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Chapter 362 Staying out all night
"Where have they advanced to?"

"We have crossed the southern plains and arrived at the Yuheng Mountains."

The seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, the dead of winter.

Discussions were constant across the six states of Qingyun, with teahouses and taverns filled with news of the Youyun war.

From the start of the assault until now, the entire southward campaign has lasted for a full ten days.

The savage demon army marched south, sweeping across the southern plains of Youyun with their powerful innate combat abilities, and has now entered the Yuheng Mountain range.

Everyone knows that the long and narrow Yuheng Mountain Range, resembling a jade belt, is the last line of defense between Youyun and Qingzhou.

But in just two days, the Yuheng Mountains were crossed.

From autumn to winter, the allied forces of barbarians and demons swept across the land with overwhelming force, eventually completely occupying the two states of Youyun.

When the news reached the other six states, it immediately caused an uproar.

"The Yuheng Mountains are easy to defend and difficult to attack, so how come they were only defended for two days?"

"It is said that a fire suddenly broke out on the mountain, and the original defensive formation was completely disrupted. The barbarian and demon armies took advantage of the night to launch a surprise attack, bypassing the east side and advancing along the valley, catching the rear troops off guard."

"Fire attack?"

"It's still unclear whether it was intentional, but a sudden hurricane that night pushed the raging wildfire a hundred miles away."

In Shengjing City, with the winter solstice approaching, all the major restaurants were packed with guests, hosting banquets incessantly.

This should have been a joyous festival, but countless people were uneasy because of the war in the north, especially the fact that the barbarian and demon tribes had so quickly conquered the Yuheng Mountains. As a result, various details of the war were widely circulated.

Some people are judging the specific strength of the barbarian and demon races based on these details, while others simply feel that the Zhenbei Army, having lost the support of the northern city wall, is no longer reliable.

But what is most frightening is not the war itself, but the favorable timing, location, and popular support that the barbarian and demon races have seized in this war.

On a gloomy afternoon, snowflakes fell softly.

In the main hall of the Heavenly Academy, Lang Hetong returned from outside and saw Qin Rong with his arm across the desk, flipping through one of the volumes of the Qingyun History.

Why are you suddenly looking at this?

Qin Rong looked up and, upon seeing Lang Hetong, spoke softly: "Palace Master Zuoqiu has been reading this volume of history these past few days, and out of curiosity, I also found a copy."

Upon hearing this, Lang Hetong raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Since Headmaster You went into seclusion, all affairs of the Heavenly Academy, big and small, have been managed by Hall Master Zuoqiu, who is quite tired on weekdays. He would never casually read something unimportant at such a time.

And indeed, as he expected, Zuo Qiuyang's glance was not just a casual look.

Qin Rong turned to one of the pages and handed it to Lang Hetong.

Legend has it that a thousand years ago, the remnant race perished, and the human race rose again. However, less than a hundred years later, the human race, having recovered, was plunged into civil war with various kingdoms.

The tax system was established at that time, and the seven hidden immortal sects that guarded the sacred artifact also emerged at that moment, and have since controlled this world.

This is an internal epic, only talking about things between humans, but in fact, there was some activity outside of Kyushu during this period.

According to the records in the Qingyun Annals, when the human race started the war among the nations, the barbarian tribes who had fled into the Ten Thousand Mountains could no longer endure the poverty of the desolate continent and launched the so-called battle to return to the Nine Provinces.

At that time, the northern city walls had not yet been built, and the human race was not united. Logically speaking, it should have been an easy thing for them to return to Kyushu.

In reality, the barbarian attacks were interrupted by sudden blizzards or internal plagues.

This epic shows that the human race at that time was truly blessed with good fortune and received countless favors from the heavens.

Even after the establishment of the Great Xia Dynasty, the weather was favorable for a hundred years, which led to a rapid recovery of its vitality, peace and tranquility throughout the land.

But what about now?
A sudden fire broke out on Jade Balance Mountain, and a north wind arose in due time, providing support to the allied forces of the barbarian and demon races. The disparity in strength between them was considerable.

After reading this part of the historical record, Lang Hetong couldn't help but look at Qin Rong, understanding why he was curious and why the Palace Master Zuoqiu had to reread the old history in his busy schedule.

The favoritism of Heaven is obvious, but since the ancient families joined forces to commit calamities, the human race seems to have truly lost its favor.

In other words, the Heavenly Dao may be selecting a new race.

If this is true, then humanity will face the inevitable fact that no matter how hard they try, they will be defeated, and this is by no means an exaggeration.

During the conquest of the remnant races, the demon race was several times stronger than the human race, but because they were not chosen by the Heavenly Dao, they were ultimately forced to fall into the snowy region.

