Song Qianji said seriously, "No, working in the Outer Sect earns Spirit Stones, but here you won't get a single one!"
Since when is "having nothing" something to be proud of? Why are you puffing your chest out? The clusters of white light seethed with anger.
Trembling, the Shaken Heaven Real Person hid beneath the wheat stalks, covering his head as if about to be pierced by countless gazes.
Someone tried to bargain, but Song Qianji paid no attention:
"Who among you is Xian Jianchen's master?"
He could now distinguish the identities of these white light clusters by their outlines and voices.
He knew which were millennium-old ancestors and which were predecessors who had passed away just two or three centuries ago.
Upon hearing this, the three clusters of white light on the left shook their heads and sighed as if mourning their own parents:
"He came from the Outer Sect—how could he have had a master? He relied entirely on self-study!"
"So your master is Xian Jianchen, no wonder you're so tyrannical and disrespectful to your elders!"
"It was precisely because of that unruly anomaly Xian Jianchen that the Outer Sect's rules became stricter. Who would have thought he'd take on a disciple and send him to wreak havoc in the Huawel Sect again! The sect is fated to suffer this calamity, alas."
Song Qianji hadn't expected Xian Jianchen's name to intimidate not only the living but also the souls of the departed—truly a pass valid in both realms.
But while he borrowed Xian Jianchen's influence outside, here he had to bear the blame for Xian Jianchen's actions.
He patiently explained, "I'm not his disciple, and I'm more reasonable than he is. Fate isn't predetermined—it's just cause and effect, the cycle of the world."
"My Domain is scenic, with fragrant wheat fields, and the conditions are far more generous than the Outer Sect's. I've never mandated that one must work daily to rest, nor are there punishments for unfinished tasks. It's all to your benefit..."
Even so, Song Qianji knew better than anyone that once a competition system was established, as long as one person started accumulating points, the others would have no choice but to compete.
It's like sailing against the current: if you don't advance, you fall behind. Either everyone slacks off together, or a hundred boats race forward.
After much discussion among the white light clusters, the Huawel Ancestor finally declared, "Participation in the point system is voluntary and must not be forced."
Song Qianji smiled cheerfully, "No problem. Seniors, I hope you'll come to terms with it soon and find peace of mind."
With that, he deliberately bent down, parted the wheat stalks, and greeted, "Senior Shaken Heaven, their ambitions may be low, but I'm sure you'll take first place. I look forward to your performance."
As soon as Song Qianji finished speaking, he vanished into the center of the wheat field.
The Shaken Heaven Real Person let out a miserable cry, covered his head, and scurried away like a rat. The sound of collisions echoed through the wheat field.
...
"He's awake! Senior Brother is awake!"
Song Qianji opened his eyes. Three heads were clustered together, their anxious expressions identical.
"See, I told you he was fine," Lin Feiyuan immediately stepped back. "His breathing is steady, his complexion rosy—he was just in meditation."
Meng Heze helped Song Qianji sit up. "How do you feel, Senior Brother?"
"I'm fine." Song Qianji patted Ji Chen's head. "Don't cry."
It was early morning. A cloud of dust rose from the Main Peak of Huawel Mountain, covering half the sky and blocking out the sun.
The Seven Wonders treasure ship cut through the haze, steadily heading toward Thousand-Ditch Prefecture.
Song Qianji briefly recalled: Yuan Qingshi had abandoned the Huawel Floating City and fled in haste. Meng Heze and the others had naturally escaped.
Then Xian Jianchen appeared, he entered the Domain, his body was discovered and brought onto the treasure ship.
Meng Heze said, "After the fake Huawel City shattered and vanished, Huawel Mountain suddenly shook violently, with rocks tumbling down."
A gust of wind arose, scattering the dust and revealing the sun.
Song Qianji squinted as he gazed toward Huawel Mountain.From a distance, the summit of the Main Peak appeared unusually flat, shorter than the surrounding peaks, as if someone had sliced it clean off from the clouds with a single sword stroke.
He seemed to know what Xian Jianchen had done.
Something that hadn’t happened in his previous life.
Meng Heze followed his gaze. "Serves them right—getting struck by lightning. Huawel Sect has suffered a heavy blow and is in complete disarray. They won’t have time to bother us for the next few years."
Everyone on the ship was laughing, but Song Qianji remained solemn. "When you were trapped in Huawel’s floating city, did you resort to killing?"
