"Isn't that right, Fourth Brother? You handed the spot to Second Brother, and we're the ones feeling it's a waste on your behalf. That boy Wang Zhuo just said it well—Huzi is bound to be stronger than Iron Pillar. Who knows, he might truly be taken in by an Immortal." Iron Pillar's father's fifth younger brother chimed in from the side.
Wang Zhuo smiled smugly and added fuel to the fire: "They brought all of this on themselves. My father and I warned them before, but it was no use — that whole family has the stubbornness of mules. Obstinate to the core. Now they've run headlong into a wall, and who is there to blame?"
Wang Hao's face clouded with an expression he could not conceal, and he said, "Iron Pillar, he…"
Before he could finish, Wang Hao's father shot him a fierce glare. Wang Hao faltered mid-sentence, let out a soft sigh, and held his tongue.
Iron Pillar's Fourth Uncle sighed inwardly, then spoke in a low, firm voice: "Anyone who brings this up again is picking a fight with me, Old Fourth. This matter ends here. That the boy Iron Pillar wasn't chosen only means he lacked the fortune — nothing more, nothing less. Iron Pillar, don't take it to heart either. If all else fails, come along with your Fourth Uncle. Heh, I may have no say in any immortal sect, but when it comes to the mundane sects of the jianghu, your Fourth Uncle can still pull enough face to get something done. When the time comes, you can go together with your little brother Hu Zi — I was already planning to send that boy to a jianghu sect for some proper tempering."
Wang Zhuo burst into laughter the moment he heard this, and said with contempt: "Iron Pillar, I think Fourth Uncle's got a point — go on then. When you get there, just tell them you're the castoff that even an Immortal threw away. Who knows, maybe the moment they hear that, they'll take you in right on the spot."
Wang Lin slowly raised his head, his jet-black eyes sweeping blankly across the mocking relatives around him before finally settling on Wang Zhuo. Word by word, he said: "Wang Zhuo, hear me well. I, Wang Lin, will enter an Immortal Sect in this lifetime—that is certain. Every slight you and your father have visited upon my family, I will carry each one in my heart."
Wang Zhuo let out a cold sneer and was about to mock him, when Fourth Uncle's brow furrowed and he barked at Wang Zhuo: "You little bastard, if you keep running your damn mouth, I'll cripple you right now—turn you into a vegetable. I don't believe the immortals would still want you after that!"
Wang Zhuo's father's expression changed drastically. He rushed forward and yanked Wang Zhuo behind him, his voice sharp and severe: "Fourth Brother, you dare!"
The relatives all around wore cold smiles, watching the scene before them.
Iron Pillar's Fourth Uncle let out a loud laugh, a cold gleam flashing in his eyes, and said in a low voice: "Oh? Big brother, are you saying I wouldn't dare?"
Iron Pillar's father rushed forward and grabbed Fourth Brother by the arm, urging him: "Fourth Brother, listen to your Second Brother—you have a wife and children at home, there's no need to put yourself out like this for me. Your kindness, Second Brother will carry in his heart for the rest of his life. Fourth Brother, just walk us to the door—your sister-in-law and I will take Iron Pillar home."
Iron Pillar's Fourth Uncle fixed his gaze on Wang Zhuo's father and let out a few cold laughs. He then gave his second elder brother a long, meaningful look, gave a nod, and taking Iron Pillar by the hand, left the great manor together with Iron Pillar's parents.
Even from a distance, Wang Lin could still faintly hear the relatives' mocking voices drifting from the courtyard.
Seated in Fourth Uncle's carriage, the family set out on the road home.
A silence fell inside the carriage. Iron Pillar's father sighed inwardly — it would be a lie to say he felt no disappointment — yet Iron Pillar was his son after all. He let out a quiet breath and spoke: "Iron Pillar, what does this amount to? Don't worry about it. When your father was driven out of the family back then, I was even more downcast than you are now, and didn't I still push through? Listen to me — go home and apply yourself to your studies. Work hard for the big examinations next year and aim for a decent result. And if you find you've lost your taste for books, go out with your Fourth Uncle for a change of scenery."
