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Chapter 12: Rumors Spiraling Out of Control
🕑 Added 2025-01-25 09:38:42 +0000 UTCThe immortal masters, who were originally set to leave immediately, stayed an extra half-day specifically for Wu Xinzhi—a rare and exceptional honor. Wu Xinzhi was so overwhelmed with excitement that his face turned red, and he didn’t know what to do with his hands and feet.
The immortal master, amused by the boy’s dazed reaction, said, "Hurry home to prepare your belongings and bid farewell to those you need to."
Wu Xinzhi snapped back to reality, bowed deeply to the immortal master, and ran off in a hurry. However, he didn’t head straight home but instead sprinted toward the Chen family residence.
Ershun had already heard the news and was busy preparing a small bundle. Her aunt called out to her from outside, and she quickly emerged with the package in her arms.
"Ershun! I’ve been chosen! I can go now!" Wu Xinzhi exclaimed, his forehead and nose glistening with sweat from running, his voice breathless but filled with exhilaration.
Ershun beamed with joy. "Brother Xinzhi, with the protection of immortals, I just knew you would be chosen."
Wu Xinzhi nodded, firmly believing that the red string had played a significant role. At the very least, it was a powerful and auspicious charm.
Ershun handed the bundle to Wu Xinzhi. "Brother Xinzhi, I’ve prepared wrist guards and leg wraps for you. The journey will be tough, and these will come in handy. The path to the Chongxuan Sect is long, and communication will be difficult. Please, take care of yourself... I hope that when you achieve great things, you won’t forget that your little sister is still waiting for you back in Fancun."
This gentle and reserved girl, unable to hold back any longer, earnestly shared her thoughts with the man she loved, knowing they would soon part ways.
Touched by her sincerity, Wu Xinzhi’s excitement gave way to bittersweet sorrow. Overwhelmed, he nodded heavily and embraced Ershun, saying, "Ershun, don’t worry. I’ll never forget you. You’ll always be in my heart."
Ershun looked up at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her heart was a mix of joy and worry, happy for his future prospects, yet anxious about her own. She could only hope that her beloved brother from the Wu family would keep his promise and return to marry her.
The couple held each other closely in the courtyard. Though their actions bordered on improper, Ershun’s aunt didn’t intervene. Instead, she clutched the corner of her apron, her eyes glistening with tears as she watched.
Their quiet embrace was interrupted when someone ran up to the Chen family’s gate. The newcomer called out to Wu Xinzhi, "Xinzhi, hurry home! Everything’s ready. Don’t waste time here. Your parents are still waiting to see you off!"
Reluctantly, Wu Xinzhi released Ershun and said apologetically, "I have to go."
Ershun, understanding and composed, nodded. "Go ahead. I won’t see you off. Brother Xinzhi, I wish you a safe journey."
With the bundle Ershun had prepared in his arms, Wu Xinzhi left the Chen family’s courtyard. Once he was out of sight, Ershun could no longer hold back her sobs. Chen Xiao sighed, stepping forward to pat her on the shoulder. "Don’t be sad. As long as he keeps that red string on his wrist, nothing major will happen to him."
Chen Xiao, the former feng shui master, still had confidence in his abilities. While the feng shui setup he had arranged wouldn’t guarantee Wu Xinzhi fame or fortune, it would at least ensure his safety and protect him from significant disasters.
When Wu Xinzhi returned home with the person who had called him, he found several bundles already piled on the Eight Immortals table in the living room. Despite her illness, his mother had personally overseen the packing, determined to ensure her son wouldn’t suffer hardships while away.
"Pack the dry rations separately, and include these snacks. If you’re hungry on the road, they’ll come in handy," Wu Xinzhi’s mother instructed the two daughters-in-law, who were bustling about under her orders. "Add these thick clothes and this cloak as well. If there’s a cold snap on the journey, at least my son won’t freeze."
When she saw Wu Xinzhi enter, she grabbed his hand and said with relief, "I knew it! My son was bound to be chosen. That steward’s meddling couldn’t fool the immortal masters. They have discerning eyes. You performed so well that day; it’s clear they remembered you. Xinzhi, once you’re at the Chongxuan Sect, make sure to build good relationships with the immortal masters. This kind of setback should only happen once. Don’t let yourself be slighted again!"
Wu Xinzhi, proud and upright, frowned at her words, disliking the suggestion of currying favor. His mother, seeing his reaction, grew anxious. "I know you don’t like it, but if you don’t lower yourself a bit, others will take advantage of you, and you’ll suffer for it. Isn’t this situation proof enough?"
Wu Xinzhi retorted, "That’s an immortal sect. Everyone there should be noble and virtuous. They wouldn’t tolerate such petty schemes. Mother, please don’t speak like this again. If the immortal masters hear, it might upset them and harm my chances."
