Fang Jincheng publicly announced he was going into seclusion, claiming he intended to Breakthrough to the Tongxuan Middle Stage.
Soon after, news of Peng Yu actively applying to withdraw from Tianshu Academy at the Master's Courtyard also came from the Outer Courtyard.
Coupled with the news that a Divine Soul Realm Elder's Divine Thought had been damaged that morning, and the Master's Courtyard rushing up the mountain in a panic, the overwhelming news left the Inner Courtyard Disciples with no desire to cultivate the Dao, and they gathered in groups, each with different expressions.
They knew that something major, unknown to them, must have happened last night, despite its apparent calm.
It was amidst these circulating speculations that a figure emerged from the immortal residence on the west side of the Inner Courtyard’s mountain gate.
The crowd, from their elevated position, looked down at the sound, and saw Ji You, sword in hand, walk out of a courtyard.
He still looked like a scholar, seemingly harmless, but the Storage Gourd at his waist was bulging, its mouth stretched wide. After stepping out, he glanced warily at the peak of Ni Mountain before turning and leaving.
What puzzled everyone was that it wasn't his courtyard, but Fang Jincheng's.
“Why did Ji You come out of Fang Jincheng’s courtyard?”
“I remember yesterday, when I returned to the mountain, I saw Fang Jincheng saying something to Peng Yu, it seemed to be about the Inner Courtyard’s Disciple selection.”
“Could it be—that a conflict arose?”
“I didn’t hear anything last night.”
Amidst the discussions, Ji You turned east, and his figure gradually disappeared.
Seeing this, everyone pondered for a long time, then silently went to Fang Jincheng’s courtyard.
Amidst the faint mist, the wooden door of the small courtyard facing them lay on the ground. Looking inside, the door to the main room was also open outwards, but the room itself was empty.
All the calligraphy, paintings, and ornaments, Spirit Stones, jade artifacts, treasured swords, and Magic Treasures, even the sandalwood tables and chairs, had vanished without a trace.
And what was also missing was a Fangcun Platform that had originally been placed in the courtyard.
This item was a Spirit Treasure passed down through the Fang Family, capable of enhancing the connection between Heaven and man, and also of clarifying the Dao Heart, making thoughts flow smoothly.
There were thousands of Worldly Families in the Qingyun World, but there were always some Families that could stand strong and rise steadily, and there was a reason for this.
It was said that Elder Fang also cultivated all the way to this point with the help of this Spirit Platform, only then entering the Innate Realm from the threshold of the Integration Dao Realm, reaching the Boundless.
And Fang Jincheng had been placed with high hopes since childhood, always expected to be the next strong expert of the Fang Family, so not long after he entered the Inner Courtyard, this Spirit Platform was sent to assist him in his cultivation.
However, this Spirit Platform was now missing, leaving only a hexagonal deep imprint pressed into the ground beneath it.
Just as everyone was staring at the pressed mark, a team of Disciples, coming from the direction of the back mountain, arrived through the morning mist and filed in through the door.
The person leading them was tall and burly, wearing a black diagonally-buttoned short shirt; it was Lu Da, the attendant of Elder Fang.
After withdrawing from the Tiandao Conference preliminaries, Lu Da went into seclusion and only just came out now, still with that same expressionless, taciturn demeanor.
When they entered the courtyard, their gaze immediately fell upon the original location of the Fangcun Spirit Platform, and upon seeing that the Platform was gone, Lu Da’s expression changed slightly.
At the hour of Yin today, while still asleep, he had been summoned by Elder Fang.
First, he was instructed to send Fang Jincheng to the mountain abyss to the right of the Elder Council, telling him to immediately go into seclusion.
After doing all that, he was again instructed to come here and retrieve the Fang Family’s heirloom Fangcun Platform, seemingly in an extreme hurry.
It was as if this Family heirloom Spirit Treasure was about to be stolen.
But in Lu Da’s opinion, with Elder Fang’s status and prestige, even if the Fangcun Platform were left on the mountain path, no one would dare touch it, so why the rush to find it?
However, what he hadn't expected was that the Fangcun Platform was indeed gone.
After much thought, Lu Da turned and exited the courtyard, walking up the mountain, then entering the Elder Council.
When he passed through the gloomy corridor paved with red carpet and arrived before Elder Fang, Elder Fang was sitting cross-legged in the room, with his hands hanging down.
This was a posture used by cultivators to comprehend the Dao, but Elder Fang was clearly not in meditation; he was just sitting like that, his eyes filled with anxiety.
