Chapter 279: Snow Crushes the Five Provinces

The Orphanage of Solitude received donations from kind-hearted people and had its windows and doors repaired.

Cotton coats and quilts from the West Market sold out and became scarce.

Meanwhile, the high officials in the capital began hiring craftsmen to inspect ground-heating systems and test fire ducts.

Many winter brews made from spirit seedlings were transported along the imperial roads to all provinces, creating a scene of full preparation for winter.

But no one anticipated that the first heavy snowfall of winter would be so immense, instantly burying the five northern provinces—Youzhou, Yunzhou, Fengzhou, Zhongzhou, and Qingzhou—and lasting for several days and nights.

Due to the grandeur of this snowfall, aristocratic youths in Shengjing hosted numerous snow-viewing gatherings, so that on snowy streets, cultivators exchanged cups and goblets, laughter and merriment flowing freely.

Some southern aristocratic families even came specially to Shengjing to rent several courtyards solely for snow-viewing.

For observing seasonal change was also a way to comprehend the Dao, beneficial to cultivation.

Seeing this, Prince Chong immediately waved his hand, leased the entire Winter Garden in Shengjing, and Shunshi launched a Cultivator Snow Viewing Gathering, displaying the collected spirit treasures and magical artifacts lavishly throughout the garden's exquisite scenery.

Ni Mountain lies within Shengjing; as the saying goes, proximity grants first access to the moon—the disciples of the Heavenly Book Academy were naturally the first to see that collection of exquisite treasures.

Glittering magical robes, blades that could slice through iron like mud, mysterious magical artifacts, and expensive spirit treasures—all left viewers dazzled.

Yet the most striking item on display was a sword art set, said to have been passed down from ancient sword sages.

Alongside this sword art was a body-refining technique, also originating from the Primordial Age.

Upon seeing these two manuals, the Heavenly Book Academy disciples wore strange expressions.

Because they felt these two items pointed unmistakably toward someone—almost as if deliberately luring a specific person.

Most crucially, Prince Chong's purpose in nearly bankrupting his household to host this Cultivator Snow Viewing Gathering was not to make money, but to strengthen his advantage in court and suppress the Spirit Inspectorate.

In other words, these items were essentially gifts—free of charge.

And this targeting was far clearer than any sword art or body-refining manual.

Ji You did receive Prince Chong's invitation and was indeed tempted.

One must admit, these calculating people truly understood how to grasp the heart—every move struck precisely where it hurt.

Yet surprisingly, Ji You, though tempted, did not appear at the Cultivator Snow Viewing Gathering.

On the morning of the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, he descended the sacred path from Ni Mountain's Heavenly Book Academy, wrapped in a black cloak, standing for a long time in the freezing cold.

The sky had not yet fully brightened, distant views still hazy and gray.

Due to countless banquets, the air carried a thick, lingering scent of wine.

Soon, from the direction of the wine scent, three Spirit Inspectorate carriages arrived along the road and halted slowly before Ji You.

These carriages differed from those used at relay stations—both top and bottom were inlaid with spirit stones, gliding through the air with spiritual energy, moving like flying.

At that moment, the curtain of the lead carriage was lifted, and Kuangcheng, Inspectorate Chief Mu Jing, and Deputy Director Peng Dongyang emerged, exhaling frosty breaths.

"Young Master Ji, long time no see."

"Where are we headed first?"

"Luyang County in Yunzhou."

"No time to waste—let's go."

Ji You leapt into the carriage, slipped inside, and sat beside Kuangcheng.

Peng Dongyang and Mu Jing glanced at him, unable to suppress a shared look.

Though the Spirit Inspectorate was not part of the immortal sects, its duty involved constant dealings with immortal clans, so it knew well what had transpired.

A female cultivator from Fengzhou entered the Inner Court, while the elders' disciples unexpectedly failed the selection.

Someone went to confront them, pointing fingers at Ji You—resulting in one resigning from the academy and the other hiding in the back mountains under the guise of seclusion.

If others didn't understand why, that was understandable—but the Spirit Inspectorate knew perfectly well.

