Chapter Seventeen: Master Jiang’s Gaze

Accompanied by the monotonous rhythm of wheels and hooves, Lei Yan’s heart gradually found some calm.

“The spiritual sense Master mentioned seems to be remarkably similar to my own special ability. Could it be that my ability is what cultivators call spiritual sense?” Lei Yan settled into a cross-legged posture, focusing his mind throughout his body. A faint blue glow began to swirl slowly at the center of his brow, causing his skin to emit a subtle radiance, led by that touch of blue.

“Still not the slightest bit of progress!” Disappointment flickered across Lei Yan’s face as his ability remained firmly lodged at its bottleneck. Slowly, he opened his eyes. Dawn had not yet fully broken, but through the carriage window, Lei Yan could see that they were now close to Azure Sky Mountain; with the naked eye, he could already make out the lush green bamboo groves dotting the mountainside.

Suddenly, the carriage, which had been racing forward, came to a gentle halt. Jiang Fei lifted the embroidered curtain and addressed Lei Yan, “Young Master, we have no authority to enter the bamboo forest ahead. Should we send someone to announce your arrival?”

“No need! I’ll go back on my own.” With that, Lei Yan stepped out of the carriage, taking a deep breath of the familiar, fresh air of Azure Sky Mountain. “Thank you for your escort, Young Master Jiang. Please convey my gratitude to Old Master Jiang!”

“You flatter me, Young Master. This is something the old master instructed me to deliver to you only once you arrived safely.” Jiang Fei produced a delicate parcel from his breast and handed it to Lei Yan.

Lei Yan paused in surprise and accepted the package. Noticing Jiang Fei’s curious gaze, Lei Yan realized he was eager to know the contents, so he opened it right then and there.

Inside was an exquisite brocade box, trimmed with gold, the lid inlaid with three pearls each as large as a cat’s eye. Even before opening the box, a faint, mysterious fragrance wafted out, neither floral nor fruity, and Lei Yan could not help but be curious as he opened it.

Within, a single pill radiating a cool blue light was revealed to both Lei Yan and Jiang Fei.

“Hm?” Jiang Fei recognized the pill at a glance. Jealousy flashed in his eyes, quickly replaced by envy, though the emotions passed in an instant.

“You recognize this pill?” Lei Yan caught that fleeting look and asked calmly.

Jiang Fei composed himself and replied, “Yes, Young Master. This is the Azure Pill. Consuming it helps one unblock the Ren and Du meridians and reach the Innate Stage in one leap.” He paused briefly, then added, somewhat begrudgingly, “Of course, it also has the effect of harmonizing the meridians.”

“Oh? It can help one achieve the Innate Stage? In that case, why don’t I give it to you?” Lei Yan smiled, having caught the hint of injustice in Jiang Fei’s tone, as if the pill was wasted on mere meridian adjustment.

“Are you serious?” Jiang Fei’s face lit up, but then he recalled the gravity of the old master’s instructions and managed an awkward laugh. “No, no, Young Master, you must be joking with me. If you have nothing else, I’ll take my leave now.”

“Worried about leaving a way out for your Jiang family, are you?” Lei Yan mused inwardly, then said aloud, “Please tell the old master I’ll visit in person to thank him when I have time.”

“Certainly! Certainly! Young Master, take care. Farewell!” With those words, Jiang Fei spurred the carriage and sped away.

Standing before a dense and flourishing bamboo forest, Lei Yan, his face slightly pale, wiped the sweat from his brow and took several deep breaths to steady his chest. As he gazed into the depths of the bamboo, a complex tangle of emotions flickered in his eyes.

The Lei Residence was a crucible his father had prepared for him, yet it was also where he held his fondest memories. He had two reasons for returning: first, to let Lei Tiechuan know he was still alive; second, to once again enter the clan’s library. He needed to learn more about cultivators and the world they inhabited, for they had left him deeply shaken.

Suddenly, the rhythmic thunder of hooves echoed from deep within the bamboo. In moments, a group of Lei Guards in blue surrounded Lei Yan.

