First Immortal of the Sword

The proprietor of Auspicious Cloud Tower slowly rose from his seat, then stared intently at Su Yi. His brow gradually furrowed.

As if he’d encountered a conundrum as vast as the heavens themselves.

Finally, his lips parted. “Who… exactly are you?”

His tone was as icy, firm, and indifferent as ever.

But everyone could tell that the proprietor’s attitude had undergone a subtle, inscrutable shift.

Su Yi smiled, then overturned the jug of wine, spilling its contents on the countertop. Then, he extended his finger, dipped it in the wine, and outlined something on the countertop.

One wondrous, flowing mark after another took shape at Su Yi’s fingertips, and before long, he’d outlined a strange diagram.

The proprietor watched with rapt attention throughout this entire process. When he recognized the diagram slowly taking shape, his hands shook uncontrollably, and he fell into a daze.

Now, even the two Ghost Serpents watching from a distance noticed that the proprietor’s attitude was increasingly strange.

As if he was astonished and flabbergasted, but more than that, wordlessly bewildered.

Ye Zishan and the young woman in the ink-black skirt couldn’t help but be curious.

Alas, no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t see the image on the counter.

“Let’s discuss our business later,” said Su Yi. He raised his finger from the countertop, then approached Ye Zishan and the young woman in ink-black skirts and sat down on the other end of the table.

Then, he drummed the table and asked with a smile, “Might we have ourselves a chat now?”

The young woman hesitated, but Ye Zishan looked over at the counter, where the proprietor of Auspicious Cloud Tower still stood in a daze. It seemed his thoughts were elsewhere, and he made no attempt to stop Su Yi from talking to them.

Yet mere seconds prior, this reclusive, mighty expert had seemed to think poorly of the young man in blue!

Ye Zishan finally realized that the situation had changed. The young man in blue seated before them was in no way the ignorant fool he’d imagined!

After calming himself, Ye Zishan coughed dryly and clasped his fist. “Earlier, we were rude. We humbly request your forgiveness.”

Su Yi waved dismissively. “The ignorant are without sin. Sit down.”

He sat there as calmly as if he owned the place, and he even took the jug of wine from the table, picked out a clean glass, and filled his cup.

“Declining politely is not as respectful as you think,” said Su Yi.

Ye Zishan nodded, then sat across from Su Yi. The young woman in the ink-black skirt bit her red lower lip, then sat down as well.

Her bright eyes were full of confusion as she gazed at the young man seated across from her. She couldn’t even imagine what kind of origins he must have for the proprietor of Auspicious Cloud Tower to have reacted like that.

“I only have three questions,” said Su Yi between sips of wine. “Who is the main force behind the push to instate a new clan leader?”

Ye Zishan didn’t even stop to think. “Third High Elder Ye Donghe.”

He paused, then added, “But I suspect that Pi Mo’s disciple, Jiang Yingliu, is also involved in this.”

Su Yi nodded. “Now for my second question: is Ye Nanzheng still around?”

Ye Nanzheng!

Both Ye Zishan and the young woman in the ink-black skirt were surprised.

Ye Nanzheng was a Ghost Serpent expert so old, he was like a living fossil. Thirty thousand years ago, he was already a Profound Serenity Emperor famed throughout the Netherworld!

But what really surprised them was that the young man in blue would ask about him out of nowhere.

After a moment’s silence, Ye Zishan didn’t hide it. “Fellow Daoist, Ancestor Ye Nanzheng left for the Wilds a long time ago, and he’s yet to return.”

It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from "pawread dot com".

“The Wilds?” Su Yi exclaimed. “What did he go there for?”

Ye Zishan shook his head. “That, I don’t know.”

Su Yi thought for a moment, then asked, “What does Ye Donghe really hope to accomplish by instating a new clan leader?”

Ye Zishan sighed. “If it were really just a matter of quelling the clan’s internal unrest, there would be no need to select a new leader in such a hurry. Thus, the older-generation members of the main lineage suspect that the third high elder wants to enter our ancestral forbidden ground!”

The young woman couldn’t help but add, “According to the rules of the Ghost Serpents, only the clan leader can open the entrance to the ancestral forbidden ground, and they can only do so with the four Ancestral Jade Seals.”

“So that’s it,” said Su Yi, instantly enlightened.

Little Leaf had told him about the Ghost Serpents' ancestral forbidden ground in his past life. It was a hidden realm that their founding ancestors had created.

Great secrets were hidden within it, secrets regarding the origins of the Ghost Serpent Race.

Even their clan-protecting divine artifact, the Tianya Dark Torchlight, had been sealed inside.

But no matter what Ye Donghe‘s goal was, he was almost certainly trying to enter the ancestral forbidden ground!

“Okay, you can leave,” said Su Yi.

Both Ye Zishan and the young woman in the ink-black skirt were stunned. Then, Ye Zishan said hesitantly, “Fellow Daoist, didn’t you just say you could help the main lineage of the Ghost Serpents resolve this crisis?”

Su Yi nodded. “Rest assured; your worries won’t come to pass.”

The young woman couldn’t help but ask, “Really?”

Su Yi laughed but said nothing.

