Chapter 219: Tool Brother

In the evening of a summer day, the sun sank behind the western hills.

A few stars emerged with the rising night sky, and the moon hung faintly in the distance.

Yuan Caimei returned under the cover of night, entering the small courtyard assigned by the Heavenly Book Academy, then silently parted from Yuan Chen in the yard and went to her room.

The flush on her face had not faded; her buttocks still burned.

After a moment's thought, the daughter of the Danzong slipped off her gauze skirt, revealing her curvaceous body, translucent and fair as if carved from jade fat.

She had worn a water-pink lotus-patterned belly-band and matching underpants; after pondering, she bit her lip and slid off the underpants, gazing at her reflection in the mirror.

Her left buttock was red, bearing a clear palm print—each ridge shaped exactly like Ji You's.

Yuan Caimei's red lips bore tooth marks; her beautiful eyes seemed ready to drip.

It was Young Master Ji who struck me…

It may not compare to when he and Yan Shuyi bit each other's lips raw, but it still feels somewhat improper.

Yuan Caimei stared blankly, imagining sneaking off to find her sister's man while her sister was away—only to be struck on the buttocks by her sister's man—and her heart trembled faintly.

At this moment, Ji You had already tucked his folded clothes into his storage gourd, then placed items he wouldn't take along into the cabinet.

This journey to Zhongzhou won't last just ten or twenty days; doing this prevents dust from settling on the belongings.

He then removed his outer robe and lay back on his cot, refining his spiritual sense for a long while, only deciding to sleep once he felt a slight weariness.

The texture… was quite nice.

Ji You recalled the slap he'd given Yuan Caimei's buttocks, remembering the round curve and the way it quivered under his palm, and couldn't help but offer a highly favorable evaluation.

In truth, this wasn't the first time he'd touched Yuan Caimei's plump buttocks.

If one were to be honest, he knew those buttocks better than he knew Yuan Caimei herself.

Back when he rescued her at Qiling, Yuan Caimei had taken the Spirit-Extinguishing Pill and feigned death, her entire body limp and devoid of conscious control.

When he carried her on his back, her arms couldn't grip him, so he had to support her with both hands—long before then, he'd touched them many times, sometimes gripping and squeezing to steady her, knowing their shape and size better than his own.

There was also that time in the Danzong's medicinal pool, when both of them were tricked by Yuan Chen into the same pool; though they hadn't touched, her plump buttocks had sat on his thighs for a long while.

At the time, Yuan Caimei wore silk underpants—thin as a whisper, their texture nearly equivalent to wearing nothing at all; otherwise, he wouldn't have had to wait until she left before he could leave.

Ji You gently closed his eyes and murmured, "Beauty is a calamity."

A dream ended at dawn, as morning light ignited the horizon and the east turned pale.

Last night's dream had been a good one, but Yuan Caimei fared worse than usual—Lu's second young lady was still in line, Yan Shuyi stood beside her with a sword, ready to pierce him…

Ji You yawned, rose from his bed, washed and combed his hair, tidied his topknot, and donned the Heavenly Book Academy's white immortal robe.

At that hour, the faint morning light spilled like golden gauze over Shengjing; the streets of Chang'an and Yongxing teemed with crowds, bustling and noisy.

The immortal clans temporarily resting in the capital were fully prepared, ready to depart, exchanging bows and greetings, their words filled with polite small talk.

After lively exchanges, they boarded their carriages—vehicles embedded with magical devices, swept forward as if by a gale, streaming out of the western gate of the imperial palace, wheels rolling swiftly toward Zhongxing Commandery.

In an instant, hoofbeats, wheel rumbles, and swirling dust intertwined, raising vast clouds of yellow dust that resembled a coiling dragon racing across the earth.

Meanwhile, a large crowd had already gathered before the Nishan Sacred Path.

The horses pulling the carriages shook their heads and stamped their hooves, while disciples of the Management Hall checked whether the magical devices on the carriages functioned properly.

They worked until the hour of Si, when the academy's participating disciples began heading toward the Nishan Sacred Path.

At this moment, Ji You descended from the inner courtyard and, on his way to the mountain gate, encountered Cao Jingsong, Wen Zhengxin, and Ban Yangshu, who had been waiting there early.

It wasn't quite a farewell, since Cao Jingsong and the others would also be heading there, and they'd still meet again in Zhongxing Commandery.

