Chapter 185: The Return Journey
When a person is right in front of you, some feelings may not be too obvious, but once they are gone, those feelings start to become strange.
After all, in the quiet world of the Snow Region, external visitors are rare, and familiar clansmen seldom depart suddenly. So, even the Yaozu Gongzhu had no experience with separation.
It was just that the days suddenly became hazy.
Only then did she belatedly realize that it wasn't that she didn't care; she had merely naively believed she didn't.
This shows that sometimes people don't even understand themselves very well.
Under the vast, pale sky, Feng Yang sat blankly for a long time, then rose and walked towards the door. After three steps, she saw a man standing behind her.
He wore a large fur coat, a purple crystal crown on his head, and horns similar to her own. Fine scales also grew on his neck. He stood in the snow, looking at her with immense concern.
Hmm, this person looks so familiar?
It's as if I've seen him somewhere before—
Emmm... I can't remember.
Never mind, it's irrelevant.
Feng Yang withdrew her gaze and walked out of Yu Garden, looking around blankly, as if unsure which direction to go.
At this moment, Night Chill's eyes widened as he watched his sister, who seemed not to recognize him, and a sudden surge of murderous, bone-shattering rage erupted within him.
Shu He had two short blades of extraordinary quality, crafted by the Scale Clan with great effort from precious iron excavated from beneath the permafrost.
That night, after he died in the West Courtyard of Yu Garden, Night Chill had sent people to search for his two commonly used short blades.
The West Courtyard was almost turned upside down, but the two short blades were never found.
Later, thinking that the one named Ji You had been awakened by gold after being severely injured and unconscious, he understood what had happened.
But what he didn't expect was that his Imperial Sister's soul had also been abducted, just like those short blades.
【It's just admiration.】
【They are, after all, just visitors.】
【I am the Yaozu Gongzhu; it's impossible for me to like a Human Race member.】
Night Chill watched Feng Yang's retreating figure, and his conversations with his sister from a few days ago echoed like a boomerang, leaving his mind dazed.
Those damned Human Race, they even took things with them!
The Human Race claimed to come for peace and brought many gifts, which looked quite valuable. He hadn't expected them to suffer no loss at all in the end!
No matter how precious those items were, how could they compare to a direct descendant princess of their Yao Race!
Meanwhile, dozens of miles west of the Snow Region, on the road bypassing the snow mountains, Ji You was meditating in his carriage.
Finally leaving the Snow Region, his heart was still somewhat conflicted.
Because after these few days of interaction, he felt that the Yao Race people were quite good; although they seemed barbaric,
in reality, they were practical and simple, just like the common people of the Human Race.
And the conflict between the two races was actually just due to the struggle for living space, with no clear distinction between black and white.
Furthermore, he had thought that he and Princess Feng Yang were already friends, and if the Yao Race were to make any further moves in the future,
perhaps they could negotiate, but he hadn't expected her not to even send him off in the end.
It seems he had been a bit too self-important.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but sneeze three times.
He didn't know why, but he had been sneezing continuously since just now.
Cultivators have strong Physiques, especially a tough individual like Ji You, so it was certainly not a cold. After much thought, it must be due to longing.
At this moment, he thought of the cute, jade-like tender feet, of the Immortal Emperor's unyielding purse that was empty rather than bent, and of the scholar with a 'yellow heart': "Someone is thinking of me."
"?"
Gongshu Chou and Ji You were sharing a carriage. Hearing this, he looked up at Ji You and saw him wrinkling his nose.
There was indeed a saying in Qingyun World that sneezing meant being thought of.
But sneezing three times in a row every time, that meant he was being cursed, and judging by the frequency, the curses were quite vulgar.
Who did he offend—?
Just then, the carriage slowly stopped. They had arrived at a small town on the border of the Snow Region called Lufeng City.
Like Hailong City before it, this was also a barren small town.
Because the return time was no longer urgent, they planned to exit through the most remote border town.
Even if the Barbarian Race harbored undying killing intent, they couldn't possibly station troops to guard the entire Snow Region, as if the Human Race and Yao Race were to unite to destroy them, they would be sufficiently troubled.
So they planned to take the longest arc, bypassing any Barbarian Race they might encounter on the Savage Continent.
At this moment, Ji You poked his head out of the carriage and looked around: "How long will it take to reach Kyushu from here?"
"Roughly half a month or more."
Peng Dongyang, the Deputy Master-in-charge of the Immortal Supervisor, spoke upon hearing the question: "We need to detour to the east, trying to avoid the Barbarian Race's activity areas."
Yan Chuan also looked over at this moment: "The sole purpose of this trip is to return. Please, everyone, do not cause any unnecessary trouble,
do not show off, do not pick up lost items, and return alive."
