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Chapter 279 Snowstorm Sweeps Across the Five Continents

The orphanage received donations from kind-hearted people, which helped repair the doors and windows.

Cotton-padded clothes and quilts are selling like hotcakes in Xishi, and demand is starting to exceed supply.

Meanwhile, the high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital began to hire craftsmen to inspect the underground heating system and test the fire channels.

There was also a considerable amount of winter brew made from Lingmiao (a type of medicinal herb), which was sent to various states along the official roads, creating a scene of preparations for winter.

But no one expected that the first snowfall of the winter would be so heavy, instantly covering five major northern provinces: Youzhou, Yunzhou, Fengzhou, Zhongzhou, and Qingzhou, and lasting for several days and nights.

Because of the grandeur of the snow, the scions of noble families in Shengjing held numerous snow-viewing parties. As a result, on the snowy days, cultivators in the streets of Shengjing were seen exchanging cups and toasting each other, creating a harmonious and carefree atmosphere.

Some prominent families from the south even came to Shengjing specifically to rent several courtyards to enjoy the snow.

Observing the changing seasons is a way to understand the way of nature, and it is also beneficial for spiritual practice.

Seeing this, Prince Chong immediately rented the Winter Garden in Shengjing and took advantage of the situation to hold an appreciation gathering for immortals, displaying the collected magical treasures and artifacts in the uniquely landscaped garden.

Nishan was located in Shengjing, and as the saying goes, those near the water get the first taste of the moon, so the disciples of the Heavenly Academy were naturally the first to see that batch of exquisite treasures.

The dazzling robes, the weapons that could cut through iron like mud, the mysterious magical artifacts, and the expensive spiritual treasures were all dazzling.

However, the most eye-catching item is a set of sword techniques displayed in the Winter Garden, which is said to have been passed down by ancient sword masters.

Besides this sword technique, there is also a body-refining cultivation method, which also originated from the ancient times.

Upon seeing these two secret manuals, the disciples of the Heavenly Academy displayed somewhat strange expressions.

Because they felt that these two items were very targeted, as if they were specifically designed to attract a certain person.

Most importantly, the purpose of the Chongwang lavishly hosting this Immortal Appreciation Gathering was not to make money, but to enhance his advantage in the court and suppress the Directorate of Immortals.

In other words, these things are basically given away for free.

And this directionality is clearer than any sword or body-refining secret technique.

Ji You did receive an invitation from Prince Chong and was very tempted.

It must be said that these shrewd people really know how to win people's hearts; they can almost always hit the mark.

Surprisingly, Ji You, who was interested in the event, did not attend the Immortal Appreciation Gathering.

On the morning of the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, he walked down the sacred path from Nishan Tianshu Academy, wrapped in a black cloak, and waited for a long time in the freezing cold.

The sky was not yet fully bright, and it was still a hazy gray in the distance.

Because of the various banquets, the air was filled with a strong and lingering aroma of wine.

Before long, three carriages from the Sixianjian came from the direction where the aroma of wine wafted and slowly stopped in front of Ji You.

This carriage is different from those used at the post station; its top and bottom are inlaid with spirit stones, and it is supported by spiritual energy when it moves, making it travel as if flying.

At this moment, the curtain of the first carriage was lifted, and Kuang Cheng, Supervisor Mu Jing of the Inspection Office, and Deputy Supervisor Peng Dongyang of the Sixian Bureau peeked out, breathing out the cold air.

"Young Master Ji, it's been a long time."

Where to go first?

"Luyang County of Yunzhou".

"Let's go without further ado."

Ji You jumped onto the carriage, crawled into the compartment, and sat down next to Kuang Cheng.

Peng Dongyang and Mu Jing looked at him and couldn't help but exchange a glance.

Although the Directorate of Immortals is not part of the Immortal Sect, its main job is to deal with the Immortal Sect families, so it is very clear about what happened before.

A female cultivator from Fengzhou entered the inner courtyard, but the disciples of the Elders' Pavilion unexpectedly failed the exam.

Some people went to cause trouble, targeting Ji You. As a result, one was discharged from the hospital, and the other hid in the back mountain under the pretext of seclusion.

It's understandable if others don't understand why, but the Director of the Celestial Bureau understands perfectly well.

Because this summer, when the evil species appeared, Mu Jing personally witnessed him shatter a mountain with a single sword strike.

His cultivation level is definitely not as simple as everyone has seen. For example, although he is still a student at the Heavenly Academy, the attitude of the higher-ups at the Heavenly Academy towards him has changed completely.

