Chapter 251: Injured by the Evil Seed

Fengzhou's grain output is more than sufficient, yet it still amounts to a drop in the bucket when facing the destitute masses of the Nine Provinces.

But this meager grain will at least help the people survive the winter; next year, things will surely improve.

Brother Ji truly did as he said—he saved many children.

Kuangcheng was now in his mansion in Shengjing, seated beside a roaring stove, going through every letter sent by the Wu-Lü Trading House across the Nine Provinces, then lifting his gaze to the portrait of a gentleman hanging on the wall.

Honestly, he felt Ji You's merit deserved the title of Sage, yet he couldn't understand why Ji You refused to accept the title of Gentleman.

Wei Rui sat beside him, clutching an account ledger, meticulously calculating the figures for the relief grain transactions.

From establishing the trading house, to transporting the grain, to managing the sales, the Wu-Lü Trading House had consumed them over three full months, riddled with setbacks along the way.

In Liangzhou, there was embezzlement by those entrusted with oversight—luckily, it was discovered in time.

They had heard of the trouble caused by a powerful family in Lingzhou, but paid it little mind.

Though Miss Yan constantly muttered about strange men, her behavior during those days in Fengzhou seemed as if she had already married into the family—something no one could fake.

How could Miss Yan allow anyone to casually sabotage what her own husband was doing?

As expected, news soon arrived: the furious elder had taken a wooden board the next day and carved a plaque at the gate for three full days.

Even the clerks of the Wu-Lü Trading House were astonished—they had never imagined their master's background ran so deep…

Kuangcheng set down the letter, glanced out the window at the white, snowy sky, then pulled out silver from his robe and weighed it in his palm.

Human life is remarkably resilient—a single mouthful of grain can sustain one for a long time.

After this batch of relief grain is delivered, the people will finally survive the winter; when spring arrives, life will slowly improve.

Thinking of this, Kuangcheng felt a lightness in his heart, then called Wei Rui and left home to buy many goods at the Eastern Market for the orphanage in the Western City.

The Wu-Lü Trading House's deeds stirred no discussion in Shengjing, far less notable than the marriage between a nobleman's son and a noblewoman.

Perhaps because cultivators truly ignore worldly affairs…

Thereafter, winter snows fell until deep winter.

After the Heavenly Dao Assembly, the situation in Qingyun Realm shifted slightly—but not greatly.

The change lay in the fact that after the Young Inspector of Qingyun Sword Mountain entered the Boundless Realm, the prestige of Heavenly Sword Peak gradually waned, causing many major families in Lingzhou to distance themselves from Heavenly Sword Peak and align with Xuan Sword Peak.

All new disciples entering Qingyun Sword Mountain this year, regardless of talent, chose to join Xuan Sword Peak.

Xuan Sword Peak now bore the aura of Qingyun Sword Mountain's main peak, and the young Young Inspector had already acquired the authority of a sect leader.

A sect leader in her early twenties—just thinking of it made one feel dazed, wondering what weakness such an immortal maiden could possibly have.

Yet the maid who served the Young Inspector knew best: the Inspector still had weaknesses.

Since returning from the Heavenly Dao Assembly, the Inspector had grown fearful of sticks and similar objects.

Related to this was another matter: Shang Xiyao, the personal disciple of Wenda Zong, who had been in seclusion for a year, broke through into the Yingtian Middle Realm.

He skipped the Heavenly Dao Assembly entirely to focus on his breakthrough; upon emerging, he did not disappoint—but what drew the most attention was his persistent pursuit of the Young Inspector of Qingyun Sword Mountain.

Shang Xiyao did not disappoint: immediately after his breakthrough, he announced his intention to visit Qingyun Sword Mountain—but was refused by the Young Inspector.

In the meantime, a shocking rumor spread.

It was said the Young Inspector of Qingyun Sword Mountain had personally admitted she had a beloved.

The moment this news spread, it caused an uproar.

Though everyone knew the Young Inspector would eventually marry to secure her power's continuity, no one could imagine any man in Qingyun Realm worthy of her.

Even Shang Xiyao, the personal disciple of Wenda Zong, still bowed slightly before Yan Shuyi.

As for other men outside the sect's personal disciples, they were even less worthy.

Countless people were curious about the Young Inspector's beloved, yet no one could reach a conclusion—no one could imagine what kind of man could capture the attention of the awe-inspiring Young Inspector of Qingyun Sword Mountain.

