Chapter 91: Asking Heavenly Dao for a Leave
With the refugee epidemic resolved, the Yuan family siblings were set to return to the Sect in a few days.
Ji You's dinner, besides celebrating his safe return with Kuang Cheng, could also be considered a farewell for the siblings.
After all, they had faced life and death together, so there was a certain camaraderie between them, even though Yuan Chen was ill-intentioned and often plotted to use his pure, jade-like sister for his own schemes.
“Inviting us to dinner?”
“Brother-in-law, you don't need to cultivate Dao tonight?”
Yuan Chen was delighted but also confused when he heard Ji You was hosting. He remembered that in the past few days, his brother-in-law would eagerly drag him back every evening to cultivate Dao at the Wudao Field, as if the Heavenly Dao would disappear if he was a moment late.
Because of this, his Instructor often had teary eyes, feeling deeply gratified.
Ji You confidently raised the corner of his mouth: “Not tonight. I’ll just ask my Heavenly Dao for a leave later.”
Kuang Cheng, who had just exchanged some silver at the bank to send to the orphanage, was stunned by these words: “This Heavenly Dao—is it alive? Can it really communicate with cultivators?”
“How can Heavenly Dao be alive?”
“Then why does Brother Ji need to ask Heavenly Dao for leave to go out and meet us?”
Ji You pondered for a moment before saying: “The Heavenly Dao I observe is alive. It gets angry if I don’t ask for leave.”
Yuan Chen, like Kuang Cheng, didn't understand his riddle, but he was clearly more interested in food, so he immediately asked: “Then what are we eating tonight?”
“You pick. After all, I’ve earned a lot of money from you and your sister. Remember to inform your sister once you’ve chosen.”
“Me? Brother-in-law, I think since you’re hosting tonight, it’s better if you do the inviting.”
Although Yuan Chen recognized the Master Jian as his sister, he always felt that his brother-in-law wasn't quite up to par.
Seeing that they were about to return to Dan Sect and unsure when they would meet again, his desire to marry off his sister intensified.
Ji You was going back to Tianshu Academy to ask the “Heavenly Dao” for leave anyway, so he nodded in agreement. Then, following the evening light, he returned to the Wudao Field, sat cross-legged, and sent his Divine Thought soaring.
“I’m going out to eat, with the Yuan family siblings and Kuang Cheng.”
“No.”
The Fairy beneath Void Mountain, upon hearing he was going out to eat, looked icy cold. She then leaped from the mountain to confront him, but her feet were touched several times.
Indeed, this unfamiliar man was audacious.
First, he pinched her face, and now he was touching her feet. He hadn't even surpassed her in strength, yet he was already thinking of more intimate things.
However, whenever her snow-white, delicate jade feet were held in his hand, the Fairy would feel a softening sensation throughout her body and couldn't bring herself to utter murderous words.
“Wanqiu returned to the mountain to report to me several days ago, so why haven’t the Yuan family siblings left yet? Are they really going to live permanently in Tianshu Academy?”
“Didn’t I tell you before? Yuan Chen was helping me refine Medicinal Pills, so he couldn’t return to the Sect temporarily. The matter is resolved today, so this meal is considered their farewell.”
Ji You looked at her, thinking that the Fairy was acting a bit sour today.
He had told her daily about Yuan Chen helping to treat the refugees, so she naturally knew that the Medicinal Pills had only been refined yesterday.
But she kept asking him every day, wondering why the Yuan family siblings hadn't left, appearing very bothered by it.
Yan Shuyi noticed his gaze and straightened her slender, willow-like waist, feigning composure: “Don’t overthink it. I’m just curious about what you’re eating tonight.”
“I want to eat braised pork bones, but the woman Kuang Cheng likes doesn’t seem to be too keen on it.”
“All you know is eating braised pork bones.”
Yan Shuyi still resented the fact that the first time Ji You took her out to eat, they had something as unappetizing as braised pork bones.
