Chapter 251: Injured by an Evil Seed
“Feng Province’s grain production is abundant enough, but it’s still a drop in the bucket when facing the poor people of the Nine Provinces.”
“However, this meager amount of grain will at least help the common folk get through the winter. Things will surely get better in the coming year.”
“Brother Ji, just as he said before, has saved many more children.”
Kuang Cheng was currently in his residence in Shengjing City, huddled by a steaming warm stove, going through all the letters sent by the Worry-Free Commerce from across the Nine Provinces. He then looked up at the painting of a gentleman hanging on the wall.
Honestly, he felt that with Ji You’s Karma, even the words “Saint” or “Sage” would be fitting, but he didn't know why he refused to accept the title of “gentleman.”
Wei Rui was by his side, holding an account book, meticulously calculating the amounts for the relief grain transactions.
From the establishment of the merchant guild to the transportation of grain, and then to how it was sold, the affairs of the Worry-Free Commerce took them a full three months, and there were constant twists and turns during that time.
There was an incident of embezzlement in Liang Province, but fortunately, it was discovered in time.
As for the Worldly Sect causing trouble in Ling Province, they had heard about it but didn't pay much attention.
Although Fairy Yan kept referring to him as “that strange man,” her behavior during those few days in Feng Province made it seem as if she had already married into the family, and this couldn't be faked.
How could Fairy Yan allow others to casually disrupt something her husband was doing?
Sure enough, news soon came that the formidable Old Ancestor had taken a wooden plank the next day and spent three full days carving a plaque at the entrance.
In fact, even the staff of the Worry-Free Commerce were surprised by this, seemingly completely unaware that their main family's background was so profound.
Kuang Cheng put down the letter in his hand, glanced at the vast white snow outside the window, then pulled out the silver from his Pregnant and weighed it twice.
In truth, human life is extremely tenacious; a single mouthful of grain can sustain one for a long time.
After this batch of relief grain was sent out, it could finally help the common folk survive the cold winter. When spring arrived in the coming year, life would gradually begin to improve.
Thinking this, Kuang Cheng felt a sense of relief. He then called Wei Rui and left the house, going to the East Market to buy many things before heading to the orphanage in the West City.
The actions of the Worry-Free Commerce did not cause much discussion in Shengjing, far less attention-grabbing than the marriage between a certain Worldly Family's son and a certain Worldly Family's daughter.
Perhaps it was because cultivators truly did not concern themselves with worldly affairs. After this, winter snow fell until deep winter.
After the Tiandao Conference concluded, the situation in the Qingyun World changed slightly, but not significantly.
The change was that after the Lingjian Mountain Young Master Jian entered the Wujiang Realm, it forced Tianjian Peak's momentum to gradually recede. As a result, many large Worldly Sect in Ling Province began to distance themselves from Tianjian Peak and align with Xuanjian Peak.
And those Lingjian Mountain Disciples who newly entered the Sect this year, regardless of their Aptitude, mostly chose to enter Xuanjian Peak.
Xuanjian Peak now subtly possessed the Aura of Lingjian Mountain's main peak, and the Young Master Jian, though young, already exuded the prestige of a Sect Master.
A Sect Master of an Immortal Sect in her twenties—even just thinking about it would make one feel a trance. One couldn't imagine what weaknesses such a Fairy could possibly have.
However, the maid who always followed the Lingjian Mountain Young Master Jian knew best that Master Jian still had weaknesses.
Since returning from the Tiandao Conference, Master Jian had become a little afraid of sticks and similar objects.
Related to this was another matter: Shang Xiyao, the direct Disciple of Asked the Dao Sect who had been in seclusion for a year, broke through his cultivation in the Yingtian Realm.
He didn't even appear at the Tiandao Conference in order to break through, and his emergence this time indeed did not disappoint. Of course, what was most eye-catching was his persistent pursuit of the Lingjian Mountain Young Master Jian.
