Chapter 260: Incarnation as an Evil Seed
The Worry-Free Commerce was established last winter and provided aid to many poor farmers throughout the Nine Provinces.
After spring arrived, as the ice and snow in Feng Province melted, those who had signed employment contracts and received aid came to Feng Province to work.
In fact, on their way here, their hearts were still filled with apprehension.
On one hand, it was because they were unfamiliar with the place and couldn't anticipate what they would encounter after arriving.
On the other hand, in Qingyun World, there were often people who went out to work for a living, and without exception, they ended up dying in a foreign land.
But when they truly followed the Worry-Free Commerce's caravan to Feng Province, their apprehension disappeared, leaving only peace.
Because what they saw was a scene completely different from the other eight provinces.
The land was fertile and the grass lush, there were many markets, and young children dared to go out on the streets without parental supervision. The cultivators walking on the road also had gentle expressions, as if they were not from the same world as them.
The government then allocated housing to them, six people per room, with food and clothing provided by the government.
Some were then sent to the farmlands, while others were sent to the pastures.
But no matter what they did, the working hours were not long; they even had time to go to the academy to listen to lectures.
However, even after they truly integrated into Feng Province and began to adapt to the pace of life here, these outsiders still didn't know what the Immortal named Ji You wanted.
But good times didn't last long; as summer arrived, the atmosphere in Feng Province seemed to change.
Some cultivators who were usually gentle suddenly lost their usual amiability, and the government also suddenly fell silent.
The local people of Feng Province began to speak cautiously, especially when they encountered cultivators; fear once again surfaced in their eyes.
It was said that something had happened to that Immortal Lord.
Although Immortals and Mortals are separated in Qingyun World, the common farmers in Feng Province knew why Feng Province had changed so much over the years.
Feng Province's improvement was not because those foreign Immortals had developed compassion, but because Young Master Ji, who possessed compassion, was growing stronger, and increasingly so.
But ever since summer, after the news of Young Master Ji's emergence from seclusion spread, they gradually heard many discussions about this matter from the surrounding cultivators.
Some said that in the future, Young Master Ji might no longer be able to suppress Feng Province.
Among those most worried was Zhang Pingyang, who hailed from Tianyuan Mountain Village.
He married Lán Lán, a farmer's daughter, and settled down in Feng Province, having long considered himself a person of Feng Province.
The concept of Immortals being high above and Mortals being mere ants had gradually blurred in his mind.
But as Ji You entered Xianxian Holy Land but failed to break through, causing the surrounding atmosphere to suddenly change, he felt as if he was waking up from a beautiful dream.
Because he also understood that those Master-in-charge of the Immortal Villas and Elders were not willingly participating in Feng Province's agricultural affairs; the biggest reason was that they were suppressed by Ji You and couldn't cause any trouble.
And now, he couldn't suppress Feng Province, so Feng Province would definitely return to its former state.
At that time, the various Immortal Villas would once again occupy and divide the tribute, continuing to remain high above.
But he couldn't abandon his pregnant wife, nor could he return to his Immortal Villa.
The peak of this anxiety appeared two days before Ji You returned to Feng Province.
At that time, many Prodigies from Family who had entered Tianshu Academy sent messages, wanting to know if Ji You had arrived.
Zhang Pingyang had previously heard from people in the Immortal Villa that Ji You was not well-liked in Tianshu Academy due to his background; otherwise, he wouldn't have been unable to enter the Immortal Palace despite already being in the Inner Courtyard.
These people's intense interest in his return was probably also to see him made a fool of.
But what was imagined did not happen.
Ji You's return was not concealed; he entered the city by carriage, and after resting for a day, he began to visit Immortal Villas, first the larger forces nearby, then the surrounding Immortal Villas.
He went to each one alone.
And every Immortal Villa he visited became exceptionally quiet, especially the Master-in-charge, who were extremely respectful and appeared exceptionally honest and dutiful, though their hair was a bit disheveled and their eyes showed some fear.
The sixth Immortal Villa visited was Qingxu Immortal Villa.
Ji You stayed there for half an hour, then left.
The Master-in-charge of Qingxu Immortal Villa, along with a group of Elders, came outside the gate and watched the figure, whose Aura was immense and body like a ball of fire, depart.
He reached out and stroked his cheek.
Where his palm pressed, there was a faint, very red, swollen handprint, and at the same time, blood was flowing from the corner of his mouth.
In fact, upon hearing that Ji You had visited the first few Immortal Villas, the Master-in-charge of Qingxu had called all the Disciples back to the Immortal Villa, and Killing Intent had already fully condensed.
