Chapter 217: Departure

There are some things that one can only understand how those people live after having eaten and seen them.

Otherwise, it would be like an old farmer who has never seen an emperor in his life; no matter how big he thinks, he will only think that the emperor's hoe for hoeing the ground is made of gold.

People's idle drinking of tea is cultivation; how can ordinary people compare?

Ji You didn't dare to imagine what kind of life the Abbot of the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan lived, feeling deeply worried about the great cause of wearing out the old man.

Subsequently, the bulletin from the Administrative Court was issued.

The departure date for the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan to rush to the Heavenly Dao Assembly was set for the Wuchen day at the beginning of the seventh month.

At that time, all cultivators in the world will gather in Zhongxing Commandery to participate in the grand event, witness the prosperity of the immortal Dao, and study the mysticism of the Great Dao together.

Yuan Caiwei sent a letter during this time, saying that the wheat seedlings he sent were growing very well, and also said that she had heard about him getting a spot, and also said that she would arrive in Shengjing with the sect on the third day of the seventh month, and would go to Zhongxing Commandery with the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan at that time.

Alchemists have no combat power, and traveling requires someone to look after them; it is not strange to set off with the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan.

And Cao Jingsong, Wen Zhengxin, and Ban Yangshu also planned to go to the Heavenly Dao Assembly to join in the fun, and by the way, to cheer for Ji You.

Emperor Rulong went home to visit relatives and hasn't returned yet, not knowing what he was held up by, but he did write a letter back, saying he would arrive in Zhongxing Commandery with his family and see him then.

Pei Ruyi also wrote them a letter, saying she would arrive at about the same time and had arranged a meeting place with Wen Zhengxin.

Zhengxin Xianzi Ruyi has an obsession with cultivation; otherwise, she wouldn't have stayed in the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan for ten years. For such a big event, it is impossible for her not to be present.

The Seven Great Immortal Sects will not prepare accommodation for spectators like Cao Jiaoxi who come on their own, but because Zhongxing Commandery has hosted the Heavenly Dao Assembly many times, there are many taverns around, and even rented-out manors are available.

However, manors and the like, with the financial resources of Cao Jiaoxi who married off his disciple for spirit tea, are estimated to be unaffordable.

If the taverns raise prices because of the crowd, it is not impossible to sleep on the street.

As for Ji You, he is a participating disciple, and everything will be handled by someone, so there is no need to worry about sleeping on the street with Cao Jiaoxi.

And at this moment, he was in the Sword Forest, standing proudly among the green bamboos with a wooden sword, unfolding a long-term face-to-face training for the sweat-drenched Second Miss Lu.

For others, the biggest thing at the moment is the Heavenly Dao Assembly, but for her, the Autumn Battle is even more imminent.

Ji You didn't have much time to guide her, so he simply sparred with her and pointed out all her flaws.

Thus, that perky butt was hit quite a few times within a day; although it couldn't be seen through the gauze skirt and silk pants, it must have been bright red.

"Don't always follow and copy the sword style I showed before. The sword is always strongest when it is handy; you must form your own understanding according to your own sword-drawing habits."

"Yes, Senior Brother."

"Drawing the sword must be more stable. Starting and falling, drawing and middle—only then can it be considered a complete sword; the sword energy cannot stop in the middle."

"Yes, Senior Brother."

"The waist is still not flexible enough, appearing somewhat stiff, which severely limits your force; you have had this bad habit from the beginning."

"But Senior Brother, I don't know how to make the waist more flexible."

"Forget it, it will get better after you get married..."

Lu Hanyan opened her eyes wide after hearing this, her sword style instantly became a bit messy, and she was hit on the butt by the bamboo sword with a "pop," letting out a whimper.

Lu Qingqiu was guarding the west side of the bamboo forest for her sister at this time, strictly executing what Ji You said when he went in: "Don't let anyone disturb."

At this time, she pricked up her ears, listening to the "pop-pop-pop" sounds that came one after another in the forest, and the occasional painful whimpers and the "ying-li-ying-qi" of the senior brother, and couldn't help but blush.