Lin Feiyuan replied impatiently, "Of course—"
"Of course not," Ji Chen answered at the same time. "We realized those people were unarmed and had no cultivation. I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Brother Meng had to lead us in a desperate escape. If they’d all been cultivators—preferably like our friend Zhao Ren—it would’ve been much easier."
Lin Feiyuan was taken aback. After leaving Huawel Sect, he had already shed his disguise, revealing his true appearance.
Meng Heze lowered his head. "This time, I wasn’t much help to Senior Brother Song."
Song Qianji smiled and patted his shoulder. "No, you helped me. Thank you."
Meng Heze looked surprised. "Thank me?"
A faint shadow in Song Qianji’s heart seemed to lift slightly.
No one had repeated his old path. No one had been forced to make the same choices he had in his previous life.
The cold wind no longer felt biting. He caught a faint scent of spring in the air, as if he could see the spring breeze sweeping across the fields of Thousand Canals, where seeds were sprouting tender green shoots.
"Back to Thousand Canals!" he declared, accelerating the Seven Treasures treasure ship.
The disciples cheered in unison.
This trip to Huawel Sect hadn’t been a brush with death—more like a false alarm. Song Qianji looked around at the young faces, bright with joy, as if they were rushing home for the New Year.
But one voice stood out discordantly: "Stop the ship. Let me off."
The atmosphere turned icy.
"Brother Lin, why is this?" Ji Chen asked with concern.
Meng Heze scoffed. "What’s wrong with you now? Throwing another tantrum?"
Song Qianji walked over to Lin Feiyuan, sensing what was coming. "You’re not coming back with me?"
Lin Feiyuan stared in the direction of Huawel Mountain without looking up. "What would I do back there? Continue being your dog?"
Meng Heze’s expression darkened, but Song Qianji raised a hand to stop him.
Ji Chen pulled Meng Heze away, signaling the others to retreat as well.
"One dog isn’t enough? How many more do you plan to collect? You have dogs to guard your gate, dogs to set up formations, dogs to take care of your daily needs—what use am I? Killing is my only skill, and your Thousand Canals has no need for that. Am I supposed to hide away for the rest of my life, pretending to be a tailor in Thousand Canals?" Lin Feiyuan grinned, baring his canine teeth.
"Don’t talk like that!" Song Qianji’s tone, usually gentle, turned unusually stern, almost scolding.
Lin Feiyuan wasn’t intimidated. He sneered, "I’ve always talked this way. It’s not the first time you’ve heard it!"
"Words like that don’t hurt me—they hurt you," Song Qianji said, looking at him.
For some reason, Lin Feiyuan suddenly grew furious. "But I’m used to it! You know I’m not like them. They followed you from the beginning, when they knew nothing and had done nothing!"
He pointed at the retreating figures of Meng Heze and Ji Chen, as if angry at Song Qianji, but even more at himself. "Why did you save me? You can’t save me! You might save one person, but can you save everyone in the world?"
"I never intended to save everyone in the world," Song Qianji said softly. "I just didn’t want to see you die."
Lin Feiyuan froze, blinking as if tears glistened in his eyes.The treasure ship swiftly cut through the clouds as they stood by the vermilion railings in a tense standoff. Lin Feiyuan took a deep breath and looked up at the sky.
"Life and death are fated, wealth and honor lie with Heaven. Stay out of it," he said before leaping over the edge.
Song Qianji could have stopped him if he had intervened, but he only murmured softly, "Don't die."
Lin Feiyuan summoned his sword and vanished into the distance in a flash.
Meng Heze rushed to the railing, shouting twice, "Hey!"
Layers of clouds stretched endlessly, with no reply to be heard.
Ji Chen muttered to himself, "He left just like that? He hasn't finished the clothes he promised, and what about the cat he raised?"
Meng Heze fumed, "I told you before, assassins are ungrateful snakes you can never tame. Let him go! It's not like we can't manage without him!"
Ji Chen turned to Song Qianji with concern, "Senior Brother Song, you..."
"I'm fine," Song Qianji waved his sleeve. "Let's go."
The Seven Wonders Treasure Ship disappeared into the clouds, vanishing without a trace.
Lin Feiyuan turned his sword around, flying toward the war-torn Huawel Mountain.
Thousand Canals had lost a tailor, yet it remained the hopeful Thousand Canals.
