Family chambers of commerce that account for almost half of the entire Longzhou's commercial wealth are gathered in Jianping City. Each family occupies a huge territory because they need to maintain a large number of servants to maintain their luxurious life. Among them, the Ji family is the leader, but what is different is that they do not put their own family first when it comes to choosing locations in the city. The location of Ji Family Manor has excellent feng shui, but it is not the best in Jianping County. This is because the previous head of the family completed a bet with a competitor, but in the end left the other party with a glimmer of hope. As a result, the largest house in the center of Jianping City is still in the hands of its original owner, and has returned to its former glory. After this incident, the Ji family naturally became the leader of the business families in Jianping City and the leader of the entire Longzhou business.
Ji Zibai, the head of the Ji family, was the most popular business genius fifty years ago. In addition to his business talent, the most commendable thing was his connections and luck.
The largest chamber of commerce in Longzhou at that time was the Qilin Guild, the leader of which was the Li family, the owner of the Central House. At that time, the Qilin Society, which was at its peak, and Ji Zibai, who had just shown his talents, launched a business war that shook the entire business. People thought that the Ji family was no match, but they did not expect that Ji Zibai was ambitious and not only gained the opportunity to trade with a large number of sects, He also secretly started a mundane business that was not favored by the Qilin Club. He was able to achieve such achievements thanks to his kindness to others and the deep friendship he formed with many heroes, the most famous of whom is Tao Ling, the current headmaster of Xuan Ming Dao.
With the help of friends, the two sides of the sect's business competed fairly. However, the Ji family was just a new force and could not compare with the established force Qilin Society. They could not resist it from the beginning and were defeated. However, the huge profits brought by the ordinary business allowed the Ji family to sustain themselves, and after repeated defeats, they finally overcame the enemy. Unwilling to be reconciled, the Li family launched a challenge with the Ji family, who had come from behind, and made a bet with all their capital to buy and sell Linghuaijiao to see who could make the most profit in the end. Unexpectedly, the Li family used their knowledge of the spiritual grass to purchase it quickly when it was immature. By the time the Ji family reacted, it was already too late, but they didn't want the weather to be unfavorable and rainy for days, so that the spiritual grass that needed to dry for a while could take shape. Huaijiao missed the best opportunity. The Linghuaijiao, which was purchased first, needs Yang Qi to continue to mature. Without sunlight, it will eventually rot. The mature locust horn purchased by Jijia does not lack yang energy, but it can be made by baking. The Li family failed to steal the chicken but lost the rice. In the end, they were completely defeated, and the Qilin Society also completely collapsed.
Ji Wenyi walked on the street and felt the atmosphere of his hometown. The vendors on the roadside and the snacks by the river were all memories of his childhood. Unfortunately, after practicing Taoism in the mountains for several years, these once familiar things had become somewhat alienated. Just like he no longer wants to eat the candied haws that he loved to eat as a child, he no longer wants to sneak out and cause trouble in the shops on the roadside to attract the attention of his grandfather and father.
I don't know if he has grown up, or if he really has a conscience and is no longer interested in pursuing worldly things.
As he walked further and further down the street, the already vague memories of home began to emerge. His speed gradually slowed down. He didn't know how to prepare for what might happen next.
Is it the joy of meeting again after a long separation, or the forgetfulness of being strangers, or the confusion of turning against each other.
Ji Wenyi stopped and saw a very spacious red painted door. The two stone lions at the door seemed very old, and the word "Li Zhai" engraved on the door seemed a bit stingy. Just because his grandfather, Ji Zibai, dislikes the waste of his children the most, forgetting that his ancestors were also born with mud legs, so he advocates frugality in everything, but Ji Wenyi knows that this is just a show, and none of the Ji family brothers are wearing gold. Dai Yin, no one is really simple.
He hesitated for a while, but finally failed to muster up the courage to knock on the door. Suddenly I remembered the secret passage I used to sneak out of when I was a child. I don’t know if it is still there now, so I should go and check it out.
