Chapter 285: Out for a Walk

Ji Yuan's request came as a surprise to Wei Wuwei, but it also brought him great relief. Although the previous topic was a directive from his sect on Mount Yuhuai, he had been quite wary of displeasing Mr. Ji.

This playful remark clearly showed consideration for their feelings, indicating that Ji Yuan held no grudge against them; otherwise, he would have shown his displeasure.

"Mr. Ji, rest assured. Today is the first day of the lunar new year. We returned quite hastily yesterday, so some dishes couldn't be prepared due to a lack of ingredients, which somewhat dissatisfied me. Today, we will have a full banquet!"

Shang Yiyi and Guan He exchanged glances. "Uncle Wei wasn't satisfied with yesterday's spread?" They felt they couldn't even name as many dishes as they had seen last night.

Wei Wuwei smiled confidently. When it came to fine dining, he was sure the Wei family's culinary team was comparable to the imperial kitchens.

Over a dozen master chefs worked together to prepare the Wei family's dishes, each with their own assistants. The entire preparation team numbered at least thirty to forty people, occupying a kitchen as large as a residence within the Wei estate.

Steaming, boiling, frying, stir-frying—all cooking methods were employed. Some dishes had even been slow-cooked since the previous day.

With Ji Yuan's arrival, Wei Wuwei even personally supervised the kitchen for a period.

Lunch consisted of snacks and conversation. But as evening approached, Ji Yuan's keen sense of smell detected an intense, undeniable aroma of food emanating from the Wei estate.

That night, the entire Wei estate became a grand banquet. Even the servants ate until their mouths were greasy, a sight that astonished even immortal cultivators, proving that culinary artistry, with its hundreds of exquisite dishes, was indeed a form of art.

The banquet dispersed at a quarter past Hai Shi (around 9:30 PM), which was quite late for the Wei family. Coupled with most people staying up past Zi Shi (around 11:00 PM) for New Year's Eve, they were all tired and went to rest.

Ji Yuan was arranged in an independent guesthouse courtyard in the rear of the estate. This courtyard had four rooms, two on each side. Guan He and Shang Yiyi each occupied a room on the left, while Ji Yuan stayed opposite them, separated by a courtyard planted with some flowers and plants.

Zi Shi is the time when the first yang energy emerges, and both Shang Yiyi and Guan He were cultivating in their rooms.

Ji Yuan, however, neither wanted to cultivate nor could he sleep.

Earlier in the day, he had listened to the subtle hints conveyed by the disciples from Mount Yuhuai, which clearly revealed Mount Yuhuai's ambition. Just as people strive for dignity, immortal estates also seek elusive good fortune. For them to directly seek an answer from him, Ji Yuan, meant that the "Tianji Pavilion's divination" might not have been entirely unfounded.

Or perhaps, after Pei Zheng returned to Mount Yuhuai, the mountain had made inferences by combining the divination results with recent events in Da Zhen, even if Tianji Pavilion hadn't fully grasped it.

It was probably impossible for them to glimpse the great tribulation of heaven and earth, but they might have vaguely understood Ji Yuan's unique variable. However, their understanding was superficial; they saw only an opportunity, not the tremendous danger that lay at the highest level.

From some of the day's conversations, Ji Yuan also learned that many True Immortals from Mount Yuhuai were no longer as reclusive as before. Since the Dragon Monarch had reconciled with Mount Yuhuai, a major concern had been alleviated.

Combined with Tianji Pavilion's divination, Mount Yuhuai believed it was time to seize good fortune. Many immortal cultivators began to emerge from the mountain, or brought their disciples out, not just in Da Zhen but across Yunzhou, gaining experience while also seeking out new disciples with exceptional spiritual potential.

According to Ji Yuan's previous logic, he might have thought that the situation in Yunzhou, apart from what he knew of Da Zhen, seemed to be descending into chaos, with demons, devils, immortals, gods, and humans all being formidable.

The series of events in Da Zhen always made Ji Yuan feel that Yunzhou was covered by a pall, or rather, that all places beyond Da Zhen were covered by a pall.

However, True Immortal Pei from Mount Yuhuai's visit to Tianji Pavilion, and Tianji Pavilion's immense effort in divination, made Ji Yuan suddenly see things differently.

After all, this wasn't a world depicted in a TV series. Even the most "non-doing" paths in the world harbored desires, and even the most evil had fears. Did only mortals experience grievances and emotions, while immortals and gods did not? The intertwined and unclear nature of a vast expanse was simply the norm; perhaps other continents and realms were even more complex.

Ji Yuan felt that he, the supposed "player of the game," couldn't even be considered observing the board, let alone controlling it.

Thinking this way, his mood wasn't particularly bad, but it was inevitably tinged with a sense of disappointment.

"Creak..."

With a soft creak of wood, Ji Yuan opened his door.

The moonlight streamed through the gradually widening door crack, illuminating Ji Yuan's face and then spreading to the entire area in front of the door.

In Ji Yuan's hazy vision, the courtyard's grass was withered and flowers dead, covered by a thin layer of snow. Looking up at the sky, however, it immediately became clear.

As if sensing its master's unease, the Azure Vine Sword, which had been resting by the bed, flew over.

