[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-watching-the-immortals-fall":3,"chapter-watching-the-immortals-fall-watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-218":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},2260091,4410,"Chapter 218: It","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-218",218,"\u003Cp>Ji You cultivated an image within the inner and outer courts as a cold, formidable, unconventional, and solitary jade-faced young lord—his sword strikes were sharp, his bearing spirited, he was capable, and deeply mysterious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The posture of drawing his sword to cut an opponent off the stage, then sheathing it and drifting away without a single unnecessary word—many in the court had secretly imitated it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But pure, unclouded joy was truly rare on his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And today, many disciples of the Heavenly Book Academy saw it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Ji You never spoke of it aloud, he had always worried whether Yan Shuyi could break through her realm, given how many times she had failed during her seclusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though several of those breakthrough attempts were made for his sake, they also indirectly proved her cultivation was anything but smooth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that he learned she had broken through, his long-held anxiety finally settled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Jinsong arrived at the mountain gate with Ban Yangshu, and seeing the faint, warm smile on his lips beneath the afternoon sun, he was momentarily dazed—his earlier suspicions now confirmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You must have found silver—no other reason could produce such a pure, clear smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My beloved disciple!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You turned, looking toward Cao Jinsong approaching him, his eyes flickering with confusion—what beloved disciple?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Jinsong stepped close and lowered his voice: “Tell me secretly—did you find silver down the mountain?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Jinsong studied him under the evening light, thinking the curve of his lips must be worth a thousand taels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could there be silver chests just lying around in Shengjing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course—these past days, many noble families have passed through; losing a chest of gold isn’t strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Jinsong snapped back to himself and pulled him aside: “The inn in Zhongxing Town keeps raising prices—I’m about to lose my scalp to the cost. I need silver for lodging. How much did you find? Give me half, alright?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You’s smile instantly faded: “Who said I found silver?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your lips are practically stretching to your earlobes—what else could cause such a smile?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am merely genuinely happy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You lowered his voice, unable to bear his disbelief: “Let me tell you the truth—Xiao Jianzhu of Lingjian Mountain broke through. I’m delighted.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao’s mouth twisted: “What does Xiao Jianzhu breaking through have to do with you? Come up with a better excuse!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You looked at Cao Jinsong, thinking: Wait until I have a Ji Aiyi and bring him back—you’ll understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then climbed the mountain and returned to the inner court, where he found Wen Siyuan waiting at the gate, handing him an invitation—sent by Lu Qingqiu, inviting him to a banquet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had seen the Lu sisters before noon, avoided lunch fearing he’d be dragged into a cultivation session, and dinner was even more dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after opening the invitation, he learned it wasn’t from the Lu sisters—it was from Lu Xiong, head of the Lu family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like other noble families, the Lu family planned to attend the Heavenly Dao Assembly; they had arrived in Shengjing at noon and stopped by to see their daughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Hanyan had finished her sword practice in the morning, returned to her quarters to change into silk trousers, and found her parents waiting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The four of them met in the courtyard, speaking at length.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Hanyan showed Lu Xiong what she had learned over the past half-year, revealing a sword intent nearing natural perfection—his eyes instantly grew complex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, when he heard Ji You had taught his daughter sword arts, he hadn’t believed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after hearing she had defeated Fang Jincheng with sword intent, he had no choice but to accept it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Lu Xiong never expected his second daughter had learned so much—and he marveled at Ji You’s sword talent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu’s wife, meanwhile, stared at her daughter’s noticeably fuller hips and the involuntary blush that rose whenever she spoke of Ji You—her gaze grew even more complex than her husband’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She felt her daughter had learned more than just sword arts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu’s wife had never held Ji You in high regard; she knew little of him beyond his origin as a rural self-cultivator from Fengzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In her view, her daughter should marry into a far stronger, higher-status family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But since her husband ruled the household, she, as a woman, could only obey—so despite her distaste, she sat in Hongding Pavilion with the haughty air of a mother-in-law evaluating a suitor, prepared to judge this rustic cultivator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To her shock, she did not receive Ji You—instead, she received word he was departing soon and declined the invitation due to pressing matters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu’s wife thought: This boy is impolite—how dare he refuse?