about you, even if you ascend with the immortal master…”

Ning Yutan’s eyes widened in disbelief, staring at Ning Sujin. Misfortune even after following an immortal master? Such words bordered on heresy—if overheard, she’d be accused of disrespecting the immortals. For a moment, Ning Yutan found it hard to discern whether Ning Sujin’s warnings of doom were mere imagination or something else.

When she’d first been chosen as an immortal candidate, Ning Sujin had casually mentioned doom; she’d thought it a curse. Later, when warned seriously during the journey, she took it to heart, and it proved true when she narrowly escaped death. She suspected Ning Sujin had received secret information from the Su family and felt grateful. Yet now, Ning Sujin still insisted on her misfortune, even claiming doom would follow her into the immortal realm.

This forced Ning Yutan to reevaluate Ning Sujin’s words. “Could it be that the rumors of her early madness are true?” she wondered, her gaze tinged with suspicion as she looked at Ning Sujin.

Seeing that familiar look of distrust, Ning Sujin’s face darkened. “Good advice is wasted on the doomed! Pretend I never spoke.”

“Yutan, don’t you know your sister’s character by now? If she wasn’t certain, she wouldn’t bother with all this. Better to believe than not; be cautious in all things,” Li Jian interjected, seeing the sisters’ conversation unravel.

Ning Yutan glanced at Li Jian, then at Ning Sujin’s gloomy face, and nodded obediently. “You’re right, Brother Li. I’ll be careful. Thank you.”

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“You should thank your sister!” Li Jian said with a smile.

“She doesn’t need to thank me!” Ning Sujin snorted, turning away abruptly.

Li Jian smiled wryly, hesitated, then refrained from saying more. In ten days, the immortal master would take Ning Yutan away; whatever farewell awaited these two rivals would soon be revealed.

“Ning, immortal candidate, the Palace Lord commands you to proceed to the Immortal Hall at once!” A rough voice echoed from outside. The Palace Lord was, in fact, the reigning emperor. Once one entered the Palace of Seeking Immortals, he was addressed as Palace Lord, not emperor.

Ning Yutan did not dare delay and hurried out the door.

Seeing Ning Yutan leave, Ning Sujin followed swiftly, seeming almost eager to avoid being alone with Li Jian.

Li Jian raised his brows, amused. “Sister Jin…”

“The omen remains unchanged, no sign of misfortune,” Ning Sujin interrupted, giving her verdict.

“Sister Jin, wait! I wasn’t asking about fortunes,” Li Jian explained quickly.

Ning Sujin was surprised and paused. “You’re not concerned about your fortune?”

“Not exactly—there are two matters, in fact,” Li Jian admitted, smiling sheepishly.

“I knew it. What is it?”

“Where did you see the immortal ten years ago? Did the immortal master notice you?” Li Jian asked directly. From his discreet inquiries over the past two months, he’d learned that when immortal masters descended, mortals were forbidden from witnessing them. This was a rule set by the emperor—there had been incidents where someone accidentally saw an immortal master descend, and the immortal was indifferent, but the emperor imposed severe punishment.

“You wish to see the immortal as well?”

“If I go to see the immortal, what will my fortune be?”

“Just follow me when the time comes,” Ning Sujin replied confidently.

“Thank you, Sister Jin!”

With Ning Sujin’s promise, Li Jian felt relieved. He would not give up the hope of becoming immortal, but he remained wary of the unknown immortal realm. He could only do his best to avoid risks: first, he would see the “immortal” for himself, to rule out any obvious impostors.

After sending Ning Sujin off and preparing to close the door, a small figure approached timidly.

Li Jian frowned slightly, feeling helpless as he looked at Zhao Yunsheng, who was not yet ten years old.

Zhao Yunsheng, heir apparent of Prince Yun, should have lived in luxury in Yunzhou, but after the attempted assassination of the immortal candidates three months ago, he had been sent to the Immortal Palace. His talent was unremarkable; he had no right to enter the palace, but this exception was clearly for hostage purposes.

As luck would have it, the boy’s quarters were right next to Li Jian’s.

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For reasons unknown, upon hearing that Li Jian hailed from Chong’an Prefecture, Zhao Yunsheng became even more attached.

“Brother Li, were those two sisters from the Duke of Dingguo’s residence?”

“That’s right. You know the Duke of Dingguo?” Li Jian realized something and probed.

Zhao Yunsheng blinked. “I… I heard my grandfather mention them.”

“Did your grandfather tell you to spend more time with the Duke’s daughters?”

“Yes… oh, no, not at all…”

Li Jian thought to press further, but shook his head and lost interest in meddling.

“Did you need something?”

“I’m still scared alone. I want to sleep with you.”

Li Jian smiled awkwardly. “We agreed yesterday, that was the last night. Besides, this is the Palace of Seeking Immortals—the safest place in the world. The immortal masters will descend here; you need not worry. And your cousin is one of this year’s candidates; you can ask him for anything.”

“My grandfather won’t let me!”

“Brother Li… my real brother…”

“All right, all right. The usual rule: if you wet the bed, you take your own blanket outside to dry it.” Looking at the timid child, Li Jian relented.

As the day of the immortal master’s arrival drew nearer, the entire palace grew busier. The eight candidates were all moved into the core Immortal Hall, inaccessible to outsiders.

On the eighth day at dawn, Li Jian finally received Ning Sujin’s summons.

“I’ve calculated it repeatedly—hiding in the side chamber of the Immortal Hall now bears no omen of misfortune! It’s the best place to see the immortal up close.”

Arriving at the side chamber, Li Jian received another passive confirmation of safety just as he and Ning Sujin perfectly avoided the changing Golden Blade Guards and the Shadow Guards distracted by a bird on the west side, slipping into the cramped compartment.

The chamber was a vent for the main hall, honeycombed with air holes both inside and out, allowing them to see the sky above the hall and glimpse parts of the interior.

The only oversight was the chamber’s size: once inside, there was no room to spare; their bodies had to press tightly together, even their faces touching.

And as soon as they squeezed in, the sound of patrolling guards came from outside.

It meant they would have to remain in the compartment until the immortal master led the candidates to ascend—at least three days and nights.

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