Chapter 227

Facing the evening sky, Ji You followed the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan group out of Rusheng Garden, passed through the white jade path, bypassed the lake island, and arrived at Yongqing Garden.

It wasn't dark yet, but the large courtyard was already brightly lit.

Through the gate, Ji You saw a scene of people moving about.

Ponds, arch bridges, pavilions, and gardens were all filled with cultivators coming and going, chatting and laughing with each other.

Because of the cultivators' self-breathing, the spiritual energy around the Garden of Sages was now gathering in the sky above this place, flashing a silver-blue color under the reflection of the dim sky.

In this environment, the distinction between factions became exceptionally clear.

Some people were clearly gathered in piles, distinct from the people around them, but there were also people connected to many forces, continuously toasting here.

Ji You followed the group through the moon gate and walked into this noisy environment; after just looking for a few glances, he found that He Lingxiu, Shi Junhao, and the others around him had dispersed one by one.

They all had their own families, and also forces that their families associated with; naturally, they participated in such banquets with them.

Ji You walked through the front garden, seeing old people bringing young ones by the pond, visiting each other, and also seeing men and women wearing different family attire walking among the elegant bamboo forests, incense gardens, and other scenery.

Only he was like an out-of-place tourist, wandering aimlessly.

This was not just his own feeling; in fact, the eyes of the people around him were also like this, filled with doubt and scrutiny.

"This person... who is he?"

"Never seen him; he looks very unfamiliar."

"He seems somewhat similar to the second son of the Zhao family."

"The second son of the Zhao family is already thirty-five now; Old Huang is joking, hahahaha."

"Thirty-five? Never thought that after this seclusion, the world has already undergone such great changes..."

The introductions and associations of cultivators are all based on family elders.

If there are outstanding children in the family brought to such a banquet, they are either remembered by other noble families, or they are married, or they are compared.

An outlier like Ji You naturally couldn't integrate.

However, this didn't make him feel depressed; what made him depressed was that there wasn't a single person alone here, and the opportunities to develop clients were extremely rare.

And for those who were in groups, Ji You didn't like them, fearing he wouldn't serve them well.

He passed through the arch of the front garden and entered the right garden, continuing to look for potential clients, but unexpectedly bumped into two familiar figures.

Princess Changle Zhao Yunyue, and Wei Rui, the sweetheart of Xiang Kuangcheng, as well as two other women; judging by their attire, they should also be royal relatives.

"Young Master Ji, here!" Wei Rui suddenly raised her hand.

Ji You walked over upon seeing this: "Why is Miss Wei here? Where is my life-and-death friend, the scholar Xiang?"

"The Immortal Gathering Banquet is the responsibility of the Immortal Supervision; he is an Inspector at the reception office and is still busy with scheduling; it is estimated that he will come later. Oh, right, let me introduce you."

Wei Rui looked at the two women beside her: "This is Princess Jia Ren, and Princess Chang Jing."

Jia Ren and Chang Jing were the two daughters of the former Emperor of Great Xia, but they did not belong to the Emperor's lineage; strictly speaking, they were idle princesses living on the imperial grain, and their cultivation was only at the Dim Illumination Realm.

Zhao Yunyue, the only one who had known Ji You for a long time, looked at him at this time, and couldn't help but speak: "Young Master Ji is wandering around alone; can't you find anyone you know?"

"Isn't that so."

Ji You replied softly, thinking to himself that there wasn't a single person alone; it really didn't give him a chance.

Zhao Yunyue actually noticed Ji You earlier than Wei Rui, taking in his silence, loneliness, dejection, and solitary wandering.

At this time, Qin Zhangshi also stepped down from the carriage, looking back at everyone.

"The Garden of Sages is your residence from now on. This garden is divided into eight small gardens, which are Chengqi, Huaiyuan, Lianxing, Rusheng, Taiping, Yongqing, Yucheng, and Jiusheng."

"We are staying in Rusheng Garden, and also staying in Rusheng Garden with us are the disciples of Lingjian Mountain."

"How could it be Lingjian Mountain?"

Qin Zhangshi waved his hand after hearing everyone's discussion: "There is no need to be so surprised. The area of Rusheng Garden is not small. Although we are staying in the same garden, our two sects will live in the east and west courtyards respectively, and it will be difficult to run into each other unless intentional."

