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Chapter 192 They've come to visit relatives.
In the past two days, almost everyone has heard the rumors about Ji You's powerful aura after breaking through to the next realm, and they have all heard several different versions.

This is especially true for those in the outer courtyard who are separated from the inner courtyard and have never seen him before.

However, Ji You, who was descending the mountain along the shore of Biyue Lake, kept his aura restrained and his supernatural abilities hidden. Only when he took a step did a little spiritual energy leak out, which made it impossible for them, like Cao Jingsong, to see through his abilities despite their best efforts.

It's true that he's at the upper level of the Profound Realm, but no one can be sure of his exact combat strength...

At this moment, Ji You drifted down the mountain, still pondering the matter of the opportunity to establish the Dao. His gaze was deep as he passed by two gates with headless lions and entered the center of Shengjing City.

After the heavy snowfall, the imperial city was covered in a blanket of white.

Red lanterns hung high in front of the mansions of nobles in the capital, and the rich aroma of winter wine wafted in the wind, filling the air with its fragrance.

In stark contrast, not far away, a beggar lay sprawled in a snowdrift, his eyes cloudy and shivering, truly embodying the saying, "Behind the red gates, meat and wine go to waste, while on the road, frozen corpses lie."

The area in front of the Chongwang Mansion was the most bustling.

The people coming and going were either venerable elders with profound inner strength or outstanding talents with vigorous spirits, all of whom had come from afar.

Ever since the human race made a mission to the Snow Region, the supply of spirit stones to the demon race has begun to decrease. The reason is that the Scaled Race, who controlled the mining of spirit stones, was imprisoned in the Cold Prison after that night in the Jade Garden.

With mining progress slowing down, the supply of spirit stones will naturally decrease.

The restoration of the entire trade route is not an easy or quick process.

But for those cultivators who sit in seclusion deep in the mountains, having already used spirit stones of the highest quality, who would still want to use spirit stones containing impurities?

As a result, the major immortal sects and aristocratic families were quite dissatisfied with this and sent people to Shengjing to put pressure on them.

Some say that the only thing the demon race could offer after entering the Nine Provinces for trade was their top-grade spirit stones. If they couldn't even offer those, there was no point in continuing the trade.

There are many such statements, all of which are arrogant and condescending. It's hard to tell whether they are genuinely foolish or have simply stopped caring about worldly matters after a long period of enlightenment.

Does the human race still have any bargaining power? This temporary peace is something they have begged for.

These immortal disciples who entered the imperial city were invited to a banquet by the Chong King, Wei Li, and other members of the immortal faction after returning from the palace.

The world was in ruins, while the nobility indulged in feasting and drinking; this had always been the norm in Qingyun's world.

At this moment, in the backyard of the Chongwang Mansion, on the second floor of the Zhaixing Pavilion.

Three disciples from the Heavenly Sword Peak of Lingjian Mountain, on the shores of Xuanhai—Liu Junchi and Yao Chenglin, both at the Fusion Realm, and Peng Peng, at the Profound Realm—were drinking and singing with Princess Chang Le and her entourage.

The man was dashing and debonair, while the woman had a smile in her eyes.

"...After the New Year, I plan to enter the Upper Realm of Fusion Dao. I will definitely participate in next year's Heavenly Dao Assembly, and I am determined to get one of the top ten spots."

"Why not the leader?"

"Although my ambition is as high as the sky and my swordsmanship is unparalleled, I am still somewhat inferior to Senior Brother Zhuang You, who is personally taught by Jian Feng. If he participates in the competition next year, it will be a bit difficult for me to win the championship."

"The top ten are already strong enough, so I wish you great success next year, like a rainbow in the sky."

"Thank you for your kind words, Junior Sister."

Liu Junchi raised his glass and pointed it at Zhao Yunyue.

Princess Chang Le, being a member of the imperial family, was bound by law to not become a disciple of the Immortal Sect. However, her family had always kept an elder from Lingjian Mountain. In fact, she was indeed a disciple of Lingjian Mountain.

Besides, she had been fostered at Tianjian Peak for a period of time when she was young, so it was not unreasonable for her to call these Lingjian Mountain disciples her senior brothers.

Zhao Yunyue picked up her wine glass, a slight smile on her face, and took a small sip of the spirit wine, her gaze shifting.