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet her husband showed no anger; instead, he looked as if he’d expected this—leaving her utterly baffled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And when she looked at her second daughter, her eyes blazed with determination: I will not disappoint my senior brother’s expectations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You taught Lu Hanyan sword arts because he thought the Lu sisters had good character—far better than Fang Jincheng—and hoped they’d gain power in the Spirit Stone Guild and treat miners’ children well—but that didn’t mean he wished to befriend the Lu family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So refusing them was perfectly normal to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was much like refusing He Lingxiu—both were efforts to keep distance and avoid being controlled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Ji You was still a warmhearted man—he didn’t want to shame the girls, so he politely declined while leaving a message for the Lu sisters: Wait until Lu Hanyan enters the inner court, then we’ll celebrate properly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides the Lu family’s invitation, he also received one from the Qiu family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The family He Lingxiu had once tried to matchmake him with had also arrived in Shengjing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And to his surprise, he received an invitation from the Wen family—where Zhengxin Xianzi resided…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why is even my senior sister’s family after me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You thought: I must be really popular.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But upon reflection, it made sense—many believed he’d rank in the Heavenly Dao Assembly, perhaps even enter the Yingtian Realm; besides, he was the only noble from the vast Fengzhou, and the Snowfield Demon Stones entered through him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To many noble families, investment required early action for maximum returns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He returned the incoming noble invitations, then took the Wen family’s to Zhengxin Xianzi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhengxin Xianzi never expected her own family would bypass her to make such arrangements; after reading the invitation’s flowery praise of her “youthful charm and gentle virtue,” her face flushed crimson, and she kicked him out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Rogue!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You thought: What’s this got to do with me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next morning, sunlight shone brightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Dan Sect arrived from afar, and news of their dawn arrival in Shengjing spread, drawing crowds of cultivation families to watch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In sight, countless Dan Sect cultivators in their dan robes arrived with several large lacquered red wooden carriages before the Heavenly Book Academy’s gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Yuan Li, accompanied by six Elders, his daughter, and his son, entered the academy and received a grand reception.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon after, the five Hall Masters appeared and escorted the Dan Sect delegation into the Heavenly Book Hall; soon after, mystical light surged across Tian Shu Peak, drawing the entire city’s gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That mystical light and aura came from the Heavenly Book Academy’s Master—unseen for over a hundred years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one knew what was discussed in the Heavenly Book Hall, only that the Dan Sect stayed two hours, then was lodged within the academy, to depart together tomorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, countless noble families staying in the city submitted formal visitation requests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Master was too hard to invite; the Dan Sect Elders, lacking combat prowess, rarely left their sect—so the main targets were the current direct disciples and the Dan Sect’s daughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet neither accepted a single invitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingxiu, however, during the meeting in the Heavenly Book Hall, was arranged by elders to have tea with Yuan Caimei and Yuan Chen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Caimei was dressed exquisitely today: a plain white silk undergarment beneath a sky-blue silk jacket, her long black hair coiled around a silver butterfly hairpin, jade bracelets on her wrists, two silver pearls dangling from her ears, lips rouged, face lightly powdered—elegant, cultured, yet undeniably captivating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingxiu remembered Yuan Caimei wasn’t always like this—she used to prefer wearing Dan Sect dan robes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Yuan Caimei once said, dan robes were best for alchemy; light silks were restrictive, pretty to look at but useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But later, Yuan Caimei changed—each visit, she dressed with extraordinary care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingxiu spoke a few words with her, then noticed the Dan Sect daughter kept glancing toward the inner court’s immortal residence, her eyes brimming with eagerness—as if she couldn’t wait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Miss Yuan, are you going to see Senior Brother Ji later?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Caimei snapped back, her gaze shifting to Yuan Chen: “It was my younger brother who insisted on going.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Chen: “...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingxiu smiled softly: “Those in love are always enviable. Seeing how earnest you are, I now understand why Senior Brother Ji is so devoted to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Caimei looked at her: “Devoted?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You didn’t know?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why would you say that, Lady He?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Earlier, Miss Qiu of Zhongzhou tried to meet him—he refused. Yesterday, the Lu family also invited him—they have two daughters… Anyway, he didn’t go. He’s probably only thinking of you, his rightful wife, afraid you’d get jealous.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingxiu spoke on her own, when suddenly—puff—a splash of tea flew into the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Chen choked on his tea, coughing uncontrollably as he patted his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My brother-in-law isn’t like that! Don’t speak nonsense—he’s just afraid of my Xiao Jianzhu sister, otherwise she’d already have given birth!