Chapter 3: Tell At One Glance That They Are Honest People
“Why does the common name sound more like a scholarly name than the actual scholarly name…?” Lu Yang quietly retorted from the back.
“Because the first predecessor with a Pure Yang Spirit Root called their spirit root Single’s Spirit Root.” With Yun Zhi’s unfathomable cultivation level, Lu Yang’s soft murmur was no different from speaking right into her ear.
Yun Zhi paused, then continued, “The cultivation world has a custom of respecting predecessors who are single.”
It was as if she thought that adding this one sentence would make it more convincing.
Naturally, Meng Jingzhou passed the first round.
It was now Lu Yang’s turn.
“Hmm?! Another Single Spirit Root?!” Dai Bufan’s pupils constricted.
I was just complaining a moment ago that I haven’t encountered any Single Spirit Roots even after half the day was gone, and now, not just one but two have appeared together.
“Me, I have a Single Spirit Root?” Lu Yang pointed at himself, his heart thumping against his chest. It felt like he was hallucinating, but the corners of his mouth involuntarily rose upward.
“That’s right, you have a Variant Single Spirit Root—the Sword Spirit Root.” Dai Bufan nodded. Not once have I made a mistake in distinguishing one’s spirit root.
Sword Spirit Root, born for the sword—unparalleled in sharpness and supreme in attack power!
Yun Zhi darted a surprised look at Lu Yang. I agreed to board the carriage on a whim; I didn’t expect that both people in that one carriage would be top-tier cultivation geniuses.
The crowd’s eyes grew increasingly fervent as they began to ponder about the girls they knew who were of a suitable age for Lu Yang, wishing to sweep him away to marry into their clans and factions.
Contrary to Meng Jingzhou who was backed by the Meng Family, Lu Yang was evidently a commoner with no backers.
Exceptional talent and no allegiance—he is practically the perfect candidate for marrying into the family!
Most importantly, he can get married and have children!
Sensing the strange gazes from the crowd, Lu Yang swiftly proceeded to the second round.
Behind Dai Bufan was a bamboo forest, the venue for the second round.
Meng Jingzhou eagerly asked Lu Yang, “How did it go? What is your spirit root?”
Meng Jingzhou had quickly resigned himself to his fate. So what if I have a Single’s Spirit Root? The path to becoming an immortal is littered with bones, and women are simply rogue bones–even the most beautiful woman would turn into a pile of bones one day. Beautiful fairy-like women left and right? I don’t need that!
As for Lu Yang, I guess he can pass the first round, but how many geniuses can there be in a single batch? Since I’m here, it means he probably just has a Dual Spirit Root.
As an unparalleled genius with a Single Spirit Root, I have an obligation to show care and concern to mediocre geniuses.
“Sword Spirit Root.”
“Your grandmother’s spirit root!”
“What?” Lu Yang was flummoxed.
A few hours went by again. Dai Bufan continued to eliminate the people whose spirit root did not meet the requirements, while those who passed moved on to the second round.
Overhearing some of the discussions from the people behind, it appeared that there were a few more candidates with special constitutions. Before they could ask around, however, Yun Zhi once again stood before everyone and casually commented, “The second round will begin now.”
Then, she immediately vanished, leaving the crowd bewildered.
Thick fog gradually rose from the ground as if it was a coalescence of smoke and waves. As vast as the oceans, it cast a veil over the whole of the bamboo forest.
Everyone instinctively tried to struggle but to no avail. Strength trickled away from their body as their consciousness began to fade.
The Illusionary Bamboo Forest was part of the Great Sect Defense Array, and its effects were not something these people could resist.
Randomly drawing a circle with her hand, Yun Zhi dispersed the fog to make some space, revealing the other Dao-Seeking Sect disciples standing behind her.
Dai Bufan giggled. “Once they are trapped in the Illusionary Bamboo Forest, they will forget everything, including their identities and the trials. This means that they will respond with their most honest reactions. I wonder how many people can pass the second round.”
Yun Zhi remarked, “I hope more people will pass this round. There are several promising candidates in this batch; it would be a pity for them to fail in the second round.”
She hadn’t kicked Meng Jingzhou and Lu Yang out of the trials because the examination questions Meng Jingzhou obtained weren’t for the ongoing trial, but rather the one ten years ago.
Yun Zhi mumbled, “I wonder which elder sold it to him.” Turning to Dai Bufan, she asked, “Junior Brother Dai, who do you think will pass the second round?”
“Of course, it’s that guy with the Ancient Barbarian Tribe bloodline. They are known for being pure-hearted, so there is no need to doubt his nature.
“Those two with the Single’s Spirit Root and Sword Spirit Root also seem decent. You can tell at one glance that they are honest people.”
Yun Zhi was instantly reminded of the scene where Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou plotted their cheating scheme.
