Chapter 101: Dependence of a Finished Move

As the rain intensified, Ji Yuan danced with his sword in his green robe. His wide sleeves and long robe did not hinder the agility of his swordplay; instead, they accentuated its graceful fluidity. The style was neither overly feminine nor overly rigid.

It was as if there were no fixed moves, no rigid stances. The falling raindrops seemed to be pulled by countless invisible threads, swirling and swaying with the motion of his sword. His body and intent were one, the sword moving wherever his will led it.

Every drop of rain was a sword, and every sword stroke transformed into rain.

Perhaps only a few breaths passed, or perhaps it was as long as the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. Ji Yuan finished his sword dance, flicked his sleeve, turned, and stood with his hands behind his back. At that moment, the rain around and beneath him swirled into a circular ripple, a ten-foot-wide ring of water that formed at his feet before slowly dissolving into the puddles on the ground.

Though the swordplay had ceased, the falling rain actively avoided Ji Yuan, flowing down his sides and landing at his feet.

Ji Yuan looked towards the Zuo family inside the entrance hall.

“This is the Flowing Dragon Divine Intent,” he said. “It has no fixed moves or forms, yet it can incorporate all martial arts under heaven. Whether you can comprehend it, and to what extent, depends entirely on yourselves.”

Having spoken, Ji Yuan walked out of the rain and stepped back into the hall, leaving no wet footprints, and not a single patch of his clothing was damp.

Since he was to act as an immortal master this time, he naturally had to play the part convincingly.

The Zuo family and Old Master Yan seemed unable to recover from the profoundly mysterious immortal sword dance they had just witnessed. They remained in a daze, staring blankly outside the hall as if a phantom figure was still dancing with a sword in the rain.

After a long while, Zuo Boran was the first to snap back to reality, followed by Zuo Youtian, Zuo Youxin, and others in succession. The two children had remained wide-eyed, staring at the rain. None of the Zuo family members spoke until the children also came to their senses and nestled beside their mother. Only then did the Zuo family and Old Master Yan dare to breathe deeply.

Ji Yuan, meanwhile, simply sat at the table, drinking tea and refilling his own cup from the teapot. Only when all the Zuo family members had fully recovered did he offer them a smile.

Noticing Old Master Yan's embarrassed expression, Ji Yuan quickly beckoned to him.

“Old Master Yan, there’s no need to be concerned,” Ji Yuan said. “You haven’t stolen anything from the Zuo family. I don’t mind you observing, so who could possibly object? Please, sit down and have some tea!”

“Thank you, Master, for allowing me to witness your sword dance,” Old Master Yan replied.

Old Master Yan, with a sheepish grin, bowed his hands before finally sitting in his chair. He hastily picked up his teacup and took a sip to calm his nerves, for he understood the true significance of an immortal’s sword dance far better than the Zuo family.

Although the Yan family's forge had long since sealed its special sword-casting furnace, Old Master Yan had still spent half his life forging swords and naturally held his own insights into sword arts.

He could only sigh inwardly, 'Such divine sword intent is rarely found in the mortal world!'

Though the Zuo family had now regained their senses, they were still savoring the scenes from the rain. While they couldn't recall Ji Yuan's precise movements, it didn't prevent them from sensing the profound intent behind them.

A moment later, the Zuo family stood in the hall and, led by Zuo Boran, collectively bowed ninety degrees in a respectful salute. Even the two children, with their parents' help, performed the bow.

“Master’s benevolence, the Zuo clan shall never forget,” Zuo Boran declared. “We, the Zuo family of Juntian Prefecture, vow to honor your immortal status for generations to come!”

Zuo Boran’s voice, still full of vigor, was both solemn and serious.

Ji Yuan found these words amusing, but he had no intention of letting them erect a shrine for him to be worshipped.

“Alright,” Ji Yuan said, “for you, this matter is concluded. But for me, it’s not over yet. I wonder how approachable the City God of Juntian Prefecture is!”

Ji Yuan shook his head and chuckled; since he had made a promise, he naturally had to fulfill it.

In truth, it shouldn't be a major issue. After all, the Zuo family possessed his preserved Edict of Command, which over time would purify their souls and minds, making it difficult for malicious individuals to emerge. Furthermore, by accumulating virtue and performing good deeds, they already had a significant chance of becoming candidates for service in the City God's Underworld after death.

If Ji Yuan paid a polite visit, he wouldn't even need to see the City God; merely meeting one of the judges and mentioning his connection to the Zuo clan would very likely prompt the City God’s Underworld of Juntian Prefecture to grant him a favor.

It wasn't as if he was asking them to violate principles by choosing a wicked spirit; if it was a benevolent ghost, and with an immortal cultivator like Ji Yuan vouching for them, why wouldn't they do him a favor? When no fundamental principles were violated, even the Underworld could consider connections.

This wasn't Ji Yuan's wild speculation; it was clearly written in the 'Outer Path Transmissions' and also based on his own experiences with the City God system. Of course, there were certainly Underworld officials or City Gods with bad tempers, and if he encountered one, it would be Ji Yuan's misfortune.

However, Ji Yuan set this thought aside for now. He squinted slightly, looked at the writing on the table, and spoke to the Zuo family:

“Alright, come and take the decree.”

As the head of the family, Zuo Boran stepped forward solemnly, extending both hands towards the table to pick up the decree. However, before he could, Ji Yuan placed his hand on top of it.

“I stated this beforehand,” Ji Yuan said. “If the Zuo family merely wishes for a peaceful life, that is perfectly fine. While the decree is good, it is not omnipotent; blessings and misfortunes are self-invited. If, in the future, you truly wish to venture into the jianghu, it is best to uphold a chivalrous heart and righteous spirit, otherwise, this decree might just run away on its own!”

