Chapter 297: Folk Legends

"Why has the price of spirit stones suddenly plummeted so severely lately?"

"Indeed, it's dropped straight down the middle—completely unexpected. If I'd known, I wouldn't have hoarded them."

After the New Year, the bustle vanished abruptly; the Lantern Street was completely torn down, and the East and West Markets resumed operations.

During this quiet period, the ice and snow in Shengjing began to melt, and in recent days, mud covered every corner of the city.

At the Zui Xian Tower, where the ground fire still burned, idle sons of the capital gathered together, seated across from invited guests, chatting idly.

Last year, due to a rare heavy snowfall, the Snow Domain Spirit Stone trade halted; because both Yunzhou and Zhongzhou had low inventories and could not mine during winter, spirit stones nearly ran out across Qingyun Realm.

Yet barely had the New Year passed when spirit stone shops reopened, and a massive influx of spirit stones flooded the market.

The price of spirit stones, which had soared before the New Year, dropped by more than half—and continued falling daily, with prices changing every day.

Zhao Yunyue set down her cup of tea and spoke up: "After the ice melted, Yunzhou's Spirit Stone Guild immediately resumed operations, mining a huge quantity to try to match the high prices of Snow Domain Spirit Stones."

"With so many Zhongzhou stones flooding the market, how could they possibly maintain high prices?"

"Yunzhou's Spirit Stone Guild isn't that foolish—they've been carefully controlling the pace of their sales, and even halted trading for several days to curb the price drop."

"Then why did the price collapse so drastically?"

"Soon after Yunzhou stones appeared on the market, Snow Domain Spirit Stones poured in en masse, crushing the prices again. Yunzhou stones are inherently inferior to Snow Domain stones—of course their value plummeted."

Princess Changle spun her teacup and spoke coolly: "Yunzhou's Spirit Stone Guild had poor judgment and immediately dumped their stock, causing the price to keep falling."

A young nobleman, upon hearing this, pursed his lips: "The Lu sisters are close to Ji You—why then…"

"Ji You has always acted without restraint; that's nothing surprising."

"Then why are there so many Snow Domain Spirit Stones now?"

"Isn't it obvious? They were smuggled in long ago—just hoarded by someone with intent."

A nobleman watching a dancer twist her waist turned his head: "I told you so—those Snow Domain Spirit Stones appearing sporadically before the New Year were suspicious. Now it's clear Ji You was profiting. I even heard he bought spirit seedlings from Liangzhou and planted them in Fengzhou."

The capital youth who spoke earlier raised his eyebrows in surprise: "Really?"

"No lie."

"He's planting spirit seedlings in Fengzhou?"

"Exactly."

"Ji You has already secured his place in an immortal sect, yet he acts like a country bumpkin—constantly covered in mud, never seen cultivating seriously."

"Perhaps his bloodline truly differs from ours. Descendants of mortals remain mortals—their Dao heart may lack firmness, easily disturbed by worldly affairs."

The speaker was a young man in a sapphire-blue young master's robe, looking very youthful.

He was a newly admitted disciple of the Heavenly Book Academy and one of the prodigies of the Elder Pavilion; after arriving in Shengjing last autumn, he was immediately drawn into the circle of these capital youths, drinking and reveling.

Such treatment was like what Chu He, Fang Jincheng, Peng Yu, and others received in their day.

Though they'd been in the Academy only a short time, they'd heard many stories about Ji You—never met him, yet not unfamiliar.

For immortal youths raised with high family expectations, seeking the Dao was mandatory—but Ji You cared only for wealth and farming, making people naturally suspect his origins.

To prevent commoners from cultivating, Great Xia began promoting bloodline theory centuries ago.

Simply put: they constantly reinforced the idea that only descendants of immortals could be immortals, while descendants of mortals remained mortals—eradicating private cultivation from the mind.

This tactic was not clever; even the moderately intelligent could see its purpose clearly.

Yet time is a terrifying art—this crude ideology, over centuries of transmission, became unshakable and deeply ingrained.

Thus, not only mortals believed cultivation was reserved for immortal bloodlines—even cultivators themselves believed it.

Yet the matters they discussed here were not false.

After the New Year, Zhongzhou's Spirit Stone Guild ordered resumption of operations; all major mines pushed miners to accelerate extraction.

