Chosen: Beyond Fate

“Ji Jue.” Lou Feng spat the words through clenched teeth. “If you called me just for fun, I swear I’m going to Cliff City today and taking you down with me!!!”

“You were the one who told me to fuck off first!” Ji Jue sounded genuinely shocked. He had already gotten more than enough entertainment from listening to the commotion on the other end, so he stopped teasing the guy. “I need a favor. Help me get in touch with your—”

Lou Feng flew into a rage and cut him off without hesitation. “Dream on! Not a chance! I knew you still hadn’t given up on my aunt... Wait. What the fuck did you just say?!”

“I said...” Ji Jue sighed helplessly, drew a deep breath, and practically shouted, “HELP ME GET IN TOUCH WITH YOUR TEACHER!!!”

Another painfully awkward silence followed.

Eventually, Lou Feng mentally buried the embarrassing version of himself from a moment ago and pretended none of it had happened. When he spoke again, his voice was still trembling. “What do you want from my teacher?”

“I need a signature.”

“A signature for...” Lou Feng stopped halfway through, as though something had suddenly occurred to him.

For a long time, he didn’t speak. Whether he was stunned or envious, Ji Jue couldn’t tell.

Lou Feng finally asked, “That soon?”

“I’d like to ask the same thing, but I really don’t have the guts to,” Ji Jue said with a shrug. “So I can only ask you for help.”

“Got it.” Lou Feng didn’t dwell on it any further. Before hanging up, he simply said, “I’ll talk to my teacher. Send me the address in a bit. You’ll have it before the end of the day.”

Just like that, the call ended. The beeping in his ear left Ji Jue stunned for quite a while.

Today?

Judging by the distance between Tide City and Cliff City, and how difficult overland travel was these days, they would probably have to send someone over on an airship that very day.

As expected of the Lou family. Even delivering a signature had to be done in such extravagant fashion.

Just like that, the second signature was taken care of, which left him with another problem. With his teacher and Master Kong, he already had two of the three signatures he needed. So where was he supposed to find the last one?

More importantly, the first two were both masters. He couldn’t exactly follow them up with someone unimpressive. Wouldn’t that drag down the prestige of the whole lineup?

While Ji Jue crouched on the steps with his chin in his hand, grumpy like a goblin, his phone suddenly buzzed. It was a message from Professor Ye, but it contained nothing but a location pin and an address.

Ji Jue scratched his head and compared it over and over with the address Tong Shan had sent him before. They were exactly the same.

This place is... The Tong residence?

“Hello? Blockhead, you there?”

Ji Jue made the call and, as expected, was immediately greeted by an indignant voice from the other end.

“Who are you calling a blockhead? Who?! Ji Jue, I’m warning you, watch your attitude! I transferred tens of millions into your account just yesterday!”

Tsk.

That was the downside of getting too familiar with someone. She didn’t even call him “Mr. Ji” anymore.

Still, they were friends now, and they knew each other well enough. Besides, he would be counting on the young lady of the Tong family to help him to sell off some goods in the future. It probably wasn’t a good idea to keep scaring her just for fun.

Before Ji Jue could say anything, her suspicious voice drifted through the phone. “Did you just tut at me?”

“N-no! Of course not!”

The corner of Ji Jue’s eye twitched. You’re quite sharp, Aether brat. I’m going to raid your entire snack stash one of these days.

To keep the conversation from getting sidetracked again, he went straight to the point. “Are you home?”

“Huh? Me?” The sleepy voice on the other end went up an octave, then turned alarmed. “W-what are you trying to do?! Are you really that desperate for money lately?”

Smack!

Ji Jue slapped a hand over his face, utterly speechless. Why did every conversation he’d had since this morning somehow end up completely missing the point?!

“The Tong residence! Your family home!” He explained weakly, “I need to stop by for something. I was just asking whether you could show me the way. And whether I should bring some fruit or milk or whatever. Consider it a little bribe for our department head, Mr. Tong.”

A long and painfully awkward silence followed. After a while, a guilty voice came from the other end. “I sent you the address. Call me when you get here.”

You could’ve just said that from the start, she thought.

Ji Jue hung up and sighed. Was it really this hard to ask someone for a favor these days? Everyone either seemed convinced he was some sex-crazed pervert or an outlaw, or both. He hadn’t even gotten around to asking for help yet, and somehow every conversation was veering toward kidnapping and extortion.

