Chapter 169: The Abandoned Land of the Human Race
Rulong Immortal Emperor has a good butt, round is the best.
Although Ji You’s ambition was not in this, as a man, he would never find it annoying.
However, if it were just an ordinary situation, he would only feel admiration, but he would never dwell on it. But if you added a tail, it would be different—
How it connects, whether the clothes need a hole, and if it can be controlled like an arm.
Curiosity is inherently the noblest quality of all things in the world, because curiosity has always propelled the Human Race forward. Some have found the Immortal Dao because of it, and some have forged techniques because of it; there is no shame in it.
After the Yao Race opened trade with Kyushu, these foreign races were no longer rare, but those who came to do business were mostly men, with very few women.
Moreover, after entering the pass, they mostly imitated the Human Race’s way of dressing, so no one knew for sure if they had them.
Different regional environments often lead to different customs and dressing habits.
Ji You had heard before that in ancient times, in a certain ethnic group, women’s clothing had no chest coverings,
And they were proud of it for generations.
This is the blooming of diverse national cultures.
However, there was no record of this in “The Origin of the Snowy Region,” so it seems that the Knight did not have the courage to venture deep into the Yao Race territory alone.
Kuang Cheng flipped through the book: “I only found some loosely related snippets. It seems this blank section needs Brother Ji to fill it in.”
Ji You felt the weight of responsibility: “I will do my best.”
“I always feel like Brother Ji isn’t going for Feng Province’s sake—”
“I am investigating for Brother Ru Long.”
Kuang Cheng now came back to his senses and said, “The matter of the tail is still unclear, but Brother Ji must remember that the Yao Race can shapeshift into beasts, and the Barbarian Race can barbarize. Their strength will greatly increase, and their Physical Bodies are extremely strong. Never let your guard down.”
Ji You looked up at this moment: “If they transform, do they get a tail?”
“Transforming makes them very strong.”
“?”
“This is what I saw in the Si Xianjian’s archives. The Barbarian Race has been confronting our Great Xia for many years, and they are hard to kill. One reason is this barbarization ability; they can all rise from desperate situations, making them very difficult to deal with.”
Among the ten thousand races in the Qingyun World, the Human Race’s Physical Body is the weakest, but correspondingly, the Human Race is also the closest to the Heavenly Dao. This is the balance in nature.
It’s impossible for one race to possess all strengths; if that were the case, then all other races in the world would simply perish.
Just like in the Primordial Era, the Ancient Remnant Race, with their most perfect Physical Bodies, eventually became a scourge.
Ji You came back to his senses: “No worries. If I truly encounter trouble on this trip, I will furrow my brow and shield everyone. When the sky falls, there should always be someone tall to hold it up.”
Kuang Cheng opened his mouth: “What a fine quality.”
“Oh, do you have a map of the Northern Plains and the Snow Region here? I’ll familiarize myself with the routes and surrounding environment first.”
“Yes, I copied one from the Si Xianjian, but it’s old and might not be exactly current, but it’s fine for reference.”
Kuang Cheng finished speaking, turned around, and picked up a stack of documents from the small lacquered red cabinet behind him, which included maps of the Northern Plains and the Snow Region.
However, when Ji You heard the words “old and outdated,” he couldn’t help but recall the story of Kuang Shusheng going to the capital for the imperial examination, using an eight-year-old map of Shengjing City, and ending up successfully checking into a brothel across the street.
This, he couldn’t possibly walk into the Barbarian Race’s lair, could he?
Forget it, it’s better than nothing.
It is said that the Yao Race and the Barbarian Race do not emphasize fortifications, nor are there rumors of extensive construction. Although the landscape changes over time, the difference should not be too great.
Moreover, when they depart, the Zhenbei Army will definitely send a map.
He obtained this one from Kuang Cheng in advance just to familiarize himself.
Ji You put away the map and continued to look at the descriptions of the environment outside Kyushu in the book: “It seems the terrain beyond the far north is quite complex, especially upon entering the Snow Region, where the cold penetrates to the bone. I wonder how the Yao Race survives. Before I leave, I should buy some warm clothes to prepare.”
“Don’t cultivators use Spiritual Qi to protect their bodies?”
“Cultivators cannot always use Spiritual Qi to protect their bodies, especially in an unknown environment, they must constantly maintain a full state. The strongmen who perform in the streets are said to be incredibly powerful, but they don’t go shirtless all day.”
