Chapter 245: Return

A cool breeze whispered through the autumn sky, high and clear with scattered clouds.

The Dao Assembly in the Hall of Sages continued, the tournament matches raging fiercely.

At that moment, sword flashes and knife glimmers flickered constantly, while the thunder of spells echoed across the heavens.

Ba Yang, who had broken through just before the match, lost his defense, defeated by Zhu Yao with two victories, stripped of his champion status, his iron blade bent, his arm nearly crippled, and he withdrew in regret.

Normally, a Xuantong Upper Realm cultivator defeating a Rongdao Initial Realm cultivator would have sparked roaring, oceanic debate—perhaps making Zhu Yao, the newly risen prodigy of the Wenda Sect, famous across the land.

But in truth, this battle stirred no great waves.

The reason, of course, was that a similar match had already occurred.

Ba Yang, from a minor clan, had no magical transmission; he had advanced solely through raw cultivation, utterly unequal to Yan Hao, a disciple of the immortal sect, steeped in countless sword arts.

Zhu Yao, besides being born into a millennia-old clan, was also deeply favored by the Wenda Sect—they were on entirely different levels.

Thus, this similar "Xuantong defeating Rongdao" contest was far less shocking than the previous one, and both men's displayed strength fell well within the crowd's expectations.

Additionally, the last contender, Hao Feng, challenged Zhuang Zixin, the younger brother of Zhuang You, a direct disciple of Lingjian Mountain.

It was clear his fighting philosophy mirrored Ba Yang's—he sought to overcome skill with brute force, but reality did not favor him; the match ended with his failed challenge.

The final contender, You Bai, met a similar fate, knocked off the stage by a direct disciple of the Wenda Sect using clever spellcraft.

Thus, all three low-born contestants who broke through during the match were eliminated here.

For minor clans to rise, there has been, for millennia, only one way: first, one member must surge in cultivation, lifting the family's status and securing more resources.

Whether Ba Yang or Hao and You, all were chosen by their families, bearing the heavy burden of clan revival.

Yet before the immortal sects and millennia-old clans, they remained fleeting figures, forgotten the moment they were seen.

"These matches were quite interesting."

"What's so interesting about them?"

They directly demonstrated to everyone the terrifying power of immortal sect disciples and heirs of millennia-old clans, revealing to the Qingyun Realm one truth: without magical transmission, even a cultivator one realm higher cannot threaten these deeply rooted aristocratic families.

"That sounds rather despairing."

"Alone, it is indeed tragic—but who hasn't walked this path? This is the true depth of the immortal sects and those millennia-old clans."

As they spoke, the spectators suddenly remembered one figure—and the chatter died instantly.

In past Dao Assemblies, such praise of immortal sects and clans was not uncommon, but this time, repeating similar words felt impossible to continue.

True, the direct disciples of immortal sects and millennia-old clans seemed insurmountable—but this year's Dao Assembly had another figure who inspired despair.

And that person's origin didn't even qualify as a minor clan—he was merely a rustic self-cultivator admitted to the Tian Shu Academy by special decree.

At this moment, before the Hall of Sages, in Zhongxing County, wheels rumbled along the roads.

A line of carts drew the gaze of countless cultivators in the city, as well as ragged women and children, and emaciated youths, who received an unprecedented stare from the immortals.

The Tian Shu Academy members were also in the city, sitting silently in a tavern, sipping their wine.

After securing victory in the third round with a magical artifact, Xiao Hanyan was ultimately defeated on the stage by Jiang Chenfeng's sword.

Meanwhile, Shi Junhao, chosen as the defender, coincidentally faced the old man named Lin Hong.

After a great battle, he lost by a hair's breadth—this candidate for the Hall Master position was ultimately bested by his opponent.

Only He Lingxiu, Chai Ze, and Yu Shiliu remained, and their opponents were no trifles.

Thus, the atmosphere among them was tense, with little conversation—so when the carts passed, they all involuntarily turned their heads.

"What's this about?"

"They're heading to Fengzhou."

"Fengzhou?"

The tavern and teahouse owner, unfazed, explained to his patrons: "Fengzhou's autumn harvest has begun. Carts from nearby towns have been hired to gather wheat—by this scale, it'll be a bountiful year."

Hearing this, the cultivators in the teahouse exchanged glances.

In truth, they had heard the phrase "harvesting wheat" more than once.

Since Ji You defeated Yan Hao, he had vanished—small, yet enough to spark curiosity.