Iron Pillar's mother gazed at her son with tender love and said in comfort, "Iron Pillar, don't do anything foolish. You're my only child — if anything were to happen to you, I wouldn't want to go on living either. My boy, you must be strong." As she spoke, tears began to stream down her face.
Wang Lin looked at his parents and nodded. "Father, Mother, don't worry. I won't do anything foolish. I have a plan—you needn't concern yourselves anymore."
Iron Pillar's mother drew him into her arms and murmured, "Iron Pillar, it's all in the past now. We won't think about it anymore."
Cradled in his mother's warm embrace, the wounds in Wang Lin's heart slowly began to show signs of healing. He had been utterly exhausted these past few days—mentally and physically drained—and as the carriage swayed and jolted along, he gradually drifted off to sleep.
He had a dream — he dreamed that he had become an immortal, soaring through the skies with his parents, drifting freely wherever the wind carried them…
In the dead of night, Iron Pillar awoke. He gazed around the familiar confines of the small hut, let out a quiet sigh, his eyes glimmering — the resolve in his heart now firmer than ever. Stepping out of the hut, he cast one long, lingering look toward his parents' room, then took up brush and paper and left a letter. With enough dried provisions tucked against his chest, he walked out the door and left home.
"I will not abandon the path of seeking immortality. The Hengyue Sect—I must try once more! Even if they still refuse to take me in, I must find out where other immortal sects are located." Wang Lin's gaze was resolute. Shouldering his pack, he left the mountain village and walked out into the world.
At that moment, moonlight paved the road and starlight traced a way forward, drawing Wang Lin's retreating silhouette out long, so very long…
Three days later, Wang Lin walked along a remote mountain path. On that day, he had been tucked under the arm of the young man surnamed Zhang, and in the moment he opened his eyes, he had dimly caught a rough sense of the direction.
Heading steadily eastward, Wang Lin pressed on without heed for the weeds slicing at his legs, advancing with unwavering persistence.
A week later, he had ventured deep into the heart of the mountains. Fortunately, man-eating beasts were scarce in these parts, and Wang Lin had proceeded with utmost caution every step of the way. Finally, on the morning of that day, he stood atop a solitary peak and gazed into the distance, where that familiar mountain, wreathed in clouds and mist, came into view.
By now he was utterly exhausted. Sitting atop the mountain, he took out his travel rations and gnawed at them for a few bites, his gaze fixed steadfastly on the gate of the Hengyue Sect. Just then, the ragged panting of a beast reached him from behind. Every hair on Wang Lin's body stood on end; he spun around, and the color drained instantly from his face.
A massive white tiger fixed its blood-red eyes in a cold, bone-chilling glare, saliva dripping from the corners of its mouth and hitting the ground with wet, rhythmic slaps.
With a roar, the White Tiger lunged forward. Wang Lin smiled bitterly and, without hesitation, leaped off the cliff at his side. As he plummeted, the fierce winds lashed against his face, and his mind could not help but drift back to his parents' gazes and the mocking words of his relatives.
"Father, Mother, Iron Pillar has been an unfilial son. Farewell, forever."
Branches jutted haphazardly from the cliff face, tangled and wild. Wang Lin's body plummeted downward at tremendous speed, snapping them one after another as he fell. Just as he reached the midpoint of the cliff, a vast, wrenching force suddenly surged into being.
Wang Lin was helplessly yanked by the suction force, dragged into a cave hidden within a crevice in the cliff face, and slammed hard against the cave wall. In his dazed state, Wang Lin felt as though his body were caught in a gale, being pulled and hauled backward with wild ferocity. Only after a long while did the suction gradually fade, and his body slumped down from the wall.
It took him a long while to collect himself before he managed to struggle upright. His clothes had been shredded to ribbons by the branches, and his body was covered in cuts and bruises. His right arm in particular throbbed with a swollen, splitting pain. Wave after wave of bone-deep agony surged through him like a tide, and great beads of sweat poured down his face. He reached up to feel the arm but could not tell whether any bones had snapped—what was clear was that the injury had been caused by the impact against the wall moments ago.