Chapter 321: The Disappeared Immortal Villa Has Problems
“Let me see that whistle.”
“Young Master, please take a look.”
Huang Yueniang took the silver whistle off her neck and handed it to Ji You.
The silver whistle was exquisitely crafted, but the sound was not produced by the whistle body itself, but by the reed vibrating within it.
Whenever airflow passed through, the reed would continuously vibrate, producing a high-frequency buzzing sound.
However, from this silver whistle alone, nothing useful could be found.
Ji You observed carefully for a long time, then looked up at Tan Huizhi: “Do others know about your matter?”
“Everyone who was with us looking for relatives knew we were searching for someone, but they gave up halfway, so they didn’t go to the Corpse Cave with us. Everyone who knows about this is currently here.”
“When you were investigating the Bu family, did you discover any other anomalies? For example, people unrelated to the Bu family?”
Tan Huizhi thought carefully before shaking his head: “We didn’t stay at the Bu family branch for too long. During that time, besides the workers at the branch, we didn’t see anyone else.”
As his voice fell, the clay lid of the medicine pot began to clatter, and then a richer herbal scent emanated from it.
Hearing this sound, everyone turned their heads, simultaneously looking at Ji You, observing his attitude.
Ji You didn't speak, but returned the whistle to Huang Yueniang, then got up and went to the eaves at the door.
Seeing this, everyone immediately got up silently and, without a word, began scooping medicine out of the pot.
Ji You didn’t know what herbs they used, only that it smelled pungent and acrid.
Once the medicine cooled slightly, they carried their porcelain bowls into the courtyard.
In the early morning, fine rain misted, white fog drifted over the distant mountains, and the air carried a chill.
Everyone gathered at the corner where the Evil Seeds were confined; some were responsible for holding them down, while others carefully poured the medicine into the mouths of those who had transformed into Evil Seeds.
As they poured, an old woman who had previously been silent suddenly shed two lines of turbid tears.
In truth, after persisting for so long, they had tried every remedy and had long known that this was not an illness, yet they still clung tightly to this sliver of hope, unwilling to let go.
After searching for so many years, they finally found the people; their appearance had changed, but they were still alive and kicking. Who could truly consider them dead?
Ji You silently looked around, and when he saw a two-horned stone peak to the east, he couldn't help but frown slightly.
So he leaped up, heading towards the mountaintop, and landed at the peak.
He had felt it looked familiar just now, and only now did he realize that just across a mountain to the east, it had once been one of his breakthrough locations.
And at that time, he had never imagined such a situation existed just one mountain away.
By the time he returned to the small courtyard, three bowls of medicinal soup had already been administered, and Huang Yueniang was gently wiping the corners of the mouth of the corrupted Li Ruilin with a handkerchief.
“He couldn’t even give you the status of a concubine, yet you still searched for him for so many years?”
“He saved me.”
Huang Yueniang gently spoke as she wiped the corner of his mouth: “Ten years ago, my Family couldn’t pay the taxes, and my father was beaten to death by the officials. The County Magistrate wanted to sell my mother and me into a brothel to pay off the debt. He happened to pass by and saved us. I can never repay him in this life.”
Ji You was silent for a long time after hearing this: “Immortals are just people. There are good ones and bad ones. It’s just that many cultivators, as they cultivate, forget that they are human.” “Young Master has great insight.” “But you will kill yourself this way.”
Huang Yueniang lowered her head after hearing this: “Yueniang should have died ten years ago.”
Ji You fell silent after hearing this, gazing at the overcast sky for a long time without speaking.
Who exactly were those people, and what was their ultimate goal? These questions, like the dark clouds overhead, lingered in his heart, unable to dissipate.
Tan Huizhi walked out of the house at this moment, accompanied by two young people, carrying buckets of water, to repair the wall that Li Ruilin had smashed when he escaped.
After watching for a while, Ji You suddenly spoke: “Family Head Tan.”
Tan Huizhi turned his head upon hearing the voice: “Young Master?”
“I haven’t been in the Immortal Sect for long, so if I say something wrong, please don’t mind.”
“Please speak.”
Ji You looked at his aging face and said, “Why have I never heard of the Tan Family, or even seen any Tan Family Disciple?”
Tan Huizhi sighed, then let out a sigh: “My Tan Family is actually a declining Sect. As early as five hundred years ago, our population was already dwindling.
Although I am the Family Head of the Tan Family, besides my son and me, there is only my grandson left. Now, I don’t even know if my grandson can still be considered a person.”