Just what kind of image did these people have of him?!

***

Horsey tore down the road at full speed, and twenty minutes later, Ji Jue had reached the outskirts of Cliff City.

Looking back from the green hills, he could see the city clearly in the distance. Ships departed from and returned to the harbor in an endless stream, filling the waters with constant traffic.

He followed a smooth, rarely traveled mountain road upward. Through the dense greenery, a sprawling estate nestled among the hills gradually came into view.

There was nothing particularly lavish about its exterior. Even the security was so lax, it was practically nonexistent. In front of the old-fashioned gate, there was only a scrawny old man dressed in the standard Cliff City retiree getup, lounging lazily in a rocking chair and drinking gongfu tea.

It was barely past noon, yet there was no telling how much he had already drunk. The discarded tea leaves on the tray beside him had piled up into a sizable heap.

“Sir?” Ji Jue poked his head over and waved. “Sorry to bother you. Where should I park?”

“Anywhere you like.” The old man casually pointed toward the open space in front of the gate. Then he glanced at Horsey and clicked his tongue appreciatively. “Nice ride. You’re a fine-looking young man, too. Where are you from?”

“The city. North Mount District.”

“Come, come. Sit down and have some tea.”

Seeing Ji Jue carrying bags in both hands, the old man beckoned him over warmly and, with practiced ease, began making ‌tea.

Ji Jue’s brow twitched at the mountain of tea leaves stuffed into the gaiwan.

After scalding a tiny cup no bigger than a thumb with bamboo tongs, the old man quickly poured out a brew so dark and concentrated that a glossy layer of tea oil floated across the surface. Ji Jue could practically see his reflection in it. His eyelid twitched, but refusing would have been rude. Apparently, the Federation had its own version of espresso.

“Ah, you don’t see many young fellows coming by to visit these days.” The old man sighed wistfully and continued fussing over him with enthusiasm. “How old are you? Early twenties? You’re young and promising, very promising. When I was twenty, I was still pushing a cart around the city selling fish balls. Now I’m old enough that all I can do is sit here and watch the gate. Ah, my glory days are long gone.

“Oh, you’re here for Hua Hua? She’s probably only just waking up around now. Just head inside. When you reach the fork farther in, turn right and keep going. You’ll find her there. Ah, don’t mind all those stories about rules and formalities. That’s just outsiders talking nonsense. Go on, go on. Ah, it’s good to be young...”

After finishing a cup of tea and spending quite a while chatting with the lonely old man, Ji Jue somehow found himself inside the estate before he even realized it. The old man had personally shown him through the gate and cheerfully pointed him in the right direction.

Even after Ji Jue had walked quite a distance, he could still see the old man waving enthusiastically behind him.

Eventually, after winding his way through the paths, he ran into Tong Hua, who was yawning and wandering along as though she were sleepwalking. They both froze.

Tong Hua stared at him in shock. “How did you get in here?”

“Huh? Didn’t you say people can just come in?” Ji Jue looked baffled. He glanced back toward the gate, which was already out of sight. “The old gatekeeper let me in. He even gave me directions.”

Tong Hua’s expression stiffened. “What old gatekeeper?”

“You know, the old guy in the tank top, shorts, and flip-flops. He was really energetic for his age.”

Tong Hua’s face darkened further.

“Is there any chance...” She took a deep breath, then asked helplessly, “...that the very energetic old gatekeeper you’re talking about... is my great-grandfather?”

This time, it was Ji Jue’s turn to go numb. “Your great-grandfather?”

“Yes.”

“The... old patriarch of the Tong family?” The corner of his eye twitched. “You’re sure?”

Tong Hua shot back dryly, “Who else do you think would dare wander around the Tong estate in a tank top, shorts, and flip-flops besides Great-Grandfather?”

Ji Jue didn’t say anything in return. After struggling to find something to fill the silence, he finally managed, “He certainly looks energetic.”

He was a Celestial Being and the old patriarch of the Tong family, yet he had been sitting outside his own front gate pretending to be the doorman.

What the hell was that supposed to be? Did he really have nothing better to do than mess with visitors?! At this point, Ji Jue could only be thankful he hadn’t opened their earlier conversation with something like “that bastard Xu Chaoxian.”

