Chapter 222: Master Jian Arrives
An endless stream of cultivators continued to arrive at Xianxian Garden, creating a bustling atmosphere.
As a result, Xianxian Garden, which had seemed vast and empty in the early morning, was now filled with people everywhere.
They were ubiquitous among the mountains, lakes, and pavilions.
Cultivators who had arrived earlier, like Ji You, were now strolling around, observing the newly arrived Worldly Families discussing amongst themselves. Some, who were related by blood or marriage, exchanged greetings as they passed by.
Just then, Ji You, whose entrepreneurial venture had failed, walked near the lake island and heard a clatter.
He couldn't help but turn his head to look.
A troop of soldiers, clad in iron armor and wielding long sabers, appeared in neat, solemn ranks on the white marble path, advancing forward with expressionless faces.
As they marched, their armor plates clanged against each other, creating a metallic sound that conveyed a chilling Aura, causing other cultivators to stop and watch.
There were many soldiers in Great Xia, but none possessed such an Aura as the Zhenbei Army.
The sunlight was still bright at this time, reflecting off their smooth iron armor and dazzling the eyes.
“As expected, the Zhenbei Army will also participate.”
Ji You had heard Kuang Cheng mention this before he arrived, so he wasn't surprised.
After all, the Zhenbei Army was the only place, besides the Worldly Families and Immortal Sects, where commoners could cultivate.
As the Zhenbei Army marched past, dozens of carriages followed.
Ji You saw Chong Wang, Zhao Yunyue, and Wei Rui in these carriages.
Wei Rui waved lightly at him, while Zhao Yunyue frowned deeply and quickly turned her gaze away.
Ji You was already accustomed to this, feeling it was the pressure his appearance should endure. He shifted his gaze behind them and saw a golden carriage with a coiling Dragon, guarded by countless Imperial Forest soldiers. The person inside was undoubtedly the Great Xia Emperor.
The Emperor, who resided deep within the palace, usually had little to do, so it was normal for him to come and join the fun.
When he watched "Kangxi's Incognito Travels," Emperor Kangxi even went to a mine to join the fun and move stones.
Following them were the officials of the Immortal Supervision Bureau.
As he watched, Ji You's eyes lit up as he spotted Kuang Cheng, who was riding in the same carriage as Deputy Supervisor Peng Dongyang.
Kuang Cheng also saw him and couldn't help but wave, “Brother Ji.”
Ji You looked up at him, “You also live in Xianxian Garden?”
“Yes, the Immortal Supervision Bureau is responsible for this Heavenly Dao Conference. I will stay in Taiping Garden with my colleagues. After I put down my luggage, I will come to find you.”
“If you can't find me, go to Rusheng Garden.”
Peng Dongyang, who was also in the moving carriage, bowed slightly with cupped hands, “Welcome, Young Master Ji, to Taiping Garden as a guest.”
Ji You nodded, exchanged greetings with him, and then watched them leave. He then heard a commotion and turned his head back.
At this moment, a tall, mountain-like black carriage drove past on the white marble path, with a banner bearing the characters “Xuan Yuan” hanging high above.
The carriage was covered by a gauze curtain, and inside sat a male figure, cross-legged.
From the discussions around him, Ji You learned that the person sitting in the carriage was Chu Xian, an adopted Disciple of Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion.
Looking at the style and Aura of the carriage, it was already on par with the specifications of a Deputy Sect Master.
This made Ji You think of Yuan Chen, a direct Disciple, who didn't even have his own carriage and was thrown by his own sister into a carriage with his fellow Disciples of the Sect. Both were direct Disciples and Saints, yet the difference in their prestige was too great.
However, thinking about it, it was quite normal.
The Dan Sect had no combat power and naturally did not want to attract attention, so it would not choose such a conspicuous way of traveling.
At this time, He Lingxiu and others also came from Rusheng Garden, looking at the carriage, and walked to Ji You's side.
The direct Disciples of the Immortal Sects were truly great figures; even their direct Disciples of the Immortal Palace had to look up to them, their eyes filled with complexity.
Tianshu Academy had no direct Disciples, so it naturally lacked some prestige.
Following them was a carriage from the Chen Clan, with a stone tablet embroidered on the flag that fluttered in the wind, which was their Sacred Artifact, the Dao Tablet.
Inside sat the Dragon and Phoenix direct Disciples who were participating in this event, Chen Luo and Chen Xi.
He Lingxiu, Shi Junhao, and others observed them closely, even secretly using their Divine Thought to sense the Qi emanating from this pair of siblings.
