[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-watching-the-immortals-fall":3,"chapter-watching-the-immortals-fall-watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-349":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},2260222,4410,"Chapter 349: The Outlaw Emerges from the Mountains","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-349",349,"\u003Cp>Under the falling autumn rain, the sky was gloomy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The carriage carrying them left Shengjing and traveled north along the Central Province’s official road, passing through several major cities of Central Province.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the corpse tide attack, all these cities had turned to ruins, and repairs had begun after the disaster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, their basic outlines had temporarily regained their former shape, but the atmosphere within the cities remained heavy and oppressive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was primarily due to open and covert struggles among the aristocratic families, each guarding their own interests and distrusting one another, resulting in constant friction and an eerie tension.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was like a tall stack of blocks, haphazardly piled yet balanced in delicate equilibrium, calm and stable, undisturbed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But with the Li family annihilated, and other aristocratic families wiped out in the great calamity, this balance had been utterly shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now every family sought to profit, and naturally began to tense up, swords drawn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the disaster, nearly every aristocratic family in the Central Province visited the Li estate; several fights broke out over it, yet the Li family’s ancestral holdings have still not been fully divided—this shows just how deep the heritage of a thousand-year clan truly is.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Jingsong spoke in a low voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When a whale dies, ten thousand lives are born,” Ji You offered a fitting metaphor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is a whale?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A giant sea fish, enormous in size; its corpse is enough to sustain an entire ecosystem.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That analogy is quite apt.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The city’s atmosphere was heavy, rain fell outside the windows, and the overcast sky made this the perfect time for a nap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Except for Cao Jingsong and Ji You, everyone else had already fallen asleep inside the carriage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding Yao slept directly across from Ji You, her snow-white feet nearly reaching into his lap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side, Lu Qingqiu huddled in the carriage’s corner, her almond eyes half-open, watching Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu intently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without doubt, these were the people who had approached her before the New Year’s Festival last year, asking her countless questions—how big, how painful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That serious, earnest demeanor was like a personal maid from the main wife’s household.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lu sisters had always believed Yuan Caimei was the legitimate wife; they had hosted her multiple times, hoping to build a good relationship early—but she was certain these two women were not from Yuan Caimei’s inner circle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the Yu Danzong’s women were gentle by nature; they would never raise such an arrogant attendant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gulu gulu—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The carriage continued moving; Cao Jingsong still held back the curtain, peering outward, and far ahead spotted the familiar city: “South of here lies the ancestral land of the Ruolong clan—now apparently occupied by the Sun family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You lifted his gaze: “The Sun family?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A minor clan in Central Province, even lesser than the Bai family. Such clans lack the strength to compete for the legacies of fallen aristocratic houses; they can only scavenge leftovers. The Sun family is numerous, so they took the Bai family’s ancestral land.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Smaller clans have more people?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Jingsong nodded: “For clans like this, the only path upward is constant reproduction—hoping to produce a child of extraordinary talent who can revive the family, like a thousand-year clan. In contrast, ancient clans deliberately limit reproduction due to internal strife.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You listened, then pulled back the curtain, leaned out, and tossed a silver tael to the driver ahead: “Detour slightly—take the northeast route to Lin Yuan City.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, sir.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Jingsong watched him sit back, exchanged a silent glance with him, and began to understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Bai family was in Lin Yuan City. This prodigy intended to go to the Bai family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Going there now was clearly not to congratulate the Sun family on seizing vast lands—it was likely to help Bai Rulong reclaim his ancestral estate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Cao felt he had glimpsed his prodigy’s train of thought, and gently touched the long sword beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since entering the Ying Tian realm, his strength had surged, yet he had yet to draw his blade; his Dao sword was already starving for battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The carriage headed north and soon arrived at Lin Yuan City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as when Ji You had left it before, the place remained a wasteland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two of them peered out through the carriage’s curtain-covered window, and soon the Bai family’s ancestral grounds came into view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Far off, the ruined courtyard was filled with young disciples, clearing away broken bricks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The southwest wall and gate tower had been rebuilt; the collapsed front hall was under repair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath the rain, west of the garden’s rock hill stood a temporary wooden shed, where thirteen men sat, drinking wine, eating meat, and watching the construction progress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of them radiated spiritual energy; the strongest was a mid-aged man at the initial stage of Rong Dao, the rest slightly younger—a few were Tong Xuan, the rest at the peak of the lower three realms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Those under the shed must be the Sun family. You don’t need to act—your master alone is enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Act? Do what?