Chapter 192: Visiting Relatives
In the past two days, almost everyone had heard rumors about Ji You's powerful aura after breaking through, and there were several different versions.
This was especially true for those in the Outer Courtyard who were separated from the Inner Courtyard and had never seen him.
However, Ji You, who was descending the Bi Shui Lake, had a restrained aura and no visible divine presence. Only when he took a step would a slight amount of Spiritual Qi leak out, making it impossible for them, like Cao Jinsong, to discern his true depth despite their best efforts.
He was indeed in the Profound Connection Realm, but no one could accurately gauge his combat strength. Ji You, floating down the mountain, was still contemplating the matter of the Dao Integration opportunity, his gaze profound. He passed by two mansion gates with headless lions and then entered the center of Shengjing City.
After the heavy snow, the imperial city was covered in white.
In front of the mansions of the capital's nobles, large red lanterns hung high, and the rich aroma of winter wine drifted in the wind, its fragrance overflowing.
In stark contrast, nearby beggars lay in the snow, their eyes cloudy and trembling, truly embodying the saying, 'Behind vermillion gates, wine and meat go to waste; on the road, frozen corpses lie.'
Among them, the Prince Chong's Mansion was the most bustling.
Those coming and going were either old men with profound auras or vigorous Prodigies, all having traveled from afar.
Ever since the Human Race's envoy visited the Snow Region, the supply of Yao Race Spirit Stones had begun to decrease. The reason was that the Scale Clan, who controlled Spirit Stone mining, had been imprisoned in the Cold Prison after that night in Yu Garden.
With mining temporarily halted, the supply of Spirit Stones would naturally decline.
Restoring the entire trade route was not an easy or quick task.
But for those cultivators who had been sitting in deep mountains, once they had used Top-Grade Spirit Stones, who would still be willing to use Spirit Stones containing Impurities?
Thus, the various Immortal Sects and Worldly Sect were quite displeased and sent people to Shengjing City to exert pressure.
Some said that the only thing the Yao Race had to offer after entering the Nine Provinces for trade was those Top-Grade Spirit Stones. If they couldn't even provide these,
There was no need to continue the trade at all.
There were many such statements, all delivered with an arrogant demeanor. It was unclear if they were truly foolish, or if, after years of clear Dao Heart, they no longer considered worldly affairs.
Did the Human Race still have the leverage to negotiate? This brief peace was begged for.
And these immortal Disciples who entered the imperial city were invited to banquets by Chong Wang, Wei Li, and other pro-immortal factions after returning from the palace. A broken world, with nobles feasting and drinking, this had always been the norm in the Qingyun World.
At this moment, in the backyard of Prince Chong's Mansion, on the second floor of the Star-Picking Pavilion.
Three Disciples from Tianjian Peak of Lingjian Mountain, located on the shores of Xuán Hǎi: Liu Junchi in the Rongdao Realm, Yao Chenglin, and Peng Peng in the Tong Xuan Realm, were drinking and singing with Princess Changle and her entourage.
The men were bold and unrestrained, and the women's eyes were filled with smiles.
"After the New Year, I plan to enter the Rongdao Upper Realm. I will definitely participate in next year's Tiandao Conference, and I am determined to secure a spot in the top ten."
"Why not the top spot?"
"Although my heart is as high as the heavens and my Sword Dao is unparalleled, I am still a bit lacking compared to Senior Brother Zhuang You, a direct Disciple of the Sword Peak. If he participates next year, the top spot will be somewhat difficult for me."
"The top ten is already strong enough. Then I wish Senior Brother a sword like a long rainbow next year and a triumphant victory."
"Thank you, Junior Sister, for your kind words."
Liu Junchi raised his wine cup towards Zhao Yunyue.
As a member of the imperial Family, Princess Changle was bound by law not to become an Immortal Sect Disciple. However, her Family had always harbored a Lingjian Mountain Elder, so tracing her lineage, she was indeed a Disciple of Lingjian Mountain.
Moreover, she had been fostered at Tianjian Peak for a period during her childhood, so calling these Lingjian Mountain Disciples Senior Brother was not out of place.
Zhao Yunyue picked up her wine cup, a faint smile on her face, and lightly sipped the Spirit Wine in the cup, her gaze shifting.
This banquet was not just a simple gathering; Princess Changle vaguely sensed another layer of meaning.