"Your Highness, the Zhenbei Army has withdrawn into Qingzhou territory!"

"Arrange for sentries to keep a close watch."

"Yes!"

Baihua City in Yunzhou was the original site of the Lingshi Chamber of Commerce.

After ordering surveillance, the Demon Emperor Ziye Han continued to hunch over his desk, looking at the documents before him.

After they occupied a large part of Yunzhou's territory, the demon prince chose this place as his temporary palace, where he lived and commanded the demon army's southward campaign.

The Spirit Stone Chamber of Commerce is extremely wealthy and has contributed greatly to the development of the surrounding area. Therefore, this place will become the new site of the Demon Emperor City.

Under the flickering candlelight, Ye Han finished reading the scrolls in his hands one by one, then put them into a box and handed them to his guard, A Qiu.

“Return to the snowy land and bring it to my father.”

"Yes!"

A Qiu took the box and then hurriedly ran out of the room.

Upon seeing this, the demon prince gently rose, walked into the courtyard, and then suddenly stepped on the ground, soaring into the air to the top of the three-story palace opposite, gazing at the deep night sky.

He had promised his father that he would take Yunzhou before winter, and now he had finally fulfilled that promise.

However, his father always believed that the destiny of Heaven was the most important thing, and he was puzzled and wary of the unusual ascension of the head of the Heavenly Academy, always feeling that there seemed to be something hidden behind it.

So after entering Yunzhou, he kept gathering information, including about the ruins, the evil seed, and the misdeeds of the thousand-year-old family.

The documents I just gave to Aqiu record this matter.

He hoped this information would help his father unravel the mysteries of the world.

Of course, Ye Han was also learning how to be a monarch, so after reading the information on those scrolls, he pondered it, but after reading it many times, he still couldn't figure it out.

Amidst the cold wind and falling snow, Ye Han pondered for a long time before turning to look towards the northeast.

That was Fengzhou. From his vantage point, he could already see the newly built city wall standing on the wasteland.

He couldn't quite understand the ruins or the misdeeds committed by the aristocratic families, but he was deeply impressed by the human named Ji You, who was described in the documents.

He first met this man in Shengjing when he came to discuss trade. Ji You fought against his guards.

The second time was in Danshan, where he was refused medicine.

The third time was in his hometown, the Snow Demon City, where he came as a guard for a mission and was injured by the barbarian king in the wilderness.

At that time, Ji You was undoubtedly very eye-catching. Even among their demon race, he could be considered a prodigy, but in Ye Han's eyes, he was still among the weak.

But he never expected that in just three years, he would become so strong that it was hard to comprehend.

For some time now, he had been in contact with the barbarian royal family, discussing the final battle of winter. During this time, he also heard about the grain sale in Fengzhou, and knew that Ji You's stance was quite opposed to that of the human cultivators, and also knew the general details of the matter.

He was a guy whom his own people disliked, yet he was so powerful that no one in the world could do anything about him.

"Report!!!"

Just then, a demon warrior clad in armor arrived riding a demonic beast and landed in the courtyard.

Seeing this, Ye Han stepped forward and floated down from the pavilion: "What is it?"

"A message from the front lines indicates that the Chen Clan has dispatched disciples to the border, who have now joined up with the Zhenbei Army, which has retreated into Qingzhou."

"It's alright. These humans are all acting independently. Their current actions are merely out of fear that my army will invade Qingzhou. They won't cross the border. We just need to strengthen our sentries."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Under the cover of night, a cold wind blows and snowflakes flutter.

The elders and disciples, dressed in the immortal robes of the Chen family, had hurriedly arrived at the border. Looking at the barbarian army arrayed around Yuheng Mountain, they were all on high alert.

For several days in a row, the barbarian-demon alliance made no move, and even the number of soldiers stationed at the border was decreasing day by day.

This scene brought them a slight sense of relief.

It seems that the barbarian and demon races' strong attack was indeed just an attempt to take over Youyun and Youzhou when winter arrived, but they did not have a plan to go straight into Qingzhou in one fell swoop.

Subsequent observations indeed confirmed this.

The soldiers of the barbarian and demon races stationed on the border began to switch from offense to defense, building fortifications using the Yuheng Mountains as a base. In addition, it seemed that a large-scale construction project was underway in the city, transforming everything within it.

Seeing this scene, the soldiers on the frontier, the cultivators of the Chen Clan, and the original aristocratic families of Youyun and Youyun provinces all had extremely complicated expressions.

Even though the two prefectures of Youyun had fallen, many people comforted themselves by saying that the lost cities and lands could be taken back.

But as those houses were demolished and the buildings were remodeled, they felt as if this place truly belonged to another tribe.

