Immortality begins with the Swordsman.

Chapter 1 Ning Zhongze's First Visit to Mount Hua

Mount Hua, Jade Maiden Peak.

Amidst the verdant peaks, two figures, one tall and one short, slowly ascend the winding and rugged mountain path.

The taller one was a middle-aged man in a gray Taoist robe with a calm demeanor; the shorter one was a young girl of about twelve or thirteen years old.

"Our Huashan lineage, since its founding by the Ancient True Lord, has existed for over two hundred years. Thanks to the pioneering efforts of our ancestors, we have earned the prestigious reputation of 'Fists originating from Shaolin, swords returning to Huashan' in the martial world. Today, we hold the reins of the Five Sacred Mountains..."

The gray-robed Taoist priest spoke as he walked, his tone calm, as if he were casually mentioning a trivial matter.

The girl listened attentively, her eyes shining with pride.

She had longed for the martial arts world since childhood, and now that she had the opportunity to become a disciple of the Huashan Sect, her heart was filled with excitement, and even the mountain wind seemed to carry a touch of chivalry.

Not long after.

As the mountain mist dissipated ahead, an antique pavilion gradually emerged from the clouds, its vermilion beams and pillars, flying eaves and brackets, resembling a celestial abode.

The gray-robed Taoist priest said, "Ze'er, that is the 'Sword Qi Soaring to the Sky Hall,' where all important matters of our Huashan Sect are discussed."

The girl looked up and saw four gilded characters on the plaque above the pavilion: "Sword Qi Soars to the Sky." The calligraphy was vigorous and sharp, as if a chilling sword aura was rushing towards her.

He was lost in thought.

Several Huashan disciples came out of the hall and, upon seeing the gray-robed Taoist priest, stepped forward to pay their respects, addressing him as "Sect Master."

The girl stood quietly to one side.

She already knew that her master, Yue Qingxiao, was the head of the Qi Sect of the Huashan School, also known as "Zixiao Daoren".

But when these people learned that she was the new disciple of Daoist Zixiao, their eyes immediately became intriguing, and they exchanged glances as if they had discovered something interesting.

"Ze'er, they are all your fellow disciples from the same sect," Master Zixiao introduced simply.

With a hint of doubt, the young woman stepped forward and said in a clear voice, "My name is Ning Zhongze. I greet all my senior brothers and sisters. I hope you will take good care of me in the future."

"Junior Sister Ning, you are so dashing! You will surely become a heroine in the future." A senior sister with almond-shaped eyes and peach-blossom cheeks raised her eyebrows and smiled from the crowd. "No wonder that kid Changfeng has been eyeing you for so long."

"Senior Brother Changfeng, were you really that accurate?" A young man in blue robes beside him asked, his eyes wide. "The Sect Master really did take on a female disciple."

"Nonsense!" A senior brother with thick eyebrows and big eyes laughed confidently, "It must be that the sect leader dotes on Junior Brother Changfeng and specially found him a little wife."

……

The girl was completely bewildered, but her ears gradually turned red. She pursed her lips, wondering to herself, "What's going on? I just arrived at Mount Hua, how did I suddenly become someone's little wife?"

Master Zixiao's face darkened, and he scolded, "What nonsense are you all spouting? Don't you have anything better to do? Have you fallen behind in your skills? Should I test you myself?"

The group gave an awkward laugh and bid their farewell, saying, "Sect Master, we're going to practice now," and "Junior Sister Ning, see you later!" In a short while, they all made their escape.

The girl tugged at Master Zixiao's sleeve and whispered, "Master, what are they talking about, 'little wife'? Are they talking about me?"

"It's a long story, let's talk as we walk..."

Master Zixiao sighed, saying with a hint of helplessness, "Alas, this matter begins with your two senior brothers..."

"My two senior brothers?"

"Huh? Didn't I tell you? Humph, just mentioning those two makes me furious."

"Um?"

The girl blinked and saw that although her master was quite stern in his words, there was no anger on his face. Instead, she became even more curious.

"Your eldest brother's name is Yue Buqun. He is my only son. His mother was born into a scholarly family. Influenced by her, he loved reading from a young age and only wanted to become the top scholar in the imperial examination..."

To become the top scorer?!

A hint of respect immediately appeared in the girl's eyes: "Senior Brother, what lofty aspirations!"

Master Zixiao curled his lip and said, "Ten years of hard study, and you can't even pass the provincial examination? You dare to dream of becoming the top scholar? Humph!"

The girl listened silently, offering no comment.

Master Zixiao continued, "Your second senior brother is named Gu Changfeng. Five years ago, I saw that he was all alone and had a tragic fate, so I took pity on him and took him as my disciple. I never expected that I would end up with a 'charlatan'..."

—So the Changfeng they were talking about was the second senior brother!

—But a charlatan?!

The girl's eyes flickered slightly, and she thought to herself, but she remained silent.

At this point, Master Zixiao's expression suddenly turned serious, and his tone became more solemn: "Your second senior brother has extremely high talent, a martial arts prodigy that comes along only once in a century. But his mind is a bit different from ordinary people; he has a lot of crooked and evil ideas—some of which make some sense, while others are utter nonsense."