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Caimei bit her thin lips, thinking: You haven’t seen the real jealous one yet—if you had, I’d already…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pleasant words cost nothing—cultivators and mortals alike love to hear them. He Lingxiu spoke to please, but Yuan Caimei’s reaction wasn’t as expected—leaving her puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among women, those who grow jealous aren’t rare—the difference lies in those who are cultured versus those who are capricious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cultured women hide jealousy, yet feel joy when their husband cares only for them—yet why did Yuan Caimei look annoyed instead?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two chatted longer, and He Lingxiu sensed Yuan Caimei was truly restless—her mind held only three words: see my lover, see my lover, see my lover—and when she looked at He Lingxiu, her gaze carried silent complaints: too much talking, too much talking, too much talking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the Heavenly Book Academy’s preliminary selection, someone claimed Ji You himself admitted he was a virgin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingxiu had half-believed it—but now she didn’t believe it at all: this Dan Sect daughter is so eager, how could Senior Brother Ji still be a virgin?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, she recalled Ji You’s fiery physique, and couldn’t help but envy Yuan Caimei’s good fortune.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Miss Yuan, shall we end our tea for today?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then let’s meet another day—there’s plenty of time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Caimei nodded, rose, bid He Lingxiu farewell, called to Yuan Chen, and walked slowly, unhurriedly, down the mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingxiu wasn’t used to solitude—she preferred chatting while drinking tea—so after Yuan Caimei left, she lost her appetite for tea, drank her last cup, and rose to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just as she reached the exit, she stopped dead in her tracks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Caimei, who had descended the mountain slowly and calmly moments ago, was now sprinting ahead, leaving her younger brother far behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【It was my younger brother who insisted on going.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Chen and Yuan Caimei had bypassed the mountain path and now stood before the immortal's residence in the inner courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the door drew nearer, Yuan Chen turned to Yuan Caimei: “Sister, you knock this time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re the one who came to find Young Master Ji—why should I open the door?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Chen had no strength to argue. He kept walking as he spoke: “I’m afraid that when I open the door, I’ll see Little Jianzhu again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Caimei paused, then asked: “Brother, would you like to go to Shengjing City to listen to storytelling?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Chen blinked, his eyes sharpening with suspicion—he wondered who exactly was speaking through his sister.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Caimei blinked gently, speaking with slight awkwardness: “You’ve spent the past half-year trying hard to control the Sacred Artifact. I’m letting you rest for a few days—here’s some silver.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Chen opened his mouth, thinking: Back on the mountain, you kept scolding me for not trying hard enough—now it’s because I’m trying too hard?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Caimei gave him a light push: “Go on.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Chen swallowed hard: “But I miss my brother-in-law.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you want me to scold you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Chen held his breath, feeling a bloodline suppression—he snatched the silver and rushed down the mountain, heading straight for the teahouse he’d visited before, only to stare in confusion at the fat man singing drum ballads inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You was packing his belongings and had heard of Yu Danzong’s arrival at the Heavenly Book Academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he was certain Yuan Chen would come looking for him anyway, so he avoided the commotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, a knock came at the door, making Ji You freeze mid-motion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He slipped on his shoes, walked to the courtyard, and opened the gate—there stood a face of flower-like beauty, eyes glistening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Caimei stood at the threshold, but instead of looking directly at him, she glanced briefly into the courtyard, as if trying to peek at her sister’s man while worrying about her sister’s whereabouts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You had expected Yuan Caimei’s visit; he wasn’t overly surprised, only struck by her refined makeup, making him glance a moment longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dammit, she looks good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the proud immortal girl gone, Yuan Caimei’s going to bully me—I’ll have no defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Caimei exhaled softly, her glistening eyes fixed on him: “Young Master Ji, it’s been a long time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You snapped back to himself: “Long time no see. Where’s Yuan Chen?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He went down the mountain to listen to storytelling.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s only one storyteller in Shengjing City—he switched careers after Yuan Chen forced him to. What story is he listening to now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Caimei glanced aside: “I don’t know where he went—he wouldn’t listen to reason—but he did say he’d return tonight…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the slight guilt in the Yu Danzong girl’s expression, Ji You knew this wasn’t simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Chen had been driven away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment’s thought, Ji You opened the door wider: “Come inside and sit. I’m packing—let me brew tea for you soon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Caimei nodded obediently and followed him into the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mat lay on the floor, piled with Ji You’s clothes—still unfolded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You stepped onto the mat and continued folding, then added: “I heard noise in the courtyard earlier—I guessed you’d come.