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Chapter 274 What's the Use of Bowing?
The Cold Dew season arrives late in autumn, and chrysanthemums begin to turn yellow in the morning. A thousand homes are swept clean by the wind, while wild geese follow the sun for miles.

Before the sunlight penetrated, the white dew covered the sky.

A large number of cultivators passed through Zilang County, which is under the jurisdiction of Anyuan City, and were given a grand reception by the local governor.

They had just arrived from the northwest, starting from the Dongping Mountains and searching all the way here. They were exhausted and their faces were solemn.

Although Bu Qirong is dead, the dying elders of the Immortal Sect have not given up hope.

They were then ordered to search the mountains for three consecutive days in an attempt to find any surviving members of the Bu family, but... nothing was found.

They then investigated the winery, the Bu family mansion, visited the local government offices, and consulted the county annals.

A multitude of complicated messages were collected and piled up haphazardly.

It's unclear whether this information is useful yet; we'll just have to hand it over to the elders so they can sort it out.

Jiang Yan, Yan Qiubai, and Jiang Yuerou also rested here, along with Jiang Chenfeng, Xie Chenyu, and others who were seriously injured, planning to take the immortal ship back to their sect.

As they ate and drank, their fatigue eased considerably, and their tense nerves gradually relaxed.

But just then, the sound of gongs and drums in the street caught their attention.

So they went out of the prefect's residence and looked outside.

On the official road of Zijun City, officials and constables collecting taxes drove grain carts back and forth, their disciplinary sticks raised high in the air, displaying unparalleled martial prowess.

Some hunched-over commoners were carrying heavy sacks toward this place, heading towards the carriage under the arrogant gaze of the officials.

Some elderly people are often kicked or punched because they carry their bags too slowly.

Prefect Zilang stood respectfully beside them, bowing deeply, and said, "Every year after the autumn harvest, it is the time for our prefecture to collect taxes. Half of the grain is put into the national treasury, and the other half is sent to our Immortal Sect to support all the immortals."

Upon hearing this, a disciple of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion couldn't help but ask curiously, "Can we immortals eat so much food?"

"Some of it will be exchanged for gold and silver and re-entered into the market to be sold back to the people. The other part will be purchased by Yunzhou to support the miners of the whole prefecture. What will be exchanged for you immortals is spirit stones."

"A portion of it was also exchanged by Zhongzhou and Yuzhou to support the workers at the Spirit Seed Farm. In short, it will satisfy the immortal lords."

These cultivators spend their years in seclusion in the deep mountains, detached from worldly affairs. Many people are learning for the first time that their daily necessities come from this source, finding it vivid and engaging.

Seeing that the immortals were quite interested in this, the Prefect of Zilang County spoke again: "However, this year's tax for the immortals may be less."

"Why?"

"A new business has opened in the city, hiring a large number of us commoners to work. They agreed that we would pay the full amount on tax day, but..."

The disciple of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion frowned slightly: "Not enough to pay?"

Upon hearing this, the Prefect of Zilang County waved his hand and said, "The quantity is sufficient, but there will inevitably be losses during transportation, especially with the continuous rain these past few days. Many of them have sprouted along the way, so it is still not possible to take them."

"Is there such a thing?"

"This humble official has been troubled by this matter for the past few days. It just so happens that you immortals are passing by, so I have dared to ask you immortals to do me a favor."

The Prefect of Zilang County waved his sleeve and summoned a young man behind him: "Yesterday, my son led a group of people to argue on behalf of the immortals, but they were beaten and kicked and driven out of the door by the person in charge."

The son of the Prefect of Zilang County also stepped forward with his hands clasped: "That damned business must have been relying on someone's power. It's truly despicable. They even insulted the Immortal Sect. They're simply unruly!"

In fact, ever since Bu Qirong died, the elders who were eager to prolong their lives have been unpredictable, and some disciples have been venting their frustrations.

Upon hearing this, some busybodies proudly raised their heads, wanting to follow and see what was going on, and incidentally regain some of their sense of being immortals to balance their Dao hearts.

So Prefect Zilang and his son knelt and kowtowed three times and led the way.

In reality, grain is always covered with tarpaulins during transportation, so it won't easily sprout even if it gets damp.

The so-called losses are not actually due to transportation, but rather to human factors.

The government's constables all knew that the grain carts carried taxes and dared not easily steal them, but the local officials could not help but have their own ideas.

In the years before this business existed, the people's taxes were collected by them, and it was the established rule to ask for more to fill their own pockets.

However, as more and more people went out to work, this business bypassed individual customers and directly sold grain to the public. The accounts were checked very clearly, so there was almost no chance of trying to make a profit.

The Prefect of Zilang County, being a new official, was eager to make a name for himself and had long coveted this business.

Now that they have borrowed the power of the immortals, they are naturally impatient.