Then rumors spread: Ji You had taken the opportunity to return home and harvest wheat.

When they heard this, everyone's hearts grew complicated.

It felt as if he had been waiting for harvest all along, and out of boredom, decided to join the Dao Assembly.

Some recalled how, when establishing his clan in Zhongzhou, he had been asked by outsiders how much tax he demanded—and replied he wanted every child in his family to grow up, and those who left to always find their way home.

Then people realized: farming, in Ji You's heart, seemed more important than cultivation.

Yet what puzzled them was—he was so strong.

At this moment, Ji You's party traveled across Fengzhou, inspecting repaired roads and checking preparations for the harvest.

They knocked, asked, and probed, moving steadily northward.

Along the way, they found more outsider immortal estates had quietly emptied, leaving only empty houses.

When they asked nearby villagers, they learned these estates had vanished in an extremely short time.

But since these were immortal dwellings, commoners dared not enter—so how they left, which path they took, or where they went, no one could say.

After Ji You established his clan in Zhongzhou, outsider immortal estates had struggled to survive; their departure was unsurprising, but the number leaving this year exceeded last year's, surprising Ji You slightly.

In truth, after Fengzhou's grain output improved, these outsider estates could have thrived with diligence—but these people couldn't bear even a little hardship…

Soon after, the group passed through Yuyang County and decided to stay for several days.

For those long absent from their homeland, nostalgia ran deep—especially for Qiu Ru, the little girl, who dashed straight for the three mud huts outside the city upon disembarking.

Though life had been hard then, for a child like Qiu Ru, childhood memories of home remained cherished.

Kuangcheng and Wei Rui exchanged glances, then silently headed toward the Kuang family's old home.

As for Yan Shuyi, she muttered about taking a casual stroll, then followed Ji You back to his family's ancestral home.

Since it was harvest day, Yuyang County was crowded; neighbors saw Ji You return to his old home with a stunningly beautiful immortal lady, and began whispering among themselves.

"Is he bringing back a wife?"

"Looks like it…"

"And two maids trailing behind—must be a noble lady."

"Not just noble—she's an immortal clan's daughter. Look at what she wears—those are spirit stones! I once saw a piece the size of a fingernail; the Fengxian Mountain Estate interrogated me for days."

"No wonder—her aura is extraordinary; she looks even more noble than the immortal elders of Fengxian Mountain Estate."

The Paifang Street had changed little over the years; people gathered at the entrance, glancing toward the distant Fang residence.

The Fang family's broken engagement was common knowledge; later, Ji You's special admission to the Tian Shu Academy and his founding of a clan stirred uproar. Now, two autumns have passed—it felt like the world had turned.

Yan Shuyi walked steadily behind Ji You, cold and dignified, though her sidelong glances never ceased.

Their words didn't escape her ears; she found them amusing.

Usually, people spoke of her as the next Lingjian Mountain sect leader, the wielder of a sacred artifact—this was the first time anyone called her someone's wife.

These people were foolish—they'd barely seen her, yet mistook her for his wife.

Yan Shuyi didn't resent their careless words; she smiled faintly, feeling magnanimous.

Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu were also surveying the surroundings, observing Ji You's upbringing, their hearts tingling with quiet emotion.

They had seen many elegant immortal villas, many blessed lands and caverns—but such a barren, dusty land was their first.

They could hardly imagine their lord's husband had been born here.

At this moment, Ji You reached the door of his ancestral home, pulled out the key given by Qiu Zhong, and unlocked it.

He expected overgrown courtyards and thick vegetation, but found it spotlessly clean—not a speck of dust, no cobwebs in sight.

Yan Shuyi followed him inside, surveyed the room he had long lived in, and asked: "What will Fengzhou become in the future?"

"I don't know how far it will go, but it will surely improve—so the elderly are cared for, the strong are employed, the young are nurtured, and the widowed, orphaned, lonely, and disabled are all provided for."

"And what about your own future?"

"I have no grand ambitions—just want to grow stronger, so I won't be helpless when trouble comes, then marry whoever I want, have as many children as I please."

Yan Shuyi had walked this path with Ji You, seen Fengzhou's new face, and was deeply curious about its future.

She also wondered what Ji You himself intended—founding a millennia-old clan, or retreating into the mountains.

When she heard "as many children as I please," her eyes sharpened with suspicion, and she punched him.

She dared not be the first to test it—Lingjian Mountain's young jade mistress feared darkness, and she feared pain.

