Chapter 206: Death Wish
After the gradual awakening of spring's splendor in March, it was the season for peach blossoms to bloom.
Heading east from Shengjing City's eastern suburbs, one could see the ten-thousand-acre peach forest of Yuyang County from afar once outside the city. It appeared as a pink expanse, attracting countless Immortal Family Disciples, literati, and poets every year.
Entering from the east, a long pathway wound through the thriving peach trees, leading eastward to Bi Shui Lake and Spring Breeze Pavilion.
Kuang Cheng and Wei Rui had gone for a stroll, chatting about the spring plowing in Feng Province, the magnificent land reclamation by cultivators, and the nightly shared drinks between Immortal Villa Disciples and common folk.
However, he did not tell Wei Rui about Feng Province harboring rogue cultivators.
The more people who knew about this, the more likely Brother Ji was to get into trouble, and it wouldn't make a difference whether Wei Rui knew or not. The afternoon had grown slightly overcast, with dark clouds gathering in the sky, suggesting a light rain might fall.
The weather around Qingming Festival was always like this; one moment it would be sunny, and the next, rain would pour down. So, the carriages that had gone out for spring outings began to rush back to Shengjing.
Some had picked two or three peach blossoms, while others had drunk two or three pots of clear tea.
Kuang Cheng and Wei Rui also returned together in a carriage, but before entering the city gate, Kuang Shusheng got off the carriage and parted ways with Miss Rui'er.
This caution, stemming from his respect for the Young Miss's reputation, made Wei Rui feel even more touched.
After bidding farewell, Kuang Cheng walked alone through Chang Sheng Avenue and felt a cold wind picking up in the city.
This was the lingering chill of winter, now returning, likely bringing two or three days of gloom and cold, after which the temperature would steadily rise until summer.
Kuang Cheng walked along the alley, and before he reached his own residence, he saw a figure pacing back and forth in front of the door.
As he got closer, he realized the person standing at the door was Ji You, proudly clad in a white robe embroidered with silver threads.
He was looking up at a peach tree in the opposite courtyard, holding a jar of wine in his hand.
"Brother Ji?"
"I came to have a couple of drinks with you."
Ji You turned his head, lifted the wine jar, and shook it twice towards him. The sound of liquid sloshing inside the jar could be heard: "Open the door quickly, I've been standing here for half a day. Are you saying you're neglecting friends for a pretty face, out wandering with Wei Rui again?"
Kuang Cheng coughed, then stepped forward to unlock the copper lock on the courtyard gate: "The peach blossoms in Yuyang County are exceptionally beautiful this year, so I went to see them with Miss Rui'er."
"Wandering around all day won't produce any children. Pick the flowers while you can, don't wait until they fall and you're left with empty branches."
"Brother Ji, you're truly reckless!"
Kuang Cheng couldn't help but retort, and then he noticed that Ji You's face was somewhat pale, and his eyes were dull.
But before he could ask, Ji You had already walked through the doorway, reaching out to break the wax seal on the wine jar, and a fragrant aroma of wine wafted into the courtyard.
Kuang Cheng stepped in after him: "Drinking in broad daylight?"
Ji You glanced at him: "Does drinking need to be divided into day and night?"
"I was just curious why Brother Ji is in such a refined mood today, and even brought his own wine?"
"Cultivation is boring, and I felt a bit restless sitting still, so I thought of going down the mountain for a stroll. But in this vast Shengjing, you're the only one I know,
I unconsciously walked here. Go quickly and get some bowls."
Kuang Cheng went inside to get the bowls, then placed them on the table. He watched as the clear wine was poured, and couldn't help but secretly wonder if Brother Ji was going to extort money again.
Ji You raised his wine bowl: "Come, let's have one."
Kuang Cheng raised his sleeve and lifted his cup: "It just so happens I didn't get to share a table with Brother Ji last time I returned. This time, I'll accompany Brother Ji for a drink."
After a sip of the clear wine, Kuang Cheng suddenly felt a warm current surge into his body.
Then his whole body seemed to become transparent, and a clear breeze seemed to circulate within him, emerging outwards through his Qi apertures.
Kuang Cheng opened his mouth: "Spiritual Wine?"
"Have you drunk it before?"
"Not really. This stuff is expensive, and I can't afford it with my salary. But I've heard from colleagues that a small sip of a cultivator's Spiritual Wine can make one feel all the Qi apertures in their body open. What's wrong with Brother Ji today?"
Ji You held his wine bowl and looked at him: "Cultivators hardly feel anything from drinking ordinary wine, but ordinary people drinking Spiritual Wine can nourish their bones and roots. You're too thin, you need to supplement more."
Kuang Cheng felt that Ji You's state today seemed a bit strange; he couldn't pinpoint exactly what was strange, but it just wasn't right.
The usual carefree laughter was gone, replaced by a much deeper demeanor.
Was it because Fairy Yan wasn't here and Miss Yuan had left, making him feel like a lonely old man again? So, he told him about the official road construction in Feng Province.
The Immortal Supervisorate had purchased a large quantity of Spiritual Artifacts for road construction, and following Ji You's original plan, they started work in sections, making rapid progress. It would be completed by the Great Heat day.
Ji You didn't say much after listening.
Just as he had said before, he was just a small Integration Realm, and there was only so much he could do.
The roads were built, the barren land reclaimed, but where Feng Province would go from there was no longer something he could control.
As the wine in the jar gradually diminished, Kuang Cheng also told him about Wei Rui, mentioning that he had gently held her hand at the Peach Blossom Fair, which Ji You teased him about with a series of "tsk tsk tsk" sounds.
Kuang Shusheng thought to himself that this kind of progress was normal. Although it was said that the affection between a man and a woman was like a layer of window paper, it wasn't that easy to break through.
How could it be like Brother Ji and Fairy Yan, who would bite each other's mouths like that after just meeting?
Ji You didn't smile much today, and only when Kuang Cheng brought up the Little Master Jian would his lips curve slightly, only to quickly drop again after the topic changed.
Before long, the wine was finished, and Kuang Cheng's face began to flush.
People from Yuyang County were generally quite good at drinking. Kuang Cheng seemed delicate, but his alcohol tolerance was quite good, as were Old Qiu and his wife.
However, Ji You seemed to have drunk even more, bowl after bowl, and his already few words became even fewer.
Until he felt his earlobes become very hot, and his vision seemed to gain weight. The air in front of him seemed to drag honey-colored viscous threads, gradually going to his head.
However, this was not a feeling of dizziness, but rather a mental exhilaration, which made him feel slightly relieved.
"I'm leaving."
"Oh, Brother Ji—"
Ji You let out a satisfied burp: "I feel it now, I should be able to sleep when I go back."
Kuang Cheng watched him walk out the door, slightly stunned, thinking to himself that Brother Ji had indeed come down the mountain specifically to find him today just for a drink.
At this moment, Ji You walked out along the road, heading towards Ni Mountain along Chang Sheng Avenue. Just past the middle section, a layer of fine mist began to dissipate from his body, and all the previously ingested alcohol vapor was evaporated by his hot physique.
After a few more steps, Ji You paused slightly, and his mind became clear again; the previous drunkenness had completely vanished.
After Body Refining, both his body temperature and strength had increased to the extreme, so much so that his current body couldn't retain the effects of alcohol for very long.
Ji You couldn't help but look up at the gloomy sky, listening to the faint thunder.
It's no good, it's just no good. He stood on the street for a long time, thinking to himself that he didn't even have the right to get drunk anymore.
He remained silent, then walked towards Ni Mountain. As he passed Bi Shui Lake, he also made a stop at Cao Jinsong's courtyard, but didn't stay long before turning to leave.
In a short while, Wen Zhengxin, Ban Yangshu, and Bai Rulong received messages and rushed to Cao Jinsong's courtyard.
The four of them sat around the tea table in the courtyard, staring at the two money bags before them with a sense of perplexity.
The money bag on the left belonged to Cao Jinsong, and the one on the right belonged to Bai Rulong. The Ru Long Immortal Emperor's money bag was given to him by Ji You when he left the Snow Region, and it was one size larger than his previous one, indicating that he should fill it with more money in the future.
And both of these money bags were full, even fuller than when they left their respective owners.
"Paying back money?"
"Yes, that's what he said."
Bai Rulong looked as if he had seen the sun rise from the west: "Why?"
Cao Jinsong shook his head: "I don't know either. He just put down the money bags and left. However, he seems to have been looking for an Integration Realm opportunity recently. He came to extort money before because of his professional habit, and now he might also be influenced by distracting thoughts."
Ban Yangshu picked up the money bag and weighed it: "What distracting thoughts could have influenced Junior Brother Ji to make him take out all his money?"
Wen Zhengxin shook his head: "I can't imagine."
"Could it be a sudden act of kindness?"
"If it were an act of kindness, Junior Brother Ji should have donated the money to an orphanage for the disabled. It's not like he hasn't done that before."
