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Chapter 350 Fleeing to Fengzhou to Act Arrogantly?
Under the gloomy sky, the Qin, Wei, and Jiang families had just rushed into the valley when they were met with a sword aura that felt like a mountain collapsing.

Almost instantly, they understood why the Wang family members who were giving directions had that kind of look in their eyes.

In an instant, the vaporized raindrops rose into endless white mist.

Ji You swung his sword diagonally, leaping forward to slash at the blade. The powerful sword energy rippled through the air, taking away their storage gourd in the process...

slam-la-

The rain gradually intensified, and night slowly descended.

As the carriage began to enter a bumpy section of road, Zhuo Wanqiu woke up from her sleep amidst the swaying and rocking.

She gently rubbed her eyes, subconsciously looking in Ji You's direction. Finding no one there, she couldn't help but sit up: "Instructor Cao, where is my young master?"

"I went out to work."

"?"

Not long after, the carriage suddenly swayed slightly.

Ji You returned to the carriage, still carrying the lingering aura and sword intent, while the storage gourd at her waist had crookedly opened.

The clients were very cooperative, especially the last three. They knew exactly what to do as soon as they showed their strength, so it didn't take too much effort.

This was the life he had always longed for: hardworking, brave, and earning a living through his own abilities.

The swaying of his car woke up others, including Wen Zhengxin, the Lu sisters who had fallen asleep, and Ban Yangshu, who couldn't help but look up at him.

In my line of sight, Ji You raised her eyebrows slightly, her expression cheerful and natural, as happy as a child who had just robbed someone.

"What did they steal?"

"Two secret techniques passed down through generations of the Li family, a hundred or so storage gourds, a tower, and some other odds and ends."

Cao Jingsong's lips twitched, and he thought to himself, "What a damn ruthless bandit."

However, this also shows that from five years ago until now, this wicked disciple has never thought of peaceful coexistence with the aristocratic families.

He still felt the same way he did when he first left Yuyang County: that aristocratic families and immortal sects were both cancerous growths, and that he hoped those aristocratic families would suffer setbacks or even perish.

Therefore, he had no psychological burden when he robbed people.

As his combat power grows stronger, those powerful families he has his eye on will likely find themselves in increasingly difficult circumstances.

Under the cover of night, Ji You's eyes shone with golden light, and he seemed somewhat reluctant to leave. Before departing Zhongzhou and entering Fengzhou, he left the carriage several times.

This speeding carriage had become a mobile bandit's den, gradually heading north as the seasons changed, crossing the border of Fengzhou at noon the next day.

"Everyone says that Fengzhou is the most barren of the nine provinces, but I didn't expect it to be such a nice place to live."

"It's really nice, and the scenery is very beautiful."

After the loss of power in You and Yun prefectures, a large number of refugees came to Fengzhou.

Besides refugees, there were also some aristocratic families who fled here during the buffer period in the north, such as the Lan family and Bian family in Youzhou, and the Xiang family branch and Yue family in Yunzhou.

Among the nine provinces, Fengzhou is the poorest. Many people have known this since childhood, but after actually coming here and seeing the vast farmland and the newly renovated buildings, they realize how much Fengzhou has developed over the years.

The people on the street, in particular, did not look as tired and lifeless as those in their own prefecture.

These members of noble families stayed there for several days and gradually recovered from the exhaustion of their escape, and began to think about their next steps.

Because their home was destroyed, they now have nothing left.

Neither spirit stones nor food could be sustained.

However, Fengzhou already had plenty of grain and a large reserve of spirit stones, so they knew where to get what they needed.

After a light rain, the autumn chill gradually deepens.

Led by the Lan family patriarch, the heads of various aristocratic families arrived at the mansion in Fengzhou Prefecture.

"This invasion by the barbarian and demon races is a calamity for our Nine Provinces. At this time, we should unite against the common enemy. I know that Fengzhou has a large amount of grain reserves and a large number of Snowfield Demon Stones. It is time to bring them out."

The white-haired head of the Lan family looked at Governor He Zhang, his tone calm and authoritative.