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Jingsong frowned: “Didn’t we come here to help Rulong reclaim his ancestral land?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You curled his leg: “Bai Rulong’s Dao heart is now out of control—he can’t even stay in his former home. Besides, he has no money. Even if you win it back for him, what can he do? Just guard a ruin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then why did we detour here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To check the construction progress. We’ll decide after they finish.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“???”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Jingsong stared in shock. He thought: Wait until the Sun family finishes rebuilding, then steal it? Damn, I still can’t keep up with this prodigy’s thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You gazed out the window: “Look at these selfless people—how kind. Thinking of how diligently they help others, I find even their faces seem gentler.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only you could say that…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s go see the Du family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You pointed northward: “When I rescued Rulong, I went to the Du family—it’s not far ahead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Jingsong stared wide-eyed after a long silence: “You’re going to inspect the Du family’s reconstruction too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that not allowed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What connection do you have with Du Zhu?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I entered the Tian Shu Academy the same year as Du Zhu. We studied together for five years. Though we clashed early on, we gradually came to respect each other, shared our hearts over years, became as close as brothers—this is known to all in the Academy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You’s expression turned mournful: “Now the Du family has been destroyed by a single greed, its lineage wiped out. But whether as a fellow student or a brother, I, Ji You, bear the duty to preserve their ancestral land—even if I must die for it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Jingsong opened his mouth, but only “I c—” escaped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of “heart-to-heart, brotherly bond”? Back then, the loudest voices screaming “private cultivation in the countryside” were Du Zhu and his crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that the dead can’t testify, you’re cashing in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Too bad the Li family is too far—otherwise we could’ve stopped by.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Li family had no one in the Tian Shu Academy,” Cao Jingsong reminded him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You immediately waved his hand: “No problem—I can invent a story anytime.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Jingsong’s beard bristled: “The Du and Bai families are one thing, but the Li family is different. The Li family has countless marital alliances—even if you fabricate a foster-parent bond, how could it compare to their real ties? Your logic won’t work.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, they dare not.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Li family was branded the main instigator of the chaos, but whether other close clans aided them remains unclear—even the Six Immortal Sects don’t know. Technically, all these marital clans are suspects. Right now, they’re desperate to distance themselves—they dare not use this as an excuse. But I’m different.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You looked calmly at Cao Jingsong: “I severed the Heavenly Sacrifice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Cao Jingsong instantly understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, whether only the listed clans caused the Heavenly Dao chaos remains unconfirmed, and their marital allies are naturally under suspicion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if someone was close to the Li family—even if they shared blood—they would never dare speak up, for fear of being implicated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Ji You? Even if he claimed Li’s ancestral patriarch was his foster father, no one would suspect him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he was the one who severed the Heavenly Sacrifice, revived the Sacred Artifact, and stopped the chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s a pity about my close friend Chu He…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“???”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chu He was warm-hearted and generous, yet he was used in this calamity. As his foster father, I should handle his affairs. But now Youzhou is occupied by barbarians—I can’t preserve his Chu City.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chu He was truly lucky to have you as his foster father.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Cao Jingsong spoke, he suddenly saw a golden glint rise in Ji You’s eyes—he sensed something, and after a brief pause, extended his spiritual sense outward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A battle?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You nodded: “And an Ying Tian cultivator is involved.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“With a high-level cultivator present, it must be over the Li family’s legacy. Those hereditary treasures are now ownerless, and fighting over them never stops. I heard the Liu family of Central Province seized a Li family hereditary technique and kept it hidden for over a month—yet still had it stolen by force.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Jingsong had barely finished speaking when a chill swept over him—he saw Ji You had vanished from the carriage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a stunned moment, Old Cao clicked his tongue. He thought: I need to be more careful with my words from now on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That phrase—“hereditary treasures”—his prodigy couldn’t even bear to hear.\u003C\u002Fp>",1607,"2026-06-19T15:28:41.422Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","cc52e071bf3ff0a976417072710160e10c2dc67ca9e94b6da7e58b8e0cc4b8ee","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-350","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-348",430,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwatching-the-immortals-fall-cover.jpg"]