Chapter 157: The 800-li Urgent Dispatch!
“Urgent dispatch from Feng Prefecture, 800-li express! Make way!”
“Ji You, student of the Heavenly Script Academy, has established a noble clan. Let all of the prefecture be informed!”
“Urgent dispatch from Feng Prefecture, 800-li express! Make way! Ji You, student of the Heavenly Script Academy, has established a noble clan…”
From the early morning when the document was signed until midday, countless notices were dispatched on swift horses throughout Feng Prefecture, their voices thundering like rolling thunder through the streets and alleys.
Some were delivered to the immortal sects of the region, some to various counties and towns within Feng Prefecture, and others sent directly to the Capital City. The sound of galloping hooves shattered the silence of mountains and rivers, raising clouds of dust as they sped forth.
At this moment, spanning from Yuyang County to Night City, across a thousand miles, a decisive event that would determine the fate of Feng Prefecture had finally come to an end.
The Five Great Immortal Manors had suffered a complete defeat, and the remaining cultivators of the Lower Three Stages had no strength left to fight.
Those immortal manors that had not joined the assault on Ji You had now chosen to remain silent, watching the endless barren land and the departing riders, clenching their jaws in frustration.
Just as Cao Jin Song had predicted, those who did not dare to take action last night were now filled with anger, but even so, they dared not move against Ji You any longer.
Thus, the clattering of iron hooves resounded like a hammer striking bone, echoing across Feng Prefecture for a thousand miles, deafening all who heard.
In Yuyang County, the autumn leaves lay scattered, the evening sky was a deep blue, and after the harvest season, countless grains were spread across the grain yards, drying under the sun.
Fang Ruo Yao stepped forward, unable to resist glancing toward the Ji Clan Mansion.
She had been back for half a month now. In the first few days, she had still seen Ji You and knew that he was practicing some sword technique called Combined Harvester, but in recent days, there had been no news of him at all.
As his former betrothed, having grown up together in this land, it was impossible for her not to think of him.
But at this moment, she suddenly noticed a large group of people coming from outside the city, their faces grave as they moved towards Archway Street. The crowd grew larger and larger, stretching out beyond sight.
“?”
“What has happened?” Fang Ruo Yao frowned slightly, stepping forward to follow them. Soon, she arrived at Archway Street and saw the crowd surging into the Kuang Clan Mansion.
Within the courtyard, Kuang Cheng stood beneath a withering tree, silent.
Beside him stood Uncle A-Qing from the western part of the city, along with his aged mother.
Fang Ruo Yao was momentarily stunned, looking at Uncle A-Qing’s mother with a hint of astonishment.
She had heard just days ago that this year’s harvest was poor, and that Uncle A-Qing, with his large family, had no choice but to send his elderly mother to the Elderly Asylum.
By now, she should have been entombed, yet for some reason, she was here in the Kuang Clan Mansion.
“The Kuang Clan must give us an explanation for this!”
“That’s right! Even though Kuang Cheng holds a high position in the Capital, he is not an official of Feng Prefecture. He has no right to interfere in our local affairs!”
“Digging up the Elderly Asylum? This is an act against the heavens!”
The crowd roared in fury. Fang Ruo Yao’s lips parted slightly as she looked toward Kuang Cheng.
Digging up the Elderly Asylum?!
Summoning a farmer, she inquired about the situation and soon understood why the people had gathered here today.
Due to the oppressive tax tribute, many elderly who could no longer work but were still alive became an added financial burden. Thus, the Elderly Asylum had long been an established practice in Feng Prefecture, and no one thought it unusual anymore. Some even believed that having one’s parents die early was a blessing for their descendants.
But no one had expected that Kuang Cheng would take a hoe up the mountain and dig people out of their graves.
This matter had caused an uproar, shaking Yuyang County to its core.
Some argued that the tax tribute collection was imminent, and each extra mouth meant an additional share of tax to pay. Who would bear the cost?
In these troubled times, even strong laborers struggled to survive, let alone the elderly.
Everyone knew that Kuang Cheng had always been a righteous man, but no one had expected him to do something so shocking upon his return.
The worst part was that he had even used his position as an official in the Capital to threaten all the local authorities, forbidding the construction of any new Elderly Asylums.
But for how long? The tax tribute collection was about to begin, and for those with elderly family members, this decree was pushing them to the brink of desperation.
Inside the tense atmosphere of the Kuang Clan Mansion, Kuang Cheng remained silent, his gaze fixed, his expression grim.
Perhaps others did not understand, but the Kuang Clan members all knew that he had worn this expression for days now.
Yet, demolishing others’ Elderly Asylums and banning their construction—he had to provide an explanation. Silence was not a solution.