"Where is the Inspector?"

"She went down the mountain this morning."

Ding Yao blinked: "Why did she suddenly go down the mountain again?"

Zhuo Wanqiu shook her head: "I don't know why. She seemed troubled, and wouldn't let me follow, saying she was just going into town to buy something—but I always go with her when she shops. I don't know what she's buying this time. But why are you here looking for her, Sister Ding?"

"The Inspector publicly claimed she has a beloved. The Peak Master and Lady heard and rushed here immediately—they're now waiting in Yun Ding Heaven Palace for her. She's not off wandering somewhere again, is she?"

"No, the Master-in-Law isn't here now—where could she wander?"

As they spoke, a graceful, otherworldly figure descended from the sky on the wind, her robes fluttering as she landed lightly in the cold air.

The Young Inspector of Qingyun Sword Mountain returned to Xuan Sword Peak, glanced at Ding Yao, then turned toward her palace.

Moments later, inside a teahouse in Yun Ding Palace.

Yan Jingxiang and his wife sat in the reception hall, gazing at their daughter with an expression hard to describe.

Last winter, their daughter vanished suddenly, staying outside for a month, and returned with her lips bitten raw—they already knew she had met some young rascal.

But because the Spirit Mirror concealed heavenly fate, they had never uncovered anything.

Later, when their daughter successfully entered the Boundless Realm and Xuan Sword Peak rejoiced, they set the matter aside—never expecting her to openly admit it today.

"Shuyi, tell Father—who is he?"

"No one. I simply found Wenda Zong's disciple too noisy, disturbing my spiritual peace, so I made up a few lies to discourage others from pursuing her."

Yan Shuyi sat on the chair, her eyes cold and proud, her expression utterly sincere.

Cui'er glanced at the Inspector and thought: this was a lie—the Inspector's undergarment had clearly been nearly torn apart by someone's hands.

After returning to the mountain, she secretly tried it herself—trying to wrinkle it that way, the underpants were truly indecent.

Yan Jingxiang and his wife were deeply exasperated; they knew their daughter had always been stubborn, and now that she held such high rank, if she didn't want to speak, no one could force her—so they left in silence.

Yan Shuyi's eyelashes trembled slightly: "By falsely claiming I have a beloved, my ears are finally quieter."

Ding Yao: "?"

Zhuo Wanqiu: "How can the Inspector deceive even herself?"

"I'm beginning cultivation now. You may leave."

"Yes."

As her maids departed, Yun Ding Palace fell utterly silent.

Yan Shuyi sat still for a moment; once the aura outside the palace faded, she suddenly reached out, a faint spiritual light appearing in her palm, retrieving a book with illustrations from her storage gourd.

The cover read "Secret Techniques," depicting simple scenes: two or three figures per illustration.

Lingzhou's commerce was still prosperous; everything could be bought, and though such beautiful books couldn't be openly sold, careful searching still yielded them.

The Young Inspector opened the cover, studying the eighteen secret techniques of the boudoir duel, her cold, proud face gradually flushing, her expression growing increasingly flustered.

The ancient sages said: the way to overcome unknown fear is to understand it.

Avoidance only breeds inner demons.

Thus, even when facing death, humanity rose and charged toward the Descendants.

Since returning from the Heavenly Dao Assembly, Yan Shuyi had begun to develop an inner demon—sometimes waking suddenly in sleep, forced to wash her undergarments herself, so she resolved to secretly understand.

But after understanding, Yan Shuyi suddenly felt even more embarrassed…

Maybe Yuan Caiwei should try first…

But if Yuan Caiwei tried first, she might compete for the position. After deep thought, the Young Inspector decided Ding Yao should try first—then she could report back exactly how it was done.

The Young Inspector of Qingyun Sword Mountain's claim of having a beloved drew attention across Qingyun Realm, but since she named no one, it caused no major impact.

Besides this, during the cold winter, rumors spread that the Yu Danzong's personal disciple was attempting to control a Sacred Artifact.

Power transitions often bring countless ripple effects; it was said that after the news spread, many noble daughters and sect immortal maidens were invited to Danshan as guests.

Yet Yuan Chen still behaved like a child, uninterested in noble daughters, but deeply intrigued by letters from a roughsword cultivator of Qingyun Sword Mountain, causing his family great unease.

Meanwhile, several young talents from Liangzhou and Yongzhou also visited Yuan Caiwei at Danshan during this period.

