Chapter 158: Magical Artifact – Crescent Moon Scimitar
The next morning, rain fell upon Feng Prefecture, and the autumn wind carried a piercing chill.
The yellow earth walls of Feng Prefecture City had been washed clean by the rain, revealing the original gray bricks beneath. Small streams gathered along the streets, merging into a murmuring flow that wound eastward.
At this moment, in the eastern wing of the governor’s mansion, Ji You had slept until past the hour of Chen. He opened his eyes and stared at the lacquered red beams above him for a long time before finally rising from bed.
After the 800-li Urgent Dispatch had spread throughout Feng Prefecture, his nerves had been taut the entire journey. Now, with the tension easing, he finally felt the immense fatigue weighing on him.
A deep and restful sleep had restored his vigor.
Dressing himself, he stepped outside.
In the courtyard, He Zhang stood conversing with Cao Jin Song and Pei Ru Yi. Before them were twelve young boys—the grandsons of the Governor of Feng Prefecture.
The eldest was around eleven or twelve, while the youngest was barely five.
He Zhang had four sons. In their youth, they had trained briefly at the Immortal Manors, but lacking sufficient talent for cultivation, they had stopped at the Minor Illumination Stage, unable to reach even the Essence Refinement Stage.
Now, with the Heavenly Script Academy’s cultivators in residence, He Zhang had invited Cao Jin Song and Pei Ru Yi to assess his grandsons’ potential, hoping to secure a better future for the He Clan.
From the covered corridor, Ji You observed the scene for a long while. It reminded him of Kuang Cheng.
Back in the 2nd Year of the Tai Chang Era, before leaving Yuyang County, Kuang Cheng had harbored a similar ambition—to rise to the Fourth Rank Official, father numerous children, and send them into Immortal Sects to strengthen his family’s legacy.
“This child has decent aptitude and can be nurtured,” Cao Jin Song evaluated. “That one as well, though he’s already older—progress may be difficult.”
“I see…”
Yet, He Zhang did not seem discouraged. Instead, he called forth several young women—the He Clan’s daughters.
They stood in a line under the corridor, dressed in elegant attire. The youngest was sixteen, the eldest barely seventeen or eighteen.
Cao Jin Song blinked in surprise. “Governor He, your daughters appear older than the eldest of your grandsons. It is a bit late for them to begin cultivation.”
“Cultivation is not the intention here,” He Zhang replied with a smile. “But their age is just right to serve as concubines for Young Master Ji.”
“…?”
Cao Jin Song suddenly understood. He wasn’t surprised.
In this Azure Cloud Dominion, whether among mortals or cultivators, strengthening one’s family was often done through strategic marriages and prolific offspring. The princesses of Shengjing, the noble ladies of Yun Prefecture, all followed this custom—why should the He Clan be any different?
Still, Cao Jin Song smirked. “His fiancées are already numerous.”
He Zhang spread his hands. “A true man should be so.”
“But he’s also notorious for growing bored of one and moving to the next.”
“??”
Ha! Looks like Old Cao had earned some extra coin and was eager to spend it.
Meanwhile, Ji You had already seated himself at a tea table in the courtyard, pouring himself a cup with an air of nonchalance. His gaze, however, carried a roguish glint.
At the sound of tea pouring into the cup, He Zhang turned around and respectfully bowed.
“Young Master, did you rest well last night?”
“Thanks to your hospitality, Governor, my sleep was peaceful.”
He Zhang approached and lowered his voice. “With their Villa Masters gone, the Five Great Immortal Manors of Feng Prefecture are left with only lower-stage cultivators. Yesterday, they began packing their belongings and preparing to withdraw from Feng Prefecture.”
Ji You’s tea cup halted midair, his brows furrowing sharply.
“Leave? What about my Spiritual Treasure? What if they take my treasure with them?”
Cao Jin Song, who had just arrived, twitched at the corners of his mouth.
Serves those Immortal Manors right!
Of all the excuses they could use, why did they have to fabricate the existence of a Spiritual Treasure?
This man here—Ji You—was the type to shake even a barren tree just to see if something fell out. Now that they themselves had conjured the notion of a Spiritual Treasure, wasn’t this just throwing a sheep into a tiger’s den?
“This morning, some of the Immortal Manors delivered their ‘Spiritual Treasures’…”
“??”