This banquet was not just an ordinary gathering. Princess Chang Le could vaguely sense another layer of meaning: her father hoped that she could find a Daoist partner among them.

She had previously wanted to invite Ji You into her household as a son-in-law, but he did not respond. Since her wish had not come true, she naturally had to choose a different target.

In King Chong's view, befriending distant states while attacking nearby ones was a good political strategy.

He has maintained close ties with the three sects in the south over the years, and for this reason, marrying his daughter, who was originally a disciple of Lingjian Mountain, into Lingjian Mountain was indeed an excellent choice.

At this moment, Zhao Yunyue's thoughts differed from her father's lofty ambitions. Her strongest thought had nothing to do with the family; instead, she hoped to find someone stronger than Ji You.

Even worse, they would beat Ji You into a pulp, making him crawl on the ground begging for help.

After all, the incident of her sending a letter requesting dual cultivation but being ignored caused a great uproar in the city, and it is still often mentioned now. Therefore, she cannot marry someone inferior to Ji You. She needs a more outstanding and talented man to prove her worth...

At that moment, a man dressed in white, as white as snow, was walking past the wall of the Chongwang Mansion.

He reached out several times along the way, handing out silver coins to the beggars lying in the snow, who had already blended into the snow. Then he walked toward an alley called Chunhua.

Many people turned their attention to him as he walked down the long street.

Zhao Yunyue's gaze followed, and she stared at it for a long time.

There seems to be a rumor circulating in the Heavenly Academy these past few days, which she has heard, that Ji You has broken through to the Profound Realm.

However, he seemed to be limited by his powerful physical body, making the process extremely difficult. But later, news spread that his aura after breaking through the realm was very powerful.

But seeing him now, with his aura restrained, Zhao Yunyue felt that he hadn't changed much from when he was on the street the day before.

At this moment, someone from Lingjian Mountain whispered "Junior Sister" in her ear, pulling her back to reality.

"Senior brother?"

"We have been on the fairy ship for two days and nights and are a little tired. We plan to rest for a while first."

Zhao Yunyue raised her eyes: "It is said that the third floor of the Nujiang Immortal Ship is extremely comfortable. Given your status, Senior Brother, it should be enough, right?"

Liu Junchi shook his head: "We were unable to go to the third floor on this trip, and instead stayed on the second floor. The room was cramped, and we couldn't get a good night's sleep."

Why would you live on the second floor?

Liu Junchi sighed slightly: "We were unlucky. The day we arrived happened to be the day some important figures were boarding the ship, and the entire third floor was under lockdown. Such treatment must be reserved for a high-ranking official from some immortal sect. So we naturally didn't insist."

"I see." Zhao Yunyue nodded with a smile. "Then you senior brothers should go and rest. There will be a Snow Breeze Tea Ceremony at the manor tomorrow. I would like to ask you how to break through to the Profound Realm."

"Easy to say."

Zhao Yunyue watched them disembark, but couldn't help wondering what kind of important person could be traveling by boat that would warrant a lockdown on the entire third floor.

Meanwhile, in the western market of Shengjing City, a beautiful and graceful figure was strolling through the market, her steps light and agile.

She wore a sunset-colored brocade robe with auspicious cloud patterns and various luxurious hairpins. Judging from her attire alone, she looked like a girl from a modest family. However, the noble air she exuded in her every move and the arrogance in her eyes indicated that her identity was far more than that.

However, her face could not be seen, because the woman was wearing a mask she had bought from some stall—a cat mask…

She strolled from south to north in the West Market, seemingly without much desire to buy anything, more out of curiosity.

She was just as curious as she had been sitting in the teahouse, listening to people discuss the breakthrough of the student from the Heavenly Academy named Ji You.

How strong is someone whose combat power cannot be determined by their cultivation level? No one can know for sure unless he takes action.

But even if they are strong, it's unlikely they could be stronger than me.

The masked girl looked at the candied fruit stall for a long time before finally stopping at a stall selling roasted sweet potatoes.

"Young lady, the sweet potatoes I use are from Fengzhou. Everyone knows that although it's a desolate place, the sweet potatoes there are extremely sweet. Which one would you like?"

"Who said Fengzhou is a desolate place?"

The vendor was taken aback and involuntarily shut his mouth.

Although the other person was wearing a mask and her expression was obscured, the slight coldness in her tone allowed the vendor to sense her sudden outburst of temper.