King Chong must have realized this as well. Some time ago, he spent a fortune to buy a sword manual and a body-refining technique from Qionghua Pavilion, all in order to lure him away.

But probably no one expected that Ji You would ignore them completely and follow them out of the city.

The carriage then slowly started moving, speeding out of the city and heading northwest, supported by the magical artifacts.

After speeding for a long time, the group left the area with cities. The vast wilderness in front of them was completely white, with not a blade of grass in sight.

Because the road they were traveling on was an official road, they could see some scattered villages along the way.

The atmosphere in the carriage was initially pleasant, with much casual conversation. Peng Dongyang even brought up Xiang Fu's entry into the inner courtyard, as if he were testing the waters.

However, when they saw the villages along the way, the people in the car fell silent instantly, and their expressions gradually became serious.

Because most of the houses that were visible to the naked eye were buried by the heavy snow, and countless houses collapsed.

Near these collapsed villages, human figures can be vaguely seen buried under the wind and snow.

This year's snow was too heavy and lasted too long. What was once a spectacular sight that amazed the disciples of the immortal sects in Shengjing has now become a disaster.

After watching for a while, everyone suddenly felt a surge of air coming from inside the carriage.

The next instant, they saw Ji You rush out with a whoosh, his swift figure carrying a fierce aura, leaving a deep snow trail in the snow, and wherever he passed, snow waves surged.

Before long, Ji You landed outside the courtyard wall of a collapsed thatched hut.

He slowly squatted down and looked at the small figure huddled under the collapsed house.

It was a little girl, her whole body frozen stiff. Ji You silently reached out, gathered spiritual energy at her fingertips, touched her brow, and slowly transferred the spiritual energy into her body.

After a long while, the girl seemed to thaw out, and then collapsed limply to the ground.

But Ji You's spiritual energy continued to flow out, and even though all that spiritual energy rushed out from the little girl's acupoints and scattered throughout the world, it did not stop.

After a long time, Ji You exhausted all her spiritual energy, squatted on the ground in silence for a long time before slowly getting up.

Honestly, being an immortal is useless; you can't do anything that's not supposed to be possible.

The carriage from the Imperial Observatory changed course and headed towards Ji You's location. Finally, the carriage slowly came to a stop, and Kuang Cheng and the others got off to watch this scene.

He came down in a hurry, wearing very little clothing, his thin figure shivering in the freezing cold: "Brother Ji."

"Why did you come down?"

"I thought I had found a living person."

After a moment of silence, Ji You draped his cloak over him: "The situation is more serious than we imagined. We need to consider food and refugee resettlement first. Resettlement will depend on the specific circumstances, but we'll transport the food from Fengzhou."

Kuang Cheng, wrapped in his black cloak, glanced at the little girl on the ground, looked at him with a hint of something in his eyes, but ultimately said nothing.

So the carriage continued on its way, and at the same time, a handwritten letter from Ji You was delivered to Fengzhou by a supervising official who was traveling with the carriage.

After so many joint harvests, joint cultivations, and joint land reclamation, Fengzhou's efficiency in communication between higher and lower levels has become extremely high.

Upon receiving the letter, someone immediately opened the warehouse door and summoned a wagon to begin equipping it with food.

"..."

"Has Ji You still not gone to Prince Chong's place?"

"No, he left. A few days ago, someone heard that he had left Shengjing."

"That's strange. I heard that a prodigy from Yongzhou took a fancy to a knife in the hands of the Prince of Chong and traveled all the way here. Why is Ji You not tempted at all?"

"Perhaps they don't like it...?"

"Nonsense, I heard that he's so greedy that he'd pick up a few free stones from the roadside."

For the next few days, the winter snow continued to fall, and snow-viewing parties were held one after another in Shengjing City.

The Winter Garden, rented by the Prince Chong's Mansion, also welcomed a steady stream of guests, including some important figures who couldn't resist coming to stroll around.

However, as time went by, these cultivators gradually began to frown while having fun.

The price of the spirit stones they discovered suddenly began to skyrocket, sending chills down the spines of onlookers.

It's common knowledge that spirit stones increase in price every winter because transportation is difficult, naturally raising costs. But gradually, some people began to notice something was amiss.

Because the price of spirit stones has risen so drastically this year, many cultivators who planned to advance to higher realms during this period have had to stop.

"A small stone that only sold for a few taels of silver in the middle of the year is now selling for more than ten taels?"

"They're just using high transportation costs as an excuse to make more money; the costs will definitely come down later."