Slutty girl...

However, a strict master does produce a talented disciple; although her sister's butt was swollen and perky, her sword technique had indeed improved a lot in the past few days.

Lu Qingqiu sparred with her sister Lu Hanyan again the day before yesterday and found that her sister's combat prowess was far better than before; just the starting style made her feel a lot of pressure.

Ji You had said he wouldn't teach Spirit Sword Mountain sword arts to outsiders, but her sister's sword-drawing now had a hint of sword-art momentum. Thinking about it, it should be that Ji You had taught her what he had realized besides Spirit Sword Mountain sword arts.

Coupled with the sword-control technique she had learned earlier, this perky butt was not wrongly perky.

What's more, her sister didn't treat it as a punishment at all, but rather as a reward.

Lu Qingqiu listened for a long time, couldn't help but bite her teeth lightly, and then guarded until noon, when she heard the sword energy whistling in the bamboo forest suddenly stop.

Turning to look, Ji You had already walked out of the forest slowly, followed by Lu Hanyan, whose cheeks were flushed, biting her red lips, walking while gently stroking her own butt.

"What should be taught has been taught. For the Autumn Battle, let Second Miss Lu do her best."

Lu Qingqiu withdrew her gaze from her sister's butt: "Many thanks to Young Master Ji for his generous teaching."

Ji You glanced at Lu Hanyan: "She still has many shortcomings now. You write them down and watch her practice later. However, there is no need to be too harsh; her current level is already quite good, and Fang Jincheng will be very hard to catch up."

"All listen to the Young Master."

Ji You told Lu Qingqiu the shortcomings of Lu Hanyan one by one, then bid her farewell, didn't stay any longer, and even refused the invitation to have lunch together.

The few "ying" sounds that Second Miss Lu made at the end were a bit moist; he was afraid of being assaulted.

He was a serious teacher, and his way of teaching Lu Hanyan was the same as Pei Ruyi teaching Ruru; it was mainly a strict master producing a talented disciple. For those that were hard to remember, if they were hit painfully, they would always remember.

Ruru, this gluttonous girl, ate ten meals a day, but she was also beaten into being diligent and eager to learn.

This shows that the teaching method of hitting the butt is serious and credible, and the teaching content is also standardized and rigorous.

As for why he taught a rebellious disciple who wanted to assault the master, the only possibility is that Second Miss Lu is not a serious student...

Lu Qingqiu watched Ji You leave the Sword Forest, staring at his white clothes fluttering down the mountain, then looked at her sister: "Why did you make so many mistakes today? Young Master Ji hit you... he hit you until he was sweating."

Lu Hanyan looked at Ji You's figure, thinking to herself that it didn't seem like she made too many mistakes; some should be that Senior Brother Ji was addicted to hitting and hit her on purpose.

Seeing her sister not answering, Lu Qingqiu remembered Ji You saying not to be too harsh, so she changed her tone and said she would take her to eat lunch.

Lu Hanyan asked her sister to wait a moment; she had to go back to the courtyard to change her silk pants...

At this time, Ji You had already left the Outer Court, went to Shengjing City along the Nishan Divine Road, and bought some things.

Zhongxing Commandery also had a Qionghua Pavilion, but there was no discount, and this one in Shengjing would give him a discount after he brought goods for them.

After Ji You finished buying the items, he rolled up his sleeves and walked toward the door, and was attracted by more than ten chariots overflowing with spiritual energy, so he stopped on the stone steps and watched for a long time.

These chariots all hung high with large flags, embroidered with different styles of family crests.

A lotus flower blooming on a copper plate, nine star marks surrounding an iron sword, yin and yang double fish biting each other's tails...

And behind these chariots with high-hanging family crests, there were countless figures floating in the air with swords, each looking like an immortal, landing gracefully on the street.

