This Is Cancer

It's a capital offense for commoners to cultivate immortality privately. This is said to be a strict law of Great Xia, as if everyone could cultivate, the imperial court would lose all control.

But at first, Ji You couldn't understand their language...

This world uses an ancient Chinese linguistic system, but the pronunciation is very different.

He couldn't understand or speak it, so he could only pretend to be insane to avoid suspicion.

The immortal book he found deep in the Yunling Mountains was regarded as the foundation of his life.

What else could one do at night in ancient times without a mobile phone? Cultivate!

Gradually, he began to gain some foundation in the immortal dao. Hearing scholars on the trees read aloud, he also became more familiar with the language and wanted to understand this world better.

Then, from a book called the "Summer Law Immortal Regulations," he learned that it was a baffling and serious crime for commoners to cultivate immortality privately...

And he was left with only two paths forward.

One was to work hard and reach the perfection of the lower three realms before his twentieth birthday. The Seven Great Immortal Sects would then consider him a treasure, and the imperial court would have no choice but to accept it.

The other was a mountain stronghold north of Yuyang County, inhabited by rogue cultivators who hated the Immortal Sects and the imperial court. They were actively recruiting heroes to expand their influence, and it seemed like a promising path with a clear route for advancement.

After much deliberation, Ji You decided to ascend the mountain next autumn and become a peerless bandit.

The reason was simple: there were too many orthodox cultivators who preyed on the common people. He didn't want to be one more straw that would crush a poor family like Old Qiu's...

The next day at noon, under the pale sun, it was the day for Yuyang County's land settlement. The bailiffs responsible for this task, carrying their imposing staffs, marched through the streets in three neat rows, exuding an air of authority.

"Faster, faster, don't dawdle."

"This year, we have the blessings of immortals, with no disasters or harm. It's a bountiful harvest. Great Xia is currently at war with the Witch Barbarians beyond the Northern Plains, and the national treasury has been empty for a long time. Therefore, Lord has decreed that this year's tax tribute must be paid in full."

Under the bailiffs' urging, thousands of households in Yuyang County opened their cellars, brought out their prepared sixty percent of the harvest, carefully counted it, divided it into two portions, and registered it.

One portion was the Great Xia land tax, and the other was for the Immortal Sect tribute.

A thousand years ago, the Qingyun World was embroiled in wars between various states. To forge an everlasting empire, Great Xia's Founding Emperor made a tribute pact with the various Immortal Sects.

According to the agreement, as long as the reclusive immortals helped Great Xia unify the central plains, an additional amount would be collected annually as tribute for the Immortal Sects.

In the past, immortals would descend the mountains to slay demons and monsters, and even treat children in villages for illnesses and ward off evil spirits. After Great Xia established its rule over the central plains, those legends became mere tales sung in operas.

Later, the Qingyun World experienced a struggle for doctrinal fortune. The Immortal Sects recruited disciples widely, and the share of immortal offerings increased every year, leaving the common people breathless.

They themselves hid away in immortal mountains, meditating and cultivating, living off the people's labor, pursuing the ethereal immortal path, and remaining detached from worldly affairs.

For the long-suffering people of Great Xia, this seemed to be a natural order that had existed since time immemorial.

But Ji You, an outsider, had only one word in his mind when he first learned about the relationship between the tribute and those who received it.

Cancer.

The Immortal Sects, the Immortal Dao, and the Immortals had become like disordered cellular tissue, severing the sustainable development of society and ruthlessly draining the life force of this world.

This was cancer.

Ji You stepped over the threshold of the Ji family ancestral home and watched the bailiffs pass by on the street. He thought to himself, "Things have come to this. Let's eat first."

The Yuyang Ji Family was nominally gone, and their land had been occupied by others. Although they didn't have to pay taxes, finding food was a problem.

Not just food, but also a beautiful master, a seductive senior sister, and a loli junior sister – all the basic equipment for a transmigrator – he had none of it.

As for Old Qiu, his family couldn't even gather this year's tax tribute. He should have gone to his father-in-law's house to borrow grain this morning.

When Old Qiu was the steward of the Ji family, he didn't have to worry about food and drink. But after the Ji family was gone, he had to borrow grain every year to survive. This had already caused dissatisfaction among his father-in-law's family. Last year, he was even scolded in the street, so he didn't want to cause more trouble.

Fortunately, the merchants on Archway Street were all former businesses of the Ji family. He still had some standing here, and he could at least get enough to eat by working like a beast of burden in a shop.

However, just as Ji You approached the entrance of a restaurant, the sound of horse hooves suddenly echoed from the main road of Archway Street.