It was no wonder other women disliked it; such food was truly unrefined.
What woman would widely open her mouth to gnaw meat off a bone?
However, thinking of that “impromptu” trip to Shengjing, Yan Shuyi suddenly felt a sense of nostalgia.
Compared to the internal strife of Lingjian Mountain and the current external pressures, she was actually immensely envious of someone like Yuan Caiwei who could sit and gnaw bones with Ji You.
She felt that Ji You should have taken her, not the Yuan family siblings.
“When you come to Shengjing again, I’ll take you to eat delicious food and introduce you to the woman Kuang Cheng likes.”
“I never said I wanted to follow you to eat delicious food.”
“But I think you look quite envious right now.”
Ji You mimicked her, squinting at her for a long time: “Why don’t you come down the mountain to play with me now? With your Yingtian Realm speed, we can still have breakfast together.”
Yan Shuyi raised her snow-white little face and looked at him: “I’m not a little girl who will just follow someone with a slight coaxing.”
“I wonder who came last time without even being coaxed.”
“I already said last time was just a coincidence, not specifically to find you. Go eat your braised pork bones.”
Yan Shuyi watched him leave, resting her chin on her hand, sitting on Void Mountain, and genuinely felt a surge of desire to run away from home.
Ji You then got up and left the Wudao Field, heading to the small courtyard arranged for the Dan Sect Disciples in Tianshu Academy.
At this moment, a group of people had just departed from the front of the small courtyard.
They were from the Inner Courtyard, led by He Lingxiu, a direct Disciple of Zizai Hall, and You Buyu, a direct Disciple of Jixiang Hall.
In recent days, at the behest of Dan Sect and Tianshu Academy, Yuan Caiwei and You Buyu had been interacting, and today was no exception.
The group had admired the sprouting ten thousand acres of forest in the Inner Courtyard and the spring breeze surrounding the sea of clouds.
You Buyu was refined in his conduct and witty in his speech, often eliciting a smile from Yuan Caiwei, and he himself was quite pleased.
Originally, they had agreed to have dinner together at a restaurant tonight, but Yuan Caiwei said she would be leaving tomorrow and wanted to rest well, so You Buyu accompanied the others in seeing her back.
At this moment, seeing Ji You coming from the mountain and heading straight into Yuan Caiwei’s courtyard, the group couldn't help but stop. In the past few days, rumors had been swirling in the courtyard about the Tianshu Academy Disciple taking the Dan Sect direct Disciple to the city outskirts to treat refugees. Even they found his actions inscrutable.
Like those who exclaimed “a waste of Heavenly treasures,” they also felt that knowing a Dan Master was extremely difficult, let alone a direct Disciple of Dan Sect.
With such an opportunity, one would naturally seek a furnace of Immortal Medicinal Pills that could elevate one’s Realm.
Taking them to treat refugees? Absolutely insane—
But just as everyone found Ji You’s behavior incomprehensible and felt he was wasting opportunities, other rumors began to spread.
Some said that the Dan Sect direct Disciple had been calling Ji You 'Brother-in-law' outside the city.
Yuan Chen called Yuan Caiwei 'Sister,' so the 'sister' in 'brother-in-law' naturally referred to the Eldest Daughter of Dan Zong.
Thus, some quick-witted individuals wondered if the shared life-and-death experience in the ruins had led to a private engagement between the affectionate man and woman.
However, not many people believed this rumor.
Dan Sect was indeed willing to befriend Tianshu Academy, as the situation with the ruins had caused widespread panic, making everyone much more vigilant and feeling that chaos was imminent, so Dan Sect hoped for protection.
And for someone of Yuan Caiwei’s status, the benefits gained from a marriage alliance sometimes outweighed her Dao of Medicinal Pills talent.
After many days of interaction, You Buyu felt that Yuan Caiwei had a very good impression of him, and she always spoke with a smile, so the 'brother-in-law' rumor must be unreliable.