At this moment, a slender, jade-like finger emerged from the woman's silk and brocade sleeve and pointed to the roasted sweet potato that was baking and smelling delicious.

"I want this, please wrap it up for me."

The vendor quickly wrapped it up: "Judging from the girl's accent, she doesn't seem to be a local?"

"Ah."

The masked girl held a roasted sweet potato in her hand, her eyelashes fluttering as she spoke, "I've come to visit relatives."

The vendor was just asking casually, and nodded slightly after hearing that she was visiting relatives, but he was actually a little suspicious.

The accent is indeed not like that of a local, but it doesn't sound like that of Fengzhou either; rather, it sounds more like that of the southern region.

In his youth, he was forcibly conscripted to repair the imperial palace of Shanhaige in the south, so he was very familiar with the southern accent.

But since she's not from Fengzhou, it's unclear why this strange young lady would get angry just because someone mentioned Fengzhou.

At this moment, a vendor selling cotton mattresses next door poked his head out and said, "Although Fengzhou is poor, we haven't been able to go there since last year."

"Why?"

"I heard it from my great-uncle. The taxes in Fengzhou were reduced to 10%, and many people from our village rushed to Fengzhou overnight. Unfortunately, I was doing business in the capital and missed the best opportunity. Later, the government issued a decree prohibiting people from migrating at will."

As the peddler selling cotton mattresses was talking, he suddenly saw the masked girl extend her hand and put down a piece of silver: "I'd like to buy a cotton mattress."

The vendor opened his mouth, "Young lady, aren't you here to visit relatives? Why are you buying a quilt..."

"I love to buy."

"Well... thank you, miss. I'll pick out the one with the most cotton filling for you!"

Then, the masked girl took his roasted sweet potato and the quilt she had bought, and walked away into the distance.

The peddler selling cotton quilts tidied up the stack of quilts he had just rummaged through, and watching the departing figure, he said, "She must have been a girl from the south. She's probably married and moved to Fengzhou now. These kinds of things happen quite often these days, since taxes are lower there."

The sweet potato vendor suddenly realized, "No wonder he got angry when people spoke ill of Fengzhou."

The mattress vendor put his hands on his hips and said, "Once I've saved up some money, I'm going to Fengzhou too."

"Didn't you just say that the government has ordered a ban on migration?"

"Rules are rigid, but people are flexible. I know a guy who works on the border of Zhongzhou. He has connections."

By this time, the masked girl had walked further and further into the market, then found a corner in an alley and stood there, handing the quilt to the two beggars kneeling in the snow.

Then he reached out, pinched the sweet potato skin, gently tore it open, and put it in his mouth, smacking his lips twice.

Not far in front of her, the snow-capped Nishan Mountain was clearly visible.

The two hadn't met when they came last time, so it made sense for them to visit each other while they were at the Heavenly Academy.

But if we go directly now, it will seem like we're deliberately looking for him.

Just then, a cat ran up to the wall in front of the masked woman, its tail held high, causing her eyes to involuntarily narrow slightly.

Meanwhile, Ji You had already arrived at the end of Chunhua Lane and was walking towards the small courtyard in Kuangcheng.

Along the way, he saw many people staring at him, their eyes seemingly filled with eager fighting spirit, but unfortunately, not a single one made a move, which prevented him from demonstrating his professionalism.

If you don't get robbed when you go out, isn't this the same as losing money?
What surprised him even more was that Kuang Cheng's yard was locked, with a note posted saying he had moved, followed by an address. "?"

After another round of twists and turns, Ji You arrived at a mansion. Stepping inside, she saw Kuang Cheng sweeping the main house with a broom.

This house isn't large, but it's worlds apart from that previous humble dwelling.

Kuang Cheng said it was arranged by the Sixianjian (Immortal Administration Bureau). It was originally a private residence used by an official of the Ministry of Revenue to support his mistress. Later, he was arrested for tax embezzlement and the residence was confiscated.

After renovation, these vacant residences were assigned to officials of the Imperial Observatory.

Housing is allocated to employees of government agencies, right?

Ji You muttered to himself, thinking to himself that he still had to be a civil servant.

Kuang Cheng said that there were actually larger courtyards in the assigned area, but given his personality, he wasn't good at fighting for them, and he was already quite content with the small, humble room.

"I'm increasingly impressed by how carefree and relaxed you seem. I wish I had taken the imperial examination to become the top scholar myself."

