Chapter 161: Magical Artifact: Crescent Moon Scimitar!
The next morning, rain fell on Feng Province, and the autumn wind was biting.
The loess-colored city walls of State Prefecture, after being washed by the rain, revealed their original gray brickwork.
Trickling streams gathered on the streets, eventually flowing eastward with a murmuring sound.
At this time, in the East Wing guest room of State Prefecture, Ji You slept until after the Chen hour. After opening his eyes, he stared at the lacquered red beams for a long time, then got up from the bed.
After the 800-li urgent report spread throughout Feng Province, his tightly strung nerves suddenly relaxed, and then he felt endless fatigue.
After a night of sound sleep, he finally recovered his state.
Ji You got up, put on his clothes, and walked out the door.
He Zhang was currently in the courtyard, standing with Cao Jinsong and Pei Ruyi, facing the twelve Young Masters of the manor, who were He Zhang’s grandsons.
The oldest was about eleven or twelve, and the youngest was only five years old.
He Zhang had four sons, who had also practiced with the Immortal Villa for a period, but because they didn't have very good cultivation talent, they stopped at the Micro Illumination Realm, unable to even touch the Condensation Realm.
So, taking advantage of the Tianshu Academy members being at the manor, he specifically invited Cao Jinsong and Pei Ruyi to examine the bone structure of his grandsons, aiming for the future of their He Family.
Ji You watched from the covered corridor for a long time and couldn't help but think of Kuang Shusheng.
In Taiwu 2, before leaving Yuyang County, he also harbored the idea of reaching a fourth-rank official position, having many children, and sending his descendants into Immortal Sects to strengthen his Family.
“These two children have decent bone structure and can be cultivated. The older one is also acceptable, but his age is a bit late, so he may not achieve much.”
“So that’s how it is—.”
However, He Zhang wasn't angry. Instead, he called over several young ladies from the manor, all sixteen years old in their prime, the oldest no more than seventeen or eighteen, lining them up in the covered corridor.
Cao Jinsong slightly frowned: “The age of these young ladies from your manor seems to be older than that Young Master just now. It’s a bit late for them to cultivate now.”
“Cultivation is naturally not pursued, but for Ji Gongzi to take as a concubine, their age is just right.”
“?”
Cao Jinsong suddenly understood, thinking that this was the intention, and he didn't find it strange.
In this Qingyun World, whether cultivating or not, people rely on childbirth and marriage to strengthen their families. Even the princesses in Shengjing and that young lady from Yun Province are like this, so they naturally cannot avoid it.
However, Cao Jinsong still smacked his lips: “He has many fiancées.”
He Zhang opened his mouth: “A true man should be like this.”
“But he often gets tired of the old and likes the new, changing them one after another.”
“?”
Heh, it seems Old Cao's pockets are full again, a bit too eager—
Ji You was now sitting at the tea table in the courtyard, picking up the teapot and pouring a cup of tea, his eyes full of banditry.
And when the sound of tea pouring into the teacup came out, He Zhang heard it, couldn't help but turn around, and bowed slowly to him, “Young Master, did you rest well last night?”
“Thank you, State Prefecture Lord, for your hospitality. I slept well.”
He Zhang then walked over and lowered his voice: “The Five Great Xian Villages, without their Village Master, are left with only some Lower Three Realms cultivators. They began packing their things yesterday, preparing to withdraw from Feng Province.”
Ji You's raised teacup couldn't help but hover in the air, his eyebrows instantly furrowing: “Leave? What about my Spirit Treasure? What if they take my Spirit Treasure with them?”
Cao Jinsong also followed at this time, his lips twitching slightly, thinking that those Immortal Villas deserved their bad luck.
Why did you have to fabricate something, of all things, a Spirit Treasure?
This Young Master of his is extraordinary; he usually even tries to hit a tree without dates. Now that you've fabricated a Spirit Treasure yourselves, isn't that like a sheep entering a tiger's mouth?
“This morning, some Immortal Villas sent over Spirit Treasures—”
“?”
He Zhang clapped his hands twice, and dozens of servants from the manor were seen carrying more than a dozen large boxes, which they then placed on the ground and opened one by one.
The first few boxes contained Spirit Stones, thousands of them, and the latter contained some Magical Artifacts of no low quality,
of various kinds.
