Chapter 261: Demonic Seed? Celestial Treasure?

"Originally, when the Qiling incident occurred, your Lord of Investigation personally investigated the Zheng family and saw the Zheng clan members who had turned into demonic seeds, locked in the old mansion's dungeon."

"After the Zheng family's ancestral elder failed to ascend, the Seven Immortal Sects also thoroughly searched the old Zheng mansion—they must have seen those things too. Logically, this shouldn't be anything new."

Ji You showed no surprise upon hearing Ding Yao's words.

That the Zheng clan members had turned into demonic seeds was known to very few in Qingyun Realm, but among the Seven Immortal Sects, it was no secret.

Logically, Yan Shuyi shouldn't have sent Ding Yao and the other to inform him of something he already knew.

Ji You now looked at Ding Yao: "This time is different from last time?"

As expected, Ding Yao lifted her gaze: "Young Master is astute…"

It was true that all the Zheng clan members had turned into demonic seeds—this was known to all Seven Immortal Sects.

Though they didn't know what dark art the Zheng family used, the incident indirectly proved that seeking immortal fortune from ruins was the delusion of fools.

But this time, the Seven Immortal Sects witnessed something entirely different.

They followed Dou Yuan Kong's trail all the way to the outskirts of Anyuan City and confirmed the place where he had last been seen.

There was indeed a winery, owned by the Bu family of Qingzhou, producing spirit wine brewed from spiritual ingredients.

Most of the wine in Shengjing came from this winery.

It was said Dou Yuan Kong had mentioned this winery multiple times while seeking courtesans, claiming that the finest products came from their origin and that he wished to taste an undiluted, pure brew.

Ji You, hearing this, said: "So Dou Yuan Kong went there himself?"

Ding Yao nodded: "After leaving Shengjing, he wandered aimlessly. He probably remembered the winery only after being invited by a friend nearby, then decided to go drink. No one besides those courtesans knew of this."

"The courtesans remembered so clearly?"

"Dou Yuan Kong originally intended to hire her for half a month, so she remembered clearly."

Ji You, upon hearing this, opened his mouth: "If the courtesan is still alive, that means she didn't go with him?"

Ding Yao coughed: "She said he was always half-hearted—she'd long grown tired of serving him."

"Dou Yuan Kong was lucky he went mad…"

Ji You couldn't help but grin, recalling the laptop he'd left behind in his dorm before arriving in Qingyun Realm.

Or perhaps the exhaustive browsing history on its browser.

"What happened next?"

"That winery had problems…"

Dou Yuan Kong was indeed unlucky—he went to that winery himself.

What exactly happened inside remained unknown, but the timing matched closely with when he was found by a farmer in Sanli County.

Shanhaige was the first to reach the winery. At first, they thought nothing of it and merely conducted routine inspection—until that very night, fierce combat erupted there.

When other cultivators arrived, Shanhaige's disciples had suffered heavy losses, shocking all the outsiders who had been traveling beyond their sects.

They hadn't expected a local aristocratic family to possess such combat power.

"The Seven Immortal Sects gradually surrounded the area. No one from the winery escaped. After a sweep, their forces discovered a group of people drenched in malevolent energy in a wild forest, who transformed into demonic seeds during the encirclement."

Ji You's eyes hardened at these words: "You mean they can transform into demonic seeds at will?"

Ding Yao nodded: "This is precisely why the Seven Immortal Sects are suppressing the news."

Upon hearing this confirmation, Ji You immediately furrowed his brow, thinking: This is a massive problem.

The things the Zheng family produced—turning their own into undead demonic corpses—were grotesque and terrifying, but they never caused major upheaval.

Because those ghastly things had no thought—they wouldn't have been locked away by their own kin otherwise.

So they couldn't be controlled; they were merely lost souls.

But this time, someone could transform into demonic seeds at will—and still retain their own logic and thought.

"It seems Dou Yuan Kong never actually entered the winery."

"?"

Ji You turned to Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu, who looked puzzled: "If he had truly entered, when news of his rescue in Shengjing spread, those things should have been alerted immediately—they wouldn't have waited until now to flee. Or, if he had truly gone inside, he never would have survived to return."

Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu blinked, then understood their young master's meaning.

Dou Yuan Kong did go to drink, but before entering the winery, he secretly witnessed people turning into demonic seeds nearby—and was driven mad by fear.