He Zhang bowed and said, "What the immortal says is very true, but I don't have much food on hand, and I'm really in dire straits."

"Nonsense! Your Fengzhou is far to the north, and you have no families that cultivate immortality. You have never encountered the calamity of the zombie horde. The autumn harvest just ended a few days ago, and a large amount of grain is stored in the warehouse, isn't it?"

The Lan family patriarch spoke up, "Those demon and barbarian tribes seem to only covet You and Yun provinces, but once they completely occupy them, do you think they won't set their sights on other provinces and prefectures? Feng province borders Yun province; how will you defend it without us?"

He Zhang pursed his lips, his brows furrowing as he looked troubled.

"I will make the decision. We will leave 40% of the grain to the people and take the rest with us. Since mortals don't need spirit stones, we won't leave any. What do you all think?"

After the Lan family head finished speaking, he looked at the other family heads who had come with them.

Upon hearing this, the heads of several prominent families bowed and said, "After all, these are special times. We cannot ask for too much in some matters. We leave the decision entirely to Patriarch Lan. We have no objections."

After nodding, the head of the Lan family looked at He Zhang and put on a kind face: "Don't leave all 40% of the grain to the people of Fengzhou. After all, we still need to help the refugees. We will also send people to help with disaster relief. I will leave this matter to you."

"Your Excellency, I cannot make this decision."

"You are the governor of a prefecture, how can you not make decisions on how to help refugees?"

He Zhang bowed his head and said, "I am not talking about refugees, but about food and spirit stones. I really cannot make a decision on this matter."

The Lan family head raised his head slightly: "This matter is my decision, you don't need to worry, just do as I say."

"But I don't have the key to the warehouse, and I don't know where the spirit stones are stored. The distribution of grain and the sale of spirit stones are all decided by the other side every year."

Upon hearing this, the heads of the various families exchanged glances, their brows furrowing slightly.

Ji Village was right across from the governor's mansion; they had already seen it when they arrived.

After listening, the head of the Lan family paused for a moment and said, "Ji You was seriously injured and fell into a coma during the campaign. His life or death is unknown. Your Fengzhou is currently lacking a leader. I am temporarily taking charge for you to prevent you from losing your composure. So this matter is decided. Go and make the preparations."

"This……"

“He Zhang, you must be clear about your identity. I have cultivated for a hundred years, and although my mind is at peace, I can still get angry sometimes.”

Helpless, He Zhang could only bow and nod.

At this moment, outside the front hall, the three stewards of the governor's mansion were standing at the door, and they couldn't help but frown slightly as they listened to the commotion inside the hall.

"These demons and monsters couldn't even defend their own territory, so they fled to our Fengzhou to wreak havoc."

"Hey, could you keep your voice down? Master Qiu said that you have to be careful when dealing with cultivators, because their hearing is much better than that of ordinary people."

"They did it shamelessly and now they can't even talk about it? When did they ever get to be in charge of Fengzhou?"

The group was whispering among themselves when they suddenly heard the rumbling of wheels outside the door.

So they looked up and saw a carriage come into view, slowly coming to a stop in front of Ji Village on the opposite side.

Upon seeing this, the group was slightly taken aback, then immediately got up and walked towards the door.

As the curtain was gently lifted from the still carriage, Ji You stepped down.

He worked diligently and reaped considerable rewards, which can be considered as living up to the "phonetic loan character" on his door plaque.

The Lu sisters followed the others off the car and then looked around the house with the words "Ji Zhai" written on it, their eyes filled with curiosity.

This was their first time visiting Fengzhou. Along the way, they had seen vast farmlands and people living in peace and contentment, which was quite different from what they had imagined.

"This is my senior brother's residence?"

"Well, we've finally arrived after three days of travel. Let's all go inside and rest for a bit."

Upon hearing this, the Lu sisters immediately stepped up the stairs, causing Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu to exchange glances.

They remembered that their appraiser's first visit was similar.

Kuang Cheng and Wei Rui then entered the house side by side.

They had been here once before and were familiar with the place, but they felt a sense of nostalgia as if they were returning to their hometown.

Next came Cao Jingsong, Wen Zhengxin, and Ban Yangshu.

They hadn't seen Pei Ruyi for a long time, and they started calling out as soon as they entered the courtyard.

Ji You was about to step into the house, but before she could, she heard footsteps behind her.

"Young Master Ji!"

"?"

The steward from Fengzhou Prefecture rushed over: "Young Master Ji, something has happened."

Ji You frowned slightly: "What happened?"

“A group of immortals who have fled to Fengzhou have come from Yunzhou and Youzhou. They said they need food and spirit stones, and that this is a special time when we should unite against a common enemy. They also said that the demon race will come to Fengzhou soon, and they can help protect us. My master is in the hall and dares not refuse.”

"They've come to rob me?"

Ji You murmured something and followed the three stewards to Fengzhou Prefecture.

He didn't tell the butler to make a fuss, but instead told them to stay in the courtyard. Then he lowered his head and walked into the front hall, leaning against the door on the left.

The Lan family head had just asked He Zhang to bring over the grain registers and spirit stone inventory ledgers of Fengzhou. After reviewing them, he looked up and asked, "Is the spirit stone exchange between Fengzhou and the demon race still ongoing?"

"In reply to the immortal, two waves of zombies arrived after the initial outbreak, and then the flow stopped."

"Pity."

Upon hearing this, the head of the Lan family couldn't help but mutter to himself.

Fengzhou has a considerable stockpile of spirit stones, but it will eventually run out.

Therefore, in his view, if this trade route had not been interrupted, he might have been able to exchange grain for even more spirit stones.

He had just checked, and the grain production in Fengzhou was truly astonishing, far exceeding his expectations.

Even if they eat half and throw away the other half, they still wouldn't be able to consume 60% of the grain. And if they stored it for too long, it might even sprout.

However, let's take it one step at a time. Losing our clan's territory but still having food and spirit stones is already a very good outcome. Think of those aristocratic families who fled to Zhongzhou and Qingzhou; they might still be being ostracized as outsiders.

The Lan family head nodded in satisfaction, then looked at the other family heads: "Does anyone else have any other needs?"

Upon hearing this, the head of the Bian family in Youzhou spoke up: "Brother Lan, I do indeed have another request to make."

"Brother Bian, please speak freely."

“In that case, I will not stand on ceremony. The Tian family is a family related to my Bian family by marriage. They are located in the southern part of Youzhou and have now been affected by the war. They are heading towards Fengzhou. Their family has a large number of members, so we must prepare a place for them to stay.”

The head of the Lan family nodded: "There is a house on the north side of Nanling. I remember when I came to Fengzhou, it was the original old house of Risheng Immortal Manor. Let Brother Tian's family stay there for the time being."

Upon hearing this, He Zhang couldn't help but gently raise his head.

Back then, Ji You established a powerful family in Fengzhou, slaying countless immortals and leaving behind many empty houses, which were later distributed to migrant workers from other places who had signed contracts to work in Fengzhou.

Two months ago, when the Lan, Yue, Bian and other prominent families arrived, they had already vacated several old houses in the Immortal Manor for them, and settled the outsiders in Risheng Immortal Manor first.

Unexpectedly, after just one sentence, Risheng Immortal Manor was reassigned by them again.

But He Zhang was indeed just a mortal, an ant that could be crushed with a flick of the wrist in the eyes of the immortals, so how could he dare to object?

The Lan family head placed the two ledgers on the table, then got up, straightened his clothes, and walked outside.

Seeing this, the other family heads followed suit.

Before he could take even half a step, a powerful burst of energy suddenly erupted.

The head of the Lan family was sent flying backward, spitting out a mouthful of blood, and crashing into the grand chair and tea table where he had been sitting.

The sudden punch stunned all the family heads. Turning around, they saw that the Lan family head had a deep hole in his chest, with mouthfuls of blood gushing out, and his whole body was trembling.

"Just because I'm not around doesn't mean someone else is in charge. Who are you from, you lowly servants?"

Amidst the crowd of disciples blocking the doorway, Ji You strode through the throng, glaring at them with murderous intent, his scorching aura surging around him.

Upon seeing his appearance, the Lan family head, whose mouth was still gushing blood, was instantly filled with astonishment: "You...you weren't seriously injured and your life hanging in the balance?"

"You are the one whose fate is now uncertain."

"It's a misunderstanding, Young Master Ji, it's a misunderstanding."

Ji You strode up to them and said, "You bunch of good-for-nothings, you can't even protect your own clan's territory. You fled to my Fengzhou and you still expect to act like tyrants?"

The head of the Lan family stood up shakily: "Qingyun is plagued by disasters. We came here to seek a way to survive. Just now, Governor He and I discussed how to help the refugees."

Ji You looked at He Zhang: "Lord He, is this true?"

"No, sir."

He Zhang got up from the ground: "This Lan family head said he wanted to treat the refugees, but he directly occupied all the houses that were originally intended to help the refugees, and some people were forcibly taken over by them to become servants."

The head of the Lan family was furious: "You ant, how dare you spout nonsense!"

The Bian family head immediately stepped forward and bowed: "Young Master Ji, there is absolutely no truth to the matter of enslaving refugees. I can vouch for the Lan family head on this point."

"I don't care if you have it or not?"

"?"

Ji You walked towards the head of the Lan family: "You broke into my house and then acted as my judge. Do I need to see what you've done before I can kill you?"

Sensing a scorching killing intent rushing towards him, the white-haired Lan family head immediately had a bloodshot look in his eyes: "Today's events are entirely our fault. Young Master Ji, please show mercy, and we will surely repay you handsomely in the future!"

"Where did you go from standing up for me just now? Show me another one."

"That was merely facing mortals..."

Ji You pulled him up from the ground: "You act all high and mighty in front of the common people, but the common people don't know at all that you are nothing but ants in the cultivation world. I have seen a lot of people, but I have never seen anyone with the surname Lan. It's really laughable."

The head of the Lan family was now filled with remorse, realizing he had provoked a calamity from a god of death.

The Lan family is located in Youzhou, but under the suppression of the Chu family, they have never been able to grow stronger. Even though he has cultivated to the initial stage of Yingtian, he has no status to speak of.

But things were different when they arrived in Fengzhou. There were no powerful families here, and even those who had fled with them were inferior to them.

Having been treated with utmost respect these past few days, he developed a sense of superiority and began to attempt to take control of Fengzhou.

But that punch shattered his pride, bringing him back to reality.

“Young Master Ji, we were truly ignorant and arrogant today. Please be lenient. We will strictly forbid our disciples from disturbing the people of Fengzhou when we return. We will stay for a few days and then leave. We will not cause any further trouble.”

The head of the Bian family no longer possessed the upright and arrogant demeanor he had displayed earlier, and he spoke with difficulty despite the overwhelming pressure.

"You still want to stay?"

Ji You turned and glanced at him: "Get out of Fengzhou immediately."

"This……"

"immediately."

After a long silence, the head of the Bian family nodded: "We'll leave immediately."

Ji You turned to He Zhang: "Go to my village and ask Instructor Cao to come forward and drive them out of Fengzhou territory. If they haven't left by 5 PM, they'll all die here."

"I'll go and invite them right away." Upon hearing this, He Zhang immediately prepared to turn around and leave the mansion.

"Wait a minute, Young Master Ji. We need more time to pack up what we brought. An hour may not be enough."

"Makes sense."

After hearing this, Ji You stopped He Zhang and said, "Tell Instructor Cao that apart from the clothes they are wearing now and their worthless lives, they are not allowed to take anything else out of Fengzhou. Consider it as rent for the next few days."

Upon hearing this, the Bian family head's expression changed: "Young Master Ji, what you're doing is quite unreasonable."

Ji You ignored him and turned to look at the Lan family head she was holding.

In fact, the centenarian head of the Lan family wanted to give him some time off, but unexpectedly, a huge fist came straight at him.

With a loud crash, the head of the Lan family was smashed through the chest, and not a single word could be uttered from his throat.

Ji You withdrew his fist and threw it directly onto the floor.

