Chapter 297: Folk Legends
“Why have Spirit Stone prices suddenly plummeted so severely recently?”
“Exactly, they’ve started to halve, which was truly unexpected. If only I had known earlier, I wouldn’t have hoarded them.”
After the New Year, the lively atmosphere suddenly dispersed. The lantern street was dismantled, and the East and West Markets resumed business.
In these quiet days, the ice and snow in Shengjing began to melt, and in recent days, the city was muddy everywhere.
At the Drunken Immortal Tower, where the ground fire still burned, idle Young Masters from the capital were gathered, chatting with invited guests.
Last year, due to the rare heavy snow, the transport of snowy region demon stones was halted. As a result, the two regions of Yun Province and Zhong Province, having low inventory and being unable to mine in winter, nearly ran out of Spirit Stones in Qingyun World.
Unexpectedly, not long after the New Year, Spirit Stone shops reopened, and a large batch of Spirit Stones began to flow into the market.
The Spirit Stone prices, which had soared before the New Year, plummeted by more than half, and the trend continued, with prices changing daily.
Zhao Yunyue took a sip of tea and couldn't help but say, “After the ice and snow thawed, the Spirit Stone Business Association in Yun Province immediately resumed work. They mined a large quantity of Spirit Stones in a short time, hoping to maintain the high prices of snowy region demon stones.”
“With a large batch of Zhong Province stones flowing into the market, how could they maintain high prices?”
“The Spirit Stone Business Association in Yun Province isn't that foolish. They have been controlling the speed at which Spirit Stones enter the market. They even stopped selling for a few days at one point to curb the price drop.”
“Then how did Spirit Stone prices drop so much?”
“Not long after Yun Province Spirit Stones appeared on the market, snowy region demon stones started pouring in, pushing the prices back down. The quality of Yun Province stones was inherently inferior to snowy region demon stones, so their prices naturally plummeted.”
Princess Changle rotated the teacup in her hand and said indifferently, “Seeing the unfavorable situation, the Yun Province Spirit Stone Business Association immediately dumped their inventory, which led to the continuous drop in Spirit Stone prices.”
A Young Master from one of the Sect pursed his lips after hearing this: “Aren’t the Lu family sisters on very good terms with Ji You? Why—”
“Ji You acts without scruples anyway, so this is not surprising.”
“Then why did so many snowy region demon stones appear?”
“Isn’t that easy to understand? It means that the snowy region demon stones were transported in long ago, but were simply hoarded by someone with ulterior motives.”
A Young Master, who had been watching the dancing girls twist their waists, turned his head at the sound: “What did I tell you? Those snowy region demon stones that occasionally appeared on the market before the New Year were definitely problematic. Now it seems Ji You was making a fortune. I even heard he bought spirit seedlings from Liang Province to plant in Feng Province.”
The Young Master from the capital who had spoken earlier raised an eyebrow in surprise: “Is that true?”
“Absolutely true.”
“He wants to cultivate spirit seedlings in Feng Province?”
“That’s right.”
“Ji You has already established himself in the Immortal Sect, yet his actions are no different from a common villager. He’s always coming and going, covered in mud, and it doesn’t seem like he ever diligently cultivates.”
“Perhaps his Bloodline is truly different from ours. Mortal descendants are, after all, still Mortals. Their Dao Heart may not be as firm and is easily disturbed by worldly affairs.”
The speaker was a young man, wearing a sapphire blue Young Master’s robe, looking quite youthful.
He was a newly admitted Disciple of Tianshu Academy and one of the Prodigy juniors of the Elder Council. After arriving in Shengjing last autumn, he was immediately drawn into the circle of these capital Young Masters, drinking and carousing.
This treatment was similar to that received by Chu River, Fang Jincheng, Peng Yu, and others in the past.
They hadn't been in the Academy long, but they had heard many things about Ji You. Although they hadn't met him, they weren't unfamiliar with him.
For Immortal Sect' Disciples like them, who had been placed with high hopes by their Sect since childhood, seeking Immortality and the Dao was the essential task. However, Ji You only focused on accumulating wealth and farming, which easily led people to speculate about his identity.
To prevent commoners from cultivating Immortality, the Great Xia had consciously promoted the theory of Bloodline for hundreds of years.
To put it simply, they continuously solidified the idea that only the descendants of Immortals were Immortals, and the descendants of Mortals could only be Mortals. This was to prevent private cultivation from appearing through cognitive means.
Such a method was not very clever. Let alone smart people, even those with some brains could clearly understand its purpose.