So the people inside the winery didn't even know he had come. That's why, when Dou Yuan Kong was found in Sanli County, they never imagined the Seven Immortal Sects would trace the trail back to them.

Ji You now looked at Ding Yao: "Where are those people from the winery now?"

"They know Qingzhou's terrain better than the sect disciples. After several skirmishes, they escaped and are now fleeing through the wilderness."

"The Seven Immortal Sects sent disciples twice—still couldn't stop those things?"

Zhuo Wanqiu pressed her lips shut: "They weren't ordered to kill them—they were ordered to capture them alive. But those people's cultivation levels far exceeded the sects' expectations. After transforming into demonic seeds, their bodies became rigid and their speed extreme—hard to capture. So until now, they've failed."

After a long silence, Ji You looked at her: "Where are they now?"

"In the Dongping Mountains of Qingzhou."

"Where's your Lord of Investigation?"

"After this incident, Tianjian Peak sent a large force to Qingzhou. The Lord of Investigation left the mountain as well. Before departing, she instructed us to follow you for the next few days."

Information in Qingyun Realm wasn't truly sealed tight—especially when events completely defied expectations, they couldn't be fully concealed.

So within days, rumors began spreading of fierce battles occurring in the Dongping Mountains.

But no one knew this was tied to Dou Yuan Kong, nor the sinister truth behind it.

Some speculated it was a dispute among Qingzhou's aristocratic families, but Qingzhou's clans quickly denied it. Then others guessed that some celestial treasure, nourished by sun and moon, had appeared in the Dongping Mountains.

Such rumors, easily sparking greed, naturally drew widespread attention.

In a stone pavilion built of white marble, on the eastern side of the Purple Bamboo Meditation Grove in the Inner Court.

He Lingxiu, a direct disciple of Zizai Hall, was inviting others to drink tea and casually discussing the matter.

Previously, during the investigation into Dou Yuan Kong, her He family had also participated—but after the case was closed, He family's agents were expelled from Qingzhou by the Seven Immortal Sects.

She believed the celestial treasure in the Dongping Mountains had been discovered during the Dou Yuan Kong investigation. Since her He family was closely tied to the Heavenly Book Academy through marriage, if such a treasure truly appeared, perhaps they could claim a share.

Sitting on the southern side of the tea table, Fang Jincheng shared the same thought.

This young scion of the Fang elder had enjoyed boundless prestige since entering the Inner Court, feeling superior to all others. He'd long since distanced himself from old friends, preferring instead to gravitate toward He Lingxiu's circle.

In his view, only the direct disciples of the immortal halls were worth associating with now.

Also present at the tea table, drinking with them, was Lu Hanyan, the second daughter of the Lu family.

After entering the Inner Court, Lu Xiong had used spirit cores to pave the way, leveraging his daughter to open valuable connections for his family.

In Qingyun Realm, networking always worked this way—especially for the Lu family, who had risen from spirit mines and understood this art deeply.

But Lu Hanyan seemed ill-suited to such gatherings—she merely sipped tea, saying nothing.

"Transitioning from Rongdao to Yingtian is extremely difficult. Since the Heavenly Way Assembly, I've been trying to break into the next realm, but I have no clue how."

"If this celestial treasure falls into the hands of the Heavenly Book Academy, perhaps it could aid me and make my breakthrough smoother."

He Lingxiu sat with the others, murmuring softly as she held her teacup.

Hearing this, Shi Junhao and Xiao Hanyan crossed their arms and fell into thought.

Originally, when they accompanied the Great Xia envoy to the Snow Region, they'd been promised that entering Yingtian would qualify them as direct disciples.

But everyone knew that after entering the Upper Five Realms, each realm became harder than the last—even prodigies like sect direct disciples needed countless years to break through.

They had planned to find another path, hoping to awaken in the Sacred Grounds of the Ancients to break through—but in the end, it was all in vain.

Thinking of this, they couldn't help but recall Ji You, who had spent over half a year in the Sacred Grounds yet hadn't even entered Rongdao.

Like Tang Jingming of Zhongzhou, they also felt Ji You had wasted their opportunity.

Xiao Hanyan, thinking of this, raised her eyes to the group: "Hasn't Ji You been seen these past few days?"

He Lingxiu, snapping out of her speculation about the celestial treasure: "Didn't he return to Fengzhou for the autumn harvest?"

"He came back already."

"After he hit a bottleneck at Tongxuan, I paid him less attention—I didn't even know he'd returned."