Subsequently, what was carried into the manor also included Spirit Wine brewed from Immortal Plants and spiritual sprouts, as well as some elixirs treasured within the Immortal Villas.
The tributes that these Immortal Villas had plundered in previous years were all converted into circulating goods, and then these items were purchased in other provinces.
And in addition to these Immortal items, countless gold, silver, and jewels were also sent along.
Ji You only needed to glance to confirm that this was more wealth than he had seen in his entire life combined.
However, there was indeed no Spirit Treasure among them, but it was obvious that these *were* the Spirit Treasures.
The Five Great Xian Villages of Feng Province were currently without a leader, with only some Lower Three Realms cultivators remaining in the villages, intent on leaving first.
But some Immortal Villas were still unwilling to give up, even though they knew that Feng Province today was not Feng Province yesterday.
In their view, the other eight provinces in the Nine Provinces were full of Worldly Families, and there were even Immortal Sects high above them, making it impossible for them to survive.
But the situation in Feng Province was different.
Ji You established a Worldly Family, but in the end, he was still alone, unlike other Worldly Families whose descendants were spread out and secretly formed a network.
Even if they couldn't receive tribute, it would still be much better than leaving here.
Therefore, there must be a Spirit Treasure at this moment.
Because if this “Spirit Treasure” could never be found, Ji You would always have a reason to act against them.
Pei Ruyi looked at these things at this time and couldn't help but say, “I didn’t expect Junior Brother to only take a year-long detour and finally return to the right path.”
Ji You thought that Senior Sister truly understood him, then turned to He Zhang: “Has this year’s autumn harvest not ended yet?”
He Zhang nodded: “It will be some time yet.”
Ji You suddenly smiled: “Actually, those Immortal Villas who want to stay think too badly of me. I never said I wouldn’t let them eat tribute.”
Cao Jinsong suddenly looked up: “?”
Ji You’s eyebrow twitched slightly: “Of course they can eat tribute, but they have to learn swordsmanship from me, and they have to practice for eight hours a day.”
“What swordsmanship?”
“Combined harvesting.”
Cao Jinsong: “?”
Ji You threw the Spirit Stone in his hand back into the box: “Feng Province is vast but produces very little grain. Ultimately, it’s because everyone can’t survive and is powerless. From now on, the land of Feng Province will no longer support useless Immortals.”
Cao Jinsong suddenly widened his eyes, thinking, what kind of swordsmanship is this? This is clearly driving those cultivators to go down and harvest wheat!
For those Immortal Villas, this isn't tribute; this is simply a humiliation fee!
Ji You stretched out his hand and conjured a long sword: “My Dao of the Sword has advanced significantly these past few days, and I’ve gained some insights. I’ve also created a new sword move called ‘Combined Cultivation.’ Neither of these moves is difficult; even those in the Lower Three Realms can learn them. The foreign Immortal Villas are truly blessed.
2
After hearing this, He Zhang’s teeth chattered.
When great energy emerges, to promote social development, it is always to liberate productive forces, and absolutely not to let a certain person or a certain Worldly Family become dominant.
Otherwise, this energy will form a malignant tumor, leading to more and more incurable diseases.
However, regarding Ji You's arrangements, State Prefecture did not widely publicize them, only cautiously spreading them.
In fact, the members of these foreign Immortal Villas in Feng Province are not as united as the Worldly Families in other prefectures, who are entirely of one surname, bound by blood.
They are often scattered soldiers from various families; although they are all in one Immortal Villa, they each have their own thoughts.
Facing the conditions offered by Ji You, some Village Masters and Elder-level figures naturally couldn't bring themselves to accept, but some in lower Realms with little status in the Immortal Villa might not be immune to this temptation.
“Learning swordsmanship from Ji You allows us to receive this year’s tribute?”
“That’s right, I heard the people from State Prefecture indeed said so. Zhang Pingyang and the others have already gone today.”
“There’s such a good thing? You can learn swordsmanship and get tribute?”
“Not only that, I heard they’ll also give out Magical Artifacts!”
“Heh, what ‘human Dao,’ what ‘Qingyun World,’ it sounds nice when you say it, but it’s just using a tiger’s skin as a banner. See, as soon as he signed the document, he started to gather nearby forces with some benefits. Back then, in Yun Province, You Province, and Liang Province, which Worldly Family didn’t rise this way?”