“No wonder you would let your only grandson work in an Immortal Villa.”
“You make fun of me, Young Master.”
Ji You turned to look at Tan Xun, who had transformed into an Evil Corpse: “I forgot to ask, which Immortal Villa was he in before he disappeared?”
Tan Huizhi replied: “It was an Immortal Villa in Feng Province, called Fengxian.”
“?”
“Young Master?”
“It’s an old acquaintance.”
Ji You’s eyes became unusually profound upon hearing this long-forgotten name.
The reason he entered Tianshu Academy back then, if traced back to its roots, was because of this Fengxian Mountain Manor.
Tan Huizhi looked at his suddenly serious expression and couldn't help but ask: “Does Young Master know this Immortal Villa?”
“It’s quite a coincidence; this Immortal Villa is near Yuyang County, where I was born. But as far as I know, it moved away four years ago.”
“Yes—”
After Tan Huizhi finished speaking, he suddenly fell silent.
Ji You stared at him for a long time: “If you have something to say, just say it.”
“Young Master mentioning Fengxian Mountain Manor actually brought up some of my earlier conjectures. Regarding their departure from Feng Province, I don’t think it was a relocation.”
“Tell me in detail.”
“After my grandson went missing, the first place I investigated was Fengxian Mountain Manor, hoping to find someone inside the Manor who was familiar with him to inquire about his whereabouts. But only later did I discover that it wasn’t just my grandson who went missing; in fact, it could be said that everyone was lost.”
“It’s just that, unfortunately, those who joined the Immortal Villa were already marginalized individuals, not valued by their families. Coupled with the inherently cold nature of cultivators, and their numerous descendants, many Sects still don’t even know that people from their families have gone missing.”
Although Tan Huizhi’s cultivation was not high, he had lived to this age, and his mind was still extremely meticulous.
He initially thought Ji You was truly just passing by and happened to discover Li Ruilin, thus curious why their Family members had turned into Evil Corpses.
But it wasn't until his recent inquiries that he realized Ji You's curiosity seemed not to be a spur-of-the-moment thing, but rather an investigation into something.
In fact, he also really wanted to know who exactly harmed their Family members into such an inhuman, ghost-like state, and he also wanted to find the culprits and take revenge.
But after so many years of searching, his sixth sense told them that this matter was unfathomably deep, and their low cultivation made them utterly powerless.
Now, knowing that Ji You also seemed to want to find that group of people, he revealed all the suspicious points he knew.
Upon hearing this, Ji You’s eyes began to deepen.
Some things don’t need to be stated too clearly; as long as the listener also has doubts, they can understand.
Tan Huizhi’s words were an insinuation that perhaps the entire Immortal Villa had problems.
“What about Ah Jun’s younger brother? Which Immortal Villa is he in?”
Ji You had just compared the search for people and asked about the identities of the missing individuals one by one, knowing that besides Tan Huizhi’s grandson, the swordsman Ah Jun’s younger brother was also a Disciple of an Immortal Villa.
Tan Huizhi looked up upon seeing this: “To answer Young Master, Ah Lang is also in Feng Province, at an Immortal Villa called Ziyun.”
“What a coincidence.”
Ji You couldn’t help but murmur softly after hearing this.
When he established his Sect in Feng Province, he conducted a continuous three-year census of the population and the number of Immortal Villas within the territory.
If he remembered correctly, this Ziyun Immortal Villa was also one of the families that had suddenly moved out of Feng Province back then.
At the time, he thought it was because the taxes had been reduced by him, and many Sects couldn’t get enough benefits, so they sought other places. But now it seems the matter is not that simple at all.
At Chen Shi, the sun had risen slightly.
Cooking smoke rose straight up in the courtyard, mixing with the white mist in the mountains.
Ji You stepped out of the small courtyard and walked through the damp mountain forest, ascending the mountain.
Different perspectives lead to different attitudes towards the same matter.
Just like those Elders who were nearing the end of their lives, when they saw the people of the lower families, they saw it as an Immortal opportunity, a chance to extend their lifespan.
But they never considered that, from another’s perspective, this was Family ruin and separation of life and death.
However, he was powerless in such matters.
Just like Huang Yueniang, since she had already resolved to die with him, then persuasion or comfort would be meaningless to them.
Now, the most important thing is to follow this Immortal Villa lead and see if he can find out what those people hidden behind the scenes are doing—
It was already early summer after the Youxian Assembly, and after a few light rains, the cicadas began to chirp.