Because these two direct Disciples were going to fight, they were very likely to meet.
“Their Qi is very strong, a bit troublesome—”
“Although it's not being timid before the fight, I still hope we don't encounter these two early on.”
He Lingxiu nodded with a solemn expression, then looked at Ji You, “Junior Brother Ji, why are you here?”
Ji You put away his long sword, “I planned to do a small, no-cost business, but no one came.”
He Lingxiu wasn't too concerned about what he was doing. Without thinking too much about how he was doing business, she changed the subject, “The Qiu Family has also arrived. They just sent me a message saying they want to visit tonight. Junior Brother Ji, since you have nothing to do, why don't you come with me to meet them?”
“Senior Sister, why are you bringing up old matters again?”
“Anyway, Miss Yuan isn't here, and after traveling for a day, I see she's quite well-behaved towards you. She wouldn't stop Junior Brother from taking a concubine.”
He Lingxiu had indeed been observing his interactions with Yuan Caiwei throughout the journey, from their departure to their mid-journey meal and then their separation.
To be honest, she was a bit surprised.
Because she had not seen Yuan Caiwei and Ji You together before, she always thought that as the daughter of the Dan Sect, despite liking Ji You, she would probably have an inherent arrogance.
But what she didn't expect was that Yuan Caiwei was extremely well-behaved when facing him, practically agreeing to everything he said.
Her demeanor was not like a legal wife, but rather like a quiet and agreeable concubine.
Therefore, He Lingxiu felt that since the legal wife was so gentle and virtuous, the matter between the Qiu Family and Ji You might not be completely out of the question.
For a cultivating Worldly Family, procreation has always been a top priority, especially since Ji You's Worldly Family currently only has him. He will certainly take concubines, and more than one.
Most men in the world are like this; no matter how proper they are, they will eventually give in after being persuaded multiple times.
Moreover, Junior Brother Ji's Physical Body is strong. If he finds a sister for the Dan Sect's daughter, she will surely be grateful.
And the Qiu Family is dependent on their He Family. If this matter can truly succeed, not only can they recruit a talent who is exceptionally gifted and very likely to enter the Yingtian Realm, but they can also forge a deeper bond with the Dan Sect through sisterhood.
The key issue was that the rumor of Ji You's Physique being inheritable could also be verified through the Qiu Family.
If it were true, He Lingxiu would also want to carry his child, and in a hundred years, it would be another super Worldly Family comparable to an Immortal Sect, just like the astonishingly talented Chu Family.
Ji You chuckled after hearing her words, thinking that the Dan Sect's daughter was indeed well-behaved, but Senior Sister, please don't mess with me. You don't know that my big one is about to arrive.
I'm still at risk of being stabbed to death; you're not matchmaking right now, you're marking my name in the Book of Life and Death.
He Lingxiu saw his lack of response and was not anxious.
The Heavenly Dao Conference would last for a long time, and there would always be opportunities to bring them together. When it came to matters between men and women, it was always easier to talk face-to-face.
She thought to herself, then saw several cultivators walk up to her, bowing respectfully.
“Fairy He.”
A man with a jade-like crown held a folding fan and smiled slightly at her.
He Lingxiu looked up at the sound, “Young Master Xu, long time no see.”
The Xu Family was an in-law Worldly Family of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, holding a higher status than ordinary Worldly Families.
Both Worldly Families now had intentions of making the two of them Dao Companions, but He Lingxiu was still considering it because Young Master Xu's strength was still a bit inferior to hers, and his breakthrough into Integration Dao was a long way off.
However, lower strength also had its advantages, namely, it was easier to control.
Besides Young Master Xu, there were other people who also came to greet Shi Junhao, Xiao Hanyan,
Chai Ze, Yu Shiliu, and others.
However, as they chatted, they noticed that all the uncles who had been gathered in Rusheng Garden had now come here, and they all looked towards the gate.
“Why did all the uncles come out?”
“That one from Lingjian Mountain has arrived.
“??”
Ji You was feeling bored and was about to leave, but before he could move, he heard this sentence, so he turned to look in the direction of the gate.
The departure time of Lingjian Mountain's Young Master Jian was not a secret, so her arrival time could naturally be estimated.
She was the only different direct Disciple, holding a Sacred Artifact, and her status was actually no different from a Sect Master.
Especially since she had just entered the Wujiang Realm, it was inevitable that she would attract attention.
He Lingxiu, Shi Junhao, and others looked around and found that many people had suddenly appeared around them, and even those figures they hadn't seen before had all come here, gazing towards Xianxian Garden.
