Chapter 261: Evil Seed? heaven and earth treasure?
“Regarding the Qi Ridge incident, your Master Jian personally investigated the Bu family and saw the Bu family Disciples, who had turned into Evil Seeds, imprisoned in the old Family residence’s dungeon.”
“After the Bu family Old Ancestor’s Ascension failed, the Seven Great Immortal Sects also thoroughly searched that old Bu family residence and must have seen those things. Logically speaking, this shouldn’t be anything new.”
Ji You showed no surprise upon hearing Ding Yao’s words.
The fact that the Bu family Disciples turned into Evil Seeds was little known in the Qingyun World, but it shouldn't be a secret among the Seven Great Immortal Sects.
Logically speaking, Yan Shu should not have sent Ding Yao and the other to tell him something he already knew.
Ji You looked at Ding Yao at this moment: “This time is different from last time?”
As expected, Ding Yao looked up at the sound: “Young Master is intelligent—”
Indeed, the Seven Great Immortal Sects all knew that the Bu family Disciples had all turned into Evil Seeds.
Although they didn't know what kind of evil art the Bu family used, this incident also indirectly proved that trying to obtain immortal fate from the ruins was a pipe dream.
But this time, the Seven Great Immortal Sects witnessed something completely different.
They followed Dou Yuankong’s clues and traced them to outside Anyuan City, where they indeed found Dou Yuankong’s last known location.
There was indeed a winery there, belonging to the Bu family of Feng Province. The winery produced spirit wine brewed from spiritual materials.
Most of the wine in Shengjing City was supplied by that winery.
It is said that Dou Yuankong mentioned that winery many times when he was looking for courtesans, saying that the product from the original place must be better, and he wanted to taste an undiluted fine brew.
Ji You heard this: “So, Dou Yuankong went there himself?”
Ding Yao nodded: “After he left Shengjing, he wandered aimlessly. He probably remembered that winery when he was invited by a friend to the vicinity, so he decided to go drink. No one else knew about this except those courtesans.”
“The courtesan remembered so clearly?”
“Dou Yuankong originally wanted to hire her for half a month, which is why the courtesan remembered so clearly.”
Ji You opened his mouth after hearing this: “Since that courtesan is still alive, does that mean she didn’t follow him?”
Ding Yao coughed: “She said it was always neither here nor there, and she was long tired of serving him.”
“Dou Yuankong was lucky he went crazy—”
Ji You couldn't help but grin after hearing this, thinking of the laptop he left in his dorm before coming to the Qingyun World, or rather, the vast history records in its browser.
“What happened later?”
“That winery has a problem—”
Dou Yuankong was indeed unlucky; he went to that winery by himself.
What happened there is unknown, but the timeline was not far off from when he was found by the farmer in Sanli County.
The Mountain and Sea Pavilion was the first to find that winery. They didn't think much of it, just conducted a routine inspection, but who knew that a fierce battle broke out in the winery that very night.
When the other cultivators arrived, the Mountain and Sea Pavilion Disciples suffered heavy losses, which greatly surprised the other sect outsiders.
Because they didn't expect a local Worldly Family to have such combat power.
“The Seven Great Immortal Sects surrounded them in circles. The people in the winery could not escape. After a search, the people sent by the Immortal Sects found a group of people covered in Evil Qi in a wild mountain forest, who turned into Evil Seeds during the encirclement.”
Ji You’s eyes narrowed when he heard this sentence: “You mean, they can turn into Evil Seeds at will?”
Ding Yao nodded: “That’s why the Seven Great Immortal Sects want to suppress the news.”
Upon hearing the affirmative reply, Ji You instantly furrowed his brows, thinking this was a big deal.
The things the Bu family had created back then turned their Family members into half-dead Evil Corpses, which looked hideous and terrifying,
But in fact, they didn't cause too much of a stir.
Because those ghostly things had no consciousness, otherwise they wouldn't have been locked up by their relatives.
So they were not driven by humans and were basically like wandering spirits.
But this time, someone could transform into Evil Seeds at will, and even possessed their own logical thinking.
“It seems Dou Yuankong never truly went to the winery.”
“?”
Ji You turned to look at the confused Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu: “If he had truly been to the winery, those ghostly things should have been alerted as soon as the news of him being rescued and returned to Shengjing spread. They wouldn’t have waited until now to escape. Or rather, if Dou Yuankong had really gone inside, he would not have been able to come back alive at all.”
Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu blinked after hearing this, then immediately understood what their Young Master meant.
It was true that Dou Yuankong went to drink, but he probably discovered the human-to-Evil Seed transformation in secret nearby before entering the winery, and was scared out of his mind.
So the people in the winery actually didn't know he had been there, which is why when Dou Yuankong was found in Sanli County, they never expected the Seven Great Immortal Sects to trace them through this lead.