That was, her father hoped she could find a Dao Companion among them.
Previously, she had wanted to summon Ji You to the mansion as her son-in-law, but he gave no response. Since her wish fell through, she naturally had to choose a new target.
In Chong Wang's view, befriending distant powers to attack nearby ones was a good political strategy.
He had maintained close ties with the three Southern Sects for years for this very reason. Therefore, marrying his daughter, who was already a Disciple of Lingjian Mountain, into Lingjian Mountain was indeed an excellent choice.
However, Zhao Yunyue's current thoughts differed from her father's grand ambitions. Her strongest desire had nothing to do with her Family; instead, she hoped to find someone stronger than Ji You.
Even more, she wanted someone who could beat Ji You into a dog, begging for mercy on the ground.
After all, the incident of her sending a letter requesting Dual Cultivation but being ignored had caused a city-wide uproar and was still frequently brought up. Therefore, she could not marry someone inferior to Ji You; she needed a more astonishingly talented Young Master to vindicate her. At this moment, a man in white, as pure as snow, walked past the wall of Prince Chong's Mansion.
As he walked, he reached out several times, placing one silver coin after another in front of the beggars who were lying in the snow, blending in with the accumulated snow. Then, he walked towards an alley called Chunhua Alley.
Many people turned their gaze at this moment, watching him walk along the long street.
Zhao Yunyue's gaze also turned, staring for a long time.
She had heard rumors circulating in Tianshu Academy in recent days, saying that Ji You had broken through and reached the Profound Connection Realm.
However, he seemed to be limited by his powerful Physical Body, and the process was very difficult. But later, news spread that his aura after breaking through was very powerful.
But upon seeing him now, his aura was restrained, making Zhao Yunyue feel that he hadn't changed much from when she saw him on the street the day before. At this moment, someone from Lingjian Mountain called out to her, "Junior Sister," pulling her thoughts back.
"Senior Brother?"
"We've been on the Immortal Ship for two days and two nights, and we're a bit tired. We plan to rest for a while first."
Zhao Yunyue raised her eyes: "It is said that the third floor of the Nu River Immortal Ship is extremely comfortable. With Senior Brother's status, it should be sufficient, right?"
Liu Junchi shook his head: "We couldn't get into the third floor on this trip; we've been staying on the second floor. The rooms are cramped, and we haven't had a good night's sleep."
"Why were you staying on the second floor?"
Liu Junchi sighed slightly: "It was bad timing. The day we arrived, there happened to be a big figure boarding the ship, and the entire third floor was under martial law. Such a courtesy must be for a high-ranking official from some Immortal Sect, so we naturally didn't force it."
"So that's how it is." Zhao Yunyue nodded with a smile: "Then, Senior Brothers, please go and rest. Tomorrow, there will be a snow-boiling tea party at the mansion. At that time, I would like to ask Senior Brother for advice on how to break through to the Tong Xuan Realm."
"No problem."
Zhao Yunyue watched them leave, but she couldn't help but wonder what kind of important person could make the entire third floor be under martial law.
And at this moment, in the West Market of Shengjing City, a figure with an ethereal and beautiful appearance and an excellent physique was strolling through the market, her steps light and agile.
She was wearing a sunset-colored Ruyi cloud brocade shirt and adorned with various luxurious Spirit Hairpins. From her attire alone, she looked like a delicate young lady from a small Family, but the nobility she exuded in her every gesture, and the arrogance in her eyes, indicated that her identity was far from simple.
However, her face could not be seen, because the woman was wearing a cat mask, bought from who knows which stall. She wandered from the south to the north of the West Market, seemingly without a strong desire to buy, more like she was curious.
Just as she had been sitting in the teahouse earlier, listening to people discuss the breakthrough of the Tianshu Academy student named Ji You, she was just as curious.
How strong could a combat strength that couldn't be determined by Realm be? No one could accurately know unless he made a move.
But even if he was strong, he probably wouldn't be stronger than herself.
The masked girl had been looking at the candied fruit stall for a long time and finally stopped at a small stall selling roasted sweet potatoes.
"Miss, my sweet potatoes are made from Feng Province honey potatoes. Everyone knows that place is barren, but the sweet potatoes are extremely sweet. Which one would you like?"
"Who said Feng Province is barren?"
The vendor was startled and involuntarily closed his mouth.
Although the mask hid her expression, the slight coldness in her tone made the vendor feel her sudden surge of temper.
