Ch1 - A Rare Warmth

Jiang Yinghe rested on the elevated platform listening to the disciple in front of him carry on with his pleasantries that contained a trace of conceit. He slowly massaged his hand, brushing over his fingertips. But his gaze was not affected at all by the other’s words.

This person was supposedly a diamond in the rough, a true son of heaven that came only once in a lifetime. His Zhangmen-shixiong beside him was quite pleased with the young man, and quietly said to him, “Xuan Wei, why don’t you go with this one?”

After hearing those words, Jiang Yinghe swept his eyes past the area below. He made no sound of agreement.

The youth lost his polite yet arrogant air immediately once he saw that Jiang Yinghe was unimpressed. He paled, and quickly left to lick his wounds elsewhere. The other candidates behind him, however, beamed in anticipation and stepped forward eagerly to replace him.

It’s not that Jiang Yinghe doesn’t want to take on a disciple, it’s just that no one could meet his standards. The criteria was not set by him, but by the ‘Ah Jiang’s Shizun System’ that transmigrated over with him a thousand years ago. If he wanted to ever make it home, he needed to do one of two things: either cultivate three outstandingly gifted and successful students or ascend to immortality without using any tricks by his own power.

Originally he thought that the first method would be easier, but here he is a thousand years later. He’s nearly forgotten what Earth was like, and even some of his cultivation peers have passed away. His system, completely uncaring of this, continued to inform him: not talented enough, please do not accept.

The Peng Lai Sect Master helplessly watched as the gifted disciple walked away with an air of disappointment. He glanced at Jiang-shidi’s face that seemed to be as cold as ice and sighed, “Send in the next one.”

Another youth stood below the platform brimming with confidence, listing how much time he took to build his foundation, how long to break through the Divine Spirit stage…… But Jiang Yinghe remained expressionless, and even took an elegant sip of tea.

The body of the tea was a clear emerald colour, brewed with Blessed Jade Dew carefully gathered from spirit springs. The taste was delicately sweet. Jiang Yinghe tasted a mouthful before glancing down.

[Slightly above average. Does not satisfy the criteria.]

The system highlighted its words. He did not need to personally test them because the ‘Little Jiang Shizun System’ seemed to have almost impossibly high standards. He has not met a single young cultivator who could even come close in a thousand years.

The blue porcelain made a crisp sound as it was set down. He looked away without sparing a single glance more, saying dismissively, “Not good enough.”

The youth who has always been praised as a genius felt like he had been slapped by those words. Stunned, he stared at the elder. In the end, he had no choice but to leave, but his eyes followed Xuan Wei Xianjun the entire time.

It was well known that he had not taken a new disciple in some time, and it was expected that he would only accept the cream of the crop. But as two widely acknowledged talents were rejected mercilessly one after the other, the ones who were quietly taking joy in their failure began to panic.

As expected, the next few disciples with a not insignificant amount of potential were similarly sent away. Jiang Yinghe had not even finished his tea by the time they all left.

He placed a single hand around the cup and looked at the scattered foam floating within. He had already given up on this round of selection.

The Sect Master was still hopeful. He leaned over to remind the one beside him, “Jiang-shidi, this last child is the best of the bunch. His mother is Guang Han Palace’s Li Yue Zhenren.”

Jiang Yinghe raised his eyes from his now cold tea. He saw how this youth’s eyes held an unshakeable faith as he bowed to him, seemingly more confident than all the children before him.

“Xuan Wei Xianjun, My name is Cheng Zihan. I built my foundation in only 27 years. Now I have broken past the middle stages of foundation building before 40. My dedication towards the Dao is unshakeable. Please accept me as a disciple!”

Low murmurs and exclamations erupted from below the stage.

“Only 27 years? How could he be that fast?”

“You don’t know? His mother is Li Yue Zheren. What was it again….. Oh! He’s called Hundred Year Genius Cheng Zihan!”

“So impressive ah. He’ll definitely be able to become the Xianjun’s disciple right?”

The discussions were barely above a whisper, but to those with Jiang Yinghe’s level of cultivation it might as well have been said right next to him. He glanced at the other, and was about to open his mouth to reject him out of habit when the system, which has always remained steadfast, suddenly sounded a deafening alarm. It was so loud that the tea in his cup slightly swayed.

[Target located! Assessment result is ‘gifted beyond words’.]

Jiang Yinghe immediately focused. After a short pause, he set aside his tea and rose.

His seated profile was already enough to captivate others, but when he descended the platform no one was able to look away. The audience became flustered.

Peng Lai Sect opened its doors once every ten years to accept new disciples, but this is the first time in a millennium that Xuan Wei Xianjun personally came to collect someone. For a cultivator of the younger generation, this was an unprecedented honour.