Ji You rubbed his sore shoulder, turned to see the cold, noble jade mistress's face, full of fear of being mistreated, and found it adorable—he pinched her snow-white cheek.

Seeing this, Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu exchanged glances, then walked out as if nothing had happened, closing the door quietly.

Watching the two maids so "thoughtful," Yan Shuyi narrowed her eyes.

Ji You narrowed his eyes too.

He'd only meant to pinch her cheek—he hadn't planned to do anything else.

But now that everyone had left, not doing something felt like disrespecting their goodwill…

The house was unlit, dim inside.

Yan Shuyi murmured "lecher," and soon opened her arms to the embracing arms, lips slightly parted.

The spoiled girl's kissing skill was already expert—kisses between them were as natural as greetings, yet even as they kissed, sword qi lingered in defense, making Ji You dare not move.

He hadn't actually insisted on having children anyway; he still couldn't beat the spoiled girl, so whether or not to have them was entirely her decision.

Yet her vigilance proved she secretly wanted it too.

As for her earlier question—about Fengzhou and himself—Ji You had never given it much thought.

One person cannot change the world; Ji You had understood that from the start.

So his original goal was simple: just eat a full meal. What followed was entirely beyond his expectations.

Now Fengzhou is improving; the people can eat, and children no longer look pale and emaciated.

If things continue like this day after day, it's already more than enough—assuming no disaster strikes in the future…

As he thought, Ji You suddenly felt a soft, squishy, round-and-flat mass forming in his palm, one he couldn't quite hold—and then his lip hurt, a sweet metallic taste flooding his mouth.

Yan Shuyi had truly bitten down this time, her teeth sunk deep into the corner of his lip, still not letting go, while her sword intent surged violently, her eyes icy cold, yet her cheeks flushed red, and she couldn't help but land two more punches on him…

Injury still hurts, even for cultivators.

Ji You squatted down on the edge of the bed and pulled the petite, soft-bodied Mirror Master into his arms; once she was settled, he swatted her plump rear.

The Mirror Master shuddered, instantly opening her eyes with a fierce, adorable glare, her snow-white teeth pressing harder again.

You lecher—before you're even stronger than me, you dare grab everything…

The buzzing continued into the night; the Kuang family hosted a banquet at home and invited them over.

Yan Shuyi and Ji You finally parted lips, breathing lightly, gazing at each other for a long while before straightening their clothes and walking out, passing Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu as if nothing had happened.

None of them knew that at this moment, the Mirror Master's rear and her round cheeks were both burning hot.

Cao Jingsong and the others had come from the Fang residence; they refused to go to Ji You's home, certain it held nothing of value, whereas the Fang residence's hospitality was exceptionally thorough.

When they reached the Paifang Street, they saw Ji You, Yan Shuyi, Ding Yao, and Zhuo Wanqiu walking toward them.

But their eyes fixated on Ji You's lip, watching the bleeding wound, pausing as they subtly held their breath.

Last winter, a girl had stayed in Ji You's courtyard for over half a month.

After she left, two bite marks appeared on Ji You's lip.

Back then, they never knew who the woman was, nor why someone of Yuan Caimei's status would allow another woman to stay overnight in Ji You's courtyard.

Now, the answer seemed to be emerging, gradually clearing through the thick fog.

At this moment, all four couldn't help but steal glances at the cold-eyed young Mirror Master of Lingjian Mountain.

This icy Mirror Master really plays wild games with her rebellious disciple in private…

Preparations for the autumn harvest began progressing step by step; more cultivators joined the combined harvesting team to obtain the magical weapon, the Crescent Moon Saber, than last year.

At this point, only a few days remained until the finals.

To avoid suspicion, the young Mirror Master of Lingjian Mountain returned to Fengzhou on the seventh day; as she left, she kept lifting the carriage curtain, re-seeing everything she'd looked at on her way here.

Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu could tell at a glance: the Mirror Master was reluctant, though her cold pride concealed it—they were surprised how quickly she'd developed such attachment to Fengzhou.

In truth, it wasn't strange; after all, the home at Lingjian Mountain was merely a mountain peak to her.

But this stranger's home, where Qiu Ru ran back and forth calling her "sister," and Old Qiu casually remarked that having a child would make things livelier—it was far more vibrant than before.

Moreover, this sense of belonging hadn't arisen after she arrived; it had already existed before. After all, last winter in Shengjing, she'd nearly flipped out when she heard merchants say Fengzhou was terrible.

