Chapter 168: Round Hips with Tails
During the clear and bright autumn season, in the Master's Courtyard between the Inner and Outer Courtyards.
Qin Zhangshi informed Ji You that the Barbarian Race had sent an envoy to the Yao Race and was warmly received by them.
In his description, he even used phrases like "grand banquets" and "singing and dancing enthusiastically" to highlight the fact that the Yao Race was not actually averse to the Barbarian Race, which also indirectly emphasized the precarious situation the Human Race was currently in.
At this, Ji You frowned slightly.
Cultivators who secluded themselves in deep mountains were not well-informed, and he was indeed hearing about this for the first time. He had not expected that after a thousand years of internal strife, the Human Race would now face continuous external threats.
After this preamble, Qin Zhangshi poured him a cup of tea, showing genuine concern, and then began to get to the main point.
The main point was that Great Xia planned to send an envoy to the Snow Region to meet the Demon Emperor, and this journey, which would traverse the Northern Plains and the Snow Region, required his participation in the escort.
He also made it clear that Ji You would not be the only one involved in this mission; personnel dispatched by the Seven Great Immortal Sects would also accompany the envoy.
It was said that there were sixteen Rongdao Realm cultivators, several Tong Xuan Realm cultivators, all of whom were powerful individuals who had emerged from years of secluded cultivation specifically for this matter, and there were also Wujiang Realm cultivators accompanying them.
The implication was that this trip would be very safe.
Furthermore, Qin Zhangshi even used descriptions such as "many beautiful Yao Race women," "their hips are quite round," and "there are even tails on their perky hips," to increase the appeal of the trip.
Ji You had been listening very attentively, and the atmosphere of their exchange was solemn and formal, until the phrase “tails on their round hips” came out, causing him to furrow his brow slightly.
“Who told Qin Zhangshi that I like women with round hips?”
“Isn't that what everyone in the Outer Courtyard says? They even said you once led the way for a Junior Sister with very round hips, showing enthusiasm and hospitality, truly embodying the demeanor of an Inner Courtyard student of our Tianshu Academy.”
Ji You sat in his chair, staring at Qin Zhangshi for a long time, his gaze deep and calm.
All initial assurances of safety were generally unsafe, and using Yao Race women with round hips as an additional enticing condition only further confirmed this.
The atmosphere began to solidify until Qin Zhangshi placed a stack of large-denomination silver notes and a stock list of three thousand snowy region demon stones on the table.
Ji You glanced at the silver notes on the table: “Giving so much?”
“Yes, this journey north is long, and it's a foreign land, so it's only right to give more.”
Qin Zhangshi spoke in a gentle tone, waiting for his decision.
In his view, the next moment would yield only two outcomes.
If he took it, this journey north would be a near-certain death.
If he didn't, although he would inevitably be targeted by Worldly Families alone, there might still be a glimmer of hope.
Ji You pondered for a long time, then reached out and picked up the silver notes, suddenly flashing a brilliant smile: “Thank you for your patronage, boss.”
Qin Rong was silent for a moment, then finally raised a polite smile: “Go back and prepare well. Once the official document from the Immortal Supervisorate is issued, you can set off.”
“No problem. Next time something like this comes up, come find me again.”
“Uh, of course.”
Ji You tucked the silver notes and deposit slip into his embrace, then walked out of the Master's Courtyard.
At this moment, Lang Hetong placed the teacup in his hand on the table, watching his figure walk from the main building of the Master's Courtyard towards the courtyard gate.
He had actually been there all along, but since his duties did not involve Disciple dispatch, he had not interrupted the conversation.
Only after Ji You left did he finally speak: “I thought even with gold and Spirit Stones, it would take some persuasion to convince him.”
Qin Rong sighed: “Perhaps this is true avarice.”
Lang Hetong scraped the tea foam with the lid of his bowl: “Actually, Ji You has always been clever, but I don't know why, whenever money is involved, he seems to lose his mind, even thinking this is a good thing.”
“That's why it's called a weakness—”
Lang Hetong drank his tea and then spoke: “Who are we sending from our Inner Courtyard for this trip?”
Qin Rong came back to his senses: “Ge Elder of the Tong Xuan Realm, and Shi Junhao, a Disciple of Chang Sheng Dian, and Xiao Hanyan, a Disciple of Dustless Hall. If they return safely, these two should become direct Disciples of their respective halls.”
“No wonder they're willing to go.”
“Compared to these two who aspire to become direct Disciples of an Immortal Hall, Ji You, who sells his life for money, truly seems too foolish and cheap.”
Qin Rong murmured softly, accompanied by a faint sigh.
