0001 I, a humble man, once lived on the outskirts of Suzhou.

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At the source of the Yellow River, by Zhaling Lake.

Jiang Mingzhe paddled helplessly, feeling the cold pierce him to the bone.

The vast surface of the lake lay smooth as a mirror, without a trace of human presence.

Where was the boat? Where was the pier?

Where was that enormous Ms. Dong of his?

Jiang Mingzhe was on the verge of tears.

After going to great lengths to infiltrate the expedition organized by the famed businesswoman Ms. Dong, he had wheedled and cajoled his way into her favor. At last, he had even encountered a once-in-a-lifetime chance to change his fate—

At the time, Ms. Dong had taken some object to the stern alone, perhaps intending to feed the fish or do something else. In any case, there had been a splash, and the pearl had fallen into the water.

Whoever fished it back up for her would secure a golden rice bowl for the rest of his life!

Jiang Mingzhe had been the first to leap into the water. Unfortunately, his calf had failed him; after swimming only a few yards, it cramped.

By the time he had finally pried the cramp loose, struggled out of his impossibly heavy wet clothes, and surfaced again, he found himself facing the scene before him.

Jiang Mingzhe’s mind was filled with question marks. Fortunately, he was not too far from shore. Summoning every ounce of strength, he thrashed his way through the water and dragged himself onto land with limp hands and feet.

After panting like an ox for a long while, he had just risen to his feet when a shriek rang out.

“Goodness! This person isn’t wearing any clothes! How shameless!”

You’re the one who can’t see clothes—I’m clearly wearing underwear!

Jiang Mingzhe raised his head indignantly. On the grassy slope stood two figures, one tall and one short.

The shorter was a girl of thirteen or fourteen, dressed in a purple robe of antique design that set off her snow-white skin. Her small hands covered her face tightly, though her fingers were spread wide apart, and her bright black eyes rolled about mischievously.

The taller was an extraordinary-looking old man. His long beard and hair were white as silver, yet his face was smooth and rosy, like that of a baby.

He had a strong, upright build and wore a crane-feather cloak. A feather fan waved in his hand, and his expression was filled with disdainful arrogance.

Their attire was steeped in antiquity, but traditional fashion was enjoying a revival these days, so Jiang Mingzhe thought little of it.

He put on a smile and was just about to ask what had happened when the girl hopped happily.

“Master, Master! This shameless man dared trespass into our Star Lodge Sect. Shall we poison him to death?”

Her voice was soft and sweet, her tone delighted and carefree.

It was like a child catching a butterfly and cheerfully tearing off its wings—a naïve, innocent sort of cruelty.

The old man gave an evil chuckle. “Heh heh. Little Azi is right. Let’s use him to test the Soul-Scorching, Spirit-Refining Flame I’ve newly concocted!”

With a flick of his feather fan, a sinister, ghostly green flame appeared from thin air and floated before his chest.

The old man pursed his lips and blew. With a whoosh, the green flame wavered and drifted toward Jiang Mingzhe.

Wherever it passed, the air twisted into bizarre ripples, while the waist-high weeds on the ground rapidly withered.

What was this? A fireball spell?

No!

What had he just called that girl? And what had he said Jiang Mingzhe had trespassed into?

A thunderbolt seemed to explode in Jiang Mingzhe’s mind.

Little Azi!

The Star Lodge Sect!

H-Had he somehow arrived in the world of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils?

Right—the source of the Yellow River…

Could this be the Star Sea, the stronghold of the old monster Ding Chunqiu?

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Then the white-haired, youthful-faced old man was the merciless Old Monster Ding?

In the instant he lost focus, the green flame had already reached within six feet of him.

To please a major client who was obsessed with martial-arts fiction, Jiang Mingzhe had once read through all of Master Jin’s works. He had been especially impressed by the Star Lodge Sect’s bewildering variety of poisonous arts.

If that green flame touched him, he feared death would be the least of his worries. It would be an agonizing death.

Jiang Mingzhe’s heart pounded like a war drum, and every hair on his body stood erect. He wanted to beg for mercy, but then remembered Ding Chunqiu’s cruelty and venom. Begging would likely be useless—and the man was also vain and boastful…

Vain and boastful!

Jiang Mingzhe’s eyes lit up, as if he had seized a lifeline. Without time to think further, he immediately forced his face into an expression of ecstatic joy and shock.

“Oh! You really are an immortal! I’ve finally found an immortal!”

The green flame slowed.

There was a chance!

Jiang Mingzhe felt a surge of delight.

As the youngest sales director in his industry, Jiang Mingzhe knew perfectly well that sales were a contest in human nature. Only by understanding human nature could one command results.

He blinked, his eyes shining with a blend of astonishment and reverence.

“Your humble servant pays respects to the Immortal Venerable!”

With a loud cry, Jiang Mingzhe dropped to both knees, clasped his hands, and began pouring out a torrent of flattery.

“May the Immortal Venerable enjoy boundless blessings and live as long as Heaven itself! Immortal Venerable, your humble servant has spent years painstakingly seeking the path to immortality, and at last—at last—I’ve found you!”

His face was filled with joy and admiration, but humiliation and fury churned within him.

As a salesman, smiling obsequiously and speaking pleasant words had long been routine. But if anyone dared make him kneel, he would absolutely slap that person across the face with the sole of his shoe.

But for the moment, circumstances were stronger than the man.

Failing to sign a contract meant only earning less money. But if he could not deal with Ding Chunqiu, his life would be snuffed out in an instant.

So be it! Since he was acting, he might as well commit to the role.

Jiang Mingzhe consoled himself endlessly: Even if he had truly come to ancient times, didn’t ordinary people still kneel and bow when burning incense at a temple in the modern world?

Besides, his kneeling was not entirely meant to please and flatter.

Once he knelt, his body was shorter, creating a little more distance from the green flame. If Ding Chunqiu refused to stop, Jiang Mingzhe could roll backward and escape into the lake.

“Heh heh heh heh.”

Ding Chunqiu was delighted by the title “Immortal Venerable.” He secretly mused that it suited his identity perfectly. Why had he never thought of it before?

The boy’s words were exceedingly pleasing to his ears. With a low chuckle, the green flame ceased moving and hovered just inches before Jiang Mingzhe.

“Seeking immortality?” Ding Chunqiu lightly fanned himself, radiating self-satisfaction. “With a mortal body, how could you see that… this venerable one is an immortal?”

He found the title “Immortal Venerable” so grand that he immediately and shamelessly began referring to himself as “this venerable one.”

Jiang Mingzhe lifted his head, his gaze growing ever more devout and resolute.

“Immortal Venerable, your humble servant was born beside the city of Suzhou. My family had both a house and fields, and our life was endlessly happy…”

“Oh?” Ding Chunqiu’s eyes brightened with surprise. “You’re from Suzhou?”

Jiang Mingzhe shook his head. “To speak precisely, my ancestral home is Qufu in Shandong. It was only in my grandfather’s generation that our family moved to Suzhou.”

He carefully chose his words, trying to make himself sound as much like an ancient man as possible. He had deliberately used the dialect of Shandong in that last sentence.

His clients came from all corners of the country, and he had once made a point of learning numerous regional dialects. At this moment, that effort was proving invaluable.

He vaguely remembered that Ding Chunqiu himself was from Qufu.

And the adopted daughter Ding Chunqiu had raised—Wang Madam, the mother of Wang Yuyan—lived at Mandala Manor on Lake Tai near Gusu.

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“Your ancestral home is Shandong, and you moved to Suzhou?”

Ding Chunqiu did indeed show interest, and his expression softened.

“Then you and this venerable one share a certain affinity…”

Travel had been difficult in ancient times, and attachment to one’s homeland ran especially deep. The Star Sea lay in a remote corner of Qinghai; if Ding Chunqiu did not travel to the Central Plains, he might go decades without hearing the accent of his native land.

His murderous intent diminished greatly. With a wave of his hand, the green flame shot back at a speed too fast to follow.

He covered it with his feather fan, and the blazing light vanished completely. No one knew where he had stored it.

Jiang Mingzhe hurriedly widened his eyes and muttered under his breath, “Immortal arts! They truly are immortal arts!”

Ding Chunqiu smiled smugly and asked as he waved his fan, “The sages spoke little of strange forces and spirits. Since you are a son of the land of sages, you ought to study diligently. How did you come to seek immortality and pursue the Dao?”

“Immortal Venerable,” Jiang Mingzhe replied, his expression still respectful, though a trace of sorrow appeared in his eyes.

“Alas, it is said that a son may wish to support his parents, yet they are no longer there. Before your humble servant could fulfill his filial duty, my parents passed away during an epidemic. In my grief, I conceived a thought: I would learn the arts of immortals, descend into the underworld, and ask the King of Hell to arrange for my parents to be reborn into wealthy families. That way, their efforts in raising me would not be in vain. Thus I vowed to travel across every famous mountain and great river, seeking a true immortal from whom I might learn the Dao.”

Jiang Mingzhe had not invented those words at random.

In his view, when Ding Chunqiu later traveled to the Central Plains, accepting so many useless clowns and fools as disciples, it was not merely to flaunt his power and create an impressive spectacle. Perhaps he also enjoyed a lively, crowded environment.

After all, the old monster was no longer young. No matter how wild and wicked a man might have been in his youth, advancing in years inevitably brought thoughts of a household filled with children and grandchildren.

Unfortunately, Ding Chunqiu had no sons. He could only gather a large group of disciples to create the illusion of a bustling family, pretending to be attended by a host of filial sons and grandsons.

Therefore, Jiang Mingzhe’s motive for seeking immortality absolutely could not be the pursuit of eternal life or freedom. It had to be rooted in simple, sincere filial devotion.

After hearing him out, Ding Chunqiu gave a soft sigh, as if deeply moved.

“Of all virtues, filial piety comes first. To possess such thoughts, you are indeed worthy of being a youth from the land of sages. Your parents, beneath the Nine Springs, may rest with smiles on their faces.”

He tilted his head toward the sky and sighed repeatedly, seeming rather envious that someone else had raised such a filial son.

Azi watched from the side, secretly astonished.

She was as lovely as carved jade and snow, and her clever nature had always made her a favorite of Ding Chunqiu’s. She was often allowed to accompany him, yet she had never seen him treat anyone with such warmth.

She was a little jealous.

Azi glared resentfully at Jiang Mingzhe.

Jiang Mingzhe, however, noticed her mischief at once. He winked at her and gave her a gentle smile.

The Star Lodge Sect had countless male disciples, old and young alike. They smiled from time to time, but their smiles were usually wild, ferocious, sinister, lecherous, malicious, sly, or false…

A radiant, sunny smile like Jiang Mingzhe’s was something Azi had never seen before.

Though Azi’s nature was somewhat unruly, she was still a girl in the first bloom of youth. Astonishment flashed through her, her heart suddenly quickened, and blood rushed involuntarily to her cheeks.

The sensation was utterly unfamiliar to her. Embarrassed, she grew angry at once.

Her heart was racing and her face was flushed. If anyone noticed, wouldn’t they think her weak and easy to bully?

Within the Star Lodge Sect, weakness was the greatest sin.

Feeling that she had suffered a tremendous loss of face, Azi hurriedly put on what she imagined was a fierce expression. She wrinkled her nose and bared a row of small white teeth, looking like an angry puppy.

Jiang Mingzhe did not dare provoke her further. He quickly adopted a faintly frightened expression and turned his gaze away.

Only then did Azi let out a quiet breath, feeling somewhat reassured.

She secretly wondered, “My senior brothers say only good people can laugh so cheerfully, without a care in the world. Could this person actually be a good man? If Master took him as a disciple, wouldn’t that mean I could bully him whenever I pleased? Good people are meant to be bullied!”

At that moment, Ding Chunqiu seemed to come back to himself. He fixed his gaze on Jiang Mingzhe.

“Since you wish to seek immortality, you should have gone to Mount Tai, Mount Mao, Mount Laoshan, or Mount Longhu. Why did you travel thousands of miles to come here?”

When Ding Chunqiu asked this, his smile was faint, as though it were merely a casual question.

But Jiang Mingzhe was exceptionally skilled at reading expressions. He immediately detected a hidden glint of coldness deep in the old man’s eyes.