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Chapter 195 Just a Battle of Wits
As wisps of smoke rose from the steamer, the rice cakes in the steamer had become soft and fluffy.

Sprinkle a layer of roasted sesame seeds, and the aroma will fill the air. Wei Rui then goes to the kitchen to help.

Ji You went inside and sat opposite Yan Shuyi, staring at each other as if the battle of their kiss yesterday was still ongoing.

One reason for this atmosphere is due to personality.

Last night, I was so whimpering when I was kissed that my eyes were almost watering, and I felt completely melted in the arms of a strange man. Today, I just want to rely on the aura of the Little Master of Lingjian Mountain to cool myself down.

Another reason is that the jealousy about the tail hasn't subsided yet.

That's just how things are sometimes. You can stay calm and collected when you pretend you don't know, but once you ask, no matter how the other person tries to deny it, it takes a long time for the jealousy to dissipate.

Not long after, Ji You's knee was kicked.

The foot clad in the moon-white boots was now filled with arrogance, an arrogance stemming from the identity of the appraiser.

Ji Hanfei glanced at her, pondered for a while, and then opened his mouth to make a "pop" sound. This immediately made Yan Shuyi subconsciously touch her veil, then clench her fists, her eyes filled with murderous intent.

It wasn't a kiss, just a verbal battle.

Just then, Wei Rui brought the food to the table.

Kuang Cheng followed in and divided the rice cakes he made into baskets, carrying them into the main room. One portion was given to Ji You, one to Wei Rui, and the other was to be sent to the orphanage.

"Giving so much? That's not appropriate."

Kuang Cheng looked at Ji You in disbelief: "I never thought I would hear those words from Brother Ji."

"Looks like we'll be eating rice cakes all year round. I guess we'll get tired of them after a while."

Ji You turned to look at Yan Shuyi, and saw that she nodded reluctantly after thinking for a long time.

She was indeed going to stay here for the New Year. She was even seriously considering whether she would get tired of eating rice cakes every day. But she had clearly felt embarrassed about being kissed this morning and stubbornly insisted on leaving.

Wei Rui finished setting out the dishes and whispered to Kuang Cheng, "Why didn't Sister Yan say a word to Young Master Ji today?"

Kuang Cheng couldn't help but purse his lips: "It's probably the jealousy of the second concubine."

"?"

Yan Shuyi glanced at Kuang Cheng at this moment, which immediately made Kuang Cheng hold his breath.

She was unhappy to be called Ji's second wife, but Wei Rui had also learned the habit of not speaking to her sweetheart.

He wasn't as reckless as his brother Ji, and he simply couldn't handle a woman with Yan Xianzi's personality.

Ji You looked at Kuang Cheng and thought to himself, "You really don't care about my life."

After lunch, the four of them carried their packed baskets to the street and headed towards the orphanage for the disabled in the west of the city. Along the way, they saw carriages passing by one after another.

Among them were officials traveling to the capital, cultivators visiting relatives, and several immortal estates under the Heavenly Academy, all coming from their respective prefectures and counties to bribe officials at each level to obtain resources for the coming year.

At this time of year, merchants in Shengjing make the most money.

After all, visiting relatives and friends always requires fine wine and delicious food.

As the four walked past a restaurant on the street, a waiter suddenly came down from upstairs and bowed to Ji You.

"Young Master Ji, Miss Lu invites you upstairs for a chat."

"Uh, please thank Miss Lu for her kindness, but I'll pass on that today."

Ji You looked up at the second floor, where Lu Qingqiu and Lu Hanyan were on the left side of the pavilion, smiling gently at her.

Seeing him wave his hand in refusal, Lu's younger sister nodded in agreement, her gaze involuntarily falling on the woman beside him.

Ji You, a student of the Heavenly Academy from a rural private school, was not well-liked within the academy, but as a man, he was quite popular in the marriage selection circles of Shengjing City.

Now that a woman has appeared beside him, even with Kuang Cheng and Wei Rui by his side, she still attracts attention.

"It looks like the woman I saw last year."

"?"

Lu Qingqiu couldn't see the face, but the figure looked very similar, so she turned to her sister and said, "Last year, a woman came to Tianshu Academy looking for Ji You, probably around the beginning of the new year, but I don't know which family she was from."

Along the way, besides the Lu sisters, other senior sisters from the Heavenly Academy also waved to Ji You, asking if their junior brother would like to come upstairs for a chat.

Ji You responded politely and waved goodbye.

