Chapter 3: Taoist Temple

Li Ye gestured with his hand, and the guard reluctantly backed down.

These nobles of the Imperial Clan didn't bother him at all. Being a Grand Cultivator, cultivators in the Qi-refining Stage were like ants in his eyes. They weren't worth his attention.

He might not have lost his cultivation, but not his finely honed mental discipline.

"Heir Apparent!" The face the guard next to him reddened after seeing that Li Ye was ignoring the nobles. "These people are too much!"

Li Ye glanced at the guard and said dully, "It's no problem. When I return from the Tai Xuan Summit, they'll discover who the joke is on."

The armored guard stared blankly at him, not knowing what to say. His words were reasonable, but for them to be true, Li Ye must obtain the Immortal's Fate on the Tai Xuan Summit.

Though the words of the nobles were incredibly displeasing to her ears, they were not unreasonable. How could the Taoist's Luck and the Immortal's Fate be so easily obtainable? How could Li Ye make it without the ability to cultivate?

The young guard didn't dare to hope.

Li Ye took in the guard's expression and knew what she guard was thinking.

The guard wasn't the only one. The rest of Prince An's manor had the same thought. Even though they weren't explicit in their feelings, it was easy for Li Ye to see the disbelief in their eyes.

Most practitioners of Qi techniques at Prince An's Manor had left long ago. Only the guards belonging to the manor remained, unable to leave.

However, these soldiers were no longer loyal to Li Ye. They were probably thinking about what their new master would be like.

Thinking of this, Li Ye cast his gaze on the armored guard at his side. As a transmigrator, he knew this guard was nothing but loyal to him and smirked knowingly.

When they reached the territory of the Cloud-engulfing Mountain, they turned onto a mountain road. It was narrow and rugged, preventing them from continuing on their horses, so they started walking.

Fresh trees and flowers were abound in the height of springtime, green blanketing the entire mountain. Li Ye led the black-robed, black-armored guards of Prince An's Manor along the winding mountain road. The hundred-strong troop wound up the mountain like a snake. The sounds of armored footsteps beating in time echoed through the pass.

The well-trained guards of Prince An's Manor were another thing that Prince An left for Li Ye. Though not powerful Qi-practitioners, they were elite soldiers. The leader of the guard, especially so.

Those beneath the Qi-refining Stage were ordinary martial artists. Martial artists were divided into stages of Warrior Knight, Warrior Master, and Warrior Mentor. A Warrior Knight could fight a tiger, a Warrior Master could fight 10 enemies in a war, while a Warrior Mentor could become a courageous general on the battlefield.

The journey was supposed to take three days, but with the soldiers in the peak of physical condition, it only took two. After sunset on the second day, everyone set up camp on the nearest level ground they could find to the top of the mountain.

While Li Ye was enjoying the view from an elevated position, the guards were cooking and pitching their tents. Even though they weren't loud, the mood was quite boisterous.

Before long, a yurt was erected for Li Ye. When it was time to eat, the leader of the guard brought him a piping hot meal.

"Travel food has to be simple and easy. I'll have to ask Heir Apparent to make do with this..." she said somewhat guiltily when she presented the food.

Li Ye glanced at her before smiling. "I'm not the Heir Apparent who lives like a prince anymore."

Initially confused, she soon realized what he meant. He was saying that he couldn't inherit Prince An's title and, thus, wouldn't be making extravagant demands.

"Heir Apparent..." She bit her lips and looked at him with determination in her eyes. "Even if you're in a poor situation, you can't be unduly humble!"

Li Ye gave her a meaningful look without replying.

She had a particularly fair face. Rather than simply pale, hers was a bewitching and beautiful fairness, standing in stark contrast with her dark red lips. If her fairness was bewitching, then her lips were enchanting, and her striking eyes completed the picture.

Her name was Shangguan Qingcheng. Her ancestors had been high-ranking officers of the Army of Inspired Strategy for generations. This was their 19th generation, but there were no sons.

Her father had followed Prince An to war for many years and was Li Xian's trusted aide. Several years ago, he died on the battlefield when Li Xian ambushed the Nanzhao Kingdom after they encroached the border. Li Xian felt immense guilt over his death and had given Shangguan Qingcheng an official post in his manor.

Even though Shangguan Qingcheng was a woman, Li Ye didn't look down on her. In this world, power was paramount. There were female officials in court and female disciples in the Immortal sects. Moreover, Shangguan Qingcheng was a Warrior Master.

Seeing how reticent Li Ye was, Shangguan Qingcheng excused herself and walked out of the yurt, sitting with a group of guards for her meal.

"General Shangguan, will Heir Apparent really be able to obtain the Taoist's Luck and become a cultivator after going to the Tai Xuan Summit?" one of the guards asked hesitantly.

"Whether or not Heir Apparent can obtain the Taoist's Luck is his business. What right do you and I have to comment on it?" Shangguan Qingcheng replied coolly.