Here, the crops in Feng Province were growing exceptionally well; looking out from a high vantage point, it was a vast expanse of green, like a sea.
On the day of Renwu, Yuyang County, Feng Province.
County Magistrate Fang Zhongzheng, his wife, concubine, and several maids of the household were waiting at the gate, eagerly looking south.
Not long after, a carriage slowly approached from the south, then gently stopped in front of the city gate.
Immediately after, the carriage curtain was gently drawn open.
Fang Ruoyao stepped out of the carriage and softly spoke to her Family, "Father, your daughter has returned."
Fang Zhongzheng stepped forward and helped her down. "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back."
"I heard that my Elder brother returned a few days ago. Is he still at home now?"
"He went out again a few days ago, that boy, he knew you were coming back."
Fang Ruoyao smiled faintly, "Elder Brother is busy with official duties, Ruoyao doesn't blame him."
Fang Zhongzheng nodded and then said, "Has any Immortal Villa invited you to serve—"
Hearing this, Fang Ruoyao's eyelashes trembled slightly, and then she gently shook her head.
The five-year term for their batch of Tianshu Academy Disciples was nearing its end; those with strong backgrounds would naturally return home, while those without would choose to serve as offerings in an Immortal Villa.
However, even serving as an offering depended on one's Realm. Fang Ruoyao had been in the academy for five years, but she was still only at the upper stage of Micro-Illumination, and had not received any invitations.
She stepped down from the carriage and couldn't help but look towards the direction of the city gate.
It was from here that she and that person had left Yuyang County together for Shengjing; now, after only five years, everything had changed.
Seeing his daughter shake her head, Fang Zhongzheng sighed softly, "How many days will you stay this time?"
"Three to five days, perhaps. I'll have to return to the academy at the beginning of the month to see if I can join the Master's Courtyard and remain as a traveling Disciple."
"Being a traveling Disciple is also good. That Fairy Pei who visited our Family before was also a traveling Disciple, and her status was extremely high."
Fang Ruoyao could tell that this was merely a comforting remark, but she still nodded gently and then entered the city with her Family.
However, the changes within the city surprised her.
The dilapidated adobe houses on the edge of the city were now gone, replaced by neat and tidy blue-brick houses, and the dirt roads between the houses had been paved with bluestone slabs.
And in the center of the city, there was also a huge building with a plaque bearing the words "Schoolhouse."
Most noticeably, the people on the streets were no longer so emaciated; there were even a few chubby children.
After silently observing for a while, Fang Ruoyao returned to the County Office with her father.
Before even entering the door, she saw a long queue in front of the mansion gate, and upon reaching the front hall, she saw the Master-in-charge sitting at the head of the hall, receiving these commoners one by one.
One left, another came, and the Master-in-charge's pen never stopped, ink flowing freely.
"What is this for?"
Fang Ruoyao looked at her father with some confusion.
Fang Zhongzheng stopped upon seeing her. "A few days ago, a letter arrived from State Prefecture, saying that they need to compile all information regarding the nearby Immortal Villas from the past eight years.
Additionally, they need to investigate some people who have had contact with Immortal Villas. I don't know the specific reason."
"Is it related to tax tributes?"
"When Immortal Villas are mentioned, it must be related to tax tributes, but the questions the State Prefecture ordered us to ask are truly a bit strange. Your father is also a bit confused."
Fang Zhongzheng murmured, a little unclear about the situation.
However, they were not the only ones in Yuyang County to receive the letter. A few days ago, he attended a gathering with colleagues and heard others say that it was the same in other counties.
But what puzzled everyone was that the letter asked them to investigate not the Immortal Villas that were still present, but rather those that had long since moved away.
He snapped back to reality and then led his daughter to the mansion behind the government office.
Master Niu continued to record the villagers' accounts, his pen never stopping, with a distinct bureaucratic deadness, meticulously writing everything into official documents.
This continued for two full days, only ending at dusk on the second day.
And on the morning of the third day, as the morning glow burst forth across the horizon, another carriage approached Yuyang County along the official road.
However, that carriage did not enter the city but turned west along the stone path outside the city.
Carried within this speeding carriage was none other than Ji You.
After leaving Qing Province, he returned to State Prefecture and checked the situation in Feng Province, finding that everything was quite good.
Agricultural development was rapid, wealth accumulation was extremely fast, and Spirit Stone transportation had always been stable.
He had previously suggested guiding the establishment of trade markets to accelerate the circulation of goods. After two years, Feng Province already had many markets of considerable scale.