Ji You looked at Ding Yao at this moment: “What about the people in those wineries?”
“They are more familiar with the terrain of Feng Province than those Immortal Sects Disciples. After several skirmishes, they escaped and are currently fleeing in the mountains and wilds.”
“The Seven Great Immortal Sects sent Disciples twice, and they couldn’t even stop these ghostly things?”
Zhuo Wanqiu pursed her lips at this moment: “They weren’t trying to kill them, but were ordered to capture them alive. However, those people’s Realms completely exceeded the Immortal Sects’ previous expectations. After turning into Evil Seeds, their bodies became incredibly tough and their speed extremely fast, making them very difficult to capture. So, even now, they haven’t succeeded.”
After a long silence, Ji You looked at her: “Where are they now?”
“In the Dongping Mountain Range of Feng Province.”
“Where is your Master Jian?”
“After this incident, Tianjian Peak sent a large number of people to Feng Province, and Master Jian also left the mountain with them. Before leaving, she instructed us to follow Young Master for the next few days.”
The news blockade in the Qingyun World was not truly watertight, especially when certain things completely exceeded everyone's expectations, it couldn't be kept completely secret.
So after a few days, news of fierce battles in the Dongping Mountain Range gradually began to spread.
But no one knew that this matter was related to Dou Yuankong, and no one knew the strange events hidden behind it.
Some people speculated whether a local Worldly Family in Feng Province had started a dispute, but then the Feng Province Worldly Family clarified, so some people speculated that some heaven and earth treasure that had absorbed the essence of the sun and moon had appeared in the Dongping Mountain Range.
Such a speculative theory, prone to covetousness, naturally attracted widespread attention.
East side of the Purple Bamboo Zen Forest in the Inner Courtyard, within a stone pavilion built of white marble.
He Lingxiu, a direct Disciple of Zizai Hall, was inviting everyone to drink tea and incidentally chatted about this matter.
Actually, their He Family had also participated in the previous investigation of Dou Yuankong, but after the conclusion was reached, the people sent by the He Family were dismissed from Feng Province by the Seven Great Immortal Sects.
She felt that the heaven and earth treasure in the Dongping Mountain Range must have been discovered during the investigation of Dou Yuankong. Their He Family was closely connected to Tianshu Academy through marriage, so if a heaven and earth treasure truly appeared, they might be able to get a share.
Fang Jincheng, sitting on the south side of the tea table, had the same idea.
This Elder Fang’s great-grandson had been basking in glory since entering the Inner Courtyard, feeling superior to others. He rarely interacted with his old friends anymore,
Instead, he preferred to associate with He Lingxiu and her group.
In his opinion, only these direct Disciples of the Immortal Halls were worth befriending now.
Also present and drinking tea with them was Lu Hanyan, the Lu Family’s Second Miss.
After Miss Lu Er entered the Inner Courtyard, Lu Xiong used Spirit Cores to pave the way, effectively using his daughter to open up connections for his Family.
Socializing in the Qingyun World had always been like this, especially for the Lu Family, who started with Spirit Mines, and were well-versed in this Dao.
However, Miss Lu Er seemed not very adept at such occasions. She merely tasted the tea without speaking.
“From the Rongdao Realm to the Yingtian Realm is extremely difficult. Ever since the Tiandao Conference, I’ve been trying to break through to the next Realm, but unfortunately, I have no clue.”
“If the treasure is obtained by my Tianshu Academy, it might be able to help me and make my breakthrough smoother.”
He Lingxiu sat opposite everyone, holding her teacup and murmuring.
Upon hearing this, Shi Junhao and Xiao Hanyan, with their arms crossed, couldn't help but fall into contemplation.
They had previously accompanied the Great Xia envoy group to the Snow Region and received a promise that they could be chosen as direct Disciples after entering the Yingtian Realm.
But everyone knew that after entering the Upper Five Realms, each Realm was more difficult than the last. Even a Prodigy like a direct Disciple of an Immortal Sect would need to spend countless hours to break through.
They had originally wanted to find an alternative path, planning to enter the Xianxian Holy Land to comprehend the Dao and break through, but ultimately, it was all for naught.
Thinking of this, they couldn't help but recall Ji You, who had spent over half a year in the Xianxian Holy Land but hadn't even entered the Rongdao Realm.
Like Tang Jingming from Zhongzhou, they also felt that Ji You had wasted their opportunity.
Xiao Hanyan, thinking of this, couldn't help but look up at the people in front of her: “It seems I haven’t seen Ji You these past few days?”
He Lingxiu snapped out of her speculation about the heaven and earth treasure: “Didn’t he go back to Feng Province for some autumn harvest?”
“He came back early.”
“After his Realm got stuck in the Tong Xuan Realm, I paid less attention to him, so I really didn’t know he was back.”