At this moment, a slender, jade-like finger extended from the woman's silk brocade sleeve, pointing to the roasted sweet potato that was fragrant and charred.
"I want this one, please wrap it for me."
The vendor quickly wrapped it: "Listening to your accent, Miss, you don't sound like a local?"
"Hmm."
The masked girl held the roasted sweet potato in her hand, her eyelashes trembling slightly as she said, "I'm here to visit relatives."
The vendor had only asked casually. Hearing her say she was visiting relatives, he nodded slightly, but he was actually a bit puzzled.
Her accent indeed didn't sound local, nor did it sound like Feng Province; instead, it sounded more like the southern region.
When he was young, he had been forcibly conscripted to the south to build a temporary palace for the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, so he was very familiar with southern accents.
But since she wasn't from Feng Province, he didn't know why this strange Young Miss would get angry because someone said a few words about Feng Province.
At this moment, the vendor selling cotton quilts next door poked his head out: "Although Feng Province is barren, since last year, it's a place we can't even go to if we want to."
"Why is that?"
"I heard it from my maternal uncle. The tax tribute in Feng Province has been reduced to one-tenth. Many people in our village ran to Feng Province overnight, but unfortunately, I was doing business in the capital and missed the best opportunity. Later, the officials issued a decree prohibiting arbitrary migration."
As the cotton quilt vendor spoke, he suddenly saw the masked girl reach out and place a piece of broken silver: "I'll buy a cotton quilt."
The vendor opened his mouth: "Miss, aren't you here to visit relatives? Why buy a cotton quilt—"
"I want to buy it."
"Then—thank you, Miss. I'll pick out the one with the most cotton for you!"
Afterward, the masked girl walked away with her roasted sweet potato and the cotton quilt she bought.
The cotton quilt vendor, who was now tidying the stack of cotton quilts he had just messed up, looked at the departing figure and said, "She must be a Southern girl who has now married into Feng Province. There are quite a few such cases now, after all, the taxes there are low."
The roasted sweet potato vendor suddenly realized: "No wonder she got angry when someone spoke ill of Feng Province."
The cotton quilt vendor put his hands on his hips: "Once I save up some money, I'm going to Feng Province too."
"Didn't you just say that the government issued a decree prohibiting migration?"
"Rules are dead, people are alive. I know an old brother who works at the Central Province border; he has connections."
At this moment, the masked girl had walked further and further into the market, then found a corner of an alley to stop. She handed the cotton quilt to two beggars kneeling in the snow.
Then, she reached out, pinched the sweet potato skin, gently peeled it open, and put it in her mouth, smacking her lips twice.
Not far in front of her, the snowy Ni Mountain was clearly visible.
When they last came, the two hadn't met, so it made sense to go directly to Tianshu Academy and meet him along the way.
But now, if she went directly, it would seem like she was deliberately looking for him.
At this moment, a cat with its tail held high ran onto the wall in front of the masked woman, causing her eyes to narrow slightly.
Meanwhile, Ji You had already reached the end of Chunhua Alley and was walking towards Kuang Cheng's small courtyard.
Along the way, he saw many people looking at him, their eyes seemingly filled with eager Battle Intent, but unfortunately, no one made a move, which prevented him from demonstrating his professional ethics.
Leaving home without robbing money, wasn't that like a waste?
However, what surprised him even more was that Kuang Cheng's courtyard was locked, with a note on it saying he had moved, and then leaving a string of addresses.
“?”
After another detour, Ji You arrived at a residence, then stepped inside, and saw Kuang Cheng holding a broom and sweeping the main house.
This residence was not large, but compared to his previous humble dwelling, it was a world of difference.
Kuang Cheng said it was arranged by the Immortal Supervisor. It was originally a private residence used by an official from the Ministry of Revenue to keep an outside mistress, but he was later arrested for tax evasion and corruption, and the house was confiscated.
After renovations, these vacant residences were then assigned to officials of the Immortal Supervisor.
Public institutions distributing housing, right?
Ji You muttered, thinking that civil servants really had it good.
Kuang Cheng, however, said that there were actually larger courtyards allocated, but with Kuang Cheng's personality, he wasn't good at Scramble, and he was already content with the small, humble dwelling.
“I increasingly feel that you live a carefree life. I should have taken the imperial examination to become the top scholar too.”