The quota for direct Disciples of an Inner Courtyard Immortal Hall represented a significant step towards the Dao lineage. If the Immortal Master of the Sect decided to Ascend one day, then the current direct Disciple of the hall master would become the next hall master of Tianshu Academy.
And a hall master of Tianshu Academy was enough to look down on the world, with words that became law.
In comparison, the yellow and white objects that Ji You coveted truly seemed exceptionally cheap.
After noon, the autumn day grew mild.
At this time, the Tianshu Academy's decree still shimmered in the sky, emitting ten thousand golden rays that pierced through the clouds, spreading in all directions.
Meanwhile, the three great Immortal Sects from the south also had their entourages arriving in Shengjing City, making the already bustling Shengjing City even more lively and congested.
Countless cultivators with powerful auras took up residence in Chunhua Alley, carrying arrogant expressions and eyes that saw nothing beyond themselves,
as if they were looking down on the Mortal world, surveying all under heaven.
Thus, without much further effort, news about the Human Race, Barbarian Race, and Yao Race began to spread like wildfire.
The Barbarian Race's envoy to the Yao Race being warmly received caused countless hearts to tighten.
“The Snow Region is in the northwest of the Northern Plains, with a complex and dangerous environment, rampant savage beasts, and a high probability of encountering the Barbarian Race. Therefore, only experts above the Rongdao Realm are being sent this time, because Barbarian Race soldiers are naturally strong and robust, and only such experts can venture deep into it.”
On the western corridor by Bi Shui Lake in the Outer Courtyard, Lou Siyi, with a solemn expression, explained to Lu Qingqiu and her sisters.
Their family had always been involved in cultivating Spirit Saplings and Immortal Medicine, and they also had a breeding ground in the Northern Plains, specifically to the east of Hantie Pass.
Having been exposed to it since childhood, she was most familiar with the situation in the Northern Plains.
Sun Qiaozhi spoke up upon hearing this: “What are savage beasts?”
“Aside from the Human Race having true spirits conceived within them since birth, both the Barbarian Race and the Yao Race can have individuals born without the ability to awaken their spiritual intelligence. Those individuals are called beasts. Because their beastly nature is savage, they can sometimes be more dangerous than those with awakened spiritual intelligence, making them difficult even for Rongdao Realm cultivators to deal with.”
Lu Qingqiu looked towards the Inner Courtyard after hearing this: “The Northern Plains, impassable for those below the Rongdao Realm, yet Ji You is on that escort list.”
Sun Qiaozhi turned to him: “It's said that Tianshu Academy gave him ten thousand taels of gold and three thousand snowy region demon stones,
and he accepted them happily.”
“He's always been like that, I'm not that surprised. Someone even said before that if you wanted to lure him away and kill him, you'd only need to scatter silver coins along the way—”
“Is that a joke?”
“It should be a joke, but this joke also proves how greedy for money Ji You is.”
Sun Qiaozhi pursed her red lips: “But even if he's greedy, he wouldn't throw his life away.”
Lu Qingqiu couldn't help but sigh upon hearing this: “Perhaps he doesn't know how dangerous the Northern Plains and the Snow Region are.”
He Lingxiu was currently in the deepest part of the Purple Bamboo Zen Forest in the Inner Courtyard, where the Spiritual Qi and Dao evolution were most abundant. During breaks in her cultivation, she also heard the discussions among several hall master candidates about this matter.
Given their status, they were actually able to realize that Ji You's appearance on the list was due to a concerted scheme.
Yet, they never expected such a clumsy scheme to be so effective on him.
The other two main characters in this matter, Shi Junhao and Xiao Hanyan, were also present.
They both possessed Rongdao Upper Realm cultivation, and even if they crossed the Northern Plains into the Snow Region, they were confident they could retreat safely. Moreover, their reward was a direct Disciple quota for a hall master.
As for the Master's Courtyard simply spending some money to buy Ji You's life, they, who were accustomed to being detached and as cold as Immortals, also couldn't help but find it amusing.
He Lingxiu withdrew her gaze from them, looked towards the horizon, and finally shook her head gently.
Escorting the envoy was different from going to Lingjian Mountain to seek the Dao.
Going to Lingjian Mountain to seek the Dao, the only risks were defeat and losing face, but facing the Barbarian Race was a matter of life and death, so she would not go, and her uncle would not let her go; that was the difference.
Therefore, for this trip, besides Shi Junhao and Xiao Hanyan, who were seeking the direct Disciple position, only someone as ignorant as Ji You would willingly go to his death for money.
Just then, a hurried sound of footsteps echoed from the mountain path, and He Lingxiu couldn't help but turn to look.