But they resumed work while snow lay deep and ice still sealed the mines—extremely dangerous. Yet under intense pressure, miners had no choice but to obey.

Yet shortly after, Snow Domain Spirit Stones flooded into the Nine Provinces, disrupting the Guild's rhythm.

This was the result of Ji You's discussion with the Imperial Spirit Supervision.

With winter gone, controlling spirit stone sales no longer mattered much—and might indirectly oppress miners in Yunzhou and Zhongzhou—so he handed all transport rights to the Imperial Spirit Supervision.

Spirit stones are vital to cultivators; otherwise, the Guild could never have built its century-old business. But Ji You had no interest in them.

He merely sought to profit from favorable timing, geography, and opportunity—and to shift some of the suffering from the snow disaster onto the lofty immortals.

As for Lu Qingqiu, Yunzhou's Guild did indeed ask her to intervene, hoping she'd use her "bedside influence."

But the Lu family's eldest daughter did not, as they requested, negotiate with Ji You to restrict supply and raise prices—she only asked how low the price would fall.

Because she knew Ji You had no interest in that.

Whether establishing a clan, dispatching envoys to the Snow Domain, or halting supply—he acted according to his own will, not to build a private empire or dominate a region.

In response to Lu Qingqiu's question, Ji You replied: "Just return to the original price."

Spirit stones are vital to Qingyun Realm cultivators—too high or too low a price would spark conflict.

Ji the Bandit desired stability—this was subconscious, for a homeless orphan, stability had always mattered.

As for spirit seedling cultivation, Fengzhou was indeed preparing.

Switching to crops with higher prices and greater demand counts as industrial upgrading.

Most crucially, spirit seedlings could reclaim taxes from the immortals…

In the days that followed, Shengjing's snow melted quickly, and spirit stone prices gradually stabilized.

Gradually, no one cared about it anymore.

Meanwhile, spring plowing in Fengzhou began gradually.

The batch of magical tools Ji You ordered from Qionghua Pavilion last autumn arrived on schedule, transported back to Fengzhou by Wu You Trading's carts.

They were all spirit stone-powered plows and harrows, aiding farmers—soon, fields across Fengzhou shimmered with spiritual energy, leaving passing cultivators speechless.

Yet Qingyun Realm is vast, and noteworthy events occurred beyond Ji You.

After the Sea of Knowledge Pavilion announced that its direct disciple Huo Xingzhong would inherit the Sacred Artifact, the Wenda Sect also announced that Shang Xiyao would inherit the Sacred Artifact—sparking widespread discussion.

Including the Little Mirror Master of Spirit Sword Mountain and the direct disciple Yuanchen of Danzong, four immortal sects now face succession.

Another matter came from the immortal sect disciples they'd heard about.

Many elders who had secluded themselves for years emerged around the New Year, and in idle chatter, they heard names long recorded only in ancient texts…

Spring thunder cracked; light rain blurred the world.

Qingyun Realm began to stir with spring; the biting cold slowly receded.

Ji You sat now in a teahouse in Zhongzhou, reading two letters in hand.

After visiting several immortal estates in Fengzhou last year, relations had noticeably improved; this spring plowing, many cultivators joined without effort.

Ji You merely checked the spirit seedling fields before leaving, paying no further attention or interference.

Fengzhou's development was the people's affair—he hoped life would improve and unpleasant things diminish, but never wished to become the master of all Fengzhou.

For his nature could never exploit others; if he truly became Fengzhou's lord, he'd likely be worn out.

At this moment, the letters Ji You unfolded bore Yuan Caimei's elegant script and Yan Shuyi's blade-like brushwork.

Since the two departed Shengjing together, a month had passed.

A few days ago, they sent letters to him, delivered to Shengjing, then forwarded by Wu You Trading.

The Danzong daughter's letter spoke of Yuanchen returning to the sect and inheriting the Sacred Artifact, and how her father had grown even stricter.

Yet between the lines, Ji You saw two words: not pregnant.

As for Yan Shuyi, she drew again a tiny female figure stabbing a tiny male figure with a long sword, asserting authority.

But this drawing differed from her previous ones—the male figure now knelt on the ground, pierced through the heart.

Clearly, the Little Mirror Master of Spirit Sword Mountain still harbored resentment over that night's chaotic words…

At that moment, a servant emerged from the teahouse, carrying a teapot to his table.

"Sir, would you like more tea?"