He Zhang clapped his hands, signaling for the servants. A procession of attendants arrived, carrying over a dozen large chests, which they placed on the ground and unlatched one by one.
The first few contained countless Spiritual Stones, numbering in the thousands. Others held various high-quality Magical Artifacts, each with its own unique design and craft.
Then came crates filled with Spirit Wine brewed from Immortal Herbs, along with Spirit Pills from the Immortal Manors’ reserves.
These were tributes gathered from Feng Prefecture over the years, converted into liquid assets and used to procure these goods from other regions.
Beyond these Immortal Treasures, there were mountains of gold, silver, and precious gems.
With just a glance, Ji You knew—this hoard exceeded all the wealth he had seen in his entire life.
Of course, there was no actual Spiritual Treasure here, but these riches themselves were proof of it.
The Five Great Immortal Manors had lost their leadership. The remaining cultivators, seeing no future in Feng Prefecture, were eager to escape.
However, some among them were unwilling to let go. They understood that while the other eight provinces of the Nine Provinces were ruled by Noble Clans and overseen by Immortal Sects, in Feng Prefecture, things were different.
Ji You had founded his own faction, but he remained a lone figure, without an expansive network of descendants or hidden influence.
Even if they could no longer receive tributes, staying in Feng Prefecture was still a better option than fleeing to a place where they would have no power at all.
Thus, a Spiritual Treasure had to exist.
As long as this so-called Spiritual Treasure was never found, Ji You would always have a reason to act against them.
Pei Ru Yi gazed at the accumulated wealth and murmured, “Didn’t expect Junior Brother to take just a year to find his way back onto the right path.”
Ji You smirked. [Senior Sister truly understands me.]
He then turned to He Zhang. “The autumn harvest hasn’t ended yet, has it?”
He Zhang nodded. “It will take some time.”
Ji You suddenly chuckled. “These Immortal Manors fear I’ll cut off their tributes, but I never said they couldn’t receive any.”
Cao Jin Song blinked. “What?”
Ji You raised a brow. “If they want tributes, they’ll have to learn swordsmanship from me. And they must train for at least eight hours a day.”
“What sword technique?”
“The Combined Harvester.”
“??”
Ji You tossed a Spiritual Stone back into a chest. “Feng Prefecture is vast, yet its grain yields are low. The reason? The people barely survive, lacking the strength to cultivate the land properly. But from now on, Feng Prefecture will no longer support idle cultivators.”
Cao Jin Song’s eyes widened.
What sword training? This was clearly forcing them to toil in the fields!
To the Immortal Manors, this wasn’t a tribute—it was outright exploitation!
Otherwise, this surge of energy would fester into a malignant growth, spreading more incurable ailments along with it.
As for Ji You’s arrangements, Feng Prefecture did not make any grand proclamations, allowing only careful whispers to circulate.
In truth, the members of the Immortal Manors in Feng Prefecture were unlike the aristocratic clans of other regions, bound solely by bloodlines and family names. Instead, they were a disparate gathering of wandering cultivators, strays from various families who, though residing within the same Immortal Manor, each harbored their own ambitions.
Faced with the conditions set forth by Ji You, some Manor Lords and elder figures found it beneath their dignity to accept, but for those of lesser cultivation—those in the Lower Three Stages, who held little standing in the manor—the offer was tempting.
“To study the Sword Dao under Ji You… means securing this year’s offering?”
“Indeed, I heard the same from the officials of Feng Prefecture. Zhang Ping Yang and the others have already gone today.”
“A chance to learn swordsmanship and receive offerings?”
“Not only that, but I hear he is even bestowing artifacts!”
“Hah! All this talk of the Path of the Mortal Realm, of Azure Skies, sounds impressive, but isn’t it merely a facade? Look at him—once the contracts were signed, he immediately started using rewards to rally the surrounding forces. Wasn’t this the very strategy used by the noble clans of Yun Prefecture, You Prefecture, and Liang Prefecture to rise to power?”
“No wonder the Manor Lord said that staying might not be without opportunity…”
“In the end, Ji You is but one man. He understands this well. Even though he slew five Manor Lords, he alone cannot suppress all the Immortal Manors by force. Others start with courtesy before resorting to might, but he has reversed the order—striking first, then extending a hand. It is, in fact, a rather brilliant strategy.”