Kuang Cheng held the broom and glanced at him: “But Brother Ji never liked studying since he was young.”
Ji You revealed a proud expression: “Heh, that little bit of knowledge in your belly, I've known since I was a child.”
His hands hadn't fully recovered yet, so he sat on the steps, watching Kuang Cheng tidy the courtyard, and chatted idly.
During the time he was in seclusion breaking through his Realm, the barbarians retreated, returning to the depths of the Ten Thousand Mountains after withdrawing from the Northern Border.
Ji You wasn't surprised by this.
The barbarians' attack this time was to some extent to show off to the Yao Race, to strengthen the Yao Race's confidence in forming an Alliance with them to conquer the Human Race.
But the Human Race's envoy mission made the Yao Emperor temporarily abandon this idea, and now the news must have reached the barbarians, so for the barbarians, the meaning of this siege battle no longer existed.
Most importantly, winter had arrived, and marching from the Ten Thousand Mountains was not easy, so a truce seemed natural.
“If this situation could be maintained indefinitely, that would be great. If war doesn't break out, Brother Ji might even be able to marry the Yaozu Gongzhu.”
“It can't be maintained.”
Ji You sat on the steps, thinking, how could it possibly be maintained?
The barbarians were determined to return to Kyushu. The Yao Emperor's unwillingness to get involved at this time was very likely related to the Human Race's Luck, but ultimately, a war was unavoidable.
However, what did this have to do with the Yaozu Gongzhu?
The two of them were purely doctor-patient relationship, not even friends, right?
If Ji You didn't believe Kuang Cheng was a native, he would have suspected him of being a Transmigrator who had watched many similar-themed island nation art films.
Hospital ward, active duty, first time, Lifting the taboo, all sorts of terms were racing through Ji You's mind at this moment.
At this time, Kuang Cheng was sweeping the east courtyard when he suddenly saw a knife mark on a corridor pillar, almost penetrating half the wood, and his eyes narrowed slightly.
When he was cleaning the back of the water tank earlier, he also saw knife marks that had scratched the tank wall.
These craftsmen, their work is really not meticulous.
But luckily, this wooden beam was not a primary load-bearing structure. In a few days, he would find a craftsman on the street, insert a similar piece of wood, and nail it in.
Kuang Cheng patted the dust off his body, then rolled up his sleeves and began to light a fire to cook.
Moving into a new home required a housewarming feast. Ji You's visit at this time meant he couldn't enjoy the lavish meal he had extorted before heading to the Snow Region; instead, he had to give a gift.
“Brother Ji, would you like to join me and Miss Wei Rui for a stroll at the New Year lantern festival?”
“No thanks. As a true gentleman like myself, I won't disturb your romantic night.”
Ji You said coldly.
This was the second time he had heard this question today. The previous one who asked, Rulong Immortal Emperor, still felt a chill in his heart.
Kuang Cheng looked at Ji You at this moment: “Miss Yuan from Dan Sect is too far away, and the Yaozu Gongzhu is even further, so Brother Ji, are you unable to find a female companion to stroll with?”
Ji You instantly puffed out his chest: “Nonsense! I just don't want to waste time cultivating the Dao. Otherwise, if I just gently extended my arms, wouldn't the line stretch all the way out of the city?”
“Then why don't you extend them?”
“I won't.”
Kuang Cheng looked at Ji You, thinking, although my Brother Ji seems to be a romantic and is known as having countless fiancées, he is actually a lone wolf. This may not be because he truly keeps himself pure, but more likely because he has a very formidable person in his backyard.
With that thought, he suddenly remembered the woman whom Ji You had brought into the courtyard that day, who almost killed someone after being praised for being cute.
Kuang Shusheng pursed his lips: “Brother Ji is a bit afraid of his wife.”
Ji You looked up: “So smart, are you going to take the postgraduate entrance exam?”
“Postgraduate entrance exam?”
“Oh, I forgot you're already the top scholar.”
“Brother Ji always says things I don't understand, but how do you plan to spend New Year's Day?”
“Cultivating, seizing the time to enter the Rongdao Realm.”
“That's too hard. You've only just broken through recently.”
“Profound Connection Realm and Rongdao Initial Realm, though only one Realm apart, are actually like a chasm. It's normal to work harder.”
Ji You had eaten and drunk his fill by now, wiped his mouth, and was about to slip away, but before he could stand up, he heard footsteps.