There were young masters in their prime, immortal sect young ladies with fluttering immortal skirts and jade ornaments, and some old men with arrogant expressions, walking with their hands behind their backs, with gold-inlaid long swords and silver-ringed precious sabers tied around their waists, surging into the city like a tide.

The Heavenly Dao Assembly is held in the Central Province, and these noble families are far apart, so they set off in advance, and when passing through Shengjing, they planned to stay for a few days to wander and rest.

Because of this grand occasion, the East and West Markets have begun to stop trading in recent days, and many peddlers and porters no longer enter the city, for fear of accidentally colliding with the noble immortals.

And the earnings of the four major taverns and three major manors in the capital in these few days are far more than during the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan pre-selections.

Before long, Ji You saw a group of dignitaries appear on the street, then bowed and walked toward those immortals from all directions, receiving them enthusiastically, almost gathering the surnames of a hundred families.

The Azure Cloud World has always been like this; as long as it touches the word "immortal," it is a big deal.

However, Ji You hadn't seen such a spectacular scene as today much.

After watching for a long time, he walked down from the threshold, walked toward two cultivators in front of the flower building, then patted two beggars sitting nearby, took them to the West City, gave them some copper coins, and let them go to other places to play.

These beggars had no experience in dealing with the world, and unlike adults, they wouldn't know how to judge the situation. If they really caused trouble at this time, it wouldn't be too easy to handle.

Ji You then turned back to the main street, and after walking a few steps, he saw a middle-aged man, so he stopped his steps slightly.

This middle-aged man was standing in front of a mansion in a slovenly manner, staring at him with wide eyes, with bloodshot eyes all over.

Although his hands were hidden in wide brocade sleeves, one could still see the trembling.

Ji You was stunned for a moment, turned his head to glance at the two headless stone lions, and then walked toward Xiang Kuangcheng's mansion without a word.

"When does Brother Ji plan to set off for the Heavenly Dao Assembly?"

"On the fifth day of the seventh month, I will go with the Administrative Court. Cao Jiaoxi and the others will go by carriage, and Ding Shijie Pei should also come from Fengzhou."

"I will probably be at about the same time, going with the Immortal Supervision Bureau's carriage, and then I can see Brother Ji in Zhongxing Commandery."

The Heavenly Dao Assembly involves many worldly affairs, such as meals, accommodation, banquets, and venue arrangements, etc. The immortals who have no heart for worldly things will naturally not work hard for this, so these things fell on the head of the Great Xia Dynasty.

In the past, the Pro-Immortal Faction was responsible for the Immortal Assembly, but this year this heavy responsibility fell on the Immortal Supervision Bureau.

As a secretary of the Immortal Supervision Bureau, Xiang Kuangcheng will naturally go for a walk.

However, he doesn't need to worry about being separated from Wei Rui, because Wei Rui will go with several princesses in the palace, and Zhao Yunyue of the Chong Prince's Mansion will also go to join in the fun.

Without the eyes and ears in the capital, the big fat boy might have a chance between Kuang Lang and Kuang Lang.

"The finishing work of the Fengzhou official road and the autumn harvest should both be during the Heavenly Dao Assembly. I may have no time to look after them. You have to watch these things more. If there is any trouble, come and notify me. I have also explained to Cao Jiaoxi and Brother Ban, and they will help you."

Xiang Kuangcheng raised his head upon hearing this: "Kuang and Brother Ji are both from Fengzhou, so it should be like this. Brother Ji just needs to face the battle with peace of mind. If there is anything, I will convey it to you at the first time."

Ji You glanced at him, thinking to himself that you are twisting and turning about the matter of endless life, but you are like eating a Snickers bar for this kind of thing.

Thinking of this, Ji You suddenly paused: "What is going on with that Minister Dou?"

Xiang Kuangcheng was slightly stunned, looking at him uncertainly: "Minister Dou went to find you?"

"No, I saw him on the way here, right in front of the Dou Mansion, with a pair of eyes wide open, as if he wanted to eat me, and his complexion was also very bad, as if he hadn't slept for a long time."

