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Chapter 284 Tracking Kuang Cheng
Kuang Cheng and Ji You traveled home together quite a few times, from Fengzhou to the northern border. Each time they returned, he would get off the carriage first, and then Ji You would continue to travel with him to the Heavenly Academy.

This time, however, Ji You waited motionless at the door.

"Brother Ji?"

"boarding."

It was freezing cold outside, with a chilly wind blowing. Without saying anything else, Kuang Cheng boarded the carriage: "Brother Ji, why are you waiting for me here?"

Ji You reached out and tossed the blanket to him: "It's too cold. You're a weak scholar, and you'll probably catch a cold if you walk back alone. I don't have anything important to do back in the capital, so I'll just wait here. Where are you going later?"

"I've been away for so long, I want to go back to the yard and tidy up first."

"You know you've been away from the capital for so long, why didn't you go find Miss Wei first?"

Kuang Cheng looked up upon hearing this: "It is appropriate to meet her, but she is a woman and cannot leave the manor at will, so most of the time she chooses a suitable time to come to me."

Ji You didn't say much, and then followed Kuang Cheng back to his courtyard.

They left Beijing just as the snow was at its heaviest. The snow in the courtyard was already deep, reaching up to their knees with each step.

So Kuang Cheng borrowed a shovel from the neighboring yard and started shoveling snow, glancing at Ji You from time to time.

Ji You was lighting a fire in his main room, then boiling a pot of water, and then rummaging through his brown-red cabinet for tea leaves, seemingly not planning to leave.

After thinking for a long time, Kuang Cheng took out his money pouch from his pocket: "Brother Ji, I haven't received my monthly salary yet, but I still have some savings..."

Ji You's eyes lit up when he saw the silver, and he reached out to take it, saying, "You really are a good brother."

"Last time, Lord Qiu from next door gave me a piece of cured meat. Do you want to take it back with you?"

"Who said I wanted to go back?"

Kuang Cheng was taken aback: "Brother Ji, you've taken the money, why aren't you going back?"

Ji You tucked the silver into his pocket and put the tea leaves into the teacup: "Instructor Cao is in seclusion, and Senior Sister Wen and the others are also in seclusion. Staying here means I can still have someone to talk to."

"I see."

"Does Miss Rui'er know you've returned? Should I write a letter for you to let her know?"

Ji You picked up the paper and pen that Kuang Cheng often used from the table and waved them at him twice.

Upon seeing this, Kuang Cheng stopped shoveling: "The gatekeepers guarding the city are from the Wei family. They didn't need to send letters when they came back before."

"You're so straightforward; you don't even know that a girl wants to know you're back, but she also wants to receive your letters."

"Is it?"

Ji You couldn't help but shake his head, thinking to himself that this child was beyond redemption. Then he ground the ink, filled the brush, and began to write with swift, flowing strokes.

After a flurry of elegant writing, he held up the letter and, once the ink had dried, handed it to Kuang Cheng.

Kuang Cheng took the letter and glanced at it. His face flushed red as he looked at the words "sleepless nights" and "longing burning like a raging fire."

The following lines, such as "I miss the beauty of you, I miss your smile, I miss your white socks," made Kuang Shusheng exclaim that they were indecent to look at.

"How about it?"

"If this letter is sent out, I'm afraid I'll be arrested and drowned by the Wei family."

Ji You's lips twitched slightly. She thought to herself, "If you can't even read text, how are you going to get into real combat later?"

Just then, there was a knock on the door, and a servant pushed the door open and handed over a letter, which carried a faint scent of perfume.

After reading it carefully, Kuang Cheng's gaze suddenly turned serious: "Brother Ji, the Directorate of Immortals needs to see me. I have to go there immediately."

Ji You had just finished brewing the tea when she looked up at him and said, "I just went there, and now I'm calling you again. What's the matter that's so urgent?"

"Oh, it's nothing, Brother Ji. Just wait for me in the courtyard. I'll buy some wine and food on my way back, and we can get drunk together."

"Leave now?"

"The matter is urgent, and we probably can't wait any longer."

Ji You looked at him for a while, then got up from the main room: "Then I'll go back first, tidy up the courtyard, and come find you at Shenshi (3-5 PM)."

Kuang Cheng saw him to the door: "Then I'll try to be back before Shenshi (3-5 PM)."

"It's cold and windy, go back."

Ji You waved goodbye to him, took a few steps to the east, then suddenly stopped, and then lightly tiptoed up and landed on the roof of the house opposite.

Kuang Cheng had already half-closed the courtyard gate and continued to sweep the snow in the yard. After clearing a path, he went into the house.

When he came out again, Kuang Cheng had changed into a scholar's robe embroidered with silver thread, and then walked out of the courtyard.

"This scholar is quite the repressed pervert..."

Ji You muttered something to herself, then quietly got up and followed. She saw Kuang Cheng turn left and right and arrive at a secluded courtyard.

This courtyard is adjacent to the Wei residence and can be considered a separate courtyard of the Wei family. It is also covered with snow, and the copper bells under the eaves are covered with ice crystals, silently swaying in the wind.

Ji You stopped on the street and saw Kuang Cheng push open the vermilion door carved with intertwined branches and step inside.

