Chapter 286: The Bustling Mortal World
The battle of lips and tongues, which had begun without a word, was interrupted by a sound from outside the window and temporarily ceased, but upon closer inspection, no one had entered from outside the door.
Logically speaking, the battle should have continued, as the emotionless and loveless Fairy had no intention of stopping.
But with only one person continuing, and that being the one who had been the most stubborn earlier, it felt quite strange.
Within the dancing flames of the stove, Yan Shu sat quietly in Ji You's embrace, watching him.
Almost instantly, the blankness on her pretty Face receded, and her eyes grew sharper.
Seeing this, Ji You straightened up and sealed her red lips once more.
He and Yan Shu had known each other for a long time and understood each other's temperaments perfectly.
The Little Master Jian of Lingjian Mountain valued her Face the most; at this moment, he absolutely could not mock her 'Dao Heart towards the Immortal Dao, emotionless and loveless,' otherwise, it would be courting death.
A long time later, Yan Shu returned to her seat, looking at the flames in the stove, and expressionlessly wiped her red lips. Not long after, Kuang Cheng and Wei Rui, who had finished washing the dishes, walked towards the room.
Seeing this, Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu also followed them in, their minds echoing the 'pff pff pff' sounds they had just heard, their eyes darting about.
【Dao Heart towards the Immortal Dao】
【Severing Emotions and Desires】
【Rui'er Sister's Lover's Friend】
【Meeting again, merely a greeting】
So this is how old acquaintances greet each other. Just then, Kuang Cheng, having dried his hands, carried a large pottery basin out of the house and placed it beside the stove.
Inside the basin was glutinous rice soaked in clear water, individual grains settled at the bottom, separate from the water.
Then Kuang Cheng took out a small stone mill and placed it next to the pottery basin, then warmed his hands in front of the stove for a while, and began to wash the rice and put it into the stone mill.
“What is this?”
“Grinding rice paste.”
“Oh, you’re making New Year cakes again.”
Ji You quickly realized that New Year was approaching, remembering that Kuang Cheng had also made New Year cakes around the same time two years ago.
Kuang Cheng now filled the central cavity of the stone mill with rice grains: “The previous two batches didn’t form very well. This year, I’ve made some adjustments; I’ll try soaking the rice in warm water first to soften it.”
“Do you need help?”
“Come back in a few days when we’re pounding the New Year cakes.”
Kuang Cheng grasped the handle of the stone mill and began to grind it in circles. Before long, rice paste began to flow out of the small opening of the stone mill.
In ancient times, if it was a snowy winter day, it would get dark just after 3 PM, and there were no activities, so people could only light candles and do these things.
As the stone mill turned faster and faster, the few people sitting by the stove quietly watched the rice paste flow, falling into a trance.
The life of Cultivators had always been about sitting in meditation, closed-door Cultivation, and breaking through Realms, with little contact with the outside world. Rarely did they have such opportunities to gather together, knead dough, live life, and await the arrival of festivals.
As they watched, Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu suddenly exchanged glances.
He suddenly understood why Cultivators had to seclude themselves from the world, because although this kind of life seemed ordinary, it truly could immerse people.
Ji You then looked up at Ding Yao: “What, has your Dao Heart faltered?”
Ding Yao hesitated for a moment after hearing this, then nodded gently: “A little.”
“The reason Cultivators disregard Mortals is because they have always been told that the Mortal World, compared to the Immortal Realm, is a cage of suffering. Thus, even if they cannot Ascend, they do not feel that this Mortal World is worth cherishing.”
“And then, through generations of Legacy, Cultivators who have long been secluded no longer love this bustling Mortal World, which is why they are so indifferent to everything. But suddenly one day, when you see it, when you perceive it, you realize that you haven’t lost your innate ability to love life.”
Ding Yao was slightly startled upon hearing this, then blinked her eyes, pondering those words for a long time.
At the same time, the aloof Little Master Jian of Lingjian Mountain gently raised her head and looked at Ji You.
She had been educated by her parents since childhood to become a Master Jian, a sect leader, to approach Immortality, to Ascend, and to continue the great power, so she had always been in closed-door Cultivation in the mountains.
For decades, she lived a life where clothes were handed to her and food was brought to her, so much so that she barely knew how to tie her sash.
Although other Disciples from Sect were not as noble as her, they were also unproductive, supported by the Mortal World, and their situations were not much different.
Without pain, one naturally wouldn't feel joy, just as without fatigue, one wouldn't feel relaxation. Naturally, they couldn't understand that the Mortal World was also worth it.
She had indeed come to find Ji You on a whim, following him and spending the entire winter, and it was then that she truly broke free from her previous yearning for the Immortal Realm and began to notice the subtle things around her.
