Volume One: The Youngest Among Three Hundred Chapter Forty-Four: The True Meaning of Severing Immortals

“I… I’m…” Peach Blossom stammered, unable to utter a single word for a moment.

Where are you?

I’m at the Pavilion of Fragrant Blossoms!

No, you’re in my heart!

Such a simple conversation—why does it strike so profoundly at the heart? It’s unspeakably romantic, refreshingly novel. He understands, he excels, the emotional twists build layer upon layer—unexpected, playful, and utterly delightful.

Peach Blossom’s cheeks flushed a rosy red as she lowered her delicate head, biting her lip to squeeze out two words: “You’re so annoying!”

“Hahaha!”

Chen Chang’an laughed boldly, pulling Peach Blossom into his arms with reckless abandon. As expected, she did not resist—on the contrary, she responded willingly. He knew that this spirit, dwelling on the first floor of the Pavilion of Fragrant Blossoms, had wholly surrendered.

As for whether he had fully achieved a perfect conquest—well, that would be determined only by consulting the Pavilion Chronicle for precise details.

“Sister.”

Their eyes met. Chen Chang’an tried his best to let the deep, undying affection of a thousand lifetimes shine through his pale, half-blind eyes. His words flowed softly: “I like you.”

At the sound of those words, Peach Blossom trembled as if struck by lightning. She gazed at Chen Chang’an, and before her eyes bloomed a succession of memories.

It was he who had written the lines: “I know not where her face now is, yet the peach blossoms still smile in the spring breeze.” It was he who gifted her a scroll inscribed: “I long for spring’s return, but nowhere can it be found—perhaps it has slipped in here unawares.” He was courteous in his inquiries about her troubles, and gallant amidst the dazzling fireworks lighting up the night sky.

She said nothing more. Instead, she nestled her head softly against his chest, closing her eyes in tranquil repose, wholly at ease.

Chen’s heart soared with joy. What does it mean when a woman closes her eyes? It means she’s waiting for a kiss, you fool! He took a deep breath, letting the cool night air wash over him, then gently reached behind her head with his right hand in a most gentlemanly fashion.

Drawing her closer, he bent her slender waist backward at a dramatic angle, completing the prelude. He puckered his lips, descending, descending, until their mouths met.

In that instant, Chen Chang’an felt as if bathed in a spring breeze, swept away by the current—utterly intoxicated. If not for preserving his composure, he would have groaned rhythmically with delight.

A minute passed, then another… Time slipped by, and by the fourth minute, Chen Chang’an’s back ached so much he could hardly maintain the posture. Reluctantly, he let go, his mouth still tinged with the taste of her lips.

As for Peach Blossom—though born to the Pavilion of Fragrant Blossoms and, truth be told, a courtesan by title, she had never known a man in all her thousand years. Her heart, brimming with longing, was more bashful and innocent than that of any maiden.

After their passionate embrace, she flustered, touching her face and hair, stamping her foot in embarrassment: “Oh dear, my makeup’s ruined, my ornaments are a mess—really! I’m going to fix myself up.”

With that, she turned and hurried indoors.

Chen Chang’an watched her retreating figure with his heightened senses, utterly content. “Ha, she’s even shyer than an unmarried girl—where’s the famed poise of the Pavilion’s top courtesan?”

“Oh, right, let’s see the effect of those fireworks!”

Startled, he quickly took out the Pavilion Chronicle and turned to Peach Blossom’s page.

Current favorability: 72.33%!

Loneliness alleviated: 52%!

Reward received: Flying Sword—Slay Immortals Talisman!

She possesses the Courtesan’s secret arts: Peach Blossom’s Enchantment; Floral Divination; Soul Retrieval!

Current time she may remain in the Pavilion: 84 hours!

Chen Chang’an couldn’t help exclaiming—those fireworks really were effective, doubling both her affection and the progress in easing her loneliness.

As for rewards, the last miraculous pill had already been used during the confrontation with the mysterious butcher at Mao Ji’s workshop. Now, all that remained was the Flying Sword Talisman. Still, he believed that upon his departure, Peach Blossom would surely present him with a generous gift.

But what delighted him most were the two new secret arts he had acquired: Floral Divination and Soul Retrieval. According to the knowledge that emerged in his mind, the former allowed divination and fortune-telling through flowers and plants, foreseeing good or ill.

The latter, Soul Retrieval, enabled him to extract spiritual energy from all things—either to strengthen himself or to temporarily elevate his cultivation, much like the legendary Art of Absorbing Skills. Both were truly treasures.

“I really am a genius!”

Chen Chang’an looked up at the seven-story Pavilion of Fragrant Blossoms in heartfelt awe. Each level housed a courtesan—if he could one day win them all, he’d possess endless secret arts and unrivaled martial techniques.

What a glorious prospect—pure ecstasy!

