Chapter 98: Chapter 94: I’m Telling You, Not Even the Three Pristine Ones Can Help
In the eyes of the miscellaneous tasks disciples, Du Youqian spent his days drinking, silent and dejected.
But in Du Youqian’s eyes, the shadow of a flitting bird transformed into a Sword Technique.
A leaf drifting down was yet another Sword Technique in his eyes.
All of creation could become his sword.
Besides Sword Enlightenment, he was also waiting for an opportunity.
Half a year later, that opportunity suddenly arrived.
On this day, Du Youqian was sitting in the courtyard, admiring the flowers and drinking.
Suddenly, he had a premonition—a feeling that today held the opportunity to break free from his cage.
He set down his wine cup, plucked a few leaves from a tree, and performed a divination.
Seeing his actions, the miscellaneous tasks disciples paid him no mind. One of them even snickered in derision, "There he goes, putting on an act again."
"Don’t say that. Maybe he really knows Divination."
"Hmph. If he really knew Divination, he never would’ve come to the Holy Blood Sect. He walked right into a trap, a dead end."
"He must have learned Divination after joining the Sect."
"Since he joined the Sect, has there been a single day when one of us wasn’t by his side? Have we not reviewed every single book he’s ever borrowed? The Lady forbids him from learning Magic or Sword Fighting and doesn’t allow him to study any Cultivation Techniques. When could he have possibly learned Divination?"
"...All you need for Divination is a sincere heart."
"Hah, a sincere heart? No matter how sincere he is when he prays to the gods for answers, he’ll never find a way to escape in one piece. I’m telling you, it would be useless even if The Three Pristine Ones themselves showed up."
Although Du Youqian could hear their discussion perfectly, he paid it no mind.
His gaze fell upon the result of the divination, and he smiled faintly.
The reading: Auspicious to the southwest.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Without alerting anyone, Du Youqian quietly left the courtyard, leaving Xi Mengran’s cave residence behind.
This was not the first time he had left Xi Mengran’s cave residence since joining the Holy Blood Sect.
He had gone out before, to the Collection Room to borrow Jade Scrolls.
But this was the first time he had left without anyone accompanying him—or rather, monitoring him.
Du Youqian didn’t waste time greedily savoring the air of freedom.
If everything went smoothly, he would soon be able to bathe in the air of freedom for as long as he wished.
He strolled leisurely toward the southwest, keeping a careful watch for any unusual events or helpful people who might appear.
The grounds of the Holy Blood Sect were, of course, enormous.
The southwestern area had numerous Sect buildings, along with the cave residences chosen and constructed by Elders, Stewards, and Inner Disciples.
After walking for a while, Du Youqian decided he was moving too slowly. He tossed out a Tier One Lower Grade Spiritual Artifact he had refined in his spare time—a skateboard with a surprisingly modern design.
It was just something he had made on a whim, but it was perfect for getting around now.
Stepping onto the skateboard, Du Youqian shot off to explore the southwest, moving faster than a galloping horse.
’Huh? Who’s that?’ Du Youqian brought the skateboard to a halt, his eyes fixed on a young man with an anxious expression who was frantically looking around.
A memory quickly surfaced.
Scenes from the sect’s entrance assessment flashed through his mind.
A black fog had hung over the crowd. Skulls would occasionally poke out of the fog, letting out shrill cackles. A flickering Demon, barely visible, would sometimes press against the back of their necks, sending a cold chill down their spines. Servants adorned with human bones weaved through the throngs of people. And then there were the few formal disciples: one laughing hysterically, another brimming with potent Evil Qi, and a third reeking of an overpowering stench of blood that would not fade.
Many of the young men and women waiting for the assessment were scared out of their wits, trembling uncontrollably.
Some wet their pants on the spot; others’ legs gave out, and they fainted.
Du Youqian—or rather, Yu Fei, the wealthy young man from the countryside who had not yet awakened his Past Life Memory—felt his heart sink.
’This Holy Blood Sect... it doesn’t seem quite right...’
Then, Yu Fei saw the young man standing next to him, Gu Xiaofang, his face deathly pale and his body swaying.
Yu Fei quickly steadied Gu Xiaofang and whispered, "Don’t faint. This is probably a test of our mental fortitude. You can’t show any weakness. Even if you’re not eliminated right away, life here will be difficult later on."
Gu Xiaofang steadied himself and shot him a grateful glance.
This person had a somewhat monkey-like face. He was lean and agile, with eyes that constantly darted around, giving off a mischievous air.
But Yu Fei felt he understood him well enough.
In the days leading up to the assessment, Gu Xiaofang had shared a room with him, and the two had become fast friends who talked about everything.
Yu Fei was a good judge of character. In his eyes, Gu Xiaofang was clever, possessing the cunning and flexible moral compass that commoners learn in order to survive.
But toward those he truly opened his heart to, he was fiercely loyal.
Who did that make him like? Jia Yun, from *Dream of the Red Chamber*.
He was loyal to fellow commoners like Ni Er, but schemed against the masters of the Jia Mansion. He flattered Sister Feng endlessly and even took Bao Yu as his "godfather."
But at his core, he still possessed a certain chivalrous spirit.
~~~~~~~~
Du Youqian smiled faintly. ’My chance to escape... it must lie with you.’
The Gu Xiaofang he remembered was always slacking off, taking any chance he could to be lazy, and wouldn’t hesitate to cheat or swindle if an opportunity presented itself.
But right now, Gu Xiaofang’s jaw was tight, and his gaze was filled with scorching anxiety.
Combined with the way he was frantically looking around, he must have lost something important.
Du Youqian put away his skateboard and walked toward Gu Xiaofang.
Gu Xiaofang quickly spotted him. At first, he rubbed his eyes in disbelief, but then a smile broke out on his face as he hurried over, greeting him enthusiastically. "Brother Fei!"
’Brother Fei...’ Du Youqian’s cheek twitched, and he had to struggle to maintain his friendly smile. "Xiaogu, long time no see."
Gu Xiaofang gave him a strange look. "Brother Fei, didn’t you used to call me Xiaofang? Don’t tell me that bit—that woman brainwashed you and made you lose your memories?"
’There once was a village girl named Xiaofang...’
’Sorry, I just can’t take the name "Xiaofang" seriously.’
Du Youqian chuckled. "Haha, actually, right now, she’s the person in the world who treasures me most. She wants to raise me to be nice and plump, have me advance to Foundation Establishment flawlessly, and only then use a Secret Technique to steal my Spirit Root. If I get hurt in any way, she’d be the one to feel the worst. So don’t worry, I’m doing just fine, Xiaogu."
Many people knew the story: during the entrance ceremony for testing Spirit Roots, Du Youqian had caught Xi Mengran’s eye. Instead of being assigned to the Outer Sect, he was taken directly into her private cave residence.
At first, of course, everyone had been filled with envy, wishing they could trade places with him.
But after learning of the fate that awaited him, many could only sigh, feeling at least some measure of sympathy.
Of course, there were still some who would have gladly traded places with him. After all, reaching Foundation Establishment and then having his Spirit Root stolen was something that would happen many years down the line.
Meanwhile, many in the Outer Sect wouldn’t even survive for three years.
Gu Xiaofang was one of those who sympathized with Du Youqian. To this day, he still remembered his own panic and near-breakdown upon seeing that chaotic scene of demons running wild.
He still remembered the firm hands that had supported him and, when he had turned to look, the gentle and friendly gaze that met his.
’If it weren’t for that gaze, I probably would have been so scared I’d have fainted on the spot, right?’