The short road from the city center to the west side was now fraught with obstacles, each one seemingly intent on taking his life.

Wei Rui wrapped her padded jacket tighter around herself: "Why does the wind always pick up wherever we go?"

Kuang Cheng lowered his voice: "This seems to be sword energy. I've seen it on Brother Ji before..."

"?"

Princess Chang Le also had a banquet with the disciples of the Immortal Sect who had come to Shengjing. She greeted the four of them as they approached.

However, this greeting was not for Ji You, but for Wei Rui.

Zhao Yunyue didn't actually want Wei Rui to have too much contact with the people from the Sixianjian. At this moment, she asked Wei Rui to go up and introduce her to some talented young men from the immortal sects, but Miss Wei waved her hand and declined.

"Thank you for your kindness, Sister Yunyue, but Ruier has something to do later."

Princess Chang Le didn't insist. Her gaze seemed to casually fall on Ji You, and then she noticed the woman beside him, both of whom carried some resentment: "As the old saying goes, birds of a feather flock together. Sister, you should keep your eyes open so that your heart won't be disappointed."

Before Wei Rui could answer, she felt another surge of energy.

Meanwhile, the Lingjian Mountain disciples sitting upstairs turned their attention to Yan Shuyi, their eyes filled with an inscrutable expression.

The Spirit Mirror can conceal one's aura and obscure the secrets of heaven, making it impossible even for those at the Immortal Realm to see through it. They only felt that the figure looked somewhat familiar, but could not be sure.

Zhao Yunyue then sat back down in her chair, her brows furrowed slightly, her mind troubled.

Although the imperial power of the Great Xia Dynasty was subordinate to the immortal power, as a princess of the Great Xia Dynasty and having received the inheritance of the Spirit Sword Mountain, her status was actually not bad.

Of all the women he had met, only Lu Qingqiu could rival him.

Unfortunately, both of them failed in their attempts to become Daoist partners with Ji You.

Originally, it was thought that Ji You was extremely ambitious and that he was after the eldest daughter of the Dan Sect, and wanted to become a son-in-law in Dan Mountain.

Who knew that during the banquet just a few days ago, a disciple of the Heavenly Academy told him that a woman with no spiritual energy fluctuations had moved into Ji You's courtyard and had been there for nearly ten days and nights.

Zhao Yunyue was actually embarrassed by this strange behavior.

Because it's like someone is saying that even with her many identities, she's still no match for an ordinary woman.

Liu Junchi then spoke up, "Junior Sister Yun Yue, is there any progress on the matter I asked you to inquire about a few days ago?"

"I've inquired, and the Dan Sect's caravan should arrive in the next few days."

"Will there be a Qian Yuan Pill?"

"There should be some, but as you know, these kinds of pills are scarce. Even if you have money, they are extremely difficult to buy. They are usually snapped up before they even enter the market."

Liu Junchi frowned slightly: "Junior sister, you must help me."

He hasn't been in the Dao Integration Realm for long, and his actual combat strength and understanding of the Heavenly Dao are still lacking. He needs a long time to hone his skills.

However, since the Heavenly Dao Assembly will be held next year, and he wants to win a place in the Heavenly Dao Assembly and enter the place where the sages comprehended the Dao to cultivate, long-term seclusion is not possible. Therefore, he hopes to obtain a Qian Yuan Pill.

This elixir can only be refined by the Alchemy Sect. It has miraculous effects on stabilizing one's realm, enhancing one's connection with the heavens and man, and improving one's understanding of the Dao.

The seven major immortal sects each have an annual quota of Qian Yuan Pills, and Lingjian Mountain also has its share.

However, once these pills were delivered, they were mostly taken by some of the elders.

Even if a few are lucky enough to remain, they will be reserved in advance by some aristocratic families who have marriage ties with the Immortal Sect, and very few will be able to reach the hands of disciples who truly need them through normal channels.

Therefore, his main purpose in coming to Shengjing this time, besides inquiring about the Snowfield Demon Stone and meeting Princess Chang Le, was to obtain this elixir, so he asked Zhao Yunyue to keep an eye out for it for him.

The official roads of Qingyun Tianxia are all maintained and repaired by Daxia, and the post stations along the way are also operated by Daxia, so it is not difficult to find out the whereabouts of Danzong.

Zhao Yunyue looked at Liu Junchi's earnest eyes and then nodded.

The two of them have been in contact with each other for the past few days at the suggestion of the Prince Chong, and they are quite satisfied with each other.

