Chapter 171: A Spectacle in Fengzhou

The officials responsible for this diplomatic mission to the Demon race were naturally not the self-serving members of the Pro-Immortal Faction, like Prince Chong or Wei Li.

Because such people have always been unreliable.

According to Xiang Kuangcheng, these officials were those who had been squeezed out of the imperial court by the Pro-Immortal Faction, had suffered countless suppressions, and were only recalled due to the New Policy.

Among them was a man named Wang Mingchang, whose hair was entirely white; he was already in the twilight of his years.

Thirty years ago, he was the Governor of Yunzhou, but because he was dissatisfied with the tax and tribute system that left corpses strewn across his jurisdiction, he submitted memorials multiple times, only to be dismissed from office. When he returned to his hometown, his right leg was broken by others, and he had spent thirty years suffering in pain and resentment.

There were many more officials like him in the delegation.

Just like that line of Ji You's: "Since ancient times, who has not died? Let a loyal heart shine in the annals of history," they were fearless, and some had even long since let their hearts die.

Rumors about Ji You often circulated in Shengjing, and although these envoys were mortals, they had heard a few snippets.

But from their perspective, looking at a cultivator, it was actually very difficult to develop a sense of trust.

Because in their hearts, cultivators had always been cut from the same cloth; this was a deep-rooted ideology caused by the thousand-year structure of the Qingyun world.

At this moment, amidst the clinking of wine cups and the company of the bright moon, a grand banquet was being held in Hezhen.

In the flower towers and jade halls of the noble families, although the prodigies of the Immortal Sects still maintained their usual indifferent, dust-free appearance, they were actually deeply satisfied with the warm hospitality of the Yunzhou noble families.

After all, the noble families of Yunzhou built their foundation on the production of spirit stones, and their ways of entertaining guests were varied and of a quality far higher than the other nine continents.

Aside from the strange and exotic immortal delicacies, even the singing and dancing were refreshing.

Thus, they drank and exchanged cups until dawn before drifting away.

The three Southern sects returned earlier and saw the others staying at the inn having their morning meal, followed by the Northern prodigies who returned one after another.

The delegation then continued on their journey, and as previously planned, they took a detour toward the northwest of Fengzhou, where a sense of barrenness rushed toward them.

There were no tall cities here, nor were there any pavilions or towers with upturned eaves; there were only mud huts and thatched houses, and even the courtyards were made of stacked bundles of withered branches—calling them fences might be more appropriate.

The contrast in wealth between the two adjacent regions was so obvious that it indeed created a strong sense of shock.

"Yunzhou is rich in mineral resources, which establishes its extremely important status among the nine continents; come to think of it, it can be considered a gift from heaven. Compared to it, Fengzhou is truly dispensable."

"Hmm, that premium spirit wine from yesterday was something even I rarely see."

Jiang Yan of the Ask Dao Sect, Jiang Yue rou of the Mountain Sea Pavilion, and Yan Qiubai of the Spirit Sword Mountain were riding in the same carriage at this time, discussing matters among themselves.

Cultivators emphasize having nothing outside the heart and being natural and indifferent, but they were women, after all.

When they saw something new, they couldn't help but offer some sharp critiques.

Jiang Yan took a spirit stone from her sleeve and, with a movement of her spiritual sense, a rich and refined spiritual energy poured into her body: "Although things are better in their place of origin, spirit stones of this quality must be worth a fortune. The noble families of Yunzhou are truly generous."

Yan Qiubai chuckled after hearing this: "It's more than that, isn't it? At the Wang family banquet yesterday, the eldest son of the Wang family head seemed to have some thoughts about Sister Yan?"

Jiang Yan curled her lips: "His realm is average, and his looks are plain; he certainly dares to dream."

"As for a Dao companion, is your family not in a hurry, Sister?"

"I have been asked, but I have requirements for looks. After all, one must be pleasing to the eye during dual cultivation; otherwise, wouldn't it be completely devoid of interest?"

Endless succession is the main melody of noble family development, and this is no exception even for the children of noble families.

Whether it is forming an alliance or giving birth to more talented offspring, it is considered a serious task regardless of gender.

Jiang Yue rou spoke up upon hearing this: "I remember there was someone in the carriage train who looked extremely good."

"Who?"

"That practitioner in the Realm of Profound Understanding, I think his name is Ji You. I have been in seclusion for too long, and I only learned his name when I heard them chatting last night."

Yan Qiubai instantly remembered that practitioner in the Realm of Profound Understanding: "That person? I took a few extra looks before we set off; he is indeed quite good."

