Chapter 136: Guests from Fengzhou

The grand city of Shengjing soon fell into night, stars flooding the sky from either side of Nishan.

The clear tea was slowly drained, its bright hue gradually fading.

Meanwhile, Ji You sat beneath the osmanthus tree in the courtyard and wrote a letter to Yuan Caimei, updating her on his recent affairs.

He claimed he had forgotten the scene of that day, and described in delicate detail exactly what he had forgotten.

Meanwhile, Pei Ruyi, Wen Zhengxin, and others had finished their tea and decided to leave; before departing, they reminded him again to avoid his fiancée and focus on the Autumn Trials in the Inner Court.

Among them, Pei Ruyi’s expression was the most serious and earnest.

She too came from Fengzhou, admitted to the academy through a cultivation quota, but was not born into a cultivation clan.

Because she shared the same experience, she did not wish for Fengzhou’s rare, exceptionally gifted individual to be barred at the threshold.

Just like her, even after entering the Upper Five Realms, she still could not leave the Heavenly Book Academy.

Because she lacked Inner Court status, even having entered the Upper Five Realms, she had no qualification to establish a clan or immortal estate in Fengzhou under the academy’s auspices.

Precisely because Fengzhou had no clans, it remained perpetually the most voiceless among the Nine Provinces.

As a result, its annual taxes and tributes were the heaviest, its resources controlled by the other eight provinces, and private cultivation and banditry the most severe.

Thus, Ji You now did not represent only himself—he represented Cao Jingsong, Pei Ruyi, and all of Fengzhou.

If he entered the Heavenly Book Academy’s Inner Court, according to the Qingyun Immortal Regulations, he would qualify to establish a registered clan or immortal estate in Fengzhou.

And according to the immortal regulations, clans and immortal estates established under an immortal sect would control all taxes, spirit stones, and cultivation prodigies, aside from their share paid to the Seven Immortal Sects.

Disciples recruited by such clans and immortal estates would all qualify to cultivate within the immortal sects.

Pei Ruyi knew her junior brother had a pure heart and a habit of meddling in injustices.

But no one could govern the entire world—not even the Headmaster of the Heavenly Book Academy had that power.

Yet if her junior brother could establish a clan and immortal estate in Fengzhou, at least he could govern Fengzhou, since no other clans existed there—he would be the sole authority.

“Though my junior brother’s temperament is a bit eccentric, he takes his duties seriously; there’s no need to overly worry about his entry into the Inner Court.”

Wen Zhengxin had full confidence in Ji You: “He’s already reached the Tongxuan Realm and has learned the sword art of Lingjian Mountain—I see no reason he won’t succeed.”

Ban Yangshu couldn’t help chiming in: “Indeed. In the past, I wouldn’t have dared say Ji’s junior brother would definitely enter the Inner Court—but now, who can match him?”

“I just feel uneasy…”

“Senior Sister Pei feels uneasy because her expectations are too high, but with Ji’s junior brother’s abilities, even if I were to face his sword, I might not escape unscathed.”

Pei Ruyi nodded slightly, knowing Ban Yangshu spoke truthfully.

Ji You’s combat power had never been fully understood—whether in Qiling, the prior duel at Baiyu Terrace, or at Lingjian Mountain.

Yet even the abilities he had already shown surpassed those of an ordinary Tongxuan Realm cultivator.

Even we, who have entered the Rongdao Realm, feel heart-pounding dread when facing his sword intent.

Chu He has not yet returned to the academy; he remains in Youzhou preparing for the Autumn Trials, but she could not imagine what other tricks the Chu family might have.

Beneath the pitch-black night, Shengjing under curfew had grown eerily empty, its streets and alleys bathed only in cold, pale moonlight.

The summer heat steadily evaporated, yet still made sleep impossible.

Until the city tower struck the second watch, a shadow suddenly leapt onto the western city gate tower.

His clothing was riddled with holes, his entire body trembling with fear; he swiftly ducked behind a hearth in an abandoned house, his face ashen as earth.

Even in such exhaustion, he continuously extended his spiritual sense, probing every whisper of wind and rustle of grass.

At this moment, excessive spiritual sense depletion made his head feel as if pierced by needles.

Only after confirming no sound approached did he finally exhale, then overwhelming fatigue surged into his heart.

It felt like a mountain rushing toward him, crushing every muscle and bone, dragging his head down with crushing weight.

After a long while, he could no longer suppress his exhaustion and accidentally fell asleep.

And now, endless nightmares flooded his mind.

“Lord, where is my son? He went with you to the Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion to deliver goods—why hasn’t he returned?”

“He has good talent; he was kept at the Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion to cultivate. Don’t worry—you’ll be sent there in a few days.”

“Thank you, Lord. But may I ask, what cultivation art is the manor currently practicing?”

“What’s wrong?”

“I just feel the energy is terrifying.”

“It’s a cultivation art granted by the Immortal Mansion’s direct disciple. Commander Bao, don’t worry.”

