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Chapter 267 The Appraiser's Daoist Companion

Under the gloomy sky, cold raindrops fell from the heavens, pattering into the forest and creating a constant rustling sound through the dense woods.

Meanwhile, a damp smell mixed with earthy odor constantly wafted from the mountains and forests.

"Both sons of the Bu family are at the initial stage of the Yingtian realm?"

“That makes sense. Senior Brother Huo has already reached the threshold of the Yingtian Realm. The one who could break his legs must have a cultivation level that is one level higher than his.”

"The Yingtian Initial Realm cultivators, after being mutated into evil beings, are still two people, and they are quite ferocious."

"That Ji You...?"

"You also find it hard to believe? That's right, how could it be Ji You? What level of combat power does he have...?"

"But Senior Brother Huo and the others have already been released."

"What good would it do to release them?"

“Those elders who have been living in seclusion in the mountains for many years and whose lifespans are nearing their end are not to be trifled with. Just by looking at them, you can feel their extremely fierce aura. If they are lying, they will certainly not be let off so easily.”

"You mean the elders have confirmed that this news is true?"

Within the canyon, disciples from the Dao Asking Sect, the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, and the Spirit Sword Mountain were conversing in hushed tones.

The news of Huo Hong and Jiang Chenfeng's group suffering severed limbs had already spread when they were rescued.

The fact that they were able to severely injure nine Dao Fusion Realm experts is already quite terrifying.

What they found even harder to believe was that it was Ji You who had killed the two thugs.

Before the Heavenly Dao Society began, many people probably didn't know the name Ji You.

Even in the third round, people would still ask who Ji You was when they heard his name.

But once the Heavenly Dao Society ends, there will be very few people in Qingyun Tianxia who don't know him.

At first, he was labeled by everyone as a disciple of the Heavenly Academy with peak combat strength in the same realm and outstanding talent, and an unconventional private cultivator in the countryside.

As everyone returned from the sacred site of the sages, he gained more labels: he would fade into obscurity, it was a pity, he would become unknown, and this was how a rural hermit should be.

But no one expected that the next news they would hear about him was that he had killed Ying Tian with his sword.

The disciples of the three sects learned of the killing of the Yingtian Evil Seed beforehand, and were just discussing whether the person who made the move deserved the title of "Great Power".

Unexpectedly, it was Ji You who was revealed next.

Many people feel that there is really no connection between "great power" and "seasonal worries".

Because he was too young and did not come from a prestigious family, he always went his own way, and it is said that even after entering the inner court, he was not chosen.

At this moment, everyone imagined the scene of Ji You slaying the evil seed of Yingtian Realm with Ji You sword, and their minds became dazed.

Also remaining silent for a long time due to a daze were Manager Qin and Manager Ji of the Office.

They followed Elder Fang back and stood under the shade of the trees, their expressions showing a mixture of unspoken thoughts.

Since returning from the sacred site of the ancients, Ji You has kept a low profile, only visiting Cao Jingsong on weekdays and then staying in the inner courtyard of the immortal abode, rarely going out.

There was a lot of discussion about him in the hospital, but he never took it to heart.

Even when he left the Heavenly Academy and returned to Fengzhou, he kept a very low profile.

The two stewards initially thought he did it on purpose, since he had failed to break through to the next level even in the sacred land of the sages, and must have felt lonely or somewhat inferior.

But after what Huo Hong and Jiang Chenfeng said tonight, all their previous guesses and conjectures were shattered.

But no matter how many times I think about it, this matter still seems unbelievable.

The problem is that they have begun to believe from the bottom of their hearts that Ji You was the one who killed those two evil beings at the Yingtian Realm.

The reason they believed it wasn't because the person they were talking about had an extremely similar posture to Ji You, or because their sword-wielding habits were exactly the same as Ji You's.

It was because the money bags in the arms of those who died today and those who died before had all disappeared.

This is so typical of him; neither of them has anyone else in mind.

Ji Jingyao stroked his long beard: "Such combat power is truly outrageous..."

After thinking for a moment, Qin Rong said, "I don't know why, but I always feel that it would be abnormal if he weren't like this."

"?"

"He did not find nothing in the sacred sites of the ancients, as people say."

Ji Jingyao raised his head at this moment: "Even so, Elder Fang just specifically instructed us to send a message back to confirm."

