[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-watching-the-immortals-fall":3,"chapter-watching-the-immortals-fall-watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-273":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Watching the Immortals Fall",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2260146,4410,"Chapter 273: They","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-273",273,"\u003Cp>The moment she was embraced, Yan Shuyi remained aloof, her slender waist held straight, stubbornly trying to tower over Ji You.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But soon she relaxed, her feet dangling in the air, swaying gently in the embrace she adored.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though tall-legged, slim-waisted, and coldly majestic like a senior lady, her movements betrayed the restlessness of a little girl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet perhaps feeling it clashed with her dignity, she halted her swaying, glancing at Ji You with icy pride—only slightly appeased when she saw he wasn’t smiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, Ji You would have kissed her by now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after testing a few times, pain surged through his muscles into his mind, forcing a faint grimace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Yan Shuyi’s proud gaze grew even more haughty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lord of the Mirror, do you know I have no injuries on my hands?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Shuyi suddenly shuddered, her eyes narrowing as she felt his hands kneading her chest: “I’ll send you away tomorrow…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You fell silent for a long while, then shifted his hand…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His physical body had grown immensely strong; many things no longer required the hesitation of before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with the next teasing motion, Yan Shuyi suddenly punched his chest with a thud, her sword qi and killing intent surging instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu happened to pass by, hearing the clattering from the room and feeling the expanding fist winds, exchanging a glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such scenes weren’t new to them; when Ji You went to Lingjian Mountain to seek the Dao, they’d fought daily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They fight every time, but why is this one so intense…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s been a long time since they last met.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard Elder Yan Chuan say the Lord of the Mirror originally ordered that as soon as the son-in-law woke, he be sent away immediately, to avoid gossip—but within moments, he couldn’t resist sneaking into the son-in-law’s room.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Elder Yan Chuan, having lived so long, has some wisdom and life experience—he knows that if he doesn’t send him away, there’s likely no punishment, but if he does send him off, he might even be expelled from the mountain.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the afternoon, under the setting sun, Anyuan City was utterly tranquil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At a small food stall, Ji You, Yan Shuyi, Ding Yao, and Zhuo Wanqiu were eating iron-pot lamb bones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Wulü Trading House nearby was signing contracts to supplement grain for commoners who couldn’t afford their tax dues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After three years of reclaiming wasteland and selecting seed strains, Fengzhou’s output had doubled; many tasks left unfinished last year could now be caught up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Families bringing children were given a fist-sized piece of cured meat or a small rattle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching this, Ji You chewed silently, but the corner of his mouth, bitten into a notch, couldn’t help curling upward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the motion tugged at his wound, making him hiss softly—he instinctively rubbed it again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His physical body was already immensely strong, yet when they truly fought, Yan Shuyi still surpassed him, even subtly overshadowing Fang the Elder, who had long held the Wujiang realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was said that Yan Shuyi was creating her own sword Dao and magical arts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Ji You had the honor of being the first to test them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Qingyun Heaven, magical arts were numerous, but few were passed down, because to learn another’s art, one’s Dao heart and mindset must match the creator’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, no matter the art, it was always strongest in the hands of its creator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For it was born from the creator’s own insight into heaven’s laws—naturally more attuned than any imitator’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You was rubbing his mouth when suddenly a foot kicked his knee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You, lacking the strength to retaliate, stayed silent, merely glancing up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Shuyi glared coldly, looking petulant, as if she wanted to kill him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Ji You pressed his lips together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn hairless little water tiger…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing the bones, Ji You’s group headed southwest, near the city wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After walking down a quiet, deserted path, a mansion came into view, its gate plaque bearing four large characters: Bu Family Winery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the Bu family fled into the deep mountains, this winery had stood empty, its courtyard in ruins, blackened bloodstains spreading from the front yard to the main hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group followed the bloodstains, searching the front and back courtyards, main house, side rooms, and annexes, finally reaching the underground wine cellar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Bu family was wiped out—some killed when the Shanhaige disciples attacked, the rest slain by Ji You’s sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as Ji You and Yan Shuyi had discussed in the room, many mysteries remained unexplained—even Bu Qirong himself hadn’t understood them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They could only search, hoping to find traces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If anything existed, they could not allow it to fall into the hands of those ancient immortal sect elders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You walked ahead, entering the dark wine cellar, glancing at Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu: “Where’s that moody ghost?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding Yao looked up: “The Lord of the Mirror fears the dark; she rarely goes out at night.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But last time I visited you, she came to me in the middle of the night.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That was because it was Young Master who came.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I asked her that, she’d deny it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuo Wanqiu nodded: “The Lord of the Mirror is like that—she’d claim she isn’t afraid of darkness at all, that she loves night strolls, and just happened to spot Young Master and went in to chat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Shuyi stood outside the door, glancing at the figures inside, her cold face slowly flushing red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You led Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu deeper, following the slope to the darkest end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cellar was filled with unopened wine barrels; nothing else warranted special attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Ding Yao’s delicate nose twitched; she sniffed twice: “Young Master, do you smell anything?