However, in this initial stage of getting to know each other, being asked to do this or that still made Zhao Yunyue feel somewhat taken advantage of.

However, this is the way things are in Qingyun Tianxia; those who are truly sincere are rare.

"Here's what we'll do, senior brother. In a few days, the Dan Sect delegation will arrive. I'll ask someone to invite the Dan Sect siblings to my banquet. You can buy from them, but whether you can actually get your hands on them depends on you."

After hearing this, Liu Junchi cupped his hands and said, "Then thank you very much, junior sister."

Zhao Yunyue chuckled softly, then remembered the rumors about the eldest daughter of the Dan Sect and Ji You, and suddenly felt that something interesting was about to happen.

It would be quite interesting if the rumors were false.

If the rumors are true, that would be even more interesting.

After all, Ji You is currently keeping a mortal woman in his courtyard, and who knows what kind of rumors will circulate then.

At this time, Ji You and his group of four had already delivered the rice cakes to the orphanage. On the way, they took the children to the West Market to buy them some shoes and socks.

Having returned from the snowy region, Ji You is now a big spender, making him a prime target for exploitation.

The young appraiser of Lingjian Mountain bought quite a few things, and the money came from Ji You's pocket.

She has a lot of money, but she doesn't spend it.

"Young Master Kuang said that Young Master Ji is actually quite stingy. Over the years, only Sister Yan and children have made him willingly spend money without showing any sign of distress."

Yan Shuyi remained silent for a while before nodding: "I know."

To this day, a sword that others would consider unworthy of him still hangs above her bed, but which she cherishes dearly.

Wei Rui then picked up a small box that was placed on the stall: "Do you have any with osmanthus fragrance?"

Yan Shuyi turned her head to look over: "Green salt?" "Yes, do you want some, sister?"

Green salt is a fine salt powder with a light granular texture, suitable for cleaning the mouth and teeth. Sometimes it is mixed with other ingredients such as mint leaves, dried osmanthus flowers, or some Chinese medicine for clearing heat, to remove dirt, kill bacteria, and leave a pleasant fragrance in the mouth.

Yan Shu also had her own preferred type of salt, so there was no need to buy any. However, after thinking for a while, she couldn't help but ask, "Do you have any chili-flavored salt that won't burn you after rinsing?"

Wei Rui paused for a moment, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes: "Whose spice is that?"

"You hot scoundrel."

"?"

Wei Rui and Kuang Cheng haven't even held hands yet, so they can't understand the images in the little appraiser's mind.

Yan Shuyi naturally couldn't buy such strange green salt, so she left the stall and walked up to Ji You: "Ji You, I want to eat candied fruit."

Ji You took a small piece of silver from his pocket and placed it in her hand: "Buy more, so you can keep it at home for the New Year."

"I also need to buy some roasted sweet potatoes and charcoal. We don't have any at home. I heard from Wei Rui that these vendors will be taking a break in a few days, and the East and West Markets will be turned into Lantern Streets. Then we won't be able to buy them anymore."

"Charcoal... no rush, I've been looking around in the Five Great Halls these past few days. As for sweet potatoes, I'll check out the vegetable market next door."

As Ji You spoke, he thought to himself that the girl's jealousy seemed to have dissipated quite a bit, and he hoped that no more smug cats would suddenly appear at this moment.

As Ji You left her stall and headed towards the market, Yan Shuyi, carrying candied fruit, headed back towards Wei Rui's direction.

Kuang Cheng had already returned with the children from the orphanage after buying shoes, socks, and cotton-padded clothes. Besides Wei Rui, there were two other women standing in front of him.

One of them had her head down and chest hunched over, and judging from her clothes, she was clearly a maid. The other one was wearing a light blue cloud-patterned dress and stood there like a young lady, but she was actually a cultivator in the Micro-Illumination Realm.

On her way back, Yan Shuyi saw the young lady looking at her the whole time, seemingly very concerned about her.

"Miss Fang doesn't plan to go home this New Year and wants to stay at the Heavenly Academy?"

"I'm not going back. I plan to go into seclusion in the courtyard for a while. Also, there are a few banquets among the fellow cultivators in the sect. Although cultivators believe in having nothing external, we still have to give them some face."

Fang Ruoyao smiled faintly and answered Kuang Cheng.

The daughter of the magistrate of Yuyang County entered the academy to cultivate herself through her brother's military merit quota, but she is still at the Micro-Illumination Realm and has not made any progress.

