[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-watching-the-immortals-fall":3,"chapter-watching-the-immortals-fall-watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-134":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Watching the Immortals Fall",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2260007,4410,"Chapter 134: How Much Salary Was Paid Out?","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-134",134,"\u003Cp>On a warm summer afternoon, Cao Jingsong finally re-experienced the fear of being dominated by ruthless bandits, his once-proud chest now sunken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed as if his inner pride and his money pouch were of the same root—when one leaked, the other could no longer hold anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the afternoon of the next day, Ji You received another letter delivered from below the mountain, and hurriedly left the mountain, eventually arriving at the courtyard at the end of Chunhua Alley—the residence of the Kuang scholar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, the very day after returning from Lingjian Mountain to Tianshu Academy, Ji You had come here once before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that time, Kuang Cheng was not home; the gate was tightly locked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After inquiring at the Si Xian Jian, he learned that Kuang Cheng had been reassigned to the Reception Office of the Si Xian Jian shortly after Ji You’s departure, tasked with managing trade between the demon tribes and the human realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, the young scholar had just returned to the capital, dusty and weary, sweeping the courtyard with a broom, looking in good spirits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing footsteps, he turned toward the gate and saw Ji You.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Ji, long time no see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You smiled: “I heard you were promoted—how much salary did they give you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kuang Cheng’s mouth twitched, then he set down the broom: “Have you eaten? I haven’t either—why not eat together?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You couldn’t help but raise a thumb: “Good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two then left the side courtyard and found a nearby noodle shop, ordering two bowls of yangchun noodles and some wine and meat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Kuang Cheng took out some silver from his robe and placed it before him: “This is half of what I earned last month.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So much? Your monthly salary must have gone up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My base salary hasn’t changed—it’s the increased income from demon tribe trade with Jiuzhou that’s made the difference.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kuang Cheng peeled garlic as he spoke: “The spirit stones the demon tribes bring from the Snowlands are of higher quality than those from the major mines in Yunzhou and Zhongzhou—they’re extremely popular among cultivators. This trade channel is managed by Great Xia, effectively reclaiming part of the spirit stone ownership from the Jiuzhou clans.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You lifted his gaze: “No wonder the prices of Yunzhou and Zhongzhou spirit stones have been dropping these past few days.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly. And this benefits the common people.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kuang Cheng handed him a clove of garlic: “The demon tribes bring spirit stones from the Snowlands, but they don’t take silver—they exchange them for rice, vegetables, fruits, salt, and various handicrafts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Ji You chewed the greens in his mouth, he understood why this was advantageous to the people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Snowlands are a bitterly cold land with very few crops—it’s precisely these agricultural goods they need.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through trade with the demon tribes, Great Xia has suppressed the price of spirit stones held by the clans, while also earning silver from cultivators across Qingyun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After deducting profits, part of this silver is used to purchase agricultural goods from the people, further driving up their prices and helping common folk become somewhat wealthier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You ate a mouthful of noodles: “It seems the emperor in the palace wasn’t just talking when he announced his new policies.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Correct. My colleagues at the Si Xian Jian and I are all working hard—but even so, this alone cannot change the current order. Even if we control the spirit stones, it means little to the immortal sects and clans who annually plunder taxes and tributes. Besides, the demon tribes aren’t easy to deal with.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Again, ‘Those not of our kind must have different hearts’?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kuang Cheng nodded: “The emperor opened the borders to allow demon tribes into Jiuzhou for trade—this is extremely risky. On my travels, I’ve often heard rumors that the demon tribes seek to seize human destiny and return to Jiuzhou, and the northern barbarians seem to have the same goal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You bit into a clove of garlic and glanced at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kuang Cheng’s position and role determine how he now views the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to ordinary people like us, though the masses are often oppressed by immortal sects and clans, it’s still better than being enslaved by foreign races.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one wants to return to the ancient age, to a time of enslavement, skin peeled, bones broken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the rumors of chaos remain just rumors for now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though demon tribes and barbarians are stirring, and the Seven Immortal Sects and Jiuzhou clans are restless, since the Qiling incident, no greater turmoil has emerged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clues we uncovered from Qingwa regarding the infants have since vanished without a trace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The whereabouts of those infants remain unknown—he didn’t know whether they had truly dissipated into the heavens with Zheng’s ancestral patriarch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because as an outer academy disciple, Ji You still lacked access to more useful information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What troubled him most, however, was the faint, feeble whisper he’d heard upon arriving in this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He believed chaos was coming—but how it would unfold, and who would instigate it, remained shrouded in mist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All Ji You could do for now was strengthen his cultivation and enter the inner academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kuang Cheng was the same—striving in the confusion toward a better path, full of determination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps because he could now truly do something for this world, no longer the helpless scholar who only lamented spring’s passing and autumn’s sorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Ji, you must become the head of Tianshu Academy quickly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You have blind faith in me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This isn’t blind faith—if you become head of Tianshu Academy and marry the Yu Danzong’s daughter, your influence will grow immensely, at least enough to make life easier for the people.