Chapter 278 Picking up and snatching
Fang Jincheng announced to the public that he was in seclusion, saying that he wanted to break through to the middle realm of Tongxuan.
Not long after that, news came from the outer courtyard that Peng Yu had gone to the Office of the President and voluntarily applied to withdraw from the Tianshu Academy.
In addition, in the early morning, they learned that the mind of the elder in the Divine Wandering Realm was damaged, and the head of the inner courtyard hurried up the mountain. The overwhelming news made the inner courtyard disciples no longer have the heart to practice Taoism, and they all had different expressions in the crowd.
They knew that something big must have happened last night that seemed peaceful, but they were not aware of it.
Just as all these speculations were circulating, a figure appeared from the immortal residence on the west side of the inner courtyard gate.
The people on high ground heard the sound and looked down, and saw Ji You walking out of a courtyard with a sword in his hand.
He still looked like a scholar and seemed harmless, but the mouth of the storage gourd on his waist was crooked. After he went out, he glanced at the top of Mount Ni, then turned and left.
What puzzled everyone was that it was not his yard, but Fang Jincheng's yard.
"How did Ji You come out of Fang Jincheng's yard..."
"I remember when I returned to the mountain yesterday, I saw Fang Jincheng talking to Peng Yu about something. It seemed to be about the selection of students for the inner courtyard."
"Could it be that... there was a conflict?"
"I didn't hear any noise last night..."
Amid the discussions, Ji You turned east and his figure gradually disappeared.
Seeing this scene, everyone thought for a long time, and then went to Fang Jincheng's yard in silence.
In the light mist, the wooden door of the small courtyard in front was lying on the ground. Looking further, the door of the shabby room was also open to the outside, but the room was empty.
All kinds of calligraphy and paintings, spiritual stones and jades, swords and magic weapons, and even sandalwood tables and chairs disappeared without a trace.
Also missing was a square platform that was originally placed in the yard.
This item is a magical treasure handed down from generation to generation in the Fang family. It has the ability to enhance the connection between heaven and man, and can also clear the mind and make thoughts clear.
There are thousands of aristocratic families in the world, but there are always some families that can stand firm and rise steadily. There are reasons for this.
It is said that Elder Fang also used this spiritual platform to practice all the way here, and then he entered the Yingtian Realm from the threshold of the Rongdao Realm, and finally reached the boundless realm.
Fang Jincheng had been placed with high hopes since he was a child, and had always been the next powerful person in the Fang family that everyone was looking forward to. So not long after he entered the inner courtyard, this spirit platform was sent to him to help him practice.
However, the spiritual platform has disappeared at this moment, leaving only a deep hexagonal mark under the platform.
Just as everyone was staring at the place where the marks were pressed, a group of disciples came from the back mountain, facing the morning mist, and arrived at this time, filing in from outside the door.
The man in the lead was tall and strong, wearing a black short shirt with a slanting collar. He was none other than Lu Da, the boy serving Elder Fang.
After withdrawing from the Tiandaohui preliminaries, Luda went into seclusion and has not come out until now. He is still in that state of expressionless and speaks very little.
When they arrived in the courtyard, they first looked towards the location where the square inch spiritual platform was originally located. When they saw that the spiritual platform was gone, Lu Da's face changed slightly.
At the hour of Yin today, he was called over by Elder Fang while he was still asleep.
He was first ordered to send Fang Jincheng to the mountain abyss on the right side of the Elders' Pavilion and ask him to go into seclusion immediately.
After finishing all this, he was ordered to come here and take back the Fang Cuntai which had been passed down from generation to generation in the Fang family. He looked extremely anxious, as if the family's heirloom was about to be stolen.
But in Lu Da's opinion, with Elder Fang's status and majesty, no one would dare to touch the Fang Cun Terrace even if it was thrown on the mountain road, so why would he be in a hurry to find it?
But what he didn't expect was that the square platform was really gone.
After thinking for a long time, Lu Da turned and went out, walked towards the mountain, and then entered the Elders' Pavilion.
When he passed through the dark corridor covered with red carpet and came in front of Elder Fang, Elder Fang was sitting cross-legged in the meditation room with his hands hanging down.