He paused, his gaze falling on the girl, and said earnestly, "You can ask him for martial arts advice in the future, but whatever you do, don't listen to his fallacies."

"Yes! Your disciple understands!"

The girl nodded obediently, but her curiosity about this second senior brother, whom she had never met before, grew even stronger.

Master Zixiao sighed and said, "Besides practicing martial arts, your second senior brother loves to tell fortunes..."

The girl suddenly realized the origin of the term "charlatan" and asked:

"Second Senior Brother, you actually studied physiognomy? Are your predictions inaccurate?"

"Accurate! How could it not be accurate?"

Master Zixiao sneered, "He just goes up to whoever he doesn't like and says, 'Your face is dark; you're sure to suffer a bloody disaster today.' Whether others believe it or not, he immediately starts beating them up, and that 'bloody disaster' just happens, doesn't it?"

"what!"

The girl's eyes widened; she never expected her second senior brother to tell fortunes in this way.

Master Zixiao sighed again, "Besides that, he also pesters your senior brother to calculate his marriage prospects all day long, saying that your senior brother has a 'peach blossom calamity' in his fate, and he must get married early to resolve it. For this reason, he goes around trying to find a match for your senior brother, talking about 'avoiding misfortune and bringing good luck' and 'breaking the evil spirit in love tribulations', and he speaks of them in great detail. Throughout Mount Hua, not to mention our Qi Sect, even the Sword Sect, almost every female disciple of the right age has been introduced to your senior brother by your second senior brother."

The girl listened with great interest, a hint of amusement in her eyes.

She had long heard that the Huashan Sect was divided into two factions: the Sword Sect and the Qi Sect. Due to their differing philosophies, the two factions had always been at odds and constantly fought each other, rarely interacting.

I never expected my second senior brother to be so fierce, daring to even mess with the female disciples of the Sword Sect.

Master Zixiao's face was filled with helplessness as he recounted this: "Once, your eldest brother, annoyed by his antics, asked him, 'Junior brother, since you are so skilled in physiognomy, why don't you calculate who your future wife will be?' To his surprise, this rebellious disciple solemnly replied, 'I already calculated it! Master will take in a junior sister in the future, and she will be my destined wife.' From then on, this saying spread like wildfire, and now it has reached the entire mountain; everyone knows it..."

"It's spread throughout the whole mountain? Everyone knows it?!"

The girl nearly bit her tongue, then put on an innocent yet helpless and aggrieved look: "So, I'm the second senior brother's destined... huh?"

Halfway through her sentence, a hint of suspicion flashed in the girl's eyes. She pursed her lips slightly, looked up at Daoist Zixiao, and asked in a low voice, "Master, you didn't really take me as your disciple just to find... a wife for Second Senior Brother, as they say?"

Master Zixiao hurriedly said, "What nonsense are you thinking! I only took you on as a disciple because of your extraordinary talent and cheerful nature. How could I act recklessly for that rebellious disciple? It's purely a coincidence, a coincidence!"

"real?"

The girl was skeptical.

As they spoke, the two arrived at a secluded villa halfway up the mountain.

The courtyard is nestled among lush bamboo and pine trees, with winding paths, fragrant flowers, and birdsong echoing through the valley, resembling a hidden paradise.

"This 'Purple Qi Comes from the East Pavilion' is my residence. There are only the four of us here, you and me. You will live here from now on and practice your skills in peace."

"Um."

The girl nodded in agreement.

Master Zixiao thought for a moment and said, "Your eldest brother should be in Chang'an taking the provincial examination and won't be back for a while. I suppose only your second brother is at home right now."

As he spoke, he called out loudly, "Changfeng, why don't you come out and meet your wife... oops, I mean your junior sister?"

Master Zixiao turned his head and saw the girl looking at him with a resentful expression.

"Master, you still say it's a coincidence..." The girl looked aggrieved.

"Slip of the tongue, slip of the tongue..."

Master Zixiao looked embarrassed and immediately turned to look at the other courtyard.

The courtyard was quiet and still, as if no one was home.

"Huh? Not home?" he murmured, then led the girl towards the villa, pushing open the gate...

"Whoosh!"

As soon as the door opened, a packet of white powder exploded on the eaves, falling like snowflakes.

"Oh no, this is a sleeping potion."

Master Zixiao's expression changed, and he immediately held his breath, grabbed Ning Zhongze, and retreated hastily, while simultaneously cursing loudly.

"Gu Changfeng, what have you done? Get out here right now!"

The angry shouts of the Purple Cloud Taoist still echoed in her ears, but the girl had already inhaled several mouthfuls of sleeping pills. She felt dizzy, her limbs went weak, her consciousness blurred, and her eyelids felt like they weighed a ton.

Just as my eyes were about to close—

In a daze, she saw a tall, slender figure appear in her field of vision against the light.

The man was dressed in flowing blue robes, with a long sword hanging at his waist. His long, black hair was casually tied back, fluttering slightly in the wind. He was a swordsman, yet he didn't quite resemble one. Instead, he exuded a strong scholarly air, like a refined young gentleman, free and unrestrained.

He is none other than the second senior brother, Gu Changfeng?

My "destined"...

fiancé?