And Shang Xiyao did not disappoint; as soon as he emerged from seclusion, news spread that he intended to visit Lingjian Mountain, but he was rejected by the Lingjian Mountain Young Master Jian.
At this time, a surprising piece of news spread.
It was said that the Lingjian Mountain Young Master Jian personally admitted that she already had a beloved.
As soon as this news spread, it immediately caused an uproar.
Although everyone knew that the Lingjian Mountain Young Master Jian would certainly marry to ensure the continuation of power, they always felt that no man in the Qingyun World could be worthy of her.
Even Shang Xiyao, the direct Disciple of Asked the Dao Sect, was actually a step below Yan Shuyi.
But besides the direct Disciples of the Immortal Sects, it was even harder for other men to be worthy.
Countless people were incredibly curious about the Lingjian Mountain Young Master Jian's beloved, but after much discussion, they had no clues, because they found it hard to imagine what kind of man would be thought of by the incredibly majestic Lingjian Mountain Master Jian.
“Where is Master Jian?”
“She went down the mountain early this morning.”
Ding Yao was stunned: “Why did she suddenly go down the mountain again?”
Zhuo Wanqiu shook her head: “I don’t know either, but she seemed a bit preoccupied. When she left, she didn’t allow me to follow, saying she was just going to the city to buy something. But usually, I always accompany her when she goes shopping. I don’t know what she went to buy this time. However, Senior Sister Ding, you’ve come to find Master Jian now, is there something important?”
“Master Jian publicly declared that she has a beloved. The Peak Master and Madam rushed over immediately after hearing this. They are currently in the Cloud Top Heavenly Palace, waiting to see Master Jian. Master Jian didn’t go wandering off somewhere far again, did she?”
“No, since the Young Master is not here now, where could Master Jian go wandering?”
As the two were speaking, they saw a graceful, ethereal figure suddenly appear from Xuanjian Peak, riding the wind. Her skirt billowed as she floated down gracefully in the cold air.
The Lingjian Mountain Young Master Jian returned to Xuanjian Peak, glanced at Ding Yao, and then looked towards her own palace.
A moment later, in the tea pavilion of the Cloud Top Heavenly Palace.
Yan Jingxiang and his wife sat in the reception hall, looking at their daughter with an inexpressible expression.
Their daughter had suddenly disappeared last winter, stayed outside for over a month, and returned with her lips bitten. They already knew that their daughter had met a young man with yellow hair outside.
But because the spirit mirror could obscure the Heavenly Dao, they had never been able to find anything.
Later, their daughter successfully entered the Wujiang Realm, and Xuanjian Peak was filled with joy. They temporarily set the matter aside, never expecting their daughter to openly admit it today.
“Shuyi, tell your father, who exactly is that person?”
“No one in particular. I just felt that the people from Asked the Dao Sect were exceptionally noisy, disturbing the tranquility of my Dao Heart, so I casually made up a few sentences. It’s also to advise others to give up early.”
Yan Shuyi sat on the chair, her eyes cold and arrogant, her expression not appearing to be fake.
Cui'er glanced at Master Jian at this moment, thinking to herself that this sentence was the lie. Master Jian’s Bellyband was clearly almost rubbed open by someone.
She had secretly tried it after returning to the mountain; to rub it like that, the underpants were indeed a bit unsightly.
Yan Jingxiang and his wife were also quite helpless, knowing that their daughter had been stubborn since childhood, and coupled with her high position over the years, no one could make her say what she didn't want to say. So, they left in silence.
Yan Shuyi’s eyelashes trembled slightly: “By falsely claiming to have a beloved, my ears can be much quieter now.”
Ding Yao: “?”
Zhuo Wanqiu: “How can Master Jian even deceive herself?”
“I’m going to begin my cultivation. You two may withdraw for now.”
“Yes.”
As the maids around her left, the Cloud Top Heavenly Palace became completely silent.
Yan Shuyi was serious for a while, and only when she saw the Auras outside the palace growing more distant did she suddenly reach out, a spiritual light appearing in her palm,
and took out a book with illustrations from her storage gourd.
