Chapter 63: Night Visit to Imperial Treasure Pavilion

Beigong Yun followed the emperor, his head bowed, walking softly and silently behind him, displaying the utmost respect.
On the main street, aside from the master and his servant, not a single soul could be seen. Emperor Xu strode forward with a swagger, seemingly unafraid of any malicious cultivator or ambush.
"Grand Eunuch Bei, do you think anyone could truly enter the Four-Stone Dragon Gate formation?"
This was a delicate question; the eunuch remembered that even the emperor himself had never set foot in that place.
"A humble servant knows little of great formations and often speaks foolishly. That child, I am aware of him. His reputation for wagering ten gold on his belt is real, but if he seeks immortality with such greed, how could he possibly catch the eye of a true immortal?"
"Ha." The emperor halted, hands on his hips, discontent flickering in his narrow brows and eyes—wild, unruly, and fierce. "But that child, He Xian, truly doesn’t know how to lie. If he really has been inside, then what does that make me?"
Humph!
Truth be told, this decree to boast at imperial command was not his own idea.
The emperor flung his sleeve with force, thinking how soon all of Luyang would know that Gu Yi had emerged from the heart of the Four-Stone Dragon Gate, while everyone also knew he could only seek immortals from outside the formation himself.
Where was the dignity of the royal house?
How many generations of ancestors had labored to establish this land, forcing those arrogant cultivators to bow their heads!
Grand Eunuch Bei stooped even lower.
"Your Majesty, please quell your anger. The wolves of the neighboring kingdom grow ambitious; all under heaven know this. This act is wise and calculated for the nation. If the late emperor were to see it, he would praise Your Majesty for knowing when to advance and when to retreat, for your patience and wisdom, as a bright ruler of Xu."
The eunuch spoke well, indeed there was some ‘humiliation’—but the emperor endured it for the greater good, which almost made him seem a wise sovereign.
"Father!"
At the entrance to Tianmu Street, the third princess returning from outside the city bowed from afar.
The emperor flicked his sleeve, and with a flash of spiritual energy, she was beside him.
"Speak. What is it?"
"Chang’er just returned to the city and happened upon Father, so I’ve come to pay my respects."
Emperor Xu said little, continuing his stride.
"Chang’er, do you know? I have found the successor of the immortal of Little Yuan Mountain."
The matter was grave, and the third princess’s face showed shock. "The successor of Little Yuan Mountain? Father, are you certain?"
"I am certain. I know you wish to help shoulder my burdens, but I am not so old yet, not so easily deceived."
"I understand."
The third princess recognized this as a warning not to meddle further in the affair.
She was left puzzled and uneasy.
...
...
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
Gu Yi had not yet returned to Yuzhen Pavilion, but rewards from the Mortal Palace had already found him.
His Majesty the emperor had created a special official title for the successor of Little Yuan Mountain: Immortal Talent Scholar.
The ‘Talent Scholar’ title was bestowed upon outstanding cultivators.
To make Gu Yi stand out, he was named Immortal Talent Scholar, meaning a scholar inheriting the immortal legacy of Little Yuan Mountain.

