The House of Jade, Where are Your Morals and Bottom Line?

Su Yang put pressure on his temples, leaned bonelessly on the stone, and didn’t want to answer. 

Xu Yunzhan’s gaze circled Gu Feidi and Su Yang twice, and he also silently closed his mouth.

For a while, the space returned to its eerie quietness.

After a while, two figures came out of the stone forest array almost at the same time. One from the left and the second from the right.

Pu Lingyun looked up and saw Gu Feidi and Xu Yunzhan idling on the field. She immediately ran over and chirped, “I knew my Xiao-Shixiong would be first! Why are you still here? Were you waiting for me?”

On the other side, Fan Xi glanced over at Gu Feidi’s party and saw Su Yang by the exit. He couldn’t hide the shock in his eyes.

By this time, Pu Lingyun also noticed Su Yang. She frowned and blurted out, “Why are you also here?”

Before Su Yang could reply, Gu Feidi and Fan Xi spoked at the same time:

“He arrived first.”

“Why couldn’t he be here?”

“He was here first?!” This time, Fan Xi was truly surprised. He turned his head to ask Su Yang, not quite comprehending it himself either, “Why didn’t you go out?”

Crossing his arms, he performed his persona and answered for a matter-of-fact, “Oh, I don’t want to leave. I don’t want to enter the House of Jade.”

This answer really blew Pu Lingyun and Fan Xi’s minds on the spot.

Fan Xi regained his senses first, frowning and saying solemnly, “Did the Young Master think this over carefully?”

Su Yang nodded. “I did.”

Smiling, Fan Xi glanced at Gu Feidi with the corner of his eyes and questioned, “So our Young Hero Gu, I see that you are not willing to leave this stone forest array too, are you staying here as well?”

Su Yang faked a soft cough, and said in the name of the Young Master, “Yes, he said he would not accept my goodwill.”

Fan Xi chuckled. “That’s fine, if neither of you want this lead, then allow me!”

Saying this, he picked up his pace and walked toward the exit.

Gu Feidi stepped forward and blocked Fan Xi’s path without saying a word.

Fan Xi uttered with a grin, “I’ve heard that the Lord of Tengyun Pavilion is a very righteous man, yet I would never expect that Youn Hero Gu, as the sole heir of the Pavilion, is acting in this domineering way. Not only does the Young Lord want to abduct the Young Master but also wants to prevent other candidates from crossing the stone forest array…is this how Tengyun Pavilion conducts matters?”

His question upset Gu Feidi and others.

Gu Feidi countered subconsciously, “I’m not…”

“You are not abducting the Young Master? Then why are you threatening him with your own future prospects?” Fan Xi demanded.

Gu Feidi uttered, “I didn’t…”

“Is it any of your business if the Young Master decided to enter or not? He has made a choice. What gave you the right to pick another for him?” Pushed Fan Xi.

“I only…”

“It’s not that you don’t accept his goodwill—you just don’t want to risk being criticised in the future. Saying you only made a name for yourself in the Jianghu only because he gave up his chance at the House of Jade. You’re worried only about your own reputation.” Fan Xi smirked. “Am I correct?”

Infuriated by Fan Xi’s words, Gu Feidi clenched his hands tightly into fists and growled, “Those things never crossed my mind! I’m just fighting for his injustice! He is obviously gifted and devoted to his martial arts. Yet, the Evil Sect’s Leader…I-I couldn’t bear to see him being covered in dust like a treasured pearl明珠蒙塵 A pearl covered by dust means it won’t shine as bright.…”

Su Yang glanced at Gu Feidi, who was made speechless by Fan Xi, and suddenly had the urge to laugh.

He knew that Gu Feidi didn’t lie—his personality was always transparent, innocent, courageous, and forward. Perhaps because of his age, he often thought of accomplishing a way according to his own ideas, but did not consider the feelings of people around him. However, his motive was never selfish or shady. 

Just like the current predicament, Gu Feidi fully and firmly believed in ‘victor always comes first’.

In fact, such a character is not bad in a fictional setting, but facing such a person with his own eyes, it is hard to not label him as stubborn and childish.

Suddenly, Xu Yunzhan, who did not join in on the argument, laughed. He reached out and patted Gu Feidi on the shoulder, saying, “Feidi, don’t be fooled by these mischief-makers.”

It confused Gu Feidi.

Su Yang also looked puzzled.

Xu Yunzhan continued, “If Young Hero Fan was able to pass through the stone forest array. I am afraid that your arguments just now are not from the bottom of your heart, right? Now I have a good reason to suspect that the rumours about Young Hero Su’s arrogant attitude are actually created by him to confuse others. After all, not just anyone could pass through the Bewildering Stone Forest Array.”

Su Yang: “…”

Smart men are so annoying!

When Xu Yunzhan saw that both Su Yang and Fan Xi were silent, he smiled and asked once more, “As long as Young Hero Su could answer a few of my questions carefully without concealment, I will work on coaxing Feidi to walk out the stone array first, alright?”

Su Yang acted boldly. “Why should I answer you!”

Absolutely unconcerned, Xu Yunzhan asked straight out, “Young Hero Su said he didn’t want to enter the House of Jade, yet why did he participate in the selection? Why did you go out of your way to obtain a jade bell in Mount Mei Zhu? Why did you use all your strength to pass the internal energy assessment at the mountain gate? Why did you admit practicing your martial arts the entire night last night? Why…did you willingly step into the Bewildering Stone Forest Array?”