His mother quickly covered her mouth. "Alright, alright, I won’t say it anymore." Then, as if remembering something, she added, "When you’re at the sect, see if there’s a suitable girl for you. It would be better to find a match more fitting for our family. Don’t worry about things here, I’ll figure out how to retrieve your betrothal token from the Chen family."
Wu Xinzhi frowned deeply and said firmly, "That’s something I won’t do! I refuse to become the kind of heartless man who abandons his promises and earns the ridicule of the entire village."
His mother’s expression turned dismissive. In her eyes, her son’s future as an immortal master or even just an outer disciple of the sect would make him far superior to anyone in the county. What was the Chen family? A long-term laborer father, a servant mother, how could their daughter possibly be a match for her son?
Wu Xinzhi grew anxious when he saw his mother refuse to change her mind. “Mother, this marriage must not be annulled! Forget how others might view it, if people in the immortal sect find out, they’ll think my character is tainted!”
He took a deep breath and continued when he saw his mother beginning to listen. “Besides, Chen family’s daughter and I share mutual affection. She’s diligent and capable. With her at home taking care of you and Father, I can focus on my cultivation without worry. Ershun is thoughtful and decisive. Look at this red cord—it’s a protective charm she specifically sought for me. Without it, I might not have convinced the immortal master to change their decision!”
He deliberately brought up this point to improve his mother’s impression of Ershun and to stop her from targeting the Chen family’s daughter. True to his hopes, upon hearing this, Wu’s mother dropped her talk of finding a better match. Whether this change of heart was temporary or permanent, Wu Xinzhi didn’t care. As long as his will remained firm, he believed he could persuade his mother to see reason.
In a village with poor transportation and limited communication, ignorance often bred blind faith. Respect for the immortal sects and their masters only deepened this tendency. Anything remotely tied to the immortals was believed without question. Wu Xinzhi and his mother were no exception. Neither were the rest of the Wu family.
But for others, hearing about this so-called "immortal charm" sparked less admiration and more suspicion, leading them down darker paths of imagination.
The bustling activity in the Wu family home attracted curious neighbors and friends who gathered to share in the joy. Amid the chatter, rumors spread quickly. The story of Wu Xinzhi being chosen by the immortal sect, supposedly thanks to the protection of a red cord charm, grew increasingly exaggerated. By the time it left the village, the rumor had morphed into claims that Wu Xinzhi had used the red cord to manipulate the immortal masters into accepting him into Chongxuan Sect.
As the rumor spread, it gained traction. Even skeptics found themselves believing as they heard it repeated with such conviction.
One such believer was Fan Shiming, the young master of the Fan family, who had been dropped from the selection list in favor of Wu Xinzhi.
When the immortal master had questioned why the most talented boy was absent from the final selection, the steward had been terrified. He assumed the master valued Wu Xinzhi and intended to make him at least an outer disciple if not an inner disciple. Realizing his mistake, the steward admitted his error and hurriedly brought Wu Xinzhi back into the process, sending Fan Shiming home instead.
Having already tasted the joy of almost joining Chongxuan Sect, Fan Shiming couldn’t accept being replaced so abruptly.
The Fan family tried to persuade the steward to make another change. After all, there were five spots on the list. While Wu Xinzhi’s position was unshakable, there were still four others to consider. Even if two of those spots were locked in, surely one of the remaining three could be swapped for Fan Shiming.
However, the steward, still shaken by the immortal master’s earlier questioning, refused to tamper with the list further. Worse, he even mocked the Fan family for their misfortune, blaming Fan Shiming’s position at the back of the lineup during the selection process. The remark only deepened the Fan family’s anger.
With no help from the steward, the Fan family looked elsewhere for opportunities. When they heard the rumor about the red cord, it felt like a golden chance.
Fan Shiming ran to the ancestral hall and began shouting at the top of his lungs. He accused the Wu family of colluding with an evil cultivator and using sinister methods to interfere with the immortal sect’s disciple selection.
The students in the village, educated by minor cultivators with little talent or future prospects, were naturally alarmed by such claims. These teachers often passed on second-hand knowledge, filled with exaggeration and bias, leaving their students unable to discern truth from fiction when it came to matters of cultivation.
In the world of cultivation, light and darkness coexisted. Just as there were righteous paths, there were also twisted ones. The righteous sects and the so-called evil cultivators rarely saw eye to eye. When they crossed paths, it often ended in deadly confrontation.
Fan Shiming’s claims spread panic. If evil cultivators had truly disrupted the disciple selection for Chongxuan Sect, it would be a grave matter.
The immortal master presiding over the selection, upon hearing the commotion, rose to his feet. With a wave of his hand, he summoned Fan Shiming from across the hall. Gripping the boy by his collar, he barked, “Is what you said true? If you dare spread false rumors, I’ll show you the wrath of an immortal master!”
Fan Shiming, both frightened and secretly elated by the master’s intense reaction, thought to himself, This is good! That Wu boy is bound to face harsh punishment now.
