Chapter 287: Shut Out at the

"The five-year deadline is approaching—after you leave the academy, will you return to Fengzhou?"

Lu Qingqiu was pondering the matter of "confirming" it when she heard the name and snapped back to reality, her red lips pressing together at the mention of Fengzhou.

Go straight to Fengzhou after leaving the academy? It seems Ji You truly wants her and her sister to eat together.

In an instant, many images flooded the mind of the Lu family's eldest daughter.

Only then did Ji You notice her flushed cheeks and realized he'd spoken wrongly: "I've been muttering about Fengzhou's grain supplies during the disaster relief these past days—I've gotten carried away. What I meant was, after you leave the academy, will you return to Yunzhou?"

"According to my father's plans, after returning home, I'll join the Spirit Stone Guild."

The Lu family has low cultivation potential; the two Lu daughters are among the best. If nothing unexpected happens, the Spirit Stone Guild will eventually be controlled by them. If I can persuade them to reform the system, perhaps the foster house system in Yunzhou—where miners' descendants are born indebted—might improve.

But seeing Lu Qingqiu's expression, as if eager to "confirm" the rumors, it seems easier to persuade her with actions than with words.

Kuangcheng was right—cultivation is nothing; in the end, a healthy body is far more useful.

At that moment, Ji You's mind was filled with strange postures; he silently recalled the ancient saying: human hearts truly are fickle.

After a while, they chatted about trivial matters until a maid rushed into the courtyard to summon Lu Qingqiu, handing her a thick stack of invitations.

As the New Year approaches, the Spirit Stone Guild has many engagements in the capital, all largely managed by this Lu eldest daughter.

This year, she's visiting only the usual few, yet the number of invitations she's received has increased.

Lu Qingqiu knows well—these extra invitations aren't necessarily for the Lu family; the real reason is that everyone has learned she lost her virtue to Ji You.

Most likely, many want to use him to find out what Ji You is truly like, and why the Heavenly Book Academy treats him so strangely.

Then the two parted ways; Ji You turned and left the outer courtyard, following the mountain path to the inner courtyard to retrieve last year's stored cotton shoes, flowered robes, teacup, and cotton pads.

Among them was a letter from Yuan Caimei, delivered to him a few days ago during the disaster relief.

The Heavenly Book Academy is the final stop on Yu Danzong's elixir route; Yuan Caimei and Yuan Chen came to deliver the elixirs and specifically informed him of their arrival date.

This reminded Ji You of that winter day, the three of them in one room, his lip bitten through by the Vine Master's jealous bite.

Hmph, getting increasingly lively…

Ji You tucked the letter away and found the disciple guarding the mountain gate.

Since he no longer resides in the academy, he left the address of Wu Li Business House and asked the gatekeeper to inform him when Yu Danzong's people arrived, then descended the mountain with a light step.

When he returned to Wu Li Business House, he saw a slender figure from afar.

Yan Shuyi wore a wide-sleeved immortal's robe, appearing delicate and graceful, strolling in front of the shop with Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu.

She wore a veil, revealing only her beautiful eyes; upon seeing Ji You, she nodded coolly, as if they were mere acquaintances.

If you're not familiar with him, you won't get slapped.

Ji You looked at her now: "Have you eaten lunch?"

"Not yet…"

"What do you want to eat?"

Yan Shuyi fell silent for a moment: "I want sour-spicy shredded potato."

Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu immediately sighed in relief, thinking: finally over.

Since morning, the Vine Master had said she wanted to take them out for a stroll; they'd assumed it meant wandering Dongshi and Xishi markets, secretly hoping for some excitement—only to realize they'd overestimated.

For two full hours, they hadn't moved beyond the few feet in front of Wu Li Business House.

They'd never accompanied Yan Shuyi to Shengjing to spend the winter before, but upon returning, they'd often heard her mutter about "running into" someone at the Heavenly Book Academy, or "accidentally meeting" at Kuangcheng's gate.

Back then, they'd been puzzled—how could there be so many coincidences? Now they understood: these were the kind of coincidences.

Then the four entered Wu Li Business House; Ji You set out teapot and teacups, boiled a pot of clear tea, and rolled up his sleeves to cook.

Winter offered few fresh vegetables to stir-fry, but potatoes were plentiful.

Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu went to help Ji You, while Yan Shuyi stared intently at the teacup on the table.

The strange man had taken out all her winter storage items—that meant he'd anticipated she'd come to him.

It felt partly like dismantling her persona; being predicted made her slightly displeased.

