Chapter 272: Master Jian is such a Coward
In the late autumn, a light rain fell.
Golden fallen leaves drifted into small puddles reflecting the sky, only to be crushed by the wheels of passing carriages.
These were grain carts from Feng Province, marked with the name of the Wulu Trading Company.
Behind the carriages, laborers who had worked hard all year, dressed in raincoats and bamboo hats, walked alongside, heading home.
Although the weather was already cold, the chill in the air could not extinguish the joy on their faces.
Approaching a checkpoint, the carriage wheels gradually slowed, until they stopped.
After passing the inspection by the yamen runners dispatched by the Feng Province government, they traveled another ten li before encountering an inspection by the yamen runners dispatched by Middle Province.
Both inspections were very thorough; not only were they frisked, but even the grain carts, filled to the brim, were poked several times with iron sabers.
The laborers accompanying the carts did not find this strange, because they had heard that barbarians had appeared in Qingyun World a few days ago, and all the major Immortal Sects had sent people to apprehend them, but they had not been caught yet.
Therefore, not only Feng Province, but also You Province and Yun Province were under martial law; anyone crossing the border had to be thoroughly identified.
In fact, they had already been searched during the autumn harvest a while ago, so they were used to it by now.
“What, there’s still mutton? Where did it come from?”
“Reporting to the officer, this is from our own livestock.”
“Oh?”
Tie Niu cupped his hands slightly towards the officer: “We have several ranches in Feng Province, and I work at one of them. This was given to me as a reward when I left.”
Three or five officers gathered together: “There’s such a good thing? Who gave it?”
“The Immortal Master who manages our ranch.”
“I see. Looking at the sky, it’s probably going to rain heavily later. Hurry up and go.”
“Thank you, officer.”
Watching the convoy from Feng Province slowly depart, the older officer sat back down on his stool and picked up his teacup.
A yamen runner who had just started working at the yamen looked at this scene with confusion: “Brother Li, we haven’t eaten meat in a long time. Why didn’t you ask them for some?”
The yamen runner surnamed Li turned and glared at him upon hearing this: “Didn’t you hear that it was given by an Immortal?”
“What about the grain on that cart? So much grain, surely we could keep a few bags. This year’s tax collection is about to begin again, and my cousin’s share is still unsettled.”
“What’s on that cart is tax tribute. Every peck is accounted for. How many heads do you have to dare to take it?”
“?”
Seeing that the newcomer was confused, yamen runner Old Wang couldn’t help but speak: “Those people are all from our Middle Province.”
The young yamen runner was a little surprised: “Isn’t it forbidden to move around privately? How did our Middle Province commoners run off to Feng Province?”
“More than a year ago, a trading company called Wulu hired a large number of our province’s commoners who couldn’t pay their taxes to work. Our county magistrate went with the flow and allowed them to enter and exit the border.”
Old Wang held his teacup: “However, they could go to work, but they had to leave their wives and children as collateral. Every year at this time, they also need to return to their registered place of residence and pay the full amount of grain as tax tribute.”
The yamen runner opened his mouth wide: “There’s such a thing—
“Well, Feng Province’s autumn harvest just ended, and that Wulu Trading Company had already informed our magistrate early on.
What’s on the carts is all tax tribute for the Immortals, and it’s the full and exact amount. Who would dare to touch it?”
The convoy bearing the Wulu Trading Company banner, after a long journey, several cycles of day and night, traveling under the stars and moon, finally entered Middle Province territory.
At this point, Tie Niu and several uncles and brothers from his village were the first to leave the team.
They lived not far from the Middle Province border. After waving goodbye to their traveling companions and watching them head to more distant towns, the few of them returned home with large and small bundles of belongings.
At this time, in a courtyard in the east of the village, Tie Niu’s wife was washing clothes in a wooden basin.
Seeing his long-separated family, the strong man felt a pang in his nose and couldn’t help but tear up.
His wife, who was washing clothes, seemed to sense someone, and turned her head with a bewildered expression. Upon seeing Tie Niu, she immediately gasped, “Ah!” and stood up, running over.
It was just that brief moment of standing up, and his wife’s tears had already begun to fall.
The two had known each other for a long time, and finally embraced, their cries growing louder.
“You heartless man!”
“How am I heartless?”
“You—you’ve gotten fat outside!”
Tie Niu laughed heartily, then reached out and lifted the half-side of mutton.
His wife looked at it with some surprise: “Where did it come from?”
“The masters gave it.”
