Chapter 221: Xianxian Garden
Within their line of sight, the alchemists stepped onto the carriages.
Another sixty percent of the Master's Courtyard Disciples escorted them, heading towards the Holy Land, while the Tianshu Academy carriages continued their journey after they departed, arriving in Zhongxing County shortly after.
At this moment, the sky-blue carriage curtains fluttered wildly in the biting wind, as carriages carrying countless cultivators rolled over the dry yellow earth, leaving deep ruts across the plains.
Before long, the outline of Zhongxing County came into view.
The horizon was bleached white by the scorching midday sun, and the vast, boundless plains stretched out like an ancient scroll of profound yellow, every grain of sand seemingly imbued with the breath of antiquity.
Looking into the distance, a massive circular Dao field stood in the center of the yellow earth, resembling a giant beast prostrating itself. Its weathered bluestone walls, eroded by centuries of rain, exuded an ancient and solemn Aura.
Surrounding the Human Race's Dao field, countless palaces were centered around it, meticulously arranged in all four directions.
Glazed golden roofs shimmered faintly amidst the clouds, and gilded dragon-head ornaments on the eaves seemed poised to take flight.
Whenever a cloud passed, thousands of glazed tiles rippled with light, appearing even more majestic than Shengjing City.
This was the Human Race's place of revival, and the name Zhongxing County originated from it. However, apart from that massive Dao field, the other palaces were newly built.
By now, countless Worldly Families had flocked to the plains, their swift horses neighing incessantly, raising endless waves of dust as they galloped towards the city.
In the small Zhongzhou County city, the streets and alleys were filled with cultivators exuding powerful Auras, some with long swords at their waists, others holding iron knives.
Meanwhile, in the teahouses and taverns, the air was filled with the sounds of stringed and wind instruments, continuous singing and dancing, and the fragrant aroma of Spiritual Wine.
Ji You entered the city in a Tianshu Academy carriage, and as he looked around, he couldn't help but frown slightly.
He had never seen so many cultivators before, and this was the group that the common people, toiling day in and day out, year after year, supported.
As he pondered, the carriage entered the Hanbaiyu Dao.
Along the way, countless people peered out from the surrounding pavilions and towers, pointing at the Tianshu Academy flag and discussing animatedly.
“The Tianshu Academy people are here.”
“Usually, at the Heavenly Dao Conference, Tianshu Academy ranks third. I wonder what place they'll get this year.”
“I estimate they won't even be as good as previous years; they might drop to fourth or fifth.”
“Why is that?”
“After the Qi Ridge incident, Tianshu Academy sent Disciples to inquire about the Dao. They fought two battles and lost both. It's said one of them was even crippled. That was a direct Disciple of the Palace Master. From this, it's clear that Tianshu Academy's influence has long waned; it's just an empty title of a Holy Sect.”
On the teahouse, a cultivator recounted the events of last year, causing the people upstairs to nod repeatedly.
Upon hearing this, everyone in the carriage turned pale.
Only Ji You found it somewhat amusing.
These people were like Cao Jinsong, spectators of this Heavenly Dao Conference, not participants. The place where these participants were headed was not within the city itself; they had to continue along the Hanbaiyu Dao.
At a quarter past Yi Shi, the carriage began to slow down until it came to a complete stop.
Ji You lifted the curtain and jumped out of the carriage, seeing others also disembarking one by one, then looking up ahead.
Within his sight was a massive gate tower, with three tiers of gilded flying eaves towering in front. Nine rows of coiled Dragon ceiling nails were neatly arranged on the giant gate, which was lacquered in vermillion and covered in copper.
“A plaque hung in the center of the gate tower, inscribed with the three large characters “Xianxian Garden,” their golden lacquer shimmering under the sun.”
Looking forward from the main gate, the screen wall featured a relief carved entirely from green jade, depicting a celestial being flying in broad daylight. It was grand and magnificent, seemingly containing hidden profundities, giving one a sense of vastness washing over them.
However, in reality, no sages ever lived in this garden; it was fabricated by later generations of the Human Race.
Because when the Human Race and Yao Race decided to resist the Lasting Peace Race, the Human Race's territory was basically barren. Even the Seven Great Immortal Sects lived in thatched huts; there were no green bricks, glazed tiles, or magnificent, towering palaces.
At this moment, Qin Zhangshi also dismounted from the carriage and turned to face everyone.
“Xianxian Garden will be your residence from now on. This garden is divided into eight smaller gardens: Chengqi, Huaiyuan,
Lianxing, Rusheng, Taiping, Yongqing, Yucheng, and Jiusheng.”
