Chapter 197: Not Meeting, Thanks

“Why not?!” Yuan Jiang was dumbfounded—he hadn’t expected such a decisive refusal.

Yun Jiao glanced at him and after a moment said seriously, “Uncle Yuan, let’s not even start on your Upper Realm’s messy politics. Since Ancestor has said he won’t meet anyone, it means he truly doesn’t want to. Whether my relationship with him is good or not is irrelevant—I can’t go against his decision just to make him uncomfortable.”

“But the Immortal Realm right now—” Yuan Jiang tried again.

“The Immortal Realm’s chaos is its own problem,” Yun Jiao cut him off. “Ancestor clearly wants no part of it, and neither do I. Whatever turmoil the heavens stir up has nothing to do with us. Just don’t drag the mortal realm into your quarrels. We can’t and won’t interfere. But if anyone dares to step over the line, then we’ll show them whether the mortal world is really so easy to bully—no matter which Emperor they are!”

They would not seek trouble, but neither would they fear it.

“It’s only one meeting,” Yuan Jiang said anxiously. “I know Master bears some resentment toward the Celestial Realm, but this time is different! We just want him to understand that what we’re doing is right—we don’t mean to involve him.”

Yun Jiao’s expression darkened. She looked him up and down. “Do you honestly believe that yourself?”

“…” Yuan Jiang froze.

She sighed softly, then said it outright, “Uncle Yuan, with the Swallowing Sky Beast, you could still argue it was a joint countermeasure by the Underworld and the human world. But if Ancestor meets your Emperor—what then? Do you think the other Emperors will believe it’s just a friendly visit? That he’ll drop by, say hello, and leave?”

Yuan Jiang’s face went pale. He stammered, “We… we wouldn’t let anyone know.”

“Fine,” Yun Jiao said evenly. “Suppose no one finds out. After he meets your Emperor, what then? How do you expect Ancestor to act? Pretend it was just a polite meeting, give him a token gift, and forget it? Once that bond is made, if your Emperor comes asking for aid later, is he supposed to help or not? And if war breaks out among you immortals, should he go or stay out of it? Don’t forget—you are his disciples. By default, you represent him. Whether he speaks up or not, he’ll already be seen as standing with you.”

“…” Yuan Jiang’s complexion turned ashen.

Yun Jiao didn’t stop. “And worse—though Ancestor may not be mortal, he’s lived here for ages, the founder of the Mystical Sect. If he’s pulled into celestial affairs, the ripple will reach down here too. Tell me, Uncle Yuan—would the mortal world really find peace then? Or would it just be dragged into your war?”

His hand trembled at his side.

“Ancestor’s rejection was already crystal clear,” Yun Jiao continued. “He doesn’t want any part of this, and he doesn’t want the mortal realm dragged into a senseless catastrophe. This isn’t about which Emperor is righteous or kind—it’s about keeping everyone safe. Even I, a disciple many generations down, can see his intention plainly. You, as his direct disciple—how can you not?”

“…” Yuan Jiang’s heart sank like a stone. No—he had understood it. When he’d seen his master earlier, the warning had been unmistakable: stay out of this, and keep the Lower Realm out too. He just hadn’t wanted to accept it.

“I think you know perfectly well that Ancestor despises the Celestial Realm’s scheming,” Yun Jiao said calmly. “He turned you away not because he stopped caring, but because he still sees you as disciples—not as high-and-mighty immortals. He drew a line to protect both sides, giving everyone room to stand. He’s already been that considerate. Uncle Yuan, you’re a clever man—why can’t you see it? If I were you, I wouldn’t even bring this up again. Don’t make him lose faith in you completely.”

Yuan Jiang felt as if something had struck him hard in the head. His whole body trembled, taking several unsteady steps backward. A wave of guilt and shame crashed over him, nearly suffocating.

Only then did he realize what he had asked—for what selfish reason he had tried to force his revered master into an impossible position. He’d been leaning on the bond of affection, hoping to use it. Just like tens of thousands of years ago, when their arrogance had already driven Master to abandon them. And now… he was repeating the same mistake.

He suddenly couldn’t stay another moment. His body swayed; without another word to Yun Jiao, he turned and fled, shooting into the sky as though escaping his own disgrace.

“Huh? Uncle Yuan, you—” The old man came in carrying a heap of papers, but before he could even greet him, Yuan Jiang shot past like lightning and vanished. The old man blinked and turned to the doorway where Yun Jiao stood. “Girl, what’s wrong with your Uncle Yuan? He looked pale as a ghost! Flying like that, won’t he fall?”

“It’s nothing,” Yun Jiao said, glancing toward the direction he’d disappeared. “Probably just caught a chill from kneeling too long last night.”

“Oh.” The old man didn’t question it further. He walked in and dumped the thick stack of papers onto her desk. “Girl, these are the Ghost Judge Promotion Exam papers from the Youling Domain. I finally finished grading them—my hands nearly fell off.” He groaned, rubbing his sore arms.

“The selections are done?” Yun Jiao asked.

“Mm-hmm.” He nodded, tilting his chin toward the top of the pile. “Those three are the highest—two scored 67, one got 65. All passing marks. Not bad for the first exam.”

Yun Jiao picked up the top papers and glanced through them. “Two of them were city lords?”

“Right!” He nodded. “I checked with Brother Xi—both have good reputations and solid cultivation. Suitable for the post. The third one, though…” He frowned.

“Lacking in strength?” Yun Jiao guessed.

“More than that!” The old man sighed. “He’s just an ordinary wandering soul—not even a vengeful spirit. He’s been in the Underworld for years but never cultivated. His score’s decent, sure, but strength-wise… I doubt he could even keep his subordinates in line. What do you think—should we… drop him?”

“No need.” Yun Jiao shook her head. “This is perfect. We promised fairness, transparency, and openness—and that’s exactly what we’ll uphold. If all the chosen Judges are city lords again, then how are we any different from the old, power-based system? We’ll confirm his appointment and post all the exam results publicly. Let every spirit in the Youling Domain see that when we said ‘open recruitment,’ we meant it.”

“But…” The old man still looked uneasy. “That spirit’s so weak—if he really becomes a Judge, he might get bullied half to death.”

“Then we’ll see what he’s capable of.” Yun Jiao said firmly. “If a powerless soul can make it through every round and still rank top three, it means he has brains, if not strength. Help him discreetly when you can. As for his cultivation, we can teach him later.”

“Mm.” The old man nodded. “But we don’t know any ghost-cultivation techniques! Where are we supposed to learn them? We can’t exactly ask the Ancestor, can we?”

“…”

(End of Chapter)