Then the footsteps stopped, lingering at the door for a long time, and a few soft calls of “Young Master” were heard.
But with Ji Hanfei's hearing, he clearly heard a few subtle “krr-krr” sounds before those calls of “Young Master.”
Ji You narrowed his eyes, thinking, I'm suffering too much, I need to break through the Realm quickly. Once I can defeat Yan Shuyi, I'll silence her, then conquer the world as a stallion, making all those women who want to feel passion line up.
Kuang Cheng had not yet heard Wei Rui's voice at this moment, and was still refilling Ji You's wine glass.
This was probably because they had changed residences; the previous volume of voice seemed insufficient to penetrate the larger courtyard.
Ji You was about to remind him, but soon he heard another set of footsteps that didn't belong to Wei Rui, and his heart instantly became vigilant.
However, Wei Rui's polite inquiry slightly relaxed Ji You's heartstrings.
“Miss, who are you looking for?”
“No one, I'm just strolling around.”
“When I came just now, I saw you standing here all along, as if listening to the movements in the courtyard. You frowned for a moment, then hummed a few times. It doesn't look like you're just strolling around. Could it be—are you also looking for Young Master Kuang?”
Wei Rui asked softly, but her voice contained a sense of vigilance.
Miss Wei Rui was not a cultivator, just an ordinary woman, so what made her vigilant certainly wasn't the other party's cultivation.
Considering the current environment and context, that vigilance was likely due to a comparison of appearances between women, as they both appeared at the door of the same man.
However, Wei Rui was actually a well-known beauty in Shengjing City, so there weren't many people who could make her feel vigilant.
“I didn't inquire about news and then guess someone would come, so I deliberately waited here for a chance encounter. I was just casually strolling.”
“?”
“Really.”
“Miss, look at your footprints in the snow, you've already drawn countless circles—”
Kuang Cheng had just finished pouring the wine and looked up to find Ji You frozen at the table. He couldn't help but ask, “What's wrong, Brother Ji?”
Ji You frowned slightly and put his finger to his lips: “Shush.”
“?”
Kuang Cheng couldn't hear what he heard, only watching his ears twitch slightly, his eyes slowly open, and then he suddenly held his breath. Kuang Shusheng's brow furrowed slightly, thinking, why does Brother Ji look so pleased?
At this moment, Ji You looked at him: “It's settled then, on New Year's Day, we'll stroll together.”
Kuang Cheng: “?”
“Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you, Wei Rui is here.”
“Huh?”
Wei Rui was standing in the snow in front of the door, her gaze vigilantly fixed on the woman in front of her.
This woman was too beautiful; her skin was as white as snow, her face exquisite and sculpted, and her full figure was graceful and shapely. Most importantly, her temperament was truly beyond what even a princess could hope to achieve.
However, before Wei Rui could speak again, two figures walked out from the door, the foremost being Ji You.
Wei Rui bowed slightly: “Greetings, Young Master Ji.”
Ji You was already heading out the door, not even hearing Wei Rui's voice. He only saw the woman beside him looking coldly to the side, but then she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.
After a long time, he seemed a bit thinner, but his Qi was even more profound.
Wei Rui looked at Ji You: “Young Master, do you know this young lady?”
Ji You came back to his senses: “This is my—”
“??”
“This is mine.” After understanding this phrase in context, Wei Rui's face instantly flushed, and she understood his meaning.
She had come to find Kuang Cheng today. Young Master Ji meant that he belonged to Young Master Kuang, and the woman in front of her belonged to Young Master Ji.
So that's how it is...
No wonder Sister Zhao Yunyue wanted to Dual Cultivation with him but received no response.
However, as the word “mine” rang out, the Fairy in the snow instantly narrowed her eyes, and her entire body's Sword Intent began to surge.
Wei Rui was startled, only then realizing that the woman in front of her was a cultivator, and full of Killing Intent.
However, that Sword Qi only howled for a while, causing snowflakes to fly everywhere, then it voluntarily dissipated, and at the same time, the woman's expression seemed to become somewhat docile.
“What a coincidence.”
“What a coincidence my ass....”
Ji You looked at the snow behind the Master Jian of Lingjian Mountain, which was full of delicate and small footprints, as if she had walked in circles in the snow.
Seeing that he didn't respond, Yan Shuyi glared fiercely, signaling him to quickly say “what a coincidence.”
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