I Will Take Responsibility
On a warship with five decks on a river in Profound Literature grotto-heaven, Su Qi Han, the imperial minister’s daughter, gazes at the water and recites a verse of Emperor Gu Wen. Her maid presses her to drink her medicine, which cannot help her injuries but protects her weak lungs from the cold, and she drinks it. When her maid suggests choosing the last two of the ten great scholars casually, Su Qi Han says the selection concerns her Su clan’s prosperity as well as an imperial edict. Shark Bandit, a thief she drove off before, leaps from the water and beats the ship’s guards. Su Qi Han steps forward to fight him. Shark Bandit says she is no longer his match after drinking the medicine, and her limbs begin to go numb. Medicine Demon, a poison path cultivator aged by backlash, then appears and says the herbs were tampered with. ch. 1870
Medicine Demon blames her elder cousin for his short life, wants a taste of Su Qi Han before he dies, and tells her the drug is the strongest aphrodisiac. As Shark Bandit pounces and forces her back, the maid sacrifices herself, activating a forbidden technique to hold the two off. Su Qi Han hesitates deeply. She flees across the water, swearing never to forgive them and that the Imperial Court will execute their nine generations. ch. 1870
In a pavilion by the river, Teacher Jiang gives his student Li Xiao Bai, Fang Yuan’s clone, ten steps of time to compose a poem. Li Xiao Bai recites four lines, but Teacher Jiang says that despite huge progress his talent still falls short for a great scholar. Having passed this first test of the selection, Li Xiao Bai asks why he is not recommended. Teacher Jiang says the selection is in fact a competition to cultivate future Imperial Court officials. Li Xiao Bai feigns astonishment. He already knows everything through Fang Yuan’s heaven form killer move. ch. 1870
Emperor Gu Wen, who became a Gu Immortal at a frightening speed, killed or subdued the other Gu Immortals and created the Imperial Court to rule the whole grotto-heaven. In his latter years he created the ten great scholars selection, and the Court recruits suitable scholars, raises them to Gu Immortals and appoints them officials. Every high ranking official is a Gu Immortal, and the rank eight Gu Immortal guarding the grotto-heaven is the retired emperor from three generations ago. Beneath the surface the selection is bloody. Teacher Jiang, never recruited, and Great Scholar Shen, still at rank five peak stage, were once among the ten great scholars and now wander outside the Court, probably by choice. Because the Court controls almost all immortal materials, immortal ascension is extremely difficult and almost hopeless for them. Li Xiao Bai reckons that even if selected, he would be only a junior official with no backer, his cultivation delayed his whole life. ch. 1870
Teacher Jiang, deeply concerned, wants Li Xiao Bai to quit this selection. The selection is a whirlpool that has killed many young scholars and he does not want his student to die miserably. Li Xiao Bai performs regret and unwillingness, then thanks him and says he will give up this selection and future ones, and Teacher Jiang leaves with huge relief. Li Xiao Bai knows he could ascend alone, but ascending so fast would definitely make the rank eight Gu Immortal vigilant, and any trace of doubt would put him in fatal danger. Fang Yuan used soul replacement to arrange this clone to open the way and gain control of the grotto-heaven alone. The backup plan is for Li Xiao Bai to cooperate with the main body from outside against the rank eight Gu Immortal once he has grown. Li Xiao Bai thinks joining the Imperial Court is the best path, but with no power or background he would not have a good ending in the selection. ch. 1870
Walking home along the river, Li Xiao Bai finds an unconscious girl on a bush, carries her to shore and discovers she is Su Qi Han. She is the daughter of Chancellor Su, a rank six Gu Immortal, and is in charge of the selection. Li Xiao Bai thinks she definitely has immortal methods to protect her, so her predicament shows the selection’s hidden undercurrents are truly too deep. She wakes with a heated gaze. She pins him to the ground and begins to undress him. ch. 1870
He stammers that he is Teacher Jiang’s student, but she says the teacher is far away and no one else is within ten li. Truly afraid of her rank five peak stage cultivation, he cannot resist, and she strikes him lightly into a daze. He fears his secret will be discovered, which would be extremely bad, but he struggles in vain and faints in pleasure. He wakes extremely exhausted in a cave with his clothes torn completely, while Su Qi Han dresses beside him. Without looking at him, she calmly says three days and three nights have passed since they met. Her voice shaking a little, she says she will take responsibility. ch. 1870