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s mainly because the Heavenly Book Hall is receiving guests. Father said we’re the only ones besides the Five Hall Masters to have the right to enter the mysterious Ni Mountain Heavenly Book Hall in three years.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You chuckled inwardly: That place is empty—no gatekeeper, no one to stop you. What’s so mysterious?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Caimei watched for a while, then slipped off her shoes and socks, stepping barefoot onto the mat, kneeling beside him to help fold clothes—like a devoted wife seeing her husband off on a journey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You took the folded clothes and packed them, then remembered something: “In your letter, you said the Ancestral Holy Land’s opening requires Yu Danzong—why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Ancestral Holy Land is a shattered realm. Each opening causes tremors and cracks—it needs Yu Danzong’s elixir arts to mend and stabilize it before entry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How do you mend it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By releasing elixir qi.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So that’s how it works—repairing the sky? Interesting…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Caimei folded Ji You’s long pants and placed them aside, then looked up at him with a soft blink: “Little Jianzhu’s younger sister broke through yesterday. Many below the mountain are talking about it—have you heard?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You nodded: “The news reached Shengjing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We haven’t seen each other in a long time. I wonder if she’ll attend the Dao Assembly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She’ll come.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did she send you a message?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You shook his head: “No—but she’ll definitely come.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Shuyi hadn’t sent a message after her breakthrough. Ji You had considered going to Xuwu Mountain to meet her, but decided against it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had many matters to handle after her cultivation breakthrough—perhaps even needed to demonstrate her cultivation at the Heavenly Sword Peak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either way, they’d be traveling tomorrow; meeting in Zhongxing Commandery wouldn’t be too late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You was certain Yan Shuyi would come—because the proud immortal girl was a jealous fiend, terrified Yuan Caimei might get pregnant first. It was a three-person drama—she wouldn’t allow herself to be erased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Caimei knelt on the mat, her smooth, pale feet pressed beneath her plump hips—adorably petite in contrast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Ji You lost in thought, she whispered softly: “Earlier in the inner courtyard, I heard He Xianzi say you’ve become quite popular lately?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Popular?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Many noble families want to form marital alliances with you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You nodded: “That’s true.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Caimei paused, then asked: “In this world, all men take concubines. Do you truly intend to keep only one?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Ji You turned to stare at her—he wondered if she was speaking for someone else… or for herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Caimei flinched under his gaze, realizing she’d overstepped propriety—she opened her mouth to change the subject, but before she could speak, Ji You’s voice brushed her ear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Those noblewomen may not truly care for me—but sometimes I can’t bring myself to be utterly heartless. I just fear that if I truly marry them, I’ll be bound by their influence. Better to avoid deep ties now, so I won’t later weaken my principles and do things that haunt my conscience.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You sat on the mat: “I prefer clear transactions—money for goods, nothing more.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Caimei realized he was serious, so she nodded slowly, then fell silent for a long while before glancing at his hands: “I noticed a while ago—your hand seems completely healed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You sat close to her; at her words, he waved his arm before her: “It healed after the New Year. I should thank you—I wouldn’t have made it into the Heavenly Book Academy’s preliminary round without you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And the bite mark on your lip is gone too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The one ‘accidentally’ bitten by Shuyi’s younger sister last time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You stared at her for a long moment, then pinched her smooth cheek—he thought: Now you’re learning to be as sly and sarcastic as Yan Shuyi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Caimei glanced up at him, then pretended nothing was wrong as he pinched her—though the clothes in her hands grew increasingly disheveled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Chen had no interest in the teahouse’s drum ballads—he’d slumped back to the Heavenly Book Academy and now stood outside Ji You’s door, too afraid to enter, lest he interrupt his sister’s scheme to steal her brother-in-law.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After waiting a long time, he finally saw his sister emerge—her face flushed, rubbing her hips, utterly unlike the cold, merciless elder sister who bullied him on the mountain. He stared, stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone knew Yu Danzong had arrived at the Heavenly Book Academy—she couldn’t possibly stay here long without damaging her reputation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Caimei stepped outside, glanced at her brother, then looked back toward the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I said something foolish—and got my ass slapped…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, the young master’s technique was surprisingly skilled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",3250,"2026-06-19T15:28:41.422Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","8769bf081b96f2497866ca315980f3bb81cc73cdc01425a0c38acb2c07696c96","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-219","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-217",430,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwatching-the-immortals-fall-cover.jpg"]