The Ji family occupies a huge area, and Ji Wenyi walked almost half a street before finding the dog hole that he often climbed out of in the past. Unfortunately, it had already been blocked. But when Ji Wenyi was a child, he chose this location not only because of the dog hole leading outside, but also because there was an inaccessible garden inside the wall, which could cover his whereabouts.
Although it was very strange to return to his home and jump over the wall instead of entering the front door, he seemed to only think that this method was the most appropriate and safe way at the moment. Ji Wenyi was about to take action when he suddenly heard footsteps around the corner. He immediately stopped and pretended to be just passing by.
Walking towards him was a middle-aged man with a strong build, followed by many armed followers, who seemed to be on guard for something. The middle-aged man turned around and saw a young man sneaking around here. Although the young man pretended to be very normal, few people came to this alley. In addition, the recent complicated situation could not help but make him anxious. care.
The middle-aged man shouted: "The boy in front of you, where are you from, and why are you hanging around Ji's house!"
Ji Wenyi is no longer the ignorant brat he used to be. Under the pressure of his second senior brother Gu Xuan, he has long since learned not to change his attitude under various circumstances. Moreover, the pressure exerted on him by the strong man is almost negligible compared to that of his second senior brother.
"I am a foreigner. I have been visiting Jianping for a long time. I don't know what the Ji family and the Ji family you are talking about."
The middle-aged man snorted coldly and said, "You really have a problem! When you come to Jianping City, your Ji family will be mentioned wherever you go. If you say you don't know, you must be lying."
Ji Wenyi smiled and scolded: "The Ji family is so proud. It's okay if I don't know."
The middle-aged man couldn't help but said directly: "Come here, take him down."
The followers rushed forward, but Ji Wenyi was not afraid at all. Among the crowd, including that man, there were only two Xuanjing monks, and his true energy was not strong enough. He had just entered this realm. The other people's cultivation level is even lower, so trying to win him down is a bit of a fool's errand. It's just that he heard the voice of the person speaking was very familiar, but he couldn't remember who it was, so he turned around to confirm.
A group of monks sacrificed their magic weapons and surrounded Ji Wenyi in a fixed formation. They were not in a hurry to take action, but waited for the middle-aged man to make a move.
Ji Wenyi turned around and saw that he really knew the man, so he murmured, "Uncle Four."
The middle-aged man also seemed a little confused. He looked Ji Wenyi up and down, then showed a look of ecstasy and said, "Is it A Yi?"
Ji Wenyi didn't say anything but just nodded. The middle-aged man laughed and said, "Haha, it's really Ah Yi. My little nephew is back. I am your fourth uncle. Do you still recognize me?"
Seemingly infected by his fourth uncle Ji Longlin, Ji Wenyi gained some confidence and said loudly: "Fourth uncle, it's me."
Ji Longlin pulled his entourage away, ran to Ji Wenyi, looked him up and down, then patted his shoulders and said, "You have grown so big, and you haven't heard from me for so many years. My family misses me so much."
Ji Wenyi's voice was also choked with sobs, "I miss my fourth uncle too."
"just me?"
"There are also grandpa, father, several other uncles, and eldest brother."
Ji Longlin was very pleased to hear Ji Wenyi's words, but when he heard Ji Wenyi mention his eldest brother, Ji Longlin's expression suddenly changed.
After Ji Wenyi found out, he quickly asked: "Fourth uncle, what's wrong with my eldest brother? Is something wrong?"
As soon as these words came out, there was a silence all around, leaving only the gasps of everyone. Ji Longlin shook his head and said, "It's okay. Your eldest brother has your father and us to help. If anything can happen, don't think too much."
Ji Wenyi nodded, but his heart had sunk to the bottom. It seemed that the information brought by Master Dongfang An was true. The eldest brother Ji Wenhong was indeed estranged from his father and several uncles.
Ji Longlin said again: "Ayi, aren't you studying in Xuanming Dao? How come you have time to come back this time?"
Ji Wenyi hesitated to speak, but he remembered Uncle Hao's warning not to reveal Xuan Mingdao's whereabouts. He hesitated and finally said: "I came back specifically to wish my grandpa a birthday."