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kerosene.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You, holding a spirit stone for light, turned toward the far corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There, large charred marks stretched from the floor to the wall—as if the Bu family had deliberately burned something before fleeing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three exchanged glances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In such an urgent situation, why burn something when Shanhaige disciples were already searching Anyuan City? It couldn’t be ordinary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They crouched and studied for a long while, finding only charred, sticky substances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You stared for a long moment, then stepped out of the cellar: “This road leading to the Bu Family Winery is the straightest and easiest route from outside the city into the city—why is there not a single person on it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Shuyi looked at the road outside: “When the Bu family was still here, this road was strictly guarded—anyone who trespassed was beaten to death. Even now that the Bu family is gone, many still instinctively avoid it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then how did Dou Yuan Kong find this road? How did he discover the Bu family’s secret without them noticing him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s why I didn’t go straight to Dongping Mountain—I came to Anyuan City first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While spiritual energy surged through Dongping Mountain and search parties roamed constantly, the people of Anyuan City often saw a stunningly beautiful woman wandering endlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason? The young Lord of Lingjian Mountain believed Dou Yuan Kong’s movements still held too many mysteries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she discovered traces of the barbarians in the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why she later followed the barbarian tribe’s chieftain to Dongping Mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The barbarians’ appearance didn’t resolve her doubts—it only deepened them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she pondered, the four arrived at a mansion in the west of the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This mansion’s plaque also bore the characters “Bu Family”—it was the main lineage’s residence, long abandoned, its interiors and exteriors thick with dust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You walked ahead, Yan Shuyi followed behind, with Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu trailing, searching the vast garden for a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In Qingyun Heaven, hierarchy is strict. By right, branch family affairs should never escape the main family’s notice. The Bu Qirong family were merely wine sellers—they couldn’t possibly have secretly done so much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You mean the main Bu lineage is also involved?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Shuyi turned her beautiful eyes slightly: “The main Bu lineage has a spirit seed field, right next to an ancient ruin—I mentioned this before. When coincidences pile up, they’re never coincidences.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You turned, gazing at the vast, empty courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Branch families did indeed depend on the main family for survival; the winery was so close to the Bu main residence—evading the main family’s notice would be nearly impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Shuyi looked at Ji You: “If you hadn’t killed Bu Qirong, perhaps these mysteries would be clearer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You shook his head: “If Bu Qirong had fallen into the hands of the immortal sects, the risk would’ve been greater. At the time, killing him was the only safe option—only the dead won’t speak.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He snapped back to reality, realizing Yan Shuyi was watching him with a piercing gaze. He spoke softly: “You think I’m silencing witnesses?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No. I want to know who QiQi is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You froze instantly, slowly turning his neck toward the moody ghost: “How do you know QiQi…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Shuyi stared at him with icy eyes: “You called that name nonstop for three days while you slept.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“QiQi is my sister’s name…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What about Xiao Di? And Lingling, Qiangqiang, Wenwen, and Xiangyu…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long silence, Ji You spoke: “They’re all my brothers and sisters.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Shuyi stood with her hands behind her back, skeptical of his answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Ji You swept a hand across the dusty table and drew a streak of grime across Yan Shuyi’s flawless face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young Lord of the Mirror stared at his index and middle fingers—fingers that had touched her cheek before—her eyes blazing with fury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Rogue…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Little jealous brat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After touring the Bu Family Winery and the main Bu residence, Ji You’s straining waist reached its limit; he returned to his room to rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The icy, peerless Yan Shuyi, no longer avoiding his embrace, still insisted on controlling his hands, forbidding him from touching anywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This made Ji You feel like the one being tormented…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after being cooped up in the mountains for so long, staying indoors too long wasn’t good, so the next day, they went out to stroll the Anyuan City market.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Bu family affair had stirred great unrest among cultivators, but it hadn’t affected ordinary civilians’ lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If anything, the absence of oppressive immortals in the city had left many commoners feeling lighter-hearted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Bu Qirong died, Ji You felt a great weight lifted from his heart, and his mood improved considerably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the way to the market, he casually bought some rattle drums and tiger-head shoes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Ji You explained that these craftspeople lived in hardship and buying from them was a form of help, he still saw Xiao Jianzhu’s aura surge with sword energy—he even felt like kicking him while walking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most crucially, Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu, who followed behind them, whispered constantly, discussing numerous names beginning with “Ji.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You truly loved children; he usually couldn’t walk past silver without stopping, but every time he saw beggar children, he gave them something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, he gave away the rattle drums, but presented only the tiger-head shoes to Yan Shuyi as a gift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu kept thinking their Jianzhu was a fool—and would eventually get beaten senseless…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason Jianzhu hadn’t been beaten yet was simply because he’d taken advantage of Fang’s elder’s leniency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When passing a clinic, Ji You went to check his waist and bought two ointments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t apply them himself, so he had to ask Yan Shuyi to do it for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But while applying the ointment, Yan Shuyi secretly gave him two slaps, as if afraid he’d heal too quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your technique clearly carries personal grudges…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“With so many Wujiang and Shenyou present, you still dared kill Bu Qirong—surviving at all is already lucky. What’s a sore waist?