The Unruly Immortals

In a rain corridor of the Bright Wheel Hall, Zhuge Yuan walked towards his residence with a face full of frustration. The words of the old man had hurt him deeply. No matter what he said, the old man insisted that rules are rules, and people should do what they are supposed to do without overstepping at all.

Fine, let it be miscellaneous chores; it's not like I am unwilling to work. But why teach nothing at all? What did I go through all this trouble to come here for?

It's not just that they refuse to teach; Zhuge Yuan was extremely displeased with how Bright Wheel Hall categorized people into ranks. He found that the outside world was nothing like how he had imagined in the mountains.

"No." Zhuge Yuan immediately clenched his fists. "I cannot let it end like this, I cannot give up so easily."

"But... under the current circumstances, how do I break the stalemate?" Standing under the rain corridor, Zhuge Yuan leaned against the square window on the left, lost in thought as he gazed at the green lake outside.

Suddenly, his green pupils, reflected in the lake, brightened. "Right, it's not like Bright Wheel Hall is decided by him alone, I can go to Li Jinshu!" The young man who wrote erotic poems had left a deep impression on him.

Compared to the old man's stubborn temperament, the other's attitude was obviously much better, and he had said before that he could get into Bright Wheel Hall.

"Moreover, judging from the old man's tone, the status of the two in Bright Wheel Hall doesn't differ much." Thinking of this, Zhuge Yuan immediately turned and headed to Li Jinshu's residence.

The path was familiar from his visit that night, and soon Zhuge Yuan stood before the Bamboo Forest courtyard. Upon entering through the gate, he saw the other lying on a recliner, eating a Green Bodhi fruit and reading a book.

The man was so engrossed that he only noticed Zhuge Yuan when he got close. At that point, Zhuge Yuan could clearly see the cover of the book: "Green Brothel's Rhymes."

"Ah~, Brother Zhuge, what brings you here? Got nothing better to do? You want to study The Whoring Scripture with your fellow student?" Li Jinshu sat up with enthusiasm and started to highly recommend the book to Li Huowang, praising it as unparalleled.

"Ahem, Yuting elder, I'm here to discuss other matters." The indecent illustrations on the book made Zhuge Yuan's face blush, prompting him to avert his gaze quickly.

"Sigh, still too young, don't know the treasure. Go on, what's the matter?" Halfway up, Li Jinshu slumped back in the recliner, continuing to peruse the book in his hand.

Hearing this, Zhuge Yuan recounted his earlier conversation with the old man and his current predicament.

Upon hearing this, Li Jinshu's eyes widened, and he sat up from the recliner, "What? Not only did they not let you matriculate, but they also treated you like a servant!??"

"Uh... you didn't know?"

"Of course, I didn't know! Previously, Elder Si Gong had looked into your background and said everything would be handled by him."

A bit helplessly, Zhuge Yuan said, "It seems Elder Si Gong had decided long ago to keep me out of Bright Wheel Hall, and he only said that to temporarily appease you."

"Come with me!" Li Jinshu, filled with righteous indignation, immediately put down the Whoring Scripture and stood up.

"To where?" Zhuge Yuan asked, somewhat puzzled.

"To find someone; this cannot end like this." With that, Li Jinshu led Zhuge Yuan out of the courtyard.

Following the figure ahead, Zhuge Yuan saw more of the Bright Wheel Hall for the first time. He also discovered its significant size, which even included a small lake inside.

Moving through connected corridors and courtyards, Zhuge Yuan followed Li Jinshu to meet various people at Bright Wheel Hall.

Zhuge Yuan couldn't recognize these people's positions at Bright Wheel Hall, but he was sure Li Jinshu had reasons to seek them out.

However, as the Hours ticked by, the previously confident expression on Li Jinshu's face began to fade.

"You say this kid's Master has connections with the powerful figures in the hall, what's the evidence?"

"There is proof; my Master wrote me a letter, but Elder Si Gong took it."

"Words are no proof; bring the letter."

It seemed everyone had agreed on it; they all wanted to see the letter before discussing anything else.