He Lingxiu had once held extremely high expectations for Ji You—otherwise she wouldn't have repeatedly tried to bind him through marriage.

But a man stuck at Tongxuan, no matter how strong his combat ability, couldn't hold her interest anymore.

He Lingxiu now looked at Lu Hanyan: "A few days ago, your father asked me to recommend some talented young men to you. I've been thinking about it—there's a banquet at Winter Garden in a few days. Would you like to join me?"

Lu Hanyan lifted her head: "Thank you, Sister. But I'm currently at a critical point in Tongxuan Mid-stage and need to close for meditation. Could we postpone this for a few days?" "Of course—cultivation is the priority."

Hearing their exchange, the others at the tea table exchanged glances.

Everyone in the Heavenly Book Academy knew the Lu family had long wanted to marry their daughter to Ji You—and Lu Hanyan herself had the same intention.

It was said that when she learned swordplay from Ji You, even when beaten on the buttocks, she'd just whimper sweetly.

This was the first time they'd learned that Lu Xiong, when offering spirit cores to Zizai Hall, had also asked He Lingxiu to act as matchmaker.

But this wasn't surprising—after all, Tongxuan was too lowly for a spirit-stone family to rely on…

Yet Lu Hanyan's reply clearly carried an evasive tone.

She didn't want to waste the connections her father had painstakingly built—but her heart still belonged to Ji You.

Yu Shiliu, sitting with them at the table, understood this mindset.

Who wasn't like this?

She remembered how, after seeing Ji You cut down Yan Hao, she'd been dazed for a long time.

So much so that every morning she had to change her silk undergarments and would unconsciously chase his shadow in Rusheng Garden—until now, when she'd dispelled the illusion, realizing he was merely a rustic self-cultivator unable to break through.

As the group chatted idly, a spirit-filled flying sword suddenly descended from the sky, piercing through the Heavenly Book Academy's protective array amid shimmering mystic light.

The group, drawn by the aura, immediately turned to look.

The former head of the Office of Affairs, Bu Qirong, descended from the sword, then swept his sleeves and ascended straight to Zizai Immortal Hall.

"Bu Qirong?"

Yes, the leader who transformed into a xiezhong in that winery was a collateral head of the Bu family from Qingzhou.

Zuo Qiuyang stood deep within the hall, turning to Lang Hetong: "Where are the Bu family?"

Lang Hetong shook his head: "The mansion is empty; everyone has vanished. But the matter you ordered us to investigate has now been confirmed."

Zuo Qiuyang reached out and took the letter from his hand, staring at it for a long time.

The Bu family is an ancient clan, but over the centuries they have gradually declined.

In the Qingyun Realm, such aristocratic families are not rare; many have been forgotten, and the most common outcome is a dwindling population.

Precisely because of this, these clans typically run businesses to maintain their wealth—grain shops, trading houses, wineries, or brothels.

Logically, few among such families' descendants manage to cross the threshold of the Lower Three Realms' completion.

But Bu Qirong's realm is truly surprising.

"A fifty-year-old Tongxuan Realm cultivator, reaching the Yingtian Upper Realm in just one year…?"

"Yes."

Zuo Qiuyang spoke without expression: "No wonder he's been so hard to catch."

After hearing this, Lang Hetong looked up in the hall: "Such rapid advancement is abnormal. I wonder if this extraordinary leap in realm is connected to their ability to transform into xiezhong."

Upon hearing this, Zuo Qiuyang's gaze grew deep…

News of the Bu family's transformation into xiezhong, like that of the Tian Shu Academy, had been secretly relayed and sparked much discussion.

As rumors spread, more people unaware of the truth began to believe something extraordinary must lie hidden in the mountains.

At this moment, on the road from Shengjing to Qingzhou, a carriage rented from the Shengjing relay station was racing forward.

Because immortal sects and aristocratic families had been active recently, one could sense the counties and villages of Qingzhou were eerily quiet.

Along the road, apart from government officials, only a few scattered individuals appeared, hurrying with urgent steps.

Inside the speeding carriage, Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu sat like proper ladies, watching Ji You as he pondered, then exchanged glances, a flicker of confusion in their eyes.

After informing their master's husband of the Master's instructions, he said nothing else—immediately deciding to come to Qingzhou.

This long journey had been relentless, day and night without pause.

Yet even now, they still did not understand why their master's husband wished to wade into this mess after hearing the news.