Afterward, the dialogue in his dream dissolved into countless hazy, uneasy fragments.

Continuous wisps of faint black energy drifted from every disciple, along with their numb, vacant stares.

Black mist swirled around the mountains; countless slaughtered cattle and sheep lay in pitch-black pits.

And in the cave he stumbled into, unorganized, pulsating flesh clung to the stone walls, spewing sticky threads of blood.

In an instant, Bao Yongsheng snapped open his eyes, trembling violently, his teeth chattering uncontrollably.

He had this dream every day.

But this was not a delusion born of madness—it was what he had truly seen.

Now, Bao Yongsheng crouched behind a water jar, his grip on the long blade stiffened, his entire body shrouded in icy dread.

Then he looked up toward the moon, knowing that ahead lay the Great Xia Sacred Sect’s Heavenly Book Academy.

He was not a disciple of the Heavenly Book Academy, so he could not pass its protective formation; he could only wait until dawn to find a disciple to bring him inside.

Heavenly Book Academy disciple…

At this thought, Bao Yongsheng’s mind drifted back to Taiwu Year Two—the autumn of last year.

He descended from Fengxian Mountain while on his way to Yuyang County to collect tribute, and on the banks of Baishui River saw a girl with luminous topknots, intending to seize her and deliver her to the Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion.

But that day at Yuyang County’s government office, a youth in white robes, radiant with spiritual energy, unleashed a tidal wave of qi.

Later, that youth entered the Heavenly Book Academy and was brought to Shengjing.

Since then, Bao Yongsheng assumed he would never hear of him again—Shengjing was far from Fengzhou, and only major news could reach such a remote backwater.

Yet not long after, word spread through Yuyang County that Ji You had awakened the Heavenly Book’s resonance upon entering the academy.

He had been stunned for a long time, unaware he had encountered such an extraordinary person, and had lived in constant fear—fearing his cultivation would grow ever stronger, fearing his return would bring retribution.

“Ji You…”

Bao Yongsheng drew a deep breath and let out a bitter laugh.

He now leaned against the wall, his waist suspended in midair, so he could instantly spring up at the slightest sound.

But because of this posture, his chest shook violently as he laughed, reopening the knife wound on his chest—blood spurted.

Simultaneously, intense pain ravaged his body—not from external wounds, but from his spiritual core.

Bao Yongsheng gritted his teeth, slammed his fist hard against his lower abdomen, his qi nearly bursting from his body, forcing him to vomit a jet of black blood.

He did not know what dark art this was, only that something within him was relentlessly destroying his spiritual core.

“Commander Bao’s injuries are life-threatening.”

“But why, with wounds this severe, did you travel all the way to Shengjing?”

Bao Yongsheng’s body froze; slowly, he raised his head and saw an elderly, hunched figure standing atop the ruined roof, littered with leaves and tiles.

The old man had a striking hawk-like nose; though his eyes were dark and sinister, his voice was gentle.

Bao Yongsheng tightened his grip on the blade: “So it’s Elder Hong. I’ve come to Shengjing to visit relatives…”

He knew this Elder Hong was a guest advisor of the Chu family, who had entered the Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion over a decade ago with the direct disciple Chu Xian.

Fengxian Mountain Manor traced its lineage to the Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion, so calling him “Elder” was appropriate.

Their lord sent this Elder Hong spirit treasures every year, so Bao Yongsheng had seen him many times.

“Your injuries are too grave—come back with me. My young master will heal you.”

“Could I wait until after I’ve visited my relatives…”

The old man on the roof said nothing; he stepped down and walked slowly toward Bao Yongsheng.

Seeing this, Bao Yongsheng straightened his waist, gripped his blade tightly, his voice trembling: “Elder Hong, what dark art are Lord and the others practicing…”

“A new Immortal Dao—beyond the Heavenly Dao.”

“If it’s an Immortal Dao, why did the direct disciple forbid me from coming to Shengjing, and instead send men to pursue me here?”

Hong Sisha stared at him without expression: “Because others would covet it—we cannot let the news leak. Remember Qiling? How many immortal sects flocked there—how could we let them know?”

Bao Yongsheng nervously swallowed: “Then, Elder Hong, could you tell me where this new Immortal Dao originates? I’d like to learn it too.”

“You ask too many questions.”

As the man before him drew closer, Bao Yongsheng’s blade trembled violently.

His realm was low; he could bully others in backwater Yuyang County, but to fight a Upper Five Realm expert was pure fantasy.

So he knew—he would die tonight.

Yet he still needed to understand what they were doing.

He did not believe it was this so-called new Immortal Dao—after seeing the unorganized flesh in the cave, he felt only vile, bitter hatred.

But Hong Sisha gave him no chance to speak—he suddenly swung his hand, and a titanic surge of qi flooded into Bao Yongsheng’s crown.

The overwhelming force pierced his skull; Bao Yongsheng’s eyes bulged, blood spurted from his orifices, his body collapsing like rotten mud.

(End of Chapter)