Cao Jingsong stepped forward to Ji You and pulled out a slip of paper, handing it to him.

"This is the address of where we'll stay in Zhongxing Commandery. Keep it safe."

"Address…

Ji You reached out to take the paper, expecting it to list some street number like 'Stone Pillar No. 123'—but upon closer inspection, he realized it was genuinely an inn.

Due to the Tian Dao Assembly, inn prices in Zhongxing Commandery had skyrocketed, changing daily; Ji You almost wanted to abandon banditry and open an inn himself.

They could've just robbed you outright, yet they still bother to provide you a shabby room—how strange is that?

So his earlier assumption was correct: Cao Instructor had surely saved up something over decades at the Heavenly Book Academy; how could he possibly be penniless after just one year of being looted by his unruly disciple?

Especially since Cao Instructor was still a Golden Unbroken Virgin—perhaps even beneath his bedding lay his long-saved dowry, likely quite substantial.

Ji You looked at Cao Jingsong with a sudden urge to support him in his old age.

Cao Jingsong squinted, sensing a professional instinct stirring within him.

In broad daylight, he couldn't let others burst into laughter at his filial piety; Ji You tucked the paper away and turned to them: "The green mountains remain unchanged, the clear waters flow forever. Instructor Cao, we'll meet again in Zhongxing Commandery."

"You've got a whole set of little phrases—hurry along."

"Brother Ban, have a safe journey."

Ban Yangshu nodded: "Brother, focus on the competition; cheering is our job."

Ji You turned to Wen Zhengxin: "Sister, see you in Zhongxing Commandery."

Wen Zhengxin's cheeks flushed slightly: "Go on. If my family invites you to another banquet, just refuse outright!"

Ji You knew she meant the Wen family's arrangement for them to produce an endless lineage—he thought, I don't mind, but Sister Wen clearly does. He turned and walked away; after only a few steps, he encountered Lu Qingqiu and Lu Hanyan.

They weren't coming from the Heavenly Book Academy—they'd just returned from outside.

The Lu family had risen early that morning to depart for Zhongzhou; they'd just seen off their parents and now came to see Ji You off.

They wouldn't join the Tian Dao Assembly's festivities for now, since the Autumn Duel begins early in the assembly; Lu Qingqiu needed to watch her sister win before she could even spare a glance.

Ji You once again urged Lu Hanyan to work hard, to be confident on stage, yet never underestimate her opponent—words the second young lady memorized firmly.

"Brother, may you win every battle; Hanyan will surely not disappoint your expectations."

"I accept your good wishes."

"At first, I learned swordplay only for the Autumn Duel, but gradually I realized I truly love the way of the sword—so when you return, Hanyan still wants to learn swordplay from you…"

Ji You thought, You don't love the sword—you love something else, and I won't spell it out for you.

Below the Nishan Sacred Path, a large crowd had gathered: three-tenths were participating disciples from the Heavenly Book Academy and accompanying Management Hall disciples, three-tenths were Danzong alchemists, and four-tenths were onlookers from various places.

Ji You descended step by step and soon spotted He Lingxiu, Shi Junhao, and others.

The Immortal Palace's direct disciples and candidates all radiated high spirits, their laughter and chatter revealing their heroic bearing.

Yuan Caimei stood with them, chatting casually, her face wearing a composed, serene smile.

He Lingxiu faced Ji You directly; upon raising her eyes, she saw him, smiled faintly, and murmured something to Yuan Caimei beside her.

Yuan Caimei immediately glanced back at him, then quickly turned away, standing gracefully in place for a long while before suddenly stepping eastward, putting more distance between herself and Wang Gaocen.

In truth, she'd already been far from Wang Gaocen—but this step moved her another full body's width away.

Ji You then shifted his gaze and saw Yuan Chen.

Yuan Chen stood beside a tall carriage, like a sentry on guard, his eyes darting everywhere; when they landed on Ji You, he immediately raised his hand and waved.

Ji You walked over and patted his head: "I heard you went to listen to storytelling last night?"

Yuan Chen opened his mouth: "Yes, I listened…"

"Good. You come to the Heavenly Book Academy and don't even visit me first, yet you're closest to the storyteller? Come on, tell me—what did you hear last night?"

"My sister's iron fist."

Ji You glanced at him, thinking, Haven't heard that one before—elaborate.

Yuan Chen, sensing Ji You's gaze, averted his eyes guiltily, muttering, "Brother-in-law, look how blue the sky is today," his eyes brimming with tears.