But once Lin Feiyuan left Thousand Canals, he could only revert to being the "Assassin Leader" who took advantage of chaos to commit violence.
...
Before Song Qianji's treasure ship reached Thousand-Ditch Prefecture, news of the Huawel Sect's upheaval had spread across the continent.
Wei Ping was in good spirits, finely chopping fish and pork liver to mix a bowl of cat food, then calling over the lazy cat sunbathing on the steps.
Whether it was Ji Chen's sister, Meng Heze's parents, or Lin Feiyuan's cat, he took care of them all meticulously.
Though Song Courtyard stood empty, Steward Wei remained busy.
As more and more people flocked to Thousand Canals, it began to resemble most places in the world—deceitful swindlers, troublemaking ruffians, and brawling cultivators started to appear.
Wei Ping converted the former God Temple into a prison and Trial Hall, dispatched Xu Kanshan and others to promote laws and regulations, strengthened city patrols, and designed a questionnaire for Zhou Xiaoyun, Ji Xing, and others to distribute.
Only those who passed the exam could obtain a Thousand Canals residency card and officially settle down to put down roots.
Newly arrived Rogue Cultivators, regardless of their cultivation level, and mortals, regardless of their wealth, all had to answer the questions.
This move, rather than dampening the immigrants' enthusiasm, attracted even more people eager to start a new life with their feet firmly on the ground.
The stray cat, now sleek and glossy from being raised in Song Courtyard, paced proudly with small, unhurried steps before approaching the bowl to leisurely enjoy its meal.
After it finished eating, Wei Ping tentatively reached out to pet its fur. The cat jumped away alertly, bared its teeth fiercely, and let out a low, weak growl from its throat.
"Ungrateful white-eyed cat!"" Wei Ping laughed in exasperation, making an indirect jab as he cursed, "A little freeloader living under someone else's roof, and you still have the nerve to throw a tantrum with me."
He didn't have time to bother with the cat further and pushed the door open to leave.
Song Qianji and the others would arrive tonight, so Wei Ping headed to Thousand Canal Bazaar to pick out some fresh meat to prepare a Thousand Canals Sixteen-Spice Barbecue feast to welcome them and wash away the dust of their journey.
Thousand Canal Bazaar was bustling with joyous crowds.
"Steward Wei, great news!" Xu Kanshan hurried over, shouting as he ran.
Wei Ping stood in front of the meat stall, looking down and picking meat while smiling, "About the Huawel Sect matter?" Who on this street doesn't know by now? Boss, cut me a shoulder of lamb."
"Not that! This time it's good news for you personally!" Xu Kanshan panted."Will Immortal Official Song be having roasted lamb tonight?" The vendor's knife flashed down, slicing off the most tender cut: "My congratulations in advance, Manager Wei."
Congratulations echoed from surrounding stalls throughout Thousand Canal Bazaar. Here, Wei Ping was the most well-liked.
Wei Ping smiled sheepishly and pointed to a beef tenderloin: "I'll take this too... What good news are you referring to?"
Xu Kanshan exclaimed joyfully: "A letter came from your family! They're coming to Thousand Canals to see you!"
Wei Ping's smile gradually faded.
"The messenger said your relatives will arrive tonight!" Xu Kanshan waved an envelope addressed "To Wei Ping's Personal Attention."
Wei Ping packed the fresh meat and said calmly: "Both my parents have passed away. What family could I have?"
Xu Kanshan froze, then immediately changed expression, cursing loudly: "What swindler dares cheat us! I shouldn't have let that messenger get away!"
Wei Ping took the envelope: "Never mind, I'll handle it."
Early spring approached, the chill in the wind gradually dispersing.
As Wei Ping walked through Thousand Canal Bazaar, everyone he met smiled at him:
"Good day, Manager Wei."
"Would Manager Wei like to buy anything else today?"
Wei Ping returned their smiles equally.
This was the market he had built from scratch and poured his heart into - every merchant knew him.
Immortal Official Song was the small statue secretly worshipped in homes, while Manager Wei was the person who patrolled daily, bought groceries, and managed affairs.
Far more people in Thousand-Ditch Prefecture had seen Manager Wei in person than had seen Immortal Official Song.
Wei Ping loved Thousand Canal Bazaar, loved Song Courtyard and Thousand-Ditch Prefecture.
"Poor timing on their part," Wei Ping murmured. "To avoid delaying dinner, I'm capable of anything."
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