At first, she refused to accept her fate. Before Pei Ruyi left, she asked her, "Didn't my senior sister say that I had excellent aptitude back in Yuyang County?"

Pei Ruyi told her, "Yes, Shang Jia."

By now, she has essentially resigned herself to her fate.

Half of the reason she was recognized was that her cultivation aptitude was not good. Not to mention compared with the students in the outer academy, she was even inferior to those merchants in Shengjing City who had some connection with aristocratic families and therefore possessed some cultivation.

However, when facing Kuang Cheng, Wei Rui, and this unknown woman—three mortals—she still possessed a subtle, proud, ethereal air about her in her demeanor and words.

At this moment, Fang Ruoyao looked at Kuang Cheng and couldn't help but think of the half of her fate that she hadn't recognized.

And that other half is Ji You.

Her former fiancé established a manor in Fengzhou. She set off with the delegation, killed the King of Soldiers with her sword, and persuaded the Demon Emperor. Although the inner court disliked Ji You, they could not deny the fact that he was exceptionally talented.

That marriage contract from back then was the half of her that she couldn't let go of.

Thinking of this, Fang Ruoyao couldn't help but look at Yan Shuyi again, her gaze unconsciously falling on her lower abdomen. She stared at it for a long time, and then her face gradually turned pale.

When Ji You returned after buying sweet potatoes, Fang Ruoyao had already left. At this moment, Yan Shuyi narrowed her beautiful eyes, like a jealous cat.

The obedient demeanor she had inadvertently displayed when buying candied fruit earlier seemed to have never existed at this moment.

"Another cat with its tail wagging?"

Kuang Cheng, who had just recovered from his shock, looked at Ji You and said, "We just ran into Miss Fang."

Ji You's lips twitched, recalling the bumpy road she had taken today, and said, "Not checking the almanac before going out today was a major mistake."

"That's not important, Brother Ji. What's important is having offspring!"

"?"

Kuang Cheng was somewhat excited: "Miss Fang just asked me to tell you that she congratulates you on having a child. Only then did I realize that Brother Ji truly lives up to his name!"

Wei Rui then came from a distance, holding a pair of lifelike tiger-head shoes in her hands, her excitement no less than Kuang Cheng's.

Ji You paused for a moment, then turned to look at Yan Shuyi, only to find that the young appraiser was blinking nonchalantly.

She actually knows a lot of things.

Knowing that Princess Chang Le and Lu Qingqiu wanted to marry him, and also knowing that he originally had a fiancée named Fang Ruoyao, sometimes even if they couldn't recognize her at a glance, they could tell from their conversation.

The stranger's ex-fiancée kept staring at her stomach, seemingly trying to confirm whether she was pregnant with his child.

Even at the Microscopic Illumination Realm, one's divine sense cannot extend too far, yet it still probes towards oneself.

For reasons unknown, the young master did not stop her weak divine sense and gave her the illusion that she was pregnant, which was not difficult for her, who was at the Yingtian Realm.

Ji You's cultivation level was much higher than Fang Ruoyao's, which was obvious. At this moment, she couldn't help but mutter to herself, thinking to herself that this little appraiser of Lingjian Mountain was really a bit cunning.

Upon returning to the Heavenly Academy from Shengjing City, the furnace in the meditation room was reignited.

Several kinds of candied fruit were displayed on the red wooden cabinet, and there were a few burlap sacks in the corner containing vegetables and sweet potatoes.

Meanwhile, the young appraiser sat aloofly in the stranger's lap, his lips slightly parted, his tongue being teased, and his eyes calm and composed.

From this angle, she can see the plush toy she bought earlier.

Frogs and butterflies, all of them without tails.

Besides the two rag dolls, there was also a pair of tiger-head shoes on the lacquered red wooden cabinet, which Wei Rui bought and gave to them after listening to slander.

This reminded her of when Ji You had the audacity to ask her how many children she wanted.

Thinking of this, Yan Shuyi suddenly began to gently open and close her pearly teeth to bite him again. After a few times, Ji You gently opened his eyes.

Upon seeing the other person's eyes, the young appraiser immediately sharpened his gaze, looking down at Ji You with a sharp, dagger-like stare, forcing Ji You to close his eyes.

Yan Shuyi smelled wonderful, but it wasn't a strong, powdery scent; rather, it was a delicate floral fragrance that was refreshing and pleasant.

Normally, only her personal maid had the privilege of smelling this fragrance, but now the one who knew this scent best was Ji You, a stranger.