“He’s an official in the Capital now. I can no longer control him…”
“I’ve asked him repeatedly why he did this, but he refuses to say a single word! It’s as if he’s possessed!”
The Kuang Clan’s Elder slammed his hand against the table, his face red with fury, his beard quivering.
Seeing even the elder of the Kuang Clan opposing Kuang Cheng, the gathered townsfolk grew even more furious, shouting their grievances with greater intensity.
The chaotic mansion was filled with countless angry voices, but Kuang Cheng remained silent.
At that moment, a sudden commotion erupted in the streets of Yuyang County—the rapid galloping of horses and the striking of a bronze gong. The noise instantly silenced the crowd.
Hearing this sound, Kuang Cheng’s eyes widened. He abruptly rose, pushing through the crowd and rushing out of the mansion.
The gathered people followed at once, surging towards Archway Street, where three riders had just stormed into the city, their cries resounding through the air.
“Urgent dispatch from Feng Prefecture, 800-li express!”
“Ji You, student of the Heavenly Script Academy, has established a noble clan! Feng Prefecture shall no longer pay tribute to the foreign immortal manors!”
“Urgent dispatch from Feng Prefecture, 800-li express!”
“Ji You, student of the Heavenly Script Academy, has established a noble clan! Feng Prefecture shall no longer pay tribute to the foreign immortal manors!”
As the words fell, Archway Street first fell into silence before an uproar erupted. Even Fang Ruo Yao couldn’t help but widen her eyes, realizing where Ji You had been these past few days.
On the way here, she had overheard a few people discussing the establishment of a Noble Clan.
The dangers involved, the intense killing intent it would attract—such thoughts were beyond her imagination.
Yet, in merely half a month, it had already become the only Immortal Sect Noble Clan in Feng Prefecture, with Ji You as its head.
Fang Ruo Yao was dazed for a long time until she suddenly saw her father rushing out of the mansion in his official robes, flustered, bowing respectfully as he received a transmission from Feng Prefecture’s administration. Then, turning toward the crowd, his expression became exceedingly complex as he looked at her.
Four years ago, on this very street, and likely under the same kind of public scrutiny, the Fang family had gathered with their servants, wielding sticks and cudgels, and forced him to sign the annulment contract inside that medical hall not far away.
At this moment, everyone couldn’t help but turn their gaze toward Kuang Cheng, as if looking at Ji You.
Because these two young men were similar in age, and they had both taken similar paths.
“He did it…”
“It truly is you, Brother Ji…”
With empty sleeves fluttering in the wind, Kuang Cheng couldn’t help but mutter to himself.
Meanwhile, more detailed news had already spread to the other eight provinces at the speed of the Traveling Messengers of Other Sects.
This speed far exceeded the 800-li urgent dispatch from Feng Prefecture’s administration.
“Ji You has established a Noble Clan.”
“Wasn’t there supposed to be a battle?”
“The battle’s over. They’re all dead…”
“Cao Jin Song and Pei Ru Yi, with the aid of Ji You’s Spirit Sword, barely held off four foes. Ji You widened the battlefield and attempted to slay a Dao Fusion Realm cultivator…”
“By the time he emerged from the mountains, his white robe had already been dyed in blood…”
“Chu He may have lost both arms in his Autumn Duel against Ji You, rendering him unable to fight again, but in truth, his defeat was not undeserved…”
On the sixth day of Autumn, Chu He was defeated and returned home, sparking endless discussions in the outside world ever since.
Amidst the exclamations, there were always differing opinions.
Just like in a sea of praise, there would always be a few voices of criticism—sharp, deliberately contrarian, as if to prove their uniqueness.
Some argued that, in the first Autumn Duel, the second son of the Chu Clan must have been holding back, reserving trump cards for the second or even the third match. They speculated that Ji You, wary of the Chu Clan’s millennia-old heritage, exploited this mindset and broke Chu He’s hands in the very first duel, denying him the chance to go all out.
Otherwise, who knows how the Autumn Duel would have ended?
Rumors in the world are always like this—opinions differ based on one’s stance.
But now, after the events of Night City Mountain, those discussions no longer mattered.
Five Great Immortal Manors, twenty-three lives lost, including five Dao Fusion Realm cultivators—none survived.
Ji You departed from Yuyang County, reached Feng Prefecture, and signed the documents without a hitch.
In the eighth month of the first year of Taiyuan, before the collection of tax tributes, Feng Prefecture’s first homegrown Noble Clan was born.
Last night, Bai Ru Long, Ban Yang Shu, and Wen Zheng Xin had not slept at all, anxiously awaiting news from Feng Prefecture, their hearts rising and falling in turmoil.
