Chapter Sixty-Nine: Temptation with Profit

What they hadn't expected was that Wei Liang seemed utterly indifferent to their flattery, saying, "You are mistaken. Yi An is not my disciple. He merely knows my guard and is staying here for the time being."

"This..."

Wan Songling and the other examiners exchanged puzzled glances, clearly surprised by Wei Liang's reply.

It wasn't that Wei Liang was unkind; he simply held little affection for these men. The examiners should be grateful they're not aligned with the Prince's faction. If they were, regardless of their positions as provincial examiners, they wouldn't have been allowed through the door today.

Though not part of the Prince's circle, the neutral party was equally despicable—no different than fence-sitters, whose only saving grace was a lingering sense of conscience and a thread of reverence.

Having arrived, the examiners had to be received by Yi An himself. It would have been inappropriate to leave them waiting outside.

Truth be told, Yi An was weary of these formalities, but as a man in the world, he could not escape its influences.

Their main purpose was to visit Wei Liang; Yi An was merely an afterthought. Having been rebuffed by Wei Liang, their interest quickly dwindled. After a few polite words and some encouragement, they felt inclined to take their leave.

Despite Yi An’s distinction as the top scholar, he was just that—a top scholar. To court officials like them, it was unnecessary to cultivate his acquaintance. The title might shine in a local corner, but at higher echelons, it was insignificant. There were countless top scholars in the realm, but those who truly distinguished themselves were few and far between.

Had Yi An been under the glow of Wei Liang's influence, they might have been interested. Yet Wei Liang’s upright character was well-known throughout the court; he would not deceive them. If Wei Liang said Yi An was not his disciple, then it was so. No matter the connection, it wasn't enough to warrant their befriending him.

Among them, Liu Xiqian was somewhat different. Having previously conversed with Yi An, he seemed genuinely sincere, unlike the others who acted purely out of self-interest.

As soon as he saw off these "plague gods," Yi An spotted Xuan Yangzi rushing back, an uncommon look of apprehension on his face.

At the same time, Xuan Yangzi immediately saw him, and in the blink of an eye, his expression brightened into an exuberant smile, leaving Yi An somewhat dumbfounded.

With a smile, Xuan Yangzi said, "To be honest, young friend, this old Taoist has encountered some trouble. Would you mind helping me with a small favor?"

Yi An suddenly had a bad feeling, suspecting Xuan Yangzi was up to no good and that his so-called "small favor" would be anything but.

The apprehension previously written on Xuan Yangzi's face spoke volumes.

Yi An had no desire even to inquire further; he certainly didn’t want trouble. "Ah, the imperial examination is imminent, and my time is limited. If I don’t hurry, I’ll fail to live up to your careful guidance."

Xuan Yangzi paused, but being seasoned and shrewd, he quickly understood Yi An’s intentions. He realized the youth was not one to act without incentive: prudent and clever, if not for prior acquaintance, he might have been fooled by his youthful appearance.

"That’s truly unfortunate. My Jade Void Temple still houses a five-hundred-year-old mountain ginseng. I thought I shouldn't let you go empty-handed, and was prepared to offer it as a reward. But since you’re so busy, it’s a pity. I’ll have to handle matters myself and save a precious ginseng," Xuan Yangzi shook his head, feigning regret.

"However, since it’s you who invites me, it’s not the same as for outsiders. Please speak, Master. Even if it means climbing mountains of knives or plunging into seas of fire, I’ll accompany you to the end," Yi An’s eyes lit up at the mention of the five-hundred-year-old ginseng. In these times of scarce resources, such a treasure was rare indeed.

Had it been before, Yi An might have hesitated or resisted temptation, knowing there’s no such thing as a free lunch. If the task were truly simple, why would Xuan Yangzi offer such a lavish reward?

But now, things were different. Though the Azure Lotus Banner was temporarily useless, the Ten Thousand Dragon Armor was a genuine treasure. Below the realm of True Immortal, no cultivator could harm him. Wearing it was like possessing a cheat; unless faced with exceptionally powerful attacks, the armor could absorb at least ninety percent of damage.

Of course, nothing is perfect. The Ten Thousand Dragon Armor had a fatal flaw—it consumed immense amounts of true essence. Don’t assume that, being a post-celestial spiritual treasure, it could restore itself; even pre-celestial treasures couldn't do so, much less this one.

With Yi An’s current true essence at the Returning Origin stage, he could withstand at most three attacks from a True Immortal before needing rapid replenishment. Otherwise, no matter how fine the spiritual treasure, without the ability to activate it, it would be useless.

But in this world, it was nothing like the age when True Immortals were as common as dogs and Golden Immortals roamed everywhere. Not only had Yi An never met a proper cultivator, even a True Immortal was nowhere to be seen; only Xuan Yangzi could be considered a legitimate practitioner.

Shen Baiyu was of the demon clan; though at the Day Tour stage, she was not human. As the saying goes, "Those not of our kind have different hearts." Even if Shen Baiyu meant no harm, caution was necessary.

"The old Taoist won’t have you climb mountains of knives or plunge into seas of fire. It's just that another malevolent incident has arisen in Hangzhou City, and I need your help," Xuan Yangzi went straight to the point. With Yi An’s agreement, things were easier. Oddly, Hangzhou hadn’t seen demons for ages, yet recently, they kept appearing...

He didn’t truly need Yi An’s assistance, but after recalling Shen Baiyu from last time, Xuan Yangzi shuddered.

With Yi An present, even in dire straits, there was hope. Should a similar situation arise, leveraging Yi An’s great fortune might yield unexpected results, Xuan Yangzi mused.