He felt truly wronged—he'd originally admired Ji You and wanted to become family with him.

But he couldn't marry him himself, so he tried to match him with his sister.

Back then, his sister was just a tool-sister in his mind!

In his fantasy, once his brother-in-law married his sister, he could spend every day with them—heroic deeds by day, storytelling by night, heroic deeds by day, storytelling by night—purely divine.

But as his sister truly began to develop feelings, he slowly realized this wasn't at all what he'd imagined.

His sister's talent for abandoning allies after using them surpassed even her alchemy; now, not only were heroic deeds and storytelling out of the question, but even appearing near her risked her iron fist.

But I was here first—why did I become the tool?

Yuan Chen was deeply resentful, but having been scolded since childhood by Yuan Caimei, he dared not resist and could only shed tears of humiliation.

Ji You suddenly felt the carriage shift—Yuan Caimei had returned from chatting with He Lingxiu and others, silently stepping inside.

Seeing this, Ji You patted Yuan Chen's shoulder, signaling him to board, then lifted his robe and entered the carriage.

The Danzong's accompanying the Heavenly Book Academy to Zhongzhou was solely for mutual protection on the journey; Ji You was here to watch over the direct disciple siblings, so for this entire day and night, he would share the carriage with the Yuan siblings.

This carriage was far larger than those hired at relay stations, containing a tea table, two small beds, and a brownwood cabinet—equivalent to a small cot room, though lower in height, so there were no chairs, only thick, soft carpets laid on the floor.

Ji You lifted the curtain and saw Yuan Caimei had already removed her shoes and socks, sitting inside; upon seeing him, her cheeks flushed slightly.

This morning, her buttocks had swollen and still throbbed faintly…

Ji You took off his boots and stepped onto the thick carpet: "Did you eat breakfast this morning?"

Yuan Caimei snapped out of her thoughts: "Yes, the Heavenly Book Academy provided it. After eating, I went with Father to meet some people, then was brought here."

"I didn't expect the Heavenly Book Academy to assign me to ride with you siblings."

"The Management Hall said we're already familiar with each other, so we can look out for one another and won't feel awkward—I agreed."

Ji You couldn't help but think inwardly: This journey lasts a full day and night, and the Danzong is truly trusting.

But even if they weren't, what could they do? Her buttocks had already been slapped.

What he didn't know was that Yuan Caimei had actively requested this—she couldn't bear being near anyone except her brother, but with Ji You, she could.

Ji You removed his outer robe and hung it on the carriage's hook, glancing around with a sigh: "It's really big—can we do anything in here?"

"Has Young Master Ji never ridden in one before?"

"Only small ones. This is my first time seeing one with a bed—is it meant for sleeping overnight?"

Yuan Caimei's face flushed crimson: "The bed is for brief naps; it's rarely used for overnight stays. But since the journey doesn't stop, we'll probably have to sleep here."

Ji You's gaze suddenly caught on a flowerpot in the corner; his eyes traced up the pot, then the stem, gradually widening in shock.

Atop the thick stem, he saw a golden ear of grain.

An ear of grain was nothing rare—Fengzhou was full of them, and you could grab a handful anywhere.

What startled him was the size: it was thicker than his arm, and as long as her forearm.

He had returned from Fengzhou with a pot and seeds for Yuan Caimei, but no variety of wheat should have grown this monstrous.

Ji You bent over and walked to the corner of the carriage, staring at it in awe for a long while: "How did you grow this?"

Yuan Caimei lifted her eyes: "Hmm… I just followed the method you taught me."

Ji You opened his mouth: "Didn't you kill the seeds I gave you and swap them for another variety? I learned that in elementary school."

"I naturally nurtured the seeds you gave me—how could I ever replace them…"

"Could I really be a farming genius?"

He studied the wheat stalk, thinking that if all of Fengzhou's ears grew this large, the people there would be rich beyond measure.

Just then, Yuan Caimei pulled a small vial from her bag: "Besides your method, I added a bit of fertilizer."

Ji You couldn't help glancing: "What kind of fertilizer?"

"I made it myself—some lingzhi mushrooms, old mountain ginseng, things like that."

Ji You stared at her for a long while: "You used this stuff to grow a wheat plant?"

Yuan Caimei saw nothing wrong—this wheat stalk was more precious to her than any herb; she had waited daily for it to sprout, terrified it might be smaller than Yan Shuyi's.

