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Chapter 278 Picking Up and Stealing

Fang Jincheng announced to the public that he was going into seclusion, saying that he wanted to break through to the middle stage of the Tongxuan realm.

Not long after, news also came from the outer courtyard that Peng Yu had voluntarily applied to leave the Heavenly Academy.

Adding to the fact that they learned in the early morning that the elder of the Divine Travel Realm had suffered a mental injury, and that the Dean of Affairs had rushed up the mountain in a panic, the inner disciples could no longer concentrate on their cultivation, and their expressions varied in the places where people gathered.

They knew that something significant must have happened last night, something they were unaware of, despite the seemingly peaceful night.

Just as these various speculations were circulating, a figure appeared from the immortal abode on the west side of the inner courtyard mountain gate.

Those on higher ground looked down upon hearing the sound and saw Ji You walking out of a courtyard, carrying a long sword.

He still looked like a scholar, seemingly harmless, but the storage gourd at his waist was twisted at the top. After leaving, he glanced at the summit of Mount Ni before turning and leaving.

What puzzled everyone was that it wasn't his courtyard, but Fang Jincheng's.

"How did Ji You come out of Fang Jincheng's courtyard..."

“I remember when I returned to the mountain yesterday, I saw Fang Jincheng talking to Peng Yu about something, it seemed to be about the selection of students for the inner courtyard.”

"Could it be... a conflict broke out?"

"I didn't hear anything last night..."

Amidst the murmurs, Ji You turned east and his figure gradually disappeared.

Seeing this, everyone pondered for a long time before silently going to Fang Jincheng's courtyard.

In the light mist, the wooden door of the small courtyard in front of us was lying on the ground. Looking around, the door of the main room was also wide open, but the room was empty.

All the calligraphy and paintings, ornaments, spirit stones and jade artifacts, swords and magical treasures, even the sandalwood tables and chairs, have vanished without a trace.

Along with it, a small table that originally stood in the courtyard also disappeared.

This item is a spiritual treasure passed down through the Fang family. It has the ability to enhance the connection between heaven and man, and can also clarify the mind and make thoughts clear.

There are hundreds of aristocratic families in Qingyun, but some families are able to stand firm and rise steadily, and there are reasons for this.

It is said that Elder Fang also used this spiritual platform to cultivate all the way to this point, and only then did he enter the Yingtian Realm from the threshold of the Fusion Realm, and eventually reach the Boundless Realm.

Fang Jincheng had been highly anticipated since childhood and was always expected to be the next Fang family powerhouse. So, not long after he entered the inner courtyard, this spiritual platform was sent over to help him cultivate.

However, the altar is no longer there, leaving only a deep hexagonal mark pressed into the ground beneath it.

Just as everyone was staring blankly at the place where the marks had been pressed in, a group of disciples coming from the direction of the back mountain arrived at this moment, facing the morning mist, and filed in from outside the door.

The man in the lead was tall and strong, wearing a black, diagonally-buttoned short shirt; he was none other than Lu Da, the pageboy under Elder Fang.

After withdrawing from the Tiandao Society preliminary rounds, Lu Da went into seclusion and only emerged now, still in a state of indifference and speaking very little.

When they arrived in the courtyard, they first looked at the original location of the small spiritual platform. When they saw that the platform was gone, Lu Da's expression changed slightly.

At the hour of Yin (3-5 AM) today, he was still asleep when Elder Fang summoned him.

First, he was instructed to send Fang Jincheng to the mountain abyss to the right of the Elders' Pavilion and have him immediately go into seclusion.

After he finished doing all that, he was ordered to come here again to retrieve the Fang family's heirloom, the Fangcun Platform. He seemed extremely anxious, as if this family's spiritual treasure was about to be stolen.

But in Lu Da's view, given Elder Fang's status and prestige, even if the Fangcun Platform were left on the mountain path, no one would dare to touch it, so why would he be in a hurry to find it?

To his surprise, the small platform had indeed disappeared.

After thinking for a long time, Lu Da turned around, went out, walked up the mountain, and then entered the Elders' Hall.

When he passed through the dark corridor covered with a red carpet and arrived in front of Elder Fang, Elder Fang was sitting cross-legged in his room with his hands hanging down.

This is the posture used by cultivators to comprehend the Dao, but Elder Fang was clearly not in a meditative state. He was just sitting there, his eyes filled with anxiety.