Wen Zhengxin and Ban Yangshu were approaching the Immortal Residence in the Inner Courtyard with serious expressions.
By this time, Ji You had been back from the Master's Courtyard for a while and was checking his silver notes at the table when he saw his Senior Brother and Senior Sister arrive in a hurry, slapping the stone table.
“Junior Brother!”
Ji You looked up at them: “Yes, I made a small fortune, but I'll have to treat you after I return.”
Ban Yangshu plopped down on the stone stool, but he wasn't in a joking mood: “I think it's absolutely necessary to tell you how dangerous the Northern Plains and the Snow Region really are!”
Wen Zhengxin also frowned deeply: “Junior Brother, this is not like going to Lingjian Mountain; you could really die.”
Then, the two of them, talking over each other, spilled out everything they knew about the situation beyond the pass, whether true or false, from official data or hearsay, all at once.
For example, how a Innate Spirit Medicine once appeared in the Northern Plains, leading to a scramble among all parties, with not a single Tong Xuan Realm cultivator surviving.
Or how those unawakened savage beasts were incredibly strong, bloodthirsty, and ruthless, things Qin Zhangshi had never mentioned.
“Ji Shidi, you have already established a Worldly Family in Feng Province; there are plenty of opportunities to make money. Why be so eager?”
Wen Zhengxin nodded as he took over from Ban Yangshu: “Indeed. Perhaps you're unwilling to exploit the common people,
but you could also rob Immortal Villas. There's no need to risk your life for this money.”
Ji You looked at them for a long time, then cupped his hands forward: “Thank you, Senior Brother and Senior Sister, for informing me.”
The two exchanged glances, thinking, “Did we get through to him?”
But just then, a knock on the door sounded again. A Disciple from the Master's Courtyard handed over a note, causing the two to temporarily halt their persuasion.
The note was from Kuang Cheng, inviting him for a talk.
“Senior Brother, Senior Sister, I need to go down the mountain for a bit. I'll be back soon, and then I'll listen to you continue.”
“What happened?”
“The matter of sending me to escort the envoy was initially Dou Yuankong trying to cause trouble. The reason might be because he has a grudge against a friend of mine. I'm afraid my friend will be in trouble after I leave, so I need to make arrangements.”
Wen Zhengxin and Ban Yangshu exchanged glances, realizing that despite all their words, they still hadn't dispelled his desire to earn that money.
He was even thinking about how to arrange things for his friend after leaving the capital, so they immediately apprehended him and dragged him to the Outer Courtyard to find Cao Jinsong.
Since he hadn't left yet, his friend would be safe for the time being.
The most important thing now was to dissuade him from this money-grubbing, life-risking decision, so that everyone could be safe and sound.
Subsequently, many people gathered in Cao Jinsong's courtyard. Besides Wen Zhengxin and Ban Yangshu, there were also Bai Rulong, the two sisters from the Lu family, and Sun Qiaozhi, among others.
They had been drawn there by seeing Wen Zhengxin and Ban Yangshu escort him in.
Inside the courtyard at this moment, Cao Jinsong, Wen Zhengxin, and Ban Yangshu all had increasingly serious expressions.
“Rebellious Disciple!”
“?”
Cao Jinsong's beard flew in his anger: “Do you not know how valuable your life is?!”
Ji You stepped over and sat on the stone stool, pouring himself a cup of tea. "I only know that my time is very valuable."
"Isn't that the same? You've established a Worldly Family now and are the Lord of Feng Province, so why are you still so easily reeled in by money? Do you have any ambition at all!"
"With so much money placed before me, how could I not be tempted?"
Cao Jinsong snorted in exasperation. "That depends on the situation. Don't you understand how dangerous it is to escort an envoy to the Yao Race? If it were me, even if they gave me half of Tianshu Academy, I wouldn't be tempted."
Ji You pulled out the stack of banknotes from his embrace. "Was I tempted?"
Cao Jinsong's eyes widened. "Holy crap, that much?!"
Ban Yangshu immediately nudged Cao Jinsong upon hearing this, and Cao Instructor instantly became serious. "Some money is easy to earn, but some money is not."
Ji You took a deep breath and placed his hands on his knees. "I went to the Master's Courtyard this morning. Qin Rong told me about it and said that everything in the Yao Race is good, and that the Yao Race women all have plump buttocks."
Upon hearing this, Bai Rulong instantly held his breath.
On the day he entered the academy as a new Disciple, his money bag was robbed, and he suffered a great loss of Origin Qi, which he still hadn't recovered from.