Looking up, three ornate, crimson wood carriages, adorned with pearls and jade, drove down the street. They were incredibly luxurious and seemed out of place amidst the mud-tiled houses on either side.

In the front two carriages sat an old man and a woman, both clad in white robes embroidered with gold and wearing ornate long swords at their waists. A faint spiritual light emanated from them, and their expressionless faces gave them an air of immortal grace.

The third carriage followed, carrying another woman dressed in a smoky gauze skirt with scattered flowers. Her eyes were like water, and she sat with a dignified posture, exuding a hint of arrogance, possessing the demeanor of a young lady from a prominent family.

However, upon seeing Ji You by the roadside, the woman in the carriage frowned slightly and reached out to lower the beaded curtain.

After this brief glance, the three carriages drove past and headed in the direction of the county yamen.

"It seems the esteemed elders from the Celestial Academy have arrived to escort Fang Ruoyao to Shengjing. Why isn't Young Master Ji accompanying them?"

"Young Master Ji has an extraordinary bearing; naturally, he wouldn't fancy an Immortal Sect like the Celestial Academy."

Ji You came back to his senses and looked in the direction of the voices. He saw two diners inside the restaurant staring at him with ill-intentioned expressions.

These two were Jia Sicong and Dong Wei, both former classmates of the original Young Master Ji.

When the Ji family was still prosperous, Young Master Ji was a spoiled brat who would scold even a dog he saw on the street. Thus, he had made many enemies among his peers.

Jia Sicong walked up to him: "Miss Fang is set to depart for Shengjing the day after tomorrow. She hosted a banquet for her friends at her manor the night before last. We all attended, but we didn't see Young Master Ji? As her fiancé, this is truly disheartening."

"Brother Jia is mistaken. Didn't Fang Ruoyao already break off their engagement?"

Shengjing was the capital of Great Xia. The foremost of the Seven Great Immortal Sects, the Nishan Heavenly Script Academy, was located there. It was rumored that the Great Xia's Founding Emperor himself was a Sage from the Celestial Academy. After forging his imperial dominion, he naturally established the capital based on Nishan.

Legend had it that Shengjing was extremely prosperous, with towering pavilions that had captivated countless scholars and poets, inspiring timeless works like the "Ode to Shengjing" and "Ode to the Capital."

Fang Ruoyao had now been chosen as a disciple of the Celestial Academy and was heading to Shengjing to enroll. It was indeed true that the county's common folk said she had ascended to heaven in a single step.

"Ji You, don't pretend to be deaf."

Ji You leaned over the counter. "Shopkeeper, this young master wants two baskets of fresh dumplings."

Jia Sicong froze for a moment, then roared, "What two baskets of fresh dumplings? I already finished them!"

"I'll eat them for you."

Ji You watched as the steaming fresh dumplings were brought over and said, "Talking so big, you can't afford it, can you?"

Jia Sicong's face turned red after hearing this. "Do you think I'm like you, a stray dog? Let alone two baskets, what if it were ten?"

"Then I'll have ten baskets, meat ones. Bring out three first, and keep the remaining seven. I'll go home and get a basket to take them away later."

Dong Wei stared for a long time, and the more he thought about it, the more something felt wrong. Damn it, it wasn't that they were making fun of him and amusing themselves, but that he was freeloading.

Seeing that Jia Sicong was about to speak again, Dong Wei immediately grabbed his elbow. "Stop talking. He's already drooling."

"?"

With peace returning to his ears, Ji You found a seat by the window, picked up a pair of bamboo chopsticks from the holder, and began to enjoy this gift from nature.

Ten baskets of fresh dumplings. He'd eat three himself and planned to pack the rest in a basket to take back to the Qiu family. That girl Qiu Ru, always so goofy, actually had a good appetite.

As he sat there, the leisure of noon quickly passed.

Ji You calculated the time and figured Old Qiu should be back from his father-in-law's house in Thirty Mile Shop by now, so he decided to go home and get a basket.

However, just as he stood up, the discussion among a few diners at the entrance caught his attention.

"Did you hear? Something happened at the third house east of Nanya River, outside the city."

"What happened?"

"A five-year-old girl was taken a liking to by an immortal from Fengxian Mountain Villa. They said something about... spiritual light reaching the crown, immeasurable immortal destiny? And they want to use her as medicinal ingredient."

"When did this happen?"

"This morning, around the Chen hour. I heard the father and daughter were borrowing grain in Thirty Mile Shop at the time..."

"Our county hasn't had an immortal in a thousand years. How could a little girl have that so-called immortal destiny in her body?"

"How would we know about immortal matters? Anyway... that little girl... alas..."