“Where is the item?”
“Elder, the item is gone.”
Upon hearing this, Elder Fang couldn't help but clench his fists, and his gaze towards Lu Da became incredibly gloomy.
In fact, Lu Da had already heard the discussions of his fellow Disciples around him, knowing that before their arrival, Ji You had emerged from the courtyard.
If Elder Fang had asked, he would have certainly revealed this, as he had no particular friendship with Ji You and no reason to conceal anything for him.
But unexpectedly, Elder Fang didn't ask. He just clutched the teacup in his hand tightly, so tightly that the cup shattered, yet he uttered no word, then his face became extremely grim, and even the wrinkled corners of his eyes twitched incessantly.
Seeing his reaction, Lu Da immediately lowered his head.
He suddenly realized that the Fangcun Platform, which Elder Fang had been so concerned about, wasn't stolen; it was taken by force.
Because only if it were stolen would he ask who took it; if it were taken by force, there would be no need to ask.
“Elder, do you have any other tasks to assign to Disciple?”
“Arrange for someone to deliver meals to Fang Jincheng in the mountain abyss daily.”
“I have already made arrangements for this matter.”
“Then you may withdraw—”
“Yes.”
Watching Lu Da leave, Elder Fang remained silent for a long time, then rose and descended the mountain, eventually arriving at the Master's Courtyard.
The three Masters-in-charge of the Master's Courtyard had just finished attending to Elder Lu’s illness and hadn't even settled down when they saw Elder Fang arrive, and immediately rose to greet him.
“Elder Fang, for what purpose have you come?”
Elder Fang was silent for a long time: “I lost an heirloom Spirit Platform.”
The three Masters-in-charge frowned:
“Someone saw that the Fangcun Platform was picked up by Ji You. I ask the three Masters-in-charge to trouble yourselves and help me inquire about it.”
“May I ask, Elder Fang, where was that Fangcun Platform lost?”
“It was in my grand-Disciple’s courtyard.”
The three Masters-in-charge of the Master's Courtyard fell into endless silence after hearing him speak.
Something missing from one's own courtyard, that's not called lost; that means it was taken by force.
They realized that their previous guess had not been wrong; Elder Lu and Elder Fang had both suffered greatly last night.
The three Masters-in-charge exchanged glances, clearly reluctant to get involved in this matter.
Ji You was no longer the Ji You of the past; even Elder Lu couldn't withstand him, let alone them.
But the Master's Courtyard existed precisely to handle such matters, and some things were difficult to shirk.
So they left the Master's Courtyard and, after some turns, arrived at Ji You’s courtyard.
Ji You had slept after returning from Fang Jincheng’s courtyard and had just woken up. He was currently digging a hole in the courtyard with a hoe. The three Masters-in-charge stood in his courtyard, waiting for him to do all of this, their eyes involuntarily fixed on the cold crow that had been placed into the hole.
The cold crow had no external injuries, but there were bloodstains all around its Qi orifices, indicating that its Divine Soul had clearly been shattered. From this, it was evident how terrifying the life-and-death struggle that occurred here last night must have been.
Ji You filled the hole and turned to look at the Masters-in-charge behind him: “What brings the three of you here?”
“It’s nothing major, just entrusted by Elder Fang to deliver a message.”
“What message does Elder Fang want you to convey?”
Qin Rong looked at him: “He said he lost a Fangcun Platform, and a kind-hearted person picked it up, asking us to come and search for it.”
Ji You’s brow slightly raised: “What Fangcun Platform? I haven’t even seen the person, how could I have seen a platform?”
Qin Zhangshi took out a gift box, which contained countless Medicinal Pills and Spirit Stones, and beneath them was a scroll of secret techniques: “This is Elder Fang’s thank-you gift for you. Actually, such Family heirloom treasures all have a Family imprint, and one can know their location with a thought.”
“Elder Fang is just too polite.”
“That Fangcun Platform?”
“I haven’t seen it.”
Ji You said indifferently, reaching out to pull the string of the gift box.
Qin Rong subconsciously tightened his grip on the string, but when he saw Ji You’s expression, which no longer held a smile, he released his hand after a moment of silence and turned to leave.
Elder Fang’s hands trembled upon hearing this reply, and then he returned to the Elder Council without a word.
In fact, many Elders in the Elder Council had heard about the Fang Family’s Fangcun Platform, knowing its immense value, which even a Millennium Sect might not be able to bear.