This time, the immortal sword didn't quietly float behind Ji Yuan as usual but flew directly in front of him.

Seeing the immortal sword approach, Ji Yuan instinctively reached out and grasped it with his right hand.

"Buzz..."

The Azure Vine Sword hummed faintly, its hilt and scabbard's green vines becoming even more vibrantly lush. The immortal sword was both incomparably sharp and infused with the nascent energy of spring. Wisps of this new spring vitality emanated from the sword, seeking to uplift its master's spirits.

"A three-foot blade, containing both killing intent and the genesis of life, much like the succession of Yin and Yang, or the black and white pieces on a chessboard…"

Ji Yuan held the sword and walked into the courtyard. With a slight turn of his right palm, the tip of the scabbard slowly lowered.

The moment the scabbard touched a leafless flower branch, it was as if the tip had gently touched water, creating an invisible, faint ripple. Stimulated by the spring vitality from the Azure Vine Sword, the branch rapidly sprouted new shoots and buds, forming three flower buds in just a few breaths, poised to burst open.

"All things desire to reach higher; even this withered branch, upon sensing spring's essence, instinctively reaches out to embrace it. But flowers do not bloom in bitter cold months; only when spring truly arrives is it time for them to contend for beauty. A brief moment of singular beauty is often fleeting, like the ephemeral bloom of the ephemera."

Ji Yuan murmured to himself, a self-deprecating smile on his face.

"I still understand too little about this world. How can I make a move without understanding the whole, and how can a game be formed if no moves are made?"

Ji Yuan's soliloquy was also a form of self-encouragement. In the eyes of many, he was an unburdened and at-ease master, but who knew that he, too, had fears and would sometimes concede to certain things—some he could voice, others he didn't even dare to speak aloud.

Ji Yuan had long wanted to explore the world beyond Da Zhen, but apart from the human realm's situation in Da Zhen still showing no clear signs, a certain fear of the unknown also held him back.

'How similar this is to my previous life, where I had sky-high ambitions as a child, but the more I grew up and experienced society's trials, the more my initial drive and ambition faded, losing its sharp edge!'

Now, Da Zhen's national destiny was becoming clearer. And though Ji Yuan's cultivation was not considered the supreme True Immortal in outsiders' eyes, frankly speaking, after these more than ten years of cultivation, his magical power might not be exceedingly profound, yet some unique divine abilities and mystical arts were beginning to manifest extraordinary power, and with the Azure Vine Sword by his side, his capabilities were quite substantial.

'Thinking about it differently, without too much pressure, and without seeking complete understanding, simply going out to explore and witness the magnificent landscapes of the various realms and continents would be beneficial!'

As he thought this, Ji Yuan smiled again. Just then, hearing some movement, he looked up and saw Guan He had already opened his door and come out. There was also a sound from Shang Yiyi's room.

He was about to ask, "Why aren't you resting?" but before the words left his mouth, he suddenly realized that the sky was already faintly bright, and a rooster crowed in the distance. Unbeknownst to him, an entire night had passed.

Seeing Ji Yuan standing in the courtyard with a long sword, Guan He quickly cupped his hands in greeting.

"Good morning, Mr. Ji!"

"Morning!"

Ji Yuan looked at him, nodded, and returned to his room. This child had truly grown up, far more polite than he had been as a child.

After Ji Yuan left and his door closed, Guan He, with a hint of curiosity, walked into the courtyard.

"Brother, what are you doing?"

Shang Yiyi's voice came from behind him, but Guan He didn't turn around.

"Come quickly and look, this flower is about to bloom."

Hearing this, Shang Yiyi also stepped closer and indeed saw a flourishing flower branch with swelling buds in front of Guan He.

Such a sight wasn't strange in the Sacred Realm of Yuhuai, given its unique environment, but here, and it not being a winter flower, this could only mean someone had used magic.

"Mr. Ji did it."

Guan He explained.

"Oh."

Since their cultivation and realm weren't high enough, they didn't pay it much mind. If an esteemed master from Mount Yuhuai had been present, they would have noticed that the flower wasn't cultivated by wood spirits but had bloomed naturally, formed by the essence of harmonious spring.

Furthermore, this spring essence was not merely ordinary new spring clouds, but the refined essence of spring vitality from within the Azure Vine Sword, specifically manifested as Ji Yuan shed his insights during his overnight enlightenment. This was vastly different from the auspicious signs observed at Prince Jin's manor that one night.

Ji Yuan departed after breakfast that morning, bidding farewell to Wei Wuwei and the others. It was clear that during his stay, everyone in the Wei estate, from mortals to immortal cultivators, had been quite restrained. He didn't particularly care to experience a full New Year's celebration, having had a sufficient taste, so he took his leave.

It was a sunny winter day, and as the sun rose to a certain angle, its light illuminated every corner of the Wei estate.

Not long after Ji Yuan left, two Wei estate servants came to clean the guesthouse rooms.

"Hey, hey, look! This rose is about to bloom!"

"Oh! Really!"

The two, carrying wooden buckets, rags, and other cleaning supplies, walked out from the corridor and peered closely at a plant in the garden. Under the sunlight, several flower buds had swelled considerably, clearly on the verge of blooming.