The saying goes, "How can one tolerate another snoring beside one's bed?" This feeling of having the Nine Provinces divided between the demon race and the barbarian race is indeed unpleasant.

After the winter solstice, as the new year approaches, a deep chill pervades the entire land.

Fortunately, there was no heavy snowfall like last year.

Meanwhile, news spread from the Heavenly Academy that Shi Junhao had broken through to the Yingtian realm and might be taken in as a personal disciple by Lü Fengchuan.

In addition, Yan Shujing of Lingjian Mountain and Chen Xi of the Chen Clan also broke through to the Yingtian realm one after another.

News of breakthroughs in cultivation realms and the fusion of cultivation paths also frequently circulated. Such news was considered good tidings, giving the anxious human race a sense that the future was still promising.

Come on, come on, take a look as you pass by.

"Fresh beef and mutton, sir, would you like some fresh beef and mutton?"

Ten miles west of Fengzhou Prefecture lies Kaihui County.

This place is a market that naturally appeared after Ji You proposed the internal commercial circulation of Fengzhou, and it is also one of the largest markets in the vicinity.

Looking around, countless vendors set up stalls outside the county town, displaying a dazzling array of goods that are hard to look away from.

Yan Shuyi and Wei Rui were walking side by side in the market, followed by Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu. They strolled through the market, their eyes constantly scanning the goods.

The young appraiser has been in Fengzhou for half a month, and the market event held every five days is one of her favorite things to do.

As I walked, a pair of beautiful tiger-head shoes came into view.

Upon seeing this exquisite handmade item, the aloof and elegant appraiser couldn't help but glance at it sideways.

Economic development has led to people's higher pursuit of quality of life, so Fengzhou handicrafts are full of vitality and even more lovely than those from Shengjing.

The young appraiser stared for a while, then glanced away, pretending not to be interested, and continued walking forward with a haughty air.

Ji You was in the back, chatting with Kuang Cheng about the war and people's livelihood. When he saw this scene, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows slightly.

"After occupying Youyun, the barbarian and demon clans embarked on a massive construction project, presumably intending to relocate their people here. They've been chanting the slogan of returning to the Nine Provinces for so many years, and they finally want their people to see the Nine Provinces with their own eyes. This must be extremely important to them internally."

"However, as long as the threat of the sacred artifact remains, it will not be easy for them to continue their southward advance, so the world is generally at peace."

"We will proceed with spring plowing as planned next year and expand the planting area of ​​Lingmiaotian."

"In addition, some farmers and laborers who used to be in charge of brewing spirit wine in Youzhou have fled to Fengzhou. We can set up our own winery."

"With external enemies at hand, the atmosphere within the human race will be slightly better."

Upon hearing this, Kuang Cheng couldn't help but look up at Ji You.

Half a month has passed since the land lease failed, and Brother Ji seems to have recovered from the disappointment of the previous failure. He has been cultivating in the village these past few days and has not wasted any time.

Especially during this conversation, he felt even more strongly that Ji You was still thinking about how to make the future better.

In fact, Kuang Shusheng felt good; Ji You had indeed regained his spirits.

He knew that what truly determined the fate of this world was neither the rules of the immortals nor the laws of the Xia Dynasty, but strength, so he never stopped cultivating.

Even if there are no better opportunities later, having a stronger fist will ultimately give you more say.

He wanted to keep refining his body and breaking through realms to see if he could achieve immortality in his physical body.

"Hey, where is the person?"

Walking and talking can easily distract one's attention. When Ji You looked up, she found that all the women in the village had disappeared.

Kuang Cheng stood on tiptoe and looked ahead: "It seems to be up ahead."

"Let's stop chatting. We've finally managed to get out and about, so let's relax and clear our heads."

After saying that, Ji You took a step and chased after them from the market.

However, when he arrived, he found that among the bustling crowd, there were only Ding Yao, Zhuo Wanqiu, and Wei Rui.

"Where is Yan Shuyi?"

"The appraiser said he was going to wander around, and then he disappeared," Ding Yao couldn't help but answer.

Ji You was slightly taken aback, then glanced around.

Fengzhou Market was huge and crowded, but fortunately, the young appraiser of Lingjian Mountain was truly extraordinary in appearance, with a fairy-like beauty, so he was still easy to find.

At that moment, she appeared behind the crowd for some unknown reason, standing in front of a stall, carefully examining a hairpin on the stall.

Ji You strode over and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I have no need to explain my actions to the disciples of the Heavenly Academy."

Yan Shuyi handed a piece of silver to the vendor behind the stall with an arrogant expression, then strode forward with a deep and dignified gaze.

Ji You watched her walk towards Ding Yao and the other two, then turned back to look at the stall across the street.

When he passed by, there was a pair of tiger-head shoes on the stall, but in the time it took to turn around, the shoes were gone.