Thus, she felt that if she could continue living like this, it might not truly be necessary to pursue eternal life.
It’s just a pity that seeking Immortality is the great trend of Qingyun World, and there are very few in the world who want to live each day well.
Just like those Elders who have sat in deep mountains, immersed in the Immortal Dao for almost half their lives, even if they know that the Immortal Dao is difficult to achieve, they will not find the daily life of Mortals interesting, and thus cannot empathize with Mortals.
After pondering for a while, a knocking sound came from outside the window amidst the wind and snow. Ding Yao regained her senses, rose with Zhuo Wanqiu, and then walked to the courtyard to open the gate.
Standing outside the door was a pretty young woman, looking about fifteen or sixteen years old, with her hair tied in double buns, watching them.
“Zhu’er? Why are you here?”
“Um, greetings, two Fairies. I’m here to find my Young Miss. It’s too dark, and my Madam said Young Miss should go home.”
Wei Rui's maid, Zhu'er, spoke softly, her clear voice carrying in the wind.
In fact, the people of Wei Residence had always known that Wei Rui was spending time with Kuang Cheng, but because of Ji You's presence, they had been hesitant between stopping and not stopping them.
However, even if they adopted a 'turn a blind eye' attitude, they would never let their Young Miss stay at a man's house until late at night.
Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu nodded upon hearing this, then brought Zhu'er's message inside, and after speaking, sat back down on the stools.
But what they didn't expect was that as Wei Rui reluctantly got up to go home, their own Master Jian also stood up from her chair.
So the two, whose buttocks had barely warmed the seats, also rose, then looked at their Master Jian with bewildered expressions.
【Meeting again is nothing but a greeting】
【Taste briefly, then return quickly after eating】
Ji You also straightened up and looked at Yan Shu, only to see her give him a proud backward glance, then walk along the courtyard to outside the door, leaving a string of small footprints in the snow.
“Does Master Jian still want to return to Wei Family Immortal Villa?”
Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu followed behind Master Jian, and after walking a few steps, spoke softly.
Yan Shu turned her head slightly: “Young Master Kuang and his friend originally invited Rui'er Sister as a guest. Our uninvited presence was already rude. Now that Rui'er Sister has left, and we are not familiar with them, how can we continue to disturb them?”
They were so afraid that they didn't dare to go back and spend the night with their son-in-law.
The two maidservants immediately translated that sentence in their minds and couldn't help but cough.
It seems that the little mouth, hard as iron, couldn't soften even after being kissed. All that intimacy in the room just now apparently didn't count.
Their son-in-law was still “Rui’er Sister’s Lover’s Friend.”
At this moment, Wei Rui looked at her admired Sister Yan, a hint of worry in her eyes.
Under the wind and snow, the small courtyard door was closed. Ji You slowly retracted his gaze and saw Kuang Cheng looking at him, his eyes also a little worried.
“What’s wrong?”
“Could it be that you and Fairy Yan have truly severed your ties?”
“?”
Kuang Cheng stopped the stone mill in his hand: “Rui’er said Fairy Yan told her that from now on, she would wholeheartedly pursue the Dao, not fall into the Mortal World, and forget you in the Immortal Dao. I thought you two were playing the ‘not knowing each other’ game again, but Fairy Yan just left without a word. What’s going on?”
Kuang Shusheng and Wei Rui had been wondering ever since they learned that Yan Shu had come to Shengjing but hadn't seen Ji You.
So Kuang Cheng had asked, and after Kuang Cheng left, Wei Rui had also asked.
Seeing that they kept asking, Yan Shu very seriously told Wei Rui that Cultivators were like this: once they reached a certain Realm, they had to sever all emotions and desires, and all past Mortal World affairs would be cast aside. At this point, she and Ji You had already severed all ties.
Wei Rui initially didn't believe it, but seeing the Little Master Jian's serious expression and the rampant indifference in her eyes, she also felt a little uneasy.
It just so happened that Ji You sent Kuang Cheng to invite them, so Wei Rui called Yan Shu to come along, to see what would happen.
While washing dishes earlier, Wei Rui told Kuang Cheng about her worries. Kuang Cheng didn't believe it at all, thinking to himself that they had just been feeding each other cured meat.
He advised Wei Rui to relax and not pay attention to these two, and even slowed down the dishwashing significantly, specifically leaving them time alone.
Who knew that after they entered the house, they found the two acting as if they didn’t know each other, one focused on heating the stove, the other silent, seemingly with no communication at all.
The most crucial thing was that in the end, Fairy Yan left with Wei Rui without a word, and Fairy Ding and Fairy Zhuo also had complex expressions. This scene made the usually confident Kuang Shusheng feel a little uneasy.
Ji You's mouth twitched as he listened to his description, thinking that the tsundere was going to mislead people into tumors.