Ji Longlin looked like he had seen through his little nephew, but he felt that there were outsiders here and it was not the place to talk, so he said: "Since we are back, we have to stay at home for a while, let's go home now. "
Ji Wenyi couldn't ask for it. Since he had already met his family, it didn't matter. It was better to go through the front door than jump through the wall of his own house.
After entering the gate and going around a few more times, Ji Longlin did not take Ji Wenyi home to meet his relatives. Instead, he chose a secluded place to walk, found a wing, and ordered his entourage to stand by at the door. He was not allowed to leave, so he and Ji Wenyi entered the house.
Even so, he carefully checked everything inside and outside the house, as if he was on guard against something.
Ji Wenyi asked knowingly: "Fourth uncle, why are you doing this? Are there still enemies in the family?"
"Oh, Ah Yi, you came back at the wrong time. I see you are wandering around outside your home and not going in. Are you embarrassed to go home? Tell the truth to Fourth Uncle, did something happen on Xuanming Road? Did you Have you been chased out for being naughty and naughty? You can never change your trouble-making temperament. If things were going well on weekdays, the Ji family would be indispensable for you, but at this critical moment, you are a thorn in their side, and I am afraid that many people I want your life."
Ji Wenyi was speechless. He didn't expect that his fourth uncle, whom he hadn't seen for many years, would be so good at brainstorming. Since Xuanmingdao founded its sect, it has only cleaned up the sect and has never expelled any disciples. But listening to the words from his fourth uncle's mouth, it seemed that he was in some danger.
"What are you thinking, fourth uncle? I'm coming back this time to help the sect with errands. It just so happens that my grandfather's eightieth birthday is coming soon, so I have to stay for a few more days."
Ji Longlin said: "That's the case, then I'm relieved. If you have anything to do, please do it as soon as possible and leave as soon as it's done to avoid any trouble."
Ji Wenyi wondered: "I haven't met my grandfather and father yet, why is my fourth uncle so anxious to drive me away?"
Ji Longlin said: "Ayi, it's not that my fourth uncle is hiding anything, it's just that the things here are really complicated. Only by following Xuan Ming Dao can you ensure your own safety and leave a trace of incense."
Ji Wenyi was shocked: "What happened? Why didn't Fourth Uncle tell me directly? It's not like my eldest brother wanted to take my life."
Ji Longlin didn't seem to expect that Ji Wenyi would say these words. Obviously Ji Wenyi knew something inside. Ji Longlin sighed and didn't know how to express it. After a long time he said: "Ayi, you have to trust your fourth uncle, listen to me, don't get involved, and leave as soon as you finish your work."
Seeing that Ji Longlin's tone was almost pleading, Ji Wenyi couldn't bear it and couldn't bear to disobey him, "I can listen to my fourth uncle, but you must tell me the truth."
Ji Longlin was still avoiding the matter, "You are a good boy. Let us handle these matters. When everything is settled, I will tell you the whole story. Well, you are here this time for the sake of the sect." What are you doing? Do you need our help?"
Ji Wenyi saw that his fourth uncle didn't want to talk about this issue and stopped asking. Anyway, there was a long way to go. If he didn't solve the matter, Uncle Hao and the others wouldn't go back.
"I want to purchase a batch of elixirs. It's best to get them together within two or three days."
"What elixir?"
"Yuan Dan."
Ji Longlin was indeed trained by a business family. He immediately understood the reason why Ji Wenyi came to the Ji family to purchase Yuan Dan. "Yuan Dan is not a cherished elixir, but it is closely related to most monks. If it is not purchased in advance, Well done, we really can’t allocate a large amount of elixirs in a short period of time.”
Ji Wenyi said: "The family should provide Yuan Dan for followers and worshipers. Xuan Mingdao is willing to pay a higher price to buy these elixirs from our family. As for the family, they can use other things to compensate."
Ji Longlin shook his head and said: "It is impossible to find so many substitutes in a short period of time to compensate the family members, but I can go out to collect excess Yuan Dan from each family, and I should be able to gather a sufficient amount. I will help you with this matter , Ayi, you stay here and don’t leave.”