The old man was a powerhouse of the Aether Path, after all. Ji Jue certainly didn’t dare mutter anything behind his back, not even in his own head. Instead, he racked his brain for praise in front of Tong Hua, going on about how her great-grandfather was vigorous yet unconventional, approachable yet utterly unpretentious, a rare hero worthy of boundless admiration, flowing on and on like the Nandu River.

Only when Ji Jue suddenly tripped over nothing did he obediently shut his mouth.

After hearing the whole story from Ji Jue, Tong Hua nodded in understanding. “A signature? Got it. Mr. No-Fun’s equipment is being rebuilt recently. I don’t know where they found some ridiculously impressive guy, but he’s been working on it for quite a while. He should be at Mr. Zhao’s workshop farther back.”

Ji Jue’s eyes lit up. “That should be the one.”

Tong Hua looked doubtful. “You sure? I heard he loves putting on airs and acts like he’s above everyone else. If you just walk in there, don’t blame me if he refuses to even see you.”

“No chance.” Ji Jue shook his head decisively. “I’m actually great at dealing with craftsmen. People think craftsmen are cold and aloof, but that’s just a misunderstanding. They may look unfriendly on the outside, but they’re really kind and nice once you get to know them. As long as everyone opens up and gets to know each other better, there’s nothing that can’t be worked out.”

Five minutes later, he arrived at the workshop and was greeted by a face that looked as sour as humanly possible. The young apprentice had apparently been waiting there for quite some time. His slightly swollen face was filled with irritation and impatience.

Like Ji Jue, he was leaning on a crutch. Unlike Ji Jue, however, whose mercury cane had long since been repurposed into a toolbox, this young man genuinely needed his. His right leg was still in a cast. The moment he saw Ji Jue, his eyelid began twitching violently, and he gritted his teeth on instinct.

“Ji Jue...” He forced the name through a clenched jaw, looking as if he considered charging over and tearing Ji Jue apart with his bare hands.

Tong Hua, who had led Ji Jue there, froze. She looked at the young man, then at Ji Jue, her suspicion growing.

“Kind and nice?” she asked. “Are you sure this is what that looks like for craftsmen?”

“We just haven’t gotten to know each other yet.” Ji Jue shook his head, strode forward, and enthusiastically grabbed the other man’s hand, specifically, the one holding his crutch, and gave it a good shake.

“Hello, hello. Nice to meet you. Is there some kind of misunderstanding here?” he asked curiously. “How should I address you, sir?”

The man staggered as Ji Jue vigorously shook his hand, nearly pitching face-first onto the ground. He had been about to lose his temper, but after hearing that, his expression grew even uglier. His face went from ashen to flushed, then practically black with rage.

“Misunderstanding?” The apprentice was so angry he almost laughed. “You’re the one who broke my leg! What misunderstanding could there possibly be? Quit pretending you don’t know who I am!”

Ji Jue froze. He stared at the craftsman for a long moment, his gaze slowly dropping to the man’s leg.

He remained baffled for quite a while. Mostly because whenever Ji Jue actually got into a fight, he rarely left anyone alive. So when a genuine victim suddenly appeared in front of him, it took him a moment to process it.

At last, something clicked.

“Oh! I remember you! You’re that guy!” Ji Jue slapped his forehead. “Back at the Spring City outpost, in the association lounge... What was your name again? Zhou... Zhou...”

“Zhou Cheng!!!” Zhou Cheng’s eyes became bloodshot, no longer able to bear the humiliation. If not for the setting, and the fact that his leg still hadn’t healed, he would have thrown himself at Ji Jue then and there and fought him to the death.

Ever since his grandfather had sent him back to the workshop, Zhou Cheng had spent every waking moment brooding over how to get revenge. He had imagined their reunion countless times. The one thing he had never imagined was that, less than half a month later, Ji Jue would have already forgotten who he was!

In truth, if the Heart-Poison Arrow Ji Jue had taken from him hadn’t proved somewhat useful when he was beating up that old geezer, Ji Jue probably wouldn’t even have remembered his surname. And now that they were face-to-face again, Zhou Cheng was the only one seething with hatred, making the whole grudge feel painfully one-sided.

He was about to say something else when he suddenly went stiff, as though someone had barked a reprimand directly into his ear. Breathing heavily, he glared at Ji Jue for a long time before tearing his gaze away in resentment. Leaning on his crutch, he turned and headed through the door.

“Follow me. Grandpa has been waiting for you.”