I just can’t seem to match the expression “honest people” with the two of them…
~~~
“Where am I?” The burly man from the Ancient Barbarian Tribe was called Man Gu. His name meant “barbaric nature,” which bore the same term as his bloodline’s.[1]
He scanned his surroundings in bafflement, having completely forgotten what had transpired a while ago. He was standing beside a picturesquely shimmering river, and in his hand was a worn-out axe.
Suddenly, the old axe slipped from his hand and fell into the small river. Man Gu was just about to retrieve it when he noticed the river surface bubbling. The size of the bubbles expanded until a fountain of water gushed out, and a celestial-like figure appeared with three different axes floating in front of it.
“Young man, I am the River Spirit. Which axe did you drop inside the water just now—this worn-out axe, this Mountain Splitting Axe, which is a spirit artifact, or this Heaven Splitting Axe, which is an immortal artifact?”
The Mountain Splitting Axe and the Heaven Splitting Axe were two renowned axes in the Central Continent. Even mortals with no talent could soar to magnificent heights and become prominent figures if they got hold of these two axes.
Man Gu blurted out, “The worn-out axe.”
The River Spirit smiled faintly. “What an honest young man. You may have all three axes.”
And thus, Man Gu passed the second round.
“Look, I told you that Man Gu would definitely pass the second round. Let me see what choices the Single’s Spirit Root and Sword Spirit Root will make.” Dai Bufan watched on with excitement.
The objective of the second round was to test one’s honesty, and the passing criterion was to secure all three axes.
The River Spirit was actually not an illusion. In fact, he was a natural living spirit born from the small river encircling the Bamboo Forest.
The River Spirit had entered the illusionary domain under countless forms to assess numerous candidates. As he liked honest people, there was only one way to pass the second round—answer his questions honestly and be gifted with the three axes.
~~~
“Hmm? Why did the axe fall into the river?” Lu Yang was puzzled, feeling like there was some strange force compelling him to drop the axe.
The River Spirit emerged once more, inquiring cordially, “Young man, I am the River Spirit. Which axe did you drop inside the water just now—this worn-out axe, this Mountain Splitting Axe, which is a spirit artifact, or this Heaven Splitting Axe, which is an immortal artifact?”
Lu Yang bent down, sweeping his gaze over the three different axes. Raising his head, he stared at the River Spirit pitifully, as if the latter was a fool. “Two of the axes belong to you. Don’t you know which axes you own? Why are you asking me instead?”
The River Spirit’s smile froze in place. Stumped for words, he could only follow Lu Yang’s rhythm. “I truly don’t know which two axes belong to me.”
Lu Yang eyed the River Spirit warily. “In that case, if I choose an axe, you are not going to suddenly recover your memory and tell me which two axes are yours, right?”
“Of course not,” the River Spirit vowed.
“Let me take a look at the three axes.”
The River Spirit passed the three axes to Lu Yang.
Lu Yang promptly tossed the axes into the river. “Alright, now ask me again.”
The River Spirit reflexively repeated, “Which axe did you drop inside the water just now—this worn-out axe, this Mountain Splitting Axe, which is a spirit artifact, or this Heaven Splitting Axe, which is an immortal artifact?”
A brilliant smile broke out on Lu Yang’s face. “I dropped all of them.”
The River Spirit, "..."
Gritting his teeth, he could only say, “What an honest young man. You may have all three axes.”
1. Man Gu’s name translates literally to “barbarian bone” or “barbarian nature,” which uses the same character as the name of his bloodline. ☜
Rakumon's ThoughtsTL’s thoughts Grace: I predicted the ending. Did you? Shameless minds think alike! ;)
Rakumon's Corner
Lu Yang sure is popular with the girls...girls' families.
"Barbarians" in ancient China
Not exactly a nice expression, and there were a few variations in terminologies, but let's just categorize them as "barbarians," at least in the English language. Unfortunately, in-group and out-group tendencies have always existed among the human species.
In ancient China, the distinction between the Huaxia, those in the Central Plains (Zhongyuan), and the barbarians, those that were not the tributary countries, appeared to be more evident around the Zhou Dynasty (approx. BCE 1046 ~ 256). There were four prominent groups of barbarians referred to as the Northern Di, Southern Man, Eastern Yi, and Western Rong. "Four Yi" is a common way to refer to the "Four Barbarians," though mixing the names can mostly give the same idea as barbarians. For example, combining "Man" and "Yi" can mean barbarians.
Coming back to the present, particularly for "Man,“ using it as an adjective alone is already sufficient to describe someone as barbaric, brute, and boorish.
The above are the negatives, and some of the stereotypes where they have more brawns than brains do apply in this novel, but it seems like it's in a more positive light here, where the Barbarian Tribe is portrayed to be this ancient powerful tribe.
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