Not far from Feng Prefecture, within Heavenly Origin Mountain Villa, a group of disciples at the Essence Refinement Stage sat together, engaged in heated discussion.
Among them was a man in his thirties named Pang Yue. He appeared particularly eager upon hearing that practicing swordsmanship under Ji You could secure offerings.
As they spoke, a weary figure approached, pushing open the doors to Heavenly Origin Mountain Villa. It was none other than the very person they had just mentioned—Zhang Ping Yang.
Pang Yue immediately looked up from the stone pavilion. “Junior Brother, how was your trip to Feng Prefecture?”
Zhang Ping Yang’s lips trembled slightly. “Ji You’s Sword Dao… is truly… unparalleled.”
“So, the rumors are true?”
“Yes.”
Pang Yue hesitated for a moment. “And what of the offerings?”
After a long pause, Zhang Ping Yang finally answered, “Ji You did indeed promise them. Those who excel will receive offerings, though not as much as before.”
“Receiving anything at all is already good enough,” Pang Yue mused. “After all, we are learning Sword Dao. For us cultivators, skill is paramount. This is far better than the old arrangement.”
“Indeed…”
Pang Yue’s gaze then shifted downward, drawn to the object in Zhang Ping Yang’s hand. “What is that, Junior Brother?”
Zhang Ping Yang hesitated, subtly moving the object behind his back. “It’s nothing… just an artifact they gifted me—Crescent Moon Scimitar.”
“They truly are gifting artifacts? So the rumors are indeed true. But… why does it look so much like a farmer’s sickle?”
“Ah, well, most weapons share similar forms, don’t they? Sickle, treasured blade, guillotine, scimitar… as long as they have a hilt and an edge, they are weapons all the same. The resemblance is nothing unusual.”
Pang Yue found his explanation reasonable and nodded in agreement. “Did Ji You impose any conditions for accepting disciples?”
Zhang Ping Yang shook his head. “None at all. You simply need to register your name. Senior Brother, you and the others can go as well.”
“Excellent! I shall go tomorrow. This Ji clan is newly established and currently isolated in Feng Prefecture. They are in dire need of people. Given that I have reached the Essence Refinement Stage, if I go early, I might even become a guest of honor!”
“Yes, yes! A guest of honor!”
For Pang Yue, a discarded scion of an aristocratic family, coming to Feng Prefecture had never been his desire. Even within Heavenly Origin Immortal Manor, this place was not a true property of the Pang clan, and their Manor Lord was merely at the Higher Mystic Enlightenment Stage.
By comparison, following Ji You seemed to offer far greater prospects—this was a noble clan in the making, and he could learn Sword Dao directly from Ji You, the very same swordsmanship that had slain an entire mountain’s worth of Manor Lords and elders.
The next day, Pang Yue and several fellow disciples of the Immortal Manor traveled to Feng Prefecture, and by nightfall, none had returned.
That evening, in Heavenly Origin Mountain Villa, another group of cultivators sat in the same stone pavilion, discussing the matter of disciples still being able to receive offerings.
Soon, a familiar figure strode into view under the night sky, his silhouette cutting through the dim light.
“Senior Brother Pang Yue! You went to Feng Prefecture—are the rumors true?”
“They are true…”
“And what is that in your hands?”
“An artifact… Crescent Moon Scimitar…”
For the next three days, the skies over Feng Prefecture were draped in a constant drizzle.
Wen Zheng Xin, Ban Yang Shu, and Bai Ru Long arrived at Everpeace Crossing aboard an immortal vessel, then switched to a carriage bound for Feng Prefecture.
They had made their promise before—once Ji You established his clan, they would join him as honorary offerings. Now, they had come to fulfill that pledge.
Yet as their carriage neared Feng Prefecture, their expressions grew blank, and a dazed look remained on their faces throughout the journey.
For across every field of bountiful wheat they passed, cultivators stood wielding sickles, madly harvesting the grain while chanting aloud:
“Sword Dao—United Harvest!”
At the edges of the fields, countless elderly farmers stood, hands trembling, their faces painted with anxiety as they watched, powerless to intervene.
What in the heavens was happening?
Had the Immortal Lords grown so impatient this year that they had personally descended into the fields to collect offerings?
Before Wen Zheng Xin and her companions had even entered the city, they encountered Ji You in the midst of a drizzling autumn rain.