Ji You then added, "Then he said that if I went, he could give me ten thousand taels of gold, plus three thousand snowy region demon stones, laid out nakedly before me."
"So you agreed to go?"
"They didn't think it through. This was originally my tribulation."
Ji You dipped his hand in some tea and drew three connected maps on the table. "Look, Yun Province and the Northern Border are connected, and my Feng Province is just to their east."
Cao Jinsong instantly furrowed his brow, while Wen Zhengxin and Ban Yangshu exchanged glances, as if sensing something. "No, no, no, Hantie Pass is actually closer to Yun Province. Even if it's breached, Yun Province, not Feng Province, would be impacted. And if it truly came to that, the Seven Great Immortal Sects wouldn't just sit idly by."
Ji You shook his head. "No, Yun Province isn't the closest, because in the hearts of cultivators, Feng Province is closer."
"?"
"If negotiations fail and the Yao Race allies with the Barbarian Race, Hantie Pass won't hold for three days. Then the enemy will enter the southern Northern Border, the Human Race will panic, and cultivators will decide to join the war. Between Yun Province and Feng Province, they will most likely choose to use all of Feng Province as a battlefield, setting up numerous ambushes."
"Because Yun Province has many Worldly Families and Spirit Stone mines everywhere, the Human Race is unwilling to abandon it. But Feng Province is just a barren land with no end in sight; its loss wouldn't have much impact."
"Of course, they won't inform the common people of this news in advance, partly because they don't care about their lives, and partly because doing so would easily alert the enemy."
"Feng Province is too good; no Worldly Families, no Immortal Sects, it's practically a natural burial ground."
As his voice fell, everyone immediately fell silent, then looked at each other, realizing that if the Yao Race truly allied with the Barbarian Race, everything would indeed happen as Ji You predicted.
The Inner Courtyard and Outer Courtyard Disciples called him foolish, called him greedy, and said he didn't know how dangerous the Northern Plains and Snow Region were.
But what he saw was always a greater danger.
Ji You looked at them. "Then Old Qiu died, Chen Fuzi died, those children also died, everyone died, only I was still alive, and a group of people were even unluckier; they weren't originally in Feng Province, but fled here because I reduced taxes, only to find it was a deathtrap."
Lu Qingqiu and Lu Hanyan paused. "But even if you go, you can't do anything."
"Indeed, I can't do much, but I can send back a message in advance, telling them to flee if they need to, or beg the Yao Race, that's all."
Ban Yangshu raised his head. "Things might not be so bad."
Ji You looked at him. "But if the Yao Race didn't have this intention, why would they so enthusiastically receive the Barbarian Race envoys?"
Upon hearing this, Ban Yangshu fell silent.
The truth was just as Ji You said; the Barbarian and Yao Races, who had always had no contact, began interacting at this critical juncture.
Their intentions were naturally self-evident.
Otherwise, it would be superfluous.
Ji You refilled his teacup. "Many people, after hearing this, always feel that the money is too little, or not worth it, or say that only a true Disciple position would make it worthwhile. But my first thought was, what about the people I know?"
"I just got a new home; I haven't even started my family yet."
"Humans are actually afraid of death. When I was cultivating in Yuyang County back then, I was afraid of being discovered, so I covered my windows with black curtains every night. But this world is truly too rotten, so every time I act on impulse, I feel there's nothing worth cherishing, and I always have a 'life and death are trivial, if you don't like it, fight' mentality."
"Before things happen, a Tong Xuan Realm cultivator can do a lot of work. If by chance it happens, it's an unstoppable catastrophe."
"That night in Yuyang County, I also had two choices: ask Fang Ruoyao for help or break through myself. But I've always been accustomed to holding the course of events in my own hands."
Ji You looked at them. "Speaking of which, even if I don't go this time, will I go when Feng Province really starts fighting? Or will I still be able to calmly hide in Tianshu Academy and continue cultivating?"
Wen Zhengxin was silent for a long time, then raised his head and softly said, "You will definitely go to war."
The Seven Great Immortal Sects closed their mountain gates and activated their protective formations. That Immortal Sect Young Master was originally cultivating and breaking through, but one day, he suddenly descended the mountain to face the Demon Race.
The lamb child had his head cut off, the old woman had her heart dug out, and Xiuxiu was nailed to the wall.
She was a farmer's daughter, of average appearance, rustic, without an immortal aura.
Nailed to the city wall, like withered grass, swaying in the wind.
Run...
Xiuxiu was not yet fully dead; seeing him, her last words remaining in the human world were, run...
Later, that Immortal Sect Young Master did not ascend, but instead died in battle on the city wall, covered in wounds, his body still stubbornly standing upright.