As they watched them leave, the remaining people couldn't help but chuckle.

The mountain is lonely, and it's understandable that some people want to be high above others. However, for others, it's best to avoid doing things that can easily tarnish one's Dao heart.

However, soon those who had gone with them returned with complicated expressions, each carrying a bag of grain.

The Prefect of Zilang County and his eldest son, who were following behind them, appeared somewhat apprehensive and kept their heads down in silence.

Because those esteemed gentlemen hadn't even entered the door, but had only exchanged a few words with the manager of the business on equal terms before turning around and leaving.

What terrified them was that the person in charge was actually just an ordinary person.

"Has that trading company yielded?"

"They were very polite, and when we had a pleasant chat, they even sold us several bags of grain at a high price..."

"???"

Showing off one's power can affect one's Dao heart, but curiosity will not.

In fact, the human race's path to immortality began with curiosity about the Dao of Heaven.

As a result, many people who were curious about this business lined the road and went there one after another. But when they saw the sign for "Wu Lu Business", they fell silent instantly.

There were no cultivators in Fengzhou at first, but then suddenly one appeared.

Then came the Questioning Mountain, the Autumn Battle, the Heavenly Way Gathering, and after all that, many people began to know of his existence.

His surname was Ji, his given name was You, and his courtesy name was Wulu.

Of course, there are also rumors that his courtesy name was Bo Chang.

At this moment, the manager of Wulu Trading Company mustered up his courage and asked them if they needed any grain, so each of them ended up with an extra bag of grain.

This scene terrified the father and son who were the prefects of Zilang County.

Afterwards, everyone returned to the prefect's residence, and both those who had bought grain and those who had not fell silent.

Many things happened in the Dongping Mountains, many of which were unexpected, such as the appearance of the barbarians and the killing of Bu Qirong.

What people remember most fondly is what happened to Ji You.

However, they have been searching the mountains for the past few days, and with various scattered investigations, they haven't had much time to communicate.

It was only at this moment, after seeing the merchant from Fengzhou, that people began to think deeply about everything that had happened on Dongping Mountain.

Ji You, who was rumored to have hit a bottleneck and would stop at the Tongxuan Realm in this lifetime, suddenly appeared at Dongping Mountain. He then drew his sword and killed the evil seed of the Yingtian Realm, and also defeated an elder of the Wujiang Realm who was his fellow disciple.

This is something that leaves people speechless, so much so that many people still find it hard to accept.

What's even more speechless is another matter concerning Ji You...

Bu Qirong was someone that all the major immortal sects had issued orders to capture alive, yet he was killed by Ji You right before his eyes.

They could clearly sense that the elders were already furious, wishing they could grind Ji You to dust, but before they could make a move, they were stopped by the young master of Lingjian Mountain with the power of a sacred artifact.

As the only one of the seven immortal sects to wield a sacred artifact, the young appraiser, known throughout the world for her cold and aloof demeanor, specially intervened for him, which was already astonishing at the time.

What's even more puzzling is the reaction of the elders.

The Junior Master already holds the position of sect leader, and his authority naturally surpasses that of the common people.

However, Qingyun Tianxia has always been bound by rules, and even the sect leader cannot openly and arbitrarily interfere in the affairs of other sects.

If Ji You were a disciple of Lingjian Mountain, even if he slaughtered a powerful family, with the young master of Lingjian Mountain intervening, no one would dare to do anything to him. But the problem is that Ji You is a disciple of Tianshu Academy.

But inexplicably, the elders all suppressed their resentment.

In other words, the elders all believed that the young master of Lingjian Mountain had a legitimate reason to interfere in Ji You's affairs.

Later, Ji You collapsed on the mountain and was taken away by the young appraiser of Lingjian Mountain. The people of Tianshu Academy had no objections, as if he was just supposed to be taken away by the young appraiser of Lingjian Mountain.

They were far away at the time and did not hear Yan Shuyi's words about "family matters," but they each had their own thoughts.

Some people believe that Ji You is a spy for Lingjian Mountain.

However, some people believe that Yan Shu also had his eye on Ji You and wanted to recruit him to Lingjian Mountain.

Of course, there were even bolder ideas that seemed most reasonable, but once they came to mind, they found them unbelievable.

Only Jiang Yan remained silent, her eyes slightly glazed over, but she had already confirmed an answer in her heart: "Those two women who were serving Ji You at the time were your young master's personal maids, right?"

Sitting next to her, Yan Qiubai parted her lips slightly and asked, "Sister, you've remembered now?"

"When the Lingjian Mountain palanquin arrived at the Sage Garden, I was so focused on looking at the young appraisers that I didn't get a good look at their faces. But even if I had seen them more clearly, I probably wouldn't have believed it."