He Lingxiu had originally held very high expectations for Ji You, otherwise, she wouldn't have tried to win him over through marriage multiple times.
But how could a person who had fallen into a Bottleneck in the Tong Xuan Realm, even if his combat power exceeded his current Realm, continue to interest her?
He Lingxiu looked at Lu Hanyan at this moment: "A few days ago, your father asked me to introduce some young talents to you. I've been thinking about this. There's a banquet at the Winter Garden in a few days. Would you like to go with me?"
Lu Hanyan looked up when she heard this: "Thank you, Senior Sister, but I'm currently at the Bottleneck of the Tongxuan Middle Stage and need to go into seclusion. Can we discuss this in a few days?"
"Of course, cultivation is the priority after all."
Hearing their conversation, everyone at the tea table couldn't help but exchange glances.
The people from Tianshu Academy actually knew that the Lu Family had always wanted to marry their daughter to Ji You, and Miss Lu Er herself had similar intentions. It was said that when she was learning swordplay from Ji You, she would even make whiny sounds if her bottom was spanked.
However, this was the first time they learned that Lu Xiong had also asked He Lingxiu to play matchmaker when he sent Spirit Cores to Zizai Hall.
But this was not surprising, after all, the Tong Xuan Realm was indeed difficult to be of great use for a Spirit Stone Worldly Family. It was just that Miss Lu Er's answer clearly showed a delaying posture.
She probably didn't want to waste the connections her father had gone to great lengths to establish, but in her heart, she still belonged to Ji You.
Yu Shiliu, who was also at the tea table with them, understood this mentality.
Who wasn't like this?
She remembered that after seeing Ji You's Flying Sword cut down Yan Hao, she was also in a daze for a long time.
As a result, she would change her silk trousers every morning and subconsciously chase after his figure in Rusheng Garden, but now that the enchantment was broken, she realized that he was just a rural private cultivator who couldn't break through his Realm.
As the group chatted, a Flying Sword overflowing with Spiritual Qi suddenly descended from the sky, piercing through Tianshu Academy's sect-protecting array amidst a flash of Mystic Light.
Everyone was drawn by this aura and immediately turned to look.
Lang Hetong, the Master-in-charge of the Master's Courtyard, who had left the academy earlier, descended from the Flying Sword, then went straight up to Zizai Immortal Hall with a flick of his sleeve.
"Bu Qirong?"
"Yes, the leader of the winery's mutation into an Evil Seed is a collateral Family head of the Bu family in Qing Province."
Zuoqiuyang stood deep in the main hall, turning to look at Lang Hetong: "Where are the Bu family members?"
Lang Hetong shook his head: "The house is empty, and everyone's whereabouts are unknown. However, the matter that the Palace Master asked us to investigate earlier has now been clarified."
Zuoqiuyang reached out and took the letter in his hand, gazing at it for a long time.
The Bu family was also a very ancient Family, but it had gradually declined over the long river of time.
In the Qingyun World, there were many such Worldly Sect, many of whom were no longer remembered, and the most common outcome was a gradual dwindling of their population.
Because of this, these Worldly Sect would generally do some business to maintain their wealth, such as grain stores, merchant associations, wineries, or brothels.
Logically speaking, not many Disciples from such Worldly Sect could cross the threshold of Junior Third Realm Completion.
But Bu Qirong's Realm indeed made people feel somewhat surprised.
"A fifty-year-old Tong Xuan Realm cultivator reached the Sky Soaring Upper Realm in one year?"
"Yes."
Zuoqiuyang spoke expressionlessly: "No wonder he's so hard to catch."
Lang Hetong looked up from the main hall after hearing this: "Such a speed is definitely not normal. I just don't know if this exaggerated Realm leap is related to how they can mutate into Evil Seeds."
Upon hearing this, Zuoqiuyang's gaze deepened—
Like Tianshu Academy, news concerning the Bu family's mutation into Evil Seeds continued to be secretly reported back, sparking numerous discussions.
The constant flow of information led more uninformed people to believe that there must be something unusual in the mountains.
At this moment, on the official road from Shengjing City to Qing Province, a carriage rented from Shengjing Post Station was speeding.
Because the Immortal Sects and Worldly Sect had been constantly active during this period, one could sense that the county towns and villages in Qing Province were very quiet upon entering.
Besides government officials, only a few scattered individuals were seen on the road, hurrying along.
And in the speeding carriage, Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu sat like ladies, staring at the contemplating Ji You, then exchanged glances, a hint of confusion flashing in their eyes.
After they told their Young Master what Master Jian had instructed, their Young Master said nothing else and immediately decided to come to Qing Province.
They had traveled a long distance without stopping.
But even at this moment, they didn't understand why their Young Master would want to wade into these troubled waters after hearing these things.