Cao Jinsong held his teacup, feeling that things seemed to have become serious.
The kind of distracting thoughts a person has are entirely derived from their background, past experiences, and current encounters. Although others cannot fully grasp them, they can generally be judged based on their daily state.
For example, Ji You loved money extremely. Those who wanted to kill him didn't need to exert much effort; they just needed to throw silver to lure him away.
So everyone knew that money was definitely one of Ji You's distracting thoughts, and thus Cao Jinsong and Bai Rulong were extorted recently, which came as no surprise at all.
But returning money was truly unexpected, so much so that they couldn't understand what kind of distracting thoughts would lead Ji You to do such a thing.
Lust?
Lust could only drive him to find women; this silver should have been spent in the pleasure houses of Shengjing City.
However, Ji You didn't seem to need to go to pleasure houses; many Senior Sisters and Junior Sisters in the courtyard wanted to have a child with him, even without needing to take responsibility.
Cao Jinsong and Bai Rulong sat at the tea table, drinking tea and pondering, completely baffled by Ji You's abnormal behavior.
At this moment, Wen Zhengxin suddenly flinched, his brow furrowing slightly.
"What's wrong?"
"Actually, if a person truly wants to die, they will leave their family wealth to their close relatives, after all, you can't take money with you when you die."
After Wen Zhengxin finished speaking, he looked up: "I had a clan uncle who, after his wife died, was always melancholic. One day, he suddenly went to drink with a friend, and then left all his money to his children. Not long after, he drowned himself in the water Cylinder at home."
Bai Rulong opened his mouth: "Can a water Cylinder drown someone?"
"If there's truly a death wish, even a washbasin can drown someone."
Cao Jinsong immediately waved his sleeve: "Impossible! Ji You's cultivation path is smooth and unobstructed, he has established a Worldly Family, and he has charmed the Dan Sect's daughter so much that she wishes to move to Feng Province with him. Moreover, he is inherently broad-minded, how could he harbor a death wish in his heart?"
Bai Rulong, who had not yet achieved Integration Realm, couldn't help but ask upon hearing this: "Can distracting thoughts lead a person to have a death wish?"
"No, what makes a person harbor a death wish is not a distracting thought, but an obsession."
"What is an obsession?"
“What lingers in the heart, what condenses in the spirit, is a singular persistence that cannot be released. It may be tied to an object, or confined by emotion, or fixed by will. Even after the event has passed and the situation has changed, it remains deeply ingrained, difficult to resolve, and impossible to let go.”
Cao Jinsong added, “But very few people have such strong obsessions; usually, they just have distracting thoughts.”
Bai Rulong scratched his head, “Why?”
“The Heart-Questioning Formation is only encountered by cultivators, and cultivators are almost all Disciples from Immortal Sect Worldly Sect.”
Hearing this, Bai Rulong immediately understood.
Disciples of Immortal Sect Worldly Sect have lived in luxury since childhood, never having to worry about survival. Even their cultivation path is arranged for them, with no concerns about food or drink. Naturally, they are broad-minded and are unlikely to encounter heart matters that could qualify as obsessions.
Even if they do, it wouldn't reach the point of making someone suicidal.
After pondering for a moment, Bai Rulong asked, “So, what if someone truly develops an obsession?”
Cao Jinsong stroked his beard for a while before saying, “You have to find a way to resolve it. Otherwise, you can only force yourself to forget.”
“Could it be because of what happened to the Ji Family back then?”
“No.”
Cao Jinsong shook his head. “The Ji Family's misfortune wasn't a complete annihilation. If Ji You had a deep obsession, he would have gone to find them long ago. Also, what’s peculiar is that he’s quite famous throughout the Nine Provinces now, yet those who fled haven't come looking for him.”
Ban Yangshu frowned slightly. “Wrong guess. Junior Brother Ji is usually a slacker; could it be suspicion?”
“Suspicion of what?”
“Suspecting your silver is fake and not bothering to return it.”
Just then, Cao Jinsong’s courtyard door was suddenly pushed open. Ji You, who had previously returned the silver, had come back again. He now stepped into the courtyard.
Cao Jinsong and Bai Rulong’s hearts skipped a beat. They quickly snatched up the two money bags on the table, watching him with alert expressions.
However, Ji You said nothing, merely telling Bai Rulong that there was a woman with a perky backside at the entrance. After Bai Rulong frantically stood up and ran out, Ji You sat down on the stone stool he had just occupied.
He then looked at them with a neutral expression, but didn’t speak.