As his voice faded, the Elders of other Sects and those Sect Prodigies couldn't help but look over in unison, their gazes fixed on Ji You.
Because that last sentence, especially "do not pick up lost items," was clearly directed at Ji You.
The events of the past few days in the Yao Race had thoroughly diverted their attention, so much so that they rarely discussed other matters. Only now did they realize that they still didn't understand why Lingjian Mountain's attitude towards Ji You was so peculiar.
But even after discussing it back and forth several times, they couldn't fathom that the reason stemmed from the Little Master Jian of Lingjian Mountain.
Her status was too high.
The next Sect Master of Lingjian Mountain, the wielder of a Heavenly Dao Sacred Artifact.
In everyone's eyes, even if Ji You was astonishingly talented, he was still separated from the name Yan Shuyi by an unbridgeable chasm.
It was as if during this journey, Jiang Chenfeng, Huo Hong, and others all considered themselves Prodigies, but in front of that name, they were like Fang Ruoyao meeting Ji You.
They would never have imagined that the Little Master Jian of Lingjian Mountain would be so concerned about the life and death of a Tianshu Academy Tong Xuan Realm practitioner,
even sending a Wujiang Realm expert specifically to follow him.
At this moment, Ji You sat back in the carriage, his posture upright and his expression obedient.
With both arms immobilized, even the most formidable Sword Dao could not be unleashed. Of course, he couldn't be as unrestrained as he was on the way here.
Moreover, the Yao Race's promise had been secured, so he no longer needed to heroically sacrifice himself at every turn.
If something truly happened, there were several taller individuals outside anyway; there was no need for him, a Tong Xuan Realm practitioner, to personally risk his life.
Furthermore, Yan Chuan was watching him extremely closely.
He felt that this Elder of Lingjian Mountain was very worried about his future, constantly on edge, and even had an impulse to tie him up and send him back to avoid any further accidents on the journey.
Ji You then slept for two days on the road. When bored, he continuously absorbed Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi into his body amidst the bumpy journey, spreading it through his shattered Spirit Origin to refine his arms.
His Meridians were clear before, so this process could have been very smooth.
But after sustaining injuries, the process became incredibly difficult, and the pain and numbness were no less than when his Meridians were forcibly opened.
However, doing this ultimately had its benefits.
Because the increased strength of his arms also aided in the recovery of his injuries.
Most importantly, during this diplomatic mission, he genuinely felt that his current combat power was insufficient, both physically and in terms of Divine Thought.
The peace promised by the Yao Race was actually very short-lived; it might completely vanish into thin air any day. And the foreign Immortal Villas currently lingering in Feng Province might not always remain peaceful. He needed to become stronger.
Just like when he broke into Junior Third Realm Completion to save Qiu Ru, he cleaved open the Inner Courtyard gate to reclaim the tax revenue.
And for this diplomatic mission to the Yao Race, he lifted the Forty-Nine Mountain Layers at the cost of his arms.
It truly is a case of 'power is only missed when needed.' After his arms recover, he must seize the time to undergo his sixteenth subtle illumination.
Meanwhile, a message had already been sent back to Kyushu ahead of them.
This message was not from Ji You but from Peng Dongyang of the Immortal Supervisor.
Like Ji You, he also carried a communication spiritual platform. He meticulously recorded everything he saw and heard, as well as the detailed course of events, and sent it back.
This message was then transcribed by the judicial officials of the Immortal Supervisor's Reception Department and sent to the Seven Great Immortal Sects.
During the time Ji You and others were on their diplomatic mission to the Yao Race, no major events occurred in the Human Race.
And within Tianshu Academy, it was also exceptionally peaceful at this time.
Perhaps it was because no one sensed the Heavenly Book this year, or perhaps because outstanding troublemakers like Ji You did not appear again this year.
In short, even the Disciples of the Inner Courtyard couldn't help but sigh, saying that the Tianshu Academy of old had returned, and there were no more sudden messages to disturb their cultivation.
The implication was that ever since Ji You left, Tianshu Academy had returned to peace.
And that was indeed the case.
In the year Ji You was present, everyone discussed things like a single person wielding seven swords, Tianshu Academy failing the Dao inquiry but him breaking through the Sword Forest, the defeat of the millennial Worldly Family Chu River, and the rise of the only Worldly Family in Feng Province.
But since he left, everyone's discussions primarily revolved around what to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner today.
Cultivation originally emphasized having no external distractions and cultivating a calm mind. Although most people couldn't achieve this, they also didn't like to see a rogue cultivator from the countryside bouncing around everywhere.
The others were all from renowned Worldly Families, or descendants of Immortal Clans. How could they tolerate a self-cultivator monopolizing all the attention?