Qin Rong looked up upon hearing this: "Back then, Lu Hanyan and Fang Jincheng were at odds over the competition for a spot in the Inner Academy, which led to his enmity with Ji You. That's why he made things difficult for Ji You in the Heavenly Dao Assembly preliminary rounds. So he should be the one who least wants this to be true."

Ji Jingyao nodded: "Being targeted by someone like this, I think even the high and mighty Elder Fang must be feeling apprehensive."

"But regardless, since he gave the instructions, let's do it."

"Then I'll use the communication altar."

Qin Rong nodded, and after thinking for a moment, added, "I will also trouble Brother Ji to convey the events of the past few days to Palace Master Zuoqiu."

Ji Jingyao nodded and turned to leave.

Before long, a message instructing the disciples in the academy to confirm Ji You's whereabouts was sent out from the communication platform and arrived at the Heavenly Book Academy in an instant.

The messages from the Executive Yuan are generally divided into four levels: Heaven, Earth, Black, and Yellow. This message, however, is marked with the character "Earth".

The disciples who remained at the Hall of Affairs immediately set off for the inner and outer courtyards.

Some people went to look for Wen Zhengxin and Ban Yangshu, while others went to look for Lu Qingqiu and Lu Hanyan. Some disciples also went to Zizhu Zen Forest and the area around Ji You's residence.

Wen Siyuan, being familiar with them, was tasked with finding Cao Jingsong, while another group of disciples went to find Kuang Cheng.

In fact, the group was also puzzled, because Ji You had left after receiving a message from Shengjing.

Before leaving, he only left a note saying that he had something to take care of.

The news of the search for Ji You throughout the courtyard quickly reached the ears of the disciples, leaving them all quite puzzled.

Ever since Ji You failed to break through his cultivation level after leaving the sacred land of the sages, everyone thought that he should become invisible and that not many people would pay attention to him anymore.

But no one expected that the head of the council would launch such a large-scale search for Ji You's whereabouts today.

He Lingxiu, Xiao Hanyan, Shi Junhao and others were in seclusion in the courtyard. Upon hearing this, they frowned slightly, wondering what trouble this long-unheard-of name had gotten into this time.

However, in their view, although Ji You's combat strength was close to the Fusion stage, no matter how much trouble he caused, he couldn't cause anything of great importance that they would pay attention to.

However, Fang Jincheng and others who did not go into seclusion were discussing this extensively.

Because they all remembered the message from the head of the administration a few days ago, that they were going to send more people into the Dongping Mountains.

"It seems there really is a naturally occurring spiritual treasure in the Dongping Mountains. Do you think Ji You will be chosen again and sent to compete for the treasure?"

"Nonsense, the lowest level of those sent these times was the Fusion Dao Realm. What could a mere Transcendent Realm cultivator like him do?"

Fang Jincheng looked at the person who was speaking, and relying on his status as the grandson of Elder Fang, his tone was not polite at all.

The senior student spoke up upon hearing this: "That's precisely why we asked him to go."

"You mean, send him to his death?"

"This kind of thing has never happened before. I think Elder Fang must have given the order to avenge Brother Fang. We are truly envious."

Upon hearing this, Fang Jincheng was slightly taken aback, wondering if it was really true.

Otherwise, why would they be in such a hurry to find Ji You?

This despicable rural illegal repairman is probably really going to have his road come to an end this time...

Thinking about this, he suddenly began to feel a sense of anticipation.

Because Lu Hanyan was present in the inner courtyard, his entry into the inner courtyard was always seen as illegitimate by others, so they harbored deep resentment.

Upon hearing this speculation, he naturally hoped that Ji You would die in the Dongping Mountains, and even more so, he hoped to see how interesting Lu Hanyan's expression would be at that time.

At the same time, a small team from the Imperial Household Department, which had been dispatched to Shengjing City, arrived in haste.

The people of Tianshu Academy were unaware of Ji You's whereabouts, but some people in Shengjing City did.

This person is not Kuang Cheng.

In fact, the note Ji You left for Kuang Cheng did not mention where he was going.

Because this matter involves secrets that the Immortal Sect is unwilling to divulge, Ji You is worried that this guy will act rashly and get himself into trouble.

The one who truly knew Ji You's whereabouts wasn't any one person, but rather the post station located in Shengjing City. Ji You had rented a carriage again, and the coachman who accompanied him had recorded the journey upon his return.

