Volume One: Another World Chapter 21: Am I Ascending to the Heavens?

Li Yu had no idea how much time had passed. Sitting in the center of the cage, drowsiness threatened to overtake him, when he suddenly saw the row of iron cages before him being dragged away. Hastily, he shook the water out of his ears and scurried to sit in the middle of the now empty side.

Even in the very center, he could not escape the exotic beasts with the faces of gorillas, who spat at him relentlessly. Did these creatures ever get thirsty themselves? Li Yu wondered, thoroughly soaked as if he had just walked through a downpour.

“Damn, is this how they conduct the inspection?” Li Yu was jolted awake by the scene before him. “Why didn’t anyone tell me beforehand?”

Ahead of him, numerous soldiers had already fixed the cages onto a high platform. Beyond the stage lay a sea of armored soldiers, their heads packed tightly together.

He had assumed the inspection would be a simple verification—someone checking if the beasts in the cages matched the registry. Never did he expect to be hauled onto a high platform and have the contents and cultivation level of each cage announced loudly to the crowd.

“Isn’t this just a grand public humiliation?” Li Yu muttered, shivering.

Just moments ago, surrounded by the raucous beasts, all he could hear was their howling, with only the occasional sound of applause breaking through. He had no idea what the inspection process actually entailed—until now.

“Qingyang De, captured one Grade Eight Enchanting Python, three points.”

“Qingyang De, hunted one Grade Eight Honey Deer, two points.”

“…”

“Qingyang De, total: seventy-five points.”

“Next, Third Young Master, Qing Zhong.”

“Qing Zhong, hunted one Grade Nine Mountain Wolf, one point.”

“…”

Listening, Li Yu quickly grasped the rules of the hunting competition. “Hunt” meant the beast was killed—the lowest, Grade Nine, earned one point; each grade higher added another point; those without a grade didn’t count. “Capture” referred to live beasts brought back—these earned an extra point in addition to their grade.

The grading of beasts mirrored that of humans: Grade Nine lowest, Grade One highest. Qingyang De—wasn’t he that handsome, scholarly boy? Li Yu recalled his refined demeanor, then imagined him rolling up his sleeves to capture a beast alive; the thought sent a chill down his spine. He was stronger than he looked.

One name after another was called, until at last Li Yu heard a familiar one.

“Next, the Young Lady of the Prefecture, Qing Anqi!”

At once, thunderous applause erupted, long and unceasing.

Qing Anqi, the only daughter of the Duke of Qingshan, was cherished beyond measure. Within the Qingshan Army, she was the universally adored princess—known to all as the Young Lady of the Prefecture.

So, when her name was called, even though everyone knew she might not have scored a single point, she received the loudest, most prolonged applause of all.

Amid the ovation, two soldiers approached and began to wheel Li Yu’s cage toward the stage.

Li Yu looked around in curiosity. “Hey, is there some mistake? Where are the other cages?”

The two soldiers glanced back at him, their expressions complicated, but said nothing more. “No mistake. The list has only your name.”

Li Yu fell silent. So the fierce-looking little princess hadn’t caught a single beast after all.

The applause faded as the cage was brought onstage, but the moment the crowd saw a human sitting cross-legged inside, all noise abruptly ceased.

“Hello, everyone,” Li Yu greeted with a wave. How could he let the atmosphere go cold now? People might think he’d lost to the beasts!

Is he really human?

Many soldiers looked at one another in surprise; they’d thought the cage held some beast resembling a human.

On stage, the announcer approached the cage, curiosity in his eyes as he studied the young man within. Then he heard the boy whisper, “Just read out what’s on your list and get this over with. I’d like to leave.”

The announcer nodded in understanding. So that’s how it is—this must be the Young Lady’s friend, doing this to spare her embarrassment.

With that, he raised his voice to the crowd: “You may question this. You may wonder: Why would the benevolent Qing Clan include a human among their hunting spoils? Let me tell you, there is a deeper story here!”

“During the hunt, the Young Lady encountered survivors from a village ravaged by mountain bandits. Moved by compassion, she rescued two of them, one of whom is the young man before you in the cage.”

So that’s what happened. Many suddenly understood.

No wonder she’d returned with only one “spoils.” She’d been delayed while rescuing people!

“And what’s more,” the announcer continued, “the other injured survivor—her grandfather was once a member of the Qingshan Army. When the Duke learned of this, he was furious and has already dispatched a squad to eradicate these lawless bandits and avenge our fallen brothers!”

At this, every soldier shouted the Duke’s name with fervor.

“What a speech,” Li Yu muttered. “But it certainly does wonders for morale and unity.” He couldn’t help but regard the announcer with newfound respect. His skills were formidable indeed!

“And now, as for this young man: After being rescued, he learned the Young Lady was participating in the hunt and requested to serve as her quarry—a gesture of gratitude, given his unique nature!”

Li Yu: …

What a twisting of the truth. If he hadn’t claimed to bear the Thunder Vein, he’d probably have been left to fend for himself, struggling to survive on Blue Star.

But the Qingshan soldiers took it differently—they cheered Qing Anqi’s name with wild enthusiasm.

The announcer, pleased with the effect, finally cried, “Now, let me tally the Young Lady’s score.”

“The Young Lady of the Prefecture: captured one Thunder Vein, one hundred points!”

“The Young Lady, total: one hundred points!”

For an instant, the entire place fell silent. Then, in the next moment, a roar erupted loud enough to shake the heavens. Some screamed “Thunder Vein,” others chanted Qing Anqi’s name, and still more shouted for the Duke.

Gradually, the voices united in a single, thunderous cry:

“Blessings upon Qingshan Prefecture!”

The scene was forever seared into Li Yu’s mind. Perhaps some pop stars could draw crowds this large, or even larger, but none could match the fervor of an armored army’s wild, unified shout.

It was a soul-stirring sound, unforgettable to all who heard it.

Li Yu was swept up in the moment, but beneath the excitement, a new worry crept in: I may have gone too far—there’s no way I’m getting out of this now!

Sure enough, when the cage was lowered from the stage, Qing Anqi appeared as promised, but now surrounded by a host of people, led by a middle-aged man with a square face, regal robes, and a neatly trimmed beard that lent him an air of authority.

“My Lord Duke,” the two soldiers saluted, left fists pressed to their right chests.

The man nodded and turned to Li Yu as he stepped out of the cage. “Would you be willing to accompany me to the Qing residence?”

“I await your command.”

Li Yu nodded without hesitation. He understood this wasn’t a question, but a statement of intent—one he could not refuse.

“Then let’s go.” Qing Heng nodded, grasped Li Yu’s hand, and in the next instant, the two were enveloped in a powerful energy and shot skyward.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Li Yu watched the scenery below shrink and fade away.

“Am I… ascending to the heavens?” His mind reeled, but the sight before him was awe-inspiring.

Very quickly, Li Yu collected himself. Of course—this was a world where cultivation was real. If his system served him well, perhaps one day he too could soar through the skies.

After all, he had a system—a cheat, in effect.

With that thought, his anxiety faded, replaced by a curiosity to compare this experience to flying in an airplane.

Secretly observing, Qing Heng nodded in approval: Good—he shows neither shock nor fear.

Maintaining their high speed, Qing Heng pondered silently before making up his mind: “Whether it’s real or not, we must treat it as true. The Qing Clan needs a pillar to uphold the family’s honor.”

The earlier chorus of “Blessings upon Qingshan Prefecture!” was, in fact, orchestrated by Qing Heng upon his arrival. Otherwise, no one would have shouted it quite so fervently.