Chapter Thirteen: The Trial of Tianmu (1)

That day, after parting ways with Weiyu, Huasheng’s mind was haunted by her figure. The way Weiyu had appeared that evening was deeply worrying. Huasheng even wondered if she might be suffering from some incurable illness. But then he reminded himself: with the medical arts of Saint Pingning, even bringing the dead back to life was not out of the question. Moreover, Weiyu was no ordinary girl—how could she possibly be afflicted by an untreatable malady?

What had truly happened? And what did she mean when she told him, "Because of what you said, the course of our story may change." Was she speaking of their future? For him, that notion seemed distant and almost impossible to imagine. In any case, such words and scenes should not have surfaced at that particular moment.

Looking back on that night, Huasheng realized that his words could easily have been interpreted as a confession. That day should have been perfect—everything was as it ought to be, until Tianjizi appeared. Only after encountering Tianjizi did Huasheng realize how little he understood about the girl beside him.

After the Lantern Festival at the Pear Garden, he felt that he and Weiyu had drawn closer. Yet, in the blink of an eye, she seemed to become shrouded in secrets once more. What was she hiding from him? Was her behavior that night somehow related to Tianjizi? Was she afraid of him, or merely wary?

Or had something Huasheng said frightened her? But that made no sense—what he had spoken was the simplest of things. The more he pondered, the more muddled his thoughts became.

In the dreamlike world of Saint Pingning, Huasheng knew he was nothing more than a mediocre mortal, his magical abilities so unremarkable as to be negligible. As Tianjizi had said, he was as insignificant as an ant—a mere nobody whom most disciples at the Institute could crush with a flick of a finger.

Before coming here, he had been an ordinary person, at the very lowest rung of society. He had no powerful or influential parents—in fact, not even ordinary ones.

But Weiyu? Huasheng couldn't begin to fathom the limits of her abilities. Within the Institute, she was outstanding among disciples. Not only that, but she possessed a beauty that seemed almost celestial. Though he had only met her once, she had shown him undeniable kindness.

Huasheng couldn’t help but feel uncertain—he was acutely aware of the gulf between himself and Weiyu, a gap so wide that no one needed to point it out. It was no wonder that Tianjizi, after a single meeting, had looked upon him with such severity, his unspoken meaning clear: the further you stay from Weiyu, the better.

Compared to himself, Tianjizi was clearly the better match for Weiyu—in appearance, status, and reputation within the Institute. The Immortal and Spirit clans, conveniently enough, held the positions of chief and deputy registrar of the Disciples’ Council; a pairing seemingly destined by heaven, worthy of the admiration and envy of all.

Perhaps they were already close—after all, Huasheng had only just come to know Weiyu. It was no wonder Tianjizi had seemed so displeased that night, his anger laced with personal sentiment. In such matters, young hearts are especially sensitive.

But what did Weiyu truly think? In Huasheng’s mind appeared a cascade of silver hair, a face youthful yet radiant with spiritual light—and, alongside that, the image of her leaning weakly against his shoulder.

He almost felt it was an illusion, as if he had known her long before, or had seen her somewhere in the past.

It was understandable—he had been at the Institute for some time, and it wasn’t impossible that their paths had crossed before. Perhaps, before he set fire to the Pavilion of Longing, he had already encountered Weiyu, her image buried deeply in his subconscious.

The past could not be verified, and Weiyu was unwilling to confide in him about what had frightened her that night. The present, however, was clear: Tianjizi was the wall of sighs standing between him and Weiyu.

From Weiyu’s behavior that night, it was clear she did not treat Tianjizi as an ordinary acquaintance. Regardless of whether her magical skills matched his, Tianjizi’s innate "Supreme Fortune" alone would be enough to make her hesitate to stand against him.

Or perhaps Weiyu simply did not want to break ties with him. Huasheng’s mind was a tangled mess, growing more restless the more he thought.

He sat dazed on the steps outside his room, the "Book of Wishes" slipping from his grasp and falling unnoticed to the ground.

"What daydreams are you having in the middle of such bright sunshine?" came the voice of the Young Lord Supreme, dragging Huasheng’s thoughts back to reality.

Huasheng hurriedly picked up the book, brushing the dust from its pages.

The Young Lord Supreme had been about to enter the room, but seeing Huasheng lost in thought, he drew back and asked, "Did you two have a quarrel?"

"Of course not! Weiyu and I didn’t argue at all!" Huasheng retorted, immediately cursing himself for speaking too quickly.

"So! It! Was! Weiyu! After all! You’re quite something, young hero! When did this happen?" The Young Lord Supreme, intrigued, sat down beside him on the stone steps.

"It’s nothing, really. Perhaps I’m just overthinking things," Huasheng shook his head.

"Weiyu is known throughout the Institute as being cold as ice, and she actually pays attention to you?"

"She’s cold as ice?" Huasheng, intending to feign interest in his book, put it down again at this.

"She rarely speaks to the other disciples. Everyone assumes she’s aloof."

"We haven’t known each other long, but she seems easy to get along with. If you hadn’t told me, I’d have thought she was naturally lively."

"To others, ‘lively’ is the last word anyone would use for Weiyu."

"Does she just not want to interact with people?"

"You’re a surprise in yourself," the Young Lord Supreme said. "With her looks, many disciples try to get close, but all fail—she ignores everyone."

"Are there two girls named Weiyu at this Institute? Because the one you’re describing doesn’t sound like the one I know."

"That’s exactly what puzzles me! What is it about you that attracts her? Unless she’s simply curious about you?"

Huasheng pondered, but no answer came to mind. "All of you are masters of the mystical arts. I’m just a mortal with no special talents. I merely invited her to see a performance at the Lantern Festival in the Pear Garden."