The cover read “Secret Arts,” and the scenes depicted within were very simple, with two or three people making up a single picture.
Ling Province's commerce was quite prosperous, selling everything. Although such attractive books couldn't be openly sold, one could still buy them with a careful search.
The Young Master Jian opened the cover, looking at the secret arts of the eighteen different rooms of combat, and a blush gradually spread across her cold and arrogant face, her expression becoming increasingly shy.
The Xianxian once said that the way to overcome unknown fear is to understand it.
And avoidance will only cause Heart Demons.
That is why the Human Race, even when facing death, bravely rose up and confronted the Lasting Peace Race.
Since returning to the mountain after the Tiandao Conference, Yan Shuyi found that she had started to have Heart Demons. Sometimes she would suddenly wake up while sleeping and even had to wash her own pants, so she decided to secretly learn about it.
However, after learning about it, Yan Shuyi suddenly felt even more scared.
Perhaps she should let Yuan Caiwei try it first.
But if Yuan Caiwei tried it first, she might compete for her position. The Young Master Jian pondered for a long time and decided it would be better to let Ding Yao try it first, so she could also tell her how it was done upon returning.
The Lingjian Mountain Young Master Jian's declaration of having a beloved attracted attention from all four directions of the Qingyun World, but because she didn't say who it was, it didn't cause a huge impact.
Besides this, news also came during the cold winter that the direct Disciple of Dan Sect was attempting to control a Sacred Artifact.
The change of power is often accompanied by countless related influences. It is said that after the news spread, many Worldly Family Young Misses and Sect Fairies were invited to be guests at Dan Mountain.
However, Yuan Chen still had a child's Heart-Nature, showing little interest in the Worldly Family Young Misses, but great interest in corresponding with a rough Sword Cultivator from Lingjian Mountain, causing his family to be quite worried.
At the same time, some young Prodigies from Liang Province and Yong Province also successively visited Dan Mountain to see Yuan Caiwei during this period.
Mountain and Sea Pavilion is the closest Immortal Sect to Dan Sect. It is said that even the direct Disciple Saint, Huo Xingzhong, was moved and sent someone to deliver a jade-carved Pill Furnace ornament.
Even if Dan Sect had no combat power, it was still one of the Immortal Sects, and it held a Sacred Artifact in its hands.
Although Yuan Caiwei was not a direct Disciple who could wield a Sacred Artifact, everyone knew that the direct Disciples of Dan Sect feared their Senior Sister the most and listened to her the most.
However, Yuan Caiwei did not meet any of them and publicly announced that she had a beloved, which sounded somewhat familiar to those who heard it.
“Why is it such a coincidence that these high-born Fairy suddenly all have a beloved?”
“Is it possible their beloved is the same person?”
Whenever someone asked, certain knowledgeable passersby couldn't help but mutter to themselves.
Besides these matters, there were also various other large and small events occurring.
The Worldly Sect under Mountain and Sea Pavilion and the Worldly Sect under Chen Clan had a small-scale conflict, resulting in dozens of casualties among cultivators.
Since these two Great Immortal Sects formed a grudge, they had always been at odds, with continuous friction between them, so it wasn't too surprising.
Also, a group of rogue cultivators appeared near Feng Province, reportedly robbing the tax tribute of a small Worldly Family in the area under the cover of night, which led to a city-wide search.
In addition, the Great Xia Dynasty announced troop expansion after the winter solstice, planning to increase the army's size by thirty percent.
The proclamation was copied by local government offices and posted throughout the Nine Provinces.
The Lasting Peace Race had shown no unusual movements for nearly a year, and there had only been a few small-scale battles outside the northern border, but everyone knew that their ambition to enter the Nine Provinces would not be extinguished so easily. Therefore, the Great Xia Emperor's desire to expand the army was not obstructed by the Immortal Sects and Worldly Sect.
As for Tianshu Academy, it remained quiet.