"But I'm still waiting to break through to the next level."

"Don't rush. Trust me, go back and check in a few days. It will definitely be available by then. You'll be able to buy more than ten times the price you have now."

Amidst the clinking of glasses and the exchange of toasts, some people, eager to break through to a higher realm, expressed dissatisfaction with the skyrocketing price of spirit stones.

However, some people are not in a hurry to break through to the next level and hold an optimistic view, believing that the price of spirit stones will rise every year, but most of the time it rises and then quickly falls back.

In reality, the price of these spirit stones showed no signs of stopping, let alone falling.

Seeing that the price of spirit stones was changing every day, many cultivators began to secretly snap them up, causing the price to rise even higher and even leading to a temporary supply shortage.

None of these people understood why the price of spirit stones was so unusual.

Liu Junchi of Lingjian Mountain also arrived in Shengjing at this time. He was invited by the Prince of Chong to attend the Immortal Appreciation Gathering in the East Courtyard.

After watching the song and dance performances in the courtyard, he invited Zhao Yunyue to stroll together, his expression showing a hint of wistfulness as they walked.

Two years ago, Liu Junchi went to Shengjing once in order to obtain the Danzong's reserve pills. At that time, the Chongwang took a liking to him and wanted to marry Zhao Yunyue to him. It was through Zhao Yunyue that he met Dou Yuankong.

Not long after, he heard that Dou Yuankong had gotten into trouble.

So after arriving in Shengjing yesterday, he took some time to visit Dou Yuankong. Seeing that he was acting crazy, he sighed several times about the unpredictability of life.

Zhao Yunyue didn't seem to take his words to heart. With her head down and eyes lowered, she strolled with him to the west courtyard. Looking at the sword manuals and body-refining techniques displayed in the courtyard, her expression suddenly became somewhat complicated.

Just then, his junior brother Peng Peng, who had come with him, arrived, panting and bowing, saying, "Senior brother, I've looked in several shops, but I can't find it anywhere."

"Can't buy it?"

"We still have some stock, but it's too expensive. The prices aren't much different from those in Lingzhou. The silver we brought isn't enough."

"?"

Liu Junchi was slightly taken aback, a hint of surprise showing in his eyes.

His trip to Shengjing wasn't solely to see Zhao Yunyue; his main purpose was to purchase spirit stones.

Because the price of spirit stones in Lingzhou, Yuzhou and Yongzhou was rising rapidly, he thought that Shengjing, which was closer to the spirit stone producing areas, would be better, but he didn't expect it to be the same.

What happened? Have all the spirit mines in Qingyun Tianxia been mined out?
Liu Junchi couldn't help but look at Zhao Yunyue: "Yunyue, do you know why the price of spirit stones keeps rising?"

Zhao Yunyue snapped out of her daze and looked up at him: "The Snowfield Demon Stones have stopped shipping, so the price of the stock will naturally rise accordingly."

"Service suspended?!"

"This year's heavy snow has been relentless, causing disaster. The north has been severely affected. It is said that some time ago someone issued an order that the official roads in Fengzhou should give way to disaster relief grain throughout the winter."

If new spirit stones can't be brought in, spirit stone shops with a keen sense of smell will raise the prices of their existing stock—this is a very normal business logic.

A hint of confusion flashed in Liu Junchi's eyes: "The price of Snowfield Demon Stones has risen because they are rare and sought after, so why have the prices of Yunzhou Stones and Zhongzhou Stones also risen so sharply?"

"In the past two years, Yunzhou Stone and Zhongzhou Stone have been impacted by the Snow Region Demon Stone, resulting in poor sales. Therefore, they started reducing production a year ago and have very little inventory. Now, due to the freezing weather, mining is impossible."

"So, if what you're saying is true, there won't be any spirit stones available for the entire winter?"

"That depends on the extent of the disaster."

Peng Peng suddenly noticed a problem: "What does the disaster have to do with spirit stones? Who gave the order to leave us immortals without spirit stones, yet order us to transport disaster relief grain?"

Liu Junchi also realized what was happening, and his eyes instantly turned serious: "Could it be the emperor of your Great Xia?"

“The right to use that official road in Fengzhou belongs to Ji You, and only he has the authority to order its cessation.”

"?"

Zhao Yunyue had been absent-minded since this morning, which was actually because she had heard about this matter from her father.

Ji You didn't attend the Immortal Appreciation Gathering, nor did he care about any sword techniques or body-refining methods. He had left Shengjing long ago to go out and provide disaster relief.