Ji Jingyao quickly received a reply confirming that Ji You had arrived at the Dongping Mountains, and then handed the message over to Elder Fang and Elder Ge.

Elder Ge was the first to speak after reading it: "Could it really be him...?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Jingyao said, "Although the post station coachman can prove that he has been to the vicinity, we don't know what happened after he went into the mountains. We don't know whether it is true or not."

Elder Fang raised his head with a gloomy look in his eyes: "It can't be him. How could a rural cultivator do such a thing!"

Ji Jingyao nodded: "Elder Fang is absolutely right..."

In fact, there is already so much evidence to prove that it was Ji You who killed the two evil beings of the Yingtian Realm with his sword, so there is no other possibility.

But just as Qin Rong said, Elder Fang was the one among them who was least able to accept this, and it was understandable that he was unwilling to believe it.

Ji Jingyao thought to himself, "I only have a few coins to pay, so naturally I don't want to offend him."

He figured that since Ji You's target was also the Bu family, whether it was to kill or capture them, they would inevitably meet again next time, so he didn't need to waste any more words...

rustling --

A light rain fell, and soft footsteps echoed through the gloomy woods.

Jiang Yan arrived at the eastern valley where the disciples of Lingjian Mountain were resting.

Her injuries were mainly concentrated in her abdomen. After being interrogated, her fellow disciples helped bandage her up, and she took some healing pills and then slept.

But because so much had happened that day, her sleep was not deep, and she woke up after only a few hours.

After standing there in a daze for a long time, she decided to go out for a walk and talk to someone.

After much thought, she remembered Yan Qiubai of Lingjian Mountain.

In the wilderness, the snowy regions, and the Dongping Mountains, the two experienced life and death together several times. Although they were not in the same immortal sect, they had developed a deep sisterly bond.

Moreover, they had gone through the battle in the valley together, and there were some things that only she could tell them.

Coincidentally, Jiang Yuerou of Shan Hai Ge thought the same thing, so the two met and also found Yan Qiubai.

She was sitting by a campfire, dressed in a new dress that accentuated her alluring curves.

What is most striking is not her voluptuous figure, but the two dark red and purplish finger marks on her neck.

That was caused by Bu Yao pinching her, and at the moment she was pinched, she truly felt death approaching.

In other words, if Ji You hadn't suddenly appeared and swept through the valley with overwhelming force, she felt she would probably have already perished.

Therefore, Yan Qiubai also had difficulty falling asleep, his gaze remained fixed until Jiang Yan arrived and he came back to his senses.

Jiang Yan straightened her skirt and sat down next to her: "How is Xie Chenyu?"

"Senior Brother Xie has both arms broken and suffers severe internal injuries. He's been coughing up blood. What about Young Master Jiang?"

"His abdomen was pierced, his spiritual energy was damaged, and he is still unconscious. His condition is hard to say."

After they finished speaking, they both looked at Jiang Yuerou.

Jiang Yuerou couldn't help but sigh: "Junior Brother Huo Hong's injuries are very serious. Not only are both legs broken, but his spiritual energy also seems to have been ruptured by the evil energy. He has never woken up since he fainted in the valley."

The two nodded after hearing this, but did not show any sympathy.

In their view, it was already a great blessing to have escaped with one's life, and besides, he had provoked them in the first place, so there was nothing to lament.

Jiang Yan tossed a piece of dry firewood into the campfire, pondered for a while, and then quietly spoke: "I just tried to fall asleep, but all I could see in my mind was Ji You wielding his sword and making a circular slash..."

Yan Qiubai and Jiang Yuerou exchanged a glance, then pursed their red lips upon hearing this, thinking to themselves that their sister was quite serious; they had already been thoroughly scrutinized by him in their minds once.

Women admire strength, and cultivators are no exception.

Especially in life-or-death situations, seeing a man who seems like a god would naturally make one want to rely on him.

Women like Jiang Yan, who have reached the Fusion Dao Realm, are extremely rare in the world.

If she wanted to find someone stronger than herself, then the only option was Yingtian Realm.

However, most people in the Yingtian Realm are old men, while the younger ones are direct disciples of various sects, so it's not easy to find one.

Jiang Yan had her own ideas about the snowy region, but the reason there was no follow-up was because Ji You had not yet broken through to the next level.