Yan Shuyi was standing with Wei Rui in front of the chicks stall, bending down to look at the little chicks. When she saw that Ji You hadn't come along, she couldn't help but glance at him sideways.

When she saw Ji You staring thoughtfully at the tiger-head shoes stall, she couldn't help but feel a little guilty and quickly looked away.

The group of six then shopped and spent a considerable amount of money.

They also bought the brood of chicks, and Yan Shuyi said she would raise them in the yard.

Having been used to being a high-ranking appraiser, few people know that she really enjoys this kind of ordinary daily life. Otherwise, she wouldn't have come to Tian Shu Academy to spend her days with Ji You every winter.

So if she hadn't had such a heavy burden on her shoulders, she probably wouldn't have left after her last visit.

Fengzhou is great; it's full of life and gives her a real sense of living, instead of sitting in the deep mountains day after day, not knowing who she's living for.

Although the disciples of Xiaotian Academy were not very respectful to her and did not kneel when they met, they were extremely hospitable.

As the young appraiser walked along, he was lost in thought, and then he was pulled to a stall that made sesame cakes.

Perhaps because it was close to the New Zealand dollar, the market, which was originally only open for half a day, was open until night.

The group wandered the streets late into the night before hurrying back to Ji Village.

The young appraiser made quite a few purchases, but kept her joy hidden, still preferring to maintain a "keep away" attitude in front of others.

"Would you like some roasted sweet potato?"

Returning from the front yard to the back yard, Ji You handed the chicks that the arrogant ghost had bought to Lao Qiu, and then turned to look at Yan Shuyi.

After listening with a blank expression, the appraiser pondered for a while, then nodded slightly and followed him to the main house.

Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu parted ways with them, returned to the west wing, washed up, and waited until late at night before deciding to go to sleep.

"It seems the appraiser isn't coming back."

"When did the appraiser return?" Zhuo Wanqiu replied.

After the young master of Lingjian Mountain arrived at Ji Village, he instructed her to make a bed, saying that he would stay in the guest room, but he did not return on the first night.

The next day, the son-in-law ordered an extra bed to be added, and the appraiser, looking murderous, said he wanted to come back and stay, but he hasn't returned even once in half a month.

"Want some roasted sweet potatoes?" Zhuo Wanqiu couldn't help but recall the question her son-in-law had asked the appraiser, wondering if the appraiser was really eating roasted sweet potatoes.

Meanwhile, the bed in the main house was gently rocking.

The little appraiser, with her snow-white skin, bit her red lips tightly, her delicate pink feet constantly being jostled.

"You scoundrel."

"Isn't it so that you can put those tiger-head shoes you bought to good use as soon as possible?"

"I do not……"

Before the word "buy" could even leave his mouth, it was swallowed back down. Yan Shuyi tightly wrapped her arms around his neck, and after enduring for a long time, she finally let out a soft "ah ah," her dangling jade feet curling up tightly together.

In the eyes of the world, the young master of Lingjian Mountain has always been arrogant and aloof, seemingly devoid of emotion and desire.

Over the years, as he single-handedly supported Lingjian Mountain, the world's respect for him has only grown stronger.

But the little appraiser in front of Ji You was constantly whimpering, completely different from the one everyone knew.

Yan Shuyi had been looking down for a long time, then subconsciously looked up at Ji You, only to find that Ji You was staring at her. In her shame and anger, she couldn't help but bite his shoulder.

But she soon discovered that the damage inflicted from above would soon be returned from below.

After a long time, the darkness of night rolled in, filling the entire sky.

However, things did not stop there, because the young appraiser found himself being carried to the desk.

After clenching her teeth for a moment, Yan Shuyi couldn't help but unconsciously call out "husband."

The noise that had lasted all night finally subsided. The little appraiser curled up in Ji You's arms and lay down on the bed opposite him to sleep.

The next morning, Ji You was the first to wake up. She looked at Yan Shuyi, who was in tears, for a long time before going to the courtyard to cultivate.

After killing Chu He in the Heavenly Sacrifice, he arrived at the fifth level and is now attempting to reach the sixth level.

Without a sufficient supply of spiritual energy, this process is much slower than before.

The process of drawing spiritual energy into the body and tempering it with spiritual fire lasts for a long time.

As the sun began to rise, Yan Shu also sat up from the bed, washed up, and went to the courtyard.

Since her husband could deny it the next day if she called him that at night, she resumed her aloof demeanor.

However, as she watched Ji You's aura steadily rise during his cultivation, a hint of embarrassment crept into her otherwise aloof demeanor.

They can't hold on any longer, and that scoundrel is still practicing body tempering...

(Ask for monthly ticket)

(End of this chapter)