Ji You looked up: “Moreover, the most important thing for this trip is to cover our tracks. If we really swagger about with Qi, I’m afraid we’ll become a living target.”
Kuang Cheng nodded after hearing this: “Indeed, we must proceed covertly.”
“Hmm, also, I need to buy a few more Spirit Swords, and there’s a Magical Artifact I liked earlier, which is said to withstand a full-power attack from an Yingtian Realm expert, but I didn’t buy it because it was too expensive.”
“Oh, and the message Spiritual Platform, this is the most important. If anything happens, I will immediately send a message to the city to avoid any delay.”
“This journey is long, so I should also prepare some tea. I’ve grown particularly fond of drinking tea lately.”
“Cao Jinsong’s birthday is approaching, pick something to give him, preferably something expensive. Some money cannot be saved—
+
Kuang Cheng listened and couldn’t help but look up, a hint of confusion in his eyes.
He knew that Tianshu Academy had given Ji You money, but he didn’t believe he would spend money for a mission; that was unreasonable.
Especially the tea, and birthday gifts, these were even more unrelated to escorting the envoy mission.
“Brother Ji.”
“Hmm?”
“Who are you planning to extort this time?”
Ji You was calculating the items in his mind when he heard the voice and looked at Kuang Cheng.
In the evening, under the fiery sky that spanned Shengjing City, a servant from Qionghua Pavilion emerged from the gate, carrying a long bill, and headed alone to Tianshu Academy.
This was actually against the rules, because according to Qionghua Pavilion’s regulations, unless a guest could present an Immortal Sect seal, the consumption amount could not be charged to the Immortal Sect.
But the guest spoke terribly, saying that the Yao Race and the Barbarian Race were about to attack, and his trip was to deal with this matter. If things were delayed due to a lack of Magical Artifacts, no one would survive.
The shopkeeper seemed to know about this matter, so he agreed, let him take the items, and dispatched himself to deliver the bill.
At this moment, in the Master's Courtyard, Qin Zhangshi held the bill with Ji You’s name on it, his eyelids twitching slightly.
Spirit Swords, defensive Spiritual Artifacts, defensive outer garments woven from spirit vines, and heart-protecting Spirit Mirrors—these were all understandable.
But what he couldn't understand was why it also included Spirit Melons, Spirit Fruits, honey, tea, and longevity peaches, hairpins, and bellybands carved from Spirit Stones.
In fact, ten thousand taels of gold and three thousand snowy region demon stones were already a considerable sum, as many Worldly Sect, fearing Ji You wouldn't go, had initially offered extremely tempting high prices.
However, in the hearts of those Worldly Family Disciples who had grown up in luxury, these were all mundane items, not as precious as power and status.
But they never expected that Ji You, after taking the money, would still extort items. The next morning, brilliant light shone everywhere.
Cao Jinsong and others stared blankly at the longevity peach carved from Spirit Stones before them.
After snowy region demon stones were brought into Kyushu by the Yao Race through trade, they became very popular due to their high quality and fair price. In contrast, the relatively lower-quality Zhongzhou stones depreciated the fastest, leading to an increasing number of hand-held items and ornaments made from Zhongzhou stones.
However, such a large longevity peach carved from Zhongzhou stone would also be quite valuable, as it was, after all, a Spirit Stone.
“Junior Brother said he was originally going to the Northern Region, and when he went to the Master's Courtyard earlier, he was afraid that malicious price gouging would make the other party change their mind, so he wanted to take the money he had received first.”
“After he got the money, he wanted to prepare some Magical Artifacts, but he found he was reluctant to spend it, so he charged it to Tianshu Academy.”
“He said that since so many people wanted him to go, they probably wouldn’t change their minds because of a bill, so he simply asked for more, confident that they couldn’t refuse.”
“He also said that even if they refused, the money he had already received would not be returned. This was his Dao.”
Ban Yangshu repeated Ji You’s words, his mouth twitching.
At this moment, Cao Jinsong picked up the enormous Spirit Stone longevity peach and took a deep breath: “My goodness, this child is extraordinary.”
Meanwhile, Wen Zhengxin picked up a bellyband, looked at it for a long time, and couldn’t help but blush and mumble softly, but only then did he realize that it was actually a heart-protecting Magical Artifact.
At the same time, Bai Rulong received a large money pouch, bigger than his previous one.
