BTTH: Death Letter From The Future

The imperial capital is never short of topics. Just as the excitement of the royal princess's coming-of-age ceremony has yet to cool down, the annual disciple competition of the Yunlan Sect has arrived.

Elder Yun Leng is in charge of all the arrangements, and the scale of the event is growing year by year. While it doesn't quite rival the grandeur of Yao Ye's coming-of-age ceremony, it's not far behind. All the prominent families of the Holy City, as well as the Alchemist Guild, have been invited to witness the event.

The Palace

Jia Xingtian and Chen Guan are sitting in a royal carriage, heading north towards the Yunlan Sect.

Both have their own goals, but Chen Guan, watching the spirited Jia Xingtian who looks eager to fight, can't help but feel uneasy.

"Jia Lao, we're going to attend the ceremony, not to fight. Please take it easy. If you can avoid a confrontation, do so."

"Relax, no one knows better than me how to be polite."

Jia Xingtian responded with assurance, but his expression remained unchanged, as if his words

were going in one ear and out the other, much like a schoolchild not paying attention.

Chen Guan could only give a bitter smile. It's hard to trust you with that attitude.

He had tried to persuade him many times, but to no avail.

At this moment, Jia Xingtian, in Chen Guan's eyes, was acting somewhat childish.

After a month of hard training with the Great Desolate Starfall, Jia Xingtian had made significant progress, and he had never felt so confident in his life. Chen Guan could understand this confidence, but they needed to keep it in check.

Yunshan was not to be underestimated, though according to the timeline, he had not yet broken through to the Dou Ancestor level. The real concern was the Hall of Souls lurking in the shadows!

"Why are you so concerned about the Yunlan Sect? You've mentioned it to me more than ten times, which isn't like you."

It seemed that without a good reason, it would be difficult to change Jia Xingtian's mind.

Chen Guan was helpless. The old man usually acted kind and easygoing, but when he became stubborn, he was really stubborn.

What Chen Guan didn't remember from his memories was that Yunshan, Jia Xingtian, and Hai Bodong had once been rivals in their youth. Hai Bodong was always at the bottom of the trio, while Yunshan and Jia Xingtian were evenly matched. They saw each other as lifelong enemies, similar to how others had viewed him in the past.

Now that Jia Xingtian had a chance to guarantee victory, it was impossible for him to resist. Even wild horses couldn't hold him back.

This was a feeling that Chen Guan had never experienced, so he couldn't fully understand it.

After much hesitation, Chen Guan decided not to reveal anything about the Hall of Souls for the time being, and instead made up a reason.

"To be honest, Jia Lao, I was captivated by Yun Yun when I saw her at the coming-of-age ceremony. It was love at first sight, and I'd rather not ruin my chances with the Yunlan Sect. Also, I'd like to exchange some Acceptance Soul."

"Love at first sight?"

Chen Guan nodded.

Jia Xingtian scoffed in disbelief.

"Is that really love at first sight? I'm not going to expose your lie, but I know you too well. Isn't it that Acceptance Soul you're after?"

Indeed, Acceptance Soul was his true objective.

"Is it very important to you?"

"Very important." Chen Guan nodded seriously.

In places like the Jia Nan Academy and the Black-Corner Region, it might take more effort to find Acceptance Soul, but he didn't have that kind of time to waste.

Upon closer consideration, there were less than two years before Xiao Yan made his debut, and the storyline would soon begin. Chen Guan needed to grow as much as possible before then.

Jia Xingtian nodded slightly, his excitement dampening a bit as a trace of regret flashed across his face.

Forget it, he could deal with Yunshan another time.

The Holy City wasn't far from the Yunlan Sect. After traveling for about half an hour, they arrived at the military camp at the foot of the Yunlan Sect's mountain, where Yao Ye was waiting after three days of absence.

Unfortunately, when Chen Guan and Jia Xingtian arrived, they saw Yao Ye supervising an execution, looking cold and stern. Only when she saw them did her expression soften slightly.

Chen Guan had never seen this side of her before and couldn't help but be a little curious.

Yao Ye didn't hide anything, briefly explaining, "I was preparing to send a group of people back to the imperial city, but unexpectedly, we found seven or eight spies, from several neighbouring empires. A spy from Chu Yun claimed to be from Mulan, and a Mulan spy said he was from Chu Yun, each trying to pin the blame on the other. None of them are clean. In the past, we'd occasionally find spies, but never this many at once."

It was clear that the neighbouring empires were confused by the Jia Ma Empire's recent unusual activity.

Chen Guan finally understood and smiled awkwardly.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just find it amusing."

Chen Guan wouldn't admit that years ago, he had foolishly believed the assassin's letter and never considered the possibility of false accusations. It was a bit embarrassing, to say the least.

Yao Ye was busy, so Chen Guan didn't disturb her further. He asked her to handle their carriage, and then he and Jia Xingtian leisurely walked the rest of the way.

At their deliberately slow pace, they reached the Yunlan Sect close to noon. Elder Tengshan, Nalan Su, and others were already seated, and the competition was about to begin. They arrived just in time.

Due to Jia Xingtian's status, Yun Yun herself rose to greet them.

Dressed in a simple yet elegant smoke-blue gown, her noble and graceful aura was clear and serene, untainted by the dust of the world. Her quiet beauty made her the undeniable focus of the event.

"Haha, Sect Leader Yun, no need for such formality. I'm an old friend of your teacher. I'm just here to relax and chat with the old man over there," Jia Xingtian said, not even giving Yun Yun a chance to speak before arranging everything himself and eyeing the empty seat next to Fa Ma.

Yun Yun felt a bit helpless, but smiled politely and spoke softly, her voice like a faint orchid fragrance in the air.

"Please, Jia Lao."

Jia Xingtian went off without a care, leaving Chen Guan behind. As he left, he shot a teasing smile at Chen Guan as if to say, "There you go, you like her, right? Here's your chance, make the most of it."

Chen Guan could only laugh bitterly. Now it was up to him.

"Chen Guan greets Sect Leader Yun."

"Mm, Young Master Chen, please take a seat with Yanran and the others. They've been curious about you for a long time and would love to see someone who is beyond their level."

Chen Guan smiled humbly and nodded, then walked over to sit with the younger generation.

Now wasn't the time to discuss serious matters. He could ask about the Acceptance Soul after the competition ended.

It seemed they had heard a lot about him, as the moment he sat down, Nalan Yanran, Liu Ling, and others turned their gazes toward him, sizing him up.

Even though her teacher had told her, Nalan Yanran still found it hard to believe that someone so close to her age was already a Dou Master. His talent gave her an overwhelming sense of pressure, and she unconsciously tightened her grip on the sword across her knees.

Liu Ling, seated further away, was also curious, but unlike Nalan Yanran, he still carried an air of arrogance.

So what if he's a genius? He's not an alchemist. Even if he becomes a Dou King or Dou Emperor, won't he still have to treat us alchemists with respect?

Liu Ling's blind confidence showed as he greeted Chen Guan with a somewhat insincere smile. He wasn't foolish enough to voice his thoughts out loud.

Chen Guan, meanwhile, didn't know their identities. He could only be sure of Nalan Yanran and responded politely with a smile, then paid them no further attention.

Just then, a chilling sensation ran down his spine, reminding him of the time he first locked eyes with the Crimson Ice Snake King.

Turning suddenly...!

(End of Chapter)