“Was it hard working in Feng Province? Did you get beaten?”
Tie Niu immediately shook his head like a rattle-drum: “I didn’t get beaten. The people we worked with were all very nice, and those Immortal Masters spoke very politely. Some things you might not even believe if I told you.”
Tie Niu had left after the New Year last winter. They first went to work for the Wulu Trading Company, selling grain at low prices to those who had paid their taxes but couldn’t afford food.
Then they were taken to Feng Province and arranged to stay by the government.
During the period leading up to spring plowing, they were supported without working. After spring plowing, they helped with farming, and then they were assigned to a ranch.
After saying all this, Tie Niu took out a money pouch from his embrace. The silver broken inside made his wife cover her mouth.
Seeing his wife’s expression, Tie Niu smiled slightly and told her that their lives would definitely get better and better in the future.
The commoners at the bottom knew very little about this world. Let alone the Lasting Peace Race, they didn’t even know how the Evil Seed came to be.
One reason was their low social status, and another was that they used all their strength to live, having no time or energy to learn to read.
It was precisely because they knew so little that they optimistically believed that life would definitely get better and that there would be no more accidents.
Little did they know that even the best days could be instantly shattered by sudden disaster, washing everything away.
Back then, the Human Race and the Yao Race secretly joined forces, chose the right moment to rise up against the Lasting Peace Race, and suppressed them with Sacred Artifacts.
The scene at that time was as if the sky had collapsed.
Afterward, an old saying circulated among the common people: when the sky falls, there will be someone tall to hold it up.
But in fact, the matter of tall people holding up the sky was little known.
As the laborers returned home one after another, the Wulu Trading Company’s grain carts were all sent into the county yamen.
The yamen runners and the secretary responsible for inventory had arrived at the courtyard early, cross-referencing the list of laborers compiled a year ago and calculating the due share based on the number of people.
The same scene also occurred in several other prefectures, with carriages traveling through streets and alleys.
At this time, in an inn in Anyuan City, Qing Province, Yan Shuyi was standing on the second floor, watching the carriages with trading company banners enter the yamen.
Spring plowing and autumn harvest, such matters had always been trivial in the eyes of cultivators.
Even Yan Shuyi had never paid attention to them before, but now she was watching with unusual seriousness.
Although she did not fully participate in the Dongping Mountain Range incident, she knew very well that people from all major Immortal Sects regarded what happened to Xia Qirong as an Immortal opportunity, scrambling for it.
Especially those Elders with not much Lifespan left, they wished they could kill everyone in the world just to seize it.
Only that unambitious fellow always just wanted to kill the troublemakers and lead the common people to farm well.
Just then, a Disciple of Lingjian Mountain responsible for traveling in Qing Province arrived and handed over a letter: “Master Jian, there’s news back from the Disciples searching for the barbarians and the Disciples of Tianjian Peak.”
Yan Shuyi took the letter and glanced at it, her eyelashes trembling slightly: “Issue my imperial order: apart from those traveling outside the Sect, all Lingjian Mountain people must return to the mountain within half a month.”
“But the Elder of Tianjian Peak seems unwilling to return to the mountain, and the Disciples in the peak are temporarily unable to return due to the Elder of Tianjian Peak’s coercion.”
“Then you go and tell them, if they don’t want to return, they never need to return.”
“Yes!”
The Disciple traveling in Qing Province put away the jade token, then turned and went downstairs, but couldn’t help but glance back at the direction of the guest room as he left.
Just then, a series of footsteps echoed in the corridor of the inn.
Ding Yao walked from the direction of the guest room and bowed slightly: “Master Jian.”
Yan Shuyi turned at the sound and glanced at her: “Awake?”
“Awake…”
“Where is the unambitious Disciple of Tianshu Academy?”
“Uh, Young Master is also awake.”
The reason Yan Shuyi went to the Dongping Mountain Range was also out of fear that the Bu family would fall into the hands of those greedy people.
So, after seeing Xia Qirong’s aura dissipate, she left with her people, and “incidentally” took the sleeping Ji You, coming to an inn in Anyuan City to rest temporarily.
According to Zhuo Wanqiu’s report, Ji You had been searching for the Bu family’s whereabouts in the Dongping Mountain Range, using his Divine Thought with high intensity and engaging in successive battles. His spirit had long been exhausted, and falling into a deep sleep was inevitable.
However, what she found incomprehensible was that not only did Ji You sleep for three days straight, but Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu also fell into a deep sleep after reporting, not waking up.