“No wonder the Village Master said there might still be a chance if we stay—”
“Ji You is ultimately one person. He knows in his heart that even if he kills the Village Masters of the five Immortal Villas, he cannot suppress all Immortal Villas by himself. Others first use courtesy then force; he, on the other hand, uses force then courtesy, which is not a bad strategy at all.”
Not far from State Prefecture, at Tianyuan Mountain Village, several Condensation Realm Disciples were sitting together, discussing animatedly.
One of them, a Condensation Realm cultivator in his thirties named Pang Yue, seemed eager to try the idea of practicing swordsmanship to receive tribute.
While they were discussing, a somewhat weary figure walked in, pushing open the door and entering Tianyuan Mountain Village.
It was Zhang Pingyang, whom they had previously discussed.
Pang Yue instantly looked up from the stone pavilion: “Junior Brother, you went to State Prefecture? How was it?”
Zhang Pingyang’s lips twitched slightly: “Ji You’s Dao of the Sword is indeed—incredibly powerful.”
“So, teaching swordsmanship is real?”
“Mm.”
Pang Yue opened his mouth: “What about the tribute?”
Zhang Pingyang hesitated for a long time before speaking: “Ji You indeed agreed. If you learn well, he will give tribute, but it won’t be as much as before.”
“It’s good enough to get some, after all, we also learned his Dao of the Sword. For us cultivators, skill is the most important thing, so this is much better than before.”
“Yes.”
Pang Yue glanced down at this moment, his eyes drawn to the object in Zhang Pingyang’s hand: “Junior Brother, what is that in your hand?”
Zhang Pingyang slightly hid the item behind him: “Nothing, this is a Magical Artifact they gifted, a Crescent Moon Scimitar—”
“They really gifted a Magical Artifact? It seems the rumors are true. But, why does it look so much like a farmer’s sickle?”
“Uh, all weapons in the world have similar shapes, don’t they? Sickles, precious sabers, sabers, scimitars, don’t they all have a handle and a blade? It’s not strange for them to look alike.”
Pang Yue couldn't help but nod, feeling that what he said made a lot of sense: “Then, when Ji You accepts Disciples, are there any other requirements?”
Zhang Pingyang shook his head: “No requirements, just need to register. Senior Brothers, you can all go.”
“That’s great! Then I’ll go check it out tomorrow. This Ji Family has just been established and is isolated in Feng Province, so it needs manpower. I’m already in the Condensation Realm, so if I go early, I might even become a guest of honor!”
“Yes, yes, a guest of honor.”
For a fringe member of a Worldly Family like Pang Yue, coming to Feng Province was a reluctant move.
The Tianyuan Immortal Villa, where he was currently located, was not the property of their Pang Family, and the Villa Master was merely a Tongxuan Upper Realm cultivator. Therefore, he felt that following Ji You actually offered a much better future than staying here.
Because that was a Worldly Family, and he could also cultivate Ji You's Sword Dao.
That was the Sword Dao that had killed all the Villa Masters and Elders in the mountain villa.
Pang Yue, along with several fellow cultivators from the Immortal Villa, went to the State Prefecture the next day and did not return until dusk. At this time, there were also some cultivators in Tianyuan Mountain Villa, just like Pang Yue last night, sitting in the pavilion, discussing the matter of Immortal Villa Disciples still being able to receive offerings.
Soon, a figure walked out from Tianyuan Mountain Villa, entering their sight, covered in starlight.
“Senior Brother Pang Yue, you went to the State Prefecture? Is that rumor true or false?”
“It's true.”
“What did you get?”
“A Magical Artifact, the Crescent Moon Scimitar—”
For the next three days, Feng Province had continuous light rain.
Wen Zhengxin, Ban Yangshu, and Bai Rulong arrived at Changning Crossing by Immortal Ship, then changed to a carriage to head to the State Prefecture.
They had said before that once Ji You established a Worldly Family, they would join as offerings. Their arrival now was for this very purpose.
However, as their carriage continuously approached the State Prefecture, their expressions couldn't help but change, maintaining this look almost the entire way.
Because everywhere they passed, in every bountiful wheat field, there was a cultivator holding a sickle, frantically harvesting wheat, while muttering something like, “Sword Dao: Combined Harvest!”
By the fields, countless old farmers stood with their hands tied, waiting anxiously at the edge of the fields.