This was because, to this day, no one had been able to comprehend the Heavenly Book; there were only continuous announcements of entering seclusion, planning to break through to a new Realm.
For example, Xiao Hanyan and Shi Junhao had been promised by the Academy that they could become direct Disciples once they entered the Yingtian Realm. Since they couldn't enter the Xianxian Holy Land, they could only temper their Realm through time.
This period continued until the New Year, and as red lanterns hung high, the festive atmosphere in the city gradually grew thicker.
All the inns and idle courtyards in the city were fully booked, and the dancers and courtesans in the pleasure houses were invited away by the various Great Worldly Sect in the capital.
Grand banquets were held, and the aroma of wine permeated the air.
Kuang Cheng had been busy since early morning, tidying the courtyard, chopping vegetables, and simmering soup. Brother Ji wasn't here this year, so he planned to invite Cao Jinsong and the others to his home for dinner; of course, Wei Rui was definitely indispensable.
It was said that Young Miss Wei, during a banquet a few days ago, also proudly announced that she had a beloved, but she didn't say who he was.
However, this matter did not attract much attention.
Because few people in Shengjing City didn't know that Wei Rui liked Kuang Cheng of the Jianchachu (Surveillance Department). Not long after the sun had set, Wei Rui arrived early at Kuang Cheng's small courtyard. She was dressed very demurely, and after entering, she simply put on an apron and helped Kuang Cheng prepare the meal.
The New Year was a day for family reunions. Kuang Cheng had always thought Wei Rui might not come, so he was a bit surprised to see her.
Actually, Wei Rui was also worried that her family wouldn't let her come, but she didn't expect her father and grandfather not to stop her.
After much thought, both of them felt it was still because of Ji You.
The Worldly Sect in the capital liked to make friends with Immortal Sect Prodigies, and the one they regretted most not befriending in recent years was Ji You.
Although Kuang Cheng was merely a scholar, he was Ji You's close friend.
Making friends isn't a stable relationship; it's far less reliable than true friendship.
Even though many people had previously mocked Ji You as a rural rogue cultivator, no one would ever question his character, and they knew that if they could befriend such a person, he would truly step up if something happened.
Under such circumstances, the relationship between Kuang Cheng and Ji You appeared somewhat unbreakable. This was also why Cao Jinsong could point fingers at everyone in the Academy.
Generally speaking, Outer Courtyard Instructors only served to guide students in; many Prodigies, after entering the Inner Courtyard, rarely maintained contact with their former Outer Courtyard Instructors.
But Ji You's difference was that even if he came out of the Xianxian Holy Land and truly reached the Yingtian Realm, he would still respectfully address Cao Jinsong as Instructor.
Soon, Cao Jinsong and the others arrived at Kuang Cheng's courtyard with some wine.
Without Ji You, Old Cao was actually not used to it.
The unfamiliarity stemmed from the fact that he used to feel his monthly allowance wasn't enough to spend, but now he couldn't spend it all, simply couldn't spend it all.
Bai Rulong deeply agreed with this, immensely missing the feeling of being able to reach into his money bag and find silver.
After eating for a while, the wooden door of Kuang Cheng's small courtyard was suddenly knocked, and then a maid-dressed girl entered, along with three Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) constables.
Because it was the New Year, even maids could take a break, let alone those constables.
Seeing these unexpected visitors, everyone stopped drinking and put down their chopsticks.
The maid was Zhu'er, Wei Rui's personal maid. She quickly entered the courtyard and whispered something into Wei Rui's ear.
Wei Rui paused slightly, then looked at Kuang Cheng.
“What’s wrong?”
“Dou Yuankong has been found. He’s not dead—”
“??”
The morning of the first day of the New Year should have been a time for visiting relatives and friends, filled with joy and laughter, but the Dou Residence was filled with solemnity.
Princess Changle's carriage now drove along the snow-covered street, stopping in front of the Dou Residence. As she got out of the carriage, she saw Wei Rui and other Great Xia officials.
