Ch. 34 - Devouring Cloud City

Squeak.

Ji Yuenian opened the door and quietly looked at the familiar furnishings in the study. After a long silence, he picked up the ancient book he had read this season from the desk and put it in the white jade ring, then turned around and walked out.

"Eldest Son, the carriage is ready and ready to set off any time."

Ji Bugui had changed into a luxurious satin robe, he stood respectfully outside Ji Yuenian's study room, and opened his mouth carefully.

Ji Yuenian nodded slightly and said, "You were willing to take a big risk and help me suppress Ji Luoyan, Ji Hong and others. I’m pleased."

"The Eldest Son is being humble," Ji Bugui said with a self deprecation, "It was the Eldest Son who devised the strategy first, and Ji Bugui dares not take credit."

As soon as these words fell, a luxurious carriage made of jade and golden carvings slowly drove in from the outer residence and stopped in front of the side hall.

Because of Ji Yuenian's special order, Ji Luoyang, Xu Jianghe and others did not come to see them off, and now there were only a dozen or so people in front of this side hall.

One of the Ji family guards stepped forward to lift the curtain of the carriage for Ji Yuenian, and the other knelt on the ground under the carriage for him to step on.

Ji Yuenian got into the carriage and said, "Let's go."

The coachman was a young man of about eleven or twelve years old. He heard Ji Yuenian speak, and responded in a crisp voice, "Yes, Eldest Son!"

Ji Bugui stood there, quietly looking at the carriage that was gradually receding above the official road in Anyang City, with a complicated expression.

It was not until the carriage left the city gate that he turned around and walked into the side hall.

…

There were eight palaces in the inner city, Anyang City was located in the northwest corner, and the Hexuan Taoist's Heyun Temple was located in the east of the Devouring Cloud City.

At this time, it was the early hours of morning, and the brilliant golden morning glow traversed the sky.

Ji Yuenian stopped his cultivation, opened his eyes slightly inside the carriage, and said softly, "Although you are young, you are skilled at driving the carriage, swift and steady, which is very good."

The young man's voice was a little shrill, and he didn't turn his head, but replied in a crisp voice, "Eldest Son, I have been a coachman in Luoxue Pavilion since I was eight years old, and it has been four years since I was a coachman."

There was a hint of self-satisfaction in his tone.

"What's your name?"

"My Eldest Son, I come from a collateral bloodline, my name is Ji Buyu."

[ED: Reminder. Here the address “Eldest Son” is an acknowledgement of status and position rather than the generic usage of the terms.]

Ji Yueyue nodded lightly and said, "No wonder Ji Bugui arranged for you to drive. You are really smart."

Ji Buyu's tone gradually lowered, and there was a hint of sadness in it, "I was driving for the wife of the owner, and obeyed the orders of Luoxue Pavilion. The previous lady was brutally killed, and I was transferred by the owner to serve the Eldest Son."

While the two of them were talking, they were already under the magnificent gate of Devouring Cloud City.

Several city guards came over, looked at the luxurious carriage carefully, and became a little respectful unconsciously.

One of them said respectfully, "I don't know which noble has come from the inner city?"

Ji Buyu slowly stopped the carriage, looked at the person who spoke, and said, "Anyang Ji's family."

The few city guards looked more respectful, and they all moved out of the way, leading the carriage towards the city gate that was more than ten feet wide.

Devouring Cloud City was different from the other inner cities. It was the location of Heyun Temple. There were many descendants and disciples of Daoist Hexuan, and most of them had ignited their Heart Fire. People who had ignited the Heart Fires mostly stayed in the Devouring Cloud City.

The interior of the city was a little deserted, and there were few pedestrians, chariots, and horses on the official road. Ji Buyu drove the carriage and headed straight for the Heyun Temple in the center of the city.

"Luoxue Pavilion, if I remember correctly, is Xu Lian'er's home?" Ji Yuenian spoke in a young voice.

Ji Buyu's eyes dimmed, and he said, “Yes, Eldest Son."

After a moment of silence, he summoned up his courage again and asked in a low voice, "Eldest son, I want to know what crime did the master's wife commit?"

"Xu Lian'er?" Ji Yuenian didn't get angry, just shook his head gently, "She was innocent."

Ji Buyu's voice trembled slightly, obviously already crying, "Master’s wife treated people very well. She had never been as harsh and cruel as the rest of the main branch, and she was extremely caring of me. Eldest Son, if she was really innocent, why was she brutally killed?"

When Xu Lian'er was slapped to death by the Third Elder the night before, Ji Buyu was still in the village and town outside the city of Anyang Mansion and did not know the specific situation.

Although he was a collateral bloodline of the Ji family, he belonged to the group of people with the thinnest bloodline. There was no mansion or house for them in Anyang City, and he could only live outside Anyang City with dozens of other coachmen who drove their carriage and took care of their families. In Mafu Town, he would get up early and go to the city of Anyang to wait for work.

Xu Lian’er once bought a small house for him with four rooms in the inner city, but Ji Buyu still returned to Mafu Town every night to accompany his parents, and never lived in Anyang City.

After a long while, when he did not hear the answer from the person behind him for a long time, Ji Buyu didn't dare to ask anymore. His eyes moistened thinking about the kindness Xu Lian’er had shown him.

"Stop," Leng Su's voice came to his ears, and a black-robed youth in the early stage of the Profound Realm walked over and looked at the carriage, "Who is coming?"

It was already outside the Heyun Temple.

Just as Ji Buyu was about to speak, the curtain of the carriage behind was lifted, and Ji Yuenian got off.

"Ji family’s Ji Yuenian."

The black-robed youth was stunned for a moment, his expression a little suspicious, and said, "It turned out to be Young Master Ji. I have also heard about Young Master Ji's return from the Qingluan Mountains, which is astounding."

He seemed a little hesitant to speak.

Ji Yuenian vaguely saw what he was thinking, and said, "Fellow Daoist is wondering, why is it not Ji Quexue, right?"

The black-robed youth nodded and said, "Yes, Anyang Ji's family has produced a genius with a Grade 6 Heart Fire Sequence, which shocked the entire ancient city of Taichu. I thought that Ji Quexue would come from the Ji family."

After a pause, he said again, "Let's go, I'll take you inside."

Ji Yuenian nodded, and followed the black-robed youth into the exterior gate of Heyun Temple.

Ji Buyu got on the carriage alone, and was warming his hands while breathing, when a very surprised voice came from behind him, "Cousin!"

The two carriages stopped one after another on the side of Ji's carriage, and a handsome young man in a moon-white robe got off the carriage and walked directly towards Ji Buyu.

Ji Buyu searched and scratched his head for a long time before he remembered who this person was.

The second son of the Zhao family, Zhao Xiaoyun, who had the cultivation in the upper realm of the Profound Realm, Ji Yuenian was his closest cousin.

Zhao Xiaoyun stopped and noticed that there was no one in the carriage, so he turned to Ji Buyu and said, "Is the person the Eldest Son, Ji Yuenian?"

Ji Buyu nodded and said, "Yes."

Zhao Xiaoyun showed a hint of joy on his face, and said to himself, "The Zhao family is very close to Anyang City, where the Ji family is located, and I have just received news from the Ji family. My cousin returned this time not only safe and sound, but also suppressed everyone!"

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