Strange, why give me a money pouch?
All the money in my money pouch is already in your money pouch; what do I need another money pouch for?
“Junior Brother Ji said this money pouch is also made of spirit vines, and it’s incredibly sturdy.”
“What’s its purpose?”
“He didn’t say, but I think it’s probably so it won’t tear no matter how much it’s pulled apart later.”
“?”
Bai Rulong turned to look at Ban Yangshu, falling silent.
Wen Zhengxin, holding the bellyband, heard the conversation and couldn’t help but look over: “Ru Long, can’t you be more diligent and enter the Tong Xuan Realm with a burst of Qi? Next time you get robbed, fight him fiercely for a few rounds.”
“Cultivation is so tiring, and besides, Brother Ji is a pretty good person—”
Ban Yangshu couldn’t help but interject: “He is good. He asked me to tell you that the Yao Race might really have women with round butts and tails, but your cultivation is too low, so he can only go see for himself and can’t take you.”
“Ah?!”
Bai Rulong reached out and slammed the money pouch onto the table, then turned and walked out: “This is too much!”
Ban Yangshu was startled: “Where are you going?”
“I’m going to cultivate diligently!”
Meanwhile, everyone in the Si Xianjian was busy preparing for the mission to the Snow Region.
Kuang Cheng, as the Chief of the Reception Office, and having previously handled the Yao Race trade, also joined in.
They compiled information about the various Barbarian Race tribes from the Zhenbei Army, which was then made into a manual. They also redrew maps of the Northern Plains and the Snow Region.
The part of the map concerning the Northern Plains was provided by the Zhenbei Army’s secret agents, while the part concerning the Snow Region was provided by the Yao Race responsible for trade.
These days were actually the period when the Seven Great Immortal Sects would each collect their tributes from Great Xia. The Si Xianjian was originally busy with this matter, but due to the mission to the Snow Region, it was temporarily put on hold.
For thousands of years, collecting tribute has always been a major affair. This system ensured that cultivators could pursue the Immortal Dao without desires.
After all, anything could be obtained from the tribute, and the ones toiling were merely Mortals, who in their eyes were like ants. They enjoyed the fruits of others’ labor, so why would they need to develop other desires?
But even this matter was postponed, which showed how much the Human Race valued this affair.
After all, the barbarian envoys had already been in the Snow Region for several days, and if they really reached some agreement, it would be too late for the Human Race to go.
During this period, the various state and county officials were also mobilized, and strict control began on the Yao Race merchants who came to Kyushu. No matter whether they entered or exited the city, or crossed borders, all Yao Race individuals had to register.
After all, if this diplomatic mission was unfavorable, the probability of the Yao Race in the territory taking advantage of the chaos was not small, and precautions were needed.
At the same time, Ji You was packing his luggage, putting all his belongings into his storage gourd, which also contained a Medicinal Pill box.
This Medicinal Pill box was sent by Yuan Caiwei and Yuan Chen this morning, and it contained countless Spirit Medicines.
A long letter was enclosed within it.
The general content was that Ji You had previously gone to Feng Province to establish a Worldly Family, and the matter was sudden; they only learned the news after it happened and were unable to help.
So this time, knowing he was going to the Yao Race, they specifically prepared many useful Medicinal Pills for his occasional needs.
Yuan Chen also said in the letter that these Medicinal Pills were not regularly stocked by the Dan Sect, and there was no inventory at home.
He and his Elder Sister refined them by keeping the furnace fire burning continuously for several days and nights according to the Medicinal Pill formula, wishing him a safe return.
That kid Yuan Chen still harbored designs on the matter of his brother-in-law, but he indeed didn't lie.
They truly stayed up countless late nights, working until their faces were pale from exhaustion to gather all the Medicinal Pills. By the time the furnace fire finally ceased, both of their Xuanyu Dan Hands were numb.
This, perhaps, was the benefit of a femme fatale—
Ji You reached out and flipped through the manual in the Medicinal Pill box, which contained introductions to the effects of the Medicinal Pills.
Hmm, very practical.
The entire Qingyun World knew he was poor, and they had also heard that he hadn't eaten any good Medicinal Pills since he started cultivating. The Yuan family siblings were afraid he wouldn't know how to use them.
However, he didn't have time to look through them now, because most of these Medicinal Pills were for healing or replenishment, but the best option was still not to get injured.
