Chapter 2

Incensed, Bian Chunzhou scrambled up to confront his assailant. Truly, kindness only invites exploitation—had he swallowed this humiliation today, he’d no longer deserve his surname—

“Hey, bro, why’re you coughing up blood?! Hey, hey, hey, don’t spit out so much! Don’t die at my feet, man—you understand that’s just blackmail!”

Terrified, Bian Chunzhou stumbled back three steps. It had to be said: cultivating truly gave one exceptional resilience. Despite being crushed by such a large person, he felt only a brief twinge of pain and now was completely unscathed.

Having already died once, Bian Chunzhou cherished life immensely. Adhering to the principle of caution above all, he promptly took a qi-restoring pill to steady himself. After all, even if he failed the exam, he needed to start with full health.

But wait, why did it seem like the guy on the ground was running out of breath? As fellow Qi Refinement cultivators, shouldn’t this dude have been tougher?

“Bro? Hey, buddy?”

The figure on the ground remained silent. With no other choice, Bian Chunzhou’s soft-hearted nature kicked in—he couldn’t bear to leave someone dying before him. Though every second counted during the examination, after some thought, he decided to take out two blood restoration pills and feed them to the fallen candidate.

As fellow test-takers, this was all Bian Chunzhou could do; any more would be impolite.

In truth, Wen Xu was conscious—just barely so. When he initially plummeted to the ground, he had momentarily lost awareness. However, the intense pain in his chest swiftly brought him back to reality. Straining to open his eyes, he saw only a sea of blood-red.

I must be close to death, Wen Xu thought with difficulty, but at least not by their hands.

He pondered calmly amidst these thoughts when suddenly, an unfamiliar voice started calling out to him persistently and louder with each call, making it impossible for him to ignore.

Could it be a soul-reaping ghost envoy? Wen Xu didn’t bother responding—not that he had the strength or inclination to care. On the brink of dying, who worried about future calamities?

Yet, the person persisted relentlessly. By now, Wen Xu’s senses were nearly fading away entirely. He felt as if the voice was coming from an incredibly distant shore. Just as he tried to focus on it, the excruciating pain in his body abruptly registered clearly in his mind. In the next moment, his eyes snapped open, and strangely, the sensation of impending doom… vanished.

“Wow, you’re awake!”

Bian Chunzhou had already decided to leave, considering the loss of two blood restoration pills as his good deed for the day. However, just as he was about to stand up, he found himself facing…a pair of vacant eyes.

Wen Xu felt somewhat dazed; moments ago, he had surreptitiously pinched himself and experienced actual pain! Astonishingly, he hadn’t died!

“I…haven’t died?”

To Bian Chunzhou, this seemed peculiar yet inexplicably so. He responded, “Of course you haven’t died! You nearly crushed me upon entering the Broken Clouds Secret Realm—what were you thinking?!”

Broken Clouds…Secret Realm?!

“You saved me?” Despite having narrowly escaped death, Wen Xu’s instinctive need to maintain his facade led him to unconsciously conceal his ordeal of being pursued and falling off a cliff.

Bian Chunzhou nodded. “Naturally, who else would it have been!” In the cultivation world, survival of the fittest reigned supreme, with frequent incidents of murder and lootings in the wild. But here, within the Broken Clouds Secret Realm, the initial trial ground for Yonglu Mountain’s disciple selection, surely no fool would repay kindness with ingratitude over mere blood restoration pills right from the start.

“Many thanks for saving my life. My name is Wen Xu, courtesy name You Xu, given name Boujing. May I inquire your esteemed name, brother? Rest assured, one day I will certainly repay your lifesaving grace.”

Why was this guy speaking so formally, with all these given names and courtesy titles? The more Bian Chunzhou looked at him, the stranger he seemed. However, upon sensing his aura, it was clear that this fellow indeed had opened his sea of qi—a bona fide cultivator.

“You don’t need to worry about repaying me,” said Bian Chunzhou. “The blood restoration pills were no big deal. As for my name, well, it’s not important. I’m busy gathering spirit plants, so if you’ll excuse me, I must decline further conversation.”

With that, he dusted himself off and took his leave. After all, the exam wouldn’t wait; he wasn’t some darling of the heavens, so he needed every second to make up for any shortcomings through sheer quantity.

Only when Wen Xu heard the footsteps receding did he allow himself to breathe a slight sigh of relief.

He never would have imagined surviving such a fall from such a towering cliff—it could only mean fate had spared him. Unable to help himself, Wen Xu began to chuckle—but soon, laughter abandoned him entirely.

For one thing, he felt ravenous—so famished he could barely move.

His savior mentioned they were in the Broken Clouds Secret Realm and referred to the healing pill as a “blood restoration pill.” Despite Wen Xu’s extensive reading, he’d…never encountered either term before. Furthermore, this person spoke urgently of collecting spirit plants. Although Wen Xu hadn’t heard of “spirit plants” either, the concept sounded familiar enough. Many folk tales circulating in the markets told stories of fortunate individuals stumbling upon paradisiacal realms. Rather than punishing them, the immortals within often bestowed upon these lucky souls elixirs granting eternal life or even accompanied them home with celestial maidens.

So, had he encountered an immortal? Wen Xu couldn’t help but chuckle again, mocking his own fanciful thoughts. If true immortals existed, why was the world so unjust?! Why would anyone be relentlessly pursued without reason—well, not entirely without reason; that man did say he had the wrong face.

Wen Xu instinctively touched his cheek. How unfortunate—he truly didn’t know what he looked like.