Kuang Cheng and Wei Rui also came, but they were not there for that reason, but to find Ji You.
However, when they arrived in front of Ji You, seeing everyone looking in one direction, the two of them couldn't help but look over as well.
“Brother Ji, what are you looking at?”
“The tsundere has arrived.”
“?”
At this time, the setting sun was in the west, and under everyone’s gaze, a carriage from Lingjian Mountain finally appeared in front of the gate, slowly driving onto the white marble road.
The carriage was entirely red, with hanging gauze curtains. The intricate and beautiful wooden carvings on it were fluid and strong in every line.
Through the hanging gauze curtains, everyone could see a clear figure inside. That figure was also sitting cross-legged like the previously passing personal Disciples, indistinct, making it impossible to see the full appearance.
But everyone knew that the one sitting inside was the Master Jian who had just broken through to a new Realm.
As the carriage drove along the white marble road, everyone’s gaze followed it, and soon it arrived in front of the Tianshu Academy entourage.
Wei Rui was standing between Ji You and Kuang Cheng at this moment, also looking up like everyone else.
She was not a cultivator, but she had heard of the Master Jian of Lingjian Mountain, so she was naturally a little curious. However, as she watched, her beautiful eyes suddenly widened.
Because she found the shadow emerging from the carriage to be very familiar.
Miss Wei thought for a long time, then turned to look at Ji You,
He Lingxiu was also staring intently at that figure at this moment, a hint of reverence and longing in her eyes.
The Master Jian of Lingjian Mountain was almost the embodiment of what all female cultivators in the world yearned to become: extraordinarily talented, with profound Realms, and holding a Sacred Artifact. Even someone like He Lingxiu was no exception.
And Xiao Hanyan and Yu Shiliu were both the same.
As the tall carriage drove past, that figure gradually approached, high above and indistinct.
However, as she watched, He Lingxiu suddenly noticed that the figure, which had been motionless within the carriage curtains, suddenly turned her head, as if she was deliberately looking in their direction through the curtain.
Ji You was leaning against the stone railing at this moment, quietly watching this scene.
It had been half a year since the New Year. This figure had indeed become a bit thinner, probably because she didn't have much appetite while in seclusion to break through to a new Realm.
Now that she had finally entered the Wujiang Realm, she could probably breathe a sigh of relief.
Besides looking at that figure, he also looked at a dark shadow in the corner of the carriage.
It was a flowerpot with a stalk of wheat on it. From the shadow, one could tell that this wheat was the same size as ordinary wheat, not as exaggerated as the one cultivated by Yuan Caiwei.
Yan Shuyi was not as professionally suited as Yuan Caiwei. With her restless nature, it was already difficult for her to cultivate it so robustly.
Ji You watched her drive past him, and then saw that figure quietly turn her head back.
Behind the carriage were the accompanying Lingjian Mountain Disciples, including both participating Disciples and accompanying Disciples, numbering over a hundred.
Among them were some familiar faces, such as Yan Shujing, who had defeated two personal Disciples during the Dao inquiry at Tianshu Academy that day, and Zhuang You.
There were also some with white hair and beards, one of whom was very familiar to Ji You: Qi Zhengyang, the Chief of Spiritual Sword Mountain Sword Dao.
And another was a long-haired man walking on the east side of the crowd.
He was originally holding a large sword, looking profound and unfathomable, walking expressionlessly, with a transcendent posture, far surpassing other Disciples.
However, after seeing Ji You and Kuang Cheng by the roadside, he couldn't maintain his composure and then coughed, shifting his gaze elsewhere.
Ji You narrowed his eyes, thinking to himself that Gongshu Chou, this idiot, was probably here to collect material again.
Damn it, he hadn't had a chance to settle the score with him about the tail incident last time.
The Disciples of Lingjian Mountain also lived in Rusheng Garden, so they returned in the same direction as Ji You and the others. However, it wasn't just the people from Tianshu Academy who came along; there were also cultivators from other gardens, all looking like they had come to join the fun.
After passing the stone tablet inscribed with “Sunrise in the East,” all the Lingjian Mountain Disciples who had traveled a long distance headed towards the West Courtyard of Rusheng Garden.
The accompanying crowd stopped at the fork in the road between the East and West Courtyards, gazing as the carriage slowly came to a halt in front of the pavilion.
Within their sight, a woman dressed in a large red immortal robe, wearing a glazed immortal crown, lifted the carriage curtain at this moment,
Then stepped down and arrived in front of the pavilion.
