[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-watching-the-immortals-fall":3,"chapter-watching-the-immortals-fall-watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-150":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},2260023,4410,"Chapter 150: Homecoming","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-150",150,"\u003Cp>At the end of July, autumn deepened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the time when autumn winds howled bitterly and white dew turned to morning frost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The conflict between the barbarians and Great Xia at Han Tie Pass had slightly eased, with both sides entering a brief truce.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demon race had established the Tianbao Pavilion across the Nine Provinces, a merchant house directly serving human cultivators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Additionally, the Autumn Duel at the Heavenly Book Academy was gradually expanding its influence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu He, whose hand bones had been severed, was taken back to Youzhou, after which no further news arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, because the outcome of the Autumn Duel surprised everyone and was too decisively clean, rumors began to spread about Ji You’s physique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon learning he might possess a body comparable to the Seven-Orifice Linglong Body of the Chu family, people felt as if another millennia-old lineage was about to rise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet puzzlingly, neither the heart of Princess Changle nor the affection of Lady Lu of Yunzhou had received any response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They say Ji You has little interest in women?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“True. I heard from the Heavenly Book Academy that he never so much as glances at women—he never even looks twice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are there still such gentlemen in the Qingyun Realm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I find nothing strange about it—only such a person could possibly possess the Sword Heart of Clarity spoken of by Spirit Sword Mountain, be free of all external distractions, and wander unimpeded on the Immortal Path.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet whenever such rumors surfaced, those who knew the truth always muttered, “Nonsense.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially one Immortal Emperor named Ruilong, who despised these rumors intensely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He claimed that before entering the Heavenly Book Academy, he had been a pure-hearted scion of a noble family, and it was only by following this gentleman that he learned to appreciate the beauty of the buttocks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid this storm of public opinion, the princess of Chong Wangfu  grew increasingly cold-faced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before she had sent Ji You her letter and hairpin, she had never imagined being rejected—she had even thought Ji You might be more eager than she was—yet now she found herself the subject of gossip, her face dark for days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially when others compared her unfavorably to other women who also sought to become Ji You’s Dao companion, pointing out her every shortcoming, her shame and anger grew worse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, despite the open Fengqi  among cultivators, Princess Changle developed a faint grudge against Ji You.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Ji You, he remained utterly unaware.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Bao Si, the beauty who brought ruin, never knew that when she watched the beacon fires, the feudal lords were all cursing under their breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, he stood atop the slope of the inner courtyard, watching the leaves quietly turn golden, and couldn’t help but recall the autumn hues of Yuyang County.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the four seasons—spring, summer, autumn, winter—Ji You loved autumn most.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the temperature was moderate, neither too cold nor too hot, the scenery was pleasant, and placing a wicker chair in the courtyard could carry one into a dream until dusk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until he got lost in Yuyang County, he had never loved this season again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, as autumn deepened, he packed his belongings and planned to leave the Heavenly Book Academy with Cao Jinsong and Pei Ruyi, returning to Fengzhou by carriage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The selection for the Inner Courtyard was not urgent, but the academy’s autumn recruitment was about to begin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As usual, Cao Jinsong and Pei Ruyi needed to travel to Fengzhou to select gifted disciples for the Heavenly Book Academy, so they could return together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before departure, Ji You made a special trip to Xuwu Mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The junior overseer of Spirit Sword Mountain was still in seclusion; when he briefly returned to consciousness and saw Ji You, he glared coldly, hugged him for a while, and couldn’t help staring at his chest for a long time, listening as Ji You spoke of returning home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the day of departure, another person joined them in the carriage: Kuangcheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had just concluded his duties regarding “demon race trade entry into the Nine Provinces,” and upon hearing they were returning to Fengzhou, he requested leave to accompany Ji You.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps due to the Emperor of Great Xia’s high regard, and his strong performance in the “tax embezzlement case” and “demon race trade,” he was now a Minister of the Ministry of Revenue and concurrently Director of the Immortal Supervision Reception Office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was now one step away from securing a cultivation spot for his family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Kuangcheng’s official path remained smooth, but his romantic path remained difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He still did not know how to interact with Wei Rui; they rarely met, though they had exchanged more letters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another person, not in the same carriage but traveling the same route, was Fang Ruoyao, who planned to return home to visit relatives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fengzhou has three cultivation spots, all from the Zhenbei Army.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Besides that, six sons of Fengzhou officials study near nearby Immortal Villages and are nearly qualified to enter the academy. I paid close attention to several last year; this year they should be much the same.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the carriage jolted, Cao Jinsong murmured over the scroll in his hand, his heart brimming with hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this hope ultimately stemmed from Ji You.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling a year ago, he had come to Yuyang County for Fang Ruoyao, only to find a youth under twenty who had ascended two realms in a single night, completing the Lower Three Realms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, this Lower Three Realms cultivator had opened the Inner Courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon after, the carriage halted at Yunxia Town, a small town in Fengzhou, where the group planned to rest briefly, eat and drink, then continue their journey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yunxia Town lay atop the vast, endless Tuanyuan plateau, surrounded by yellow earth, barren and desolate, crisscrossed by countless gullies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they entered the town, they saw countless square pits arranged neatly, yet not a single house stood above ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Closer inspection revealed each pit was three zhang deep, over five zhang long and wide, with ramps leading to the bottom, and cave dwellings with clear doors and windows lining all four sides—this was the traditional housing of Yunxia Town.