Ji You's expression suddenly became somewhat subtle upon hearing this.

He didn't know how this garden was allocated, and he felt that the probability of coincidence was not zero, but upon closer inspection, he felt it didn't seem like a coincidence at all.

Among the seven great Xian Sects, there were about three that were on good terms with Lingjian Mountain, and the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan was clearly not among them.

Tsk, a bit strange; could there be some secret marriage alliance?

Ji You felt it was quite something.

Subsequently, everyone followed the Management Courtyard and stepped into the main gate of the Garden of Sages, only then knowing what Qin Zhangshi meant by vast and boundless.

Because looking forward, there was a massive pond, the water rippling, with countless green jade bridges stretching across the water surface, and in the center was a ring-shaped tree island, with countless thousand-year-old trees towering, growing within it, boundless as far as the eye could see.

Following the long white stone road forward, there were towering rockeries, the highest of which was stacked with nearly ten thousand stones, and the surrounding pavilions and towers were countless.

Just before entering the city, they had seen countless palaces standing on all four sides of the Human race's arena on the road; they were actually part of this garden.

At this time, figures were coming and going everywhere in the garden.

Either they were wearing long robes embroidered with noble family crests, or they were draped in the immortal robes of some Xian Sect, mostly younger cultivators, in groups of three or two, or four or five, scattered among the mountains, lakes, and palaces.

They were probably also somewhat surprised by the vastness of the Garden of Sages, wandering aimlessly within it, either looking up or bowing their heads to observe closely.

And apart from these people, in the quiet ancient forests, wisteria gardens, and emerald bamboo mountains, there were cultivators sitting on meditation cushions comprehending the Dao, causing the surrounding heaven and earth spiritual energy to gather here one after another.

Ji You's gaze swept over these figures, then looked at the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan fellow disciples who had come with him, finding that everyone revealed a trace of disdain.

Showing off; why didn't they cultivate so vigorously earlier?

Blocking the road to cultivate—isn't this clearly cultivating for others to see?

Everyone continued to walk forward, and then they saw a group of cultivators wearing the attire of the Chen Clan Xian race coming toward them, numbering over a dozen, who slightly raised their hands and bowed after seeing the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan group.

"Qin Zhangshi."

"Elder Wuxing, it has truly been a long time. May I ask where the Elder is going?"

"I am heading to Taiping Garden this time to pay a visit to several noble family Daoist friends."

All the disciples under the Chen Clan Xian race were surnamed Chen; even if they were not originally surnamed Chen, they had to change their surname upon entering the sect, so everyone was accustomed to calling the cultivators of the Chen Clan Xian race by their given names.

This Elder before them was a Boundless Realm expert from the inner clan, named Chen Wuxing.

Ji You actually found it quite interesting; with a Chen Elder, wouldn't Brother Chen be able to tour the entire Chen Clan?

And on the way to Rusheng Garden, encounters like this were not just once.

They encountered the Xu family of Qingzhou and the Du family of Liangzhou one after another.

Ji You had never heard of the Xu family, but it was said to be a prominent and influential family, and this family mostly relied on the Shan Hai Pavilion, so there were not many people surnamed Xu in the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan, and a wild private cultivator like Ji You naturally had no way of knowing.

However, he did know the Du family of Liangzhou, and the Du family of Liangzhou also knew him.

During the Autumn Battle that year, everyone was paying attention to Ji You and Chu He, and the other Du Zhu was rarely mentioned, and this Du Zhu came from the Du family.

Because the Du family had gone to the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan to watch the Autumn Battle process, they naturally knew Ji You clearly.

But the problem was, it was clearly Chu He who had slashed and repelled Du Zhu with a sword back then, yet the Du family instead held some hatred toward Ji You, and while bidding farewell to each other, they did not forget to look at Ji You and snort coldly.

He Lingxiu, Xiao Hanyan, and others slightly frowned, turning their heads to look at Ji You, only to find Ji You smiling very brightly, his expression somewhat puzzled.

"What is Junior Brother laughing at?"

"Nothing, I feel the Du family... is somewhat amiable."

"?"

Ji You looked at the departing Du family, thinking to himself that his previous prediction was indeed correct; he would definitely encounter many clients at the Heavenly Dao Assembly.