What was going on? Had this year's Immortals become so impatient that they were personally coming down to collect offerings?
Before Wen Zhengxin and the other two even entered the prefectural city, they saw Ji You in a drizzling rain.
Under the autumn rain, Ji You stood in the field, watching a sickle fly close to the ground, harvesting thousands of ripe wheat.
A group of people surrounded him, including Cao Jinsong, Pei Ruyi, and officials from the State Prefecture who managed various affairs.
These people looked at the Immortals in the fields, holding “Crescent Moon Scimitars” and performing “Combined Harvest,” their expressions very complex.
“Ji *Shidi* (Junior Brother Ji)!”
“?”
Ji You turned his head, his eyes slightly brightening: “Wen Shijie, Senior Brother Ban, Ru Long?”
The three of them simultaneously got out of the carriage and walked towards him, looking at the cultivators in the fields and couldn't help but ask: “What's—what's going on?”
“The external Immortal Villas are deeply rooted here, and some are clearly trying to renege and refuse to leave.”
“Actually, what they said isn't wrong. I'm still alone, it's hard to control the entire Feng Province, and now that the overt offerings are gone, these people will sooner or later be unable to resist secretly plundering locally, becoming true bandits causing chaos in Feng Province.”
“So, I need to open a loophole for them. They can still receive offerings. We are now landlords, and the common people won't have to work so hard. It's hitting three birds with one stone.”
Wen Zhengxin opened her mouth: “So you're threatening them to farm? How could they be so obedient?”
Ji You looked at Wen Zhengxin with a strange expression: “What farming? They're cultivating the Dao. Look, they're practicing the Sword Dao I taught them, ‘Combined Harvest,’ with their Crescent Moon Scimitars. That's what they tell everyone when they go out.”
“?”
“Cultivators also need Face. Don't talk nonsense about farming.”
Just then, a sixty-year-old official from Feng Province walked over, bowing forward: “Lord Ji, your humble subordinate has found a crop that can be harvested three times a year, and its price is also higher than grain.”
Ji You's eyes instantly lit up upon hearing this, thinking to himself that it was truly a case of wishing for something and getting it: “Let them practice ‘Combined Cultivation’ during spring plowing. We'll try planting a few acres.”
Wen Zhengxin, Ban Yangshu, and Bai Rulong looked at Ji You, then at the sixty-year-old official, thinking to themselves, he's a living King of Hell.
Then they turned their heads to look at the cultivators practicing “Combined Harvest,” thinking to themselves, these are living oxen and horses.
But can this really work?
Wen Zhengxin and Ban Yangshu exchanged glances, a faint worry in their hearts.
Ji You, Cao Instructor, and Ru Yi had killed many people in the mountains that day, which was indeed enough to deter these Immortal Villas for a while.
However, using the excuse of practicing Sword Dao to make them farm, it might be fine once or twice, but over the long term, it would definitely cause trouble.
Especially these people who were doing combined harvesting in the fields, although they were just fringe members of various Worldly Families, they still had Worldly Family Bloodline. Even if these people didn't mind, how could those Worldly Families endure their Family members being treated as oxen and horses here?
Ji *Shidi* (Junior Brother Ji)'s Sword Dao is unparalleled, but he is still only in the Tong Xuan Realm after all.
Feng Province, this land, has no Immortal Sects, no Worldly Families. Ji *Shidi* (Junior Brother Ji) has found a good deal, but there is still quite a distance to go before he can suppress the entire region.
Not to mention a thousand-year-old Worldly Family like the Chu Family, even ordinary Worldly Families have Wujiang Realm cultivators as their foundation.
They weren't worried that Ji You couldn't cultivate to the Wujiang Realm; they were just afraid that after Ji You established his Family this time, his Dao Heart would be tainted by worldly affairs, and his cultivation would be neglected.
At this moment, Bai Rulong looked at Ji You with a chill.
“The rain seems to always avoid Brother Ji, just running away on its own.”
“?”
Wen Zhengxin and Ban Yangshu were stunned for a moment and looked at Ji You.
He indeed wasn't holding an umbrella, and his clothes were still dry as he stood on the field ridge.
But what was so strange about that?
Cultivators could use Spiritual Qi to protect their bodies, resisting wind and cold was nothing, so naturally, they could also block rain, which was not something to be surprised about.