Fortunately, he had been dispatched to the Yao Race, and this rare tranquility made one feel refreshed.
However, at this moment, with the letters transferred by the Master Jian, this peace seemed to be broken once more.
The first to receive the communication was the Master's Courtyard of Tianshu Academy. The letters they received spanned dozens of pages, each covered in dense, tiny script.
This was a habit of the Great Xia officials; they always wrote down every single detail when doing things.
Of course, this was also because this matter was too significant for the Human Race and would surely be written into the Great Xia historical records in the future, and might even be recorded in the Qingyun Immortal History.
The three Master-in-charge of the Master's Courtyard gathered together at this time, looking at the letters placed on the table.
They had already learned about the Yao Emperor's verbal agreement for peace from the Master Jian officials who delivered the letters.
What they were more concerned about now was the situation of Ge Elder of Tianshu Academy, Xiao Hanyan of the Inner Courtyard, and Shi Junhao.
And, of course, Ji You.
Because they were the ones who had tricked Ji You into joining the travel roster at that time.
Although everyone later said that he actually went for Feng Province and had nothing to do with money or women with round hips and tails, they still felt somewhat concerned in their hearts.
“This journey was extremely perilous. According to the Master Jian official who delivered the message, they nearly fell into a death trap twice, and there might have been casualties—”
“Rongdao Realm is fine.”
“Hmm, it’s just—Ji You, this Tong Xuan…” “It doesn’t matter if he can’t help much, I just hope he can learn to be smarter and save his life.”
The three Master-in-charge murmured to themselves, then turned the pages of the communication one by one.
The first time Ji You's name appeared was in the records concerning the journey to the Snow Region, and it was only a few brief strokes,
It spoke of cultivators going out to clear out barbarian roaming soldiers when spending the night in the wilderness.
This was normal.
After all, there were many people in the envoy group, and even if recorded, Peng Dongyang couldn't keep track of Ji You all the time.
In their opinion, no matter how strong Ji You was, he was only a Tong Xuan Realm, and it was already difficult for him to make a name in such a major event. But soon, as the communication mentioned the part about “twelve Barbarian Soldier King chasing them,” the three discovered that Ji You’s name was appearing more and more frequently.
Qin Rong at this moment licked his fingertip with his tongue, turned to the next page, and saw the words 【Ji You】 leap vividly onto the paper, his expression gradually becoming solemn.
Earlier, there were fewer records, indicating that it was not critical or not dangerous.
But when the name increased, it meant that Ji You became crucial.
At this moment, their eyes quickly scanned the text and saw the record of the twelve Soldier King chasing them,
“This—”
“Miswritten?”
“It seems money is never spent in vain.”
“Report to the Inner Courtyard.”
The letter sent by the Master Jian was quickly delivered to the Inner Courtyard, and then reviewed by the five Hall Masters. The first to receive the letter was Zuo Qiuyang, with He Lingxiu by his side. After reading the communication with her uncle, she fell into deep thought and only came back to her senses after a long time.
Subsequently, this letter was read by the other Hall Masters and then passed on to the Elders under them.
Similar to the three Master-in-charge of the Master's Courtyard, when they finished reading this letter, they all fell into a long silence, looking at each other without words, but feeling a little heavy-hearted.
Initially, they thought Ji You was merely a Tong Xuan, who would surely either die or be injured after leaving the pass.
What kind of place was that?
A wilderness, a Snow Region, a place where only Rongdao Realm cultivators could enter.
And the facts were indeed as they expected; although Ji You didn't die outside the pass, he was indeed injured, and his sword-wielding hands were also hurt.
However, the process of Ji You's injury, as described in this letter, made it very difficult for them to believe.
How to describe this feeling...
It was as if it would have been better if he hadn't been injured.
Because they seemed to see a more brutal, more powerful Ji You on the paper, who was now on his way back.
“Ji You isn’t dead?!”
In Shengjing City, at Hongding Restaurant on Yong'an Avenue, Dou Yuankong was riding his horse to attend a banquet.
The Winter Solstice had arrived, and the temperature in Shengjing began to drop, with light frost forming in the mornings.
Every year at this time, Princess Changle Zhao Yunyue would host a Snow Boiling Banquet, inviting the capital's nobility and Tianshu Academy Disciples to eat, drink, and make merry, fostering closer ties.
As Dou Yuankong just went upstairs, he heard Princess Changle, who had arrived early and was waiting, mention a name that hadn't been brought up in a long time.
It had been over a month, and Dou Yuankong had almost forgotten the name, so he couldn't help but let out a strange cry.
Zhao Yunyue, holding the menu, gently raised her eyes: “He’s indeed not dead, and he’ll be back soon.”