Getting out of Fengzhou immediately is already a favor, but that doesn't include this old dog; he's doomed.

After all, the barbarian-demon alliance is still occupying Youyun and other states, and more aristocratic families will choose Fengzhou as a place to flee. He wants to make an example of them.

Upon witnessing this scene, all the heads of the powerful families froze on the spot, their minds reeling as they watched the Lan family head's aura vanish in an instant.

In fact, ever since the Lan family patriarch was seriously injured by a punch, they had been plotting something.

They sincerely apologized at the beginning, trying to quell Ji You's anger. Then they said that after returning, they would close the gates of their residence and would only provide assistance here, without disturbing the people. In reality, they still wanted to stay and take refuge.

Even when Ji You told them to get out immediately, they tried to brush it off by saying they were going home to pack their things and then staying inside. He couldn't do anything about it if they behaved themselves.

But they didn't expect that he would actually kill the head of the Lan family in full view of everyone.

They misunderstood; this wasn't a discussion at all.

From the moment Ji You entered the door, the Lan family head, who attempted to take control of Fengzhou, was destined to die.

This is not Youzhou, nor Yunzhou; this is Fengzhou, a place that has been completely changed since the massacre at Xianzhuang, no longer the Fengzhou they thought it was.

In this place, cultivators are worthless, and they have no right to be hypocritical.

Ji You then turned his head and looked at the heads of those aristocratic families whose faces were ashen.

Before they could even speak, they immediately turned and walked towards the door.

Cao Jingsong and his entourage, who had just returned from Shengjing, had barely settled in when they learned of this matter from He Zhang. They had already arrived at the main gate and were watching them closely as they walked out of the mansion.

"I had never been to Fengzhou before, but I had heard that it was a barren place. I didn't expect that the place would be so nice after staying here for a few days. It's not much worse than Yunzhou."

"That's the right way to think. Humanity is currently severely weakened, and it won't be easy to drive out the barbarian and demon races. We need to prepare to settle here."

At Ziyun Manor, young scions from various prominent families are gathered together.

On the table were wine and food offered by the common people, and they were eating and chatting.

After filling his wine cup, the young master of the Bian family said, "It's not bad to settle down in Fengzhou. It is said that Fengzhou's grain production has been increasing in recent years. It has also obtained a large amount of spirit stone reserves through trade with the demon race. It has even cultivated spirit seed fields, which have already been harvested three times."

The young master of the Lan family nodded: "The resources here are gradually becoming more abundant. If it were just a few of us, we might be even more comfortable than before."

"Judging from Brother Lan's tone, could it be that the Lan family has had this idea for some time?"

"To be honest, Youzhou has always been controlled by the Chu family, and other aristocratic families have no way to turn the tables. We did consider Fengzhou a long time ago, but the Qingyun Immortal Rules restrict aristocratic families from moving easily, so we have not taken any action."

The eldest daughter of the Yue family chuckled upon hearing this: "So, this war has actually done the Lan family a favor?"

The young master of the Lan family chuckled softly: "You could say that."

"But we are visitors from out of state, and we don't know if we can stay here for long."

“Oh, there’s no need to worry about that. My father said that we should arrange marriages between the children of our branch of the family and the local officials. It won’t be long before we can settle down here. This is in accordance with the rules of Qingyun Immortals. We can enjoy the same offerings as the local families. Nobody can interfere.”

Just as they were having a pleasant conversation and were about to raise their glasses in a toast, a commotion suddenly broke out outside the door.

Countless cultivators entered their residence, shouting at them to leave immediately.

Before these young masters and ladies could react, they were dragged out of the door, and as they stumbled along, countless servants were also driven out of the courtyard.

"Who are you?!"

"Damn it, who borrowed your Bearheart Leopard...!"

The young master of the Bian family cursed and swore, his ferocious face filled with murderous intent.

But before he could finish speaking, he saw his cousin struggling when his father slapped him to the ground.

In a daze, the young master of the Bian family couldn't help but look up and saw more than a hundred people being pulled out of the house and gathered in the crowd heading south, like prisoners being driven away.

(End of this chapter)