Chapter 725: Wenyuan

When Chen Zhengye learned of the matter, his first reaction was to immediately send someone to the Pu family’s bank in Suishuo City.

Pu Jinsheng was now the manager of the newly opened Pu family bank in Suishuo City.

The Pu family had owned no businesses in Suishuo City before. They had opened this bank purely to win the Chen family over.

When Pu Jinsheng heard that an Immortal Master from the Kongshan Sect had come to the Chen family, hoping to take Chen Yan as a disciple, his response was direct:

They absolutely could not miss this opportunity!

Not going to the Kongshan Sect would be idiotic!

Utterly idiotic!

Chen Zhengye was completely baffled by Pu Jinsheng’s reaction. As nothing more than a cloth merchant, he knew absolutely nothing about the so-called cultivation world’s power structure.

Even when Pu Jinsheng explained that even an obscure inner disciple of the Kongshan Sect would be treated as an honored guest by any cultivation sect, Chen Zhengye still couldn’t understand what kind of colossal force the Kongshan Sect really was.

But Chen Zhengye trusted Pu Jinsheng.

After all, the reason the Chen family had become Suishuo City’s largest cloth merchant, and had even begun extending its influence to several neighboring towns, was entirely thanks to the support of the Pu family of Yiyang.

Chen Zhengye agreed to the white-robed old man’s request without even asking Chen Yan what he thought.

Of course, Chen Yan himself was more than willing.

Ever since learning two years ago that cultivators existed in this world, embarking on the path of immortality had been his long-cherished dream.

Now, it was finally about to come true.

For an ordinary person, the journey from Suishuo City to Wenyuan Mountain took roughly three months on foot.

Chen Yan stumbled along behind the white-robed old man in front of him. His mouth was parched, and he licked his dry lips before looking up at the elder, who had already hurried along for dozens of li without stopping, yet still moved as leisurely as if out for a stroll.

“Senior!”

Chen Yan couldn’t help calling out.

“What is it?”

The white-robed old man in front replied without turning his head.

“May I ask, Senior, can’t cultivators fly?”

The breathless young Chen Yan asked.

“Of course they can. However, a cultivator must have reached at least the Qi Sea Realm to fly through the air.”

The old man answered.

“Then may I ask what realm you’re at, Senior?”

“Me?”

The old man striding along ahead slowed for a moment, then replied with a hint of pride:

“My current cultivation is far beyond the Qi Sea Realm.”

“Then why don’t you take this junior and fly us straight back to the sect?”

Chen Yan pressed on.

“Don’t you want to take a good look at the beautiful scenery of the Qingque Kingdom?”

The white-robed old man said unhurriedly.

I couldn’t care less about the scenery. I’m about to drop dead from exhaustion, you old geezer.

Chen Yan grumbled to himself, though he would never dare say those words out loud.

“This junior would rather hurry back to the sect with you, Senior, and begin the path of immortality.”

Chen Yan said.

“What’s the rush?”

The white-robed old man stopped, then slowly turned around and looked at the seven-year-old Chen Yan behind him with a faint, knowing smile.

“You’re still a little one, yet you speak like a much older person.”

At those words, Chen Yan’s mind went completely blank. His heartbeat quickened, and a thin film of sweat appeared on his palms.

He wasn’t the least bit scheming.

Before transmigrating, Chen Yan had been nothing more than a college graduate who had only recently started working.

He did read fantasy novels in his spare time, and often complained that the protagonists in them were stupid. But that was only because he could look down from an all-knowing perspective and criticize their every move.

In reality, he couldn’t even navigate the workplace at a small company with any ease.

Never mind dealing with an old monster who might have lived for who knew how many years.

Every movement, every word, every expression of Chen Yan’s was riddled with flaws.

What should he do?

Was his identity as a transmigrator about to be exposed?

Could it be that from the beginning, this old man had never intended to take him back to that so-called Kongshan Sect to cultivate, but instead wanted to capture him for study, or simply kill him to cover everything up?

Chen Yan’s thoughts were a complete mess.

The silence lasted only a few breaths, but to Chen Yan, it felt almost like an eternity.

“I’ll just assume you’re a naturally gifted little one.”

The old man merely smiled meaningfully as he left Chen Yan with those words.

His remark set Chen Yan’s mind racing with all sorts of possibilities.

Perhaps the old man already knew his secret.

But he hadn’t called him out. Could it be that he was impressed by Chen Yan’s cultivation talent and wanted to invest in him, just like the Pu family of Yiyang City?

Of course, there were darker possibilities too. Perhaps the old man was waiting for a better moment to possess him or refine him into a pill...

Still knowing next to nothing about this world, Chen Yan let his imagination run wild.

But the encounter had also made one thing clear to him.

Too many words could lead to trouble. If he wanted to stay alive, he had to be careful about what he said and did.

For the rest of the journey, Chen Yan did his best to stay silent. He quietly followed the white-robed old man toward the Kongshan Sect.

Then, one day more than half a month later, while the two of them were camping outdoors, the old man struck up a conversation with Chen Yan.

“So, Senior, you came to Suishuo City just to find me?”

Chen Yan asked.

“That’s right.”

The white-robed old man nodded frankly. The firelight before him cast a ruddy glow over his robes and beard.

“But why?”

Chen Yan continued.

“What do you think?”

The white-robed old man asked in return.

“Because... of my talent?”

After pretending to ponder for a moment, Chen Yan answered.

“That’s one of the reasons.”

The old man nodded.

“You mean there are other reasons too, Senior?”

Chen Yan pressed.

“That’s right.”

The old man replied.

“Can you tell me what they are?”

Chen Yan continued.

“Fate. Your fate has brought this about.”

The white-robed old man answered:

“Or you could say it was Heaven’s will.”

The answer from the white-robed old man left Chen Yan somewhat bewildered.

Heaven’s will?

Chen Yan still had countless questions, but when he saw the white-robed old man gently close his eyes, showing no intention of paying him any mind, he could only let the matter drop.

......

Three months had passed since they set out from Suishuo City.

After they arrived at Wenyuan Mountain, the old man who had brought Chen Yan to the Kongshan Sect disappeared without a trace.

Chen Yan, meanwhile, became an outer sect disciple of the Kongshan Sect.

And in the courtyard where his residence stood, in the neighboring disciple’s quarters—

“Greetings, Senior Brother.”

A little girl who looked even younger than him greeted him timidly.