"Where's the stuff?"

"Elder, the item is gone."

Upon hearing this, Elder Fang couldn't help but clench his fist, his gaze towards Lu Da turning incredibly sinister.

In fact, Lu Da had already overheard the discussions among the fellow practitioners and knew that Ji You had come out of the courtyard before they arrived.

If Elder Fang asks, he will definitely tell him the truth, since he and Ji You don't have much of a relationship and there's no need for him to hide it.

But to everyone's surprise, Elder Fang didn't ask any questions. He just gripped the teacup tightly in his hand, squeezing it until the cup shattered without uttering a word. Then his face turned very ugly, and even the corners of his wrinkled eyes twitched incessantly.

Upon seeing his reaction, Lu Da immediately lowered his head.

He suddenly realized that the Fangcun Platform that Elder Fang had been so concerned about had not been stolen, but rather robbed.

Because you only ask who it was if it was stolen from, but you don't need to if it was robbed.

"Does the elder have any other matters to instruct his disciple to attend to?"

"Go and arrange for someone to deliver meals to Fang Jincheng in the mountains every day."

"I have already made arrangements for this matter."

"Then you may leave..."

"Yes."

After watching Lu Da leave, Elder Fang remained silent for a long time before getting up and descending the mountain, eventually arriving at the Head of Affairs Courtyard.

The three stewards of the academy had just finished treating Elder Lü and hadn't even had a chance to sit down when they saw Elder Fang arrive. They immediately stood up to greet him.

"What brings Elder Fang here?"

Elder Fang remained silent for a long time: "I lost a family heirloom, the Spirit Altar."

The three stewards frowned: "?"

"Someone saw that Ji You picked up that small platform. I would appreciate it if the three of you could do me the trouble of asking him."

"May I ask Elder Fang, where was the Fangcun Platform lost?"

“It’s in my grandson’s courtyard.”

After hearing what he said, the three heads of the administration fell into endless silence.

If something is missing from your own yard, that's not called losing it; that's called being robbed.

They realized that they had not been wrong before; Elder Lü and Elder Fang had both suffered a great loss the previous night.

The three managers exchanged glances, clearly not wanting to get involved in the matter.

Ji You is no longer the Ji You of the past. Even Elder Lü couldn't hold on, let alone them.

However, the Council of Affairs exists precisely to handle these matters, and some things are difficult to shirk.

So they left the office of the head of the affairs department and eventually arrived at the courtyard where Ji You was.

Ji You had taken a nap after returning from Fang Jincheng's courtyard. She had just woken up and was digging a hole in the middle of the yard with a hoe.

The three stewards stood in his courtyard waiting for him to do all this, their eyes involuntarily drawn to the crow that had been put into the pit.

The crow was unharmed, but there was bloodstains outside its vital organs, clearly indicating that its soul had been shattered. This showed how terrifying the life-or-death situation must have been last night.

Ji You filled in the pit and turned to the steward behind him: "What brings you three here?"

"It's nothing major, I'm just here to deliver a message on Elder Fang's behalf."

What message does Elder Fang want you to convey?

Qin Rong looked at him and said, "He said he lost a small piece of furniture, which was picked up by a kind person, and asked us to come and look for it."

Ji You raised an eyebrow slightly: "What Fangcun Platform? I haven't even seen the person, how could I see a platform?"

Manager Qin took out a gift box containing countless pills and spirit stones, with a scroll of secret techniques at the bottom: "This is Elder Fang's thank-you gift to you. In fact, those family heirlooms all have the family's mark, and you can find out where they are with just a thought."

"Elder Fang is just too polite."

"That small platform...?"

I have never seen it.

Ji You said calmly, and reached out to pull on the string of the gift box.

Qin Rong instinctively tightened his grip on the rope, but when he saw Ji You's expression, which had lost its smile, he remained silent for a long time before letting go and turning to leave.

Elder Fang's hands trembled upon hearing this answer, and he returned to the Elders' Pavilion without uttering a word.

In fact, many elders in the Elders' Hall had heard of the Fang family's Fangcun Platform and knew its immense value, which even a thousand-year-old family might not be able to bear.

Because spiritual treasures are already rare, spiritual treasures that can be passed down from generation to generation and allow each disciple to comprehend the Dao are even rarer. This is practically a death sentence for the Fang family.

