Ascended Without Me: Cultivating with a Genius Son | Chapter 7 | The Ji Family Connection | Novela.app

Lin Tianchang seemed to sense Li Xue’s confusion and explained slowly, "The Ji family is no ordinary clan. Gathering information on them requires approval from our superiors. If the Ji family were to discover someone was prying into their affairs, even our Qingfeng Tower would be taking a significant risk." "But the Ji family has such a massive estate; everyone knows of them. Surely it shouldn't be that difficult to look into the details of a merchant caravan?" Li Xue said, feeling somewhat frustrated. "Madam, you may not be aware, but while Qingfeng Tower holds a certain reputation in the martial world, we are but a drop in the bucket compared to the formidable strength of the Ji family. Furthermore, once you purchase these three pieces of information, you may raise any questions you have regarding them until you are satisfied—provided they do not pertain to deep-seated secrets," Lin Tianchang replied in a measured tone. Li Xue felt helpless; she was truly unskilled at haggling. However, as long as the information was accurate and useful, the price didn't matter much. Her primary goal was to understand the situation as quickly as possible to proceed with her next plan. Thus, she decisively paid the one thousand four hundred taels of silver, took the three scrolls, and departed from Qingfeng Tower. After Li Xue left, a young gentleman of about seventeen or eighteen emerged from the inner room on the second floor. He wore a robe of white brocade silk and held a jade fan. He possessed phoenix eyes, crimson lips, and pearly white teeth. Lin Tianchang hurried to his feet and bowed. "Third Young Master Ji!" The young man nodded, murmuring to himself, "Mangyun Mountain... Mangyun Mountain." His expression turned peculiar. "Manager Lin, are you certain they intend to go to Mangyun Mountain?" he asked, sounding somewhat unsure. "Third Young Master, it cannot be confirmed with absolute certainty yet. It is just a mother and son, along with a family of servants," Lin Tianchang answered respectfully. "Hmm. She spends quite lavishly and doesn't seem to care for money. Mangyun Mountain... how interesting." He tapped the fan against his palm and added, "Have someone keep an eye on them. Oh, and make sure she doesn't find out. Just have your men watch the servants." "Yes, Young Master," Lin Tianchang replied respectfully. Li Xue returned home with the three scrolls. In truth, while she was on the second floor of Qingfeng Tower, she had already sensed someone's presence in the inner room. Their breathing was very light, marking them as a martial arts expert. However, as long as they were not a cultivator, she had nothing to fear. Moreover, she felt she had nothing worth coveting in the eyes of mortals, so she had simply ignored it. Li Xue began to study the scrolls carefully. Mangyun Mountain was located on the western border of the State of Yun—in fact, it could no longer be considered within Yun's territory. There were about a dozen small nations near Mangyun Mountain. A certain emperor of the State of Yun had once attempted to unify these small countries, but his efforts had been in vain. There were also legends of immortals surrounding Mangyun Mountain. The commoners of those small nations occasionally caught glimpses of immortals flying past, though such tales were almost unheard of in large nations like the State of Yun or the State of You. Mangyun Mountain was rich in medicinal herbs, and most people in the surrounding small nations made their living by gathering them. These herbs were transported via merchant caravans to the State of Yun, the State of You, and even the State of Feng. However, herb gathering was limited to the outskirts of Mangyun Mountain. No one had ever been able to penetrate deep into its heart. The mountain range stretched for hundreds of thousands of miles like a heavenly chasm, cutting off the west. There were even legends that the west was the Western Paradise—a heaven for gods and immortals. Li Xue couldn't help but smile knowingly after reading this. To mortals, it was indeed a paradise for gods, but in reality, it was a haven for cultivators. She couldn't help but feel a sense of longing in her heart. Li Xue opened the scroll containing information on the Ji family. The content was extensive and detailed. The Ji family had a history spanning over three hundred years, starting originally in the timber trade before gradually expanding into the medicinal herb industry. Their century-long prosperity was largely attributed to this herb business. The current head of the Ji family, Ji Changhe, was the fourth-generation patriarch. He had five sons from his primary wife, and an unknown number of children from concubines. Among them, the eldest son, Ji Ruchang, was the heir to the Ji family leadership. He was said to be resolute and highly skilled in business—a fine prospect for a successor. The third son, Ji Rufeng, was renowned in the martial world as a famous young hero, known for his lightness skill and swordsmanship. Consequently, the Ji family's merchant caravans were primarily managed by him. Travel was relatively safe under his watch, as the various outlaws and bandits of the "greenwood" all gave the Third Young Master face. The Ji family made a round trip between the State of You and the State of Yun once a year, primarily transporting minerals from You to Yun and bringing medicinal herbs back. They generally departed in the autumn and returned the following spring. Li Xue was very satisfied after reading the scrolls. She calculated that in two years, she would find a way to join the Ji family caravan to Mangyun Mountain. For a mortal caravan, there shouldn't be any unpredictable dangers aside from bandits. Ordinary bandits were nothing to a cultivator. If she were with them, the Ji family caravan would likely be even safer; she just wondered which group would be lucky enough to have her along at that time. Now, there was one more problem. Li Xue pondered how she might establish a connection with the Ji family to save herself a lot of trouble later. As for the Third Young Master... it seemed she needed to study him carefully. The scroll naturally contained a detailed introduction to the Third Young Master as well. Ji Rufeng, eighteen years old, unmarried. He was the final disciple of the famous swordsman Lin Sitong. He had made a name for himself in the martial world at the age of fifteen and was the primary official in charge of the Ji family's martial affairs. The Ji family possessed its own guard corps, and under Ji Rufeng's leadership, they had recruited various heroes from the martial world, resulting in formidable strength. Since Ji Rufeng took charge of the Ji family's guard camp, their merchant caravans had essentially faced no major incidents. Therefore, Ji Rufeng's status within the Ji family was second only to the Patriarch and the eldest son, Ji Ruchang. Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation ---|---|--- 季家 | Ji Family | A powerful merchant family specializing in timber and herbs. 季长和 | Ji Changhe | The current patriarch of the Ji family. 季如常 | Ji Ruchang | The eldest son and heir of the Ji family. 季如风 | Ji Rufeng | The third son of the Ji family, a martial arts expert. 林司同 | Lin Sitong | A famous swordsman and the master of Ji Rufeng. 云国 | State of Yun | A large nation bordering the Mangyun Mountain region. 幽国 | State of You | A large nation where the story is currently set. 丰国 | State of Feng | Another large nation mentioned in the region. 莽云山 | Mangyun Mountain | A vast mountain range rumored to be the home of immortals. 清风楼 | Qingfeng Tower | An establishment known for gathering and selling information. 林天长 | Lin Tianchang | A manager at Qingfeng Tower. 丹凤眼 | Phoenix eyes | A specific eye shape often associated with beauty or nobility in Chinese culture. 九牛一毛 | A drop in the bucket | Literal: One hair from nine oxen. An idiom for something insignificant. 绿林 | Greenwood | A term referring to the world of outlaws and bandits.