Because Spirit Treasures are inherently rare, and a Spirit Treasure that can be passed down through generations, allowing every Disciple to comprehend the Dao with its help, is even rarer; this was practically taking half of the Fang Family’s life.
However, some Elders also advised that since the Fangcun Platform had the Fang Family’s mark, it couldn’t truly be lost. They suggested Elder Fang consider it lent to Ji You and retrieve it when an opportunity arose later.
Actually, such words were quite malicious, and many Elders unrelated to the matter felt they couldn't tolerate them.
But Elder Fang merely sat there numbly, finally letting out a profound sigh and saying, "That's right."
Their own Family's precious treasure being kept by someone else, and he said, "That's right"? Everyone who heard this couldn't help but gasp in surprise.
Of course, there were also some people who suddenly realized that the battle between the two on Dongping Mountain was probably not as simple as a mutual defeat; Elder Fang harbored some fear of Ji You.
The days remained peaceful until the morning of Frost's Descent, when the first rays of dawn appeared.
Cao Jinsong received a Spirit Platform and, after staring at it for a long time, looked at Ji You: "Where did you get this thing?"
Ji You looked up at him: "Didn't you always say you wanted to Breakthrough? I just picked one up for you."
"This is the Fang Family's treasure. I heard about it before. Where did you pick it up?"
"In Fang Jincheng's courtyard."
"That's called stealing!"
Ji You raised an eyebrow when he heard this: "If no one stopped me, how can it be called stealing?"
Cao Jinsong was stunned for a long time before speaking seriously: "Then that's called theft, Ji You, theft is worse than robbery."
"But I waited all night for the owner, and not a single hair showed up. If I didn't take it, what if someone else took it? And when I left, I walked on the main road, so it was just picking it up."
"?"
"Do you want it? If not, I'll give it to Instructor Ma."
Cao Jinsong quickly said "yes" multiple times, afraid that Ji You would take the Spirit Platform back.
The Disciples of Feng Province no longer needed his protection as much, and he had been in the Rongdao Realm for many years, so he also wanted to try a higher Realm.
It wasn't about becoming much stronger; it was mainly that when life got better, everyone would always hope they could live a little longer.
Ji You exhorted him to cultivate well, and was cursed in return.
In the following days, both the Elder Council and the Master's Courtyard remained silent, as if everything had been left unresolved.
It wasn't until a few days after Frost's Descent, when Xiang Fu, the daughter of the Dan Shui County Prefect, entered the Inner Courtyard with the morning light, that the Inner Courtyard became lively again.
Because as early as her entry into the Inner Courtyard, a large group of Elders had descended from the mountain, specifically waiting for her there.
Some of them came from the Immortal Palace, while others came from the Elder Council.
Even Ge Elder and Peng Yu were among them, inquiring about her well-being and wanting to take her as their Disciple.
It was precisely this scene that attracted many Disciples to come and watch.
Xiang Fu worked very hard in the Outer Courtyard, but sometimes hard work is not a compliment, but rather suggests a lack of talent.
Especially since it took her two years to Breakthrough to Junior Third Realm Completion, which truly wasn't remarkable.
At this moment, some Inner Courtyard Disciples pursed their lips.
Many things seem chaotic when they happen, but later, upon careful review, they can be connected.
Fang Jincheng immediately incited Peng Yu to cause trouble after the Inner Courtyard selection results came out, and some people who knew the Peng Family couldn't swallow their anger also took people to the Elder Council.
Then, Peng Yu, who went to cause trouble, directly withdrew from Tianshu Academy after that night and was taken home by his Family.
Fang Jincheng, who had always wanted to trouble Ji You, publicly announced that he was going into seclusion and entered the mountain abyss near the Elder Council, never showing his face again, and his courtyard was ransacked.
Of course, there were some things too frightening to dwell on, such as Elder Lu being severely injured that night.
And after Xiang Fu officially entered the Inner Courtyard, Cao Jinsong also began to seclude himself for cultivation.
Ji You, meanwhile, focused his attention on the tax tribute quota given by Feng Province this year, as well as the relief grain ledgers of the Worry-Free Commerce.
Ji You descended from Ni Mountain and, after some travel, arrived at the backyard of the Worry-Free Commerce in Shengjing.
This courtyard was also the residence of an official who had been impeached and removed from office due to the new policies, and it was originally in the hands of the Immortal Supervisor.