Jiang Yan looked at the two of them: "If he looks good, I might be interested, but have you ever heard of any family with the surname Ji among the thousands of noble families in the Qingyun world?"

"?"

"Does Sister mean that this person entered the sect via a quota?"

Jiang Yan nodded: "It should be so."

Yan Qiubai opened her mouth: "To be able to cultivate to the Upper Five Realms by entering the sect via a quota, his talent can be considered decent."

"But the Realm of Profound Understanding is only the initial realm of the Upper Five Realms, and it is still a bit weak. If he were a child of a noble family, one could still consider it, but what value can entering the sect via a quota have? One cannot just look at his looks; wouldn't that be no different from secular women?"

Amidst the discussion, Jiang Yue rou was suddenly attracted by a scene outside the window. She tilted her head to look out, and after a long while, she couldn't help but speak: "Look, something strange."

Jiang Yan and Yan Qiubai, who were chatting, were slightly stunned, and then they turned their heads to look, seeing the strangeness Jiang Yue rou spoke of.

Because they were currently traveling on the border between Yunzhou and Fengzhou, they saw countless wooden anti-cavalry stakes made of wooden spikes blocking the way, stretching endlessly. Wherever there was a road, even on the bumpy dirt roads, they were present.

The two of them watched like this, and suddenly discovered a group of mortals in ragged clothes walking from west to east along a low mountain located on the border between Fengzhou and Yunzhou.

Several sturdy men were in the lead, and there were children and women among them, their faces filled with panic.

"What are they... doing?"

"Fleeing...?"

Immortals on the mountains rarely care about the secular world below, especially prodigies like them who are in seclusion all year round.

There were also officials in the carriage who saw this scene. They saw those mortals suddenly look relieved after crossing the mountain, lifting their pale faces toward the rising red sun.

This is the difference in appearance between the people of Yunzhou and the people of Fengzhou.

The people of Fengzhou face the yellow earth and back the sky, their skin basically dark, while the people of Yunzhou are trapped in mines all year round and never see the sun.

And there were quite a few such strange things on this road.

For example, other refugees crossing over to this place were caught by the local Yunzhou government.

Or another batch of refugees being chased by government runners, but luckily stepping into Fengzhou territory before being caught.

Although those runners were furious, their expressions seemed to become a bit envious as they watched the ragged people walk further and further away on the barren land, finally turning and leaving.

There was another puzzling scene, which was about cultivators; this was what they saw when they passed by a village.

Under a willow tree outside the village, a cultivator in the Realm of Condensation and Transformation was using spiritual energy to control a thick black iron drill, viciously piercing the ground.

As the iron drill went deep underground, the upward rotation and protrusion at the edge brought a large amount of soil to the ground.

A few breaths later, the person was exhausted, and another person seamlessly took over, drilling deep downward.

In no time, what was pulled up turned into mud.

Seeing this scene, the farmers surrounding the area knelt down one after another, their heads touching the ground, knocking their foreheads with a thumping sound.

Ji You also watched for a long time, then whispered: "Terrible, it is actually the combination of the magic treasure Poison Dragon Immortal Drill and Sword Dao for excavation."

Xiang Kuangcheng's mouth twitched: "Isn't this just digging a well...?"

"This is its nickname, a folk term. Immortals never speak like this. I asked the Fengzhou government to take a count of the uncultivated but relatively fertile land some time ago to switch to triple-harvest crops. Irrigation is a big deal; they are truly blessed."

"No wonder they need to dig wells."

"Look, cultivators like them know that they have no possibility of ascending, but because they have some cultivation, their distracting thoughts and desires are more than those of mortals, and they need more external objects to fill the emptiness in their hearts. The saying that abbots are combative and disciples are difficult to deal with is the reason."

Ji You looked out the window with a calm gaze: "But these external objects cannot be at the cost of the people having no food or money, so we must provide them with emotional value."

Xiang Kuangcheng looked out the window for a long time, and at this moment couldn't help but open his mouth: "What is emotional value?"

"Greed and vanity are not high or low; both can satisfy people. In principle, they can be substituted for each other. Material things satisfy greed, while praise satisfies vanity. If we don't give them tax and tribute, we must give them applause."

Ji You muttered: "The so-called personal disciples are high and mighty, looking down on the world, but I don't think they are as praised as them. You must know that they were originally supposed to be the scraps of this world."

Xiang Kuangcheng pursed his lips: "Is Fengzhou going to develop agriculture with all its might?"

"Fengzhou is not like Yunzhou, which has spirit stone resources. At present, this is the only way. If the people can be better off, I can earn a little more, and those immortal manor disciples also feel deeply satisfied. Let's stabilize it first, and then think about industrial upgrading later."

"Can it still be upgraded?"

Ji You turned his head to look at him: "Build high walls, store grain widely, grow endlessly, and then develop customers. How can farming be faster than robbing?"

Just at this moment, in the second village the carriage passed, a cultivator was using spiritual energy to drive thatch to repair some dilapidated roofs.

Yunzhou and Central Province both border Fengzhou. Although the government has private decrees prohibiting people from fleeing, after a few months of exploration, some smuggling paths have been operated.

And these people who fled here always need a place to shelter from the wind and rain first.

Xiang Kuangcheng watched for a long time: "This... what kind of Sword Dao is this again?"

Ji You shook his head gently: "This is no longer Sword Dao; this is already in the realm of spells, called 'Scattering Grass into Roofs.' They all say this outside. After all, when you go out, your face is given by yourself."

At this time, the carriage train had already followed the northeast of Fengzhou and stopped in front of the next village.

Cultivators can go without eating, but if those envoys don't eat, they certainly won't be able to persist to the destination.

Jiang Yan, Yan Qiubai, and Jiang Yue rou got off the carriage together. Because they had chatted about Ji You earlier, they couldn't help but turn their heads to look back at the man who was a femme fatale.

But then, a dragging sound of footsteps rang out, attracting their attention.

The three of them turned their heads to look and saw that group of old officials getting off the carriage one after another and turning toward the back.

Like those cultivators, they had seen people fleeing to Fengzhou, seen the joint excavation, and seen the scattering of grass into roofs during the carriage's journey. So they had been silent all the way, and at this moment, they lifted their hands gently, and dozens of people bowed in unison.

People from noble families all go to cultivate, and only the poor choose to become officials.

Apart from their official positions, they were actually once the lowest-level people living in this world.

Jiang Yan was slightly stunned, then turned to look to the side and discovered that they were bowing to Ji You. This scene made the other prodigies unable to help but look over.

Emotional value is indeed terrible; it can almost make people forget that they are a professional fierce bandit.

If Cao Jingsong were here, his chest would probably explode.

Ji You nodded gently to them, turned around, and went elsewhere, like a lonely swordsman looking out over the vast Fengzhou.

"Ji You?"

"You ask about that Heavenly Tian Shuyuan disciple who is exceptionally talented, peerless in Sword Dao, and like a banished immortal?"

"No, he is not someone who entered the sect via a quota."

Among the three Southern sects, the only one who had not been in closed-door seclusion recently was Brother Brother Gongshu Chou.

At this moment, he was sitting by the carriage, looking unfathomable, and spoke slowly to his junior sister Yan Qiubai...

Jiang Yan was currently under the temporarily erected tea shed, pondering what she had just seen, when she saw Yan Qiubai returning from afar, huddled together with Jiang Yue rou and saying something.

Jiang Yan couldn't help but walk over: "What are you chatting about? Why so enthusiastic? Have you forgotten that the Dao heart needs to be as still as stagnant water?"

Yan Qiubai raised her head to look at him: "Sister Jiang Yan, I have made it clear; that Ji You is not someone who entered the sect via a quota."

"Is there really a Ji surname among the noble families of the Qingyun world?"

"No, he is actually a wild private cultivator..."

"???"

Jiang Yan was slightly stunned, and it was only after a long while that she reacted: "Private cultivation is a capital crime; how could he enter the Immortal Sect?"

Yan Qiubai blinked: "It is said that when he was discovered, he was not yet twenty, but he was already at the perfection of the Lower Three Realms."

"?!"

Yan Qiubai told him what she had heard from Brother Brother Gongshu Chou, saying that a Heavenly Tian Shuyuan instructor went to recruit students and saw spiritual energy rushing into the sky, and so on.

Jiang Yan came from a noble family, had experienced the cultivation of the Lower Three Realms, and had seen children in her family guided by elders to awaken their spirits.

In childhood, one's temperament is unstable, and some who are relatively stupid might be stuck at the step of awakening the spirit for many years without being able to reach the Dim Illumination Realm, requiring the assistance of elixirs and spirit stones.

And even if one comes from a noble family with endless resources and countless elixirs to use, it is by no means easy to cultivate to the perfection of the Lower Three Realms.

So hearing Yan Qiubai say this, Jiang Yan felt it was extremely incredible.

That person could actually rely on his own strength to privately cultivate to the point of being able to enter the academy by breaking the rules.

She had only heard such stories in folk plays.

Jiang Yan was surprised for a long time, and finally came to her senses: "So he is a wild private cultivator. Isn't that even worse than entering the academy via a quota? Entering via a quota at least shows that this person comes from an official family or the military, while a wild private cultivator doesn't even have such a family background."

Yan Qiubai opened her mouth: "But he has a noble family."

"Didn't you say he was a wild private cultivator?"

"This Ji You comes from Fengzhou, which is this place. Not long ago, he entered the inner courtyard, established his own noble family here, and lowered this year's tax and tribute in Fengzhou to one-tenth. That's why people from Yunzhou and Central Province are fleeing here every day, which is the scene we saw on this trip..."

Fengzhou is barren and has no noble families; this is a well-known fact.

But it is also a well-known fact that Fengzhou has children of noble families from outside who have set up immortal manors to collect tribute.

Jiang Yan couldn't help but be a bit puzzled: "He established a local noble family and controls the tax and tribute; why didn't those outside immortal manors stop him?"

"They stopped him, and then he killed eighteen practitioners in the Realm of Profound Understanding, beheaded one in the Realm of Merging with the Dao, and entered the Fengzhou government office carrying a pile of heads, covered in blood..."

"?!"

Jiang Yan looked at him inexplicably, thinking to herself, do you want to see what you are saying?

Sitting alone in the deep mountains and closing the door to realize the Dao is something they have actually been doing since childhood.

At the shortest, one year, and at the longest, three to five years. Although they hear some fresh things every time they leave seclusion, they have never heard anything as outrageous as today.

Entering the academy as a wild private cultivator is acceptable, but killing countless people in the same realm and even killing someone in a higher realm is completely unbelievable to her.

Not to mention that killing across realms is beyond imagination, just the image of Ji You is clearly that of a harmless scholar; how could he be such a ruthless person?

But seeing that Yan Qiubai had no signs of joking, Jiang Yan turned to look at the figure by the carriage.

Jiang Yue rou raised her head at this time: "I remember, a year ago when I left seclusion halfway, I did hear various disciples talking about a wild private cultivator entering the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan. So it was him."

Yan Qiubai nodded.

"No, the second son of the Chu family, Chu He, also entered the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan in the same year. With a Seven-Orifice Exquisite Body, he is innately close to the Heavenly Dao. That Chu Xian is even a personal disciple of the Profound Origin Immortal Mansion; how could it be Ji You who entered the inner courtyard in the end?"

"In the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan Autumn Battle, Chu He only fought him once, and both his hands were crippled by him."

"..."

Some people don't look fierce, but they sound very fierce.

It's like someone who doesn't look fierce with clothes on, but is extremely fierce when they take them off.

Judging from the story told by Yan Qiubai, that jade-faced man was actually a character who went against the current all the way and killed his way through everything.

And with Brother Brother Gongshu Chou's generous explanation, Jiang Chenfeng, Huo Hong, and others also heard about him and couldn't help but frown.

Only Xie Chenyu, Chu Butian, Qian Jun, and others, as well as Shi Junhao and Xiao Hanyan of the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan, had no reaction.

In the first year of Taiyuan, they did not have long-term seclusion, especially the latter two, who almost watched Ji You kill his way into the inner courtyard.

However, no one mentioned the matter of physical inheritance, mainly because Brother Brother Gongshu Chou had never said it.

Because after the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan Autumn Battle, he was called to the Cloud Top Heavenly Palace of the Appraisal Master, and when he went down the mountain, Ding Yao specifically instructed him about this matter.

However, although he didn't know the reason, Brother Brother Gongshu Chou solved the case himself.

Yan Shimei Ding Yao should have feelings for Ji You and wanted to pass on the inheritance to him herself; otherwise, she wouldn't have avoided the Appraisal Master to specifically explain this matter.

"Killing someone in the Realm of Merging with the Dao with a sword in the Realm of Profound Understanding is indeed shocking, but it is not worth showing off."

Jiang Chenfeng picked up his teacup: "Those in the Realm of Merging with the Dao in the immortal manors all broke through the realm by taking elixirs and suffering, and their bodies are already old. It can be said that there is a lot of water in it. It cannot be counted as killing across realms. I don't feel surprised at all."

Jiang Yan looked at her cousin: "The Realm of Merging with the Dao is always higher than the Realm of Profound Understanding."

"Cousin might not know, but when I was in the Realm of Profound Understanding, I also defeated a senior in the Realm of Merging with the Dao in the sect."

"There is such a thing?"

"Cousin, you have been in seclusion for a long time and rarely take action. You don't know that in front of us, some fake Realms of Merging with the Dao are actually just stronger Upper Realms of Profound Understanding. Using time to temper the realm is itself a very sad thing."

As soon as the words fell, a loud noise suddenly resounded from the northwest, like a thunderclap.

In an instant, a majestic force of energy, like a dragon breaking through shackles, rushed straight into the sky with great momentum, piercing through the ten-thousand-mile layer of clouds in the blink of an eye.

Immediately after, swaying firelight shot into the sky, reflecting half the sky into a bright red, magnificent and shocking.

Seeing this scene, the previous discussion about Ji You came to an abrupt end.

Everyone couldn't help but raise their heads, and even those envoys put down their bowls and chopsticks at this moment, their expressions instantly becoming serious.

The source of that loud noise was the Cold Iron Pass in the Northern Territory.

Ji You turned to look at Xiang Kuangcheng: "You stay behind and go southwest from here, but never get close to the Cold Iron Pass. If you see that the situation is not right, run."

"Brother Ji..."

"I will ensure my own safety and strive to return safely from the Snow Territory. You must remember to save money well. It is said that there is nothing good to eat in the Demon race. I will definitely be very hungry when I come back."

Xiang Kuangcheng took a step back after hearing this and bowed deeply: "Brother Ji, have a safe journey."

Ji You nodded slightly, then got up and boarded the carriage.

The magic treasure embedded in the carriage continuously released majestic energy. The horses pulling the carriage instantly became excited, and amidst the impassioned neighing, their hooves generated wind, galloping wildly toward the border pass.

As time passed, everyone finally arrived at the border pass.

What appeared before them was a city wall that towered to the sky and was pitch black, like a dormant giant beast, giving people an endless sense of oppression.

This was not a city wall built by ordinary people at all, but was erected by the sages of the time with the power of the whole world after the fall of the Ancient Remnant race. It stretched endlessly, like an insurmountable natural chasm, isolating other races outside the nine continents for a thousand years.

Before the carriage could reach the city wall, more than a dozen spiritual energies on the carriage rose suddenly like arrows leaving the string, straight into the nine heavens, galloping toward the city wall.

Ji You followed closely behind, his immortal robes fluttering in the whistling wind. After a long while, on the city wall of the Falling Moon Pass, he felt a biting cold wind rushing toward him.

Looking into the distance, what he saw was an endless mist, shrouding everything, and beneath the mist was a bottomless dark land.

At this time, on the west side of the Falling Moon Pass, wolf smoke and beacon fires were everywhere, and the sounds of killing were everywhere.

Seeing this scene, Ji You's expression couldn't help but become much more solemn.

For this trip to the Demon race, it is best not to encounter any barbarian cavalry, so the Immortal Supervision Bureau specifically chose a day when the barbarians temporarily ceased fighting, hoping that they could sneak out of the pass secretly.

Even if they encounter barbarians on the road, at least it won't be fatal.

But no one expected that the barbarians would attack out of the Ten Thousand Mountains so quickly.

This means that if they leave the pass at this time, there is a high probability that this trip will be affected by the flames of war, and they might even encounter the barbarian army.

The money was indeed not spent in vain. That longevity peach bought by the Management Office was not a loss at all. This is really about risking one's life.

Ji You felt the powerful aura in the distance, and his sword intent had already begun to move slightly.

One can wait for the rain to stop, and one can wait for the wind to be still, but the human race does not have much time left to wait.

The Demon race's attitude is unclear. They neither refused the barbarian delegation to go to the Snow Territory for an audience, nor did they refuse the human delegation's visit to the north, which shows that they are hesitating.

Why they are hesitating and what they want, Ji You does not know, because no one can see through the heart of that Demon Emperor.

But what is certain is that whether to form an alliance or not is all in a single thought.

Ji You turned his head, looked at the barren land behind him in the violent west wind, and then got up and landed under the wall.

At this time, whether it was the envoys, the Demon race returning north, or the cultivators who had not climbed the wall just now, they all got off the carriage. Seeing him whistling over, their eyes were full of questions.

"What happened outside?"

"Nothing happened, it's very safe, we can set off immediately."

Everyone in the team looked up at the long clouds burned by fire and were silent for a long time.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 172 =====