Many envious gazes fell on Chen Zihan. They wished that the one standing there was them.

The snowy white outer robe on Jiang Yinghe’s body seemed to billow out as if caught in a light breeze that also gently embraced his inky black hair.

A cold, ephemeral beauty.

Chen Zihan’s heart was almost beating out of his chest, as if it wanted to explode out of sheer joy. In front of him was the only elder at the Weakened Cave stage in the entire Peng Lai sect. He was an idol for many young cultivators, not to mention himself. He was the role model that pushed him to excel beyond his limits, a pillar of his consciousness.

Xuan Wei Xianjun, Jiang Yinghe. He savoured the taste of that name in his mind. When the other voiced his acceptance, an extreme sense of pride tingled as it ran up his spine. Out of all the people here, only I am worthy of being in his eyes.

Jiang Yinghe came to a stop in front of him, but his gaze had already passed by. In a light tone, he said, “Not good enough, leave.”

The youth felt his mind come to a crashing halt as his stomach dropped. All the blood in his body ceased to circulate at this moment.

The audience was not much better off. A shocked silence followed those simple words.

“I……why?” Cheng Zihan asked in a hoarse voice, “Why don’t you want me? I……”

He couldn’t finish his sentence.

Jiang Yinghe had already passed him without hesitation, bringing the cold fragrance that surrounded him away as well, leaving as enigmatically as he had come. He came to the edge of the platform, facing the farthest edge where there were few spectators present.

Jiang Yinghe carefully examined the youth in black clothing. No wonder the system described him as ‘talented beyond words’. He announced, “I don’t want him…… I want you.”

His voice was as light as smoke, but also carried the slight chill of frost and snow. Neither fast nor slow, the next sentence rang out.

“Are you willing to become a disciple of my Xuan Wei school?”

The gaze of the crowd shifted onto the youth, who only now looked towards the stage, lifting his head slowly to reveal a beautifully chiseled face and a pair of blood-red eyes.

At this moment, all the spectators’ mouth dropped open in shock. There was only one person with such demonic eyes in the righteous Peng Lai Immortal sect, and that was the newly accepted Li Huanhan who has a heavenly demon physique.

The last cultivator with a heavenly demon physique was the Xuehe Demon Lord from thousands of years ago who was just steps away from ascension. The reason that Peng Lai sect accepted him was probably just to prevent another terrible scourge from being unleashed unto the world by guiding him onto the righteous path.

How can the Xianjun choose him? How can this kind of person be allowed to be a disciple of Jiang Yinghe?! He’s not worthy!

But despite this Jiang Yinghe was still placidly standing at the edge, as if waiting for the other to reply. And before the youth could do so, the person behind him gave voice to the questions in everyone’s hearts.

“Him? Someone with a heavenly demon physique? Forgive me for being blunt, Jiang Xianjun, but he is unworthy of being your disciple!” Cheng Zihan stepped forward agitated, unable to control the anger in his words, “Xianjun would rather choose a trash like him over me?! There’s no way this disciple can accept that! I came to Peng Lai sect because of your reputation, which cannot be stained by this kind of person! People like him should just go…”

Die. He was unable to utter that last word.

A blanket of silence once again covered the area. Even the sound of a needle falling could be heard.

A completely snow white ice sword was floating in mid air, its bone-chilling edge pressed against Cheng Zihan’s eye. The extreme cold made his eyelashes all freeze over.

The killing intent of one that has trained for a thousand years, even if just for a second, can send shivers down your whole body.

“Whoever this master choses,” Jiang Yinghe stated as he raised his hand to recall the snow sword Wangchen to his personal dimension, “needs not to be justified to others.”

When Wangchen disappeared, the temperature of the surroundings returned to normal. Cheng Zihan had already collapsed as all his muscles failed him. That feeling of being so close to death was not something an unbloodied foundation-building disciple could withstand.

Jiang Yinghe didn’t even look at him any longer. He turned and held out a hand to the black-clothed youth. “Come.”

That pair of blood-red eyes met his like a discreet probe. Finally, under everyone’s gazes, he leaped onto the platform in front of Jiang Yinghe. The entire Xiao You Peak fell into a frozen state.

The cold fragrance continued to linger.

There was another person’s hand on top of Jiang Yinghe’s, bringing with it another person’s warmth. It was something he rarely came into contact with.

He looked on as those distinguishing eyes bore into him with a cold light. A deep but steady voice rang out, “Yes.”

Author’s Corner

System: Do you know which job is the most dangerous for Ah Jiangs?

Jiang Yinghe: …Suddenly I don’t really want to know.