And at the very front of the crowd were a few Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) constables led by Kuang Cheng.
Most of these capital officials had heard that the Dou family had found Dou Yuankong and came to express their concern, while Kuang Cheng and the Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) personnel came to understand the situation.
Because when Dou Yuankong went missing, Dou Shangshu had reported the case to the Jianchachu (Surveillance Department).
Soon, the main gate of the Dou Residence was pushed open by the butler.
Everyone followed him in and entered the East Courtyard.
In the dim room, Dou Shangshu's figure could be seen from the doorway, his back hunched, as if he had aged a dozen years in an instant.
And on the bed board shrouded in shadow, a skeletal figure lay on the bed, his breath barely a whisper.
“Sir.”
“How is he?”
The Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) constable looked at Kuang Cheng: “All those involved have been questioned. The person was found in a farmer’s home in Feng Province.
It is said that Dou Yuankong had been staying in this farmer’s home for two months, being treated like a beast of burden. When he was rescued, he was no longer recognizable as a human.”
Kuang Cheng glanced into the room: “Why was he only discovered now?”
“It was during the tax tribute collection a while ago. A constable went to this farmer’s home to take inventory and noticed him. Later, it was reported to the higher-ups, and someone went to investigate and confirmed it was Dou Yuankong.”
“How is he now?”
The Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) constable tilted his head and looked: “He lost an arm, and his body is covered in old wounds. One thing needs special attention, it’s his shoulder—.”
Kuang Cheng frowned upon hearing this, then led his people into the room. Dou Shangshu was currently forcing himself to be energetic, exchanging pleasantries with his colleagues nearby. Upon seeing Kuang Cheng, a hint of malice appeared in his eyes.
“Get out!”
The reason Dou Yuankong was driven out of Shengjing was that he tried to harm Ji You but failed, and was so scared that he left the capital.
And the source of the conflict between Dou Yuankong and Ji You was that the Wei Rui he liked, liked Kuang Cheng.
So, in Dou Shangshu's eyes, Kuang Cheng was also the culprit who caused his son to be in his current state.
Kuang Cheng looked at Dou Shangshu: “I am here on official business, and I believe Master Dou would also want to know what your Young Master encountered outside.”
The officials nearby also tried to persuade him.
Dou Shangshu then gritted his teeth and turned his head, making way for Kuang Cheng.
Kuang Cheng saw this and walked closer, observing for a long time. Dou Yuankong had lost his right arm, leaving only an empty sleeve. After a moment of silence, Kuang Cheng unbuttoned his outer garment and pulled his inner garment aside, his expression instantly darkening.
Where Dou Yuankong's left arm was broken, there was half a five-fingered claw print, deeply embedded in the flesh, with sharp tips and a purplish-black color.
Upon seeing this, the entire room instantly fell silent. Everyone's eyes widened, and even their breathing became incredibly distinct.
“It’s an Evil Seed—?!”
“Impossible. After the incident at Qi Ridge last time, the Seven Great Immortal Sects, fearing further chaos, sent powerful beings to completely clear out all Evil Seeds. It’s impossible for any Evil Seeds to still exist.”
Kuang Cheng pondered for a long time: “Where is that farmer’s home?”
The Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) constable spoke: “Northwestmost of Feng Province, Shitang Village, Sanli County, Wanhe Prefecture.”
Sanli County is the poorest county town in Feng Province. The entire county town is located amidst rolling mountains, and the name Sanli comes from the fact that there are only three li of flat land in the entire county town.
Kuang Cheng raised his eyes: “You return to the Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) immediately and report to Master Jian. Tell the department to send people to investigate. This matter can be big or small; it needs to be thoroughly investigated.”
“Yes.”
The news of Dou Yuankong losing an arm and having Evil Seed claw marks on his shoulder was quickly reported, causing a stir in the Jianchachu (Surveillance Department).
At noon that day, a Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) team was dispatched to Sanli County, Wanhe Prefecture, Feng Province.