Unexpectedly, what greeted him was a huge slap, and that slap must have been held back, yet it made him feel as if a heaven-devouring Vicious Beast was sitting in front of him.
That swaying, sky-ascending Qi was vast and roaring, making him feel that the other party could easily kill him.
"Damn it, the first five Immortal Villas kept their mouths too tight!"
"Master-in-charge, they must have done it on purpose."
"Whether it was on purpose or not, I've taken this slap. Go, take out all the sickles in the Immortal Villa and sharpen them at the gate. I won't be going out for the next few days."
"Master-in-charge, watch your words. Those aren't sickles; they're called Crescent Blades—"
The Chief Elder of Qingxu Immortal Villa couldn't help but remind him.
Whether it was agreed upon or if there was an unspoken understanding among these foreign Immortal Villas in Feng Province, it was unclear.
Before long, a scene appeared where large numbers of Disciples were sharpening sickles in front of every Immortal Villa's gate.
Subsequently, an Elder from Qingxu Immortal Villa left the gate, holding a jade box, and then quickly arrived at an inn in the outer city of State Prefecture.
At this moment, on the second floor of the inn, three people from Yun Province were sitting opposite each other, sipping tea, their expressions somewhat clouded with doubt.
Two of them were from the Ding Family: one was Ding Yuan, the younger brother of the Ding Family head, and the other was Ding Shaojie, the eldest son of the Ding Family. The third person was a Master-in-charge of the merchant Dao in Yun Province, and all belonged to the Ling Shi Merchant Association.
In fact, after learning that Ji You had emerged from Xianxian Holy Land but had not broken through, the Ling Shi Merchant Association had made a series of plans.
In their view, Ji You, who hadn't even succeeded in Integration Realm, would no longer be able to control Feng Province, and control of Feng Province would soon fall into the hands of the foreign Immortal Villas, and the transportation pipeline for snowy region demon stone would certainly be no exception.
Previously, Ji You ignored them, and they had no recourse.
But now, the Bottleneck had broken itself.
They could control the official roads of Feng Province through these Immortal Villas, thereby indirectly gaining management rights over the snowy region demon stone.
However, ever since Ji You returned, the sincerity they had previously sent out was returned piece by piece. This was vastly different from their previous plan, causing the three people in the room to fall silent, but the doubt in their eyes did not diminish.
The people of Feng Province were not sensitive to such matters and did not know what exactly happened in those Immortal Villas, but they could feel the change in atmosphere.
The cultivators living in Qingyun World clearly became more amiable than before, and the government officials also seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
The most obvious was their act of sharpening sickles in front of their gates, as if to show someone.
Seeing this, the people could be certain that this year would be peaceful again.
"Actually, having this experience is a good thing. This way, no matter what rumors those Immortal Villas hear in the future, they shouldn't act rashly until they truly see me."
"Otherwise, I'd have to go and coax them every time, and my hands would get tired."
At this moment, Ji You returned to Ji Village, his gaze calmly sweeping over the Immortal Villas he had passed on his way, muttering to himself.
Old Qiu noticed that Young Master was in a good mood and felt a little relieved.
His Young Master had been cultivating in Tianshu Academy for many years, and he, as a Family servant, had always been responsible for the spring plowing and autumn harvest.
Through these years of personal experience, he had basically grasped the relationship between the Immortal Sects of Feng Province, the government, and his Young Master. He knew that if Young Master really were to become ordinary, as rumored by the outside world, the consequences would definitely not just be the cessation of the autumn harvest and the redivision of tribute.
After all, when Young Master first came here to establish the Worldly Family, he killed many people on the street, and the feedback would inevitably be revenge concerning life and death.
Now, nothing had happened, which truly put his hanging heart at ease.
However, besides that, Old Qiu had one more thing on his mind.
"Young Master should get married."
Old Qiu had already met Yan Shuyi and Yuan Caiwei and was always wondering when the two young mistresses who visited last year would marry into the Family.
If it were in the past, this poor place truly had nothing presentable for a marriage proposal.
But Feng Province's days were getting better and better, gradually shedding its title of barrenness, and more and more women were marrying in from other provinces. Old Qiu was quite confident, so he suggested that Ji You go propose marriage.
"Didn't I say last time that there's no rush for this matter?"
"But according to the traditions of our Yuyang County, if one is satisfied after the first visit, the betrothal gifts should be sent the next day."