In their view, the xiezhong matter had little to do with the Young Master, yet the danger was extreme; even if he found something, it would surely fall into the hands of the immortal sects—it made no sense for him to get involved.

Clatter—clatter—

The carriage jolted violently as it raced.

The Great Xia's strength had long declined; apart from the newly repaired road in Fengzhou and the one maintained by the Spirit Stone Guild in Yunzhou, all other roads between states and commanderies were long-neglected.

Amid this jolting, Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu bounced round and round, their figures constantly threatening to spill free.

Ancient women's belly wraps were typically made of silk—soft and smooth—with no binding function; such lively bouncing under these conditions was perfectly normal.

She had changed her address to "Young Master" upon confirming the Master truly intended to marry Ji You—and from that moment, she no longer treated him as an outsider.

Moreover, back at the Tian Dao Assembly, she had also sighed and whimpered for Ji You for a long time.

Ji You sat upright in deep thought for a long while, then snapped back to awareness, noticing the lively bouncing before him. After watching for a while, he couldn't help silently mutter: You're accumulating anger points for your pain-sensitive Master, aren't you…

Qingzhou's weather these days had been gloomy, with vast clouds blanketing the sky, turning even daytime into an evening as dark as night.

As the carriage turned into the forest, thunder rumbled overhead, as if a heavy rain was about to pour down.

Ji You lifted the carriage curtain and gazed out.

Along the way, villages and towns showed scenes of wooden stakes and rammed earth—preparing to repair mud houses before the rain arrived.

Kuangcheng had previously told him that the spring storm had destroyed many homes, leaving the people with deep trauma…

Beyond the towns, the carriage gradually entered boundless wilderness, the Dongping Mountains drawing ever closer.

Before his eyes, leaden clouds hung low, nearly brushing the jagged peaks, while the mountain massif, once a beast crouching in daylight, now lost its layered form, becoming a blurred, colossal silhouette—like a blunt blade carved forcibly from a slate-gray sky, stretching east to west, endless.

The mountains were densely covered in lush vegetation, having grown wild for millennia, so thick that even daylight could not penetrate.

Amid such vast, towering mountains, humans were indeed as tiny as ants.

"The Dongping Mountains are this large?"

Zhuo Wanqiu nodded after hearing Ji You's voice: "Unlike Fengzhou, where mountains are scattered, Qingzhou has vast plains, and nearly all its mountains are concentrated here—its total area is even larger than Qiling."

Ji You frowned slightly: "No wonder they chose to flee here—it's truly hard to find."

Outside the Dongping Mountains, immortal sects had posted cultivators patrolling back and forth, their expressions alert.

So they decided not to disembark there, but to follow the mountain path around to the rear.

Only when the wilderness stretched endlessly did the carriage slowly halt by the roadside; then the three of them leapt down from the carriage shaft and gazed up at the mountains for a long while.

"I'm entering the mountains, but it's too dangerous inside. You two stay behind—find a nearby town and wait for me."

Zhuo Wanqiu and Ding Yao exchanged glances: "The Master is already in the mountains. We should follow you, Master's husband."

Ji You thought for a long while: "Then don't stray far from me. Stay safe."

"Yes."

Ji You did not insist they wait outside; instead, he entered through a secluded wild forest, plunging into the Dongping Mountains.

In the Qingyun Realm, immortal Dao reigns supreme; there is little to no construction.

Beyond the sects' and aristocrats' cultivation grounds, most mountainous and riverine regions remain untouched wilderness.

Ji You led the two women through the wilderness for a long while before faintly spotting felled ancient trees and bloodstains dripping onto leaves.

These must be traces left by the seven immortal sects' disciples hunting the Bu family.

"Could it be… the Young Master is also interested in the xiezhong matter?"

"I don't know…"

Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu whispered behind him as they watched Ji You follow the traces forward, gradually entering the towering peaks.

Now, looking upward, above them lay only a gloomy sky, surrounded on all sides by towering mountains.

After a long while, they began to see scattered lights moving through the dense forest.

"Master's husband, those lights ahead must be disciples of some immortal sect, using magical artifacts to illuminate and search for the Bu family."

Upon seeing the lights, Zhuo Wanqiu immediately turned to Ji You.

Ji You halted, observed for a moment, then looked at them: "They're heading southeast. We go due east."

Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu looked at him, puzzled.

They didn't understand why they should avoid the sect disciples—it felt as if they themselves were hiding xiezhong in the mountains.

(End of Chapter)