This was the posture used by cultivators to attain enlightenment, but Elder Fang was clearly not in a state of meditation. He just sat there with anxiety in his eyes.
"Where's the stuff?"
"Elder, the things are gone."
Hearing this, Elder Fang could not help but clench his fists, and his eyes became extremely gloomy when he looked at Lu Da.
In fact, Lu Da had already heard the discussions of his fellow practitioners around him and knew that Ji You had come out of the yard before they arrived.
If Elder Fang asked, he would definitely tell him about it. After all, he and Ji You didn't have much of a relationship, so there was no need to hide it for him.
But who would have thought that Elder Fang did not ask, but just held the teacup tightly in his hand, and did not say a word until the wall of the cup broke. Then his face became very ugly, and even the corners of his wrinkled eyes kept twitching.
Seeing his reaction, Luda lowered his head instantly.
He suddenly realized that the Fang Cuntai that Elder Fang had been thinking about was not stolen, but robbed.
Because you would only ask who it belonged to if it was stolen, but not if it was robbed.
"Elder, do you have anything else for me to do?"
"You go and arrange for someone to go to the mountain abyss and deliver meals to Fang Jincheng every day."
"I have made arrangements for this."
"Then please step down..."
"yes."
After watching Lu Da leave, Elder Fang was silent for a long time, then he got up and went down the mountain, and finally arrived at the office of the headmaster.
The three heads of the Office of Management had just finished treating Elder Lu, and before they had even sat down to relax, they saw Elder Fang coming and immediately stood up to greet him.
"What brings you here, Elder Fang?"
Elder Fang was silent for a long time: "I lost a spiritual altar that was passed down from generation to generation."
The three heads frowned: "?"
"Someone saw that the Fang Cuntai was picked up by Ji You. I would like to ask the three masters for help."
"May I ask Elder Fang, where did the Fang Cun Platform get lost?"
"It's in my grandson's yard."
After hearing what he said, the three heads of the Council of Officials fell into endless silence.
If something in your own yard is gone, it’s not called losing, it’s called being stolen.
They realized that they had not guessed wrong before. Elder Lu and Elder Fang both suffered great losses last night.
The three managers looked at each other, obviously not wanting to get involved in this matter.
Ji You is no longer the Ji You of the past. Even Elder Lu can’t hold on, let alone them.
But the Office of Chief Affairs exists to deal with these matters, and some things are difficult to shirk.
So they left the Director's Office and came to the courtyard where Ji You was.
Ji You had taken a nap after returning from Fang Jincheng's yard. He had just woken up and was digging a hole in the yard with a hoe.
The three managers were standing in his yard waiting for him to do all this, their eyes unconsciously looking at the jackdaw that was put into the pit.
The jackdaw had no injuries on its body, but there were traces of blood all over its qi points, and it was obvious that its soul had been shattered. This showed what a terrible life-and-death situation had taken place here last night.
Ji You filled the hole and turned to look at the person in charge behind him: "What do you three want to do here?"
"It's not a big deal. I was just asked by Elder Fang to come and pass on a message."
"What does Elder Fang want you to convey?"
Qin Rong looked at him and said, "He said he lost a piece of Fang Cuntai, and it was picked up by a kind-hearted person, so he asked us to come and look for it."
Ji You raised his eyebrows slightly: "What square platform? I didn't even see anyone, how could I see a square platform?"
Manager Qin took out a gift box, which contained countless elixirs and spirit stones, and a scroll of secret techniques underneath. "This is Elder Fang's thank-you gift to you. In fact, those heirlooms have family imprints, and you can find their whereabouts with just a thought."
"Elder Fang is just too polite."
"That square platform...?"
"I haven't seen it."
Ji You said this calmly and reached out to pull the string of the gift box.
Qin Rong subconsciously tightened the rope, but when he saw that Ji You's smile was no longer on his face, he let go after a long silence and turned away.
Elder Fang's hands were shaking after hearing this answer, and he returned to the Elders' Pavilion without saying a word.
In fact, many elders in the Elders' Pavilion had heard of the Fang family's Fang Cun Terrace and knew that its value was so great that even a thousand-year-old family might not be able to afford it.