"That person from Lingjian Mountain has come."

At this time, everyone suddenly heard a whistling sound resounding from overhead, and then a figure came riding through the air, sweeping past the mountains, lakes, and pavilions toward the outside of the garden, the gray-white beard and hair constantly dancing in the wind.

This was an impatient person who had no mood for sightseeing, so he swept directly past the forest garden.

The Heavenly Tian Shuyuan group walked along the road past garden after garden, then turned south, walking for several miles, passing by many strange and rugged wonders, only then arriving at Rusheng Garden.

After entering the gate, there was a three-zhang-tall shuttle-shaped blue stone, with the four large characters "Sun Rising in the East" written on it, the vermilion lacquer color shining brightly.

Ji You looked at it for a long time in front of it, thinking to himself that this kind of momentum was truly not something an ordinary place could compare to; even the Great Xia Imperial Palace, in front of such an immortal courtyard, was merely the temperament of a side hall.

The only thing that could be mentioned in the same breath, apart from the seven great Xian Sects' arenas, was that Demon Emperor City in the Snow Region.

But immortals have never engaged in production since ancient times, sitting in the mountains and forests cultivating immortality, so where every brick and tile in this garden came from naturally had no questions.

Crossing the shuttle-shaped blue stone, it split into two paths on the left and right.

Ji You could only now know why Qin Zhangshi said "even if living in the same garden, it is difficult to meet unless intentional," because most of Rusheng Garden was scenery.

Walking forward was a lush forest of bamboo, deep in greenery, followed by a mirror lake, with a few pavilions around it, as well as pine forests and rockeries, and there were only two building complexes.

One was located on the east side, and one was located on the west side, not close to each other, and the scenery between them was also dense and arranged in an orderly manner.

The Heavenly Tian Shuyuan was arranged in the east courtyard, and Lingjian Mountain must be in the west courtyard.

Ji You stood at the fork in the road between the east and west courtyards for a long time, looking into the distance at the west courtyard, and after watching for a long time, he found that there were no figures moving, so the Lingjian Mountain disciples should not have arrived yet.

"Junior Brother Ji, we are leaving."

"Coming."

Ji You came back to his senses, following He Lingxiu's voice, and was brought into the east courtyard.

Here sat twenty houses with flying eaves and upturned corners, black bricks, black tiles, and black pillars, pure black throughout, contrasting with the surrounding emerald bamboo, which actually had a bit of elegance.

However, these twenty-odd houses shared a courtyard, in which there were a few small pitch-black stone pools, with water lilies in full bloom and koi swimming, as well as a stone platform and a pavilion.

The courtyard was not empty, because there were dozens of maids and hundreds of servants waiting in the hall.

Seeing everyone enter, a maid stepped forward and bowed slightly.

Ji You couldn't get used to this, dodging to the side, then walking toward one of the houses, pushing the door open to enter, and seeing rows of rosewood-carved wooden cabinets, with incense tables, tea tables, and writing desks all fully equipped.

In the middle-rear position was a large bed, the bead curtains had already been lifted, and silk satin mattresses were spread on the bed.

Management Courtyard disciple Wen Siyuan followed in at this time; he had also come with the carriage, and this time he was responsible for Ji You's participation.

Wen Siyuan saw Ji You sit on the chair and took a step forward: "Is Junior Brother Ji satisfied with this?"

Ji You looked at him: "The Emperor probably uses a golden hoe to hoe the ground."

"What does this mean?"

"It has already exceeded the imagination of a wild private cultivator like me."

Ji You paced back and forth in the room at this time, touching this and touching that, thinking to himself that everything in sight was something that poor people like us couldn't afford.

Wen Siyuan smiled softly after hearing this: "If Junior Brother has any other needs, feel free to find me. During the Heavenly Dao Assembly, I will be responsible for all of Junior Brother's affairs."

Ji You was standing with his back to him at this time, and after hearing this, he spoke softly: "Whose genius idea was it for Lingjian Mountain and the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan to live in the same courtyard?"

"I heard it was agreed upon by the Abbot."

"So that's how it is..."

Ji You nodded after hearing this, thinking to himself that this might not be a coincidence.

