Chapter 41

Time rewound to the night after Jiziqian left.

In the small wooden house, Tang Jie said to Wei Die, "There is indeed something that needs the Fourth Miss's help."

"What is it?"

"It's like this... Before meeting the Fourth Miss, I had already talked to Uncle Qin about something, which is that I once had the good fortune to meet an immortal."

"Yes, I know. That's why you understand the world of cultivation so well."

"The problem is that apart from telling me about the world of cultivation, the immortal also did something for me."

"What is it?"

"Opening the Jade Gate," Tang Jie replied.

Upon hearing Tang Jie's words, Qin Guan and Wei Die were both stunned. Wei Die blurted out, "Your Jade Gate is already open? How many turns?"

"Five turns," Tang Jie replied helplessly.

Five turns of the Jade Gate!

Qin Guan and Wei Die both drew a sharp breath.

Five turns of the Jade Gate, it sounds just average.

But just like the Heavenly Heart Realm is only "average," yet no one dares to take a True Person lightly.

For the vast majority of cultivators, five turns of the Jade Gate is already extremely difficult. Even someone as talented as Jiziqian is only at four turns.

Of the three young masters and six servant students from the Wei family, none have reached the fifth level; the best is only at the fourth level. This means that while Tang Jie's talent is average in classification, it is absolutely top-notch among people, which is why Qin Guan and Wei Die were surprised.

To have a five-turn Jade Gate means having the qualification to challenge the Heavenly Heart Realm.

The cultivation world has a classification for the importance of the Jade Gate, with each two levels corresponding to a potential realm. For example, one and two turns of the Jade Gate can definitely become Spirit Apprentices, which is the entry level. Three and four turns can become Spirit Masters, five and six turns can reach the Heavenly Heart Realm, seven and eight turns can reach the Purple Mansion, and nine turns mean a fifty percent chance of becoming a Celestial Platform.

Five turns of the Jade Gate means that as long as one cultivates normally, there is a fifty percent chance of reaching the Heavenly Heart Realm.

Of course, this is not a scientific classification; it only represents the cultivator's ability to use and absorb spiritual energy. In fact, it is like a person's lifespan, the theoretical maximum value.

During the cultivation process, with the various detours taken and potential hidden injuries, the so-called success rate will continuously decrease. Truly, out of ten who enter the Purple Mansion, only one can reach the Celestial Platform, but this does not hinder the evaluation of a nine-turn Jade Gate as having a fifty percent chance of entering the Celestial Platform. For example, those with an eight-turn Jade Gate may not enter the Purple Mansion, but those who become Purple Mansion cultivators often have a Jade Gate of seven turns or more.

Similarly, those below this level may also leap over it. Life is unpredictable, and no one knows what will influence them to achieve beyond expectations.

Therefore, the classification of the Jade Gate only represents a possibility, not a certainty, but it is still a reference.

Upon learning that Tang Jie's Jade Gate was at five turns, Qin Guan immediately became excited, but he also immediately understood Tang Jie's concern.

Before entering the academy, servant students need to have their Jade Gates opened by the family's Spirit Master.

The fact that Tang Jie's Jade Gate was already open made him have a significant flaw in his identity.

He must explain to the Wei family who opened his Jade Gate!

If this matter cannot be explained clearly, there is no chance for the academy.

All along, Tang Jie has been trying to find ways to conceal this matter, and now he finally had an opportunity.

"Xiao Jie, you must honestly tell me, did you enter the Wei family under someone's orders or with other intentions?" Facing this matter concerning the family, Qin Guan became serious. He was loyal to the Wei family and would never allow anyone he brought to have ulterior motives.

Tang Jie replied, "Although I met an immortal who opened my Jade Gate, I did not receive any immortal techniques, nor was I ordered by anyone. It was purely a matter of chance. If I have any intentions towards the Wei family, my only intention is to enter the academy through the Wei family... This is the intention of every servant."

"Are you willing to make a vow?" Wei Die asked sternly.

"Of course. I, Tang Jie, swear by the Heart Demon that I have no ill intentions in entering the Wei family. I only want to enter the immortal gate, but the immortal gate is hard to enter, so I have to rely on the Wei family. If I achieve anything in the future, I will repay the great kindness. If I violate this vow, let the Heart Demon devour me!"

Although it was not a grand vow, it was made with great solemnity. Qin Guan and Wei Die's expressions finally improved. They were not the head of the Wei family, so they did not need to consider everything so thoroughly. As long as Tang Jie was not there to harm anyone, they would not investigate further.

Of course, this was also related to the long time they had known Tang Jie. If they had just met, even if Tang Jie had done a great favor, Qin Guan might not have dared to trust him, let alone help him deceive the Wei family.

As for now, after more than a year of interaction, Qin Guan had some confidence in Tang Jie's character.

After all, emotions sometimes make people trust more easily than reasons.