In his view, Ji You is more than enough now.

She poked the campfire twice and then looked at Yan Qiubai.

"When we were on a mission to the Snow Region, we joked with each other about getting married and cultivating together. Ji You is extremely fond of swords, and his swordsmanship is inherited from your Spirit Sword Mountain. It seems that Sister Qiu Bai has a good chance."

After Jiang Yan finished speaking, she couldn't help but whisper, "But if you're not interested, little sister, I'll have to make a move."

Yan Qiubai was slightly taken aback: "Don't you recognize the two women who were following Ji You and calling him 'son-in-law'?"

"They do look somewhat familiar. It seems we've met once before at the Heavenly Dao Society. I'm quite curious, though. You all seem to know who they are, but why didn't anyone say when the elders pressed you for answers?"

"It's nothing, it's fine if my sister doesn't know, it's not a big deal."

Jiang Yan's curiosity had been piqued, so she wasn't going to let her off with a single sentence and pressed her for answers.

However, Yan Qiubai kept his mouth shut, changing the subject and finally admitting that he hadn't seen it clearly either.

In the past, Jiang Yan would not have believed it so easily, but just then, a disciple of the Dao Asking Sect rushed over to find her, saying that Jiang Chenfeng had woken up.

Jiang Yan immediately got up and hurriedly left with the disciple.

With one person missing, Jiang Yuerou couldn't help but look at Yan Qiubai: "Judging from your reaction just now, I think I wasn't mistaken, right?"

After a long silence, Yan Qiubai spoke: "Those two are named Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu. They are my young apprentice's personal maids."

The term "son-in-law" is very common in Qingyun, a world where arranged marriages are prevalent. It is usually used by female family members or servants to refer to their husbands.

Therefore, the term "son-in-law" is not particularly unusual.

But once the identity of the person calling is revealed, it takes on a completely different meaning.

After hearing Yan Qiubai's words, a figure appeared in Jiang Yuerou's mind.

She wore a red and white robe, a crystal crown, and possessed a cold and aloof beauty, looking down upon the world.

After a long silence, Jiang Yuerou slowly spoke: "You must have seen wrong, right?"

Yan Qiubai's red lips parted slightly: "I am a disciple of Lingjian Mountain, so I have naturally seen them countless times. I am not familiar with Zhuo Wanqiu, but I am very familiar with Senior Sister Ding Yao. To be honest, although my surname is Yan, my actual status is not as high as Senior Sister Ding's."

"Why?"

"Senior Sister Ding Yao grew up with the appraiser since she was a child."

Yan Qiubai recalled the scene when he saw them: "She was like a sister to the appraiser, so she had a high reputation in the sect and was very arrogant. Even the elders did not dare to look down on her. But yesterday, she was the most obedient I had ever seen her."

This fairy Qiu Bai, who came from Lingjian Mountain, went through a lot of trouble, constantly talking about how high Ding Yao's status was.

But in reality, Jiang Yuerou knew that what she wanted to express was something that could be clearly conveyed in a single sentence.

Ji You may be the Daoist partner of the Junior Master of Lingjian Mountain.

Even though it was just the two of them chatting now, and no one else could hear them, Yan Qiubai didn't dare to say those words out loud.

Just like during the interrogation just now, no matter how the elders pressed them for answers, those who recognized Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu remained silent.

This matter concerns the reputation of a future leader of an immortal sect.

That's why Yan Qiubai was unwilling to answer even after Jiang Yan pressed him for a long time.

My own wild guesses are completely different from rumors spread by others.

At this point, the two couldn't help but recall the incident that happened this spring.

When the Holy Son of the Daoist Clan came to inquire about the mountain, the young master personally admitted that he had someone he loved.

After this news spread, many people found it hard to imagine who the man who could win the heart of the young master of Lingjian Mountain could be.

When potential candidates emerged, they only felt a buzzing in their heads.

After a long pause, Jiang Yuerou spoke: "I had never heard of him knowing the young master before. Besides, the relationship between your Spirit Sword Mountain and the Heavenly Academy has always been very bad."

Yan Qiubai looked at her: "You mean we misheard?"

"I just feel that the young appraiser has always been aloof and rational in her actions. If that's really the case, then it's a bit too unbelievable..."

(End of this chapter)