Kuang Cheng glanced at him while holding the broom: "But Brother Ji has never liked studying since he was a child."

Ji You revealed a proud expression: "Heh, that little bit of yellow stuff in your belly, I've known how to do that since I was a child."

His hands were still not fully recovered, so he sat on the steps watching Kuang Cheng tidy up the yard and they chatted casually.

During the time he secluded himself to break through his cultivation level, the barbarian army withdrew and returned to the depths of the Hundred Thousand Mountains after withdrawing from the northern border.

Ji You wasn't surprised by this.

The barbarian tribe's attempt to break through the barrier was partly a show for the demon tribe, intended to boost their confidence in forming an alliance with them to fight against the demons.

However, the human delegation made the Demon Emperor temporarily abandon this idea. Now that the news has probably reached the barbarian tribes, the significance of this siege for the barbarians is gone.

Most importantly, winter has arrived, and marching across the Ten Thousand Mountains is no easy task, so a truce seems justified.

"If this situation could continue, and war didn't break out, Brother Ji might even be able to marry a demon princess."

"It can't be sustained."

Ji You sat on the steps, thinking to herself, how could this possibly continue?

The barbarians are determined to return to the Nine Provinces. The Demon Emperor's unwillingness to get involved at this time is likely related to the fate of the human race, but in the end, a war is still inevitable.

But what does this have to do with the demon princess?
Their relationship was purely that of doctor and patient; they weren't even really friends.

If Ji You hadn't believed that Kuang Cheng was a local native, she would have suspected that he was a time traveler who had watched many similar Japanese art films.

Hospital ward, active duty, first time, lifting of restrictions—various terms were racing through Ji You's mind at this moment.

At this moment, Kuang Cheng was cleaning the east courtyard when he suddenly noticed a knife mark on a pillar, almost penetrating half a piece of wood. His eyes widened in surprise.

He also noticed the knife marks when he was cleaning the back of the water tank; they had scratched the tank walls.
These craftsmen are really not meticulous in their work.

Fortunately, this wooden beam is not the main load-bearing structure. In a few days, I can find a craftsman on the street to fill it with a similar wooden board and nail it in place.

Kuang Cheng brushed the dust off his clothes, then rolled up his sleeves and started a fire to cook.

Moving to a new house usually involves a housewarming party, but Ji You, instead of receiving the lavish meal he had extorted from the snowy region, had to give some money as a gift.

"Brother Ji, would you like to stroll arm in arm with me and Miss Rui'er at the lantern festival on New Year's Day?"

"No need, a gentleman like me would rather not disturb your romantic evening."

Ji You said coldly.

This is the second time he has heard this question today. The last time he heard the same question, the Dragon Immortal Emperor still felt a chill in his heart.

Kuang Cheng looked at Ji You and said, "Miss Yuan from the Dan Sect is too far away, and the Demon Princess is even further away. So, Brother Ji, is it because you can't find a female companion to travel with?"

Ji You immediately puffed out his chest: "Nonsense, I just don't want to waste my cultivation time. Otherwise, if I just spread my arms, wouldn't the line stretch all the way outside the city?"

"Then just open your mouth!"

"I do not."

Kuang Cheng looked at Ji You and thought to himself, "Although my brother Ji seems to be a playboy and has a mountain of fiancées, he has actually always been a lonely man. This may not be because he is truly chaste, but more likely because he has a very powerful woman in his backyard."

Thinking of this, he suddenly remembered the day Ji You brought him into the courtyard, and the woman who almost killed him after being praised for being cute.

Kuang Shusheng pursed his lips: "Brother Ji is a bit afraid of his wife."

Ji You looked up: "You're so smart, are you going to take the postgraduate entrance exam?"

"Postgraduate entrance examination?"

"Oh, I forgot you're already the top scorer."

"Brother Ji always says things I don't understand. But how do you plan to spend New Year's Day?"

"Cultivation, seize the time to merge with the Dao."

"That's too much work for you, considering you've only just broken through to the next level."

"Although there is only one realm between the Upper Realm of Profound Understanding and the Initial Realm of Dao Fusion, they are actually like an insurmountable chasm, so it is normal for it to be more difficult."

Ji You had already eaten and drunk her fill, and was about to slip away after wiping her mouth, but before she could get up, she heard a series of footsteps.

