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Chapter 360 Give the young master a bowl of nourishing soup!

Clang—

In the brightly lit kitchen of Jizhai, the sound of stir-frying vegetables being tossed and turned could be heard continuously.

For a prefecture like Fengzhou, which is primarily agricultural, the first snowfall is a significant festival, as it symbolizes a bountiful harvest in the coming year.

In addition, the young mistress has returned, which is also a joyous occasion for Jizhai, so it is only natural to hold a banquet.

At that time, Lao Qiu was directing things in the kitchen, busy and happy.

"Uncle Qiu, which lamb should we stew tonight? You're the best at picking lambs. Why don't you go to the backyard and pick one for the young mistress?"

"You all go about your other business first, I'll be right there."

Hearing the waiter's call, Qiu Zhong rolled up his sleeves and left the kitchen.

As soon as he reached the connecting corridor, he caught sight of Cao Jingsong, Ban Yangshu, and others peering intently through the wooden lattice windows in the stone wall at the western courtyard of the backyard. Their eyes were fixed on the view, and they were very focused.

"There is sword energy."

"It's because he mistook someone for someone else and got caught, which angered the young appraiser."

Before everyone's eyes, Ji You and the aloof and proud Xiao Jianzhu, exuding sword energy, left the tea pavilion and headed towards the bamboo forest in the backyard.

Upon seeing this, Cao Jingsong and the others hissed, thinking that their wicked disciple was about to get a beating.

The sharp sword energy made them feel uneasy even from a distance of the entire west courtyard, which showed how dangerous Ji You was facing.

They could no longer see the two of them, nor did they dare to probe them with their divine sense, but they imagined countless scenes of Ji You being beaten and submitting at the same time.

They're too embarrassed to even admit they've come to you, and you're so shameless as to expose their lies—aren't you just asking for a beating?

As darkness fell and a cold wind began to howl, the crowd, who had been mourning Ji You for a long time, felt a chill and wrapped themselves in their clothes before heading to the front yard.

Ji You has a strong physical body; even if he were struck by his natal spirit sword technique, he probably wouldn't die.

The group wasn't too worried, and even took a look at the dishes for tonight as they passed the kitchen.

Meanwhile, in the bamboo grove scenery to the west of the tea pavilion.

Yan Shuyi looked at the scoundrel in front of her with a cold and arrogant expression. After her sword qi whistled for a while, she glanced away and met the other's slightly parted red lips without making a sound.

Their soft lips touched, and the young appraiser instantly narrowed her eyes, her fragrant tongue probing slightly.

It's been so long since we kissed, my movements were a little clumsy, but the taste was still sweet.

Ji You gently embraced her slender waist and kissed her small mouth into various shapes. He thought to himself that although she still maintained a cold and aloof persona, she offered very little resistance, probably because he had missed her for a long time.

That's normal, because so much has happened in the past six months.

The battle for the ruins, the horde of corpses, and the resurfacing of a thousand-year-old family—it feels like a century has passed, so it's normal to feel nostalgic.

Those who come to see the children, if you miss your husband, just say so.

Even if the one who wields the weapon is a goddess revered throughout the land, it's conceivable that her husband has done nothing wrong.

Ji You gently teased the tip of her tongue, and Yan Shuyi narrowed her eyes, looking fierce yet adorable, but still obediently cooperated with his deep kiss.

As winter approaches, migratory birds fly south, and insects hide underground, so that all around is silent except for the incredibly clear chirping sound.

The young appraiser's breathing gradually became heavier, and she chased after his tongue, lightly biting it. As a result, she was slapped on the buttocks, and her beautiful eyes instantly became moist.

After a long while, the lanterns were lit, and the red lanterns in the courtyard began to glow.

Servants were already bustling about in the courtyard, moving between the kitchen and the front hall; it seemed that dinner was about to be served.

Yan Shuyi quickly felt the lips separate. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she regained her aloof demeanor and casually wiped away a glistening thread.

You scoundrel! She just happened to be visiting the kids, not here to kiss them.

With a slap, Yan Shuyi punched Ji You in the chest and walked out of the west courtyard with a cold and arrogant expression.

In the front hall of Jizhai, Cao Jingsong and others were already seated and chatting.

Soon, they heard footsteps and turned to look.

As the night deepened and the blues filled the air, Yan Shuyi gracefully approached, hands clasped together, nodded slightly to everyone, and then sat down.

However, everyone's attention was more focused on Ji You. They looked him over and, strangely, didn't see any signs of being beaten.

Strange, the Master was clearly enraged just now, yet he didn't kill his wicked disciple.

Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu, who were sitting on the east side, exchanged a glance, as if they had seen through everything.

How could I kill him? My own appraiser looks so energetic, I bet he got kissed for ages when we were alone.

The two men couldn't help but chirp as they looked at the appraiser's noticeably red lips.