"Then please leave it to my fourth uncle."
Ji Wenyi continued to stay in the house without going out, while Ji Longlin went out to do business. After a while, two more Xuanjing monks came to the garden. It seemed that they were sent by Ji Longlin to protect him.
…
In the middle of the night, Hao Lianfeng left Shanzong alone. Using the cover of night, he followed the map to find his way and went straight to Ji's house.
When he was young and wandering around, it was a very common activity to walk at night on rooftops. This boyish feeling made Hao Lianfeng feel very good. Otherwise, with his strength, why would he bother to plan a family? Because of this, he encountered some strange things.
Jianping City is indeed a prosperous city, and the lights are still brightly lit even at night. There is no more powerful monk in the city than Hao Lianfeng. His spiritual consciousness sweeps across the streets unscrupulously, avoiding pedestrians in advance.
Suddenly, he stopped, took a few steps back, and looked steadily at the attic. There seemed to be something different there.
After all, Hao Lianfeng is a monk in the Moon Watching Realm, so something that can make him feel strange must not be simple. He slowly leaned over and stopped about a foot away from the attic.
In front of him is an invisible barrier. This is neither a spell nor a formation, it is just a kind of energy. If ordinary people go through this for too long, with their vitality, they will neither be able to feel this Qi nor be sensed by the owner who releases the Qi. On the contrary, only an expert like Hao Lianfeng can resonate with him. Once Hao Lianfeng takes a step forward, he and the master of the qi machine will discover each other at the same time.
Hao Lianfeng said to himself: "There are actually people from the army hiding here? Are they trying to guard against something, or are they trying to target something?"
This kind of Qi machine is only often used by military officers. Judging from Hao Lianfeng's perception, this team of soldiers can at least rival the Moon Watching monks after forming a formation. It is roughly the same as Bao Shan who fully activates the magic weapon. It should not be underestimated.
Such an elite force must be the work of the Governor's Mansion. Lord Changshi, who came to the city to wish Ji Zibai a birthday, must take action and figure it out as soon as possible.
But at this moment, Hao Lianfeng had other important matters, so he had to retreat slowly.
A moment later, he came to the door of Ji's house, took out Xuan Mingdao's identity card, and recited the magic formula. A thread that only existed in the perceptions of Hao Lianfeng and Ji Wenyi connected the two. Hao Lianfeng thus confirmed Ji Wenyi's location, and Ji Wenyi also learned of Hao Lianfeng's arrival.
Ji Wenyi opened the window, and the entourage outside was still waiting outside. They just brought some food to him every few hours for him to enjoy. In such a special situation, Ji Wenyi had not suspected his fourth uncle Ji Longlin, but the food and wine he ate were not poisoned, but his freedom was only restricted.
Suddenly a breeze blew by, seemingly carrying a strange fragrance.
The follower in the yard asked, "Wen Xi'er" fell first, and the remaining two worshipers also fainted despite their high level.
After all, Ji Wenyi is a disciple carefully trained by Xuan Mingdao. He is also a Xuanjing monk. Not only is his level higher than that of several of his disciples, but his strength is also at the top among monks of the same level. He quickly discovered the problem with the scent, but instead of eliminating the poison, he took a few sips of the scent and held it in his mouth to wrap it with infuriating energy. He returned to the table and pretended to faint and lay down on it.
Soon, three men in black came in from outside. They did not attack the followers outside, but came straight to Ji Wenyi with a clear goal.
Entering the room, they saw that Ji Wenyi had passed out. The three of them looked at each other and saw the smile in each other's eyes, and then they leaned forward carelessly, as if they were very confident in the fragrance they released. The three of them took out the Emei thorns in their hands and stabbed Ji Wenyi's dantian, vest, and spiritual platform respectively. Instead of taking his life, they wanted to destroy his cultivation. They obviously wanted to capture him alive.
Ji Wenyi saw the opportunity and kicked over the table. He wanted to try to use the loud noise to wake up the unconscious people in the yard. If he succeeds, he can continue to hide his strength and let the people sent by his fourth uncle fight, and he will help secretly; if he fails, he can use all his strength to fight quickly, and his ability will not be discovered by his family, leaving some trump cards.