“It’s not too late for me to practice for a few more years, but we can have a baby first.”
“?”
Pei Ruyi was currently strolling in the courtyard with Qiu Ru, and upon hearing that, her scalp tingled.
She had heard about the Lingjian Mountain’s Little Master Jian visiting after she returned from the Tiandao Conference.
It was said that she had wandered around inside and outside the Ji Village, hearing people call her Lady Ji and Young Mistress everywhere.
Pei Ruyi imagined it for a long time, but she felt that she couldn't match that kind of scene.
Moreover, it was hard for her to imagine living in the same courtyard with Lingjian Mountain’s Little Master Jian in the future, and even watching her stroll around with a baby.
In the afternoon, a carriage hurried along the official road that had been repaired last year, then entered the Feng Province, stopping in front of Ji Village.
The carriage curtain was lifted, and Kuang Cheng stepped down from the carriage shaft.
He and Ji You had returned from Shengjing City together; Ji You was responsible for ‘greeting’ those Immortal Villas, while he went to Dan Shui County.
The Zhenbei Army’s main camp was in the southwest of Dan Shui County. When the official road was being repaired last year, the Zhenbei Army was responsible for supervising the work, and Kuang Cheng had already been there once at that time.
This trip was mainly to thank the Zhenbei Army for helping Feng Province clear the Evil Seeds.
Although both road repair and Evil Seed clearance were assigned by Great Xia, as Ji You said, this emotional value also needed to be given.
Of course, these soldiers and generals had guarded the northern border for many years, and even if they did nothing in Feng Province, in Kuang Cheng’s view, they were worthy of Condolences .
Kuang Cheng now stepped into the courtyard and, upon seeing Old Qiu, couldn't help but ask, “Where is Brother Ji?”
“The Young Master went to the study.”
Kuang Cheng then went to the backyard, and upon reaching the study door, he saw Ji You sitting at his desk, meticulously reading a book in his hand: “How are those unruly Immortal Villas now?”
Ji You looked up at the sound: “After being ‘cared for,’ they are all much more well-behaved. There shouldn’t be any problems with the autumn harvest. What about the Zhenbei Army?”
“The northern border is not peaceful. They are discussing breaking camp and returning to the northern border these past few days.”
“The barbarians have been unusually active recently, perhaps related to what has happened in the Nine Provinces in the past six months. With the Zhenbei Army returning to guard, we can feel more at ease.”
Kuang Cheng nodded upon hearing this, but his heart remained worried about the matters hidden behind the natural anomalies and the appearance of Evil Seeds.
Having read history extensively, he had always known that what truly led a country, or even a people, to destruction was rarely external threats; more often, it was internal strife.
Kuang Shusheng now came back to his senses: “What is Brother Ji looking at?”
Ji You picked up the book in his hand after hearing this: “The county annals I had someone bring from Yuyang County earlier. I want to see if anything supernatural has ever happened in our county.”
“Supernatural things?”
“Things related to Immortals.”
After reading the story of the Night Watchman, Ji You paid more attention to news related to it.
He speculated that the half-scroll of the Tianshu Academy he picked up came from the Night Watchman, so the Night Watchman must have visited Feng Province.
This place was barren and secluded; even the histories of the foreign Immortal Villas he had ‘cared for’ were not very long.
Therefore, if a powerful cultivator had indeed appeared in Yuyang County, it would definitely have been recorded in the county annals.
The facts were not far from Ji You’s expectations. The county annals indeed contained records about Immortals, such as how the Ji Family was ruined because they offended an Immortal, and how he and Fang Ruoyao were accepted by the Tianshu Academy—all written in great detail.
However, earlier records were very fragmented, and there were few clear accounts.
Kuang Cheng took one of the county annals and glanced through it: “If you’re talking about supernatural things, I did know a few when I was collecting folk stories and local legends.”
“I heard from the older generation that a very powerful Immortal indeed appeared in our Yuyang County before, and even had a conflict with someone else, fighting so fiercely that the sky and earth went dark and the mountains shook.”
Ji You looked at him strangely: “You are clearly a scholar who reads sagely texts, so why would you collect folk stories and local legends?”
Kuang Cheng paused at the sound: “Uh, I have a distant friend who is quite interested in Feng Province.”
“Anything else? Keep going.”
“There was also a legend that an Immortal once stayed in a nearby mountain for a period, occasionally coming out to gamble a few times—Ji You frowned: “When was this?”
Kuang Cheng shook his head: “A very, very long time ago. The exact time is unknown.”
“Are there no recent ones?”