In addition, their Spiritual Seedling cultivation had shown initial results; although the yield could not yet keep up, at least the first step had been taken.
At this moment, Ji You was seated in the carriage, silently reading a letter in his hand.
The letter was from the Tsundere, telling him about her return to the mountain and briefly mentioning the movements of the major Immortal Sects after the Youxian Assembly.
As they had expected, the Immortal Sects continued to open ruins, not even sparing some smaller ones, bringing out numerous fruits.
As of now, only three large un-opened ruins remained.
One was in Ling Province, belonging to Lingjian Mountain, the one that made all three main peaks eager to move.
Another was on the eastern side of Yun Province, controlled by Tianshu Academy.
As for the last one, it was on the Moon Plateau in the southeast of Qing Province, bordering Yu Province.
Logically, this ruin should belong to the Chen Clan, but according to the Lingjian Mountain's external Disciples' report, Asked the Dao Sect had dispatched a large number of Disciples to guard its surroundings.
Similarly, the Chen Clan had also been frequently active these past few days.
In addition, people from the Mountain and Sea Pavilion also appeared nearby from time to time, seemingly all intending to get involved, creating an atmosphere ripe for war. If he hadn't encountered Huang Yueniang and her group, he probably wouldn't have felt worried about the content of this letter, after all, after observing the Youxian Assembly for several days,
He was probably certain that the fruit was fine.
But knowing that the Bu family members were actually playing the role of corpse transporters, and that someone had been continuously active behind the scenes, he always felt uneasy in his heart.
After a long while, the carriage slowly stopped, pulling up in front of a vast mansion.
This mansion was built on a hillside, with numerous pavilions, upturned eaves, and still showed its former grandeur.
However, the wild grass growing everywhere beneath the courtyard walls and the dense cobwebs under its plaque indicated that it had long been uninhabited.
Ji You put away the letter, then got out of the carriage, glanced at the four characters "Fengxian Mountain Manor," then pushed open the door and walked in. After looking around the courtyard, he waved his sleeve, gathered wind with his Spiritual Qi, and blew open all the doors upstairs and downstairs.
The scattered items in the room were numerous. At first glance, one might think it was merely due to a hasty departure, but if it wasn't a departure, there might be another explanation.
He looked through room after room, his gaze falling on a wall covered in claw marks, and the sharp, rigid claws of the Evil Seed flashed in his mind.
Since returning to Feng Province, this was the eighth Immortal Villa that had suddenly left that he had personally investigated, and Tan Huizhi's speculation seemed to be gradually confirmed.
These Immortal Villas that had disappeared from the land of Feng Province truly had something strange about them.
Especially the Ziyun Immortal Villa he visited the day before yesterday, there was a secret room in the Villa Master's bedroom, and the walls of the secret room were covered in bloody claw prints,
Like a purgatory.
"Turning people into Evil Seeds might be an experiment to achieve some kind of goal—
"Li Ruilin, as well as the mysteriously vanished Immortal Villa members, might all be test subjects. Feng Province has no cultivators, so naturally, its oversight is weak, making it an excellent testing ground."
"The Qingyun World has experienced two corpse tides, with a large number of them. It seems some of them can be traced back to their origins."
Ji You looked around, muttering to himself.
He left Yuyang County, entered Tianshu Academy, then established a Sect, reduced tax tributes, organized Immortals to participate in farming, and cooperated with the Immortal Supervision Department to establish a new Spirit Stone transportation route.
But in reality, he hadn't spent much time back in Feng Province.
Because in his view, Feng Province's troubles came from external factors; if he alone could hold back those external factors, then the interior of Feng Province would naturally be peaceful and harmonious.
But he had never thought that turmoil had always been brewing within Feng Province, never ceasing.
He left the room he was in, then went to the Fengxian Mountain Manor's incense hall. After searching for a while and finding some scattered pieces of paper, he stepped into the air and landed in Yuyang County, then walked into the government office.
Fang Zhongzheng had known he was coming and was waiting there with the yamen runners at the entrance.
Ji You's mind was heavy, and he didn't chat with them but went directly to Fang Zhongzheng's study.
At this time, the case files, transcribed by the Master-in-charge from the oral accounts of the villagers around Twenty Li Post, were already placed in the study, and he opened them after taking his seat.
"There are roars at night—"
"The ox was bitten to death—"
"After the heavy rain that day, the mountain had a very strong smell of blood.—"
"The dog went mad, barking wildly every night—"
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