So he concealed his aura and, relying solely on his physical strength, lightly leaped and landed on the hipped roof of the neighboring courtyard. Looking down, he saw a pond in the courtyard, its surface as black as jade due to the ice, and next to it was a tea pavilion with crimson palace lanterns hanging from it. Inside the pavilion, a stove had its iron walls glowing red from the heat.

There were four women by the stove. One of them had a serene face, a slender waist, and a graceful figure. She was Wei Rui, the young lady of the Wei family. She couldn't help but stand up when she saw Kuang Cheng enter the courtyard.

The two women who were already standing held two swords and bowed slightly in greeting when they saw Kuang Cheng arrive.

The most eye-catching was the last woman, who wore a fiery red robe that made her skin appear even whiter than snow. Her exquisite face seemed devoid of emotion, and she nodded slightly after Kuang Cheng bowed to her.

Then Kuang Cheng went to the right side of the pavilion and sat down next to Wei Rui.

"How is the disaster situation in the five prefectures of Qingyun?"

"The situation has stabilized, thanks to Brother Ji's decisive action in stopping the transport of demon stones and ordering the delivery of relief grain."

Wei Rui blinked after hearing this: "What about the disaster victims?"

Kuang Cheng nodded: "Brother Ji used his divine sense to search the mountain and saved almost everyone he could."

Upon hearing this, the previously composed fairy suddenly narrowed her eyes, a hint of pride flashing in her beautiful gaze, and a corner of her trailing robe began to sway slightly.

Upon seeing this, Ji You couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

He had suspected from the beginning that it was impossible for Wei Rui to be able to borrow the courtyard of a southern family and contact the Dan Sect to deliver medicine, and this time he saw that it was indeed the case.

The arrogant girl came to Shengjing, and all those things were done by her under the guise of Wei Rui.

He originally thought that Kuang Cheng was also unaware of the truth, but when he saw Kuang Cheng receive Wei Rui's letter and lie that it was the Director of the Immortals who summoned him, he realized that Kuang Buqi was also a traitor, wasting his good name.

That's why he played along, lying that he was going back to tidy up the yard, and followed them all the way here.

Just then, three carriages drove past the gate of the villa, the rumbling of their wheels reaching the courtyard.

Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu glanced towards the door, then cupped their hands in greeting: "Master, we'll go outside and keep watch. Please continue listening."

Yan Shuyi looked over with a stern face: "I was just casually listening to the story of Rui'er's lover's good friend."

Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu walked silently toward the courtyard gate, thinking to themselves that their sister's lover's good friend... that's really quite far away.

The two opened a door from the inside, then went outside and turned around to close the door.

But just as they closed the two doors, they turned around and saw a person standing in the wind and snow across the long street, looking at them coldly, and they instantly held their breath.

Oh no, the son-in-law caught us.

Ji You didn't say anything, but glanced in the direction of the courtyard before walking into the alley.

Upon seeing this, Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu exchanged a glance, then lowered their heads and obediently followed.

"How long have you been here?"

"Replying to your question, young master, the banquet for appreciating immortals at the Chong Prince's residence hasn't even started yet..."

Ji You was taken aback when she heard this: "I hadn't left yet at that time, so why didn't I see you?"

Ding Yao glanced at Zhuo Wanqiu: "The appraiser said she came to find Miss Ruier to hibernate and not to see unrelated people, but the appraiser must be lying. She has been wandering around the Nishan Sacred Path for the past few days and has even seen the young master a few times."

Why haven't I seen her?

"The appraiser is protected by a spiritual mirror. If he doesn't want you to see it, then you naturally won't be able to."

Yan Shuyi did indeed arrive before Ji You left Shengjing, and told Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu that he was looking for Wei Rui to hibernate.

But in reality, both of them knew very well who the appraiser had come to hibernate with.

Later, after news of the snow disaster came, Ji You left the capital to help with disaster relief, and the matter became widely known.

Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu originally thought that their appraiser would also go with them, but to their surprise, she wrote several letters overnight. Then, in Ding Yao's name, she summoned several Lingjian Mountain disciples who traveled to Shengjing and sent the letters to some aristocratic families in the south that belonged to Xuanjian Peak.

Before long, countless keys were sent to Shengjing and then forwarded to Kuang Cheng.

Then she wrote a letter to the Dan Sect, and after doing everything, she stayed in that secluded courtyard, quietly listening to the news that Wei Rui had received from the Si Xian Tun.

Upon hearing this, Ji You couldn't help but picture a cold and aloof fairy sitting amidst the wind and snow, her emotions never showing.

He had known Yan Shuyi for a long time and often saw her pretending to be indifferent, but she didn't quite pull it off. In fact, she only acted that way towards him.

It wasn't until he heard Ding Yao describe the aftermath of the snow disaster that he could truly appreciate Yan Shuyi's composure and meticulousness as the leader of the Immortal Sect.

After listening, Ji You looked at Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu and asked, "So what happened today?"

Seeing this, Zhuo Wanqiu said, "Miss Rui'er heard the news of the young master's return from the city guard. The judge's face was terrified all morning. When Miss Rui'er wrote the letter, she deliberately added a note that she didn't want you to know."

"Then why did you secretly summon Kuang Cheng here?"

"The judge wants to hear about your disaster relief efforts, so he's not sending the young master, but Kuang Cheng instead."

After he finished speaking, the three of them looked at each other in silence.

He clearly came to find him, but he kept hiding and dodging. The judge is still a coward.

(End of this chapter)