Little Yan Shuyi, she really has a playful heart; this wasn't sneaking out, but coming to participate in the assembly as the Little Jianzhu, yet she actually wanted to secretly live in the same courtyard.

"Uh, if the things in this garden are broken, do I need to compensate?"

Wen Siyuan looked at Ji You's back: "This... probably needs to be compensated."

Ji You was silent for a long time: "How much to compensate?"

"Probably... compensate according to the price."

Ji You looked at the box-shaped magic tool in his hand that had been snapped in two at this time, unable to help but furrow his brows tightly, his face overcast with clouds.

In places with lush water and grass, there are usually many mosquitoes and insects; this magic tool should be specifically for preventing flying mosquitoes.

He had seen this thing in the Qionghua Pavilion, but didn't know the price, didn't know how to use it, and didn't know that this thing would break with a light snap.

Too unlucky; haven't found a client yet and have to compensate silver first?

Ji You pondered for a long time, not even noticing Wen Siyuan bidding farewell and leaving, then took the magic furnace and went out the door, looked left and right, and walked toward another house on the southwest side.

This house was where Shi Junhao lived; at this time, he had just sat down in the room and just brewed a pot of tea.

Before the tea fragrance could drift out, he saw Ji You enter his room, his eyes somewhat puzzled: "What are you doing here?"

"Senior Brother is dealing with the Merging Dao Realm; do you have confidence?"

"Since I've come, naturally I have confidence, but what does this have to do with you?"

Ji You looked at him: "I am, after all, a part of the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan. Just now on the street, I heard them insulting my sect, and I was unhappy in my heart; naturally, I hope that everyone in our academy can win."

Shi Junhao was silent for a long time: "That's true."

"Has Senior Brother found a Daoist partner?"

"No, cultivators wholeheartedly seek immortality and crave the Great Dao; I don't have this plan for the time being."

"So that's how it is; then how many people are in Senior Brother's family?"

"?"

Shi Junhao felt it was inexplicable and felt somewhat uncomfortable all over, thinking to himself that even if it were idle chatter, he should go find He Lingxiu, not me.

Ji You then strolled around his room for two laps, asked some messy questions, then bid farewell to him, returned to his own house, and then placed the mosquito furnace on the table.

The Heavenly Tian Shuyuan was not far from here, and apart from the noble families who had rushed over first, they were considered to have arrived relatively early.

At this time, Ji You had nothing to do, so he began to sit cross-legged on the bed to refine his body, igniting spirit fire to calcine his flesh.

By the time he opened his eyes again, it was already the time of the evening meal.

Ji You got up from the bed, and through the doors and windows, he heard a burst of noisy sounds rising incessantly.

So he walked to the window, looked out into the courtyard, and found that a group of cultivators had arrived here, making the originally quiet and elegant courtyard instantly become boisterous.

Sitting on the south side was the He family from Zhongzhou, which was the noble family where He Lingxiu was.

Then there was the Shi family where Shi Junhao was, the Xiao family where Xiao Hanyan was, the Chai family where Chai Ze was, as well as the Wang, Yu, and Gu families; everyone gathered here, their faces glowing with health amidst laughter and talk.

And apart from these families, there were also noble families behind other Elders who followed, all with the demeanor of immortal wind and Dao bones, a posture of worldly experts.

Qin Zhangshi of the Management Courtyard also came to the courtyard upon hearing the news, arching his hands and exchanging greetings with these noble family heads and Elders.

They were not meeting for the first time; one could tell from their expressions and conversations that they were extremely familiar.

Even, he heard people from different families addressing each other as relatives, such as brother-in-law, cousin, or aunt, uncle.

This is the intertwined noble family relationship of the Qingyun world, with you in me and me in you, like a giant net woven for a thousand years, from which no one can escape.

Ji You felt somewhat bored after listening for a while, so he pushed the door out, intending to see if there were any potential clients.

Seeing his figure appear in the courtyard, everyone who was chatting idly couldn't help but turn their heads to look.

Ji You had quite a reputation in the Qingyun world, but not many people had seen that face, so everyone's eyes revealed a trace of doubt.

However, for a Profound Understanding Realm expert, everyone naturally didn't have much curiosity, so seeing him walk out of Rusheng Garden, they returned to the previous topic.

Holding an iron sword, his gaze like a tiger, he strolled around the streets.