At this moment, her mind was filled with the story of that night in Qi Ridge.
Because too much time had passed, this story had originally been forgotten, but now it was incredibly clear again.
Lu Qingqiu looked at Bai Rulong strangely at this moment, finding him clenching his teeth, his eyes filled with tears as he murmured Xiuxiu's name, but she didn't know who Xiuxiu was.
However, before she could ask, Ji You's voice once again gently sounded in her ears.
"Facing this tribulation now gives a glimmer of hope; dragging it out will surely lead to death."
"Because if the Yao Race doesn't ally with the Barbarian Race, the risk of this trip will be much smaller, and I am confident I can escape back. But if the Yao Race allies with the Barbarian Race, I will definitely defend the city, so there's no difference."
"Actually, I'm saying all this for the sake of my Dao Heart. If something really goes wrong, I'll escape to Hantie Pass and join the army there. I believe the Zhenbei Army will welcome a Tong Xuan Realm like me."
"Things always have two outcomes; it just depends on how one chooses."
Cao Jinsong sighed at this moment. "The Yao Race's current attitude is indeed hard to predict."
Ji You looked at the gradually drying tea and turned to Bai Rulong. "Rulong Immortal Emperor, I heard that Yao Race women have plump buttocks and tails, and they sway when they walk. Do you want to come with me to see?"
Bai Rulong instantly held his breath, his eyes shining brightly. "Really? Can I go and see?"
"Of course! If I can go, you can go too!"
I'm fired up! I'm going back to pack my bags now!"
Ji You looked at Cao Jinsong. "Look, even Rulong Immortal Emperor can be so reckless for buttocks. Isn't that admirable?"
Wen Zhengxin and Ban Yangshu held their breath. "Bai Rulong, are you really not afraid of death?"
Bai Rulong frowned deeply. "It's not like I'm definitely going to die. If there's danger, I'll just furrow my brow and shield Brother Ji. But if I don't go, my Dao Heart won't be clear—"
"Your Dao Heart is truly vulgar—"
At this moment, Lu Qingqiu and Lu Hanyan couldn't help but turn their heads, subconsciously glancing at their own buttocks.
Afterward, Ji You got up and left Cao Jinsong's courtyard, then descended the mountain to Chunhua Alley.
Kuang Cheng was sitting in his room at this moment, staring blankly at the map of Kyushu hanging on the wall. The room was unlit, appearing somewhat dim.
The dispatch of the envoy to the Snowy Region Yao Race was handled by the Immortal Supervisor, so he had known about it since this morning. He had also seen that list today.
The Pro-Immortal faction had been in contact with the Yao Race envoy recently, and coupled with last night's incident, he could probably guess the intricacies involved.
However, neither Dou Yuankong nor any targeting by Worldly Families was the most important thing at the moment.
"What are you looking at so intently?"
Kuang Cheng turned his head at the sound, then stood up and said, "I have already reported to the Supervisor. I will go north with you, but I cannot leave Hantie Pass; I can only wait on the city wall."
Ji You looked at him for a long time. "I thought you were going to earnestly persuade me not to be greedy for that bit of silver."
"That's not Brother Ji's true weakness."
"Don't think you understand me so well. That really is my weakness."
Kuang Cheng opened the box on the table at this moment, took out a dagger from it, and handed it to Ji You. "I bought this on the street for five taels of silver."
Ji You took it and glanced at it. "For my protection?"
"No, this is for me. If Brother Ji truly encounters danger, I will die with Brother Ji inside the pass, to be companions on the Yellow Springs road."
"No thanks, I'm afraid Wei Rui will dig up my grave."
Ji You rolled up his sleeves. "But it's good that you're waiting for me in the Northern Border. At least Dou Yuankong won't be able to target you in the capital."
Kuang Cheng tucked the dagger into his waist. "It's just a pity that I, Kuang Cheng, am a mere Mortal and cannot go with Brother Ji."
"It's not a good thing anyway, why rush?"
Ji You lowered his head to the table at this moment and found two books: one was Ten Thousand Mountains, and the other was Snow Region, placed to the right of the dagger box.
These two books were records of the customs and geography of the Barbarian and Yao Races, reportedly documented by a chivalrous person at great risk back then.
"Are you looking at information on the Barbarian Race and Yao Race?"
Kuang Cheng nodded. "I've been looking for a long time, sifting through and organizing all the information you might need."
Ji You lifted his robe and sat down on the futon. "You know what, there's actually something I wanted to ask you."
"Brother Ji, please speak freely."
"Do the Yao Race really have women with plump buttocks and tails?"
"?"
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