Because that summer, demonic seeds appeared, and Mu Jing had personally witnessed him cleave a mountain apart with a single sword strike.

His cultivation base was far more profound than anyone realized; though his official status remained that of a student, the Heavenly Book Academy's senior leaders treated him with entirely different respect.

Prince Chong must have realized this too—recently spending a fortune to purchase a sword art and a body-refining technique from Qionghua Pavilion, solely to lure him.

Yet no one expected that Ji You, at this moment, ignored it all and simply followed them out of the city.

The carriage then began moving slowly, propelled by magical artifacts, speeding out of the city toward the northwest.

After traveling for a long while, the group left behind any walled city; the open fields ahead were entirely white, devoid of even a blade of grass.

Because they traveled along the imperial road, scattered villages could be seen along the way.

The atmosphere inside the carriage was initially light, with casual chatter—Peng Dongyang even mentioned Xiang Fu's entry into the Inner Court, as if testing the waters.

But upon seeing the villages along the road, everyone fell silent, their expressions growing grim.

Because nearly every visible house had been buried under snow, and countless roofs had collapsed.

Near these ruined villages, faint human shapes could be seen half-buried beneath the snow and wind.

This year's snow was too heavy, lasted too long—what the immortal youths of Shengjing had once called a marvel had now become a catastrophe.

After gazing for a long while, everyone suddenly felt a surge of energy erupt from the carriage.

The next instant, they saw Ji You had already shot out, his swift figure trailing fierce energy, carving a deep furrow through the snow, leaving waves of snow in his wake.

Soon, Ji You landed outside the wall of a collapsed thatched cottage.

He knelt slowly, gazing at the tiny figure curled beneath the collapsed roof.

It was a little girl, entirely frozen stiff. Ji You said nothing, extended his hand, gathered spiritual energy at his fingertip, and pressed it to her third eye, slowly transmitting spiritual energy into her body.

After a long while, the girl seemed to thaw, then collapsed limply onto the ground.

Yet Ji You's spiritual energy continued flowing—even though all of it escaped through her qi orifices and dispersed into heaven and earth, he did not stop.

After a long while, Ji You exhausted all his spiritual energy, knelt on the ground in silence for a long time before slowly rising.

Truly, being an immortal is useless—there are still things you simply cannot do.

The Spirit Inspectorate's carriage now changed course toward Ji You's location and finally halted. Kuangcheng and the others stepped out, watching the scene.

He had rushed out without proper clothing; his thin frame shivered violently in the freezing cold: "Young Master Ji."

"Why did you get out?"

"I thought I'd found someone alive."

Ji You paused, then draped his black cloak over him: "The situation is worse than imagined. We must prioritize food and refugee resettlement—resettlement depends on local conditions, but food must be shipped from Fengzhou."

Kuangcheng wrapped himself in the black cloak, glanced at the little girl on the ground, opened his mouth as if to speak, then closed it without saying anything.

The carriage continued onward, while a handwritten note from Ji You was dispatched at high speed by a surveillance officer to Fengzhou.

After so many joint harvests, joint plowings, and joint land reclamation efforts, Fengzhou's efficiency in transmitting orders up and down had become extremely high.

Upon receiving the note, people immediately opened the granaries and summoned carts to load grain.

"..."

"Has Ji You still not gone to Prince Chong's?"

"No, he left—several days ago, someone heard he departed Shengjing."

"That's strange—I heard an elite from Yongzhou coveted one of Prince Chong's swords and traveled thousands of miles to get it—how is Ji You completely unmoved?"

"Perhaps he doesn't care...?"

"Nonsense—I heard that with his greed, he'd pick up free stones off the roadside."

In the following days, the winter snow continued without pause, and Shengjing's snow-viewing gatherings followed one after another.

The Winter Garden rented by Prince Chong welcomed wave after wave of guests, and even some major figures could no longer resist visiting.

Yet as time passed, these cultivators gradually furrowed their brows while enjoying themselves.

Because they noticed spirit stones' prices had suddenly skyrocketed, making observers' scalps tingle.

Spirit stones always rise in price each winter—this was common knowledge, since winter transport was difficult and costs naturally increased.