Chapter 51: Should I Run?
After several days of carefree wandering, Cao Chengyu, having lingered at Spring Breeze Pavilion and Ti Hu Five Flavors Hall, finally remembered his true purpose. He decided to enroll in an academy merely for the sake of reputation. Whether he studied or not was his own affair; the title mattered most.
In the capital, the most prestigious academy was the Hanlin Institute within the imperial palace, but it did not admit commoners. Aside from this, there were three other renowned academies—Moonwatch, Snowdrift, and Riverboat. Countless private schools dotted the city. Their main curricula included nation-building, the classics of great scholars, poetry, music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and so forth.
Nominally, immortals and mortals studied side by side, but in practice, mortals were rare; even among the cultivators, most were those children from powerful families without exceptional talent, sent to further their education. The truly gifted were taught at home, accompanied by elders even when traveling for experience.
Unlike the expected places of enlightenment and teaching, these academies were more akin to gilded halls. Take, for example, the four great Golden Core immortal clans of the capital—even if the students they sent were mediocre, graduation would guarantee them a post to govern a region.
No wonder the imperial method for national prosperity lingered without results. If a nation's fortune must be founded on its people, then while mortals received decent treatment in name, the reality was quite different; it was little surprise that the system failed.
After investigating, Cao Chengyu learned that independent cultivators needed to pay at least a thousand spirit stones in tuition just to enter, and even then, they wouldn't be taught spells or secret scripts—only given a path to officialdom.
With his status as a Purple Guard of the Sky Observation Tower, he could enroll for free, yet after learning all this, Cao Chengyu found himself utterly uninterested in studying.
Yang Jiuxuan had spent the first half of his life in the capital as a mortal; by logic, he should have known about the true nature of these academies. Yet he had urged him to enroll—what was he thinking?
These immortal clans and officials all used their own means to extract benefits and secure advantages for their families. Such hypocrisy—did the emperor not see it?
Leaving Moonwatch Academy, Cao Chengyu was silent for a time.
He suddenly recalled the incident of the vengeful spirits in the small fishing village—the river demon had slaughtered the villagers, and their bones remained unburied. His divine sense had been deceived.
This was highly unusual, especially in the Great Yue Dynasty.
His heart pounding, he quickened his pace back to his dormitory at the Sky Observation Tower, closed his eyes, and began to comprehend the Six Ren Palm Technique.
With his aptitude, he had grasped its basics within days, abandoning all other spell research to focus fully on this secret method of fate.
After half a month, his understanding reached perfection.
He began calculations using the imperial method of the Great Yue.
“In the Six Ren, the movement of sun and moon, the palace is fixed by the hour for clarity.”
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“Twelve zodiac signs correspond to the hexagrams; before the horse, six stars determine fortune and misfortune.”
As he calculated, Cao Chengyu’s complexion suddenly turned pale, and he vomited a mouthful of black blood.
“Great misfortune!”
“How could this be!”
The black blood splattered on the floor, sizzling with corrosive sounds. Staring, Cao Chengyu saw that what should have been bright red blood was now wholly necrotic, corrupted by dark energy.
The imperial method was meant to nurture vital energy and the golden dragon of fortune; even if there was backlash, it should be upright and brimming with yang energy.
Such an extreme sign of yin was utterly abnormal.
Had Master Wanxiang never calculated the validity of the imperial method?
No—he certainly knew!
It wasn’t that he hadn’t calculated; since he knew, why did he not stop it? Was he part of this unknown scheme as well?
Cao Chengyu suddenly felt himself enveloped by a vast secret, an overwhelming sense of conspiracy surging in his heart.
“Something’s wrong!”
He had openly exchanged for the Six Ren Palm Technique at the Sky Observation Tower—there would be records. Not much time had passed; the arts of divination were complex, so there was no immediate danger. If he mastered it and was discovered, he would be doomed.
He could not use the methods to mask his fate.
He must find a way to return the Six Ren Palm Technique—no wonder the Great Yue never had legitimate divination arts in circulation. Even the ones kept at the Sky Observation Tower were merely used by Master Wanxiang to test his disciples’ aptitude.
Others must have been curious about divination techniques before and exchanged for the Six Ren. Thinking thus, Cao Chengyu quickly sought out Brother Liu, who had mingled among the White Guards at the Tower for many years, experienced in various tasks and surely more knowledgeable.
Through subtle probing, he learned that indeed, someone had exchanged for the Six Ren Palm Technique before—a senior five years ago had successfully comprehended it but did not join Master Wanxiang’s sect. He died unexpectedly during a demon-slaying mission.
Currently, Master Wanxiang’s disciples numbered seventeen, all of whom had entered his sect only after comprehending the Six Ren from the hidden scripture hall.
The result matched Cao Chengyu’s expectations precisely; his face grew paler.
Yet he dared not reveal his emotions, only feigning calm.
“So only one senior emerged in five years. I thought myself special. Brother Liu, do you have any way to help me?”
“You didn’t exchange—”
“All right, I wondered why Cao brother sought me so suddenly.”
Seeing Cao Chengyu produce a handwritten copy of the Six Ren Palm Technique, Brother Liu was not surprised.
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Instead, he spoke kindly.
“It’s not a big problem. Many colleagues in the Tower are troubled by failing to master difficult techniques they've exchanged for, and so an informal rule has developed for mutual exchanges.”
“The Six Ren is worth two thousand contribution points originally; in an exchange, it’s valued at one thousand. First, such behavior isn't openly permitted; second, it must be kept secret.”
Cao Chengyu frowned.
“It’s not allowed?”
“Of course. Otherwise, everyone would sell techniques and get rich. Spells and cultivation methods can be sold repeatedly.”
“But there’s still humanity here. As long as the exchanged technique was purchased within a year and the cultivator has failed to master it, exchanges are permitted. You haven’t had this one for long, have you?”
“Not at all.”
“Then it’s fine.”
Brother Liu patted his chest in assurance.
“This is a hidden rule known only to veterans. Don’t worry. By the way, what secret art do you want in exchange?”
“Anything that can mask my realm and aura or alter my appearance.”
“All right, leave it to me, Liu Fierce.”
“….”
Only now did Cao Chengyu realize Brother Liu’s name was actually Liu Fierce…
Private exchanges were technically against the rules, but as long as it hadn’t been more than a year, the Tower’s unwritten code allowed it.
Perhaps even some higher-ups participated for profit.
So it wasn’t truly hidden; if anyone wanted to investigate, they could.
Since it could be discovered, Cao Chengyu felt reassured.
He only feared too much secrecy, which would make it harder for the Wanxiang sect to trace. That would be troublesome.
Having resolved the traces, Cao Chengyu pondered a question.
Should he flee?
Leave the Great Yue and seek his fortune in another country.
The Five Elements Sect was a good option, spanning three nations; elsewhere he wouldn’t have to start from scratch.
Immortal Gate City was his ancestral home—he could move his family there.
Luo Yuzhu and Ning Wenjun posed problems. One had been groomed as a core member since childhood, the other had the vast Ning family business she could not abandon.
It would be difficult indeed.
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