"That's not strange..."

"?"

Xiang Kuangcheng pondered for a moment before saying: "A few days ago, there was a letter from the capital saying that Dou Yuankong had disappeared. The only one found was a servant he brought with him, and a blood-stained sleeve."

Ji You was slightly startled, then his brow wrinkled tightly, thinking to himself that no wonder Minister Dou's killing intent was so heavy.

When he returned from the Snow Region, it was he who threatened Dou Yuankong never to return to the capital. Now that he had an accident, it was not strange that Minister Dou would add the hatred to his own head.

"Dou Yuankong has some cultivation; ordinary people shouldn't be able to do anything to him. How could he suddenly disappear?"

"He should have been robbed by private cultivator mountain bandits. The Immortal Supervision Bureau is currently investigating, but because that servant of his died after escaping back, there is no clue yet."

Xiang Kuangcheng raised his head after saying: "He harbored evil intentions toward Brother Ji back then, wanting to use the demon race delegation to secretly harm Brother Ji. Having such a disaster can be considered retribution. Brother Ji doesn't need to blame himself."

Ji You pursed his lips: "It's not self-blame, just feeling that I am now like other cultivators, who can take someone's life with one word."

Xiang Kuangcheng shook his head: "Brother Ji is destined to be different from other cultivators. I have always thought so. Even my colleagues in the bureau said that if the world were all cultivators like Brother Ji, it would truly be peaceful."

Ji You looked up at him: "But a hero can't stand being teased. Do you know that someone in the academy has already started playing matchmaker for me? Some even wrote the dowry clearly, with great temptation. I am not yet immune to beauty, and I naturally cannot fully resist this kind of yellow and white thing."

"Is Brother Ji not afraid of being stabbed to death by Zhengxin Xianzi Yan?"

"A little afraid..."

Xiang Kuangcheng reached out and held the table: "With a sharp sword in hand, and a good person... or people in heart, Brother Ji naturally won't be blinded by external things."

Ji You glanced at him, thinking to himself that your use of the word "people" is very subtle. This kind of phrasing is simply wanting my dog's life.

Xiang Kuangcheng raised his eyelids at this time: "By the way, Brother Ji, will Zhengxin Xianzi Yan go to the Heavenly Dao Assembly?"

"This, I don't know either."

Ji You hadn't told Xiang Kuangcheng about Kuangcheng Yan Shuyi's identity, but he worked in the Immortal Supervision Bureau and had the files of major Immortal Sects at hand, so the origin of the surname Yan couldn't be hidden from him.

However, Kuang the scholar was one of the few people he could fully trust, so even if he knew, Ji You didn't feel there was anything.

As for whether Kuangcheng Yan Shuyi would appear at the Heavenly Dao Assembly, it was indeed hard to say.

Logically speaking, the Heavenly Dao Assembly is extremely important to the cultivation world, and the five Hall Masters of the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan will all go, and some even say the Abbot will also appear.

Then the Little Inspector of Spirit Sword Mountain should also appear.

But for the proud fairy, breaking through to the Boundless Realm is the most critical issue, and this issue even involves the overall stability of Spirit Sword Mountain.

But breaking through a realm is mystical, short or long, and it is estimated that even she herself cannot be sure when she can break through.

However, even if she doesn't go, Zhuo Wanqiu and Ding Yao will go, so just ask then.

Xiang Kuangcheng asked again after hearing: "What about Miss Yuan of the Pill Sect? Is she going?"

"She wrote to me today, saying she would come to Shengjing first, then set off with the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan. The opening of the place where sages attained the Dao seems to require alchemists."

"So that's it."

"?"

Ji You took a pack of tea leaves from his bosom: "Spirit tea given by others, left for you. Although you don't cultivate immortality, you should be able to be clear-eared and bright-eyed, and prolong your life after drinking it."

Xiang Kuangcheng took the tea leaves and looked at them for a long time: "I have heard of spirit wine, but I have never heard of spirit tea."