After making the vow, Tang Jie said, "Although my intentions are not bad, this matter is still somewhat troublesome. The Fourth Miss knows that becoming a servant student is at the discretion of the master and mistress. If they have any doubts and think I am hiding something, they may not trust me..."

Even if the Heart Demon vow is ineffective before the Heavenly Heart Realm, it is not one hundred percent reliable. At least the mistress never considered the Heart Demon vow as the only reliance.

Therefore, the Heart Demon vow can be used to prove one's intentions to the two, but it is clearly not enough to secure passage.

"Do you hope I help you hide this matter?" Wei Die understood Tang Jie's thoughts.

"I hope that when you enter the Jueqing Pavilion in the future, you can write a letter saying that your senior brothers and sisters came to the Canglong Manor and, seeing my extraordinary talent, spontaneously opened my Jade Gate."

"Is that so? No problem." Wei Die agreed immediately: "I will say that I owe you a favor and asked someone to help you."

Writing a letter was not a big issue, and for Tang Jie, solving this major issue lifted a heavy burden from his heart.

As for Qin Guan, he suddenly understood: "No wonder you didn't take Shimo's Heart Demon vow seriously. Did you have a plan all along?"

"Yes, I had a plan all along," Tang Jie replied. "Five turns of the Jade Gate is my heartache, but it is also my trump card. The Heart Demon vow can only ensure a person's loyalty, but a person must also have ability. A person's value is the product of ability and loyalty. He can be loyal, but does he have the ability? For the Wei family, investing in someone with sixty percent loyalty and sixty percent ability is better than investing in someone with one hundred percent loyalty and twenty percent ability. Zero loyalty is meaningless, and zero ability is also meaningless. As for one hundred percent loyalty, that is not something a large family should pursue. After all, high loyalty only shows its value in the survival of the family, and it is not visible in daily life. No large family would think about the family's destruction all the time. Even if such a thing really happens, it cannot be saved by one or two loyal but useless people. Instead of paying extra for high loyalty, it is better to use that money to hire more talents to strengthen the family and avoid decline. Therefore, I have no worries about Shimo. The only headache is how to explain my five turns of the Jade Gate. Now with the Fourth Miss's help, there is no problem."

The best way to defeat Shimo's Heart Demon vow is not to compete in loyalty but in ability.

Five turns of the Jade Gate is currently the best result in the Wei family except for Wei Qing'er, and it is the best talent among all males.

Five turns of the Jade Gate, with a chance to reach the Heavenly Heart Realm, Tang Jie's Heart Demon vow is not just a casual vow but has the real ability to be realized.

In comparison, no matter how good Shimo's vow is, if he cannot even become a Spirit Master, what is the point?

However, Tang Jie did not expect that before he could use his backup plan, Shimo was already rejected by Zheng Shufeng.

According to Tang Jie's original plan, Shimo should have made a comeback first, and then Tang Jie would use a grand move to turn the tide, making the event's development dramatic and exciting, with a grand comeback.

But life is not a play and does not always follow someone's script.

Zheng Shufeng's decision greatly reduced the effectiveness of Tang Jie's backup plan, making this powerful move seem almost unnecessary. Instead, it confirmed Zheng Shufeng's correctness and her keen eye for talent.

Tang Jie felt deeply helpless about this.

—————————————

The letter from Wei Die was now formally delivered to Wei Danbo and Zheng Shufeng.

Watching the two read the letter and discuss it in low voices, with Zheng Shufeng's satisfied expression, Wei Danbo's surprised look, and Tang Jie's determined attitude, Shimo finally understood what he was facing— even without Zheng Shufeng's direct rejection, Tang Jie had a way to turn the tide.

He had been prepared from the beginning!

He lost!

He lost so thoroughly that even if he bet everything, he could not win. And it was a double loss, from both Zheng Shufeng and Tang Jie, each giving him a heavy blow, making him realize that no matter how much he bet, he had no chance of winning.

Losing so miserably, yet not in a grand manner, in Tang Jie's eyes, winning such a young man brought no sense of achievement.

But Shimo was still不服.

He was still not willing to give up!

Looking at the master and mistress on the platform, Shimo used all his strength to shout, "I can do it too! Give me a chance to open the Jade Gate, and I can also reach five turns!"

At this moment, what he was fighting for was no longer the position of a servant student but just a breath of defiance.

He wanted to prove to everyone that what Tang Jie could do, he could do too!

But reality is always so cruel.

Zheng Shufeng lightly lifted her head and looked at the Spirit Master beside her.

Lü Chenyang smiled lightly, grabbed Shimo in the air, and after a few quick taps on his body, examined him like a pig, then shook his head: "Dull talent, poor physique. There's no need to check further. I think he can only reach four turns at most."

Saying this, he casually threw Shimo away.

At most four turns, which means that without Tang Jie's perseverance, he would normally only reach two or three turns.

This news almost made Shimo faint.

Seeing his grief-stricken appearance, Tang Jie sighed lightly, "Without the ability, even if you want to be a dog, no one will want you."