Wen Zhengxin and Pei Ruyi also noticed Yan Shuyi's red lips at this moment, and whispered to each other with their heads down, but did not dare to ask.

Just kidding. Although they saw the little appraiser's cute and evasive side, they couldn't forget that this was the woman who defended the Spirit Sword Mountain Dojo during the attack on the Immortal Realm.

Although no one knows the inside story yet, it must be inextricably linked to her power.

As for Cao Jingsong, he couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "Too imposing." Although he had met him many times, he still couldn't help but sigh each time.
Such a woman is indeed suitable to be the first wife.

He picked up the wine jug and poured himself a cup of wine. He had just taken a small sip when he couldn't help but glance downwards.

The silk cloth spread on the table was more than a foot long and hanging down, and at this moment, this foot of cloth was constantly swaying, rising and falling like ocean waves.

Ok?
Who's swinging their leg?

At that moment, Yan Shu, who was sitting in the position of the matriarch, remained calm and ate her food in small bites, like a silent goddess.

Ji You was also eating, and as the plate in front of her gradually emptied, a hint of doubt appeared in her eyes.

It seems like today's banquet is missing my special soup.

"Wanqiu!"

"Senior Sister Ding Yao, I'm here!"

After dinner, as night deepened, the red lanterns in Ji Village remained lit.

Ding Yao and Cao Jingsong were drinking tea and chatting in the East Courtyard for half an hour when they suddenly realized that Zhuo Wanqiu was missing, so they hurriedly came to look for her.

Hearing a response coming from the west wing, she immediately turned around and headed towards the west courtyard.

The west courtyard was a guest room, and Zhuo Wanqiu was peeking out from the third room at that time.

"what are you doing?"

"The appraiser said she wanted to rest later and asked me to make her bed."

Ding Yao followed her inside and saw that the bed had been made very neatly: "I don't think the Master of Appraisal will come back to sleep here."

Zhuo Wanqiu lowered her voice: "Will she share a room with her son-in-law?"

"Definitely..."

Meanwhile, in Ji You's room.

The stove, filled with charcoal, glowed red-hot, its warmth filling the entire room.

Yan Shuyi was sitting in front of the stove, holding a fire hook, trying to place the sweet potatoes in the stove so that they would be heated evenly.

Her shoes and socks were off to the side, her smooth, jade-like white feet resting on the footstools, shimmering with a soft luster in the firelight. Her delicate toes were as pink as blooming flower stamens, carrying a delicate fragrance, sometimes curling and sometimes opening, lively and playful.

Ji You came in carrying a kettle. As she bent down to brew tea, she flicked the pink toes, instantly eliciting a whooshing sound of sword energy.

"What is the current situation at Spirit Sword Mountain?"

After a long separation and many significant events in between, Ji You actually had many questions she wanted to ask.

However, because the meeting was so unexpected, and there were always onlookers around, he was only able to ask the question now.

Yan Shuyi raised his chin upon hearing this: "With this master here, the mountain has naturally settled down."

"Where is Heavenly Sword Peak?"

"Since the great calamity, everyone has been very quiet, especially Yan Zhong, who has semi-retired under the pretext of going into seclusion."

Ji You sat down in the chair, somewhat surprised by the voice: "This doesn't seem like the style of Tianjian Peak. I thought they would definitely take advantage of the chaos to seize power."

Yan Shuyi blinked slightly: "They had no choice, because I took the opportunity to shatter Tianjian Peak with my spirit sword during the great battle. The disciples in the sect are not stupid. They can tell from the ruins that were leveled but had no corpses that they ran away when Lingjian Mountain was in great danger. Naturally, they have no face to come out and cause trouble again."

In fact, after the death of the Zhuang family patriarch, the two patriarchs of Xuanjian Peak and Qi Zhengyang, the chief swordsman, all witnessed the scene of their master shattering Tianjian Peak.

Originally, they thought the appraiser was just venting his anger, but they never expected the impact to be so profound.

Without its training ground, Tianjian Peak was truly like a family with a broken spine, no different from a clan that had lost its ancestral land, and even its voice lacked confidence.

It was only then that they realized that even at the critical moment of life and death, the judge had still made arrangements for the future.

Later, Qi Zhengyang witnessed Ji You manipulating grain prices in an attempt to deprive people of their tax revenue, and he is still muttering the words "a match made in heaven" on the mountain.

"Did you shatter Heavenly Sword Peak after you killed the Zhuang family patriarch?"

Ji You reached out and lifted Yan Shuyi's jade-like foot, placing a cotton pad on the footstool.

The young appraiser obediently straightened his feet and then looked up at him.

She was incredibly intelligent and naturally understood that what Ji You cared about was not the order of events, but rather that after the death of the Zhuang family patriarch, she still had the power to flatten Tianjian Peak.