Even Immortal Emperor Ru Long had lost interest in visiting Sword Forest, displaying an unprecedented solemn expression since birth.
They were in Shengjing, far from the loess lands of Feng Prefecture.
The transition between peace talks and warfare had been too swift, leaving no time to react.
Now, upon hearing that Ji You had signed the Noble Clan document, they all sat within Ji You’s outer court residence, gazing at the boundless sky.
It was over. They were really going to have to work for pay now.
Meanwhile, most of the female cultivators in the courtyard, including Lu Qing Qiu and Lou Si Yi, had a different thought flashing through their minds.
That man, the one who had carved himself so deeply into their memories.
They imagined him clad in blood-stained robes, stepping into the killing field of Night City Mountain, swinging his blade to test his strength against Dao Fusion Realm cultivators. Their delicate lips quivered, their minds unable to resist wandering toward more intimate thoughts.
At the same time, within the Steward’s Hall, as well as among certain inner court disciples, attention shifted toward a particular detail relayed by Feng Prefecture’s Traveling Messengers.
“Ji You slew eighteen Mystic Enlightenment cultivators before advancing, where he was intercepted by two Dao Fusion Realm foes—one wielding a blade, the other a steel whip.”
“Three times? No, shouldn’t it be four?”
“I saw four, but it could have been five, or even six.”
“In any case, those two Villa Masters, one with a blade and the other with a whip, seemed poised to strike Ji You multiple times, yet at the last moment, their weapons would inexplicably veer off course, as if obstructed by something unseen. Otherwise, Ji You might have suffered grave injuries.”
The three Stewards of the Steward’s Hall were left speechless upon hearing this report, sinking into a long silence.
Even as the disciple continued to speak, their minds had already drifted elsewhere.
Meanwhile, within the Inner Court of the Heavenly Script Academy, He Ling Xiu and others who had once witnessed the Autumn Duel widened their eyes in disbelief.
“Their blades were repelled, as if blocked by something unseen.”
To them, this description was all too familiar. Even without seeing it firsthand, they could already picture the scene in their minds.
It was eerily similar to the Huntian Spell used by Chu He, the very spell that had been passed down through generations in the Chu Clan…
How could this be possible?!
He Ling Xiu furrowed her brows slightly as she murmured to her fellow disciples.
Before Ji You left for the mountains, she had personally invited him to join the Hall of Tranquility, even promising him treatment equal to that of a Direct Disciple.
However, within their Hall of Tranquility, there were a few noble clans that closely allied themselves with the Immortal Manors of Feng Prefecture. Ever since the incident at Night City Mountain, some of the elders had worn grim expressions from dawn onward.
Among them, Elder Luo’s face was the darkest.
Luo Ping Shan was a distant relative of the Luo Clan and had once studied at the Heavenly Script Academy. According to the disciples who relayed messages, he had begged for mercy in the mountain.
This alone had already disgraced the Luo Clan, bringing humiliation to Elder Luo himself.
But what truly enraged Elder Luo was that even after pleading for his life, his nephew had still been slain.
“That Ji You used the pretense of returning home as a Sect Instructor for Outer Recruits, yet in truth, he sought to establish his own noble family in Feng Prefecture. Such actions were beyond our expectations, catching us completely off guard.”
“Had I known, I would have joined Broken Moon Mountain Villa beforehand and slain him on the mountain!”
“Indeed, though he has built a noble house, in essence, he remains but a mere wandering rogue cultivator from the countryside. He stands alone in this world, oblivious to the terrifying wrath of the noble clans!”
Yet, as soon as Elder Luo finished speaking, a tingling sensation crawled over his scalp, and an overwhelming dread surged through his heart, causing him to tremble.
The Heavenly Script Academy imparted the wisdom of the Heavenly Tome, and regardless of one’s specialization in the Dao, all disciples were required to study Heavenly Insight.
At that moment, as Elder Luo’s thoughts turned dark, an ominous premonition emerged within him.
This meant that should he truly act upon his words, he would invite calamity upon himself.
He was already a cultivator of the Boundless Martial Stage, possessing considerable prestige even within the Hall of Tranquility. There were few in this world capable of causing him trouble, much less in a remote land like Feng Prefecture.
Taking a deep breath, Elder Luo found it difficult to believe.
Meanwhile, during the time it took for an 800-li urgent dispatch to arrive, Ji You had already bathed and changed within the Feng Prefecture Manor. Dressed in a scholar’s robe, he stood in the courtyard, gazing toward the sky as if searching for something.
Behind a silk-screened window, the daughters of the He Clan observed him with curiosity and shyness.