“Recent ones? But the only Immortal who has appeared recently is Brother Ji.”
Ji You fell into deep thought upon hearing this, thinking that although the stories Kuang Cheng told were vague, it sounded like there had indeed been a suspected Night Watchman in Feng Province.
Then the source of his half-scroll of Immortal Book might truly lie here.
However, without details, it was difficult to verify.
After a while, Ji You closed the county annals.
In fact, he didn't necessarily have to trace the origin of the Immortal Book; he was just curious about things related to himself.
Because the idea of losing something was somewhat unconvincing; he just wanted to know if the matter of that half-scroll of Immortal Book was truly so simple. After kindly visiting those unruly Immortal Villas and confirming that the autumn harvest could proceed as scheduled, Ji You and Kuang Cheng left Feng Province together and returned to the Tianshu Academy.
Ji You, because he entered the Xianxian Holy Land but failed to break through, had disappeared from public view for some time.
After all, there’s an old saying in the Qingyun World: “Talented people emerge from generation to generation.”
In the past, there were also some people who cultivated extremely fast, but due to their innate talent limitations, they entered an eternal Bottleneck and gradually faded from public sight in this manner.
What the Inner Courtyard and Outer Courtyard are most concerned about now is the Elder Council Disciple who entered the academy after last year’s Tiandao Conference, waiting to see him break through and enter the Profound Integration realm.
But the matter of the autumn harvest seemed to have pulled those shifted gazes back.
If the Immortal Villas in Feng Province feared Ji You, who had returned from the Xianxian Holy Land, during last year’s autumn harvest, then his intimidation of the Feng Province Immortal Villas, as someone who hadn't even entered the Integration Realm realm, should have vanished like smoke. Everyone was unclear why those Immortal Villas didn’t even resist.
Cao Jinsong naturally knew the reason. Looking at the returning Immortal Villas, he couldn't help but ask, “Did you make a move?”
Ji You shook his head: “I just greeted them.”
“Then it must have hurt a lot.”
Cao Jinsong had no doubt about Ji You’s current strength.
Ji You now looked over the wall towards the southwest: “The Master's Courtyard people still haven’t returned?”
“Not only that, but a few days ago, even the three Masters went out, and several Elders also left the Tianshu Academy. My monthly salary, I suppose, won’t be issued this month.”
Ji You was deep in thought when footsteps suddenly came from outside the door.
Wen Siyuan of the Master's Courtyard arrived, pushed the door open, and bowed gently: “Just now in the courtyard, I heard people discussing that Junior Brother Ji had returned. I didn’t expect it to be true.”
Ji You immediately spoke upon seeing him: “Senior Brother Wen, you’ve come at just the right time. I have something I want to ask.”
“Junior Brother Ji, feel free to speak.”
“What did the Master's Courtyard go out for this time?”
“This—I don’t know either. The Senior Brothers of the Upper Five Realms sent out by the Master's Courtyard have their locations and missions kept secret. I came here with a letter for you; it has been here for three days.”
Wen Siyuan reached out, pulled out the letter, and handed it to Ji You.
The letter contained only a simple line of small characters, writing the name and room number of the Chunhua Inn.
Ji You originally thought this letter was from Lingjian Mountain, but he didn't expect it to be sent from Shengjing City.
The only person who would send him a letter in Shengjing City should be Kuang Cheng, but Kuang Cheng had just parted ways with him.
Moreover, there was no signature on this letter, nor did it seem to be Kuang Cheng’s style.
After observing the handwriting, Ji You found it somewhat familiar, so he got up and left the Tianshu Academy.
Upon arriving at the inn, Ji You went to the private room on the second floor according to the room location provided and pushed open the door.
Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu were sitting in the inn and immediately stood up upon seeing him.
“Son-in-law.”
“Young Master.”
Neither of them wore the Lingjian Mountain sword robes but had changed into ordinary dresses. Their graceful figures filled out the fabric, appearing shapely and well-proportioned.
After Ji You closed the door, he looked at them: “Why did you come to Shengjing City?”
Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu exchanged glances: “Young Master previously sent a letter asking Master Jian about Dou Yuankong. Master Jian felt that sending a letter was not very safe, so she specifically dispatched us two here.”
Upon hearing this, Ji You’s gaze gradually became serious.
Because judging by their tone, this matter was indeed very serious.
“What exactly happened?”
“The Seven Great Immortal Sects tracked Dou Yuankong’s whereabouts all the way and discovered someone who could transform into an Evil Seed.”