Bai Rulong soon returned with a puzzled look, thinking, “Where is the woman with a perky backside?” Then he saw Ji You sitting on his stone stool and understood everything.
At this moment, Cao Jin, Wen Zhengxin, and Ban Yangshu were all staring at him.
Ji You frowned slightly. “What were you talking about? Just continue talking, don’t mind me.”
Ban Yangshu and Cao Jin looked at each other, then turned to him. “We were just discussing why you returned the silver.”
“What's the point of having silver? You can't buy everything with it.”
Bai Rulong’s eyes widened upon hearing this. “What’s wrong, Brother Ji? How about we go to the medical hall to get you checked out?”
Cao Jin also couldn't help but put down his teacup and speak. “Didn't you go back to the Inner Courtyard? Why are you suddenly back again?”
Ji You sighed and said, “After going back, I found no one in the courtyard, so I wanted to come back and just sit around.”
“How is the search for your Dao Integration opportunity coming along?”
“It’s going well. Oh, by the way, does anyone have a spare room? I’d like to move in for a few days.”
Ban Yangshu was startled. “Why is that?”
Ji You sighed softly, “I just don’t want to be alone.”
“I live with Ji Hurui.”
Bai Rulong also opened his mouth. “I didn't enter the academy at Junior Third Realm Completion; I live in the male dormitory with everyone else.”
Cao Jin stroked his long beard. “Then you can stay with me.”
Ji You then said, “Thank you, Senior Sister Wen.”
Cao Jin: “?”
Wen Zhengxin turned to look at him. “If you’re not afraid of the Dan Sect’s daughter getting jealous, then come back with me.”
What Zhengxin Fairy didn't expect was that after sunset, Ji You actually followed her back to her courtyard.
On the bamboo rack in her courtyard hung drying undergarments, pink and green, embroidered with butterflies and flowers, along with several silk pants.
They appeared to be a matching set with the undergarments.
Wen Zhengxin stepped over the threshold, then quickened her pace, pretending to be calm as she rushed to tidy them up.
Ji You was somewhat distracted, but subconsciously, he seemed to carry a sense of politeness, so he instinctively helped her tidy them.
From the south end of the bamboo rack to the north, Ji You gathered a handful of undergarments. When he looked up again, he found Wen Zhengxin staring at him with a cold face flushed red. “Junior Brother, the distracting thoughts in your heart must be lust, right?”
Ji You looked at the undergarments in his hand and remained silent for a long time, then returned them to her, but couldn't help but sigh softly during the exchange.
Wen Zhengxin was startled, then looked down at her chest. Her eyes instantly widened, revealing a hint of Killing Intent.
It was definitely lust, and he still wasn't satisfied.
“You won’t sneak into my room tonight, will you?”
“It is already a great kindness that Senior Sister would take me in; there is no need for such meticulous guest etiquette.”
“?”
Wen Zhengxin looked at his tired, unlustful expression, somewhat unsure if he was being sincere or teasing, so she held her undergarments and pants and returned to her room.
Throughout the entire night, Zhengxin Fairy cultivated, but also occasionally paid attention to the sounds outside. However, after a long time, no movement was heard.
Thus, as the hour of Chou approached, Zhengxin Fairy put on her boots and walked to the main hall. After much thought, she glanced into the room, only to find that Ji You was not there.
Her brows furrowed slightly. She turned her gaze towards the courtyard outside, and discovered that Ji You was sitting alone in the night.
He sat there blankly, silent, with no Life Qi.
“Junior Brother?”
“I’m fine, Senior Sister.”
Wen Zhengxin watched him turn his head, his eyes brimming with tears. She was startled, and just as she was about to ask him what was wrong, before the words left her mouth, she saw the struggle in his eyes.
She suddenly understood why Ji You had chosen to stay with her; it had little to do with lust. He was simply afraid of being asked questions.
Although Cao Jin called him a Rebellious Disciple every day, he had high hopes for him, caring for him far more than others.
If Cao Jin were to see this scene now, he would definitely ask what was wrong with Junior Brother Ji.
So she pursed her lips, turned around, and entered her room without a word.
The next morning, Wen Zhengxin got out of bed and draped her Outer Courtyard robe as she came into the courtyard. In truth, she was still a little worried about Ji You.
When she entered her courtyard, she found that it seemed to have been transformed; everything was incredibly tidy.
On the bamboo pole hung the clothes and undergarments changed last night, still damp as if freshly washed.
Ji You saw Wen Zhengxin at this moment and greeted her with a good morning.