Because in their opinion, the matter of the Evil Seed had little to do with the Young Master, but the danger level was extremely high. Even if something was found, it would inevitably fall into the hands of the Immortal Sects. No matter how they looked at it, it wasn't worth him getting involved.
The carriage bounced continuously as it sped along.
The Great Xia Kingdom had been in decline for a long time. Apart from the newly repaired official road in Di Province and the one in Yun Province repaired by the Ling Shi Merchant Association, the roads between other prefectures and counties were basically in a state of disrepair.
During this bumpy ride, Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu were round and bouncy, constantly on the verge of spilling out.
The ancient women's dudou (bodice) were mostly made of silk, soft and smooth, and had no restrictive function, so it was normal for them to be lively and bouncing in such a situation.
When she confirmed that Master Jian truly wanted to marry Ji You, she changed her address to Young Master, and from then on, she no longer treated Ji You as an outsider.
Moreover, at the Tiandao Conference, she had also whined for Ji You for a long time.
Ji You sat upright, lost in thought for a long time, then came back to his senses, realizing the lively bouncing in front of him. After watching for a long time, he couldn't help but muse to himself, thinking that she was accumulating anger for their pain-averse Master Jian. The weather in Qing Province had been very gloomy these past few days, with large patches of dark clouds covering the sky, making it feel like dusk even during the day.
At this moment, as the carriage turned into the forest, thunder rumbled in the sky, as if a heavy rain was about to pour down.
Ji You lifted the carriage curtain and looked out the window.
Along the way, many villages within sight showed scenes of wooden stakes reinforcing earthen walls, seemingly to repair the mud houses before the heavy rain arrived.
Kuang Cheng had told him earlier that the torrential rain in spring had actually washed away many civilian houses, which must have left a shadow on the common people—
Passing through the towns, the carriage gradually entered the boundless wilderness, and the Dongping Mountain Range grew closer.
As far as the eye could see, lead-colored clouds hung low, almost touching the jagged peaks, while the mountains, like giant beasts lying dormant, lost their layers from clear days, turning into a blurred and massive silhouette, as if roughly scraped from the iron-gray sky with a dull knife, stretching east to west, boundless.
And on the mountains were lush green plants, grown wildly for thousands of years, so dense that even the light from the sky could not penetrate.
Amidst such vast and continuous mountains, humans were indeed as small as ants.
"Is the Dongping Mountain Range so vast?"
Zhuo Wanqiu nodded after hearing Ji You's voice: "Qing Province is different from Di Province, where mountains are scattered. Here, the plains are vast,
and almost all the mountains are concentrated in this area, with an overall area even larger than Qi Ridge."
Ji You frowned slightly: "No wonder they chose to flee in here; they're really hard to find.
The outer perimeter of the Dongping Mountain Range had cultivators arranged by the Immortal Sects patrolling back and forth, with a wary expression.
So they decided not to get off here, but instead went around the mountain path.
Not until the wilderness stretched endlessly did the carriage slowly stop by the roadside. Then the three jumped down from the carriage and looked up at the mountains for a long time.
"I'm going into the mountains, but it's too dangerous inside. You two shouldn't go. Find a village nearby and wait for me."
Zhuo Wanqiu and Ding Yao exchanged glances: "Master Jian is also in the mountains now, so we should follow Young Master."
Ji You pondered for a long time: "Then don't stay too far from me, and be careful."
"Yes."
Ji You did not insist on them waiting outside, and then entered the Dongping Mountain Range by traversing through a secluded wild forest.
The Qingyun World prioritizes the Dao of Immortals, so there is basically no civil construction.
Aside from the Dao fields of Immortal Sects and Worldly Sect, places with mountains and rivers are generally wild areas without roads.
Ji You led the two women through it for a long time before vaguely seeing some felled old trees and some bloodstains on the leaves.
These should be the traces left by the Disciples of the Seven Great Immortal Sects who came to pursue the Bu family members.
"Could it be that Young Master is also interested in the matter of the Evil Seed—?"
"I don't know either—"
Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu whispered behind him, and then saw Ji You following the discernible traces, gradually entering the mountains where peaks pierced the sky.
Looking up now, besides the gloomy sky, they were surrounded by high mountains.
After a long time, they gradually began to see scattered lights moving continuously among the dense trees.
"Young Master, ahead should be an outer-sect traveler from an Immortal Sect, using a Magical Artifact to illuminate and search for the Bu family members."
Zhuo Wanqiu immediately looked at Ji You after seeing these light spots.
Ji You stopped upon hearing this and observed for a while, then looked at them: "They should be heading southeast; we'll go due east."
Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu looked somewhat bewildered after hearing this.
Because they didn't understand why they had to avoid the Immortal Sect disciples; it felt as if they were the Evil Seeds hiding in the mountains.