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The region had no stone or abundant timber; the people of Yunxia Town had lived in these dug-out courtyards for a thousand years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond Yunxia Town, countless such impoverished towns in Fengzhou practiced the same “entering the earth as home.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they neared one such courtyard, a dark-skinned old farmer emerged from a cave dwelling, saw them, and immediately knelt low in the pit, trembling all over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You and Kuangcheng stood above, watching; upon seeing this, they instinctively turned away and left in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Fang Ruoyao stepped down from the other carriage, followed by her maid Shuang’er.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The six then found a quiet spot, unpacked their food, and sat to rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Look here—Luoyue Immortal Village. One student I favored last year trains there; this village is affiliated with Xuanyuan Immortal Mansion, so this student may not be the only one being watched. We’ll go there first, then return to Yuyang County to pick up the other students.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Jinsong pointed to a spot in the southwest of the Fengzhou map, reciting to Ji You and Pei Ruyi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You spoke up: “I must go to the provincial capital.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Jinsong turned to look at him: “Establishing a lineage cannot be rushed—you’re still alone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Qingyun Immortal Code doesn’t say one person can’t establish a lineage. Besides, tax collection is about to begin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You mean to target the tax quota? Such actions will surely breed resentment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fengzhou had no local lineage, but many Immortal Villages were affiliated with other Immortal Sects, like Fengxian Immortal Village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These villages were not powerful; their masters rarely exceeded the Fusion Dao realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unable to grow strong amid the Shijia  of Yunzhou, Youzhou, and Zhongzhou, they moved to Fengzhou and seized over twenty percent of its tax quota.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Part of this tax was consumed by the villages, the rest shipped away to feed Immortal Sect and lineage needs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people of the Nine Provinces all suffered; the people of Fengzhou suffered most.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Jinsong understood: Ji You, seeking to establish a lineage alone, intended to oppose all foreign Immortal Villages in Fengzhou and reclaim these tax quotas under the banner of a native lineage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the Qingyun Immortal Code was jointly established by the Seven Sacred Sects, its authority relied ultimately on human power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You had entered the Inner Courtyard, but he was still only a Tongxuan cultivator; the foreign Immortal Villages might not truly yield their tax quotas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Jinsong himself wished Ji You would establish a lineage here, but it was still too early.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, Ji You is not alone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Jinsong turned to Pei Ruyi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Ruyi spoke: “I will join too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But only the two of you...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not just us two—Ban Yangshu, Wen Zhengxin, Bai Rulong—they all told me before we left.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Ruyi looked at Cao Jinsong: “I didn’t enter the Inner Courtyard. For years I’ve wondered where I’d go after leaving the Heavenly Book Academy. I think I’ve finally found my place.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within the Seven Sacred Sects, the Fusion Dao realm meant little, but in Fengzhou, it was the pinnacle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A village with three Fusion Dao cultivators would command sufficient deterrence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long silence, Cao Jinsong stood with his hands behind his back: “Then before returning to the Heavenly Book Academy, we’ll go to the provincial capital.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You and Kuangcheng exchanged glances, then bowed deeply, hands raised before them, on the dusty Tuanyuan plateau.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Ruoyao stood nearby, watching silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s eat first. It seems we still have much ground to cover.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lunch ended hastily; the six boarded the carriage, crossed the dusty plains and winding gullies, heading toward Dan Shui County, the location of Luoyue Immortal Village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dan Shui County was one of Fengzhou’s largest counties, situated inland; the student Cao Jinsong mentioned was Xiang Xuan’s daughter, Xiang Fu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Fu had trained since childhood under Luoyue Immortal Village’s cultivators and had reached the Initial Stage of Ninghua last year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a place like Fengzhou, reaching this realm was already extraordinary talent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Luoyue Immortal Village was also affiliated with Xuanyuan Immortal Mansion; whether Xiang Fu would agree to join the Heavenly Book Academy remained uncertain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Jinsong planned to first sound out Xiang Xuan’s opinion; once he secured the governor’s approval, he would meet Xiang Fu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when the six arrived at the governor’s mansion, they discovered Xiang Fu was already there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Luoyue Immortal Village moved away half a year ago.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Moved away?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Xuan was a middle-aged man with a goatee; upon hearing the question, he bowed to Cao Jinsong: “Respected Immortal, yes, they moved—but we never saw when they left.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You and Kuangcheng exchanged glances: “Also vanished suddenly, leaving an empty house?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly. At the time, Fu’er had already been home for over half a month. I thought the move was an excuse—she’d been disobedient—so I waited a few days, prepared gifts, and went to visit the village, only to find it completely empty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You frowned slightly: “Like Fengxian Immortal Village?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kuangcheng lifted his sleeve: “This is good news—fewer Immortal Villages means less resistance for Ji Brother’s lineage.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Jinsong, like Pei Ruyi, also saw this as good news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had come solely to recruit Xiang Fu; they’d feared she might be too loyal to Xuanyuan Immortal Mansion and refuse to join the Heavenly Book Academy—yet now this unexpected turn of events occurred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(Requesting monthly votes...)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1936,"2026-06-19T15:28:39.995Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","7600735d5ff47b0efe558ec2cc5b20e30b69d7f8ab061ac75273b242c84d20e6","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-151","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-149",430,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwatching-the-immortals-fall-cover.jpg"]