Ji You put the Medicinal Pill box into his storage gourd, then sat cross-legged on the bed.
He wanted to continue his fifteenth minor illumination, using Spirit Fire to burn his Physical Body, striving to complete it before leaving the capital.
Everyone knows that the barbarians and the Yao Race are born with strong Physical Bodies, but apart from the soldiers in the Zhenbei Army, no one can say for sure how strong this strength is.
Therefore, higher intensity body tempering is especially important for this trip to the Snow Region.
It is true that Physical Body strength limits the Divine Thought's perception of the Heavenly Dao, but before considering that, staying alive is the most important thing.
Two days later, a scorching aura emanated from Ji You's room, permeating the courtyard. Many Inner Courtyard Senior Sisters said they smelled a refreshing fragrance, but the Senior Brothers felt nothing.
【He personally cultivated himself into a stud horse】
And at this time, the official document from the Immortal Supervisor was also formally issued.
So, early the next morning, more than forty tall carriages filled the entire Yong'an Avenue in Shengjing City.
The cultivators who had arrived earlier in Shengjing and had been living in the Spring Pond Garden appeared one after another, their auras profound and mysterious,
attracting countless onlookers.
They were tall or short, fat or thin, male or female, holding swords, wearing swords, or gripping spears, all gathered here.
Because of their appearance, many people felt that the Spiritual Qi in Shengjing City was rapidly flowing with the middle section of Yong'an Street as its core. The Qi waves surged, almost triggering the Tianshu Academy's protective formation.
In fact, apart from the Dan Sect, although the other Seven Great Immortal Sects appeared harmonious on the surface, due to Worldly Family relations or competition for reputation, they were somewhat at odds with each other, hence the clash of Qi.
“Jiang Chenfeng of the Asked the Dao Sect—”
“You know him?”
“I heard of him five years ago at the Tiandao Conference. His talent was exceptionally outstanding, but he had been in seclusion ever since. I didn't expect him to already be at the upper stage of Integration Realm.”
“Who is that person with unbound hair?”
“Huo Hong of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion. Do you know what the Mountain and Sea Pavilion's surname is? It's Huo, but this one seems to be an illegitimate child….”
“Then who is that person standing on the rooftop, looking down with disdain, as if surveying the world?”
“Oh, this one is even more extraordinary. Gongshu Chou, a Disciple of Lingjian Mountain. He once displayed extraordinary combat power even when his Spirit Origin was suppressed by Evil Qi, fighting an inseparable battle with Ji You, who wielded seven swords, without falling behind!”
On the long streets of Shengjing City, countless people stood by the roadside, or on tea houses and taverns, watching these Prodigies. Their expressions were unlike those of Princess Changle, Prime Minister Wei Li, and the capital's Worldly Family scions, such as Dou Yuankong and others, as well as the Tianshu Academy students who emerged from the mountain gate, and the Immortal Sect travelers.
Especially these Immortal Sect travelers, they knew their Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters like the back of their hand.
These people, like Shi Junhao and Xiao Hanyan of Tianshu Academy, would receive great rewards after this trip.
Whether it was a direct Disciple quota or top-grade Immortal Medicine, no matter what the reward, it would be a worthwhile trip for them.
At this moment, Ji You had also arrived before the imperial city, reaching out to stroke the horse that was shaking its head and pawing its hooves, then turning to look ahead.
The Prodigies from various sects also looked over with arrogance, their gazes briefly lingering on him.
“Ji You—”
“The one from Tianshu Academy?”
“Exactly.”
There were countless Prodigies in the Qingyun World. Ji You's cultivation at this time could not compare to theirs, but his reputation was far superior.
After all, from entering the Outer Courtyard to the Inner Courtyard, he had indeed caused quite a few incidents, and his activity level far surpassed those who frequently went into seclusion.
Especially the matter of Feng Province, which involved tax offerings, its spread was even wider.
However, among this group, there were also those who had been in seclusion for several years and had never come out during this period. They knew nothing about him,
so they couldn't understand why there would be a Tong Xuan Realm cultivator in this team, and after a few glances, they quickly turned away.
Only Gongshu Chou looked at him for a longer time than anyone else, and his eyes were full of excitement.
Ji You was also paying attention to the Lingjian Mountain group at this time, including Gongshu Chou, there were four of them in total.
The other two Integration Realm cultivators were named Yan Qiubai and Xie Chenyu.