In other words, people found it incredible that she could defend Lingjian Mountain, let alone that she had not suffered serious injuries after killing the Zhuang family patriarch.

This is the biggest unsolved mystery in the entire history of the thousand-year-old clans' joint calamities, and it is still being discussed to this day.

This little disciple of the Heavenly Academy, she dared to pry into the biggest secret of their Spirit Sword Mountain, a secret that only her closest relatives could know. After a moment of cold arrogance, Yan Shuyi spoke: "The truth is as you think. I really couldn't defeat that Zhuang family fiend. The reason I was able to escape unscathed was because someone helped me."

Ji You's eyes narrowed: "Besides the sect leader of the Immortal Sect, is there anyone else who can fight against someone from the Immortal Realm?"

"That's right, and it's someone you know."

"Elder Qi?"

"Master Chen."

"?"

Upon hearing these three words, Ji You froze instantly as he poked the fire, his eyes narrowing in surprise.

After returning to Ji Village from Tian Shu Academy, he discovered that Master Chen had disappeared. According to Lao Qiu, he disappeared when he left Lingjian Mountain.

Ji You originally thought he was lost and was planning to send someone to look for him after arriving at Lingjian Mountain, but she never expected to hear such a thing from the arrogant ghost.

Yan Shuyi looked at him for a while, and after confirming that he did not know that Master Chen was the Lingjian Mountain Sect Leader who had disappeared, he told him the whole story.

Ji You remained silent for a long time after hearing this, before finally speaking up: "After ascending to heaven, you came back and reassembled a clay body?"

“Indeed, I have seen his body crack open, so it is not an exaggeration.”

"No wonder he would panic and run into the house every time there was thunder on a cloudy day."

Ji You was in a daze for a while before coming to her senses: "If he was the previous leader of Lingjian Mountain, why would he go to Fengzhou?"

Yan Shuyi opened his mouth and said, "He said he came to Fengzhou because of an old friend. When his old friend died, he was asked to continue what he was supposed to do, but he seemed unable to do it. So he searched all over the world for a successor for him."

They are the Night's Watchmen.

Almost instantly, Ji You had already figured out who the old friend Chen Fuzi was talking about was.

That is to say, Master Chen once kept watch for Cui Lang.

"Is he referring to as his successor?"

"No."

"?"

“He said the one he was looking for wasn’t you; you were just someone he didn’t expect. I’m not sure if what he said is true or false, but he said he once passed on his legacy to you.”

After listening, Ji You remained silent for a long time: "I did indeed find half a scroll of heavenly book, which came from the Night Watchmen's legacy."

A hint of confusion flashed in Yan Shuyi's eyes: "The Night Watch?"

"It originated from an ancient profession in the Heavenly Academy, but it was discontinued more than a hundred years ago, and there is no record of it in historical materials. I read its story in a picture book from the Heavenly Academy, which said that there has always been a restless night in the world of Qingyun, where countless demons are hidden."

"You mean Master Chen has been keeping watch for his old friend all this time? And what was that night?"

"Ruins, perhaps."

Ji You pointed out a roasted sweet potato: "What they were guarding may have been the ruins. So when the Night Watchmen's lineage ended, the ruins were gradually released, attracting the greed of humans and eventually causing disaster. This makes sense logically."

After the Night Watchman died, the previous leader of Spirit Sword Mountain took over his position and ascended to heaven after a long period of time.

Then the ruins were opened, chaos ensued, the human race's fortune was damaged, and turmoil broke out everywhere.

This is indeed a complete story, with a beginning and an end, forming a closed loop.

He peeled open the roasted sweet potato, which was now charred and fragrant, and then handed it over.

The young appraiser took the sweet potato, then tucked his warm, roasted feet into Ji You's arms, his gaze calmly fixed on the night outside the window.

It was the first time she had heard the words "Night Watch," and she couldn't quite guess what it meant, but she felt that something was off.

She gently bit the sweet potato in her hand, her gaze shifting downwards to the toes held in Ji You's palm.

"Since you awoke from the Heavenly Academy, have you seen the case files of those demons after their trials?"

"I've seen it." Ji You nodded.

Yan Shuyi raised his eyes: "Whether it is the Li family, the Zhuang family, the Du family, or the Bai family, they have all explained the matter of causing trouble very clearly and explicitly, and other immortal sects have also agreed with it. But in my opinion, there is a problem with this."

Ji You turned to look at her: "Because the testimonies of these aristocratic families have no connection with each other?"

Upon hearing this, the young appraiser nodded gently.

"Their testimonies only mention themselves, and everything they did was done along their own lines. Until the Heavenly Dao Society, no other allied families appeared in their stories."

A thousand-year-old family joins forces, attempting to seize a sacred artifact by taking advantage of the immortal's destiny in the ruins. This is an incredibly intricate scheme from beginning to end.