This left the Master Jian of Lingjian Mountain somewhat perplexed; what exactly did these three do in the mountains?
However, Yan Shuyi, who heard that Ji You had woken up, didn't think too much and turned to walk towards the stranger's room.
Tap, tap, tap, the embroidered shoes gently stepped on the wooden floor, but soon it turned into a clatter clatter clatter sound.
However, after a short while of clatter clatter clatter, the footsteps quickly slowed down again, becoming graceful and ladylike, and her expression also became much more composed.
Pushing the door open, Ji You was sitting at the dining table, eating a bowl of porridge in front of him.
Just as Ding Yao said, his consumption was enormous; although his spirit had recovered a lot, his strength had not yet returned, and the muscle soreness was very severe.
At this moment, Yan Shuyi stepped over the threshold, looking at the unfamiliar man in front of her with an air of Qingyun World,
Then she came and sat beside him.
Feeling the fragrant breeze, Ji You gently raised his head: "Where is this?"
"An'yuan City."
"How did we end up in An'yuan City?"
Yan Shuyi also picked up her chopsticks: "The three of you were sleeping so soundly that you couldn't be woken up, and we couldn't go too far. This is the closest place to the Dongping Mountain Range, so we could only settle you here."
Ji You's expression slightly changed when he heard "three," and he quickly realized who the other two were.
Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu had stayed awake with him the entire time to avoid dreaming of their Young Master, and their spirits must have been exhausted to the extreme.
Ji You now raised his head: "What happened after I fell asleep?"
"The Elders of various Sects are still not giving up and are still investigating matters concerning the Bu family, continuously probing their interpersonal relationships over the years, but so far, they haven't found anything too crucial."
"Still investigating?"
Yan Shuyi nodded: "This matter is not that simple, because some things don't add up."
Ji You pondered for a long time: "You also think the Bu family is too small?"
"The Bu family has been in decline for a hundred years; not to mention compared to the Zheng family, they can't even compare to some small Worldly Families in Zhongzhou, yet they accomplished something even the Zheng family couldn't. This is very strange."
Hearing this, Ji You couldn't help but recall his conversation with Xia Qirong before his death.
He said that only he knew about this matter, and that it was a divine selection, but he was still unsure if this was the truth or a lie to save his life.
However, having read a large number of related books in the Hidden Scripture Pavilion, he knew that in fact, over these past thousand years, the Human Race had never given up on researching the ruins.
But only now has someone secretly grasped a hint, indicating that this matter is not easy.
After he killed the Xia family, he cut off the direct possibility of the disaster occurring; even if there were still traces, there would be no results in a short time.
Thinking of this, Ji You couldn't help but remember another matter: "What about the Barbarians? Were they caught?"
Yan Shuyi shook her head: "The various Immortal Sects are all busy following the clues from the Xia family, and only the Disciples of each Sect went after them. The Barbarians have a Clan King with eight General Kings; how could they be so easily caught?"
"The Immortal Slaying Array is in the Northern Territory; how did they enter the Nine Provinces?"
"The defending soldiers of Luo Yue Pass died; it was suicide."
Ji You frowned: "Suicide to avoid punishment?"
Yan Shuyi hummed: "That's what the report I received said. The guards of Luo Yue Pass secretly colluded with the enemy and temporarily opened the city gate with a command token."
"If we don't look at the clues, what other ways are there to open the grand array?"
"Sacred Artifact."
Those who are naturally suspicious never easily believe the evidence and answers given by others, so they always want to explore deeper.
But if the Immortal Slaying Array could truly only be opened by the command token in the Zhenbei Army's hands, or by a Sacred Artifact, then this matter would be too big.
But the problem is, those who wield Sacred Artifacts are already the strongest in Qingyun World; why would they need to secretly collude with the Barbarians?
Ji You pondered for a long time when he suddenly heard Yan Shuyi's voice by his ear.
"My Lingjian Mountain and your Tianshu Academy have always been at odds. You might be wondering why I, the Master Jian, would protect you. In fact, it's not for any other reason; it's purely because I admire you as a person."
"Calamity is calamity, definitely not some Immortal destiny. The past lesson of Qi Ridge has already proven this point, so what you did was very correct."
"If you were a Disciple of my Lingjian Mountain, I would certainly reward you this time and make you a direct Disciple, but unfortunately, you are not."