For now, he’d miraculously survived, but those three assailants were clearly influential figures. They likely wouldn’t rest until they saw his corpse with their own eyes. In a small county town, achieving candidacy for the imperial examination garnered great respect. However, under the emperor’s very gaze in the bustling capital, even successful candidates were as plentiful as carp leaping across rivers—not to mention mere hopefuls like himself. Wen Xu understood all too well: he could no longer return to the capital for the exam.

He refused to gamble with his life a second time.

Moreover, after seven days and nights of relentless pursuit and narrowly escaping death by falling off a cliff, he still had no idea who his enemies were. This uncertainty deeply troubled Wen Xu, given his tendency to hold grudges.

But as the saying goes, “A gentleman’s revenge is never late.” Since he had survived and could no longer pursue the exam, it was time to set a new, smaller goal: gather strength and uncover the mastermind behind his persecution.

Wen Xu swiftly talked himself through these thoughts. Perhaps his hunger had reached its peak; he suddenly felt less miserable and even noticed that his wounds were intensely itchy. Unable to resist, he scratched at them, feeling clotted scabs beneath his fingers.

Upon looking down, he realized all his injuries had healed.

Wen Xu quickly examined his body. Aside from his fractured left arm, most of his other wounds had remarkably mended by themselves. Not only that, but he also sensed his senses—sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch—had become significantly sharper. For instance, now he could detect a strong herbal fragrance.

The scent grew increasingly potent until Wen Xu couldn’t help but sneeze.

Something was off, very off.

Was he dreaming? But no, dreams shouldn’t hurt like this. Unconsciously, Wen Xu touched his broken left arm, the intense, piercing pain reminding him that this wasn’t a dream, but rather, a miraculous reality unfolding around him. Thanks to his childhood as a beggar, Wen Xu knew how to set bones. Begging afforded no rights or protections, so assaults and expulsions were common occurrences. With no money for medical care, one had to rely on makeshift remedies.

From a young age, Wen Xu had been exceptionally clever. An old beggar skilled in bone-setting took notice of his attentiveness and soon imparted some rudimentary medical knowledge to him. Later, when better opportunities arose, Wen Xu shifted his focus to scholarly pursuits.

With great difficulty, Wen Xu had set his own dislocated shoulder. Limited by his circumstances, he couldn’t properly immobilize it; all he could do was haphazardly bind the area with torn strips of clothing. His immediate priority now was finding something to eat.

Having lost so much blood and being chased for such a long time, even standing felt like an excessive display of resilience. Yet as he walked, Wen Xu noticed that his left arm no longer hurt. He moved it cautiously, surprised to find no stiffness or discomfort. He suspected this might be due to the effects of those two blood restoration pills. If true, he owed an immense debt of gratitude.

Perhaps it was just a casual gesture on their part, but to him, it meant a second chance at life. Given the opportunity, he would surely repay this kindness.

Wen Xu struggled to remember faces, but recognizing other objects posed no issue. The lush vegetation here made the air remarkably fragrant, giving him an increasing sense that he wasn’t in the mortal realm anymore. Throughout his journey from Bizhou County, he had visited numerous renowned landmarks and scenic spots across mountains and rivers, yet none compared to this peculiar place.

He found it eerie because, despite walking for some distance, he hadn’t encountered a single animal. In the mortal world, such abundant flora should naturally harbor snakes and other creatures.

The fruits hanging from the trees were also quite…eccentrically shaped. Due to their peculiar appearance, Wen Xu dared not even attempt to eat them.

Soon, he found himself unable to walk further. To conserve energy, he closed his eyes and leaned against a tree—the only withered one nearby. Its trunk stood tall and straight, devoid of branches, exuding a sense of security just by its presence.

Wen Xu once again detected the strong scent of vegetation in the air. In truth, ever since waking up, he had experienced a strange sensation: it felt as though he could discern the very essence carried by the wind. The breeze brought fragrances and various intriguing signals, but unfortunately, lacking knowledge about this place, he couldn’t analyze them.

After waiting quietly for a moment, Wen Xu decided to head in the direction from which the herbal aroma originated.

Spirit plants and the scent of vegetation—it was unsurprising that Wen Xu’s thoughts began to wander. Having encountered only his savior thus far, he couldn’t shake the feeling that upon seeing them again, he might find a way out of this mysterious realm.

Bian Chunzhou felt his luck couldn’t be worse; upon entering the secret realm, he had been struck by someone right away. Not only did he fail to receive compensation, but he also ended up using two blood restoration pills himself. After barely managing to escape that peculiar fellow, he wandered around for quite some time, yet despite pill-fragrant herbs sprouting everywhere, he failed to find even a single second-grade spirit plant.

He mentally repeated the words “absurd” and “ridiculous” at least eight hundred times. If this continued, forget passing the exam—avoiding dead last would feel like divine intervention from his ancestors’ graves.

What was going on? He’d even practiced daily acts of kindness, hoping to improve his fortune! Why wasn’t it working?!

Fuming, Bian Chunzhou squatted down, scrutinizing the ground as if he needed a magnifying glass. Alas, no matter where he looked, all he found were low-tier pill-fragrant herbs. These common plants were sold by bundles, used merely as kindling, rendering any amount he gathered practically worthless.

With his rear sticking out, he searched diligently for a while longer until…he grew weary. Let it crumble, he thought bitterly. Yonglu Mountain is overrated anyway, isn’t it? If they won’t have me, I’ll boldly aim for the top-ranked Huhe Sect—the greatest in the land.

Just as Bian Chunzhou prepared to stand and continue his search, a delighted voice spoke from behind him, “Is it you, my benefactor? I’ve finally found you.”

“Wah—scaring people in broad daylight!” Bian Chunzhou exclaimed, startled. “Are you trying to give someone a heart attack?!”

Wen Xu remained silent, taken aback.