However, time is also an extremely terrifying art. This simple ideological indoctrination, through hundreds of years of transmission, not only became unbreakable but also became traceable.
Thus, not only did Mortals believe that cultivating Immortality was something only Immortal descendants could do, but even cultivators themselves believed it.
However, the things they were discussing were not false.
After the New Year, the Spirit Stone Business Association in Zhong Province began to order the resumption of work, and all major Spirit Mines began to urge miners to intensify mining.
But when they resumed work, the snow was deep, and the ice had not melted, making the risks extremely high. However, the miners, facing high-pressure coercion, were helpless and could only obey orders.
Unexpectedly, not long after, snowy region demon stones began to enter the nine provinces on a large scale, disrupting the rhythm of the Spirit Stone Business Association.
This was the result of Ji You's discussion with the Si Xian Supervisor.
As winter receded, controlling the sales of Spirit Stones no longer held much meaning, and it could even indirectly oppress the miners in Yun Province and Zhong Province. Therefore, he handed over all transportation rights to the Si Xian Supervisor.
Spirit Stones are very important to cultivators, otherwise the Spirit Stone Business Association would not have been able to operate it as their century-old foundation. But Ji You had no interest in this.
He only wanted to make some money by taking advantage of the opportune time, place, and people, and incidentally transfer some of the hardships caused by the snow disaster to those high-and-mighty cultivators.
As for Lu Qingqiu, the Yun Province Business Association did indeed ask her to intervene regarding the price of Spirit Stones, hoping she would use her “pillow talk.”
But Young Miss Lu did not, as they requested, discuss controlling the quantity with Ji You to raise prices together. She only asked to what extent the prices would fall.
Because she knew in her heart that Ji You's ambition was not here.
Whether it was establishing a family, going on a diplomatic mission to the Snow Region, or cutting off the supply of Spirit Stones, he was always acting according to his heart, not for private gain, nor to establish a powerful family that dominated one side.
And in response to Lu Qingqiu's inquiry, Ji You's answer was that the original price would suffice.
Spirit Stones are extremely important to the cultivators of Qingyun World. If they are too expensive or too cheap, they will cause disputes.
Ji Hanfei hoped for stability. This was a subconscious act, because for a wandering orphan, stability has always been important.
As for spirit seedling cultivation, Feng Province was indeed preparing for it.
Replacing crops with higher prices and greater demand is also a form of industrial upgrading.
The most crucial point is that spirit seedlings can earn back the tax tribute from the Immortals...
In the following days, the accumulated snow in Shengjing quickly melted, and the price of Spirit Stones gradually stabilized.
Gradually, no one worried about this matter anymore.
Meanwhile, the spring plowing in Feng Province began gradually during this period.
Last autumn, a batch of Magical Artifacts ordered by Ji You from Qionghua Pavilion were now delivered on time and transported back to Feng Province by the Worry-Free Commerce's carriages.
These were all Spirit Stone-driven plows and harrows that could assist farmers in their work. As a result, many scenes of overflowing Spiritual Qi appeared in the farmlands of Feng Province, leaving passing cultivators speechless.
However, in the vast Qingyun World, matters worth paying attention to were not only happening to Ji You.
Following Mountain and Sea Pavilion's announcement that its direct Disciple, Huo Xingzhong, would take over the Sacred Artifact, Asked the Dao Sect also announced that Shang Xiyao would take over the Sacred Artifact, causing widespread discussion.
Counting the Young Master Jian of Lingjian Mountain and Yuan Chen, the direct Disciple of Dan Sect, there are now four Immortal Sects in this world that are about to undergo a change of leadership.
There was also another matter they heard from the Immortal Sect Disciples.
It is said that many Elders who had been in seclusion for many years had all come out of seclusion around the New Year. While chatting, they heard many names that were only recorded in books...
Spring thunder rumbled, and light rain misted.
Qingyun World slowly began to show some signs of spring, and the biting cold gradually receded.
Ji You was currently sitting in a tea house in Zhong Province, carefully reading two letters in his hand.
After visiting several Immortal Villas in Feng Province last year, everyone was noticeably more harmonious. This year, for spring plowing, it was effortless to invite many cultivators to participate.
Ji You only went to check on the spirit seedling fields and then left. He did not pay too much attention to or interfere with anything else.
The development of Feng Province was the business of the people of Feng Province. He hoped that life would get better and that there would be fewer things he disliked, but he didn't truly wish to be the lord of Feng Province, controlling everything.
Because with his personality, he wouldn't be able to do exploitative things. If he truly became the so-called lord of Feng Province, he might even be exhausted to death.