However, some elders advised that the Fang family's mark was on the Fang Cun Platform, so it couldn't be lost. They suggested that Elder Fang consider it a loan to Ji You and ask him to return it when the opportunity arose.

These words were actually quite hurtful, and many elders who were not involved in the matter found them unbearable. But Elder Fang simply sat there blankly, and finally murmured with a deep gaze, "That's true."

How could it be that someone else was keeping one's family's most prized possession? Upon hearing this, everyone couldn't help but gasp in astonishment.

Of course, there were also some people who suddenly realized that the battle between the two at Dongping Mountain was probably not as simple as both sides being injured. Elder Fang was somewhat afraid of Ji You.

The days remained peaceful until the day of Frost's Descent, when the dawn broke.

Cao Jingsong obtained a spiritual platform, stared at it for a long time, and then looked at Ji You: "Where did you get this from?"

Ji You looked up at him and said, "Didn't you always say you wanted to break through to the next realm? So I picked one up for you."

"This is a treasure of the Fang family. I've heard of it before. Where did you find it?"

"In Fang Jincheng's courtyard."

That's called robbery!

Upon hearing this, Ji You raised an eyebrow: "How can it be called robbery if no one is stopping us?"

After a long pause, Cao Jingsong spoke seriously: "Then it's called stealing, Ji You. Stealing is worse than robbing."

"But I waited all night for the owner, and they didn't even show up. What if someone else took it if I didn't take it? Besides, they were walking along the main road, so I just picked it up."

"?"

"Do you need it or not? If not, I can give it to Coach Ma."

After hearing this, Cao Jingsong repeatedly used the word "use," fearing that Ji You would take the spirit platform away again.

The disciples of Fengzhou no longer need his protection, and having been in the Fusion Realm for many years, he also wants to try a higher realm.

It's not about becoming stronger; it's mainly that when life gets better, everyone hopes to live a longer life.

Ji You urged him to cultivate diligently, but was scolded for defying the Heavenly Gang.

In the days that followed, the Elders' Council and the Executive Council remained silent, and everything seemed to have come to nothing.

It wasn't until a few days after the Frost's Descent that Xiang Fu, the daughter of the Prefect of Danshui County, entered the inner courtyard at dawn, bringing it back to life.

Because a large group of elders had come down from the mountain to wait for him when he entered the inner courtyard.

Some of them came from the Immortal Palace, while others came from the Elders' Pavilion.

Elders Lian Ge and Peng were among them, and after showing them great concern, they wanted to take him on as their disciple.

It was precisely because of this scene that many disciples came to watch.

Xiang Fu worked very hard in the foreign language department, but sometimes hard work is not a compliment, but rather a way of saying that someone is not talented enough.

In particular, the fact that it took her two years to break through to the peak of the lower three realms is really not remarkable.

At this moment, some inner court disciples pursed their lips.

Many things seem chaotic when they happen, but if you take a closer look later, you can piece them together.

After the results of the selection of students in the inner courtyard came out, Fang Jincheng immediately instigated Peng Yu to cause trouble. Some other people, knowing that the Peng family could not swallow this insult, also led people to the Elders' Pavilion.

Then, Peng Yu, who had gone to cause trouble, voluntarily withdrew from the Heavenly Academy after that night and was taken home by his family.

Fang Jincheng, who had been looking for trouble with Ji You, announced that he was in seclusion and entered the mountain abyss near the Elders' Pavilion. He never showed up again, and the courtyard was looted.

Of course, there are some things I dare not think about in detail, such as Elder Lü being seriously injured that night...

After Xiang Fu officially entered the inner courtyard, Cao Jingsong also began to devote himself to seclusion.

Ji You, on the other hand, focused his attention on the tax revenue allocated by Fengzhou this year, as well as the accounts of relief grain provided through the Wulu Trading Company.

Ji You descended from Mount Ni and, after many twists and turns, arrived at the backyard of the Wuyou Trading Company in Shengjing.

This courtyard was also the residence of an official who was impeached and removed from office because of the new policies, and it was originally in the hands of the Directorate of Immortals.

After Kuang Cheng explained the matter of the Wulu Trading Company, he obtained the land deed from the Sixianjian (Immortal Supervisor).

They then hired craftsmen to demolish the original gate and replace it with shops along the street.