But since such a rumor existed, Ji You’s solo arrival at Yuan Caiwei’s courtyard without Yuan Chen was still likely to attract attention.
“Ji You, what is he doing here?”
He Lingxiu thought for a moment and then spoke: “He must be here to see Miss Caiwei. Miss Caiwei has been with us these past few days, and he hasn't had a chance to see her. Perhaps he heard they were leaving tomorrow and rushed over.”
You Buyu frowned upon hearing this: “He has an excellent relationship with the Dan Sect direct Disciple. Why would he need to come see Miss Caiwei again?”
“No matter how good the Dan Sect direct Disciple is, she is still a man.”
“What do you mean, Junior Sister Lingxiu?”
He Lingxiu turned to look at him: “A friendship is far less stable than a marriage. Ji You comes from the countryside, with no Worldly Family background, so his thoughts are naturally more complex. Senior Brother You, I’m afraid you have a competitor.”
You Buyu chuckled at her words: “I am a direct Disciple of a Hall Master in the Integration Dao Realm, and he is just an Outer Courtyard Disciple in the Tong Xuan Realm.
You shouldn't let others hear what you just said, lest they laugh at you.”
“Senior Brother You, don't forget, he did save Miss Caiwei’s life.”
“Miss Caiwei is an extremely aloof woman. Even with me, she only offers a shallow smile. She clearly distinguishes between gratitude and affection. It would be strange if she paid attention to such a goal-oriented approach.”
As his words fell, everyone saw Ji You walk out of Yuan Caiwei’s courtyard.
Seeing this, You Buyu and the others couldn't help but look at He Lingxiu, wondering if she would be embarrassed.
Having been invited out in less than a quarter of an hour, He Lingxiu’s previous words now seemed rather amusing.
However, at this moment, everyone's laughter abruptly ceased.
Because in the twilight moonlight, as Ji You walked out of the courtyard, Yuan Caiwei also followed him out, and Yuan Caiwei at this moment was extremely different from what they had seen during the day.
The difference was in her attire.
Yuan Caiwei was not wearing the Dan Robe she usually wore but had changed into a long dress with scattered snowflakes, adorned with jade hairpins and hair ornaments. Her face was delicately made up, and her steps were graceful.
And You Buyu suddenly realized that during their excursions these past few days, Yuan Caiwei had never dressed up.
He had only remembered that she was the Eldest Daughter of Dan Zong, so he naturally felt she possessed an inherent radiance. But at this moment, he realized that she could be even more beautiful than he had ever seen.
But—
She wasn't dressed up for him.
“Miss Caiwei actually has such a stunning, nation-toppling appearance. What is she going to do with that Ji You?”
“It seems they’re going down the mountain—”
“Didn’t she say she wanted to rest early today?”
He Lingxiu was also a bit stunned at this moment, looking at You Buyu's incredulous gaze, and for a moment didn't know what to say.
There was also competition among the five halls of the Inner Courtyard, so He Lingxiu and You Buyu's relationship was not particularly good.
The reason she said these things tonight was not that she thought the Eldest Daughter of Dan Zong would look favorably upon that Outer Courtyard Disciple, but simply that her attempt to befriend Yuan Chen had failed, leaving her somewhat displeased.
But she truly hadn't expected to see such a scene.
Yuan Caiwei walked gracefully behind him, continuously looking at the man in front. If one were to say nothing was happening, no one would believe it.
He Lingxiu suddenly opened her mouth, thinking of a possibility.
It wasn't because Yuan Caiwei had been touring with them that Ji You hadn’t had a chance to see her.
Instead, it was because Ji You hadn't invited her along, which was why Yuan Caiwei had been touring with them. Why?
He Lingxiu couldn't understand what was so special about this Outer Courtyard Disciple that first attracted the younger brother, and now the older sister.
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