—Because it was designated by the script. 

But, of course, Su Yang couldn’t answer that.

He glared angrily at Xu Yunzhan, swallowing the rage in his heart.

I’ll say it once and will say it again! Smart men are super annoying!

“I also want to know, Xiao-DidiLittle brother., what made our House of Jade become so inferior that you suddenly lost the interest to join?”

From the high ground, an ambiguous laughter echoed.

The laughter came without warning, which frightened everyone present.

At the top of the boulder, by the exit of the stone forest array, there was a person in formal traditional Chinese wear. The person’s appearance was meticulously arranged, not a hair out of place. No one could tell if the speaker was a man or a woman.

He…or she had one hand on their knee, the other on their cheek. TheirSkipping pronunciation is easier in Chinese. I’ll be referring to this person as ‘They/their’. eyes squinted as they laughed at Su Yang. “This beautiful Xiao-Didi, why don’t you explain it to me? You came here to participate in the selection. You have performed excellently at every assessment and even arrived at the exit in less than the time to burn one incense stick. Why did you suddenly decide not to enter my House of Jade?"

As soon as those questions came out, everyone’s attention was focused on Su Yang.

Less than the time to burn one incense stick, or less than half an hour to be precise?!

What kind of black magic talent was this?

No, what was this peerless-sincere innocence?!

It was said that the fastest person who passed the House of Jade’s Bewildering Stone Forest Array in the past was the current Wulin Alliance Leader, Gu Ruohai of Tengyun Pavilion. But for him, it still took more than one hour—twice the time to burn an incense stick—to walk out.

The person in red didn’t wait for an answer. They chuckled and urged, “Come now and explain, Xiao-Didi.”

Su Yang finally stood up from the boulder and looked toward the speaker. “Since you know when I arrived here, you should have heard what I told Gu Feidi. I’m used to the easy and comfortable life. I need beauties to serve my daily needs. The House of Jade…has too many rules, I don’t want to enter.”

Laughing, the person in red held out a finger and pointed toward Su Yang’s heart.  “I don’t believe these excuses, because I can hear your disordered heartbeats. Xiao-Didi, you are lying.”

When he heard these dog-bloodUnbelievably cliche/ embarrassing/maladroit/exaggerating. Like words expected from a soap opera or drama.
lines, Su Yang almost couldn’t sustain his expression.

The mysterious person continued, “This is very interesting. You, little guy, are full of babbling nonsense and blunt lies, but you can walk out of this maze within the time to burn an incense stick…such a wonderful person. I must take you back to my courtyard for research.”

Speechless, Su Yang’s thoughts processed at the speed of light, pondering over what he could possibly do to gradually pull this runaway plot back.

He should just use his internal energy and make himself severely injured!

When he was about to circulate his internal energy, a soft female voice chimed in, “Chi Tong, quit teasing him. Since he was the one who arrived here, he has the final say on accepting the House of Jade’s invitation. If one cannot devote themselves to their martial art, strengthening their internal energy to a higher level, no matter who they are, no one can travel through the stone forest array in the opposite direction. Su Yang, do you understand?”

Su Yang: “…”

He didn’t want to understand!

How many original settings have been deleted in the script he received for filming? How did he not know that entering the House of Jade was this semi-forceful! Was the original author this inhuman? Faced with such a setting, how could he circle back this half-way collapsed plot?!

This interfering plot development was ‘Father of a pit坑爹 It means the person is very badly tricked. Using the ‘Father’ as a way to mock and rant about one’s dissatisfaction. ’. Why is there no readily available script for him to use as a reference!?

He was a semiliterate who graduated many years ago. How could he bring out the flavour of the ancient speech and accent?

Deciding that no matter who the speaker was, as long as she dared to appear, he must shamelessly verbally attack her back with all of his hatred, ensuring he himself will not be interrupted by anyone from the House of Jade.

With a few indistinguishable footsteps, the woman in white, from the internal energy assessment by the mountain gate prior, stepped out slowly from the outer layer of the stone forest array.

Su Yang…

Was very shamefully terrified.

The eyes of the woman in white were still dazed, but her voice was calm like a waveless ocean, “This dispute on who is first is unnecessary. Chi Tong and I know everyone’s performance in the final assessment like the back of our hands. Even if someone wants to snatch first, or modestly decline their lead, the House of Jade would never acknowledge them. So it doesn’t make sense to stay here, best to follow me.”

The five people looked at each other.

Everyone had seen the woman in white’s unfathomable internal energy, and none of them dared to jump out to object. In the end, they all obediently followed her out of the stone forest array.

After taking two steps, Su Yang examined her back. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he said, “There were people that challenged the House of Jade and were disqualified. Would I be disqualified if I caused a scene now?”

The woman in white slowed down and slowly turned back. Her gaze drifted toward Su Yang and locked eyes with him.

“No.”

The light in Su Yang’s eyes suddenly turned dim.

He could only hear her indifferent voice, “I only disqualified those two because their strengths were far from amazing. And the House of Jade would tolerate anything a talented genius like you would do. If you get permission from the owner, even if you want to be surrounded by beauties, it is not entirely impossible.”

“So, you don't need to struggle anymore.”

Su Yang: “…”

The legendary House of Spirited Jade, where are your morals and bottomline?!