Wen Zhengxin noticed that her Junior Brother now seemed like a lost soul.
He had actually slept for a very short time last night, which was why he started tidying the courtyard early in the morning. He pruned the newly sprouted jujube tree in the courtyard and neatly disposed of the trimmed branches.
Then he leveled the courtyard, aired the bedding, and scrubbed the water Cylinder inside and out.
The main room was also cleaned, dust was wiped from the porcelain vases, and the chair cushions were scrubbed.
He wasn't planning to settle here long-term, but merely wanted to keep himself busy enough to have no time for thought or recollection.
But now there was nothing left to do, so he had to find something else.
At this moment, Ji You suddenly remembered Lu Qingqiu's message from a few days ago, saying she wanted him to teach Lu Hanyan swordsmanship. So he thought for a moment, then headed towards the Outer Courtyard, and after several turns, arrived at the Sword Forest.
Although he had refused Lu Qingqiu's request to teach swordsmanship a few days prior, he had still written some insights for Lu Hanyan.
Lu Hanyan was currently practicing swordsmanship in the Sword Forest. Seeing Ji You, she was somewhat surprised. “Senior Brother Ji? Why are you here?”
“I gave you some Sword Dao insights a few days ago. I happened to have some free time, so I came to see how your practice is going.”
“Really?”
“Mm, show me what you’ve learned.”
“Yes!”
At this moment, in the Sword Forest of Tianshu Academy’s Outer Courtyard.
Lu Hanyan held a long sword, dancing out a flurry of sword flowers among the trees. Her posture was graceful, coming and going like a fleeting glimpse, her beautiful figure causing the surrounding male Disciples to gaze distractedly.
With a hum, the Dao sword vibrated fiercely, and a burst of Sword Qi caused the entire bamboo forest to rustle softly.
Then she flew back with her sword, her sword momentum becoming increasingly sharp.
Just then, Ji You suddenly swung the wooden sword in his hand, striking Lu Hanyan’s hand with a “thwack.”
The Lu family's Second Miss’s sword form was instantly interrupted, and her delicate hand began to turn slightly red.
“Don’t grip too hard, otherwise it will definitely affect your sword strikes.”
“Yes, Senior Brother!”
“Thwack!” “Your waist needs to be stable. If your waist isn’t stable, your sword won’t be fierce.”
“Yes, Senior Brother!”
“Thwack!” “Don't wiggle your backside randomly!”
Seeing this scene, the surrounding Disciples watched with some surprise.
Although Ji You was now an Inner Courtyard Disciple, he was, after all, from a rural private cultivation background, while Lu Hanyan was the legitimate Second Miss of the Yunzhou Lu Family. His audacity was simply too great.
Lu Hanyan, who had been struck, also froze for a moment, blinking in disbelief, seemingly also surprised.
She had only received personal guidance from Senior Brother Ji today, and her first impression was that Senior Brother Ji was truly strict when it came to Sword Dao. Seeing her own Sword Dao continuously improve within just half a day, she also felt a sense of comfort.
Being struck a few times on the back of her hand was nothing to her, but her backside…
Lu Hanyan blinked as if carefully sensing, then a flush of crimson appeared on her cheeks, and she was surprised to find she felt no annoyance whatsoever.
To this, the crowd was not very understanding—
However, putting these aside, everyone noticed that as Ji You adjusted Lu Hanyan's movements several times, the Lu family's Second Miss’s sword became increasingly smooth, and the Sword Qi waves she unleashed gradually solidified and grew sharper, steadily forming a powerful momentum.
Fang Jincheng and his cousin Fang Zhiheng were also in the bamboo forest, and upon seeing this scene, their expressions gradually turned grim.
Fang Jincheng was fine; as a beginner in Sword Dao, he wasn't sensitive to the changes in Lu Hanyan's sword forms, only perceiving that she was getting stronger.
However, Fang Zhiheng was already proficient in Sword Dao, and at this moment, the gradual transformation from clumsiness to skill in her Sword Intent became even more apparent to him.
He had been in seclusion for a long time and didn't know much about Ji You. So, after seeing that sword strike in the Instructor’s Courtyard, he began to inquire about Ji You,
He even sent letters to friends on Lingjian Mountain.
When he visited the mountain back then, the people of Lingjian Mountain had praised his Sword Heart as excellent, which was considered a very good evaluate.
But Ji You, on Lingjian Mountain, was referred to as a “Living Sword Seed” with a clear Sword Heart.
“Stop looking, keep practicing.”
“Yes, Cousin.”
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