However, the two quickly realized that “not falling on Brother Ji” was not the point; the point was “running away on its own.”
Because the effect of blocking rain with Spiritual Qi was to deflect the falling rain, and where the rain would fly to was completely beyond their control.
But the raindrops falling near Ji You from the gloomy sky were not being deflected; instead, they seemed to be influenced by some airflow, smoothly sliding away and falling to the ground in a curved path.
The two were stunned by this sight, then activated their Divine Thought and began to observe the subtle details around him. They saw an inexplicable Qi current slowly flowing around his body, encircling him.
The raindrops were then blocked by this Qi current, and also turned with it, before falling into the rural mud.
“Is it a Daoist Magic—?”
Wen Zhengxin looked at Ban Yangshu.
Ban Yangshu nodded: “Hmm.”
Wen Zhengxin turned her head, unable to help but recall the discussions she had heard in the academy a few days prior.
Someone said that during the battle on Night City Mountain, two Immortal Villa Masters had jointly attacked Ji You, but each attack failed to land completely on its target, as if some Qi current had deflected their weapons.
Others might have only half-understood this statement, but those who had witnessed the Autumn Tournament would likely have had thoughts as complex as theirs.
Ji *Shidi* (Junior Brother Ji)'s current Daoist Magic surrounding him was very similar to the Daoist Magic Chu River used to counter his Sword Dao back then.
“Most Tong Xuan Realm cultivators can only glimpse a bit of the Heavenly Dao, observing its mysteries but not grasping its methods. To truly master Daoist Magic, one still needs to be in the Rongdao Realm.”
“That's not absolute. The Chu Family's inherited Daoist Magic can also be used by Tong Xuan Realm cultivators.”
“But that's their Family's inherited method, so how did Ji *Shidi* (Junior Brother Ji) comprehend it?”
The two looked at the clear breeze surrounding him, feeling a bit bewildered, and their gazes couldn't help but shift to Pei Ruyi and Cao Jinsong.
Both of them were also looking at Ji You in the rain, their expressions somewhat difficult to describe.
When the battle began on Night City Mountain that day, Cao Jinsong had noticed the Qi current surrounding Ji You, but at the time, he was busy fighting for his life and didn't pay much attention.
Coupled with the focus on establishing a Worldly Family in the past few days, he had also overlooked this.
However, it was only this morning, when they arrived at the field's edge amidst the autumn rain, that they noticed this phenomenon, and they too were now filled with much confusion.
Just as Cao Jinsong had said before, the Great Dao is vast and profound, only to be understood implicitly, not explicitly. They also didn't know what Ji You was cultivating.
Afterward, everyone left the fields and, braving the rustling rain, headed to the State Prefecture.
Ban Yangshu, Wen Zhengxin, and Bai Rulong were officially registered as Ji Family offerings. Including Pei Ruyi, his Worldly Family now had three Rongdao Realm cultivators, one Tong Xuan Realm, and one Junior Third Realm Completion.
Such a configuration was already quite impressive in Feng Province, considering that even those few swaggering Immortal Villas only had their Villa Masters reaching the Rongdao Realm.
“I'm happy today, so I'll waive Senior Brother Ban, Wen Shijie, and Ru Long's offerings for three years.”
“Ji *Shidi* (Junior Brother Ji), actually, the meaning of being an offering is that you should be paying us.”
“What?”
Ji You frowned immediately upon hearing this: “That's ridiculous? Don't worry, our Family won't have such inhumane rules.”
Rulong Immortal Emperor smacked his lips: “Thinking about it, it's even worse than those working in the fields. You have to pay to be an offering, even worse than oxen and horses.”
“The problem is I don't have money either, but I can't exploit the common people or feed on their Bloodline offerings like those Immortal Villas. Let's take it slow, there will always be ways to make money. Don't forget, we have so many of our clients here.”
“?”
Bai Rulong looked at everyone with some confusion: “What are clients?”
Pei Ruyi subtly opened her mouth: “He means he wants to take you robbing.”
“Robbing whom?”
“Including but not limited to Immortal Villas, Worldly Families, and even—Immortal Sects.”
Bai Rulong's eyes widened, and he turned to look at Ji You: “Is it still too late for me to quit now?”
Ji You looked up at him: “If you quit, you'll immediately become my first client.”
Upon hearing this, Rulong Immortal Emperor held his breath.
(Seeking monthly votes)