After killing the man in black, the tension eased.
The elegantly dressed young man, who had thought he was doomed, plopped down on the ground. As he regained his composure, he looked at Yan Changlan with a mixture of shock and gratitude: “You…hero! Thank you for saving my life!”
Yan Changlan sheathed his sword and walked over to offer him a hand: “No need to thank me, it was just a small effort.”
The young man stood up, dusted himself off, and said a bit awkwardly, “Forgive my rudeness.”
Ye Shu did not approach but called out from a distance, “Take him back.”
Yan Changlan then said to the young man, “It’s late and the night is damp. It’s not safe for you to be alone. My friend and I found an abandoned temple up ahead to rest. Why don’t you join us?”
The young man nodded repeatedly, “Yes, yes! Thank you, heroes!”
Yan Changlan smiled, “No need for such formalities. My name is Yan Changlan, and this is my friend Ye Shu. You can just call us by our names.”
The young man looked at Ye Shu, who nodded slightly at him, which reassured him a bit. He quickly said, “Brother Yan, brother Ye, my name is Luo Ziyao. I live in the capital.”
With the introductions made, the three of them headed to the abandoned temple together.
As for the corpses of the men in black, no one paid them any attention—there were many wild animals in the mountains, and by tomorrow, there would likely only be bones left.
When they arrived at the ruined temple, Yan Changlan blocked the door.
The fire inside the temple was still burning, adding some warmth. Luo Ziyao, just entering, let out a long breath and said, “I finally feel alive again. It’s really cold and damp outside.”
The few of them sat around the fire.
Yan Changlan then asked, “Brother Luo, was that man in black your enemy?” He paused slightly. “You don’t seem very skilled in martial arts. When traveling, you should bring more people with you.”
Luo Ziyao waved his hand and rubbed his face. “Don’t mention it. When I left, I had over ten guards with me, but more than half of them turned out to be traitors. The few who had been loyal were killed. My skills are weak, and I couldn’t hold them off. Just as I was about to be killed, another man in black appeared. I didn’t recognize him and thought he had come to save me. But after he killed the traitors, he started chasing me instead… If it weren’t for you two coming here by chance, I fear I wouldn’t have escaped with my life.”
Yan Changlan and Ye Shu, hearing this, realized there might be some private matters involved, so they didn’t ask further questions.
Luo Ziyao, however, now trusted the two men completely and even took the initiative to say, “When I think about it carefully, someone in my household must be plotting against me. As long as they kill me, they’ll have their chance.” At this point, he let out a mocking laugh. “Unfortunately for them, I’m still alive. When I get back, I’ll have to take a good look at those faces.”
As Yan Changlan listened, he roasted two more pieces of meat and handed them to Luo Ziyao, saying, “Don’t think too much. Eat something first.”
Luo Ziyao took the meat, sniffed it, and almost burst into tears. “Thank you, brother Yan. You and brother Ye saved my life and now you’re saving my stomach!” With that, he started eating voraciously.
Having been chased and narrowly escaping death all night, he had suffered greatly and was naturally exhausted and famished.
After eating, Luo Ziyao leaned against a pile of straw, yawned, and with a lazy expression, said, “I don’t know yet where you two are headed, despite all the traveling.”
Yan Changlan said, “We don’t have any particular destination. We both have a keen interest in strange tales and curiosities, so we read some miscellaneous records and decided to visit those places.”
Hearing this, Luo Ziyao’s expression froze.
Ye Shu kept his eyes closed, resting, and did not join the conversation.
After a moment of hesitation, Luo Ziyao suddenly lowered his voice, “Are you perhaps seeking immortals and cultivating the Dao?”
This time it was Yan Changlan’s turn to be taken aback.
Seeking the Dao is supposed to be a very secretive matter, so how does he end up hearing about it from someone he randomly saves on the road?
Ye Shu, seemingly surprised as well, opened his eyes.
Luo Ziyao chuckled, “You two may not know.”
Yan Changlan replied calmly, “Brother Luo, we’d like to hear the details.”
Luo Ziyao first asked, “Do you know who was pursuing me and why?” Then, without keeping them in suspense, he continued, “Nowadays, the royal family, noble families, and civil and military officials in the capital have all received secret reports. They can select their children to attend the Qionghua Banquet. It is said that immortals appear at the Qionghua Banquet, and if favored by them, one can follow the immortals to their blessed lands and even have the chance to become an immortal.”
Then, Luo Ziyao began to speak about his background.
It turned out that he was the heir to the Marquis of Zhenbei in the capital and the only legitimate son. However, his father, the Marquis of Zhenbei, was naturally flirtatious and had around twenty or thirty concubines in the household. Among the concubines’ sons, there were three older than Luo Ziyao and at least seven or eight younger, making the family quite populous.
According to the court’s regulations, family inheritance could only be passed to the legitimate son. If there was no legitimate son, a male relative within five degrees of kinship could be adopted, but a concubine’s son could not be legitimized. Therefore, barring any unforeseen events, Luo Ziyao was set to be the next Marquis of Zhenbei.
