The One Who Would Cut Them Down Outside the Gate!

Rumors were such things—some believed them, while others did not.

Especially since Ji You had not emerged after returning home. Before long, someone seized upon the strange holes in the rumors' logic and laid out a convincing case for why Ji You was no immortal.

That person was named Wang San, and he lived by the Nanya River.

Two and a half years ago, he too had worked for the Ji Family, but he had been driven out for petty theft.

When disaster struck the Ji Family that day, he had been the first to cheer. Now that he had heard Ji You was an immortal, he naturally could not accept it.

Some people brought up the Qiu family girl's safe return to refute him, but they were all silenced with a single retort: "Let us set those matters aside for now."

But soon afterward, a group of households with some wealth in the county arrived on Archway Street. Carrying rice, grain, poultry, and livestock, they waited fearfully outside the gate, and Wang San fell silent.

These households that had rushed to Archway Street had taken some of the Ji Family's property when disaster had befallen them, each taking a spoonful of the sweet soup.

Things that could not be taken during their flight, such as plow oxen, utensils, and farming tools, had mostly been divided up cleanly among them.

More than two years of peace had already made them feel they could sleep on a high pillow without worry. Especially when they saw Young Master Ji idling about every day and wandering the streets, they felt that occupying his belongings was only natural and right.

That was until Master Fang had just summoned them to the county office and told them the truth.

Thus, terror at the brink of death left them unable to sit or stand still. They grabbed whatever they could and hurried over in a panic to beg forgiveness.

Yet the gates of the Ji residence remained shut, and no one answered their calls, causing cold sweat to stream down their backs.

In the end, someone quick-witted pointed them toward a clear road. They then hurried outside the city and returned everything to the Qiu Family.

"These people were on very good terms with Master Fang in ordinary times. They even seized two portions of my family's grain fields..."

"Looks like the rumors in the county are true..."

"Hey, hey, hey! Stop looking around! Leave at once! No gathering and clamor are permitted before an immortal's gate!"

Just as the crowd was gossiping and pointing fingers, a group of constables arrived with execution staves in hand, several of their cheeks still slightly swollen.

Thus, at that moment, the Ji Family immortal's mighty name truly began to strike fear in all directions.

In truth, Fang Zhongzheng, the Yuyang County Magistrate, had also wanted to come and beg forgiveness.

At dawn, he had gone out with the tribute clerk to conduct official business. When he returned home and saw chrysanthemums scattered all over the ground, broken and ruined, he flew into a rage. Then he heard the servants speak of Ji You, and he remained silent for a long while.

Who could have imagined that the son-in-law he had once looked down upon would now leave even Fengxian Mountain Villa not daring to utter a single word?

But just as he stepped out of the house, his daughter stopped him.

"Father, your daughter will also become an immortal of the Celestial Academy. I merely started a little later than Ji You. Why must you lower yourself so shamefully?"

"Ruoyao, matters concerning immortals are no child's play."

"If you truly go to apologize, would that not confirm before the entire county that I kicked a man when he was down two years ago and failed to uphold a woman's virtue?!"

Fang Ruoyao already carried herself with considerable immortal majesty. Her forceful attitude made Fang Zhongzheng abandon the thought of going to the Ji residence.

He did not know what cultivating immortality truly entailed, but he felt his daughter's words made some sense. Since they were both Celestial Academy students, neither should be beneath the other.

Just as he prepared to sit down for tea and carefully tally the grain registers, he saw Cao Jinsong storm out of the county office with a sword in hand. He then shot into the sky, his curses exceptionally foul.

"Xiao An, where is Immortal Cao... going?"

"Master, Immortal Cao sensed a stream of spiritual energy streaking through the sky. He said people from Fengxian Mountain Villa have returned to poach Young Master Ji again. Immortal Cao is furious to death and plans to go alone with one sword and cut them down outside the gate."

The young servant specially assigned to attend the two immortals spoke, then hurriedly followed after him.

Listening to the endless cries of "your mother's cunt" from the sky, Fang Zhongzheng remained silent for a long while. In the end, he gathered some silver and headed for the Qiu Family outside the city.

And besides Fang Zhongzheng, the households that had taken the Ji Family's property, and the immortals of Fengxian Mountain Villa, there were others who wanted to see Ji You.

At dusk, the sun sank toward the western hills, and the sky grew hushed.