The guard hemmed and hawed before saying, "What I mean is that Heir Apparent has already come of age, yet is still unable to cultivate. Moreover, he hasn't been able to inherit Prince An's title either. If he can't obtain the Taoist's Luck and fails to become a cultivator, I fear he'll be unable to make a comeback... perhaps it’s time to begin thinking of our own futures. Why don't you take us away from Prince An's Manor, General Shangguan?"

"Shut up!" Shangguan Qingcheng flew into a rage. "If you continue spouting nonsense again and disrupting morale, I'll punish you to the full extent of the law!"

The guard scrunched his neck, not daring to speak anymore.

Early the next morning, they broke camp and continued their journey.

Tai Xuan Summit was the main peak of the Cloud-engulfing Mountain. The closer they got to their destination, the more precipitous the road became. The guards of Prince An's Manor were dripping with sweat under the weight of their armor.

Li Ye sensed something. He looked up and saw a house on the mountain peak. It had yellow roof tiles lined with flying cornices. The design was plain, like an iron writing brush with a golden hook. The pressure it emitted was as heavy as a mountain. Moreover, its location on a summit lent it an aloof air.

There was a Taoist monastery on the Tai Xuan Summit. The monastery had only one hall and two buildings and was manned by three Taoist priests, but it had a strong reputation. After all, it was a place where Yuan Tiangang left his vestige behind.

Li Ye arrived at the summit around noontime. He left half of his guards at the foot of the mountain, bringing only Shangguang Qingcheng and a few other familiar faces with him to the monastery.

The door to the monastery was open to welcome the party in.

The priest at the door appeared to be expecting them. He had a long, wind-swept beard, upright bearing, and calm manner of speaking. Behind him were two young priests in their twenties, wearing tranquil expressions.

Cut off from the rest of the world, these three looked exactly like the Taoist Immortals described in legends.

Li Ye felt not even the slightest bit of fear or respect.

These priests had received Li Yao's order to set up the Xiaoxuan Formation inside the main hall of the monastery, inflicting severe injuries on Li Ye and causing him to lose his jade medallion. These weren’t Immortals — merely corrupt men.

The bearded priest brought Li Ye to the main hall, stopping outside the steps at the entrance. He pointed to the stele inside the hall and said, "Heir Apparent wishes to comprehend the Taoist scripture.” He then gave Li Ye what was meant to be a profound look. "Only fated people can comprehend Celestial Master Yuan's scripture. If fateless people set foot on the stone steps, I'm afraid they'll provoke the prohibition formation and evoke backlash, which would be a catastrophe."

He gave Li Ye a look that advised caution before swiftly retreating to the next room with the other two priests and sitting cross-legged on a prayer mat. They looked as if they wouldn't interfere with this matter, but they were really waiting to watch the fireworks.

"Heir Apparent..." Out of concern, Shangguan Qingcheng couldn't stop herself from taking a step forward. She was hesitant to say what was on her mind and couldn’t seem to find the appropriate words.

Li Ye couldn’t cultivate. How could he have Immortal's Fate and Taoist's Luck, when most cultivators did not?

Her concern deepened after hearing the priest's words. If he was right, it was impossible for Li Ye to walk on those stone steps without incurring backlash. It was asking for trouble.

However, she couldn't bring herself to stop him. More than anyone, she wanted to see Li Ye obtain the Taoist's Luck. Besides, he’s already come all this way; surely he wouldn’t give up when the scripture was right in front of him.

Instead, Shangguan Qingcheng turned her head to glare at the eldest priest. "Priest, you must explain yourself. What do you mean by fated people and non-fated people?"

"Fated people are fated, and non-fated people are non-fated. I haven't even achieved the Qi-refining Stage — how would I be able to comprehend things like Immortal's Fate and Taoist's Luck?" the priest replied indifferently. He closed his eyes, as if he was beyond mortal affairs.

Shangguan Qingcheng nearly choked with anger. She ground her teeth, wanting nothing more than to skewer him with her saber.

Li Ye said serenely, "General Shangguan, you don't have to engage with him. I have my ways."

When her eyes met Li Ye’s, Shangguan Qingcheng was speechless. There was supreme confidence in that gaze, like she’d never seen before. It was like he was a king encountering small flies and could cause his enemies to crumble into dust with a flick of his sleeves.

His imposing manner befuddled Shangguan Qingcheng. She didn't know where he found such confidence.

Meanwhile, the bearded priest triggered the message-transmitting jade bamboo slips hidden inside his sleeves. He said telepathically, "Li Ye has arrived at Tai Xuan Hall. The Xiaoxuan Formation is activated."

At Duke Xing's Manor in Chang'an City a hundred miles away, Li Yao was playing chess when the message came through. His heart skipped a beat, and he couldn’t help beaming.

All his planning was about to pay off.