No communication at all? She was still sticking out her tongue just now.
“You don’t need to worry about this matter either; her current persona is just like that.”
Kuang Cheng looked at him somewhat strangely, “What is a persona?”
Ji You threw a few charcoal briquettes into the stove. “It’s an identity created by someone who thinks they won’t have to ‘fear’ if they ‘break ties and cut off all relations’.”
“I don’t quite understand— ”
“You haven’t reached that point yet, so naturally you don’t need to understand. But how should I put it, since it’s our own, what can we do? We can only cooperate. I can’t beat her right now. But you should be careful with Wei Rui. Don’t let Wei Rui learn from her.”
Kuang Cheng appeared thoughtful after hearing this, then nodded solemnly.
Disaster relief efforts in Qingyun World’s Five Provinces were still ongoing, with all work currently overseen by the Immortal Supervisor.
If everything proceeded according to the original plan, there shouldn't be any major issues, so Ji You didn’t pay too much attention to it.
After resting for a night at Worry-Free Commerce, Ji You rose with the morning mist and left the courtyard, then headed to Tianshu Academy.
After more than a month of coming and going, Tianshu Academy was as quiet as when he left.
The Disciples in the courtyard were Cultivating at this moment. Seeing him return in a white robe, they couldn't help but gaze for a long time, as if looking at someone rarely seen.
His return to the capital was not concealed, so someone had seen him return yesterday, and the news had spread overnight.
The suspension of Spirit Stone supply for disaster relief had angered countless Sect across the nine provinces, who gathered in the capital, only to be dismissed by Elder Fang’s simple words, “Let it be.” The millennium-old Sect took their Spirit Stones without a word, and the shops in Shengjing still displayed “Sold Out” signs.
All these things gave everyone a sense of unreality when they saw him.
Qin Rong was standing halfway up Ni Mountain at this moment, gazing for a long time before looking at Ji Jingyao and Lang Hetong: “How long has Ji You been in the Academy?”
“More than four years.”
“How fast. Those who entered at the same time as him will be leaving the Academy in about half a year, won’t they?”
Lang Hetong was slightly startled by this remark, then realized it was indeed true.
There were actually many students in Ji You’s cohort, but his reputation was so prominent that, apart from the few who could barely keep up with him at the time, the names of the others were not remembered.
It wasn’t until Qin Rong’s reminder that he realized those students whose names hadn’t been remembered were already facing the day they would leave the Academy.
“The disparity in status is truly like the difference between clouds and mud.”
In fact, the fourth-year students who entered the Academy with Ji You, such as Qian Yunxiao, Sun Zhilan, and others whose names Ji You didn't remember, like Luo Rui and Kayun, were actually in the covered corridor not far away.
Their cultivation wasn’t bad either. Over the years, those with decent Aptitude had all reached the Realm of Perfection.
However, when they saw Ji You, an indescribable emotion still lingered in their hearts.
Because when they first entered the Academy, almost everyone referred to him as a ‘rustic rogue cultivator,’ thinking he was merely an interlude in the Dao of Cultivation, never imagining he would be the main melody.
Fang Ruoyao was also in the tea pavilion at this moment, gazing at his figure for a long time, feeling more deeply than others.
More than four years ago, they came out of Yuyang County together, crossed the turbulent Nu River, and arrived at Tianshu Academy.
Now, time flew by, and she was still stuck at the threshold of the Condensation Realm. After leaving the Academy, she probably wouldn't have any more opportunities to break through the Realm.
Moreover, with her status as a Mortal official’s daughter, if she didn’t have the chance to enter an Immortal Villa and become a consecrator, then her descendants would also not have the qualification to Cultivate Immortals.
Actually, she wasn’t foolish. Pei Ruyi’s words that her Aptitude was good were not false. It was just that there were countless Sect in Qingyun World, and truly only a few could enter the Upper Five Realms.
And her fiancé…
Fang Ruoyao’s eyelashes trembled slightly, and her fair fingers tightened imperceptibly.
Her fiancé grew step by step like this, establishing a family, and forcing the world’s Sect to yield.
Amidst the discussions, Ji You arrived at Cao Jinsong’s backyard.
He had been quite comfortable staying at Worry-Free Commerce. His return to Tianshu Academy this time was mainly to check on Cao Jinsong, who was in seclusion to break through his Realm.
Old Cao had been in the Integration Dao Realm for many years, but his Bottleneck was actually not deep. The reason he hadn't been able to break through for so many years was partly because of Ji You.
Ji Hanfei was too good at causing trouble. He hadn’t stopped since entering the Academy, making it impossible for him to focus on Cultivating the Dao. His decision to go into seclusion this time was also because Ji You no longer needed his supervision.