“Young Master?” The leader, clad in white, dismounted at once and offered a respectful bow. “Young Master, why didn’t you send word ahead? We would have come to escort you!”

“Lei Yan greets Commander Li Qi,” Lei Yan replied, returning the salute.

Li Qi’s brow furrowed slightly, and he shifted aside, declining Lei Yan’s gesture. “I dare not! The head of the household will be overjoyed at your safe return.”

“Young Master, please mount up! I’ll take you straight to the residence.” Li Qi helped Lei Yan onto a horse, then vaulted up himself and ordered the other guards, “Continue your patrols as usual; I’ll escort the Young Master back.” With that, he and Lei Yan galloped off.

At the gates of the Lei manor, Li Qi dismounted and helped Lei Yan down. “Young Master, you should go in yourself. I have other duties and can’t accompany you further.” With those words, Li Qi swung back onto his horse and rode toward the bamboo grove.

As Lei Yan stepped over the threshold, a guard stopped him. “Young Master, the steward has instructed me to ask you to wait in the side hall upon your return.”

Lei Yan nodded. “Understood.”

Crossing the main hall, Lei Yan made his way down the stone path leading to the side hall when laughter drifted from a nearby courtyard. Looking ahead, he saw a servant standing unsteadily in the courtyard, balancing a watermelon on his head. Facing him was a boy about Lei Yan’s age, poised with a throwing knife, aiming at the watermelon. Behind the boy stood four young maidservants.

Perhaps the boy was taking too long to aim, or perhaps the servant was simply too frightened—suddenly, the servant wet his trousers, much to the delight of the girls, who burst into peals of laughter.

“So this is my rival?” Lei Yan shook his head helplessly and continued toward the side hall.

Meanwhile, Jiang Fei had returned to Jiang Family Town. Stepping into the household, he headed straight for Old Master Jiang’s study. Inside, the old man was painting when Jiang Fei entered.

“Grandfather, you actually had me give the Azure Pill to that good-for-nothing?” Jiang Fei blurted out, unable to hide his dissatisfaction.

The old man said nothing at first, but at Jiang Fei’s question, his brush suddenly trembled, marring the painting. His expression turned grim.

“How did you know? Did you open the package?” the old man asked darkly.

“No, I didn’t. He opened it himself when I gave it to him,” Jiang Fei replied, feeling a bit down seeing his grandfather’s mood.

“That’s good.” The old man balled up the ruined painting and tossed it aside.

“But when I explained the pill’s effects to that good-for-nothing, he actually tried to give it back to me!” Jiang Fei continued.

“What?” The old man was startled. “Tell me exactly what happened—leave out nothing!”

So, though slightly disgruntled, Jiang Fei recounted the entire incident word for word.

Only after hearing it did the old man finally breathe a sigh of relief. “Good, good. If you’d been foolish enough to accept that Azure Pill, our Jiang family might have been ruined by your hand!”

“Is it really that serious?” Jiang Fei was skeptical. “Grandfather, what exactly are you afraid of?”

“Hmph!” the old man snorted. “A good-for-nothing? If he were truly one, would I be so concerned? All this is to keep our Jiang family’s options open.”

“Is he really that formidable?” Jiang Fei scoffed.

“See for yourself. This is a report from our spies.” The old man tossed a letter from his desk to Jiang Fei.

The more Jiang Fei read, the more his heart pounded with fear. Over a hundred people and more than twenty wild beasts had died silently, and there were even cultivators among them. To families like theirs, cultivators were akin to gods, and now even gods had died under Lei Yan’s watch—one could imagine how terrifying he must be. Of course, the report did not specify how the cultivators had perished.

“Now do you understand my intentions? Those who dismissed Lei Yan as worthless will regret their shortsightedness!” The old man’s tone was that of steel tempered by disappointment.

Cold sweat broke out on Jiang Fei’s brow as he finished reading. Only then did he realize how fortunate he was not to have accepted the Azure Pill he had been sent to deliver.