Ji You swung his arm, wielding the spatula, and lowered his voice to Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu: "How long have you been strolling outside?"

Ding Yao coughed: "Since the Chen hour—about two hours now."

"I thought after returning home, she'd at least hold off for a day before coming."

"The Vine Master couldn't sleep last night—she kept us huddled by the stove, refusing to let us rest."

"After lunch, tell her it's time to leave. See how she reacts."

"Yes, Young Master."

After a while, the meal was served; the four enjoyed lunch in the leisurely winter afternoon.

Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu waited until their Vine Master set down her chopsticks and began staring blankly before speaking: "Vine Master, we promised Rui'er we'd return after a short stroll—it's about time we leave."

Yan Shuyi didn't turn her head, but her gaze sharpened.

The two exchanged glances: reaction confirmed—the reaction was pretending not to hear.

After a moment of silence, a soft laugh echoed in the hall, instantly making Yan Shuyi narrow her eyes; she realized her two maids had been instructed by Ji You.

She rose and walked into the hall.

Soon after, a flurry of clattering sounds filled the room.

The two sat motionless, silently counting down; soon the noise abruptly stopped, and they smirked.

Good—Vine Master has won again; she's probably sitting on his lap now.

In the hall, Yan Shuyi's tongue was pinned, her face icy as she struggled, eyes locked on Ji You—filled with wariness, her breathing growing heavier.

Ji You slapped her rounded buttocks, then gently released her: "Stop fussing—let's get to business."

Yan Shuyi didn't rub her stinging buttocks, glancing at the letter on the table: "Is the Snowland Demon Stone supply resuming?"

It was what he'd just written—pages long, ink still wet.

"To aid the disaster, Fengzhou's grain reserves are nearly exhausted. Though the Great Xia provided some from the imperial treasury, the rest was exchanged for labor contracts with refugees—but Fengzhou's silver reserves are now nearly gone, and Ji Zhai's funds have been drained."

Hearing her family's money was gone, Yan Shuyi's eyes darkened with gravity.

Ji You blew dry the letter and sealed it: "The snowfall in Fengzhou has lessened these past days; transporting spirit stones is now safer. I must recover some losses. And these noble houses and immortal sects are sustained by the people—they must share the burden."

Yan Shuyi raised her eyes to him: "Winter transport difficulties are a good excuse, and with the Qingyun Code in place, few dare act against you—but if you exploit your transport monopoly to raise prices, you'll breed resentment. That's a poor strategy."

"No need to raise prices. First, secretly transport a batch, store it in warehouses, and let other guilds sell it under inventory names."

"You want to distance yourself? A good idea—but it'll be easily exposed."

"Just deny it. They need spirit stones. I only want money."

Ji You looked up at Yan Shuyi now: "Vine Master, you've traveled far. As a friend of Wei Rui's lover, I can't possibly neglect you—what would you like for dinner?"

Yan Shuyi's lips were kissed again; she stared coldly at him for a long while: "Sour-spicy shredded potato."

In the following days, Shengjing remained calm, though occasional news stirred ripples.

The Daoist Sect's three-hundred-year-old Elder returned to the Dao; countless disciples returned from afar to attend his funeral.

The Elder's name had vanished from Qingyun's world for a long time, so his passing drew little attention—but what stirred uproar was another matter: the Mountain Sea Pavilion's Patriarch had decided to let his direct disciple attempt to control the Sacred Artifact.

Controlling a Sacred Artifact is no quick task; records show it takes anywhere from five to eight years, sometimes even ten to twenty.

Yet even so, it sparked endless discussion.

For when the direct disciple controls the Sacred Artifact, it signals the Patriarch has decided to close his gate and ascend—witnesses will see another era's transition, stirring deep emotion.

As for the Heavenly Book Academy, this year still had no student who could sense the Heavenly Book.

This is the third year without a Heavenly Book awakening—fueling rumors like "the Academy's Patriarch is ill" or "the Heavenly Book is broken."

But since students who previously sensed the Heavenly Book still can cultivate through it, few believe these rumors.

As for Ji You, he spent this time busy restoring spirit stone supplies, frequently exchanging messages with Qiu Zhong and He Zhang in Fengzhou.

The first batch of planned spirit stones appeared at Qionghua Pavilion's stall—small in quantity, quickly bought up at high price by a nearby noble house.

Then came the third and fourth batches, all snapped up by nearby noble houses who rushed to secure them.

【81】 Self-collection is troublesome, and with Fengzhou's road taxes raised and demon clan goods hard to gather, buying outright at high prices is actually more convenient.