When Ji You arrived at the small courtyard and saw him, he could already discern the changes in Cao Instructor’s aura.
Wen Zhengxin, Ban Yangshu, and others later received messages. Hearing that Ji You had returned, they came out of seclusion midway to meet him in Cao Jinsong’s courtyard.
“Is the snow disaster really that big?”
“No exaggeration.”
“After the Spirit Stone transport stopped, did Sect really go to collect them themselves?”
“Indeed, and I earned a lot in road tolls because of it.”
Amidst the discussions, another set of footsteps sounded in the small courtyard.
Lu Qingqiu arrived, dressed in a green gauze dress, and entered Cao Jinsong’s courtyard.
Ever since Lu Hanyan entered the Inner Courtyard, this Young Miss of the Lu family had become very close to them. Her arrival here was not surprising.
However, this time, everyone couldn't help but show a strange look, looking at her then at Ji You.
The Sect gathered at Ni Mountain, came quickly and left quickly, waving their sleeves as if they hadn’t taken away any clouds, but they did leave behind some rumors.
For example, the story of the Lu sisters losing their innocence to Ji You was widely discussed by many in the Academy.
These people had also shared tea and chatted together before, but they had never imagined that Ji You and the two Lu Young Misses had actually done such exciting things in private.
Wen Zhengxin thought that Lu Qingqiu and Lu Hanyan’s bodies were really good, to be able to endure it; if it were her, she definitely wouldn’t dare. Cao Jinsong, on the other hand, felt that with Yan Shuyi overseeing things, it was truly a miracle that his unruly Disciple had survived until now.
Seeing herself being watched with improper gazes, Lu Qingqiu knew what they were thinking. Her cheeks couldn't help but flush slightly, and she looked away towards Ji You, only to find that Ji You’s gaze was also very complex.
Thanks to his Body Refining abilities, his five senses far surpassed most cultivators. He had heard many discussions on this trip.
Among them, the rumor of the sisters serving him, and his seemingly abundant romantic fortune, greatly concerned him.
The problem was, he knew what this meant, but he had no such memory. Ji You came back to his senses at this moment, pretending not to know, and continued to chat with everyone.
There must be some misunderstanding about this matter. Things not done should only be acknowledged after they are done.
The casual conversation continued until the hour of Yi (10:00 AM - 11:00 AM). Ji You rose, deciding to leave, and Lu Qingqiu, who had not spoken until then, couldn't help but open her lips lightly.
She had actually come this time to host a banquet to welcome Ji You, so she rose and invited everyone to go together.
However, Cao Jinsong and the others were at a critical point in breaking through their Realm and were eager to continue their seclusion, so they politely declined her kind offer.
In the cold wind, Ji You walked out of Cao Jinsong’s courtyard and looked at Lu Qingqiu, who was following him: “Let’s save the meal for next time. Isn’t your sister about to break through? It’s not too late to eat together when she comes out of seclusion.”
Lu Qingqiu’s cheeks suddenly flushed slightly upon hearing “eat together,” and she didn’t dare to speak for a moment.
Ji You frowned, thinking, ‘I said eat, I really meant eat, not anything else.’
Wei Rui has a little jealous spirit who can flatten Tianshu Academy, so how could I let you two sisters eat anything else?
However, thinking of this, Ji You paused slightly.
Yan Shuyi had stayed in Shengjing for a long time. She must have heard this rumor, which even Old Cao, who was in seclusion, knew about.
Ji You turned to look at Lu Qingqiu: “Have you seen any Lingjian Mountain Disciples recently?”
Lu Qingqiu gently raised her head, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes: “No, I haven’t seen any.”
“Then have you seen two women traveling together? Both wield long swords, one likes to wear a pink gauze dress, and the other has a jade pendant hanging from her sleeve.”
“Young Master, you really know them?”
“?”
“After the Sect left, indeed, two young ladies came looking for me. They seemed very interested in the matter of me and Hanyan serving you together.”
Ji You looked at her seriously: “That’s a rumor.”
Lu Qingqiu blinked: “Uh, yes, it’s a rumor—”
“And then?”
“I told them the truth, that it was just an excuse to appease my parents, and then they left. I thought at the time that they must know Young Master.”
Ji You nodded, thinking, ‘So that’s how it is.’
Lu Qingqiu quietly looked at him at this moment, then after a while, averted her gaze.
In fact, her statement this time was only half-truths, and she hadn’t fully informed Ji You.
The truth was that after Lu Qingqiu was found by those two young ladies, she initially tried to be stubborn and wanted to “confirm” the matter.
But for some reason, those two young ladies insisted on asking her what it felt like, and if it hurt, looking as if they truly wanted to know.
But she, being inexperienced, naturally didn't know how to describe it, and her stuttering inadvertently revealed the truth.