A set of official robes was also sent, pale blue and made of fine silk, soft to the touch.
"They do put on quite a show."
Gu Yi accepted the items from a group of eunuchs with a crooked smile, but he still took the silver offered, weighing it playfully in his hand. Entering the Literary Courtyard, he called, "Chong Chong! Chong Chong!"
"I’m here, I’m here!" The big-eyed little girl ran out. "Little Master, you’ve returned?"
"The silver the emperor granted me is yours."
Chong Chong’s eyes sparkled instantly, as if filled with stars, and she even sniffed it to see how it smelled.
"Little Master, what’s this robe? It’s so pretty!"
"Yes, it’s very pretty. Just as well, mine is muddy and sweaty."
Chong Chong put the silver away, looking up, "Then, Little Master, take it off and I’ll wash it for you."
"Alright."
Soon after, Miss Ye heard her brother had returned and abandoned her hotpot design to rush to the Literary Courtyard.
"Did you go into the Cultivation Hall, brother?"
"Mm!" After all his hard work, Gu Yi could finally sit, enjoy the breeze, and sip some water.
"Really?" Miss Ye was delighted, gathering her skirt and sitting across from him on the soft couch. "Tell me, how did you get into the Cultivation Hall?"
Uh...
He pondered, "I... worked very hard to get in."
"Did you meet the master?"
"I did. She has impressively long legs."
Miss Ye’s delicate face changed slightly.
Gu Yi quickly corrected, "She’s the noble Fourth Princess of Xu."
"It’s not easy to enter the Cultivation Hall, but you are amazing, brother, to persuade her. You must have charmed the Fourth Princess. Does she like you? How did it go?"
Gu Yi: "..."
Could he say that, one day, when she realizes the whole 'Way of Heaven and Human Way' business, she might want to kill him?
"Well... I’ll tell you more about it another time. For now, I get along well with everyone at Luyang Academy. Oh, and the emperor came too. They all respectfully escorted His Majesty and me out of Luyang Academy."
"What? The emperor was there?" Miss Ye could hardly believe it.
He took the reward tray, "Now I can boast by imperial decree. This is my official robe. I don’t care much about it myself, but you, Miss Ye, can truly hold your head high."
"This..."
It was quite a sudden change.
"You’ve become a Talent Scholar overnight?" Miss Ye was overjoyed. "Talent Scholar is a special title for talented cultivators."
"Impressive, right?" Gu Yi had caused her trouble before, always making her worry, but now he had finally earned something.
Even if it had been picked up unexpectedly along the way,
he accepted it as only natural.
Why not take what's been given?
...

News of the Immortal Talent Scholar title quickly reached Luyang Academy, stirring indignation among many. Something felt off.
Even if Little Yuan Mountain had a successor, how could that person be Gu Yi?
Under the moonlight, Shu Le found herself sleepless. After much deliberation, she crossed the Immortal Bridge and knocked on the wooden door of the tower where He Xian was confined.
Everyone knew the emperor had visited the academy today, and though Gu Yi was now Immortal Talent Scholar, no one could force their way into the Cultivation Hall.
He Xian was locked up by the master as punishment.
In the moonlit night, the cultivation girl at the door wore white, her long hair floating.
"I came to apologize," Shu Le began. "Earlier, I spoke too harshly. I hope you’re not angry with me, He Xian."
He Xian was simple-minded; at an apology, she smiled immediately. "Of course not. I know you, Shu Le, care about Luyang Academy. You didn’t need to come just for that."
"Actually... it’s also about Gu Yi." Shu Le was honest, her tone softening. "I come from a small place, and in Luyang I have no family. Heaven has blessed me with some talent, so the vice dean favors me and younger students admire me. I’ve always treated Luyang Academy as my home, and everyone here as family—including you, He Xian."
He Xian smiled warmly, with no trace of resentment.
"As for your friend Gu Yi, I have no personal grudge with him. But as the leading student of Luyang Academy, I can’t allow anyone to disrespect it."
"I know." He Xian had lived here long enough. "You respect the vice dean like an elder, you protect everything about the academy. But Gu Yi is not the kind of person you imagine. His roughness is for the sake of the woman he loves deeply. He’s a devoted man."
"Is that true?" Shu Le found it hard to associate ‘devotion’ with his face.
"But he visited Changning Street."
He Xian guessed, "Maybe he had his reasons. But risking his life to enter the Cultivation Hall was for a woman."
Shu Le was surprised. "Then I must have misunderstood him?"
"There must be some misunderstanding. Little Yuan Mountain wouldn’t choose its successor lightly."
With that, Gu Yi’s image grew a bit taller in Shu Le’s mind.
Yet her previous impression was so deeply rooted, it was hard to change all at once.
She still harbored doubts,
"He Xian, is he truly the successor of Little Yuan Mountain?"
He Xian leaned close to the wooden railing, whispering, "Someone saw him come out of the Four-Stone formation. Really."
Her words carried a hint of mystery.
Is that so? Shu Le’s mind was full of uncertainty.
It was all so sudden.
And if the emperor had met him, the matter of the Little Yuan Mountain successor was no small affair—why hadn’t he been made Talent Scholar sooner?
Very odd.
Shu Le could not find peace. Since that was so, she decided to investigate Yuzhen Pavilion by night...