At this moment, Yuan Caiwei's delicate handwriting and Yan Shuyi's sharp, knife-like brushwork appeared in the letter Ji You unfolded.
It had been a month since the two of them left Shengjing together.
A few days ago, they sent him letters, which arrived in Shengjing and were then forwarded by the Worry-Free Commerce.
The Dan Sect's daughter's letter spoke of Yuan Chen taking control of the Sacred Artifact after returning to the mountain, and also mentioned that her father, for some unknown reason, had become even stricter.
But between the lines, Ji You could make out two words: not pregnant.
As for Yan Shuyi, she drew another picture of a female villain holding a long sword and stabbing a male villain to death, to show her authority.
However, this time the painting was different from the previous ones; the difference was that the male villain who was pierced through the heart with a sword was kneeling on the ground.
It seemed that the Young Miss of Lingjian Mountain still held a grudge about the flustered words that night.
Just then, a waiter came out from the teahouse, carrying a teapot, and approached his table.
"Guest, would you like more water?"
"No need, thank you."
Ji You put the letter into his sleeve, handed the waiter a few copper coins, then got up and walked into the misty drizzle outside the teahouse.
As he walked, the airflow around him held up the falling raindrops, then flung them away, so his clothes were not wet.
Before long, he left the town and arrived at a muddy mountain path in the wilderness.
Although the mud on the ground was isolated by his Spiritual Qi, mud splatters still landed on his boots.
However, Ji You didn't care; instead, a golden light rose in his eyes, and after observing his surroundings for a long time, he walked south.
After the New Year, Qingyun World was very peaceful, and the disaster that had been feared on New Year's Eve did not occur.
So, he put all his energy into cultivation.
One reason was that he still couldn't defeat Yan Shuyi, and another was that forcefully killing Xia Qirong and cutting off the supply of Spirit Stones had made him too many enemies, and they were all old fellows of no low Realm.
To survive in this world without being constrained, strength would always be the first priority.
Because if he hadn't had the ability to wound Elder Fang, the matter of cutting off the Spirit Stone supply for disaster relief might not have gone so smoothly.
But as he underwent several Body Refining sessions, he found that he always encountered insufficient Spiritual Qi supply, causing the Body Refining process to abruptly stop.
This was not a problem with his cultivation, but rather that the outside world was, after all, different from the Xianxian Holy Land.
In the Xianxian Holy Land, he had always maintained a furious and unceasing Spiritual Fire within his body, which allowed him to quickly Breakthrough two major hurdles.
But he didn't realize at the time that the amount of Spiritual Qi he needed for each Body Refining session was constantly increasing.
Because the Spiritual Qi in the Holy Land was far more than he needed, he had no qualms.
In other words, if he had not been able to win first place and enter it back then, he might not have even touched the threshold of Physical Body Innate Realm until now.
And now, the amount of Spiritual Qi he needed for Body Refining was even more terrifying, so much so that he endured until the first hurdle, but did not have enough Spiritual Qi supply to allow him to rush through the hurdle in one go.
Therefore, he had been searching for places with abundant Spiritual Qi during this period, trying to improve the efficiency of Body Refining, and after much searching, he arrived here.
Feng Province was the place where the Human Race flourished, and due to the existence of the Xianxian Holy Land, it was affected, indeed having several places with abundant Spiritual Qi.
Ji You had explored back and forth for several days and had found several spots in the mountains and forests.
After the light rain, the dense mountain forest was filled with a damp atmosphere.
The leaves were covered with glistening dew, and his clothes would get slightly wet if they brushed against them.
Ji You followed his Divine Thought to a wild valley in a dense forest, found the previously locked location, and then began to absorb Spiritual Qi.
Once the Spiritual Qi accumulated in his body, he ignited it with his mind, and the surging Spiritual Fire instantly began to burn his Physical Body from the inside out.
This process was like forging iron; the fire was to break the inherent structure of the Physical Body, and the impact was like tempering.
And as the Spiritual Fire continued to burn, his Qi orifices also continued to absorb, to continuously supplement the burning of the Spiritual Fire.
From noon to dusk, this process continued, constantly alternating.
The mountain forest, which had just experienced a light rain, was originally very damp, but at this moment, it was slowly evaporated to dryness with him as the center.
Steaming white mist, like mountain fog, drifted everywhere with the breeze, constantly filling the forest.
Until the morning of the second day, a cluster of dark blue flames flashed across his body surface, and the Spiritual Qi he slowly absorbed into his body began to fluctuate between strong and weak before cutting off.
"Much better than before."