"Also, many people saw me take you away in the mountains. Afterwards, it's inevitable that some will say I, the Master Jian, meddled too much, so after you finish eating, I will send you away."
"You don't need to worry after returning to Tianshu Academy. If anyone tries to trouble you over the mountain incident, I can personally testify for you."
Yan Shuyi, like a Senior in a high position, arranged things indifferently.
This was how she imagined she should appear when facing Ji You: condescending, proud, calm, and not at all flustered.
However, Ji You didn't buy it at all and reached out to pinch her cheek.
Still finishing dinner and sending me away? Is that for my own good? You're scared.
The last time they met was before entering the Xianxian Holy Land; at that time, he had scared her, saying they would be 'everlasting' after coming out.
As a result, after coming out, this coward didn't even go to Xuwu Mountain, only daring to send letters and draw stick figures to threaten him, utterly cowardly.
Yan Shuyi found that she hadn't managed to intimidate him, but still maintained a dignified gaze: "You and I have been at odds for a long time, and there were a few winters when I received your care. I won't blame your rudeness, but you and I are not suitable."
"?"
"Actually, I only recently discovered that my heart is set on the Dao, and I have long had no interest in personal affections."
When Ji You pinched her, his back was straight, but now he suddenly felt some discomfort in his waist.
So he reached down and found that his belt was tied very, very tightly.
When he touched the left side of the belt, intending to pull it open, his expression couldn't help but slightly freeze.
His belt seemed to have been untied and then retied by someone, and now it was tied in a dead knot.
Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu had been unconscious for three days like him, so it couldn't have been them who untied it.
Besides, his clothes hadn't been changed; only untying his belt and retying it was a very unreasonable thing to do.
In other words, that person untied his belt just to untie his belt.
Ji You suddenly narrowed his eyes and looked at Yan Shuyi.
It was also reasonable, because the tsundere had been waited on since childhood, and her skill at tying belts was indeed difficult to describe.
Before, when they were in Xianxian Garden, there were a few times when her belt accidentally came undone, and he was the one who tied it for her. It wasn't strange at all for it to be tied into a dead knot.
【Heart set on the Dao】
【Long had no interest in personal affections】
Yan Shuyi also noticed that Ji You had discovered the strangeness of the belt, and couldn't help but turn her gaze away, revealing the characteristic coldness of a Master Jian who wields a Sacred Artifact.
Ji You looked at her: "Master Jian?"
Yan Shuyi looked as if it had nothing to do with her: "What's wrong?"
"My belt was untied by someone, and it seems they carefully observed something, then tied it into a dead knot. Has Master Jian seen the suspect?"
"Ding Yao did it."
"?"
You're really good at shifting blame, Ji You couldn't help but glance at her after hearing that.
He thought to himself, based on the plot Ding Yao shouted out that night, if she really untied it, she wouldn't have just untied it; she would have taken it off.
Yan Shuyi saw that he didn't believe her, and Sword Qi condensed in her palm, with a hint of wanting to kill him and be done with it.
Ji You felt the Sword Qi and instinctively leaned back slightly, but his brow instantly furrowed, and a faint "hiss" sound escaped his lips.
Yan Shuyi turned her head: "What's wrong?"
"Some internal injuries..."
Elder Fang was not someone who had lived that long; that fierce iron saber was indeed not to be underestimated.
Although he ultimately won, he had taken a solid blow from the opponent's saber, with Saber Qi piercing through his waist and abdomen.
Coupled with lying down for three days, the pain felt as if his muscles were twisted together.
Seeing this, Yan Shuyi's eyes became thoughtful, and a hint of light suddenly appeared in her cold, arrogant eyes.
Ji You was pressing on a major acupoint in his waist, trying to suppress the pain with Spiritual Qi, when he saw the slender, tsundere girl in front of him gently raise her arm.
"?"
Yan Shuyi raised her chin slightly, looking at him with cold arrogance, in a posture that suggested she wanted to be held.
Seeing this, Ji You's mouth twitched. He thought, this tsundere really knows how to take advantage of the situation; knowing I have a waist injury, she thinks she's got the upper hand again, right?
However, facing Yan Shuyi's condescending gaze, Ji You still extended both hands, and a fragrant breeze instantly assailed his face.
Lowering his head, the little Master Jian in his arms still had that cool, aloof expression, as if she were treating him like a chair.
In fact, even Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu knew that their cold and dignified Master Jian, though very stubborn with her words, actually loved being held by the Young Master.
But because she was scared, she hadn't dared to show this intention since their reunion.