After Kuang Cheng spoke of the Worry-Free Commerce, he obtained the land deed from the Immortal Supervisor.
Then he hired craftsmen to demolish the original mansion gate and convert it into a street-facing shop.
The backyard, however, was not much altered; the rockeries, pavilions, and waterside pavilions all remained in their original state, arranged together with the hall and main house, looking well-proportioned.
Ji You was currently sitting in the courtyard, having finished reviewing all the accounts.
Feng Province is vast, and with the assistance of cultivators for reclamation, this year's grain production was indeed astonishing.
But even so, only the tip of the iceberg of Feng Province's land has been utilized.
Now, the only thing lacking is more manpower.
However, as more and more Wulu Trading Companies open, the number of migrant workers from other provinces will inevitably increase, which is not something to worry about too much; it only needs to be carried out systematically.
If life could continue like this, the starvation of thousands of miles and the practice of exchanging children for food should not happen again.
But the prerequisite is that there are no more disasters.
Ji You clutched the ledger, pondering for a long time, wishing that if he could remain safe like this, he would most likely go out and travel.
To soak in the Medicinal Pill pools of the Dan Sect, and to play around Lingjian Mountain.
As he thought of playing, Ji You's thoughts were interrupted by footsteps coming from the front shop of the Worry-Free Commerce.
He looked up to see Kuang Cheng and Wei Pistil walking through the courtyard: "Brother Ji."
Ji You regained his senses: "How do you two have time to come here?"
"I had a day off today and was planning to come find you. As soon as I reached the door, I ran into Wei Pistil, so we came together."
Wei Pistil now sat down on a stool: "Winter is coming soon, Young Master Ji, is Sister Yan coming this year?"
Ji You looked up at her: "She is now wholeheartedly devoted to the Dao and has broken ties with me."
"Ah? Why?"
"Because I'm scared."
"?"
Kuang Cheng also sat down at this moment and pulled out a letter from his sleeve: "The matter you asked me to look into earlier received a reply a few days ago."
Ji You took the letter, opened it, and read it carefully.
When they last met, he had told Kuang Shusheng about what happened on Dongping Mountain and asked him to help keep an eye on it. The letter contained the results of the Immortal Supervisor's investigation near the Dongping Mountain Range.
After the Immortal Sect withdrew from the mountains, Qingyun World did not truly become peaceful; instead, many Sect Disciples came to investigate.
Even Worldly Families from Ling Province, far to the south, sent Disciples there. It is said that they lingered between the Dongping Mountain Range and An Yuan City for a long time, and some people are still there.
Ji You thought for a moment after hearing this and didn't find it too surprising.
Because the Immortal Sect attributed what happened in the Dongping Mountain Range to the descent of a Spirit Treasure, such a statement was indeed too vague and ethereal, and it was normal for some Worldly Families not to believe it.
However, he had personally seen the Dongping Mountain Range and An Yuan City, and there would be no clues that could reveal what happened to the Bu family members.
A few days ago, Ji You also received a message from Ding Yao.
Immortal Sect agents are spread throughout the world, like eyes, capable of uncovering many hidden things.
And according to the message, those Elders who returned from the Dongping Mountain Range did not settle down either; they left again not long after.
Some of them were tracked to nearby ruins, where they had been investigating.
Trouble might not be a bad thing, because trouble means they still have no clues.
Those old immortals are truly a bit pitiful.
Originally, they sat withered in the deep mountains, perhaps having long accepted the fate of impending death in a situation where Breakthrough and extended life were not expected.
But the sudden appearance of the Lower Three Realms matter instantly made them restless, feeling they saw hope, yet unable to find it.
Kuang Cheng now looked at Ji You: "Winter has arrived. I plan to send some things to the Orphanage and visit Hu Wa. Would Brother Ji like to come with me?"
"I won't go. Just help me buy some things."
Ji You took out a money pouch embroidered with the character "Fang" from his Pregnant and took out a few silver ingots.
Kuang Cheng took the silver, said nothing more, chatted with him for a while, and then took Wei Pistil to the Orphanage.
The cotton quilts and padded clothes bought before were still wearable, so Kuang Cheng was calculating whether he should help them repair their houses this year or buy some books to teach them to read.
Wei Pistil followed him out of the Worry-Free Commerce, and after walking a few steps, she couldn't help but look at Kuang Cheng: "Doesn't Young Master Ji like children very much?"
"Yes, but for some reason, he doesn't like Hu Wa very much."