“What is he looking at?”
“The clouds, perhaps?”
“What’s so fascinating about clouds? Why does he not look at me instead?”
“Sister, you must not be so bold.”
Their chattering was suddenly interrupted. From the northwestern sky, a matchless sword aura erupted, cleaving through the firmament before swiftly vanishing southward, leaving behind a scar across the heavens that stretched for ten thousand miles.
Clang!
A teacup shattered.
Cao Jin Song and Pei Ru Yi, who had been sipping tea in a side chamber, rushed out in shock, their gazes locked onto the sky with deep horror.
“There is someone in this city who has reached the Completion of the Upper Five Realms?!”
Pei Ru Yi held her breath. “Perhaps they are merely passing by?”
Cao Jin Song’s expression remained grim. “This is Feng Prefecture, not the Central Prefecture!”
Even in Immortal Sects, those who had attained Completion of the Upper Five Realms were considered the foundation of their strength. Feng Prefecture, a region devoid of true noble clans, should not have hidden such an unparalleled powerhouse within its midst.
It must be understood that though last night’s battle had been fierce, in the eyes of an expert of this caliber, it was no different from children swinging sticks at one another.
Had they so desired, a mere wave of their hand could have caused their three lives to shatter instantly.
The realization sent shivers down the spines of both Cao Jin Song and Pei Ru Yi. They had been so bold last night, yet unbeknownst to them, they had been treading upon the edge of death the entire time.
But for reasons unknown, that supreme being had chosen not to intervene.
Throughout the city, every cultivator at the Upper Five Realms who sensed the dreadful aura turned their eyes skyward, clenching their fists.
So, there truly was a Completion of the Upper Five Realms expert within Feng Prefecture last night!
Had they taken action, not even a three-headed, six-armed deity could have allowed Ji You to leave Night City Mountain alive!
But this was precisely the power of the Noble Clans of the Nine Provinces. No matter how formidable Ji You might be, he remained alone. How could he possibly stand against the vast expanse of the world?
This aura had appeared as a warning.
It declared that he was free to establish his noble house—but there were lines he must not cross.
Governor He Zhang, hearing the commotion, stepped out of his study. Seeing the celestial scar in the sky and the grave expressions of Cao Jin Song and Pei Ru Yi, his heart sank.
Even with the Imperial Document of Great Xia signed, the first noble house of Feng Prefecture was still this precarious?
Indeed, Ji You was ultimately alone…
“Ji You, you should not linger here. Gather your belongings; we shall return to the Academy this afternoon.”
“And what if,” Ji You mused, “that person was someone I invited?”
Cao Jin Song and Pei Ru Yi froze, and even He Zhang widened his eyes in disbelief.
Everyone knew Ji You hailed from a mere landowning family in Yuyang County, one that had long since crumbled, leaving him destitute.
How could they believe that he had the means to summon a Completion of the Upper Five Realms cultivator?
Cao Jin Song scrutinized him for a long while. “Surely, you jest? That is a cultivator at the pinnacle of the Upper Five Realms!”
“I speak the truth.”
“Are you some noble’s illegitimate son?”
Ji You pondered briefly before shaking his head. He was no noble’s bastard… but he was, in a sense, a husband in secret.
Was this what they meant by the fragrance of a well-lived soft life?
Delicious. Satisfying. Worth savoring.
Meanwhile, atop Mystic Sword Peak of Spirit Sword Mountain, Ding Yao and Zhuo Wan Qiu were hurrying up the mountain.
Spirit Prefecture lay far to the south, and their news was nowhere near as swift as that of the three major sects in the north. Yet by midday, they had caught wind of the rumors and ascended the peak at once.
However, as they reached the summit, they found an elderly swordsman standing before the hall—it was none other than Elder Qi of Heavenly Sword Peak, the Sword Dao Chief.
This was the sword Ji You had gifted their Mirror Master. Now that her daughter had joined Mystic Sword Peak, they were practically kin.
The two women stepped forward, offering a slight bow. “Greetings, Elder Qi.”
Qi Zheng Yang nodded, his white beard fluttering in the wind.
“Our Mirror Master remains in seclusion, Elder Qi. May we ask what brings you here?”
Before he could reply, the doors to Cloud Summit Palace swung open.
Yan Shu Yi emerged, clad in her Mirror Master’s Immortal Robe, her Glazed Immortal Crown atop her head. Her long lashes curled upward, her fair skin glowing with beauty.
Though she had yet to break through, the aura surrounding her had become far more divine.
Her graceful figure and ethereal features were truly peerless.