"It's all things that poor people can't see. Cao Jingsong wants to drink it, but I won't give it to him."

"Is this a bit too precious?"

"I'm not charging you money."

Ji You then left Xiang Kuangcheng, walked along the afternoon avenue where the sun was setting toward Nishan, and saw that those cultivators who had entered the venue earlier had already appeared in taverns and teahouses, discussing with each other.

This was different from the expression he had seen earlier.

Because the previous expression, although also somewhat high-spirited, was not so dancing with joy, nor was it so surprised.

The Heavenly Dao Assembly is a well-known thing, and it is not worth being surprised, so according to Ji You's judgment, something else must have happened.

However, these noble families were quite cautious when going out, and they used magic tools to block sound, so they didn't reveal any news, and it couldn't be explored.

Ji You returned to the mountain gate of the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan along the mountain road, and after entering, he found that the expressions of the disciples in the academy were very similar to what he had seen on the street earlier, also gathered in groups of three or five, talking non-stop.

And this time, without the obstruction of those portable magic tools, with Ji You's ear power, he heard very clearly what they were discussing.

The matter was still related to the Heavenly Dao Assembly, to be precise, it was related to the Merging with the Dao Realm.

The two dragon and phoenix direct disciples of the Chen Immortal Clan were going to participate in the Merging with the Dao Realm competition of this Heavenly Dao Assembly, with the goal of entering the place where sages attained the Dao and breaking through to the Responding to Heaven Realm in it.

Immortal Sect direct disciple and what immortal hall direct disciple, immortal pavilion direct disciple are not the same concept; even someone like He Lingxiu, who has a high status in the Inner Court of the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan, is far behind them.

If you have to compare, it is probably the distance between Ding Shijie Wen and her, or even greater.

After all, an Immortal Sect direct disciple is very likely to become an Abbot of one side and hold a holy artifact in the future.

The Merging with the Dao Realm battle situation, which was originally thrilling, now had the participation of Immortal Sect direct disciples, which was naturally a great pressure for those who intended to get a ranking, so much so that everyone who got the Merging with the Dao Realm spot in the city was somewhat uneasy.

He Lingxiu, Shi Junhao, Xiao Hanyan, and Chai Hu of the Inner Court all fell into solemn silence after learning the news.

However, although this news was surprising, it was not the one mentioned the most.

The news that was mentioned the most, and also the most shocking, came from the coast of the Xuan Sea, the Spirit Sword Mountain where three peaks stood side by side.

There are many immortal female cultivators in the world who like to call themselves goddesses or fairies.

But only Kuangcheng Yan Shuyi, the Little Inspector of Spirit Sword Mountain, is truly regarded as a goddess by the entire Azure Cloud Continent.

Among the Seven Great Immortal Sects, except for the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan which has no direct disciples yet, other Immortal Sects already have direct disciples.

Kuangcheng Yan Shuyi is not the oldest, but she has always been the one with the highest cultivation, and her genius posture can be seen.

And just early this morning, a clear sword hum rushed into the sky, and the Lingzhou, which was originally raining, was slashed into a clear sky.

Kuangcheng Yan Shuyi, the Little Inspector of Spirit Sword Mountain, broke through her seclusion and is now the youngest Boundless Realm in the world, without one.

This news was brought by the Shanhai Pavilion of the Southern Immortal Sect after Ji You met in Xiang Kuangcheng's small courtyard, and it had spread throughout the city in just half an hour.

"Did Cao Jiaoxi hear about it?"

"I heard it. The Little Inspector of Spirit Sword Mountain entered the Boundless Realm. This kind of talent is truly unreachable, truly worthy of being called a goddess descending to the world."

"Not this. I mean the matter of Ji Shidi Ji picking up silver."

Cao Jingsong turned his head in astonishment: "He picked up silver?"

Ban Yangshu was stunned when he saw this: "No? I just returned from sending a letter in Shengjing and met Ji Shidi Ji at the mountain gate. Seeing him happy, I thought he had picked up silver."

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 218 =====