Kuang Cheng came around through the back alley to the Ji Family ancestral home, stopping before the faded red and broken-ink couplets on the gate.

After word of Ji You reached the Kuang Family, the elders learned that the two had been childhood friends and sent him to pay a visit. In times like these, if one could latch onto an immortal, it might just become a chance to save one's life.

He was braver than most. After hesitating only briefly, he pushed open the gate and stepped inside, arriving at the second courtyard of the Ji Family ancestral home.

When the Ji Family fled, they had already emptied the residence of its belongings. Only broken bricks, shattered tiles, and smashed pottery shards remained, scattered amid knee-high weeds that had gradually grown in, with pale green moss spreading over them. The place already looked desolate.

"The affairs of this world are strange indeed. The people in the courtyard are gone, yet the grass has grown lush."

Kuang Cheng froze slightly and looked up. Ji You's voice had already sounded from within the room, as though he had noticed him long ago.

This was probably the wonder of immortality cultivators.

Kuang Cheng stopped outside the door. After staring into the room in silence for a long time, he said, "These past two days, even when people cursed you through the wall for being afraid of death, you pretended not to know. Were you actually cultivating with all your might to break through?"

"What? Someone actually dared curse me through the wall for being afraid of death?"

Kuang Cheng rubbed his nose. "No, no. Perhaps I heard wrong."

Ji You fell silent for a moment before his voice came from inside the room. "I had wanted to get along with you all as an ordinary person, but all I got in return was distance. No more pretending. I'm laying my cards on the table."

Kuang Cheng took another step forward. "So that evening, when you heard me mention the Celestial Academy, what you thought of was not seeking Fang Ruoyao's help, but becoming a disciple of the Celestial Academy yourself?"

"How could anyone place their hopes in a person who hurried over to break off an engagement when her fiancé's family had just suffered calamity?"

"So that was it..."

After hearing this, Kuang Cheng gave a self-mocking laugh.

People throughout the world said scholars were pedantic, and he had believed it was merely the world's prejudice.

Yet after this, he discovered that when trouble came, not only could he do nothing but move his lips and curse people, he had not even figured out who deserved to be cursed in the end.

Kuang Cheng paused briefly, then stiffly bowed. "Young Master Ji, Kuang has been disrespectful toward you in the past. After Father learned of this, he gave me a stern lesson. Tonight, he wishes to hold a banquet at home and apologize to you."

Ji You was silent for a moment before speaking. "No need. I have already eaten. Please return."

"A cup of humble wine should do no harm, surely?"

"Leave."

Kuang Cheng stood stunned for quite some time. Then he bowed and offered his farewell before turning to walk out.

He was not someone who knew how to bend himself to curry favor. If his family had not forced him to come, he might never have set foot here. Seeing that the other party did not appreciate the gesture, he naturally would not linger.

In fact, he felt somewhat relieved. His childhood friend was still someone with kindness in his heart, and that was enough.

As for their past friendship, Kuang Cheng did not entertain too many hopes.

Ji You was now a Celestial Academy disciple at Perfection of the Lower Three Realms. His status was noble, transcendent above the world, separated from a commoner like him by heaven and earth.

He recalled that Fang Ruoyao had seemed much the same back then, suddenly becoming proud and aloof.

She had once explained that immortality cultivators needed hearts as clear as dustless mirrors, neither delighted by external things nor saddened by personal misfortune. Only then could they climb to the summit of the Great Dao; it was not because she looked down on old friends from the past.

Whether that was true or false, he could accept it.

But just as Kuang Cheng stepped out with one foot, a sudden clatter rang out from the room behind him, like wooden furniture such as tables and chairs crashing to the floor. It was accompanied by a muffled groan, as though someone had fallen.

Kuang Cheng was briefly stunned, then his expression changed slightly as he strode into the room.

Ji You was sprawled on the ground. His left hand still rested on the overturned wooden chair, his lips covered in blood, which had stained a broad patch of crimson across the lapels of his white robe.

Some of it had clearly already darkened. It looked as though he had coughed it up onto himself earlier, and it had dried by now.

"I told you not to come in, yet you insisted. Ignorant child, now that my Coughing Blood Divine Skill has reached completion, I shall use you for practice!"

"?"

Kuang Cheng looked at him in silence for a long while. He did not believe a single word.

Seeing that he did not believe him, Ji You too fell into silence.