Ji Yuan’s voice carried a smile, but no one in the room dared to treat his words, which conveyed a sense of pressure, as a joke.

“The Zuo clan shall certainly obey and never forget Master’s teachings!”

“We will never forget Master’s teachings!” the others echoed.

The rest of the Zuo family, after Zuo Boran spoke, also hastily bowed to express their resolve.

Ji Yuan then removed his hand, allowing Zuo Boran, whose forehead was slightly beaded with sweat, to take the decree with both hands. As Zuo Boran's right arm fell, a ghostly image of a chess piece flashed within his sleeve, causing Ji Yuan to secretly think, 'Indeed!'

Watching Zuo Boran carefully retreat into the hall with the calligraphic decree, to be admired by the rest of the Zuo family, Ji Yuan suddenly remembered something else. He looked towards Old Master Yan, who was stroking his beard.

“Old Yan,” Ji Yuan asked, “where is my sword sheath?”

“Huh?”

Old Master Yan stared at Ji Yuan, bewildered, then glanced at the Green Vine Sword standing by the table. Sweat immediately beaded on his forehead; was the matter of making a sword sheath not a joke?

“Hahaha… Old Yan, don’t worry,” Ji Yuan chuckled. “I’ll come back to buy it in a few days. A simple sword sheath shouldn’t take much time for the Yan family forge, right?”

“Not much at all, not much at all!” Old Master Yan quickly assured him. “I will certainly have something ready that satisfies Master!”

Old Master Yan hurried to make his promise, then lowered his head, contemplating which styles and types of wood to prepare. He decided to mobilize the Yan family to craft a dozen or twenty different sword sheaths for the immortal to choose from!

When Old Master Yan looked up, intending to explain this to Ji Yuan, he found that Master Ji, who had been sitting on the other side, had vanished. Only an empty teacup remained, while the Zuo family, still absorbed in admiring the calligraphic decree, remained completely oblivious.

Ji Yuan strode away through the rain; it was his first time traveling in such weather using water-avoidance magic. However, he still conveniently borrowed an umbrella from the room outside the Yan family forge.

His haste to leave wasn't due to being genuinely eager to meet the divine earth spirits of Juntian Prefecture's City God Bureau, but rather because he didn't want to miss the beautiful scenery of Juntian City.

Upon nearing the city, Ji Yuan opened his umbrella and entered the city as an ordinary citizen. He wandered about, listening to the city's heartbeat and absorbing its essence.

After half a day of wandering, Ji Yuan finally arrived at Miaosi Ward, Juntian Prefecture's temple district. Most cities named the ward where their City God Temple was located Miaosi Ward, as it was a crucial area for temple fairs and sacrificial activities, and Juntian Prefecture was no exception.

When he had initially promised the Zuo family, he had felt quite confident, and when considering it himself, he saw no problem. But now, truly standing under the City God's watchful eye, Ji Yuan felt a little apprehensive.

A Prefectural City God was usually far more powerful than a County City God, and their subordinate City God Bureaus would also be much more numerous. A prefectural city the size of Juntian Prefecture likely had twenty-four bureaus.

Ji Yuan hadn't come empty-handed; he specifically chose a few shops in Miaosi Ward to buy a food box full of pastries and candied fruits, and also purchased two decent jugs of wine, before heading to the City God Temple.

As it was raining, the City God Temple was not very crowded. Several vendors selling incense and candles had pushed their carts into the temple corridor. Upon seeing Ji Yuan step through the temple gate, someone immediately began an enthusiastic sales pitch.

“Hey, esteemed sir! Surely you’ll light a few sticks of incense to honor the City God, won’t you? I have excellent sandalwood incense here, three sticks for two coins!”

Incense? No, couldn't possibly buy it!

Ji Yuan shook his head in polite refusal and proceeded along one side of the temple corridor towards the various halls ahead.

He first went to the main hall. Unlike the other scattered worshippers who lit incense and prayed for blessings, he took out the dishes of pastries and offerings from the upper layer of his food box. After a brief explanation to the temple attendant, he carefully arranged them on the altar, also placing the jug of wine there.

Ji Yuan then simply cupped his hands towards the City God's statue before leaving the main hall to go to one of the City God Temple's side halls.

This side hall contained numerous clay statues of deities, with labels in front of each indicating which bureau chief they represented. However, Ji Yuan didn't need to read the words; he relied on his intuition to go from statue to statue, finally stopping before the clay statue of the Civil Judge.

If one were to ask which official in the City God's Underworld was the most amiable and approachable, it would almost always be the Civil Judge.

There were far fewer worshippers in this side hall; on a rainy day like this, there were none at all, and it sounded like no one else was nearby.

Ji Yuan quickly took out the remaining food offerings from his food box, arranging them one by one on the small altar in front of the statue. Then he placed two small wine cups and poured two cups from his wine jug.

Having completed all this, Ji Yuan turned to face the Civil Judge's statue, bowed respectfully, and, with a subtle infusion of spiritual power and the lingering resonance of his 'Edict' word, spoke in a low voice:

“I respectfully invite the Civil Judge of the Merits and Demerits Bureau of Juntian Prefecture's City God to appear!”

Within the Underworld, the Civil Judge, who was reviewing documents, suddenly heard ethereal Daoist sounds, crystal clear to his ears. However, the Martial Judge and the other minor ghost officials beside him remained completely unaware, leading the Civil Judge to immediately realize that a high-level master was calling upon him.