Chapter 5: The Bargain Between Immortal Lord Shangchen and Yu Shangchen

Yu Shangchen was exceedingly solemn and earnest. "I am willing to use my life to protect our Great Hua from any hostile forces. Even if it costs me my life, I will not hesitate." Such fervent love seemed to make his entire being appear taller and nobler.

Immortal Lord Shangchen nodded slightly, then shook his head. "I can tell you speak sincerely, but I don't quite understand your faith. Still, one thing is clear—you love your Great Hua deeply."

To Immortal Lord Shangchen, Yu Shangchen's passion was a curiosity. Human emotions were indeed strange; as an immortal, he had long grown indifferent to such feelings. Yet the intense warmth radiating from Yu Shangchen drew him in, and he suddenly felt the urge to visit the world where Yu Shangchen lived.

Yu Shangchen nodded gravely. "Yes, I like it very much—no, I love it dearly. It is my faith." As he spoke, a peculiar light seemed to shine in his eyes, while the glow of virtue surrounding him grew even brighter.

Immortal Lord Shangchen studied him for a long moment. "It's been so many years since I've witnessed such passionate resolve. I've traveled to various modern worlds, all flourishing eras. Your time is the 1990s, and I haven't been there yet. Hearing you speak, I wish to see it for myself."

"Who are you?" Only now did Yu Shangchen notice that the person before him bore a striking resemblance to himself.

"This is Immortal Lord Shangchen, the foremost immortal of the Celestial Realm," Bai Wuchang quickly introduced from the side. "You two are fated to meet—not only do you resemble each other, but your names share similar sounds in two characters, though the writing differs."

Yu Shangchen pondered this and replied, "If you wish to go, then do so. If you lack an identity there, you can use mine. I only hope that if you use my identity, you will protect our Great Hua as much as possible."

Immortal Lord Shangchen raised an eyebrow. "If I go, I will replace you. I won't go directly to the 1990s—I will start from your childhood, which means you will not exist in that world."

He paused, contemplating. "Let me propose a transaction. I want your memories and your passionate devotion to Great Hua. In return, I can send you to the world you desire to be reborn in, guaranteeing a peaceful and prosperous next life, as you wish."

"I heard you mention you've been to the future," Yu Shangchen mused. "How is our Great Hua in the future?"

"Splendid. The rivers are clear, the seas tranquil, and it is an era of peace and prosperity," Immortal Lord Shangchen replied.

"I wish to see such a world," Yu Shangchen said sincerely. For reasons unknown, he felt that if the Immortal Lord went, the world he belonged to might progress even faster. The strengthening of Great Hua was his heart's desire, and he was willing to pay any price for it.

Immortal Lord Shangchen spoke without delay, "Deal." He touched Yu Shangchen lightly, extracting a seed of red energy from him, and in turn bestowed a strand of purple energy. "I have taken your passion and feeling, and I give you a wisp of primordial purple energy. With this, whatever path you pursue in the future—so long as it does not harm the world—you will find everything goes smoothly."

Yu Shangchen bowed respectfully to Immortal Lord Shangchen. "Thank you, Immortal Lord."

Immortal Lord Shangchen glanced at Bai Wuchang. "You make the arrangements yourself. Take him to the Destiny Keeper, present my card, and settle everything for him. I wish to visit his world and experience that burning passion for myself." Immortal Lord Shangchen suddenly felt this might bring him an unexpected delight.

Bai Wuchang naturally had no objections. With Immortal Lord Shangchen's status, he could go anywhere he pleased. Without another word, Immortal Lord Shangchen vanished.

Bai Wuchang smiled at Yu Shangchen. "This is a tremendous opportunity for you. Come, I'll take you to the Destiny Keeper for registration and send you to your chosen world."

Bai Wuchang genuinely envied Yu Shangchen; to receive a wisp of primordial purple energy from Immortal Lord Shangchen was the greatest safeguard anyone could possess. Yet this was Yu Shangchen's fate, and though Bai Wuchang envied him, he harbored no ill intentions.

Taking Yu Shangchen with him, Bai Wuchang departed.

In the mortal realm—

Xie Yihuang rose early, hurried through her breakfast, and since there was no one at home, she could continue chatting with her friends.

With the adults away, her older siblings had gone out to meet their own friends, leaving her alone at home. She relished the quiet. It seemed that poor health was a convenient excuse—at least for now, no one would discover her secret.

This special group had a simple name: The Seven-Person Chat Group. Xie Yihuang suspected the group owner lacked culture and had chosen the name at random.

Xie Yihuang's little face was full of excitement. "Good morning! I've just finished breakfast. Are you all up yet?"

Yan Qingqing's eyes were dark with fatigue. "Good morning, Little Huang. I haven't slept all night. I just found out that the Da Yan Imperial Dynasty I live in is actually a fictional palace intrigue novel. And I'm the cannon fodder. Not even elite cannon fodder, but someone who gets wrongly framed and dies inexplicably."

Xie Yihuang was curious. "But you haven't entered the selection yet, have you?"

Yan Qingqing sighed deeply. "That's right. Not having entered the selection means I'm not yet in the plot. Once the selection starts, my cannon fodder storyline begins."

Xie Yihuang asked casually, "So who is the protagonist?"

Yan Qingqing replied listlessly, "I only learned yesterday. The protagonist is a girl named Fan Luoxue, the legitimate daughter of the current Prime Minister. She was originally betrothed to the Prince Luo as his consort, but was killed by the Prince and his childhood sweetheart. Then she was reborn, returning to before the selection. She plans to enter the selection as a court lady. Fan Luoxue is talented, the most beautiful woman in the capital, and the Prime Minister's legitimate daughter, so naturally she can enter the palace. She enters as a fifth-rank lady and is immediately targeted by the Noble Consort. Step by step, she rises, eliminates the Noble Consort, outlasts the Empress, and becomes Empress herself. Her son even becomes Emperor. That's roughly the plot. As for me, I'm just a minor cannon fodder, dying in the conflict between her and the Noble Consort."

Xie Yihuang pulled at the corner of her mouth. "Palace intrigue is terrifying."

Yan Qingqing replied weakly, "Yes, yes. According to this, I'll certainly be selected too. What should I do?"

"If you're destined to be targeted, why not take action first?" Liu Xiang'er chimed in, having just heard Yan Qingqing's worries. "I'll gather some palace intrigue novels for you to read, so you can gain some experience."