This news wasn't exactly a secret; apart from a few people who had just arrived in Shengjing, almost everyone else had already heard about it.

It's just that newcomers like Liu Junchi are not well-informed and therefore don't know about it.

In fact, as the news spread, the lively atmosphere in Shengjing City began to gradually fade, and even the number of people drinking until late at night decreased.

It wasn't that they started to pity the suffering, because if that were the case, Qingyun Tianxia wouldn't have become such a terrible place.

However, after learning about this incident, many people felt uneasy whenever they recalled the scene of singing and dancing a few days ago, thinking that they looked like some kind of monster.

People used to say that Ji You was extremely cunning and could endure years of private cultivation and entry into the monastery.

Later, Dou Yuankong, in his arrogance, used spirit stones as bait and, with the help of others, lured him to his death in the snowy region, earning him the reputation of being the most worthless cultivator.

Some people say that if you want to assassinate Ji You, you don't need any elaborate plan; you can just throw silver at him to lure him away.

But later, he suddenly disappeared from the Heavenly Way Society and went home to lead people to harvest wheat.

He didn't try to get any free sword techniques or body-refining methods; instead, he went out of the city to help with the disaster.

He was faking it. What he cared about was neither money, nor the path to immortality, nor ascension.

Many people laughed at him back then, saying that he had entered the inner courtyard but couldn't enter the immortal palace, which was equivalent to not entering at all. But now, the disciples of the Heavenly Academy have begun to believe that he really doesn't care.

They even genuinely believed that Ji You looked down on the Immortal Sect and never intended to enter the Heavenly Academy.

So today, for the sake of the people's food supply, he cut off the spiritual stones for cultivators.

Upon hearing this, Liu Junchi's eyes widened: "This Transcendent Realm cultivator, is he courting death?!"

Peng Peng's eyes widened: "To cut off the spirit stones at this critical juncture when mining is impossible, it's over, Ji You is finished."

Zhao Yunyue frowned upon hearing this: "Why is it so serious at a time like this?"

"The end of the year sees the most breakthroughs, because people can use their inner energy to break through to higher realms."

"The pills of the Pill Sect?"

"Yes, it is said that the Dan Sect has already allocated its ration of pills for this year and is about to go down the mountain to deliver them. Many people are waiting to hoard spirit stones to refine their pills and break through to higher realms. If he cuts off his spirit stones at this time, how can he survive?"

After hearing this, Zhao Yunyue realized that she had indeed overlooked the timing of the pills being distributed by the Dan Sect.

Indeed, the pills from the Dan Sect are distributed in winter, and many cultivators hoard spirit stones in anticipation of receiving the pills, hoping to use their power to break through their cultivation realms.

If Ji You were to cut off the supply of spirit stones at this time, it would really drive many people crazy.

However, Zhao Yunyue suddenly remembered the strange silence that had gripped the Heavenly Academy recently, and thought to herself that if the rumors were true, probably no one could do anything to him.

In fact, cutting off the supply of spirit stones throughout the world, leading to a gradual shortage of spirit stones, had a tremendous impact.

Not long after the news spread, people went to Fengzhou to investigate.

As expected, the scions of noble families who arrived in Fengzhou saw many grain carts already leaving the prefecture. After being counted, inspected, dispatched, and stored, they embarked on the long, snowy journey westward.

All the Snowfield Demon Stones were blocked outside the Northern Border, and even the transport teams of the demon race were detained at the border by Fengzhou. Although they were treated well with good food and drink, it was basically equivalent to being detained.

In the world of Qingyun, immortals reign supreme. The common people toil away to support the immortals, so how can the immortals accept such a thing?

At this time, Ji You had just arrived in Luyang County, the area most severely affected by the disaster.

Before he could even rest after getting off the train, the inspector who was on his way to Fengzhou to deliver a message handed Peng Dongyang a letter.

Peng Dongyang unfolded the letter and found that it was an order from several powerful immortal clans in Qingyun Tianxia, ​​demanding that the Snowfield Demon Stones be transported into the city immediately.

After much deliberation, he handed it to Ji You with a complicated expression.

Although the Directorate of Immortals was in charge of transporting spirit stones, it was still an official agency of the mortal dynasty and could not disobey the imperial orders of the immortals.

Ji You was standing in the vast expanse of white snow and ice. After reading the letter, he immediately thought of the little girl huddled in the corner and tore it up with a grim face.

What the hell, demons and monsters.

(End of this chapter)