"I looked at it for a long time before I was sure I wasn't mistaken." Jiang Yan's mind conjured up the image of Ji You holding a sharp sword, and her eyelashes trembled slightly.

After escaping death in the valley east of Falling Eagle Gorge, she asked Yan Qiubai if he didn't want to marry Ji You, and said that she would go there herself.

In fact, she was telling the truth. Ji You was only at the Tongxuan Realm, which was not enough to make her really fall in love with him and take the initiative to find a husband.

Even though his combat strength vaguely surpasses that of the Tongxuan realm, his background as a private cultivator from the countryside is still criticized.

But the combat power that Ji You displayed in the valley that time far exceeded her expectations, making her feel that there was no need to hesitate.

She knew about Ji You and Yuan Caiwei's affair and knew that it would be difficult to become the principal wife, but recently she heard that Danzong was in contact with Shanhaige and intended to marry her daughter to Shanhaige's personal disciple.

This made Jiang Yan feel that with fewer competitors, her chances were still quite good.

But she never expected that even Yuan Caiwei might not be able to become the main wife, because the young appraiser of Lingjian Mountain was also Ji You's Daoist partner.

However, Jiang Yan did not blame Yan Qiubai for not telling the truth.

Even she, a disciple of the Dao Seeking Sect, dared not easily discuss this matter, let alone Yan Qiubai, a disciple of the Spirit Sword Mountain...

"I always thought that the young master of Lingjian Mountain was aloof and peerless, like a true goddess descended to earth. But now it's different. I remember that during the Heavenly Dao Gathering, the Heavenly Book Academy and Lingjian Mountain were arranged to be in the same courtyard?"

"Sister Yan, it's best not to speculate wildly before this is confirmed in person..."

The two fell silent, but Yan Qiubai knew what Jiang Yan was about to say.

If they were truly Daoist lovers, then perhaps it wasn't a coincidence that the Heavenly Dao Academy arranged for them to be in the same courtyard; it was because their master wanted to be close to her husband.

But when she recalled the cold and arrogant image of the appraiser in her mind, she felt that it didn't quite match up...

After the Cold Dew solar term, the temperature drops sharply, and a chilling cold prevails.

The common people continued to live a poor but stable life, preparing for winter after paying their taxes, while the disciples of each sect returned to their respective sects one after another with all the information about the Bu family.

Meanwhile, people began to return to the academy.

The first to return to Nishan were Qin Rong and Ji Jingyao's group. They went to hunt down the barbarians, but their strength was no match for them, so they had to hand the task over to the Zhenbei Army.

The group that returned later was led by Elder Fang and Elder Ge, who continued to search for clues about the Bu family.

News of their return to the mountain had spread to both the inner and outer academies long ago, so as soon as the convoy entered the city, a large number of disciples from both the inner and outer academies of the Heavenly Academy came to greet them.

But in fact, a large number of these people wanted to take this opportunity to find out if there really was a naturally occurring spiritual treasure in the Dongping Mountains, as everyone said.

Coincidentally, another carriage from Anyuan City also arrived at this place, crushing the puddles formed by the cold autumn rain.

Although it was traveling in the same direction as Elder Fang and his group, the carriage appeared particularly lonely.

The other carriages seemed to be deliberately keeping their distance from it, staying to the left.

At first, the disciples of the Heavenly Academy standing at the gate thought that this car was not with Elder Fang and his group, but they did not expect that it would stop together at the gate of the Heavenly Academy.

Elder Fang was the first to get off the car. His face was pale and his steps were unsteady, which made everyone in front of the door realize that he was injured, and they couldn't help but widen their eyes.

Everyone in the Heavenly Academy knew that Elder Fang was a powerful being at the Boundless Realm, and they couldn't help but start discussing who this deity was who could have injured him.

As they were discussing, the carriage that had returned alone lifted its curtain, and Ji You jumped down from it, attracting everyone's attention.

The disciples who accompanied Elder Fang back to the academy naturally knew what had happened, and their expressions were somewhat complicated when they saw Ji You again.

On the stone steps, Elder Fang looked down with a sinister gaze, his eyes blazing with anger, yet also carrying a hidden fear.

That day in the dense forest, Ji You shattered the spells binding him, causing a backlash, while Ji You's own energy pierced through his waist and abdomen.

But he knew in his heart that if he went all out, he could definitely cripple Ji You, but Ji You could take his life.

Ji You stared at him coldly, her eyes filled with provocation.

It wasn't that he got a little cocky after testing the combat strength; it was mainly because Elder Fang's money was just too tempting...

It smells so good that even another fight might not be out of the question.

However, the disciples who remained at the Heavenly Academy were unaware of the truth and were puzzled when they saw this scene.

"Was Ji You really taken to the Dongping Mountains?"

"Definitely is."

"I didn't expect him to come back safely, but I wonder how many more times he'll be this lucky..."