“We will be staying in Rusheng Garden, and Disciples from Lingjian Mountain will also be staying with us in Rusheng Garden.”
“Why Lingjian Mountain?”
Qin Zhangshi waved his hand upon hearing everyone's murmurs: “No need to be so surprised. Rusheng Garden is quite large. Although we'll be staying in the same garden, our two Sects will occupy the East and West Courtyards, respectively, so it will be difficult to run into each other unless it's intentional.”
Ji You's expression suddenly became subtle upon hearing this.
He didn't know how this garden was allocated; he felt that the probability of it being a coincidence wasn't zero, but upon closer thought, it didn't seem like a coincidence at all.
Among the Seven Great Immortal Sects, roughly three were on good terms with Lingjian Mountain, and Tianshu Academy was clearly not among them.
Tsk, it's a bit strange. Could there be some hidden marital ties?
Ji You felt very confused.
Subsequently, everyone followed the Master's Courtyard and stepped into the main gate of Xianxian Garden, only then realizing what Qin Zhangshi meant by its vastness.
Because stretching before them was an enormous pond, its waters gently rippling, with countless green jade bridges extending across its surface. In the center was a circular tree island, where countless ancient trees, thousands of years old, grew towering towards the sky,
Stretching as far as the eye could see.
Along the long Hanbai stone path, there were towering rockeries, the tallest of which was nearly ten thousand stacked stones, and countless pavilions and towers surrounded them.
Just before entering the city, they had seen numerous palaces standing on all four sides of the Human Race Dao field, which were actually part of this garden.
At this moment, the garden was bustling with figures coming and going.
They were either wearing long robes embroidered with the Worldly Family crests or cloaked in the Immortal Robes of a certain Immortal Sect.
Most were younger cultivators, in groups of two or three, or four or five, scattered among the mountains, lakes, and palaces.
They were probably also somewhat surprised by the vastness of Xianxian Garden, wandering aimlessly within it, either looking up or observing closely.
Besides these individuals, in the tranquil ancient tree groves, wisteria gardens, and on the green bamboo mountains, there were cultivators sitting on meditation cushions, comprehending the Dao, drawing the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi to converge there.
Ji You's gaze swept over these figures, then looked at his fellow Disciples from Tianshu Academy who had come with him, noticing a hint of disdain on their faces.
Showing off. If they were so diligent in cultivating here, what were they doing before?
Cultivating while blocking the path, isn't this clearly for others to see?
Everyone continued to walk forward, and then they saw a group of cultivators wearing Chen Clan attire approaching them.
There were over a dozen of them, and upon seeing the Tianshu Academy group, they slightly raised their hands and bowed.
“Qin Zhangshi.”
“Elder Wuxing, it's been a long time. May I ask where Elder is heading?”
“I am going to Taiping Garden to pay respects to a few Fellow Daoists from Worldly Families.”
All Disciples of the Chen Clan are surnamed Chen; even if their original surname wasn't Chen, they had to change it upon entering the Sect.
Therefore, people usually refer to cultivators from the Chen Clan by their given names.
The Elder before them was a Wujiang Realm cultivator from the inner Family, named Chen Wuxing.
Ji You found it quite interesting; one Elder Chen, wouldn't Brother Chen then be able to visit the entire Chen Clan?
And on the way to Rusheng Garden, such encounters were not just once.
They successively met the Xu Family from Qing Province and the Du Family from Liang Province.
Ji You hadn't heard of the Xu Family, but it was said to be a prominent and respected Family. This Family mostly relied on the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, so there weren't many people with the surname Xu in Tianshu Academy, and Ji You, a private cultivator from the countryside, naturally wouldn't know about them.
However, he was familiar with the Du Family from Liang Province, and the Du Family from Liang Province also knew him.
During the Autumn Tournament that year, everyone was focused on Ji You and Chu River, while Du Zhu was rarely mentioned. Du Zhu came from the Du Family.
Because the Du Family had gone to Tianshu Academy to watch the Autumn Tournament, they naturally knew Ji You well.
However, the problem was that even though Chu River had clearly repelled Du Zhu with a single sword strike, the Du Family seemed to bear some resentment towards Ji You.
As they bid farewell, they didn't forget to give Ji You a cold snort.
He Lingxiu, Xiao Hanyan, and others frowned slightly, turning to look at Ji You, only to find him smiling very brightly, their expressions somewhat puzzled.
“What are you laughing at, Junior Brother Ji?”
“Nothing, I just feel that the Du Family is… quite amiable.”
“??”
Ji You watched the departing Du Family, thinking to himself that his previous prediction was indeed correct: he would definitely meet many clients at the Heavenly Dao Conference.
