Chapter 688: The Curse

Lu Yang felt that the junior brother he had never met might not necessarily join Dao Seeking Sect. Even if he did join, his purpose for cultivating immortality would be another matter entirely. What if his goal was to cultivate diligently in order to break someone out of prison?

Seeing Senior Brother Ji's self-satisfied expression after doing a good deed, Lu Yang felt awkward expressing his thoughts.

When Ji Hongwen encountered Meng Jingzhou's carriage, greeting them was one thing, but another motive was to show off his good deed to two acquaintances.

"What about you two? Did you just leave the sect, or have you also finished observing someone?"

Lu Yang was unsure how to explain what had just happened, so he bit the bullet and said, "We've finished observing one person, but he's already been pre-selected by Wuji Gate, so he probably won't join our sect."

"We also coincidentally found a promising candidate not on the list, who has an ice spiritual root, but they've also been pre-selected by another sect."

"Which sect?"

"Charm Sect."

Ji Hongwen said with a hint of regret, "Well, that's truly unlucky."

He trusted the judgment of these two junior brothers. Anyone they favored might have questionable character, but their cultivation talent was undoubtedly exceptional, a true dragon among men.

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou nodded in unison. Indeed, it was unlucky.

"Alright then, I'm off to observe the second person. See you back at the sect." Ji Hongwen waved, then soared into the air, heading towards his next destination.

"Goodbye, Senior Brother Ji."

The carriage moved slowly at first, but the old horse traversed space with incredible speed. Only a Body Integration stage mighty figure like Ji Hongwen could have noticed the carriage's location.

Lin Tian City in You Province was an unremarkable small city, where the highest cultivation level was merely Nascent Soul stage.

As usual, Meng Jingzhou left the old horse in the stable, taking out carefully prepared fodder. The old horse ate leisurely, its tail swishing, looking utterly content.

Gu Junye attended classes at the Bailu Academy in the city, making him easy to find.

"The sage said: Is it not a pleasure to learn and to repeat what one has learned from time to time…" The teacher swayed his head as he lectured on stage.

Gu Junye sat in a corner, exuding an aloof aura that kept people at a distance. His smooth, fair face was strikingly handsome with sharp features. His long eyebrows resembled willows, his posture was as elegant as a jade tree, and his eyes were dim. The well-fitting scholar's robe highlighted his slender physique.

Lin Tian City had a relatively open atmosphere, allowing even women to study.

Despite Gu Junye's "do not disturb" expression, many girls still secretly cast glances his way, ignoring the teacher's lecture and frequently looking at him.

"Young Master Gu is so handsome."

"Too bad Young Master Gu isn't born of the main wife; he's a concubine's son, so he can't inherit the Gu family's estate."

"If he can't inherit, he can just marry into my family."

"Oh please, how many sisters in this city think that way? Will it even be your turn?"

"I heard he has some hidden secret; some people have seen him talking to himself frequently."

The girls whispered among themselves, secretly glancing at Gu Junye, their cheeks flushed and hearts pounding.

Gu Junye seemed oblivious to the chatter, concentrating on listening to the lecture and taking notes. His handwriting was as neat and meticulous as his upright posture.

After class, a girl secretly called Gu Junye to a secluded corner behind the academy and boldly declared her love.

"Junye, I like you."

Gu Junye looked coldly at the girl. He himself couldn't remember how many people had confessed to him by now.

The closer the girl got to Gu Junye, the more agitated she became, her heart nearly leaping out of her chest.

"I apologize, but I need to study."

"Also, please don't call me Junye. Our relationship isn't that intimate."

Gu Junye coldly rejected her. As a Tribulation Transcending stage mighty figure, he had endured eighty bolts of lightning during the Ninety-Nine Immortality Tribulation, just one short of ascending to immortality. Unfortunately, his cultivation wasn't perfectly complete, so he failed to pass it and perished in the tribulation, only to somehow arrive in this later era.

In this life, he was determined to re-cultivate and become a Peerless True Immortal!

As a mighty Tribulation Transcending figure, how could he accept the affections of mere mortals?

The girl covered her face and fled.

Gu Junye merely found it boring. He returned to the academy to pack his things and prepare to go home.

Just as he was about to leave, he heard a commotion.

"Mu Yu, you actually deliberately pushed Junior Sister Mu Xi down!"

"I-I didn't."

"You didn't? So Junior Sister Mu Xi fell by herself then?"

"No, that's not what I meant."

"Then what do you mean! Just now, you were the only one behind Junior Sister Mu Xi. If you didn't push her, who did?"

"It's not enough that you usually make things difficult for Junior Sister Mu Xi; this time you actually resorted to physical violence!"

"Please don't blame my sister, everyone. I believe she didn't do it on purpose."

"Junior Sister Mu Xi, you're just too kind, that's why Mu Yu always bullies you."

"Junior Sister Mu Xi, we're all here. Don't be afraid."

A delicate-looking girl sat on a chair, her clothes a bit disheveled. She was likely Mu Xi, who had fallen.

Gu Junye knew Mu Xi; she was from the Mu family, but like himself, she was born of a concubine. Her gentle and frail appearance often evoked a desire to protect her, and fellow students at the academy frequently took the initiative to show concern for her.

Another girl was anxiously trying to explain something; this was Mu Yu.

Mu Yu was Mu Xi's elder sister. Gu Junye had heard that Mu Yu often bullied Mu Xi, relying on her status as the older sister.

"Excuse me, you're blocking the way," Gu Junye said blandly, with a hint of command in his tone, showing some displeasure. Reincarnated with him was an immortal-level monstrous beast, the Sky-Devouring Beast, sealed within his eyes. If he were in a bad mood, he might become distracted and allow the Sky-Devouring Beast to escape and wreak havoc upon the human world.

Seeing it was Gu Junye, everyone quickly made way for him.

"Junior Sister Mu Xi," Gu Junye said, mimicking others in calling her Junior Sister Mu Xi.

"Senior Brother Junye..." Mu Xi exchanged glances with Gu Junye, her pretty face blushing slightly.

"You're blocking the way too."

"Ah? Oh." Mu Xi then realized that the chair she was sitting on was right in the middle of the path. She quickly stood up and moved it.

Gu Junye nodded with satisfaction and left.

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou had been hidden nearby, observing everything. They both let out a soft gasp.

Leaving aside the fact that Mu Xi deliberately fell and blamed Mu Yu...

"Immortal, please tell me clearly this time: is this Gu Junye person a reincarnation of a mighty figure, or someone who discarded their cultivation to re-cultivate, or a mighty figure in disguise?" Learning from their previous experience, Lu Yang first sought confirmation from Immortal Buhuo.

Immortal Buhuo waved her hand dismissively, bored. "You're overthinking it. Where would so many mighty figures come from? He's just a mortal."

"Really?"

"When has this Immortal ever been wrong?"

"That's good then." Lu Yang still trusted Immortal Buhuo's discernment.

"However, there is indeed something wrong with that young man."

"What's wrong?" Lu Yang grew tense.

"He's been cursed."

"A curse?"

"It's a rather simple little curse. Its effect is that any young women who see him will experience a heart ailment."

Lu Yang nudged Meng Jingzhou, who was grinding his teeth beside him.

"No need to be jealous of this guy anymore. The reason women he interacts with blush and their hearts beat faster is because they have a heart ailment."