Sufficient communication and discussion are essential for them to proceed cautiously and steadily to the final step.

The problem is that, according to their confessions, the Du and Bai families, led by the Chu family, the Li family, and the Zhu family had almost no contact with each other in the early stages.

For example, in the Qiling incident, besides the Zheng family, only the Chu family, the Du family, and the Bai family were involved.

However, the Li, Zhu, and Zhuang families, which are also ancient families with a history of over a thousand years, did not appear.

Chu He, Du Zhu, and Bai Rulong entered the Heavenly Academy, and no one else was involved in this matter.

Similarly, according to the confession, Dou Yuankong's act of opening the ruins to attract the attention of the Immortal Sect was the work of the Li family, and the Chu family and other aristocratic families were not involved.

Because none of the testimonies mentioned any discussion or decision-making process, the whole process felt like everyone was doing pre-arranged, fragmented steps that were ultimately pieced together into a larger picture.

In other words, this matter is still missing a clue that controls everything.

Only this clue can explain why they were able to execute each step in a fragmented manner.

In fact, Ji You had quite a few doubts after reading the case files with Zuo Qiuyang, but he did not trust the people of Tianshu Academy, so he never mentioned it.

Only when he met the tsundere could he lower his guard and voice his doubts.

"Could it be that the Chu family orchestrated everything?"

Yan Shuyi spoke up, revealing his guess.

If the entire plan was orchestrated by the Chu family, but they were worried about their own strength and thus sought cooperation with other powerful families, then this would make sense.

Unfortunately, none of the Chu family members were left alive, so this step is missing.

After listening, Ji You spoke softly: "The problem is that the Chu family is located in Youzhou, while the Xuanyuan Immortal Mansion is located near Youyun and Youzhou. Even if Master Chen liberated the ruins after his ascension, how could the Chu family have gone all the way to target Qiling in Zhongzhou?"

"A coincidence?" Yan Shuyi tilted her head.

Ji You shook his head: "It's probably because Qingyun is about to be overthrown, and it would be a pity if there were no audience. Chu Xian confided a lot to me during the battle of the Heavenly Dao Sacrifice, and even talked about how they tested immortal destiny. But when it came to how they discovered that Qiling was accessible, his words were very vague. He only said it was a coincidence."

Yan Shuyi frowned, her beautiful brows furrowing: "You mean to say that even the Chu family themselves don't know what's really going on in Qiling?"

"It's possible."

"But what if it really wasn't the Chu family who made all the decisions..."

Yan Shuyi's gaze sharpened slightly after saying this: "Doesn't that mean they are all just puppets on strings?"

As the two said, if the person secretly orchestrating this was not from the Chu family, then there must be someone else behind it.

He never revealed himself from beginning to end, even now while he is still in the shadows.

The two fell silent, lost in endless contemplation.

At the same time, hurried footsteps came from the front yard of Ji Village, and Shi Tou, a village worker, came quickly with a porcelain bowl in his hand.

Because of the sudden drop in temperature and the snowfall, white mist drifted from Stone's mouth as he gasped for breath.

"Uncle Qiu, I've bought the goods."

"Why did it take you so long to buy it?"

Stone paused in the courtyard, catching his breath: "Winter is here, and every household is waiting for the New Year before they'll slaughter cattle and sheep. Fresh ones are hard to find."

Qiu Zhong reached out and took the porcelain bowl: "Thank you for your hard work. Go to the accounting office and collect your reward."

"Thank you, Uncle Qiu."

"go Go."

Uncle Qiu watched him leave, then quickly ran to the kitchen and handed the food that Shi Tou had brought to the cook to stew.

Young Master, it seems he really isn't up to the task.

There were so many fairies in the courtyard a while ago, but at night there was no sound at all in the room.

Now that the young mistress has arrived, this matter needs to be handled even more urgently, and as the housekeeper, he can only worry about it more.

As the ingredients were put into the pot, wisps of smoke rose again from the chimneys above Jizhai.

Before long, Qiu Zhong carried a large soup bowl and walked towards the main house, then reached out and knocked on the door.

Ji You was still pondering the disaster when she heard the sound. She put down the pair of soft, fragrant feet in her hands and called out, "Come in."

So Old Qiu carried in a bowl of soup and placed it on the low table in front of the stove. The long piece of meat in the bowl was very eye-catching, and Ji You held her breath for a moment when she saw it.

Urging children to have children, though late, is never too late.

It's all in the soup!
Old Qiu went inside without saying a word, thinking to himself that it was all in the soup, and then hurriedly left, closing the door behind him.

Seeing this, Ji You remained silent for a long time, then calmly took out a bowl and spoon, sat back down, filled the bowl, and took a sip of soup.

At this moment, Yan Shuyi was staring intently at the bowl of soup, her snow-white jade feet involuntarily curling up slightly.

(End of this chapter)