So, whenever he had free time, he should go out more; wealth and prosperity were always on the way. At this moment, everyone suddenly heard a whistling sound from above, followed by a figure soaring through the air, passing over the mountains, lakes, and pavilions, heading out of the courtyard, his white hair and beard fluttering in the wind.
This was an impatient person, with no mood for sightseeing, so he directly flew past the garden.
The Tianshu Academy group walked along the road through a series of gardens, then turned south and traveled several miles, passing many strange rock formations and unique landscapes before finally arriving at Rusheng Garden.
Upon entering, there was a three-zhang-tall, shuttle-shaped bluestone inscribed with the four characters 'Sun Rising in the East,' painted in a brightly gleaming vermillion.
Ji You stood before it for a long time, thinking that such an Aura truly couldn't be compared to ordinary places.
Even the Great Xia Imperial Palace, in front of such an Immortal Academy, was merely like a side hall.
The only things that could be mentioned in the same breath were the Dao fields of the Seven Great Immortal Sects, and the Demon Emperor City in the Snow Region.
But Immortals have not been involved in life since ancient times, sitting withered in the woods cultivating Immortality, so there was naturally no question about where every brick and tile in this garden came from.
Beyond the shuttle-shaped bluestone, two paths diverged.
Only now did Ji You understand why Qin Zhangshi had said earlier, "Even living in the same garden, it's hard to meet without deliberately making a sound," because Rusheng Garden was mostly scenery.
Ahead was a dense bamboo forest, deeply green, followed by a mirror-like lake, surrounded by pavilions and terraces.
There were also pine groves and artificial hills, but the buildings were only in two areas.
One was located on the east side, and the other on the west side, not close to each other, with dense and well-arranged scenery in between.
Tianshu Academy was arranged in the East Courtyard, and Lingjian Mountain was presumably in the West Courtyard.
Ji You stood at the fork in the road between the East and West Courtyards for a long time, gazing towards the West Courtyard. After observing for a long time, he found no figures moving, indicating that the Disciples of Lingjian Mountain had not yet arrived.
"Ji *Shidi* (Junior Brother Ji), it's time to go."
"Coming."
Ji You snapped back to reality and followed He Lingxiu's voice, being led into the East Courtyard.
Here stood twenty houses with flying eaves and upturned corners, made of black bricks, black tiles, and black pillars, entirely pure black. When contrasted with the surrounding green bamboo, they had a unique elegance.
However, these twenty houses shared a single courtyard. In the courtyard, there was a small, pitch-black stone pond with water lilies in full bloom and brocade carp swimming. There was also a stone platform and a pavilion.
The courtyard was not empty, as there were dozens of maids and hundreds of servants waiting there.
As soon as the group entered, a maid stepped forward and bowed slightly.
Ji You was unaccustomed to this, so he dodged and then walked towards one of the houses. Upon pushing the door open, he saw rows of red sandalwood cabinets, and an incense table, tea table, and writing desk, all complete.
In the middle, slightly to the back, was a large bed with the beaded curtains already pulled aside, and the bed was covered with silk satin bedding.
Wen Siyuan, a Disciple of the Master's Courtyard, followed him in. He had also come with the carriage and was responsible for Ji You's participation in the competition this time.
Wen Siyuan saw Ji You sit down on a chair and took a step forward: "Ji *Shidi* (Junior Brother Ji), are you satisfied with this?"
Ji You glanced at him: "The emperor probably uses a golden hoe to till the land."
"What do you mean by that?"
"It has already exceeded the imagination of a rural rogue cultivator like me."
Ji You paced back and forth in the room at this moment, touching this, bumping that, thinking to himself that everything he saw was something a poor person like him couldn't afford.
Wen Siyuan chuckled softly after hearing this: "If *Shidi* (Junior Brother) needs anything else, feel free to ask me. During the Heavenly Dao Conference,
I will be responsible for all of *Shidi*'s affairs."
Ji You was currently facing away from him. Upon hearing his words, he spoke softly: "Who came up with the brilliant idea of having Lingjian Mountain and Tianshu Academy stay in the same courtyard?"
"I heard it was agreed upon by the Sect Master."
"I see—."
Ji You nodded after hearing this, thinking that this might not be a coincidence.
Little Yan Shuyi, you have such a playful heart. This isn't sneaking out; she came to the conference as a little Master Jian, yet she still wants to secretly stay in the same courtyard.
"Uh, if something in this garden breaks, do I have to pay for it?"
Wen Siyuan looked at Ji You's back: "This...? Probably."
Ji You was silent for a moment: "How much?"
"Probably... it's compensation at the original price."
Ji You looked at the box-shaped Magical Artifact broken in half in his hand, couldn't help but frown deeply, his face clouded with gloom.
In places with lush vegetation, there are usually many mosquitoes and insects. This Magical Artifact should be specifically for preventing flying mosquitoes.
He had seen this thing in Qionghua Pavilion, but he didn't know its price, nor its usage, nor that it would break so easily with a light touch.
How unlucky! He hadn't even found a client yet and already had to pay money first?
Ji You pondered for a long time, not even noticing Wen Siyuan's departure. Then he took the mosquito censer out the door, looked left and right, and walked towards another house to the southwest.
This house belonged to Shi Junhao, who had just sat down in his room and brewed a pot of tea.
As the tea aroma wafted out, he saw Ji You enter his room, his eyes somewhat puzzled: "What are you doing here?"
"Senior Brother, do you have confidence in facing the Rongdao Realm?"
"Since I'm here, of course I have confidence. But what does that have to do with you?"
Ji You looked at him: "I am also a part of Tianshu Academy, after all. Just now on the street, I heard them insult our Sect,
I was displeased, so naturally, I hope everyone in our academy can win."
Shi Junhao was silent for a moment: "That's true."
"Senior Brother, have you found a Dao Companion?"
"No, cultivators are single-minded in seeking Immortality and aspiring to the Great Dao. I don't have such plans for now."
"I see, then how many people are in Senior Brother's Family?"
"?"
Shi Junhao felt inexplicable and a bit uncomfortable, thinking that even for casual conversation, he should go to He Lingxiu, not him.
Ji You then wandered around his room for two rounds, asking some random questions, then bid him farewell and returned to his own house, placing the mosquito censer on the table.
Tianshu Academy was not far from here. Besides the Worldly Families who had arrived earlier, they were considered to have arrived relatively early. Ji You had nothing to do at this time, so he began to sit cross-legged on the bed to Body Refining, igniting Spiritual Fire to burn his Physical Body.
When he opened his eyes again, it was already dusk.
Ji You got up from the bed and heard a continuous clamor through the door and window.
So he walked to the window and looked out into the courtyard, discovering that a group of cultivators had arrived, instantly transforming the originally quiet and elegant courtyard into a bustling scene.
Sitting on the south side was the He Family from Zhongzhou, which was He Lingxiu's Worldly Family.
Then there was the Shi Family, where Shi Junhao belonged, the Xiao Family, where Xiao Hanyan belonged, the Chai Family, where Chai Ze belonged, and the Wang, Yu, and Gu Families. Everyone gathered here, chatting and laughing with radiant faces.
In addition to these Families, there were also other Worldly Families accompanying the Elders, all with an air of Immortal grace and lofty demeanor.
Qin Zhangshi of the Master's Courtyard also came to the courtyard upon hearing the news, exchanging greetings with these Family heads and Elders.
This wasn't their first meeting; their expressions and conversations showed that they were extremely familiar with each other.
He even heard people from different Families address each other as relatives, such as older sister, cousin, or aunt, uncle.
This was the intricate Worldly Family relationship of Qingyun World, where you are within me and I am within you, like a vast net woven for thousands of years, from which no one can escape.
Ji You listened for a while and felt a bit bored, so he pushed the door open and went out, intending to see if there were any potential clients.
Seeing his figure appear in the courtyard, the people who were chatting couldn't help but turn to look.
Ji You was quite famous in Qingyun World, but not many people had seen his face, so there was a hint of doubt in everyone's eyes.
However, for a Tong Xuan Realm cultivator, no one had too much curiosity, so when they saw him leave Rusheng Garden, they returned to their previous topic.
He strolled through the streets, holding an iron sword, his gaze like a tiger's.
He would catch a cultivator and stare at them, his eyes filled with strong aggression, causing all the passing cultivators to frown deeply.
However, no one attacked him or became his client.
No matter how hostile the gazes were along the way, no matter how dense the Killing Intent was, no one actually drew their swords or offered silver.
Ji You wandered from Rusheng Garden to Taiping Garden, and then back from Taiping Garden, but he didn't encounter a single client.
Thinking about it carefully, Ji You could probably understand the phenomenon of having no clients.
The people in Xianxian Garden were basically Prodigies from various Worldly Families and Immortal Sects. If you randomly picked one person, they would likely bring a whole Family behind them.
So even cultivators who were usually extremely arrogant had to be three times more cautious here than usual.
He couldn't go around shouting, "I'm a rogue cultivator from the countryside, with no big boss behind me, come and hit me!" That wouldn't attract clients; instead, people would probably think he was insane.
Ji You stood at the edge of the lake, leaning on his iron sword, looking towards the white jade stone path.