Shanhai Pavilion, the immortal sect closest to Yu Danzong, was said to have even stirred the personal disciple Huo Xingzhong, who sent a jade-carved incense burner as a gift.

Even if Yu Danzong lacked combat strength, it remained one of the immortal sects, holding a Sacred Artifact.

Though Yuan Caiwei was not the personal disciple entrusted with the Sacred Artifact, everyone knew the Yu Danzong's personal disciple feared his sister most and obeyed her above all.

Yet Yuan Caiwei refused to meet any of them, and publicly claimed she too had a beloved—making listeners feel strangely familiar. "Why do all these noble immortal maidens suddenly have beloveds—so coincidentally?"

"Could it be they all have the same beloved?"

Whenever someone voiced this question, certain passing insiders couldn't help muttering inwardly.

Besides these matters, other small and large events occurred.

A minor conflict erupted between families under Shanhai Pavilion and those under Chen Shixian's clan, resulting in dozens of cultivators dead or wounded.

Since their earlier feud, these two immortal sects had never gotten along, their friction constant—so this wasn't particularly surprising.

Also, a group of rogue cultivators appeared near Qingzhou; they were said to have stolen tax offerings from a minor noble family under cover of night, triggering a citywide manhunt.

Additionally, the Great Xia Empire announced after the Winter Solstice that it would expand its army by thirty percent.

Proclamations were copied by local governments and posted across the Nine Provinces.

The barbarians had shown no activity in the past year; only minor skirmishes had occurred beyond the northern border—but everyone knew their desire to enter the Nine Provinces would never fade, so the Great Xia Emperor's military expansion faced no resistance from the immortal sects or noble families.

As for the Heavenly Book Academy, all remained silent.

To date, no one had yet awakened the Heavenly Book; only a steady stream of announcements declaring seclusion to push their realms forward.

Like Lu Hanyan and Shi Junhao, both promised by the Academy that entry into the Yingtian Realm would make them personal disciples—now unable to enter the Sage's Sacred Ground, they could only refine their realms through time.

This season lasted until the New Year, as red lanterns hung high and festive atmosphere grew thick in the city.

All taverns and courtyards in the city were booked solid; dancers and singing girls from brothels were summoned by the capital's great families.

Grand banquets, fragrant wine, everywhere.

Kuangcheng had been busy since dawn, tidying the courtyard, chopping vegetables, simmering soup; Brother Ji wasn't here this year, so he planned to invite Cao Jinsong and others to dinner—of course, Wei Rui would be there too.

It was said that Miss Wei had recently attended a banquet and proudly declared to all that she too had a beloved—though she didn't say who.

But this matter drew no attention.

Because few people in Shengjing didn't know Wei Rui favored Xiang Kuangcheng of the Imperial Astral Monitor…

Not long after dusk fell, Wei Rui arrived early at Kuang Cheng's courtyard, dressed demurely; she slipped on an apron without being asked and began preparing his meal.

New Year's Day was a time for family reunion, and Kuang Cheng had never expected Wei Rui to come, so he was genuinely surprised to see her.

In truth, Wei Rui had feared her family would forbid her from coming, but neither her father nor her grandfather had stopped her.

After much thought, both concluded it must be because of Ji You.

The aristocratic families of the capital all sought to befriend celestial prodigies, and over these years, the one they most regretted losing was Ji You.

Though Kuang Cheng was merely a scholar, he was Ji You's closest friend.

Such connections were never stable—they paled beside true friendship.

Though many had mocked Ji You as a rustic self-cultivator, no one ever questioned his character, and all knew that if you befriended a man like him, he would truly stand by you in trouble.

Under these circumstances, Kuang Cheng's bond with Ji You had become unbreakable.

This was also why Cao Jinsong could point fingers at others in the academy.

Ordinarily, outer-court instructors merely guided students into the basics; once prodigies entered the inner court, they rarely maintained contact with their former outer-court instructors.

But Ji You was different—even after leaving the Sacred Grounds of the Ancients and reaching the Ying Tian realm, he still respectfully called Cao Jinsong "instructor."

Soon, Cao Jinsong and the others arrived at Kuang Cheng's courtyard with wine and liquor.

Without Ji You around, Old Cao found himself deeply unsettled.

What unsettled him was that he once thought his monthly stipend never sufficed; now, he couldn't spend it all—not even close.

Bai Ru also strongly agreed, missing the feeling of reaching into his pouch and pulling out silver taels.