Ding Yao and Zhuo Wan Qiu exchanged glances, recalling how the Mirror Master had decreed that no one should disturb her seclusion.
Yet here she was, already sneaking out for the third time.
The first time, it was upon hearing of the Autumn Duel at Heavenly Script Academy, where Zhuo Wan Qiu was sent to observe. The second time, Zhuo Wan Qiu returned as ordered, bringing back something that could shake one’s Dao Heart.
The third time was on a certain night when Cui Er had descended the mountain to visit her family. She took over the night watch and unexpectedly saw the Mirror Master step out barefoot from the closed-door cultivation chamber, spending an entire night gazing at that mind-corrupting object.
And today marked the fourth time she had emerged prematurely from seclusion.
“Elder Qi, you have endured much hardship on this journey.”
Qi Zheng Yang waved a hand dismissively. “Mirror Master overstates it. I merely stood at the mountain peak watching for a night—I hardly lifted a finger, so there was no hardship to speak of.”
Yan Shu Yi’s eyelashes fluttered lightly. “You did not lend a hand?”
“I had no opportunity to intervene. He had already won before I could act.”
Elder Qi narrowed his eyes, gazing toward the boundless sky above Sword Peak. “That final sword strike… I had only shown it to him once. I never expected he would truly comprehend it. He is, without a doubt, a born swordseed.”
Yan Shu Yi was momentarily stunned, her brows furrowing slightly. “Elder Qi, I must trouble you not to insult him.”
“??”
Qi Zheng Yang was taken aback before quickly waving his hands in denial. “Mirror Master misunderstands. I spoke of a swordseed, one whose heart is clear and naturally attuned to the Way of the Sword. It is not an insult but high praise.”
Upon hearing this, Yan Shu Yi narrowed her eyes before subtly straightening her round shoulders.
Elder Qi soon departed, drifting away like the wind.
Yet, the Little Mirror Master of Spirit Sword Mountain did not immediately return to her seclusion. Her eyelashes trembled slightly as she found her thoughts wandering—once again fixated on that stranger she had only seen thrice, who had now grown even stronger.
Previously, he wasn’t nearly as formidable, yet he had already dared to pinch her cheeks, bite her toes, and even embrace her. And now…
The Little Mirror Master instinctively lowered her gaze, staring at her own round toes.
Meanwhile, Ding Yao and Zhuo Wan Qiu had recovered from their daze. Exchanging glances, they silently realized that Mirror Master had sent Elder Qi to Feng Prefecture.
That meant… This fourth premature emergence was still because of him.
The world thought that Young Master Ji was merely a wandering rogue cultivator, a lone figure of no consequence, subject to scorn and ridicule. Even after he entered the Inner Court, this perception did not change.
But they did not know that if all truths were laid bare, nearly all of Spirit Sword Mountain stood behind him.
Even setting aside his background, he was no ordinary man.
Eighteen at Mystic Enlightenment, five at Dao Fusion… And this was not within an ancient ruin but in the real world. These were genuine Dao Fusion cultivators…
As they pondered this, a sudden chill washed over them. Their spirit swords within their scabbards began to tremble, surging with a growing killing intent.
Yet, just as swiftly, their swords settled down. Looking up, they saw their Mirror Master, cold-faced, her complexion tinged with red—like a divine maiden descended to the mortal realm.
“Oh, right, Mirror Master, a letter arrived for you.”
Ding Yao suddenly recalled something. She retrieved a letter from her robes, with the name Yuan Cai Wei of the Pill Sect inscribed upon it. “This letter has been here for three days now. I knew you were in seclusion, so I did not report it sooner.”
Yan Shu Yi returned to her senses, her beautiful eyes falling upon the letter. “A reply to my last message?”
“This servant did not read it, but it should be.”
After the events of the Autumn Duel, Yan Shu Yi had written to Yuan Cai Wei, with a tone that could be described as somewhat boastful.
In return, Yuan Cai Wei had sent a reply, which had been sitting in Ding Yao’s hands ever since.
The Little Mirror Master now opened the envelope, glancing through its contents. The letter held only a few lines, barely more than ten words in total.
Yan Shu Yi read each word carefully, her brows gradually knitting together, a flicker of confusion and displeasure flashing in her gaze.
Back when the Heavenly Script Academy had come to Spirit Sword Mountain for a Dao Inquiry, they had made a stop at the Pill Sect.
Ji You had mentioned that Yuan Cai Wei had laid eyes upon something that should have been seen by her first.
Yan Shu Yi had assumed it was the stranger’s handsome chest, so she had specially written to declare that she had also seen it.
But what was the meaning of this reply?
Not just that?
What else had that woman seen?!
(This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation)