Chapter 11: Trial by Cultivator Robbers
“Big Brother Lin, I think the Little County Princess is pretty decent—she certainly didn’t look down on us.”
After leaving Qingshui Bay, the two rode the spiritual steeds borrowed from the Zhou Family. This time, they weren’t in a hurry; instead, they enjoyed a leisurely journey.
“Decent?”
Seeing Erniu praise her, Lin Chang’an silently shook his head. This little girl had grown up; her mind was sharper than she appeared.
No sooner had they arrived than rumors spread through the marketplace. So many people coming—was that normal?
If viewed purely from a benefit perspective, Yun Yao gained reputation and goodwill this time.
There were only so many slots for foundation-establishing pills in the sect. Excluding those with family connections, how many were left?
Among cultivators with top-grade spiritual roots, Yun Yao didn’t have an edge.
Charm and reputation might not matter much, but they certainly beat doing nothing.
Of course, Lin Chang’an’s thoughts were practical. From Yun Yao’s attitude toward them, it didn’t seem insincere.
“As long as she didn’t look down on us, that’s great. In the future, once Sister Yun Foundation-establishes, we’ll also benefit.”
Lin Chang’an changed the subject, smiling as he spoke of the advantages once Yun Yao established her foundation.
Hearing this, Erniu couldn’t help but beam with longing. He sighed: “A Foundation-establishing cultivator… even in the Zhou Family, I’ve only seen them from afar.”
“But from now on, we can’t call her ‘Little County Princess’ anymore.”
Erniu’s sigh was tinged with emotion as the image of the “little county princess” faded, replaced by Yun Yao—the heroic, Qi Refining Ninth Level cultivator.
Lin Chang’an smiled at Erniu’s sentiment. Mounted on his steed, he looked down again at the Evergreen Art manual in his hand.
This was a collection of notes from Elder Lu—a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator—on the Evergreen Art.
【Evergreen Art +10 (Mastery: 23/1000)】
As new insights arose in his mind, Lin Chang’an’s face lit up in sudden understanding.
“So it turns out cultivation proficiency can be quickly boosted by reading an advanced predecessor’s experience. If that works for cultivation techniques, the same applies to talisman crafting.”
Like practicing alone bit by bit versus having a late-stage cultivator’s notes guiding you—naturally, the latter made progress easier and faster.
Their biggest gain this trip was this manual. Before parting, Lu Qingqing, in Elder Lu’s name, gifted it to them.
To Erniu, she gave the original version of the bedroom secret art “Dragon at Play with Pearl” that Elder Lu had obtained.
But Lin Chang’an’s manual was a carefully handwritten copy by Lu Qingqing, with elegant script and a faint scent of orchid ink.
“It seems this junior sister is also quite thoughtful.”
Lin Chang’an smiled softly. Although he didn’t know what gifts were given to Shen Lie and Yun Yao, both he and Erniu felt a greatly enhanced impression of this junior sister.
Not just the four of them—perhaps even Wei Buyi, who wasn’t included in their calculations, was quietly remembering her kindness.
Shaking his head, Lin Chang’an stored the manual in his storage pouch once they left the marketplace’s safe zone.
After all, they were traveling abroad—better to be cautious.
“Big Brother Lin, is this the storage pouch?”
Erniu looked enviously at Lin Chang’an’s pouch. He had seen one before, but three spirit stones—it was too expensive.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t afford it, but those three spirit stones were better spent on cultivation.
Seeing Erniu’s longing gaze, Lin Chang’an smiled and encouraged him:
“Erniu, don’t worry. You’ll have one someday.”
“Big Brother Lin, don’t joke. With three spirit stones, I’d rather buy dozens of pounds of high-grade demon-beast meat for cultivation.”
Erniu waved his hands repeatedly. He had no talent for talisman crafting.
Even among Qi Refining Fourth Level cultivators, those with a specialized skill still had a big advantage over ordinary ones.
If he could craft a Middle-grade First-Rank talisman, one talisman could sell for over three spirit stones. Ignoring cost, he could easily earn more than ten spirit stones a month.
But someone like Erniu, with no entry-level skill, had to rely on luck. Being an adopted member of the Zhou Family, he did receive a few spirit stones monthly through the family’s arrangement.
But most cultivators took risks hunting demon-beasts to obtain resources—a life where danger was constant.
Of course, high risks sometimes brought high rewards.
…
In the mountains, the two rode toward Qingzhu Mountain Marketplace.
The Zhou Family’s reputation for beast-taming was well founded.
These spiritual steeds could travel a thousand miles a day and cross waters and mountains as if on flat ground.
On the way to Qingshui Bay, they went day and night, arriving in three days. On the return trip, they took it much slower.
By now, it was just one more day to Qingzhu Mountain Marketplace.
“Erniu!”
Riding through a mountain forest, Lin Chang’an suddenly frowned and called out.
“Big Brother Lin!”
Their tacit understanding from when they first entered the cultivation world remained. Erniu’s hand went to his greatsword.
“Lately, more and more drifting cultivators have been spotted outside the marketplace. This place is less than a day’s journey away, and the terrain is treacherous—perfect for ambushes.”
“Ambush!”
Erniu frowned and said in a low voice:
“Big Brother Lin, to be safe, shall we take a detour?”
Lin Chang’an nodded without hesitation and turned his horse.
“Erniu, hold onto these two High-Quality Golden Light Talismans and the Swift Talisman.”
“All right.”
Erniu didn’t hesitate and accepted the talismans directly.
…
“What’s going on? Why did those two suddenly turn back?”
Hidden in the distant forest, several cultivators queried, exchanging confused looks.
Their leader—a burly man with a sinister air—flashed with resentment.
“Never mind. They’re just two early-stage Qi Refining drifters from outside. They came looking for trouble here.”
“Our boss is right. Life’s tough—we need spirit crystals so we can have demon-beast meat to eat.”
The group of six sped through the forest toward Lin Chang’an and Erniu.
They pursued them through the woods. Just as they were about to catch up, excitement surged—but the leading burly man’s pupils suddenly shrank.
On two spiritual steeds, the figures on the back were wearing cloaks, but were actually scarecrows tied with branches.
“We’ve been tricked!”
At that instant, a piercing whoosh sounded behind them, and scorching air rushed forward.
When the cultivator robbers turned back, their horrified eyes saw more than a dozen lantern-sized flames flickering.
“A group of drifting cultivators dare to cause trouble here at Qingzhu Mountain!”
Behind the scarecrow steeds, Li Erniu launched a surprise attack, roaring with force to scare them.
“That’s impossible! You two are mid-stage cultivators!”
The leader, still furious, was the first to realize it then fled—right into Erniu’s sword.
At the moment of contact, the robber leader’s eyes widened.
Damn!
You’re at Qi Refining Fourth Level, and you acted like early-stage novices.
At the same time, a nearby tree suddenly glowed with a flash of azure light.
“An ambush! Damn it!”
The leader was terrified. These two cultivators’ methods were even more skilled than his own ambush tactics.
It was Lin Chang’an’s Invisibility Technique, blending him into the tree’s color, so that the instant he launched his attack, the spell evaded detection.