Because spiritual treasures are already rare, spiritual treasures that can be passed down from generation to generation so that every disciple can gain enlightenment through them are even rarer. This is simply costing the Fang family half their life.
However, some elders advised that the Fang Cun platform had the Fang family's mark on it and could not be lost. They asked Elder Fang to just consider it as lending it to Ji You and ask him to return it when he had the chance in the future.
In fact, these words were quite hurtful, and many elders who had nothing to do with the matter could not bear to hear them.
But Elder Fang just sat there with a numb expression on his face, and finally said softly with a deep gaze, "That's right."
Is it right for someone else to keep your family's treasure? Everyone who heard this could not help but gasp.
Of course, there were some people who suddenly realized that the battle between the two men in Dongping Mountain might not be as simple as both sides suffering losses. Elder Fang was somewhat afraid of Ji You.
The days remained peaceful until the day of Frost Descent, when the morning light burst forth.
Cao Jinsong got a spiritual platform. He stared at it for a long time and then looked at Ji You: "Where did you get this thing from?"
Ji You looked up at him and said, "Haven't you always said that you wanted to break through the realm? I picked one up for you."
"This is the Fang family's treasure. I've heard of it before. Where did you pick it up?"
"In Fang Jincheng's yard."
"That's called robbery!"
Ji You raised his eyebrows after hearing this: "How can you call it a robbery if no one is stopping you?"
Cao Jinsong was stunned for a long time before he spoke seriously: "That's called stealing, Ji You. Stealing is worse than robbing."
"But I waited all night for the owner, but he didn't show up. What if I didn't take it and someone else took it? And he walked along the main road when he left, so I just picked it up."
"?"
"Do you want it? If not, I'll use it for horse training."
After hearing this, Cao Jinsong said several words, fearing that Ji You would take the Lingtai away again.
The children of Fengzhou no longer need his protection, and he has been in the Rong Dao realm for many years and wants to try a higher realm.
It’s not about becoming stronger, but mainly when life gets better, no matter who you are, you always hope that you can see it longer.
Ji You urged him to practice well, but was scolded and turned against Tian Gang.
In the days that followed, there was no movement in the Elders' Pavilion and the Council of Executives, and everything seemed to have come to an end.
It was not until a few days after the Frost Descent that Xiang Fu, the daughter of the governor of Danshui County, entered the inner courtyard in the morning light, making the inner courtyard lively again.
Because as early as when he entered the inner courtyard, a large number of elders came down from the mountain and waited there specifically.
Some of them came from the Immortal Palace, and some came from the Elders' Pavilion.
Elder Ge and Elder Peng were also among them, and they asked about his well-being and wanted to accept him as their disciple.
It was precisely because of this scene that many disciples came to watch.
Xiang Fu worked very hard in the Foreign Affairs College, but sometimes hard work is not a compliment, but more like saying that a person is not talented enough.
Especially since it took her two years to break through the lower three realms, it is indeed not remarkable.
At this time, some inner court disciples pursed their lips.
Many things seem chaotic when they happen, but they can be pieced together if you sort them out carefully later.
As soon as the results of the inner courtyard selection came out, Fang Jincheng instigated Peng Yu to cause trouble. Some people, knowing that the Peng family could not swallow this humiliation, also took people to the Elders' Pavilion.
Then Peng Yu, who had gone out to cause trouble, voluntarily withdrew from Tianshu Academy after that night and was taken back home.
Fang Jincheng, who had always wanted to cause trouble for Ji You, announced to the public that he was in seclusion and entered the abyss near the Elders' Pavilion. He never showed up again and his yard was looted.
Of course, there are some things that I dare not think about, such as Elder Lu being seriously injured that night...
After Xiang Fu officially entered the inner courtyard, Cao Jinsong also began to concentrate on his retreat.
Ji You, on the other hand, focused on the share of taxes paid by Fengzhou this year and the relief grain account book through the Wuliu Trading Company.
Ji You descended from Mount Ni and eventually arrived at the backyard of Wuyou Trading Company in Shengjing.
This courtyard was also the residence of an official who was impeached and removed from office because of the new policy, and was originally controlled by the Sixianjian.
After Kuang Cheng told the story of Wuliu Company, he obtained the land deed from Sixianjian.