The back courtyard hasn't been altered much; the rockery, pavilion, and Tingxiang Water Pavilion are all original, arranged alongside the hall and main house in a pleasingly staggered manner.

Ji You was sitting in the courtyard at this moment, having already finished reviewing all the accounts.

Fengzhou is a vast area, and with the help of cultivators to cultivate it, this year's grain yield is indeed astonishing.

Even so, only a small fraction of Fengzhou's land was utilized.

The only thing we lack now is more manpower.

However, as more and more Wulu businesses open, the number of migrant workers coming from other states will inevitably increase. This is not something to worry about too much; we just need to proceed step by step.

If life could continue like this, the starvation across the land and the cannibalism of exchanging children would probably never happen again.

But the prerequisite is that there will be no more disasters.

Ji You held the ledger, pondering for a long time. He thought that if he could stay safe, he would most likely go out and travel.

Go to the Pill Sect to soak in the medicinal pool, and go to Spirit Sword Mountain to play with your feet.

Just as Ji You was thinking about her feet, her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming from the shops in front of the Wulu Trading Company.

Looking up, Kuang Cheng was leading Wei Rui through the courtyard: "Brother Ji."

Ji You snapped out of her daze: "How come you two have time to come here?"

"I had the day off today and was planning to come and find you, but I ran into Rui'er as soon as I got to the door, so we came together."

Wei Rui sat down on the stool and said, "Winter is coming soon, Young Master Ji. Will my sister Yan come again this year?"

Ji You looked up at her: "She is now devoted to the Dao and has severed all ties with me."

"Ah? Why?"

"Ugh."

"?"

Kuang Cheng sat down and took out a letter from his sleeve: "I received a reply a few days ago regarding the matter you asked me to keep an eye on."

Ji You took the letter, opened it, and read it carefully.

When they last met, he told Kuang Shusheng about what had happened at Dongping Mountain and asked him to keep an eye on things. This letter contained the results of the Sixianjian's investigation in the vicinity of the Dongping Mountain range.

Since the Immortal Sect withdrew from the mountains, Qingzhou has not truly become quiet. Instead, it has been visited by many scions of prominent families.

Even in Lingzhou, the southernmost region, disciples from powerful families have been there. It is said that they lingered between the Dongping Mountains and Anyuan City for a long time, and some of them are still there today.

Ji You pondered for a moment after hearing this, but didn't find it particularly surprising.

Because the Immortal Sect attributed the events in the Dongping Mountains to the descent of a spiritual treasure, this explanation was indeed too general and unfounded, so it was normal for some aristocratic families not to believe it.

However, he had already personally inspected the Dongping Mountains and Anyuan City, so there wouldn't be any clues that would reveal what had happened to the Bu family.

A few days ago, Ji You received a message from Ding Yao.

The Immortal Sect travels throughout the world, acting like eyes that can uncover many hidden matters.

According to the messages, the elders who returned from the Dongping Mountains did not settle down and left again not long afterward.

Some of them were traced to ruins that were relatively close to them, where they had been exploring.

Making trouble isn't necessarily a bad thing, because it means they still have no clue what to do.

That old codger is actually quite pitiful.

They had been sitting in the deep mountains, and having anticipated that they would not be able to break through to a higher realm and prolong their lives, they had probably already accepted the impending death of man.

But the sudden appearance of the Bu family's affairs instantly made them anxious and restless. They felt they had seen a glimmer of hope, but they just couldn't find it.

Kuang Cheng looked at Ji You and said, "Winter is here. I plan to deliver some things to the orphanage and visit Huwa while I'm there. Would you like to come with me, Brother Ji?"

"I won't go, just buy me some things."

Ji You took out a money pouch embroidered with the character "方" from his bosom and took out several silver ingots.

Kuang Cheng took the silver without saying much. After chatting with him for a while, he took Wei Rui to the orphanage.

The quilts and cotton-padded clothes that he had bought before were still wearable, so Kuang Cheng was considering whether to help them repair the house this year or buy some books to teach them to read.

Wei Rui followed him out of the Wulu Trading Company. After walking a few steps, she couldn't help but look at Kuang Cheng: "Young Master Ji, don't you like children quite a bit?"

"Yes, but for some reason, he doesn't really like Tiger Cub."

(End of this chapter)