Dou Yuankong frowned upon hearing this: “His luck is truly good; he went to the Yao Race and can still come back alive?”
“My Chong Wang said so too.”
“Didn’t they encounter any barbarian pursuit on their journey?”
Zhao Yunyue shook her head: “Of course they did. Those barbarians aren’t foolish; anyone could predict that our Human Race wouldn’t just watch them form an Alliance, so an envoy group would definitely be sent. How could they just ignore it?”
Dou Yuankong opened his mouth: “Then how could he possibly come back alive?”
“I don’t know the specifics—
Zhao Yunyue handed the menu to a servant, lightly flicked the sleeves of her ornate robe, and settled them between her legs.
The entire Prince Chong's Mansion was pro-Immortal, and the mission to the Yao Race was handled by the Master Jian. The two factions were different, so news naturally wasn't shared.
However, with Chong Wang's status, he could always find out something, such as Ji You not being dead, the Yao Emperor verbally agreeing to peace, and the Human Race envoy group being on their way back.
Hearing this, Dou Yuankong's mind was in a turmoil.
He had participated in writing Ji You into the envoy list, and although he was just the fuse, he would definitely be resented.
Ji You might be helpless against the Elders who fanned the flames, but he might not take his anger out on himself when he returned.
Dou Yuankong was a little flustered: “He’s just a small Tong Xuan Realm, how could he not die!?”
“You don’t have to panic. I heard that although he’s fine, his hands seem to be crippled.”
“Really?”
“My Chong Wang is always meticulous in his work, so this matter should be true.”
After Zhao Yunyue finished speaking, a hint of regret and helplessness couldn't help but show on her face.
At this moment, as the lanterns were lit, Shengjing City began to glow brightly under the cold night, and several figures hurried towards Hongding Restaurant.
First were the Lu family sisters, Lu Qingqiu and Lu Hanyan, along with Lou Siyi and others, followed by Fang Jincheng and Puyang Xing.
The most prominent arrivals were Leng Yingying from the Inner Courtyard, and another person named Wang Lingfeng.
Dou Yuankong now looked at the more familiar Lu Qingqiu: “Ji You—is he coming back?”
Lu Qingqiu nodded: “I also heard the Instructors in the courtyard discussing this. It should be true, but I heard his hands seem to be crippled.”
“Really crippled?”
“That’s what’s being rumored in the courtyard.”
“Not crippled.”
Leng Yingying spoke upon hearing this, looking at everyone: “He suffered some severe injuries, and his Meridians are blocked, but he should be able to recover.”
The Master Jian's report passed through the Master's Courtyard, but it would eventually be forwarded to the Inner Courtyard.
Leng Yingying and Xiao Hanyan were in the same hall, both competitors for direct discipleship, so they naturally knew more about this matter than the others.
Zhao Yunyue looked up at this moment: “It seems the Human Race envoy group did encounter pursuit from the barbarians?”
“Twelve Barbarian Soldier King, leading countless Upper General Realm cultivators, chased them at night, almost annihilating the Human Race envoy group.”
Lu Qingqiu raised her eyes at this moment: “Are Soldier King and Upper General Realm the Realm or military ranks of the barbarians?”
Leng Yingying spoke upon hearing this: “Both Realm and military rank. The Upper General Realm is comparable to Rongdao, and Upper General Peak far surpasses Rongdao, while the Soldier King Realm is roughly equivalent to Sky Soaring Upper Realm, and after barbarianization, they can even reach the Wujiang Initial Realm.”
“It was that dangerous?”
“Of course it was dangerous. Ji You’s hands were also injured at that time.”
“So it was at that time, no wonder—”
“Indeed, the communication states that the Barbarian Soldier King are powerful in combat and unmatched in bravery. They broke through the obstruction of six Elders and attacked the envoy group. Ji You raised Forty-Nine Mountain Layers to the sky, fully repelled a Soldier King, and blocked the final blow, helping the envoy group cross into the Snow Region.”
“?”
Leng Yingying almost verbatim repeated this passage from the communication, but as her voice fell, the wine table suddenly went silent.
Looking around, Lu Qingqiu, Lu Hanyan, Zhao Yunyue, and all the other women had stopped their long chopsticks, staring in astonishment.
Dou Yuankong and Fang Jincheng thought for a long time, mentally converting the Human and Barbarian Realm comparisons Leng Yingying had just provided, before slowly widening their eyes.
Leng Yingying was startled for a moment, then she also understood.
They thought it was an Upper General Realm, comparable to Rongdao, that had injured Ji You…
Hmm, yes, she had also had that misunderstanding when she first read it.
(Transition chapter, asking for monthly votes)