Everyone watched with bated breath, expecting her to walk into the pavilion without looking back, but to their surprise, she suddenly paused, then turned her gaze back towards the direction of the crowd, before finally stepping and disappearing behind the door.
Seeing that backward glance, everyone was stunned for a moment, then looked at each other, a hint of bewilderment in their eyes.
The only difference was Wei Rui, who was astonished, and Kuang Cheng, who was grimacing.
Yan Shuyi could erase all Heavenly Dao related to herself with a spirit mirror, making it impossible for anyone below the Divine Thought Realm to detect her.
This is why Yan Shuyi stayed in Tianshu Academy for an entire winter, often going out for walks and shopping, but in people's mouths, she was still vaguely referred to as “a woman in Ji You's courtyard.”
But what everyone didn't know was that she had actually made a very bold decision.
That was, she did not erase herself from Kuang Cheng and Wei Rui, but instead allowed them to remember her clearly.
Kuang Cheng was somewhat mentally prepared, unlike Wei Rui who was completely dumbfounded, but recalling that moment of being the center of attention earlier, he couldn't help but feel his heart tremble.
A good Physical Body can truly conquer Heaven's Work, to actually create such a grand—
Ji You looked at him calmly, signaling to take Wei Rui and leave, so the three of them returned to Ji You's residence.
After Wei Rui sat down, she still felt a bit shaken. After a long silence, she spoke: “Young Master Ji,
Was that Sister Yan?”
Ji You nodded: “Yes—”
“The Master Jian of Lingjian Mountain?”
“Mhm.”
Wei Rui reached out and grabbed Kuang Cheng's lapel, looking up at him.
Kuang Cheng couldn't help but hold his breath, not because of the Master Jian of Lingjian Mountain, but because Wei Rui was almost shrinking into his arms after hearing it.
Ji You poured them a pot of tea at this time: “Don't spread rumors, although no one would believe it even if you did.”
“Young Master Ji is too much.”
“What's wrong?”
Wei Rui tugged at Kuang Cheng's lapel: “It's better not to know about this kind of thing, but once you know, you want to tell others! Why did Sister Yan let me know about this?!”
Ji You poured them tea: “She naturally has her reasons for doing this.”
Meanwhile, the Lingjian Mountain Disciples moved into the East Courtyard one after another, coming and going, an endless stream of people.
And the people from Tianshu Academy were all gazing from the courtyard of the West Courtyard, watching this scene, all holding their tea without speaking.
The relationship between Lingjian Mountain and Tianshu Academy was not good, which was common knowledge. Now that they were living in the same garden, though not in the same area, the atmosphere was still a bit subtle.
He Lingxiu: I wonder why the Master Jian of Lingjian Mountain looked at me just now.
Shi Junhao: What was the meaning of her looking at me?
Xiao Hanyan: She specifically looked at me, could she be analyzing my combat power?
Everyone sat at the tea table for a long time. After that, they didn't see the Master Jian of Lingjian Mountain show up again, but they did see two graceful women appear closer to the West Courtyard's small building.
“Master Jian still wants people to know about Young Master—”
Inside the lit West Courtyard's small building, Zhuo Wanqiu and Ding Yao had already tidied up. They stood on the second floor at this moment, looking at the opposite courtyard like the Disciples of Tianshu Academy, recalling the scene where Master Jian had deliberately stopped and turned her head to look at those people.
Zhuo Wanqiu pursed her lips: “It's normal for a woman to want the whole world to know when she first falls in love. Wasn't it the same last time when she came back with a proud face after biting her lip?”
Ding Yao couldn't help but sigh softly: “But it's still a bit risky. There are so many cultivators in Xianxian Garden, she might be noticed at some point.”
“It wouldn't be strange to be noticed, unless the two of them don't meet, but do you really think Master Jian can resist not looking for Young Master-in-law?
Besides—”
“Besides what?”
Zhuo Wanqiu lowered her voice: “Besides, Master Jian naturally likes excitement.”
Ding Yao nodded, then her expression changed: “Oh no, I need to go back and watch Master Jian.”
Zhuo Wanqiu turned her head in surprise: “?”
Ding Yao's face was serious: “There were too many gazes today; everyone was staring at Master Jian. I'm afraid she won't be able to resist going to Young Master tonight.”
Zhuo Wanqiu glanced at her: “Master Jian isn't an idiot.”
“When a woman falls in love, she's highly likely to become foolish. Master Jian is no exception.”
“Senior Sister Ding, if Master Jian is determined to go, can you really stop her?”
“She can only go after midnight, it's not even dark yet.”