Immortal Paladin

Jiang Zhen rarely had a chance to sneak away from the Sect and have fun.

Most of the time, the Elders either threw a tantrum or threatened him with suicide if he even thought about it.

“Sect Master, if you leave now, I will set myself on fire.”

“Sect Master, if you disappear again, I will starve myself to death!”

“Sect Master, we are still recovering from last time! What if another demonic beast appears?!”

Jiang Zhen sighed.

It wasn’t his fault they were so dramatic.

This time, though, he had a decent excuse.

A Sacred Beast called Lake Marigold—a Fourth Realm spirit fish—had turned demonic. As the leader of the Isolation Path Sect, it was his duty to handle it.

Which, of course, he did.

Easily.

With the problem swiftly dealt with, Jiang Zhen saw an opportunity. Using his Shapeshifting Technique, he infiltrated a group of Sect disciples and an Elder who were traveling to Yellow Dragon City. Officially, the trip was for diplomatic relations.

Jiang Zhen knew better.

It was about an auction.

Some treasure had caught the Sect’s attention, and the Elders wanted to acquire it before anyone else.

Jiang Zhen, however, couldn’t care less about some random treasure. The Elders could handle that mess themselves.

Instead, his interest lay elsewhere—

Selling goldfish.

More specifically, the offspring of Lake Marigold.

Each fish carried a trace of spirituality, and one in a thousand had the potential to awaken their spark. It was a harmless little experiment. Jiang Zhen wasn’t a monster. He didn’t force anything upon the fish—if one of them was destined for greatness, then so be it.

Of course, none of this would be fun if he sold them normally.

So, naturally—

He pretended to be a mortal.

An ordinary old man.

And thus, his goldfish arcade stall was born.

A little game of chance. A test of fate.

It was purely for research.

It was definitely not about having fun.

…

Maybe.

And then walked in the strange guy.

Jiang Zhen had seen many cultivators in his time.

But this one?

This one was weird.

At first glance, he almost mistook the young man for a true mortal. His stealth technique was almost as good as Jiang Zhen’s own, an impressive feat for someone so young.

Almost.

Unfortunately for the kid, Jiang Zhen wasn’t blind.

The boy’s body was compact, refined, and deceptively powerful. His muscles weren’t those of a simple laborer—they had intent, the kind honed through Body-Tempering techniques.

And that was the problem.

Stealth techniques and Body-Tempering techniques did not mix well. A different kind of training was required, The Sword Canopy Sect had two famous ones—Iron Skin and Sword Body—both of which made their practitioners physically unshakable. But no matter how well one hid their presence, a trained eye could always recognize the signs.

The way he moved.

The way his muscles responded to every small shift.

The natural stability in his posture.

Sigh.

The folly of youth.

As a responsible Senior, Jiang Zhen decided to educate the foolish young man who thought he could mix stealth and body refinement.

Rather than education, though—

It was more of a prank.

Every time the young man almost caught a goldfish, Jiang Zhen popped the paper net with a subtle burst of qi, freeing the fish.

And then—

The kid tried again.

And again.

And again.

For two entire days.

What kind of lunatic spent two days playing an arcade game rigged against them?

Jiang Zhen offered to just sell him a goldfish. Thirty copper coins. Simple. Fair.

The boy ignored him.

Utterly ignored him.

Jiang Zhen squinted at the strange young man, trying to figure out what exactly was wrong with him.

Why waste time playing when you should be cultivating?

Young people nowadays were so daring and reckless.

Back in his day, fun was only allowed after one became an Immortal.

…

Er.

Or maybe after one became a Sect Master.

Jiang Zhen had to admit—there were body-tempering techniques compatible with stealth arts.

The Isolation Path Sect, for example, had a few. Techniques that honed the body without making one move like a walking fortress. But whatever sect this kid had come from? Didn’t have them.

The contrast was jarring.

The kid’s stealth technique was brilliant. His presence melted into the surroundings with the ease of a seasoned assassin. It was as if the kid didn’t have qi. If Jiang Zhen hadn’t been who he was, he might’ve mistaken him for a simple, unassuming mortal.

But that body refinement stuck out like a sore thumb.

Jiang Zhen almost felt tempted to take the young man as a disciple, just to fix the contradiction. Someone with this level of talent in stealth? If properly trained, he could be an invaluable asset to the Isolation Path Sect.

“A second disciple isn’t so bad.”

Imagine, Jiang Zhen thought, a diamond in the rough, polished under my guidance…

And so, when the young man approached his stall again—

Jiang Zhen felt a hint of excitement.

…

Then he saw the demonic cultivator beside him.

Jiang Zhen immediately sobered.

He was old, but he wasn’t senile. Moreover, his qi sensory was top-notch. The girl standing with the young man had the lingering scent of demonic cultivation clinging to her soul.

Not the type that could be washed away with repentance.

Jiang Zhen’s first instinct was to warn the young man—tell him to be careful, to avoid unnecessary trouble—

But then—

The young man opened his mouth—

And exposed him.

Jiang Zhen was speechless.

A hundred thoughts passed through his mind in an instant.

How did the kid find out?!

No one—not a single soul—should’ve been able to recognize him!

For years, Jiang Zhen had perfected his mortal disguise. He was a master of deception, a true expert in blending in. And yet, this brat had waltzed up to him and torn off his mask as if it were nothing!

This was bad.

This was very bad.

He couldn’t let his sect members find out about this. They were in Yellow Dragon City right now, dealing with an auction… and probably a martial tournament. If word got out that he was here—playing arcade games—instead of back home, the Elders would riot.

He needed to retreat.

Jiang Zhen decided to go nuclear.