After Yan Shuyi's group returned, Ji You came back the next day, arriving at the Garden of the Ancients in a single day's carriage ride.

At that moment, his boots and hem were still caked with damp soil—he looked exactly like a man who'd just finished working the fields, leaving the self-proclaimed celestial geniuses of the Garden of the Ancients dazed.

【Finished working the fields, came back to join the Heavenly Dao Tournament finals】

And his lip wound drew attention too—no one had heard of anything in the fields that bit people.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Ji You stepped back into the courtyard; he hadn't even settled on his seat when a "brother-in-law" voice rang out in the yard.

Soon after, a figure dashed into his room.

"Brother-in-law, long time no see!"

Yuan Chen rushed in, caught his breath, then spotted Ji You's lip wound and instinctively looked away.

The Mirror Master's elder sister is really seductive.

In truth, Ji You had already calculated their return date; seeing him didn't surprise him much: "Has the Sacred Ground of the Ancients opened?"

Yuan Chen nodded: "My elder sister and I returned yesterday; only after arriving did we hear you'd gone home."

"Where are you staying now?"

"In the garden next door."

Ji You glanced toward the door: "Where's your elder sister? Didn't she come back with you?"

Yuan Chen turned and pointed to the opposite small tower: "She was called over by the Mirror Master's elder sister."

Yan Shuyi knew Ji You's return date; the little jealous one timed it perfectly—she'd immediately summoned Yuan Caimei away and watched her closely.

After speaking, Yuan Chen added: "I came just to tell you—I'll be heading back soon."

Ji You looked at him strangely: "Aren't you terrified of your two elder sisters meeting? Why are you going back on your own?"

"I'm not staying with them. I met a new friend—he writes novels. His voice is so pleasant. I arrived late and missed several of your matches, so he told me every single one."

"You and Gongshu Chou really do belong in the same pot…"

"Huh? How do you know his name is Gongshu Chou?"

"That bastard's a repeat offender."

Yuan Caimei sat on the second floor of the opposite tower, watching Yan Shuyi.

Since their parting in Shengjing, another autumn had passed; the sisters hadn't seen each other in a long time. Now, as they gazed at each other, both recalled the childhood vow to be sisters for life.

Who would've thought sisters could be like this? Yan Shuyi was speechless.

At that moment, Ji You was chatting with Yuan Chen, and he suddenly sensed a sword aura rising from the opposite side.

Hmph, the prideful little brat dares not try herself, yet blocks everyone else from trying—is there no justice?

Yuan Chen soon left, hurrying off to hear Gongshu Chou's sequel about Ji You's matches.

No sooner had he gone than visitors arrived at Rui Sheng Courtyard: the first group was Cao Jingsong and his three companions, who had rested at the inn, followed by Bai Ru, whom no one had seen in ages, and the Lu sisters, who had come from the Heavenly Book Academy to watch Ji You's matches.

Lu Hanyan recounted how she and Fang Jincheng had both been injured in the Heavenly Book Academy's autumn contest, and how they'd later entered the inner courtyard to train.

Hearing this, Ji You nodded, thinking these old men had finally done something decent; then he turned to Bai Ru: "And you? Why did you only show up now?"

"Something happened at home."

"?"

"My stepmother and my younger brother went missing. My father was in seclusion, so I had to stay longer."

Ji You froze: "How could they go missing?"

Bai Ru lifted his gaze: "I don't know how it happened. Even the family can't explain it—but it's not a major issue."

Bai Ru's stepmother was his father's second wife; his younger brother, Bai Shihu, was her son.

When he returned home, he heard his family say his brother and stepmother had vanished, while his father remained sealed in seclusion, refusing to appear. The household atmosphere felt strange.

Though he'd always felt neglected due to his stepmother and brother, and harbored quiet resentment, they were still family.

Bai Ru had sent several younger relatives to search, but found nothing; after feeling he'd done his duty, he gave up.

On the way here, Cao Jingsong and the others had already heard his story and found it oddly suspicious. They glanced at Ji You, who, too, couldn't help but frown slightly, a strange unease flickering in his eyes.

"Ji Brother, have you seen any pretty girls at the Heavenly Dao Tournament these past few days?"

Bai Ru's question pulled everyone's thoughts back.

Cao Jingsong and Wen Zhengxin glanced toward the opposite tower, thinking: See? He'd see a damn hammer.

Indeed, Ji You shook his head like a virtuous gentleman—the most beautiful one was right across the way; he hadn't looked at anyone else.

(End of Chapter)