"But, it's also the limit—"
"It's a pity this isn't my limit, but the limit of this world."
Ji You opened his eyes, feeling the Qi around him, and couldn't help but murmur.
But it doesn't matter, every little bit counts.
He got up and left the forest, his Divine Thought constantly probing his surroundings.
The flow of Spiritual Qi was slow; after some places were used, they could not be reused for a short period and needed to be found again.
Ji You walked through the mountain forest, continuing to search for the next place, then continued to absorb, ignite, and burn.
On the morning of the third day, he left the mountains in the misty drizzle and arrived at a county city in Feng Province called Guangming County, where he checked into an inn.
Then his Divine Thought soared, steadfastly following the path of adding water when there was too much flour and adding flour when there was too much water, to ensure that his Divine Thought was not limited by his Physical Body.
When he opened his eyes again, it was already dusk.
Ji You got up and left the inn, heading to the largest teahouse in Guangming County.
In the front hall of the teahouse, a shadow puppet show was being performed; the master sitting behind the screen used the strings in his hand to make the puppets constantly flash, turn, and move, which looked quite interesting.
This play told an ancient legend of Qingyun World, about the story of the Great Virtuous Sage slaying the evil ghost.
It said that there was a lake in Qingyun World, in which lived an evil ghost that caused havoc everywhere, and was finally slain by the Great Virtuous Sage and Sealed in the lake.
This story was essentially still praising Immortals, especially the old master who held a horizontal rod with many oddly shaped shadow puppets on it, including old people and children, representing the common people of the world, constantly making them prostrate themselves and bow, thanking the Immortals for protecting the peace of the four directions.
Ji You was initially not interested in this kind of play, but he slowly began to pay more and more attention.
Because he found that some of the stories in the performances were true events that were not even recorded in the historical records of Qingyun World, lost for many years, but had been passed down by word of mouth through the adaptations of these folk artists, which could be regarded as another form of unofficial history.
Although some were indeed very wild, some plotlines were still very thought-provoking.
For example, in a drum story, he heard a legend of a mountain-guarding Immortal.
In the story, a stranger came to an ancient, remote small town, wearing a bamboo hat, with white hair and beard, but a strong body and a rosy complexion.
He didn't live in the town, but in a mountain.
And the hidden identity of this old man from out of town in the story was actually a mountain-guarding Immortal, guarding the four directions and slaying many evil demons.
Ji You also heard a three-stringed instrument performance, and in the story, there was a legend of demons and ghosts appearing in the dark night.
These stories all seemed to have undergone countless embellishments and evolutions, but they made Ji You feel that some parts of them were very similar to the legends of night watchmen.
Ever since he read the book "Night Watchman" in Tianshu Academy, Ji You had been paying attention to such matters.
Because he really didn't know what Body Refining would eventually lead to, nor did he know whether his current cultivation method was correct.
He wanted to find someone knowledgeable to ask, but unfortunately, he had checked the county annals everywhere and even asked Kuang Cheng to get information from the Immortal Supervisor, but all yielded nothing.
Unexpectedly, he heard some clues in folk teahouses.
He didn't know where the origins of these stories came from, but he knew that the Grandmasters of these folk artists might indeed know of the existence of night watchmen.
That's why he would come to the teahouse to listen to stories whenever he had time, to see if he could hear anything.
As for the current shadow puppet show, it sounded a bit vague, but the term 'evil ghost' was also something he had never heard before, so he thought it was either fabricated or had some basis, and he couldn't help but tap the table and listen from beginning to end.
When the shadow puppet show ended, the waiter came to refill the tea, and Ji You took out a piece of broken silver and handed it to him: "I want to see the gentleman who performs the shadow puppets."
"You mean Zhao Laotou?"
"The one who just performed the shadow puppets."
The waiter took the broken silver and immediately bowed: "Guest, please wait a moment, I will go call him for you."
Ji You shook his head: "Just take me to see him."
"Then, please follow me, honored guest."
"Thank you."
Ji You followed the waiter downstairs and arrived backstage after a detour.
The old artist who performed the shadow puppets was leaning against the doorpost backstage, supporting himself on one leg, and eating his meal.
Hearing that someone was looking for him, Zhao Laotou immediately put down the coarse porcelain bowl in his hand and then listened carefully to Ji You's inquiry.
"Night Watchman—? I have never heard of this term."
"Our scripts are all passed down from the older generation. Young Master, why are you interested in this?"
"The lineage of shadow puppetry has long been unknown. The play I performed today was originally an excerpt from a string-instrument story. Not many folk artists can create stories; most of the repertoire is borrowed from each other."