“I, Chen Chang’an, may not even have reached the first stage of warrior training, but I dare say: every trainee in Chang’an City is trash compared to me—hahaha!”

Laughing, he plucked the green bamboo talisman from his hair, sat cross-legged, and began to study the unique characters inscribed upon it with his mind. For five or six hours he pondered, then rose, bamboo talisman in hand, and began to practice the technique.

With each motion, the air whistled and roared. Chen Chang’an’s figure darted and spun in the courtyard—graceful as a startled swan, agile as a swimming dragon—full of spirit and elegance, handsome yet powerful.

He looked nothing like a blind man, but rather, a peerless master.

“Not bad, but this is hardly the true power of Slay Immortals.”

In the midst of his exertion, a voice called out. He halted and turned—it was Peach Blossom, standing nearby, watching.

Chen Chang’an scratched his head, putting on a silly, earnest expression. “Sister, these are thousand-year-old secret techniques. It’s natural that I find them a bit challenging to comprehend.”

Peach Blossom smiled gently, her every step as graceful as blooming lotuses. “Do you know what it means to slay immortals? What is the most important aspect?”

Her tone suggested enlightenment awaited. Chen Chang’an shook his head foolishly.

A fleeting look of remembrance passed through Peach Blossom’s eyes. “Though the Slay Immortals technique was left behind by an immortal emperor a millennium ago, when he created it, he was but a mortal—a simple disciple in a lesser sect.”

“Just imagine—a mere mortal, daring to conceive the thought of slaying immortals. What could he have relied on?”

“Courage from Liang Jingru!” Chen Chang’an blurted out.

Peach Blossom frowned. “What?”

He corrected himself. “Oh… just… courage!”

“Exactly!” Peach Blossom continued, “To mortals, gods and immortals are lofty beings—worthy of reverence, symbols of the heavenly order and all creation. Anyone who meets them should bow in worship. But this man—not only did he refuse to bow, he resolved to slay.”

“That is the true spirit of Slay Immortals—the courage to confront gods and immortals, the defiance to overcome fate, the rebellion to claim one’s own destiny, the resolve to struggle against the way of heaven.”

“In other words, if one day a real god or immortal stood before you, doing something utterly against your will—would you, Chen Chang’an, submit, or would you resist?”

“Would you have the courage and confidence to raise your sword and strike?”

Each word, clear as a mountain stream, washed away Chen Chang’an’s mental blocks, leaving him suddenly enlightened. Yes—this was the true essence of Slay Immortals.

It was defiance of heaven, rebellion against fate!

It was the self-assurance that with sword in hand, the world was his and none could rival him.

If one quailed before the enemy had even struck, if one’s spirit broke before the battle began, what would be the point of Slay Immortals?

“I understand now—thank you, Sister!”

Chen Chang’an gripped the bamboo talisman, about the length of a chopstick, raised his hand and head high. Wisps of visible energy swirled around him, flowing orderly into the talisman, while intricate arcs exploded in concentric circles beneath his feet.

He shouted, voice shaking the heavens: “I have a sword that can slay immortals!”

Whoosh!

As the words left his lips, the bamboo talisman swept through the air, its path traced by the faint outline of a spectral blade. Then, with a flick, it unleashed a crescent of azure light that soared skyward, climbing higher and higher until it reached the level of the moon, where it exploded spectacularly.

Chen Chang’an couldn’t help but exclaim, “Damn!”

Peach Blossom’s lips curled into a knowing smile. “Now that is a proper Slay Immortals technique.”

Chen Chang’an turned. “That azure light—what was it?”

Peach Blossom, ever the teacher, explained, “That is a sword aura capable of striking from a distance. If you wielded a blade, it would be a blade aura.”

“For the purpose of Slay Immortals, sword or blade—it makes no difference.”

“I see!” Chen Chang’an’s face lit up with irrepressible joy. Even he thought that display just now was dazzling—aimed at a tree or a wall, it could surely split them apart.

The Pavilion of Fragrant Blossoms was truly a marvelous place, and Peach Blossom was a wonderful woman. At this pace, before the Black Cloak Guard’s formal training began, he was sure to master something formidable.

Better that than being bullied by some cocky, incompetent upstart. One must always have something up one’s sleeve in the martial world.

“Oh, that reminds me!”

Pulling himself from the thrill of his spectacular sword technique, Chen Chang’an tucked the bamboo talisman back into his hair, then turned to Peach Blossom. “Sister, I have two questions I’d like to ask.”

She smiled gently, inviting him to speak freely.

So Chen Chang’an voiced the two matters that had weighed on his heart for some time: “I want to know how to open the doors to the Pavilion’s second, third, and higher floors.”

“And also, I noticed that above the entrance, the signboard bears only the words ‘Fragrant Blossoms.’ It seems incomplete. I’m curious—where is the missing half of the signboard?”