"But doesn't it seem strange to everyone that they didn't come back together?"

"Did I offend Elder Fang? The way he looked at me just now was like I wanted to tear him to pieces."

"Ji You was already an eyesore in the eyes of the Elders' Council, how did he offend Elder Fang? He hasn't even broken through to the Fusion Realm yet, how is he supposed to live his life from now on?"

"That's just how he is..."

While the Bu family's affairs drew a swarm of immortals, life in Nishan was relatively peaceful.

Some people are in seclusion, striving for enlightenment, while others are indulging in eating, drinking, and having fun, mingling in various places where they meet.

However, because the news of the appearance of a naturally occurring spiritual treasure in the Dongping Mountains had spread in great detail, many people were secretly paying attention.

So when Elder Fang and his group returned, many people were watching from the sidelines.

At this moment, Fang Jincheng stepped to Princess Zhao Yunyue's side and said, "I'm sorry, my grandfather has had a long journey and is probably not in a good mood. I will inform him about the Immortal Appreciation Gathering later."

"It's alright. After all, the matter of my Prince Chong's Mansion is a minor matter. It will depend on Elder Fang's schedule. Neither my father nor I are in a hurry."

The growing power of the Imperial Observatory has made things difficult for the faction of those who favor immortals, and has also put considerable pressure on the imperial court.

Because he lost control of the tax revenue, and the Spirit Stone Merchant Guild, which he cooperated with, was also reducing its production, his connection with the Immortal Sect became increasingly weak.

Therefore, King Chong went to great lengths to collect many fine items such as elixirs, magical artifacts, and weapons, intending to invite some immortals over to hold a banquet.

The purpose was to put pressure on the emperor's nephew, hoping to regain control of the tax revenue from the Imperial Academy.

However, a banquet like this is meaningless if the attendees are not of high enough status, so Zhao Yunyue set her sights on Elder Fang.

On the one hand, it was because she had a fairly good relationship with Fang Jincheng, and on the other hand, she had heard that Elder Fang loved teacups.

Coincidentally, Prince Chong acquired a set of tea utensils that had been nurtured in spiritual light for decades, which could be considered as catering to his tastes.

But seeing Elder Fang's furious expression, Zhao Yunyue felt it was inappropriate to bring up the matter at this time.

So she turned her head and looked at Ji You standing in front of the door.

Elder Fang's feud with Ji You stemmed from Fang Jincheng and Lu Hanyan, and it reached its peak during the preliminary selection of the Heavenly Dao Society.

However, in her view, Elder Fang was, after all, a powerful figure among the elders of a certain immortal sect. For him to openly harbor hatred towards a disciple who was only at the Tongxuan realm was somewhat beneath his dignity.

Just then, everyone heard a cold snort.

Elder Fang turned and left, his face grim as he rose into the air and disappeared into the vast forest with a whoosh.

However, to everyone's surprise, Elder Ge, who arrived later, also stood in front of Ji You, just like Elder Fang.

Just when everyone thought that Ji You had offended two elders in one fell swoop, Elder Ge suddenly raised his hand, bowed slightly to Ji You, and gave a slow salute.

The disciples watching were instantly stunned, their eyes widening as they stared at Elder Ge's bent back.

Because whether it's a celestial sect or a noble family, the status of elders is higher than that of instructors, and even higher than that of students.

According to the rules, it is always the disciples who bow to the elders, and there is never a precedent of the elders bowing to the disciples.

At this moment, Elder Ge slowly stood up.

When Bu Qirong led eight evil creatures to attack him, it was Ji You who drew his sword and saved his life. Although he knew that Ji You's original intention was not to save him, it was still necessary to express his gratitude.

He originally intended to give Ji You some money, not to bow down like this.

The reason for changing his mind was that Ji You's combat power was too terrifying.

Most importantly, he now realizes that Ji You is not some unaffiliated, rural hermit at all.

If his background were revealed, the entire Heavenly Academy would probably be shaken.
Therefore, Elder Ge's act of bowing in such full public was indeed somewhat of a gesture of flattery.

In his view, an elder bowing his head in such a gesture of respect was far more sincere than giving money.

To everyone's surprise, Ji You simply gave a perfunctory, faint smile, then turned and left without paying any attention.

"They don't even give us the money, they just keep making empty promises."

What's the point of bowing to me...?

At the same time, the three stewards of the Steward's Office, as well as the Palace Master in the Inner Court, were all looking towards his figure.

Before their eyes they saw the white-clad swordsman who had disappeared for a long time, giving them a feeling of a tiger returning to the mountain.

They knew that Ji You had killed the Bu family. Some agreed and some disagreed, but in fact, the immortal sects, including the Heavenly Academy, were still secretly investigating and had not considered Bu Qirong's death as the end.

(End of this chapter)