C18 Immortal Sect

"That's right," Zhao Ji nodded. "Brother Chu Yan, I saved you in the hopes that you would lend a hand to us brothers. But before we get into that, there's something I want you to see."

With a subtle signal, Feng Ru unfurled the prepared scroll, revealing its contents to Chu Yan. Chu Yan glanced at the scroll and felt his heart skip a beat. "This is..."

To his astonishment, the scroll bore his own likeness! However, upon closer inspection, Chu Yan realized that the youth depicted was not himself but someone strikingly similar.

At first glance, they were identical, but a closer look revealed distinct differences in temperament; the figure in the painting seemed timid and lacked Chu Yan's confident air, giving off the impression of a person with a faint-hearted nature.

Noticing the complex emotions in Chu Yan's eyes, Zhao Ji explained, "Brother Chu Yan, let me be frank. This individual is named Chu Yan—yes, you heard correctly, his name sounds just like yours, but it signifies 'strictness.'"

Chu Yan, having anticipated this revelation, nodded. "That explains the reaction you had when you first heard my name."

Zhao Ji went on, "This Chu Yan is our Lin Family's prospective son-in-law, yet to be wed. Our mission, as per the Old Master's request, was to escort him from the Central Earth County back to our Lin Family."

"A prospective son-in-law? Central Earth County?" Chu Yan paused, then quickly grasped the situation. "He must be a live-in son-in-law!"

Chu Yan was familiar with the Central Earth County, a small nation even more remote than the Persian Prefecture and the Southern Yuan Kingdom.

In a flash, Chu Yan's gaze sharpened, intuiting the other party's intentions.

Seeing Chu Yan's expression, Zhao Ji let out a sigh. "Bringing this young master back should have been straightforward, but fate had other plans. He was slain en route by a martial artist—a Death Soldier—who took his own life with poison before we could apprehend him. All we found was this poisoned dagger on his person."

With a swift motion, Zhao Ji flicked his wrist, and a palm-sized dagger embedded itself into the ground at Chu Yan's feet.

The dagger's blade glinted with an eerie green light as it was thrust into the earth. In mere moments, the grass around it withered and decayed at a rate visible to the naked eye.

"We might have been set up to protect him, but the fact remains that Chu Yan died right before our eyes. It was our failure to protect him, and if we just return and report as is, my brother and I will surely face the Old Master's punishment according to clan rules. We could even lose our lives. The Old Master placed great importance on Chu Yan; he wouldn't have sent us on such a long journey to retrieve him otherwise. And if we don't go back, our families at the Lin residence will be in danger. Once the news gets back, they won't stand a chance," Zhao Ji said, his gaze intense as he looked at Chu Yan. "So you see, little brother Chu Yan, you understand the predicament we're in."

Chu Yan pondered for a moment, then nodded, "So, Big Brother Zhao, Big Brother Feng, after you noticed my striking resemblance to Chu Yan, you came up with the idea of using me as a stand-in. You want me to impersonate him, return to the Lin Family, and marry into it as the son-in-law."

"That's exactly it," Zhao Ji confirmed. "We're hoping you can understand our situation, Brother Chu Yan. Between the two of us, we have dozens of family members. We can't just watch them suffer because of our failure."

Feng Ru chimed in, "Brother Chu Yan, besides you and me, the only other person involved in this is already dead. The Death Soldier is gone too, so there won't be a fourth person in the know. We have some time before we need to head back. We can fill you in on everything you need to know, so you won't give yourself away."

After they finished speaking, Chu Yan didn't immediately respond, but instead stood in contemplation. Zhao Ji's eyes narrowed slightly, signaling Feng Ru with a subtle gesture.

Feng Ru stealthily moved to the side, positioning themselves in such a way that, along with the terrain, they effectively cut off all of Chu Yan's potential escape routes.

Zhao Ji spoke again, "And remember, little brother Chu Yan, taking on this task could be an incredible opportunity for you. If you succeed, you'll be in a position to return to your clan one day and exact your revenge."

"Oh? A tremendous opportunity?" Chu Yan turned to Zhao Ji with a curious gaze. "Please, Brother Zhao, do tell."

Chu Yan was acutely aware that showing too much resistance at this juncture could provoke the lethal instincts of his companions. Given his current capabilities, eluding warriors of the fourth and at least the fifth levels of the Genuine Force Realm would be no small feat.

Yet, he also couldn't afford to appear overly eager, lest he trigger their suspicions. Striking the perfect balance in his demeanor was crucial.

"Brother Chu Yan, let's set aside other matters for the moment. Just consider the Lin Family Patriarch's daughter, your future bride. She's renowned for her beauty. Marrying her alone could incite envy in countless others due to sheer good fortune," Zhao Ji remarked.

Chu Yan offered a slight, skeptical smile. Claims of beauty were all too common and held little weight until one could see for themselves.

Zhao Ji didn't truly expect the allure of beauty to sway Chu Yan, so he pressed on, "If you take Chu Yan's place and join our Lin Family, you'll have the opportunity to enter the Profound Moon Sect and embark on the path of cultivation. Imagine a future where you soar through the skies, traverse the earth, and enjoy a lifespan as enduring as the heavens and the earth."

"The path of immortality? An immortal?" Chu Yan paused, his thoughts drifting to the two women who had whisked Xiao Pei away when she was gravely wounded.

Those women were the very immortals Chu Yan envisioned, hailing from a place known as Sunset Valley. At that time, he had no chance to intervene, but it didn't mean he was content with being separated from Xiao Pei.

If Xiao Pei had joined the Celestial Sect, and he too had the opportunity, the likelihood of their reunion would surely soar.

Furthermore, gaining entry into the Celestial Sect would make avenging his family upon his return to the Southern Yuan Kingdom far easier.

And one more thing: if he were to enter the Celestial Sect, he'd stand a greater chance of reaching the higher levels of the Return to the Ruins Tower and claiming more of the treasures his mother had left for him.

Although Chu Yan remained silent, a subtle smile began to play at the corners of Zhao Ji and Feng Ru's lips.

They could tell that Chu Yan was tempted.

For a mere mortal, the Door of Immortality was an elusive dream.

Now, with such an opportunity laid before him, it was impossible to resist.

Moments later, Chu Yan looked up, his eyes regaining their clarity and calm after a brief flare of intensity.

Zhao Ji and Feng Ru were taken aback.

"Brother Zhao, could you tell me which Lin family you're referring to?" Chu Yan asked, breaking the silence.