When Ye Zishan saw this, he rose and clasped his fist. “No matter what, if you can help the main lineage of the Ghost Serpents weather this storm, I’ll be sure to do everything in my power to repay you!”

With that, he led the young woman away.

……

Out on the streets, beneath the cover of darkness.

“Uncle, that guy’s sudden arrival was far too strange, and then there was all that stuff about how he’d help us weather this storm? What… what exactly is he after?”

Once they’d left the inn, the young woman could no longer hold back her doubts.

Ye Zishan sighed. “You said it yourself: his sudden arrival was quite strange. I can’t guess his intentions either.”

He paused, and his eyes flashed. “But I could tell that the proprietor of Auspicious Cloud Tower recognized the young man’s background. Even his attitude changed. From this, it’s clear that whoever he is, he has extraordinary origins!”

The young woman in the ink-black skirt nodded instinctively.

An accomplished hermit could live in seclusion even in a city.

She’d once heard their ancestor, Ye Yu, say that the proprietor of Auspicious Cloud Tower was a terrifying existence with a lofty and inscrutable cultivation base. His power was practically all-encompassing!

For a young man in blue to make such an expert change his tune, his origins naturally weren’t simple.

“Uncle, don’t tell me we’re really going to place all of our hopes on the shoulders of a young man of suspicious origins?” asked the young woman.

Ye Zishan thought for a moment. “No matter what, this is good news. If that young man can convince the innkeeper to lend our aid, we might well be able to turn this around.”

But then, he sharply changed tacks. “But we’d still best make other preparations.”

The young woman’s eyes shone. “Do you have a plan, Uncle?”

The main lineage of the Ghost Serpents was in an unfortunate predicament. 

The first high elder had left for the City of the Wrongfully Dead’s Dark Capital not long ago to seek out word of Ancestor Ye Yu. He wouldn’t be back anytime soon.

The second high elder was in seclusion, and he was determined to succeed or die. Now was a critical time for him; no one would disturb him unless the entire clan faced annihilation.

And the third high elder was the main force behind the push to select a new leader.

Then there was Pi Mo’s disciple, Jiang Yingliu, and the forces she’d brought with her, experts of the Profound Yellow Sword Pavilion. They’d arrived in Tianya City three hundred years ago. By now, the entire Ghost Serpent Clan respected Jiang Yingliu highly.

Given the circumstances, the power of the main lineage had almost no hope of preventing the inauguration of a new leader.

That was why the two of them had come to Auspicious Cloud Tower to ask the proprietor for help.

But then, Ye Zishan pondered briefly and said, “By now, there’s no need to hide it from you. Not long ago, some of the main branch’s older generation experts sent word to Fire Illumination Divine Palace’s inner court chief elder, Senior Yue Shi. If he makes an appearance, he ought to be able to help.”

He paused, then continued, “A long time ago, Ancestor Ye Yu did Senior Yue Shi a good turn. He’s also the second high elder’s senior apprentice brother, and a lofty, prominent authority figure. If he makes a personal appearance, he might well be able to turn this around.”

Fire Illumination Divine Palace!

Yue Shi!

The young woman’s spirits soared. “If that’s truly the case, that would be wonderful!”

“For now, don’t divulge this,” ordered Ye Zishan.

The young woman nodded repeatedly.

……

As darkness enveloped Tianya City, radiant lamplight filled the air. It was a bustling, lively scene.

But the interior of Auspicious Cloud Tower seemed extraordinarily empty.

Aside from Su Yi, there were no other guests. And in truth, aside from the proprietor, there was no staff, not even a single servant.

Over the years, no matter how poor business got, the proprietor ran the inn like clockwork. It only closed its doors late at night. 

But now, the proprietor got up and closed the shop’s doors. This was unprecedented!

Then, he carried a jug of wine over to where Su Yi was sitting and slowly sat across from him. He’d kept this wine in reserve for countless years, but now, he removed the stopper and poured them each a glass.

The dense fragrance of wine soon permeated the air.

The liquid was as resplendent as lake water, and its surface caught the soft golden hues of the lamplight.

The proprietor raised his cup, then said, “Little fellow, did Old Monster Su send you here? Where is he? Why didn’t he come himself?”

His features were thin and hard, and he dressed in simple cloth. His hair and beard were graying, and he seemed like an unsmiling man of few words.

Even his voice lacked even the slightest ripple of emotion. 

“‘Little fellow?’” Su Yi raised his cup, examined its contents, and sighed. “There’s no shortage of ignorant, short-sighted people in this world, but I wouldn’t have guessed that even your judgment would one day err like this, Old Butcher.”

He then looked at the old man seated across from him and said thoughtfully, “Don’t tell me that even after thirty thousand years, you’ve yet to break through your Dao Heart's shackles?”

The proprietor had only just drained his cup, but when he heard that, he was so shocked that he spewed it back out and coughed violently. It wasn’t the least bit dignified.

But he didn’t care about that. His eyes crackled with electricity as he stared intently at Su Yi, his expression shifting and uncertain. “Old Monster Su!?”

His voice contained a rare hint of agitation, and he’d obviously lost control!

Su Yi drained his cup, then smiled. “Are you not surprised? Are you not delighted?”