By now, both of them realized from the start that this avenue had been manipulated by Si Gong. Since Zhuge Yuan handed over the letter last time, it was never returned.

"Sigh." Li Jinshu sat on the stairs, sighing helplessly. "Elder Si Gong has gone too far this time."

"Let's go find him!" Zhuge Yuan was slightly enraged; this was outright bullying and targeting him.

But Li Jinshu quickly reached out to hold him back, "What use is finding him? If you argue with him, you'll lose reason even if you have it. Don't forget, this is Bright Wheel Hall; right now, you're just an outsider. Besides, you know he's stubborn; do you think you can persuade him to return the letter to you or what?"

"Then what to do?"

"Don't rush, let me think." Li Jinshu sat back on the staircase, resting his chin on his knees, thinking.

Leaning against a wooden pillar, Zhuge Yuan thought for a moment before speaking again, "Without the letter, can Bright Wheel Hall find out about my background?"

After all, as a renowned place, there's no way they lack means to verify a person's identity without the letter.

"They do have the means, but do you think you have the standing for them to use them on you? It's you who need them, not them who are chasing to recruit you."

Hearing this, Zhuge Yuan couldn't help but let out a deep sigh, stopping his pacing steps and sitting on the stairs with Li Jinshu.

"How about going back once more, asking your Master to write another letter?"

"Better not. A round trip would take several months again. Besides, I thought of achieving something before going back; returning empty-handed... how shameful."

After pondering for a while, Li Jinshu's eyes suddenly sparkled, "Hey! I thought of a way, without the letter, no problem! We can go directly to Wang Changxu!"

The words left Zhuge Yuan perplexed. "But hasn't he been long dead?"

"Yes, he is dead, but his memorial tablet is still kept in the hall." Upon thinking of this solution, Li Jinshu immediately stood up, heading towards the eaves on the left.

Zhuge Yuan hurried to catch up. Shocked, he asked, "Is this possible?"

"Of course, it is. Don't underestimate Bright Wheel Hall."

Under Li Jinshu's guidance, Zhuge Yuan headed towards the depths of Bright Wheel Hall, where it became increasingly secluded. Connected paths and adorned rocks with bizarre trees and towering walls turned the place into a labyrinth.

After about two incense sticks' time of walking, Li Jinshu suddenly halted his steps. "Shush! Stop! Lower your head!"

Zhuge Yuan quickly froze in place, tightly pressing himself against a faux hill. Daring not to move even a little, he neither saw anything nor heard any commotion.

After hearing Li Jinshu indicate to move again, Zhuge Yuan continued forward. "Keep your voice down, slow your pace, don't let them catch you!"

Zhuge Yuan was somewhat bewildered; mimicking the lowest volume, he asked softly, "Li elder, what are we doing here? Why do we have to sneak around like thieves? Can't we just walk in openly?"

"Nonsense, of course not! With so many rules at Bright Wheel Hall, how could they let an outsider like you see the ancestors' memorial tablets?"

"But no worries, just follow me. I know perfectly well where there are guards, where we can go, and where we can't! Quickly, follow!" Li Jinshu bent his back a bit lower.

Zhuge Yuan looked back at the misty path behind him, starting to regret seeking help from this unreliable fellow.

Under Li Jinshu's lead, they wandered for a while until a two-story ancient mansion loomed before them, with a vine-covered roof blocking all sunlight, sealing the area tightly beneath.

Li Jinshu moved to the side of the mansion, opened a door, and carefully entered. Zhuge Yuan hurriedly followed.

Due to the lack of light, Zhuge Yuan could only hazily see many pillars inside. As he got closer, he realized that beneath the pillars were rows of bookshelves.

"We're almost there, get through this Jiezi Study." Li Jinshu whispered again.

"Li elder, had I known this was breaking the rules, I would not have come."

"You brat, what are you afraid of? I am not scared, why are you? You haven't even joined Bright Wheel Hall yet, what rules are you following? Once you join Bright Wheel Hall, you'll have plenty of rules to follow."