The three of them were caught off guard and had no choice but to defend themselves. Ji Wenyi spit out the fragrant and poisonous smoke that he had already held in his mouth. Two of them were immediately hit and fell to the ground softly.
Seeing this situation, the third person didn't even dare to help his teammates, so he ran away through the door. However, after seeing Ji Wenyi's sudden attack, he seemed to have lost his strength and collapsed on the ground, panting. He realized that Ji Wenyi had indeed been poisoned, but his ability to resist poison was stronger. He persisted for a while, but his actions just now consumed all his remaining energy and he could no longer resist.
The man in black breathed a sigh of relief and secretly thought that he was almost intimidated by Ji Wenyi. He was about to step forward and continue to attack Ji Wenyi, but he heard him say: "Don't you treat your companions first?"
The man in black hesitated, turned around and wanted to give his companions the antidote first, but when he reached halfway into his arms, he suddenly changed his mind and said, "It's better to kill you first to be safe, and then detoxify them after killing them." Not too late."
Ji Wenyi looked helpless, and stopped pretending to be poisoned, and was about to kill the man in black.
Suddenly, the man in black's eyes were dazzled, and the back of his neck was pinched by iron-like hands. He said with difficulty: "It turns out you were lying to me. You were not poisoned at all."
But when the man in black looked forward, he found that Ji Wenyi was still there and had just stood up. Who was attacking him? Before the man in black could figure it out, he was choked to death.
The person coming was none other than Hao Lianfeng. He put the man in black on the ground and said, "Ji, do you want to trick him into getting the antidote? You don't have to go to all that trouble. The aroma can only make people faint and won't cause any harm."
Ji Wenyi smiled and said: "If nothing happens after being unconscious, people will definitely be suspicious of me. I will wake them up as soon as possible. If they think they are dozing off, they will not doubt me."
Hao Lianfeng understood what Ji Wenyi meant, "Are you trying to hide your strength? What happened to the Ji family?"
Ji Wenyi said: "I don't know yet. I only know that my fourth uncle at home keeps telling me to leave here and not to wade in this muddy water."
Hao Lianfeng said: "Jianping City is indeed in muddy water now, and there is something unusual everywhere."
Ji Wenyi asked: "Uncle, did you come to me with any new instructions?"
Hao Lianfeng said: "We have already gone to Shan Sect, and we can pretend to be disciples of Shan Sect tomorrow, so you should not expose us until the situation is clear."
Ji Wenyi said: "I know."
"As for your current predicament, it is also an opportunity. Don't be afraid of exposing your identity. Except for an old worshiper from the Wangyue Realm, the Ji family will fight alone. As long as you are not careless, you will not suffer a loss. In a few days, I will We will come to the Ji family with the people from the Shan Sect, and you will cooperate and help us delay for a while. If we can find out the situation of your grandfather Ji Zibai, the next actions will be easy."
Ji Wenyi nodded and said: "If grandpa comes out, he will be able to win over people's hearts and get rid of all these people with ulterior motives."
Hao Lianfeng was not very optimistic, "It's possible according to common sense, but if the Governor's Office gets involved, it might not be that easy."
As he spoke, Hao Lianfeng took off the veil of the man in black and asked Ji Wenyi, "Do you know them?"
Ji Wenyi shook his head.
Hao Lianfeng said: "To be so familiar with the layout of your place and yet so clueless in doing things, they must be from your family. Find someone you trust and ask them to find out the details of these people."
He flipped through the lining pocket of the man in black's clothes and found three porcelain bottles. Hao Lianfeng opened the seal to identify it, handed it to Ji Wenyi and said: "This black porcelain bottle contains the poisonous gas. You can keep it for yourself. The white one with the red seal is the antidote. After you finish solving it, give it to the outside." People take it to detoxify. As for the last bottle of elixir, it is Yuan Dan. You can ask someone to check the origin of the elixir, and maybe you can also find out the identity of these people."