“Hah! Don’t blame me if you can’t win a simple arcade game!” he shouted, his voice rising. “It’s definitely your fault, kid! A skill issue! Eh? Eh? What now? Gonna hit me?!”

Meanwhile—

Underneath his sleeve, he was charging a hidden talisman.

This wasn’t an ordinary escape talisman.

It was an Isolation Path Sect life-saving talisman—a technique derived from demonic arts but refined into something far more specialized. It couldn’t be interrupted. It was instantaneous. The moment it fully charged, it would teleport him directly back to the sect.

It took time to activate, sure—

But it was unbeatable.

Once triggered, nothing could stop it.

He just needed a few more—

“Judgment Severance.”

Jiang Zhen’s breath hitched.

A golden cross-shaped rupture briefly flashed in the air between him and the young man.

Then—

Shatter.

Jiang Zhen felt it before he saw it.

The talisman under his sleeve—

It broke.

Like glass.

Tiny, glittering fragments of golden dust drifted from his fingers.

The teleportation never triggered.

Jiang Zhen stared, utterly confused.

That was impossible.

Jiang Zhen reached for his face—

And froze.

His disguise was gone.

The wrinkles, the frail-looking features—vanished. His previously all-white hair had recovered a few strands of black, making him look more middle-aged than elderly.

The bystanders stared.

Jiang Zhen could feel their awe.

Not because he was handsome—though yes, he was absolutely handsome—but because of what his transformation implied.

He had been a cultivator all along.

And these people—fellow stall owners, city folk, simple mortals—had interacted with him like family for the past few days. They had gossiped with him, shared meals, played games, laughed, and treated him like one of their own.

Now?

Their attitudes shifted instantly.

No one spoke.

No one dared to approach.

Jiang Zhen sighed, rubbing the back of his head.

”Sheesh… It was fun while it lasted.”

Thankfully, no one recognized him as the Sect Master of the Isolation Path Sect. He rarely showed his face in public, after all. Even within his own sect, only the Elders regularly saw him.

But still.

The distance between him and the people around him felt palpable.

No matter how well he blended in—

At the end of the day, he was not one of them.

That realization left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Jiang Zhen exhaled.

”No point lingering.”

He turned toward the infuriating young man who had exposed him.

“Let’s talk somewhere else.”

Before the young man could respond, Jiang Zhen flickered—

—reappearing atop a high building some distance away.

He frowned.

The moment his feet touched the rooftop—

The young man appeared beside him.

At the same time.

Jiang Zhen’s eyes narrowed.

I didn’t even notice the fluctuation of his qi.

It was unsettling.

One of the most annoying things about stealth techniques was how difficult they made gauging someone’s strength. It was usually Jiang Zhen himself who enjoyed this advantage—taking pleasure in others failing to see through his power.

But now?

He was the one left guessing.

Jiang Zhen sighed.

This kid was no ordinary young man.

His voice took on a new edge of curiosity. “Your stealth technique is impressive… it’s as if you have no qi at all.”

The mysterious young man faked a cough.

“Ah, don’t think too much about it.”

His tone was light, almost casual—

But Jiang Zhen could feel something beneath it.

It was flustered.

Embarrassed, even.

Jiang Zhen narrowed his eyes further.

Now that was interesting.

Jiang Zhen was a blunt man.

“What’s your realm?”

The young man tilted his head. “Guess.”

“I don’t want to.”

The young man smirked. “We should do introductions first, you know?”

Jiang Zhen almost felt offended.

“You don’t know me?”

“Wow, you are such a prick… introductions first, old man. It’s nice to put a name to a face.”

Jiang Zhen narrowed his eyes. “You go first.”

The young man grinned. “Da Wei.”

Jiang Zhen frowned. “I don’t recognize your name.”

“I’d be surprised if you did.”

“A foreigner, then.”

Da Wei chuckled. “Heh, don’t leave me hanging.”

Jiang Zhen crossed his arms. “I should apologize for leaving you hanging, but I don’t want to.”

“Wow, you are so childish.”

Jiang Zhen sighed. “My name is Jiang Zhen.”

Da Wei furrowed his brows. “Jangjen? Jamjin? Changcheng?”

Jiang Zhen’s eye twitched. “It is Ji-ang Zh-en.”

“Got it, Changcheng.”

Jiang Zhen exhaled slowly through his nose, suppressing the urge to flick the young man off the rooftop. “What do you want with the Isolation Path Sect?”

Da Wei rested a hand on his hip. “It’s for my follower. She was forced into discipleship by a demonic cultivator—practically forced to learn a demonic technique that would kill her if she stopped practicing it.”

Jiang Zhen’s eyes flickered toward the girl in question. She stood a few rooftops away, head bowed, breathing harsh, shoulders stiff, and hugging the fishbowl as if it were a lifeline.

He returned his gaze to Da Wei. “And you believe her?”

Da Wei didn’t hesitate. “I heard the Isolation Path Sect has a method to transform demonic techniques into non-demonic techniques. If the Isolation Path Sect is indeed righteous as they claim, they should be able to help her without discrimination, correct?”

Jiang Zhen let out a small chuckle. “The Isolation Path Sect is very knowledgeable on everything demonic, but why would they help her? Why would I help her?”

Jiang Zhen scoffed. “As if you have anything I’d want—”

Da Wei pulled something from under his sleeve. A single crimson feather, brimming with life force and radiating pure fire qi, pulsed in his grasp.

Jiang Zhen’s words caught in his throat. His eyes widened, jaw slightly open as he took in the feather’s brilliance. The warmth it emitted wasn’t just heat—it was alive.

Da Wei tilted his head. “How about a trade? A life for a life. Seems fitting, doesn’t it?”

Jiang Zhen swallowed, his mind racing. “What is that?”

Da Wei smirked. “Phoenix Feather.”