Craftsmen were then hired to tear down the original gate of the mansion and turn it into shops along the street.
The yard at the back has not been demolished or modified much. The rockery, pavilion and scented water pavilion are all in their original state. Together with the hall and the main house, they look well-organized.
Ji You was sitting in the yard at this time and had already looked through all the accounts.
Fengzhou is a vast land, and with the help of immortal cultivators in reclaiming the land, the grain output this year is indeed astonishing.
But even so, only the tip of the iceberg of Fengzhou's land has been utilized.
The only thing we lack now is more manpower.
However, as more and more Wuyou businesses open, the number of workers coming from other states will inevitably increase. This is not something that requires too much worry, and we just need to proceed step by step.
If life could go on like this, things like starving people and cannibalism would not happen again.
But the prerequisite is that there will be no more disasters.
Ji You held the account book in his hand and thought for a long time, thinking that if he could be safe from now on, he would probably go out for a trip.
Go to Danzong to soak in the medicine pool, and go to Lingjian Mountain to play with your feet.
When Ji You was thinking about his feet, his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming from the shop in front of Wuyou Trading Company.
Looking up, Kuang Cheng was walking across the courtyard with Wei Rui: "Brother Ji."
Ji You came back to his senses: "How did you two have time to come to my place?"
"I'm on leave today, and I was planning to come look for you, but when I got to the door I ran into Rui'er, so we came together."
Wei Rui sat on the stool at this time: "Winter is coming soon, Master Ji, will my sister Yan come again this year?"
Ji You looked up at her and said, "She is devoted to Taoism now and has severed all ties with me."
"Ah? Why?"
"Oh my god."
"?"
Kuang Cheng also sat down at this time and took out a letter from his sleeve: "I received a reply a few days ago about the matter you asked me to pay attention to before."
Ji You took the letter, opened it and read it carefully.
The last time they met, he told Kuang Shusheng what happened in Dongping Mountain and asked him to help keep an eye on it. What was written in this letter was the results of the Sixianjian's investigation near the Dongping Mountains.
Qingzhou has not really calmed down since the Immortal Sect withdrew from the mountains, and many children from aristocratic families have visited.
Even as far south as Lingzhou, some aristocratic families have sent disciples there. It is said that they wandered between the Dongping Mountains and Anyuan City for a long time, and some are still there today.
After hearing this, Ji You thought about it for a moment and didn't feel that surprised.
Because the Immortal Sect attributed what happened in the Dongping Mountains to the arrival of a magical treasure, this statement was indeed too general and unfounded, so it was normal for some families not to believe it.
However, he had personally visited the Dongping Mountains and Anyuan City, and there would be no clues that could let anyone know what happened to the Bu family.
A few days ago, Ji You received a message from Ding Yao.
The Immortal Sect travels all over the world, like eyes, able to find out many secret things.
According to the news, the elders who returned from Dongping Mountains did not settle down either and left again not long after.
Some of them were found to have gone to the ruins that were closer to them and had been exploring there.
Struggling is not necessarily a bad thing, because it means that they still have no clue.
It's really pitiful that the old man never dies.
Originally, they were sitting in the deep mountains, and perhaps they had already accepted the fact that they were about to die, as they expected that they would not be able to break through the state and prolong their lives.
But the sudden incident of the Bu family made them anxious. They felt they saw hope, but they just couldn't find it.
Kuang Cheng looked at Ji You at this time: "Winter is here. I plan to go to the orphanage to deliver some things and visit Tiger Boy. Brother Ji, do you want to go with me?"
"I won't go, just buy some things for me."
Ji You pulled out a purse embroidered with the word "Fang" from his bosom and took out a few ingots of silver.
Kuang Cheng took the silver without saying much. After chatting with him for a while, he took Wei Rui to the orphanage.
The quilts and cotton clothes they had bought before were still wearable, so Kuang Cheng was thinking about whether he should help them renovate the house this year, or buy some books to teach them to read.
Wei Rui followed him out of Wuyou Commercial House. After walking a few steps, she couldn't help but look at Kuang Cheng: "Master Ji, don't you like children very much?"
"Yeah, but for some reason, he doesn't like Tiger Boy very much."
(End of this chapter)
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