The last one was an Elder from Xuanjian Peak.
Ji You had seen him on the list. This Elder was named Yan Chuan, a master who had just entered the Wujiang Realm. He was already a hundred years old, but in the Immortal Realm, he was not considered elderly. His hair was only partially gray, and his spirit was vigorous, with Sword Qi all over his body.
Just then, the sound of carriage wheels came from within the imperial city.
Dozens more carriages drove out, carrying the envoys, historians, and attendants for this mission to the Snow Region, along with the Yao Race delegation previously dispatched to Shengjing, totaling over a hundred people, heading out of the city.
Seeing this, Ji You turned and got into the carriage.
And the other Immortal Sect experts also successively boarded the carriages, the sound of cracking whips echoing.
He Lingxiu was also watching from the divine path at this moment, only withdrawing her gaze when the carriages started moving. She then turned back to the Inner Courtyard with Fang Licheng, Chai Ze, Leng Yingying, and others.
Zuoqiuyang was in the bamboo forest at this time. Seeing them return over the mountain, he lightly stroked his long beard.
“Has the envoy group left the capital?”
He Lingxiu nodded: “Senior Brother Shi and Senior Sister Xiao have already left, and Ji You has gone with them. I hope these ten thousand taels of gold and three thousand snowy region demon stones won't cost him his life.”
Chai Ze and Fang Licheng, Leng Yingying, who were beside him, chuckled upon hearing this: “Not just that, there's also a longevity peach carved from Spirit Stone, a communication spiritual platform, a heart-protecting belly band and a protective Magical Artifact, as well as a fur robe, boots, and some tea for warmth.”
He Lingxiu: “?”
“Junior Sister He doesn't know, he went to Qionghua Pavilion a few days ago and bought some things, saying they were for this trip, and charged them to our Tianshu Academy's account.”
“This…”
Earlier, He Lingxiu had seen Wen Zhengxin and Ban Yangshu go to find Ji You, thinking they could persuade him.
Unexpectedly, Ji You still insisted on going, and even more unexpectedly, he asked the Inner Courtyard for more items.
In fact, this direct Disciple of Zizai Hall originally admired Ji You greatly. After all, during the Lingjian Mountain incident, it was said that he had obtained the Quiet Spirit Pill for her, which then curbed the backlash after the destruction of her accompanying techniques.
However, his current actions, focusing only on immediate gains, made He Lingxiu feel that his vision was far more shortsighted than that of Worldly Family scions.
Zuoqiuyang looked at He Lingxiu, and reached into his sleeve to hand her a memorial.
“What is this?”
“A letter from the Immortal Supervisor to Tianshu Academy. No matter what choice the Yao Race makes, our Human Race must prepare in advance. The barbarians and the Yao Race are not something the Zhenbei Army can handle.”
There were only two outcomes for sending an envoy group to the Snow Region, and thus there would be two corresponding strategies.
The Human Race would certainly not place all its hopes on the envoy group; it would definitely make other arrangements.
He Lingxiu opened the memorial and glanced at it, seeing that what was drawn on it was not the Northern Territory, nor Yun Province, which was closest to the Northern Territory, but the vast and barren Feng Province.
“War zone?”
Zuoqiuyang nodded: “If Hantie Pass cannot be defended, this will be the new battlefield. In fact, for thousands of years, Feng Province has always secretly served this purpose. Since the Human Race began to rule Kyushu, this has been a place that could be abandoned at any time. I imagine Ji You understood this from the start.”
He Lingxiu looked for a long time, then suddenly looked in the direction where the envoy group had left the capital, her eyes widening slightly.
And the other few Hall Master candidates also frowned at this time. As he turned to look, Ji You's profound gaze when he got into the carriage appeared before their eyes, and their expressions subtly changed.
“Sometimes, if a person's weakness is too obvious, one should be vigilant, because it might not be his greatest weakness, but rather something used to conceal what he truly cannot abandon.”
“Imagine if he didn't have such an easily exploitable weakness like greed for money, and with his rural background and such extraordinary talent, what would those who wanted to target him use to threaten and pressure him?”
“The farmers who painstakingly raised him for three years?”
“Those young children he painstakingly saved?”
“The scholar with whom he shares a life-and-death friendship?”
“A private cultivator from the countryside, I'm afraid he never let down his guard from the day he entered the academy, hiding everything behind him, only revealing his vulgar love for money.”
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