At that moment, Ji You stood in the fields, watching as a Crescent Moon Scimitar skimmed just above the ground, effortlessly harvesting thousands of ripe wheat stalks.
Surrounding him were several individuals—Cao Jin Song, Pei Ru Yi, and various officials responsible for overseeing the affairs of Feng Prefecture. Their gazes were complex as they observed the immortals, wielding Crescent Moon Scimitars, performing the technique of Combined Harvester in the fields.
“Junior Brother Ji!”
“Hmm?”
Ji You turned, his eyes brightening. “Senior Sister Wen, Senior Brother Ban, Brother Ru Long?”
The three dismounted from their carriage, approaching with puzzled expressions as they took in the sight before them. “What… is going on here?”
“The foreign immortal manors have taken deep root here,” Ji You explained. “Some have made it clear they intend to stay and refuse to leave.”
“Truth be told, they aren’t entirely wrong. I remain but one man—it’s difficult for me to govern the entirety of Feng Prefecture. Now that the official tributes have ceased, it’s only a matter of time before these people start exploiting the locals in secret, becoming true bandits of the land.”
“So, I’ve given them another path. The tributes will continue to sustain them, we have now become landlords, and the common people no longer need to toil as hard. Three gains in one move.”
Wen Zheng Xin opened her mouth but hesitated before speaking. “So… you threatened them into farming? And they actually listened?”
Ji You cast her a peculiar look. “Farming? They are cultivating the Dao! Look closely—they are practicing the sword technique I imparted to them, Combined Harvester. That’s how they describe it when they speak of it to others.”
“…”
“Cultivators have their pride. Be careful not to call this mere farming.”
At that moment, a sixty-year-old official from Feng Prefecture stepped forward and bowed. “Lord Ji, this humble servant has discovered a crop that can yield three harvests a year and is more valuable than grain.”
Upon hearing this, Ji You’s expression lit up with delight. It was as if fortune had answered his unspoken wish. “When spring arrives, have them practice United Cultivation, and we’ll experiment with a few acres.”
Wen Zheng Xin, Ban Yang Shu, and Bai Ru Long all looked at Ji You, then at the elderly official, then back at Ji You. [A living King of Hell,] they thought.
They then turned to look at the cultivators performing Combined Harvester in the fields, each wielding a Crescent Moon Scimitar, and a new thought surfaced. [These are living workhorses.]
But… would this truly work?
Wen Zheng Xin and Ban Yang Shu exchanged glances, a faint concern surfacing in their hearts.
Ji You, along with Instructor Cao and Pei Ru Yi, had slaughtered many within the mountains that day, effectively cowing the immortal manors into submission—for now. But driving them to labor under the guise of sword training? That might work once or twice, but it was bound to lead to trouble in the long run.
Especially considering those currently engaged in Combined Harvester. While they were merely the lesser members of noble clans, they still carried the bloodline of their respective families. Even if these individuals accepted their fate, how could their families tolerate their descendants being treated like mere cattle?
Ji You’s swordsmanship was indeed unrivaled, but he remained at the Mystic Enlightenment Stage. He had taken advantage of Feng Prefecture’s lack of an immortal sect or noble lineage, seizing control with ease. However, he was still far from possessing absolute dominion.
Take the mighty Chu Clan, for example—a lineage with a millennium of history. Even ordinary noble families had Boundless Martial Stage experts among their ranks.
It wasn’t that they doubted Ji You’s potential to reach the Boundless Martial Stage—they feared that establishing a household and managing worldly affairs would taint his Dao heart, leading him to neglect his cultivation.
Bai Ru Long, however, stood in a daze as he observed Ji You.
“The raindrops… they never seem to land on Brother Ji. They simply slide away on their own.”
“…?”
Wen Zheng Xin and Ban Yang Shu paused, turning their gaze to Ji You.
He was indeed not holding an umbrella. Standing atop the field ridges, his robes remained completely dry.
But what was so strange about that?
A cultivator could use spiritual energy to shield themselves, warding off the wind and cold—naturally, they could block rain as well. It wasn’t anything surprising.
However, it only took a moment for the two to realize—the key wasn’t that the rain didn’t fall on Ji You. The key was in Bai Ru Long’s phrasing: the rain actively avoided him.
Typically, when a cultivator repelled rain using spiritual energy, it simply bounced away in all directions, scattering chaotically. But the rain falling near Ji You didn’t splash or bounce—it curved, smoothly flowing around him in an arc before gently falling onto the earth.
The two exchanged glances, then activated their spiritual senses, probing into the subtle fluctuations around Ji You.
They discovered an inexplicable force circulating around him, a steady current of energy encircling his body.
The raindrops, caught within this current, did not resist; they merely followed its natural flow, curving around Ji You’s form before softly landing upon the muddy soil beneath.
“…Is this sorcery?”
Wen Zhengxin cast a glance at Ban Yangshu.
Ban Yangshu gave a slight nod. “Mm.”
Wen Zhengxin turned away, unable to suppress the thoughts of the rumors she had overheard in the courtyard days prior.
Some had said that during the battle at Night City Mountain, two Immortal Manor Lords had joined forces to ambush Ji You, yet their attacks never fully landed on their target. Each strike seemed to be subtly deflected by an unseen force, as though an aura of energy had diverted their weapons.
To most, such words might sound vague and puzzling, but those who had witnessed the Autumn Duel would find their thoughts equally tangled.
The technique surrounding Junior Brother Ji now bore a striking resemblance to the one Chu He had used against his swordsmanship before.
“The Mystic Enlightenment Stage allows one to barely glimpse the Heavenly Dao, to perceive its profundity but not grasp its essence. True Daoist techniques can only be cultivated once one reaches the Dao Fusion Stage.”
“That is not entirely absolute. The Chu Family’s ancestral technique could already be wielded at the Mystic Enlightenment Stage.”
“But that was their hereditary art. So how exactly did Junior Brother Ji attain his?”
Their eyes remained fixed on the gentle breeze swirling around Ji You, filled with confusion. Eventually, their gazes shifted to Pei Ruyi and Cao Jin Song.
At this moment, the two were also staring at Ji You, standing in the rain, their expressions hard to decipher.
When the battle erupted in Night City Mountain, Cao Jin Song had noticed the aura encircling Ji You, but amidst the chaos of life and death struggles, he had not given it much thought.
Moreover, these past few days had been consumed by efforts to establish a distinguished clan, leaving little time to reflect on such matters.
Yet, when they arrived at the farmlands this morning in the autumn rain, the sight struck them anew, filling their hearts with perplexity.
Just as Cao Jin Song had said before—the Great Dao is vast and ineffable, only to be comprehended, not explained. Even now, they had no idea what exactly Ji You was cultivating.
With that, the group left the fields, stepping through the light drizzle, making their way toward Feng Prefecture.
Ban Yangshu, Wen Zhengxin, and Bai Ru Long were officially registered as Ji Clan’s honored retainers. With the addition of Pei Ruyi, the Ji Clan now boasted three Dao Fusion Stage cultivators, one at the Mystic Enlightenment Stage, and another at the Peak of the Lower Three Stages.
Such an assembly of power was already formidable in Feng Prefecture. Even among the most ostentatious Immortal Manors, only the Manor Lords had achieved the Dao Fusion Stage.
“Today is a joyous day. I shall exempt Senior Brother Ban, Senior Sister Wen, and Ru Long from three years of honored retainer dues.”
“Junior Brother, do you even know what being an honored retainer entails? You are supposed to pay us.”
“What?”
Ji You frowned. “That’s absurd! Rest assured, our Ji Clan will not uphold such inhumane customs.”
Immortal Emperor Ru Long clicked his tongue. “Now that I think about it, the laborers working in the fields have it better than us. Becoming an honored retainer here is worse than being a beast of burden.”
“The problem is—I have no money. But I refuse to exploit the common folk as those Immortal Manors do, feasting on the lifeblood of the people. We’ll take things slowly. There are plenty of ways to make money—don’t forget, we still have so many clients here.”
“??”
Bai Ru Long looked around in bewilderment. “What do you mean by ‘clients’?”
Pei Ruyi spoke without expression, “What he means is—he plans to take you all on a robbery spree.”
“Robbery? Robbing who?”
“Including but not limited to Immortal Manors, noble clans, and possibly… even the Immortal Sects.”
Bai Ru Long’s eyes widened as he turned to Ji You. “Is it too late for me to withdraw now?”
Ji You lifted his gaze to him. “If you withdraw now, you’ll become my first client.”
Hearing these words, Immortal Emperor Ru Long held his breath, speechless.
(This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation)