Immortal of the Nine Realms

The guards exchanged glances, their expressions shifting to a more cautious demeanor. One of them quietly asked, “And how do you know the young master?”

“We’re old friends.”

The guards regarded each other, their eyes reflecting a hint of disdain. They had spent enough time at the Corrosive Dragon King's estate to recognize freeloaders who sought to leverage their connections. They recalled a time when one of the young masters had just been adopted by the Corrosive Dragon King, and nearly his entire family had moved in, practically elevating their status overnight.

One guard finally said, “Please wait here. We will need to inform the young master. If he wishes to meet, we will let you in; if not, we hope you will not hold it against us.”

“Of course, I appreciate your help,” Fang Chen replied, smiling and stepping to the side to wait.

As he stood there, the guards occasionally glanced at him, whispering among themselves, clearly discussing his condition.

As time passed, Fang Chen felt a majestic intent descending. An invisible wave of 'will' emanated from him, radiating outward in all directions. The guards, unknowingly enveloped by this subtle influence, felt a strange sensation wash over them.

“Ugh, I suddenly miss home,” Fang Chen mused, his thoughts drifting back over the two hundred years since he had last been in his small village.

He wondered if it still existed, or if the passage of time had erased it from this world.

The guards, influenced by him, grew a little emotional. One of them, perhaps feeling a twinge of nostalgia himself, remarked, “It’s easy to forget home when we’re so deep in our duties. Time does fly by, doesn’t it?”

Just then, one of the guards stepped away, presumably to relay Fang Chen’s presence to Xia Ji. The atmosphere grew slightly more relaxed as they engaged in small talk, sharing their thoughts about the families they had left behind and the places they once knew.

As the three guards engaged in their conversation, Fang Chen quietly absorbed their words, reflecting on the underlying sorrow and struggles of those who pursued the path of cultivation.

The first guard’s voice was thick with emotion. “We devote our lives to cultivation, but what do we truly gain? I left my family behind at thirteen, and by the time I returned, my parents had long since passed. No one was there to send them off… Was it worth it?”

His eyes glistened with unshed tears, revealing the pain of a life spent in pursuit of a goal that had left him alone.

The second guard interjected, his tone both resigned and accepting, “Isn’t it for longevity we seek? At least you had your parents. I was born without any family. I spent sixteen years begging on the streets until my master took me in and introduced me to this world. Otherwise, I would still be wandering without a place to call home.”

The third guard shook his head. “My master only ever wished to reach the Foundation Building Realm. Yet, as a loose cultivator, he never obtained the right medicine. In the end, he sat down to rest forever. If he were alive today, with my current skills, I could ensure he lived in comfort without worrying about resources.”

He chuckled bitterly, as if trying to lighten the mood, but the sadness in his eyes remained. “It’s all about fate, isn’t it? You had a rough start, but I faced my own challenges. My family once produced a Profound Immortal, but by the time I was born, we had fallen into decline. Now, I’m just another attendant in the Corrosive Dragon King Manor, like the rest of you, serving a young master and living as a mere footman.”

As he spoke, a sense of camaraderie emerged among them, despite their circumstances. “Cultivation is about defying fate. You seek longevity, or perhaps peace, while some seek a carefree life. Some might wish to become tyrants or walk a darker path. Ultimately, cultivation grants us the choice of our fate.”

Fang Chen listened attentively, realizing the depth of their experiences and the common thread that connected them. The yearning for agency in a world that often felt predetermined. He felt a surge of empathy for their struggles and resilience.

Though they were meant to be discreet, the guards seemed to have forgotten their surroundings, lost in their reflections and the bond forged through shared hardship. Fang Chen admired their honesty and vulnerability, realizing that beneath their roles as guards lay human beings with hopes and regrets, just like himself.

“Choosing our fate…”

Fang Chen pondered over this phrase, and unknowingly, a wisp of immortal intent within him began to flourish.

Suddenly, a snort came from behind. “Who told you to stand around here chatting?”

Fang Chen's mind stirred, and the surrounding immortal intent gradually receded like a tide back into his body.

The few guards were momentarily taken aback, unable to savor the sudden mindset they had just slipped into. However, they quickly snapped out of it and bowed to the middle-aged man in the peach-colored robe. “Greetings, Steward Jiang.”

Steward Jiang, pinching his fingers in a disdainful manner, cast a glance at the three guards. “Hmph.”

He shifted his gaze to Fang Chen, revealing a judgmental look.

The assessment lasted a full five breaths. After five breaths, he casually remarked, “I heard you claim to be a close acquaintance of Young Master Xia Ji? I don’t think Young Master Xia would associate with someone like you, a person with such a defect. If you want to climb the social ladder, you might as well go away; don’t loiter here.”

The guards exchanged glances, hesitant to speak. Steward Jiang's background was unusual. Compared to Young Master Xia, they were actually more afraid of offending him.

“Have you sent a message?” Fang Chen asked casually.

Steward Jiang looked surprised to see Fang Chen talking back. “Huh?”

He placed one hand on his waist and pointed at Fang Chen with the other. “Didn’t I tell you to beat it? Do you need me to have someone throw you out for you to understand?”

Fang Chen smiled. “You just need to send a message to Young Master Xia, who is in the residence.”

“The young master isn’t home; he has gone out. Enough with your wishful thinking. Even if he were here, you wouldn’t get to meet him. I absolutely hate people like you who try to ride on others' coattails, thinking you can just come here and eat for free when you’re so useless.”

Steward Jiang wore a mocking expression.

The guards exchanged glances, secretly resenting him. If they were to talk about people climbing the social ladder, wasn’t he just one of them?

“You're in charge here, right? Young Master Xia is your master, isn’t he? From how you’re acting, your young master probably isn’t living too well,” said Fang Chen, chuckling as he slowly walked toward the residence.

A faint immortal intent began to envelop him.

From the others’ perspective, Fang Chen had disappeared without a trace after a brief blur.

With that, Fang Chen swaggered into the residence.

He encountered some servants along the way, but they acted as if they didn’t see him at all.

Fang Chen seemed to have completely lost his presence.

Steward Jiang didn’t realize that Fang Chen had already entered the residence and coldly sneered at the guards. “Keep a good eye on the gate. Don’t let just anyone loiter around here. If anyone comes to cozy up to Young Master Xia again, just drive them away directly. Don’t call on me to intervene again; understand?”

“Well… Steward Jiang, what if he really is the young master’s friend? If we don’t report it and the young master finds out, he will surely be furious, and we can’t bear that…” one of the guards said with a bitter smile.

Smack!

Steward Jiang retracted his hand and looked at the stunned guard. “Now you understand what to do, don’t you? You can’t afford to offend the young master, but you also can’t afford to offend me. Hmph!”

With a light snort, he swayed his waist like a water snake and turned back into the residence, gradually disappearing from the view of the guards.

The guard who had been slapped turned red in the face, anger bubbling in his eyes, but fortunately, the others stepped in to calm him down.

“Don’t be upset; that’s just how Steward Jiang is. After all, he’s part of the prince’s family. Even the various young masters have to show him some respect. Us lowly servants getting slapped once or twice is nothing. Just think of it as being bitten by a mosquito.”

“I’d rather think of it as being bitten by a dog.”

“Right, that’s the way to think about it. Speaking of which, did any of you feel something was off just now? Why did we suddenly start reminiscing about the past?”

“Yeah, it was a bit strange. I found myself recalling old memories too. It’s odd; before, all I thought about was how to climb higher, so why would I think of the past?”

“Well… it’s not a bad thing. I feel like I’ve come to understand some things. Maybe soon my cultivation will make some progress….”

***

Fang Chen walked into a courtyard and saw two figures sitting side by side, occasionally tossing food into the lake, attracting a large group of black dragon fish that fought to get it.

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