If that were all, no one would be targeting Luo Ziyao. However, if there was an opportunity to follow immortals and seek eternal life, who in the world would not covet it? This “immortal fate” did not differentiate between legitimate and concubine-born sons.
As long as Luo Ziyao was alive, the Marquis of Zhenbei’s spot for the Qionghua Banquet would be his, leaving no chance for the concubine-born sons. Thus, a few malicious concubines conspired to kill Luo Ziyao first, then fight for the spot. If Luo Ziyao died, no matter how enraged his father in the capital would be, he would have no choice but to select one of the concubine-born sons to attend the Qionghua Banquet. Otherwise, while the other noble families gained immortal fates, the Marquis of Zhenbei’s household would fall behind.
At this point, Luo Ziyao let out a cold laugh. “Although each family, apart from the royal family, only has one spot, those concubines do not realize that if the legitimate son is chosen, he can select two others as guards to accompany him. My father and I have an understanding: if I am chosen by the immortals, we will select two of my half-siblings from the concubines to join us. Now, knowing some malicious woman is trying to take my life, I refuse to let them benefit from it.” He looked at Yan Changlan and Ye Shu, his expression now serious, unlike his earlier lazy demeanor. “I hear that you two are also seeking immortal fate. If you don’t mind, you could take those guard spots and accompany me to the immortals’ blessed land. The term ‘guard’ is just a pretext, meant for us to choose reliable companions. Some may indeed be guards, while others are not; they just use the title to go along. Given today’s events, I think it’s better to offer this opportunity to my saviors than to unreliable half-siblings. If one of them gains power, they might crush me, but if you two rise, I believe you’ll protect me to some extent.”
These words clearly showed Luo Ziyao’s sincerity.
Ye Shu pondered quietly.
The traces of cultivators were elusive and uncertain. Instead of searching for dubious locations, it was better to accompany Luo Ziyao. If Luo Ziyao was chosen, it would be great; if not, they could find another way after getting involved in the matter.
From Ye Shu’s perspective, being chosen likely depended on one’s spiritual roots. As long as they had spiritual roots, everything would be fine.
Naturally, Ye Shu thought this resembled a sect recruiting disciples. However, this was the mortal realm where cultivators seldom ventured, let alone recruited disciples. It was unusual. Furthermore, there could be evil cultivators posing as righteous ones, deceiving and abducting promising individuals for sinister purposes.
However, since this involved the royal family, if they were not utterly foolish, there must be some reason behind it. In any case, despite any hidden intricacies, this was a rare opportunity for them.
At this moment, Ye Shu looked directly at Luo Ziyao.
This young man had a decent disposition and seemed quite straightforward. If they could enter the realm of cultivators through him, looking after him in the future wouldn’t be a big deal.
Having made up his mind, Ye Shu gave Yan Changlan a slight nod.
Seeing this, Yan Changlan said to Luo Ziyao, “Such an opportunity should indeed be seized. Thank you, brother Luo.”
Luo Ziyao noticed the tacit understanding between the two, recognizing Ye Shu as the one in charge.
He felt a greater fondness for Yan Changlan, his true savior. Upon being thanked, he replied, “No need for courtesy. I haven’t even repaid you for saving my life. Besides, I don’t know if I will be chosen myself, so brother Yan’s thanks are premature.”
Yan Changlan then inquired about the current situation in the capital, trying to gather more information.
Although Ye Shu didn’t engage much with Luo Ziyao, he listened to their conversation attentively, continuously pondering and organizing the information he gathered, noting everything down.
After telling Yan Changlan everything he could, Luo Ziyao realized he was extremely exhausted and fell asleep just like that. Yan Changlan took a short nap, while Ye Shu meditated, and so they stayed until dawn.
The next day, the three of them set out together.
With Luo Ziyao, who had only basic martial skills, slowing them down, their journey was naturally slower. They mainly traveled through the outskirts, such as forests and mountains, with Yan Changlan clearing the path and Ye Shu sensing danger. Despite some close calls, they faced no real danger.
About a month later, they finally reached the capital.
At the city gate, Luo Ziyao’s face alone was enough to let them pass without hindrance. He led Yan Changlan and Ye Shu, exuding confidence, directly to the Marquis of Zhenbei’s residence.
At the entrance, the guards recognized Luo Ziyao and were overjoyed. “Young master, why did it take you so long to return? The Marquis heard you went hunting outside the city at such a critical time and disappeared. He’s been very worried and has sent people everywhere to search for you. Now that you’re back, the Marquis will be extremely happy!”
While speaking, the guard opened the gate, ready to welcome Luo Ziyao inside.
Luo Ziyao smirked, leading Yan Changlan and Ye Shu inside as he said, “Does my father really think I just disappeared while hunting? Does he take me for a fool?”