The footsteps then stopped, and the person stood in front of the door for a long time before softly calling out "Young Master" a few times.

But with Ji Hanfei's keen hearing, he clearly heard a few faint clanging sounds before the words "Young Master" were spoken...

Ji You squinted, thinking to himself, "I'm suffering too much. I need to break through my cultivation level as soon as possible. Once I can beat Yan Shuyi, I'll intimidate her, then I'll conquer the world and make all the women who want to experience the heat line up."

Kuang Cheng had not yet heard Wei Rui's voice and was still refilling Ji You's wine cup.

This is probably because they moved to a new house, and the volume of their previous voices no longer seems sufficient to penetrate the larger courtyard.

Ji You wanted to remind him, but soon heard footsteps that didn't belong to Wei Rui, and she immediately became alert.

However, Wei Rui's series of questions made Ji You's heartstrings relax a little.

"Young lady, who are you looking for?"

"I'm not looking for anyone, I'm just wandering around."

"When I arrived, I saw you standing here, as if listening to the sounds in the courtyard. You frowned and hummed softly every now and then. You didn't seem to be just strolling around. Could it be... you're also here to see Young Master Kuang?"

Wei Rui asked softly, but there was a hint of wariness in her voice.

Miss Wei is not a cultivator; she is just an ordinary woman. Therefore, what makes her wary is definitely not the other party's cultivation level.

Considering the context and environment, the sense of wariness likely stemmed from the women's comparison of appearances, especially since they had all appeared at the same man's door.

However, Wei Rui was actually a well-known beauty in the capital, and there were indeed not many people who could make her wary.

"I didn't find out information and guess that someone would come, so I deliberately waited here to bump into them. I was just strolling around."

"?"

"real."

"Girl, look at your footprints in the snow, they've already drawn countless circles..."

Just then, Kuang Cheng finished pouring the wine and looked up to find Ji You standing blankly at the table. He couldn't help but ask, "Brother Ji, what's wrong?"

Ji You frowned slightly and put her finger to her lips: "Shh."

"?"

Kuang Cheng couldn't hear what he was hearing; he could only watch as the man's ears twitched slightly, his eyes slowly opened, and finally he suddenly held his breath.

Kuang Shusheng frowned slightly, wondering why Brother Ji looked so pleased.

At this moment, Ji You looked at him and said, "It's a promise. On New Year's Day, we'll stroll arm in arm."

Kuang Cheng: "?"

"Oh right, I forgot to tell you, Wei Rui is here."

"Eh?"

Wei Rui was standing on the snow in front of the door, looking at the woman in front of her with a wary gaze.

This woman was incredibly beautiful. Her skin was as white as snow, her face was delicate and three-dimensional, and her full figure was exquisite and shapely. Most importantly, her temperament was something that even a princess could not match.

Before Wei Rui could speak further, two figures walked out of the door, the one in front being Ji You.

Wei Rui gave a slight bow: "Greetings, Young Master Ji."

Ji You had already headed out the door and hadn't even heard Wei Rui's voice. He saw the woman beside him looking at him with a cold and arrogant gaze, but then glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.

It's been a long time since I last saw you; you seem a bit thinner, but your aura has become even more mysterious.

Wei Rui looked at Ji You: "Does the young master know this young lady?"

Ji You snapped out of her daze: "This is mine..."

"?"

"This is mine." After understanding the context, Wei Rui's face instantly turned pink as she realized what he meant.

She came today to see Kuang Cheng. Young Master Ji meant that she belonged to Young Master Kuang, while the woman in front of her belonged to Young Master Ji.

I see……

No wonder Sister Yunyue's desire to cultivate with him went unanswered.

However, as the word "mine" rang out, the fairy in the snow instantly narrowed her eyes, and her sword intent began to rise.

Wei Rui was startled, only then realizing that the woman in front of her was a cultivator, and exuded a murderous aura.

However, the sword energy only whistled for a while, causing snowflakes to flutter everywhere, before dissipating on its own. At the same time, the woman's expression seemed to become somewhat docile.

"coincidence."

"What a coincidence..."

Ji You looked at the snow behind the young master of Lingjian Mountain, which was covered with delicate footprints, as if he had walked around in circles in the snow.

Seeing that he did not respond, Yan Shuyi glared at him fiercely, signaling him to quickly say what a coincidence.

(Ask for monthly ticket)

(End of this chapter)