Halfway through the meal, the wooden gate of Kuang Cheng's courtyard suddenly knocked, and in entered a maid and three Imperial Astral Monitor officers.

Since it was New Year's Day, the maid could have rested, let alone the officers.

Seeing these unexpected visitors, everyone set down their chopsticks and cups.

The maid was Zhu'er, Wei Rui's personal attendant; she hurried into the courtyard and whispered into Wei Rui's ear.

Wei Rui froze slightly, then turned to Kuang Cheng.

"What is it?"

"Dou Yuan Kong was found… he's alive…"

"?"

On the first day of the New Year, people usually visited relatives and friends, laughing and rejoicing—but inside the Dou mansion, silence hung heavy.

The carriage of Princess Chang Le rolled along the snow-melted avenue and halted before the Dou mansion; she stepped out to find Wei Rui and other Daxia officials already present.

At the front of the crowd stood Kuang Cheng and his team of Imperial Astral Monitor officers.

Most of these capital officials had come out of concern upon hearing Dou Yuan Kong had been found; Kuang Cheng and the Monitor's men came to investigate.

After Dou Yuan Kong vanished, Minister Dou had filed a report with the Imperial Astral Monitor.

Soon, the Dou mansion's main gate was pushed open by the steward.

Everyone followed inside, entering the eastern annex courtyard.

Inside the dim room, Minister Dou's figure could be seen from the doorway—his back hunched, as if he had aged fifteen years in an instant.

On the shadowed bed lay a gaunt figure, barely breathing.

"My lord."

"How is he?"

The Imperial Astral Monitor officer turned to Kuang Cheng: "All involved have been questioned. Dou Yuan Kong was found in a peasant household in Qingzhou. He had been kept there for two months, treated like an ox or horse. When rescued, he was barely human."

Kuang Cheng glanced into the room: "Why was he only discovered now?"

"During recent tax collection, an officer went to inventory the household and noticed him. It was reported upward, investigated, and only then confirmed to be Dou Yuan Kong."

"How is he now?"

The officer glanced sideways: "He lost one arm. His body is covered in old wounds. One detail requires special attention—his shoulder…"

Kuang Cheng frowned, then stepped into the room. Minister Dou, forcing himself to appear composed, exchanged pleasantries with his colleagues; when he saw Kuang Cheng, his eyes flickered with venom.

"Get out!"

Dou Yuan Kong had been expelled from Shengjing because he tried to harm Ji You—and failed, fleeing in terror.

The root of the conflict between Dou Yuan Kong and Ji You was that Dou had loved Wei Rui, but she favored Kuang Cheng.

Thus, in Minister Dou's eyes, Kuang Cheng was the root cause of his son's ruin.

Kuang Cheng looked at Minister Dou: "I am here on official business. I believe Your Excellency wishes to know what truly happened to your son."

Nearby officials also urged him.

Minister Dou gritted his teeth and turned away, clearing a path for Kuang Cheng.

Kuang Cheng stepped forward, studying him long and hard. Dou Yuan Kong had lost his right arm—only a hollow sleeve remained.

After a long silence, Kuang Cheng undid his outer robe and pulled aside his inner shirt—his expression darkened instantly.

On the stump of Dou Yuan Kong's left arm was a half-palm claw mark, deeply embedded in flesh, its tips sharp, the mark purplish-black.

The room fell utterly silent. Everyone stared, eyes wide, even their breathing suddenly loud.

"A demonic seed…?!"

"Impossible. After the last incident at Qiling, the Seven Immortal Sects feared further chaos—they sent powerful cultivators to eradicate every last demonic seed. None could remain."

Kuang Cheng pondered long: "Where is this peasant household?"

The Imperial Astral Monitor officer replied: "In the far northwest of Qingzhou, Sanli County, hitang Village."

Sanli County was the poorest in Qingzhou, entirely nestled in rolling hills; its name came from the fact that the entire county had only three li of flat land.

Kuang Cheng raised his gaze: "Return to the Monitor and report immediately to the Director. Send a team to investigate. This matter could be trivial or grave—we must uncover the truth."

"Yes."

News that Dou Yuan Kong had lost an arm and bore demonic seed claw marks spread quickly, sparking heated debate within the Imperial Astral Monitor.

At noon that day, a small inspection team was dispatched to Sanli County, Wenhé Prefecture, Qingzhou.

(End of Chapter)