"She actually agreed to go with you, just the two of you?" The Young Lord Supreme’s eyes widened as if he’d just seen the impossible.

"Why do you make it sound so unbelievable?" Huasheng exclaimed.

"You’re going to make everyone jealous, you know."

"Maybe she just enjoys performances," Huasheng said. "I didn’t even realize she was a guest performer that night, so I was rather oblivious."

"In truth, Weiyu hasn’t been at the Institute long. Her talents have led her to perform outside, and within the Institute, she’s quickly become a star. This year, during the Disciples’ Council registrar election, she was chosen as deputy and now helps oversee major festivities."

Only then did Huasheng realize how little he knew about Weiyu, even though he was closer to her than anyone else. It made him uneasy. So he asked, "But that night when Weiyu and I were together, we ran into Tianjizi."

"That doesn't sound like the best timing," observed the Young Lord Supreme.

"I remember you telling me that many in the Institute look down on those of us who come from the mortal world, especially the chief registrar."

"Did he call you an ant?"

Huasheng did not answer.

The Young Lord Supreme clapped him on the shoulder. "Don’t take it personally. It’s not you in particular—they just despise your kind, and you happen to be one of them."

"He strongly objects to me being close to Weiyu."

"It’s no surprise. Weiyu is the center of attention in the Institute. How could she befriend someone he sees as beneath him, even if you’re just friends?"

"But I can’t accept that," Huasheng’s tone was resolute.

"Of course not. Who Weiyu chooses as a friend is her own business. How could Tianjizi dictate that?" The Young Lord Supreme paused, then continued, "But Tianjizi will put pressure on Weiyu—they both serve on the Disciples’ Council. And if you become his enemy, causing trouble for you wouldn’t be difficult."

"Does that mean I should be careful around the Institute?"

"You should be even more open! Making friends isn't just Weiyu’s right—it’s yours too."

"But won’t that mean I’m going against Tianjizi?"

"Of course."

"Don’t say it like it’s nothing. You have powerful connections—your grandfather is the Supreme Elder. Naturally, you don’t care about Tianjizi. I’m just a mortal. Compared to you, I have nothing."

"But if you have nothing, you have nothing to lose, do you?"

Huasheng was at a loss for words. There really was little he had to fear. At worst, he would end up with nothing, which was not so different from his present state. Yet, he still wished he had the power to overcome the obstacle that was Tianjizi.

"How skilled is Tianjizi in the mystical arts?"

"From what I know, he’s not lacking."

"And what about me?"

"Not impressive."

"That’s too vague. Within the Institute, where would you rank him?"

"Top one percent."

"And me?"

"Bottom one percent."

Huasheng covered his eyes. "That’s not a slight difference—it's a chasm!"

"Is that important?"

"Of course it is!"

"Why?" asked the Young Lord Supreme.

"How could I possibly defeat him? If I can't defeat him, how can I ignore his opinion?"

"You want to defeat him?"

"If I want to disregard him, what choice do I have but to defeat him?"

"There may be other ways. I just haven’t thought of them yet."

"You’re just being contrary! If you can’t think of any, that means there aren’t any!" Huasheng said. "Tianjizi’s magical power is so strong, he has at least a thousand ways to keep me away from Weiyu."

"That actually makes sense."

"Of course it does! Which is why I’m so anxious."

"No need to worry. Anxiety solves nothing."

"I can’t out-talk you," Huasheng grumbled, turning his head away.

The Young Lord Supreme said, "So, you want Tianjizi to learn a lesson? To make him stop meddling in your business with Weiyu?"

Huasheng nodded. "Would you help me?"

"Of course."

"Really? Why?"

"Isn’t it obvious? Because you’re the protagonist! Ever heard of something called protagonist’s aura?"

"Be serious!"

"Then let me give you another reason," said the Young Lord Supreme. "Because we are friends."

A sudden warmth welled up in Huasheng’s heart. "But, as you said, Tianjizi is extremely powerful?"

"He can even perform many Celestial-level arts."

"Then how could I possibly defeat him?"

"To defeat him, you might not need mystical arts—because they would hardly work."

"I was about to say, you know as well as I do. He has…"

"Something called Supreme Fortune," the Young Lord Supreme finished.

"Which means, even gods more powerful than him may not be able to defeat him. In theory, he can never be beaten." Huasheng seemed at a loss.

The Young Lord Supreme considered this. "I wouldn’t say it’s impossible."

"If his luck is that great, doesn’t that make him invincible?"

"Good fortune doesn’t mean invulnerability. Sometimes even the luckiest can be defeated," the Young Lord Supreme remarked.

Huasheng was stunned, his thoughts spinning. To defeat a god with such powers was daunting enough—let alone one endowed with Supreme Fortune. Even if his own abilities surpassed Tianjizi’s, as long as Tianjizi possessed Supreme Fortune, it would be as it was that night: his stone would never hit its mark. The other would always remain untouched. How could one overcome such a "golden body of fortune"?

Yet, Huasheng’s mind began to whirl. He started to scrutinize the very problem of Supreme Fortune. If Supreme Fortune wasn’t truly invincible, then what could overcome it but something that was truly invincible?

Vague ideas surfaced, though none he could clearly articulate.

"I think I’m beginning to get a sense of something, but I can’t quite put it into words," Huasheng murmured. "I feel that Supreme Fortune must have a flaw. Maybe I’ve misunderstood from the beginning. It’s not really about luck—but about faith."

The Young Lord Supreme said, "If you want a chance to measure yourself against him, there may be an opportunity before you."

Huasheng could not hide his eagerness. "What opportunity?"

"The Celestial Eye Trial."