But this single sentence shattered Ji You's idea of large-scale planting—only Yu Danzong could afford such fertilizer.

Ji You touched the ear of grain, then turned slightly, frowning toward the carriage window: "Why hasn't Yuan Chen come up yet?"

Yuan Caimei tilted her head: "Younger brother can't sit still in the carriage—he always boards just before departure. We don't need to wait for him."

"We don't know when we'll leave. Let's have some tea first."

Yuan Caimei watched him sit down, instinctively drawing up her smooth, bare feet, hoping he'd sit closer.

A shift in posture sometimes changes things—after adjusting slightly, the daughter of Yu Danzong let out a soft hiss, her delicate brows knitting, her earlobes faintly pink.

Today, the two acted as if nothing had happened, addressing each other as Young Master and Young Lady, making outsiders think they weren't close at all.

But only they knew that yesterday evening, the girl had been spanked for being naughty.

After settling cross-legged, Ji You spoke: "Was I too harsh yesterday?"

Yuan Caimei sipped her tea softly: "Yesterday, Caimei was wrong…"

"I shouldn't have been so rude to you—you're a woman. Looking back, I was indeed reckless."

"Not as reckless as you and Jianzhu's sister biting each other's lips…"

Ji You turned to look at her, his gaze sharpening with scrutiny.

Seeing his expression, Yuan Caimei bit her lip and tilted her right buttock outward: "After you hit me yesterday, it swelled up. Can we switch sides today?"

Ji You studied her for a long moment, then pinched her cheek: "Forget it. I won't hit you this time."

"Why not hit me?"

"If I hit both sides, how will you sit in this carriage?"

Yuan Caimei thought: I can lie on my stomach.

Just then, Yuanchen's voice came from outside the carriage: "Sister, we're about to depart—can I get in now? I think chasing on foot is tiring."

Yuan Caimei: "…"

"Sister?"

Yuan Caimei straightened her back: "When did I say you couldn't get in?"

Yuanchen pulled his neck in like a quail and scrambled into the carriage, glancing nervously at Ji You.

Ji You glanced at Yuanchen, then turned to Yuan Caimei: "Don't be so harsh. This trip isn't that serious—let him relax a bit."

Yuan Caimei pressed her lips together: "Sister will treat you better from now on."

Yuanchen swallowed hard, thinking: This is worse than being beaten—and his voice trembled: "Brother-in-law, I—I'll go down. I'll ride with my senior brothers—they've got more space."

"?"

Watching Yuanchen jump down, the two fell silent together.

After a long while, Yuan Caimei glanced at Ji You: "I'm not actually harsh."

"Doubtful."

"Really not harsh."

"Don't believe you."

"I'm just not harsh."

Yuan Caimei looked at him, thinking: I didn't even yell when you spanked me—if it were anyone else, I'd have destroyed them all.

Just then, the carriage jolted, followed by a thunderous clatter of hooves.

Beneath the sunlight, the Tian Shu Academy and Yu Danzong carriages rolled forward, exiting the imperial capital's western gate like the noble families before them, then racing across an endless plain.

Ji You unfolded the map he'd bought earlier, tracing the route, when he noticed Yuan Caimei pouring him tea—as if to prove she was virtuous, not harsh.

After finishing, she sat quietly beside him, a picture of a devoted wife.

Yuanchen rode in a carriage belonging to Yu Danzong's senior disciples, just beside and slightly behind theirs.

As the carriages moved, their speeds varied—sometimes slow, sometimes fast.

So the two carriages occasionally ran side by side; and with summer's heat in Zhongzhou, the curtains were mostly drawn back—allowing Yuanchen to clearly see his sister's sweet, docile demeanor.

There were two sisters in the world.

One was the sister who bullied and tormented her brother; the other, the little rabbit pretending to be innocent before her brother-in-law.

Yu Danzong's disciples riding with Yuanchen caught glimpses of this too, and felt uneasy.

They'd heard rumors about Yuan Caimei and Ji You, but thought them idle gossip—until now, seeing her childish behavior, they realized it was true, and a quiet bitterness stirred within them.

No disciple didn't adore their sect's sacred maiden—but the thought of their revered idol possibly being kicked by another man was unbearable.

(Next chapter is draft material—do not mark it. Contact editor to delete. Subscribers may refund via QQ group.)

(End of chapter)