After a while, the sweet and fragrant lips were released. Ji You looked at Yan Shuyi, who was panting heavily, and found that the other party was still calm, but there was a layer of fine sweat on his nose.

"Ji You, you really have bad taste in choosing a fiancée."

"I've already said she's not my fiancée, and besides, I wasn't the one who made the choice before the engagement was called off."

Yan Shuyi looked at him coldly: "What does it have to do with me, the appraiser? It's not like I'm getting married. In the end, you'll be the one who suffers."

Ji You lowered her head and leaned forward, only to see the little appraiser obediently raising her slender neck, her rosy lips slightly parted as she breathed, and her fragrant tongue unable to resist protruding slightly.

Upon seeing this, Ji You stopped kissing him and straightened up again.

The young appraiser immediately curled his legs slightly and couldn't help but punch him. He said coldly, "If you're looking for another fiancée, remember to call me to help you choose. After all, women understand women's minds best, and she'll be better than someone with your terrible taste."

Ji You said, "I don't believe you at all: You have a lot of opinions about Fang Ruoyao?"

"Her character is extremely poor. She is only at the Weizhao realm, yet she still puts on airs in front of her old friends. She is also extremely jealous. When she sees me, she carries a resentment that wishes for my death. She is exactly the kind of woman I dislike the most. If I were to choose for you, she would be a thousand times better."

Ji You stared at her slightly flushed face for a long time, thinking to himself, "Your abacus beads are about to jump onto my face."

But answering yes or no at this point would likely leave him feeling humiliated, and Ji You understood all too well this kind of blatant hypocrisy and attempt to cover up his true feelings.

Especially after learning that Yan Shuyi was faking her pregnancy, making Fang Ruoyao pale with jealousy, Ji You gained a completely new understanding of Yan Shuyi's cunning and wickedness.

The young appraiser was quietly watching him, waiting for his answer. His amber eyes were deep and unfathomable, revealing no hidden emotions.

However, without receiving any response, she noticed that the strange man leaned down again, got close to her pretty face, and took her mouth into his mouth, causing her long eyelashes to tremble slightly.

This time, Ji You stopped looking at her expression and kissed her deeply and passionately.

Before long, Yan Shuyi couldn't help but reach out and wrap her arms around his neck. Her brocade sleeves slipped down to her elbows, revealing her fair and hot arms, and she began to pant.

That's how hibernation is; you always have to find something to do to pass the time.

Hopscotch, beating the tiger with a stick, and the chicken eating the worm.

Hopscotch, beating a tiger with a stick, chickens eating worms, kissing.

Hopscotch, kiss, kiss.

Kiss, kiss, kiss.

Ji You doesn't dare to make any other moves yet because he feels his current physical body can't hold up.

Using the King of Soldiers as a benchmark, we can see that even someone from the Yingtian Realm can still easily defeat him, and in the long run, it will all be a waste of time.

Thus, this peaceful winter life began to extend beyond the courtyard. Yan Shu would sometimes conceal her presence with a light veil and be taken out for walks by strange men.

When Yan Shu happened to encounter a girl from the academy, she would ask him condescendingly if he liked her, as if she were really choosing a fiancée for him, seemingly completely unaware that he had just been kissed for a long time in the courtyard.

Ji You pointed out each of the ways in which the young appraiser of Lingjian Mountain was inferior to him, including his appearance, figure, and how smoothly he navigated each pitfall.

As evening fell and the sky was ablaze with fiery clouds, Yan Shu also received a message from Zhuo Wanqiu.

She stayed down the mountain for quite a while this time, which caused Yan Jingxiang to come to the Cloud Top Palace every day to inquire about her return. Zhuo Wanqiu relayed her words and asked her when she would return.

The suggestion of "visiting relatives" was initially made by Zhuo Wanqiu, but as time went on, Zhuo Wanqiu also became a little scared.

She wasn't afraid of the Appraiser's safety, after all, the current Appraiser was protected by the Spirit Appraisal, and even someone at the peak of the fifth realm would have to put in some effort to attack her.

What she worried about was whether one day the appraiser would come back carrying a big, fat baby boy.

Yan Shuyi had just returned from a stroll with Ji You. After seeing the message, he remained silent for a long time, sometimes frowning and sometimes pursing his lips, his gaze serious. It took him a long time to remember who Zhuo Wanqiu was.

"I'll stay here for the New Year and won't go back for a long time."

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(End of this chapter)