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You glanced at him: “What if I also marry the future head of Lingjian Mountain—what do you think?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kuang Cheng’s noodle hung suspended in midair: “Then it would be even better—I’ve said before, conquering the world isn’t always about swords; sometimes it’s about a strong body.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eat your noodles, you perpetually pale scholar.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they ate, they began discussing matters concerning Yuyang County.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the silver ticket was returned, Master Chen had purchased land in the county to build a school, intending to teach the children of Yuyang to read and understand propriety.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, the north has been plagued by war this year, and the villagers seem uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, this year’s drought has made the harvest look far from promising.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But amid the bad news, there was good: the Fengxian Mountain Villa, which had once tried to kidnap Qiu Ru for alchemical purposes, had moved out of Yuyang County—leaving behind only an abandoned mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Ji You was surprised: “Moved out?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They say they moved, but no one actually saw them leave. You know—the villagers dare not approach the place; they always walk around it, afraid of offending the immortals.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You tightened his chopsticks: “Then how do you know they moved?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kuang Cheng stopped eating: “It was Old Geng, the hunter who lives below the mountain—he went hunting and found the villa empty. Later, a few half-grown boys gathered courage to check around and confirmed no one was left.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did anyone see how they left?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No. But rumors say everything inside remains untouched—they vanished as if into thin air. Some in the county even speculated whether Fengxian Mountain Villa had offended some greater immortal clan and thus departed without a sound.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You held his chopsticks, finding it strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Qingyun was vast—anything could happen. The Ji family had vanished overnight in the same way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing their noodles, the two returned along the alley to the side courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as they neared, they saw a slender figure standing near the house. Seeing Kuang Cheng and Ji You, she panicked and hurried away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet after a few steps, she halted, hesitated, then turned to look back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kuang… Kuang Young Master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, Miss Wei, long time no see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Rui lowered her head, speaking softly: “I heard you’d returned to the capital, so… I thought I’d stop by.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the Qiling incident, Zhongzhou had grown relatively stable; the refugees who once gathered at the city gates had dispersed, and Wei Rui no longer needed to serve porridge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Kuang Cheng was reassigned away from Shengjing, and they hadn’t seen each other for months.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Though I am but a frail scholar, I’ve been well cared for by my colleagues at the Si Xian Jian—this journey was uneventful. Thank you for your concern.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I… well… yes, I’m glad you’re safe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You pushed open the courtyard gate: “Miss Wei, let me invite you in for tea.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Rui glanced at Kuang Cheng, paused, then said: “All right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, Brother Ji—I’ve just returned to the capital; we have no tea, and I haven’t even had time to refill the water barrel—it’s empty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kuang Cheng suddenly told Ji You, his expression calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You turned to Wei Rui and saw her freeze, then look up at Kuang Cheng: “Is that so… then I won’t trouble you further. I wish you safety.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You watched Wei Rui depart, then looked at Kuang Cheng: “She came all the way to see you—why send her away?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I serve in the Si Xian Jian—I must avoid close ties with the Wei family. Besides, Miss Wei and I are merely acquaintances. A single man inviting an unmarried woman into his home violates propriety and harms her reputation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You didn’t need such a clumsy excuse—just tell her the truth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kuang Cheng looked at his right hand: “In investigating Wei Li’s tax embezzlement case, every page I read screamed ‘cannibalism’—it’s hard to face her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You turned to him: “But if a woman marries, she’s no longer considered part of the Wei family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Ji, what are you saying?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I bet you’ve already thought of a name for the child.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kuang Cheng held his breath, face flushed: “Brother Ji, you’re talking nonsense!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You narrowed his eyes: “Don’t pretend—I’ve thought of one too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I haven’t!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Too late now—you’ve chased her away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Kuang Cheng’s spirits sank; he clenched his lips, silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just then, footsteps echoed again down the alley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two looked up—Wei Rui had returned, looking flustered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In her hand she carried a paper parcel labeled with a tea tag; behind her followed a water carrier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The carrier asked if this was the house; upon Wei Rui’s nod, he pushed inside, and soon the sound of water gushing into a barrel filled the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I… I bought some tea.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the water stopped flowing, Wei Rui finally found the courage to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost everyone in Shengjing knew that the granddaughter of the corrupt minister Wei Li was gentle, well-mannered, quiet, and never argued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet now, she showed unexpected stubbornness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You watched the two silently staring at each other and thought: Well, I’ve become the third wheel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Kuang, I’ll take my leave—you two… enjoy your tea.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, Brother Ji!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't be polite—I don't want to get involved in your discussion about names; I still have to name my own family.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1855,"2026-06-19T15:28:39.995Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","59dea4954be2bf522d188a28992891eb0eda716818fecea53a07d3bb61aed661","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-135","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-133",430,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwatching-the-immortals-fall-cover.jpg"]