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You’s hands were bound, and Xiao Jianzhu’s breath, fragrant as orchids, brushed his face—he clearly knew his waist was weak, yet still sat snugly against him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Yan Shuyi was right: had she not been there, he could never have survived killing a man under the eyes of those ancient monsters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Shuyi looked at him now: “I ask you—if I hadn’t been there, would you still have killed Bu Qirong?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long pause, Ji You nodded: “I still would.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You really aren’t afraid of death?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you know how many children die trying to bring out the Immortal Fortune from ruins?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Jianzhu suddenly brought this up because she didn’t want Ji You to be reckless, treating his life as disposable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though she refused to admit aloud that he was her husband, that was only words—deep down, she couldn’t bear seeing the one she liked risk himself so often.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, she’d already implicitly acknowledged before those Elders that she belonged to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when Ji You spoke those words, Yan Shuyi’s gaze froze slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She leaned closer to study him, realizing he wasn’t joking, and then understood: Ji You might know something that forced him to kill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling the beggar children they’d met days ago, and her own words when she’d established her family in Zhongzhou, she realized this strange man—who’d only kissed her a few times and touched her in countless places—always grew fierce when children were mentioned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last winter, it had been just like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Wu Li Trading House opened in Lingzhou, Yan Shuyi learned of it immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’d secretly gone to Fengzhou just to hear people calling her “Madam Ji”—how could she not care about her own business?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, she’d heard people from the Lingzhou branch say that although Fengzhou’s grain surplus reached fifty percent, it still couldn’t feed the millions across the Nine Provinces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Wu Li Trading House’s rule was to prioritize aid for families with children to raise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, she felt a hand untying her sash—and her gaze instantly turned fierce…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next morning, two carriages appeared before the inn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below, Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu waited, whispering to each other, discussing for a long time how Jianzhu hadn’t returned to his room last night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Yan Shuyi, clad only in her undergarment, opened her eyes in Ji You’s arms, a flush spreading across her cold, proud face as she pulled his hand away from between her rounded curves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last night, after wrestling with him for hours, she’d grown tired and collapsed into his arms, then slept there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To her surprise, Ji You hadn’t done anything—he’d simply held her tightly all night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, Ji You seemed to wake as her breathing changed, watching her quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Awake?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Rogue…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Shuyi shot him a glare, withdrew her hand from his embrace, stepped barefoot onto the floor—snow-white soles exposed—and began washing and dressing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Ji You rose from the bed and began tidying his hairpin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After washing, Yan Shuyi put on her outer robe, walked to Ji You with two loose sashes dangling, and he reached out to tie them for her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had no intention of staying long in Anyuan City; yesterday they’d decided to depart today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One reason was that many Lingjian Mountain disciples had been injured in the Dongping Mountains incident, and as Jianzhu, Yan Shuyi needed to return and oversee affairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other reason was that Yan Shuyi noticed Ji You’s recovery speed was astonishing…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last night, while lying in his arms, she’d secretly observed: the fresh wounds on his chest had fully healed; the deeper knife wound on his lower back was already scabbing rapidly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This recovery rate must be tied to the stranger’s body refinement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Shuyi feared that if they stayed a few more days, Ji You’s waist would heal—and then she’d be the one in pain…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You was also eager to return to his sect, for he’d heard the Tian Shu Academy planned to head back; his killing of Bu Qirong might cause repercussions, so he needed to return and see for himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After washing, the two stepped out of the inn, calm as if they hadn’t shared a room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Yan De, over these days, finally understood what “bright future” meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s growing cold now. If nothing happens after you return, remember to come to Tian Shu Academy for roasted sweet potatoes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Does the Jianzhu have to travel all the way to Tian Shu Academy just to eat a roasted sweet potato?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Shuyi wanted to go—but she feared she’d eat no sweet potato, only leave something behind in her belly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You paid no heed to her bluster, turned, and climbed into the carriage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Shuyi, meanwhile, stared at Ji You seated inside, her brow slightly furrowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wasn’t sure when she’d come to like Ji You, for she still told herself she only wanted to be friends with him—love could never be part of the life of a future Sect Leader in her position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after kissing him, she could no longer fool herself, so she sent people to investigate his background, to see what kind of family she’d be marrying into.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As far as she knew, Ji You had only one older brother and one older sister—no Qiqi, Xiaodi, Lingling, Qiangqiang, or Xiangyu as younger siblings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2876,"2026-06-19T15:28:41.422Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","9530a7799ef8105017dbb4de8e26af502d363cfd8c939576a796e92ab6ba539a","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-274","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-272",430,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwatching-the-immortals-fall-cover.jpg"]