Chapter 12: Among the People

It was a decent amount of money, but not what he needed. And as for the spirit grain.... come on. A spirit herb valuable enough to be locked away in Jinping Manor’s treasury was worth far more than fifty liters of grain. That offer was a joke. People came and went around him as Liu Xiaolou sat quietly for another hour. Suddenly, he spotted a familiar face; it was Dragon Mountain Wanderer, the rogue cultivator who had answered the hero’s post and taken part in the raid on Jinping Manor. With his scruffy beard, Dragon Mountain Wanderer stood out in the crowd. He greeted a few acquaintances with a smile as he entered, then caught sight of Liu Xiaolou sitting in the corner. He paused for a moment, then walked over slowly. Liu Xiaolou felt a genuine sense of gratitude toward him. Back during the chaos at Jinping Manor, it had been Dragon Mountain Wanderer who called him over and led him to the treasury. Later, when trouble arose, he’d stepped in and driven off a would-be thieves eyeing the spirit herb. He’d helped in more ways than one. Liu Xiaolou stood and gave him a respectful bow. “Senior.” Dragon Mountain Wanderer nodded and motioned to him. “Come with me.” Liu Xiaolou followed him out of the stall row and toward the end of the alley. Dragon Mountain Wanderer glanced back toward the bustling stalls. “They didn’t track you down?” he asked in a low voice. “I’ve been laying low," Liu Xiaolou replied, "Just got back recently.” Dragon Mountain Wanderer nodded approvingly. “Smart move.” Then he asked, “Over on our side of Mount Wulong... did Wei Hongqing from Ghost Dream Cliff get the hero’s post too? I didn’t see him that day.” Liu Xiaolou shook his head. “No. Just you and me.” Dragon Mountain Wanderer frowned. “Then why has Dongyang Sect been circling Ghost Dream Cliff all this time?” “Wei left Mount Wulong before the gathering. Said he wanted to wander the world for a while. Maybe Dongyang’s people mistook someone else for him.” Dragon Mountain Wanderer nodded slowly. “You be careful too. Things haven’t cooled down yet. Dongyang’s tracked down quite a few people already. I heard Gao Feiyan and Wan Jianxin both got exposed and fled southern Xiang. Now, no one knows where they’ve gone.” Liu Xiaolou wasn’t too worried, though. Those two were well-known figures among the rogue cultivators of southern Xiang. It made sense they’d be tracked down. But someone like him, a no-name nobody? Who’d even bother? “Also," Dragon Mountain Wanderer went on, "the Seventh Branch of the Pai Sect.... Dongyang Sect just raided their stronghold. Lou Zhenwu personally led the charge.” Liu Xiaolou couldn’t hide his shock. He’d heard that each Pai Sect branch was notoriously secretive. They moved around constantly, and their defensive formations were no joke. That’s how they’d been able to take part in Hero Posts year after year without fear of retaliation. But now even they’d been crushed? Say what you will, but a prestigious sect was still on another level. You had to accept that. Thinking it through, Liu Xiaolou realized only two people knew he’d taken part in the Hero Post: Dai Shenggao, who’d issued the posts, and Dragon Mountain Wanderer standing here. As long as those two were fine, he should be safe too. After all, there’d been over a hundred people involved. A nobody like him shouldn't be on Dongyang Sect’s radar. “So long as Senior and Wanderer Dai are safe, I’ll be fine too,” he said. Dragon Mountain Wanderer caught the meaning behind his words and immediately felt much more at ease. Then something Liu Xiaolou had said earlier clicked in his mind. “Wait.... you just got back?” “I did.” “And you’re here to… sell something?” “Thanks to you, Senior, I did manage to get my hands on a spirit herb that day.” “A spirit herb?” Dragon Mountain Wanderer’s eyes lit up. He sounded a little tense. “What kind?” “Uh… I’m a bit embarrassed to say I can’t name it exactly. But it doesn’t seem like anything ordinary.  I’m in urgent need of spirit stones right now and figured I’d try my luck here.” He spoke frankly, then took out the herb for Dragon Mountain Wanderer to inspect. “If it’s something you need, Senior, it’s yours.” If someone does you a kindness, you should always repay it. Even though this rare herb was valuable, it could’t compare to the help Dragon Mountain Wanderer had given him that day. The moment he laid eyes on the herb, Dragon Mountain Wanderer blurted out, "It really is Water Spirit Grass!” “You recognize it, Senior?” “Recognize it? More than that. To be honest, Xiaolou, the only reason I even went to the Heroes’ Gathering was because I heard the Zhang family had a Water Spirit Grass in their vault. Who would’ve thought it would end up in your hands? Truly…” “What is it used for?” “It’s one of the eighteen key ingredients needed to refine a Foundation Pill.” “Ah, then congratulations, Senior. I’ll gift you this Water Spirit Grass in hopes that you’ll reach Foundation Building soon.” As he spoke, he offered up the herb. Dragon Mountain Wanderer didn’t hesitate to accept. Foundation Pills are rarely ever sold. The major sects use every one they refine for themselves. Now that he was at the tenth level of Qi Refinement, right at the threshold of Foundation Building, he had no way to buy a pill, so he’d been gathering the ingredients himself. With one more acquired today, why would he pretend to be modest and turn it down? After a brief pause, he reached into his robes and pulled out two spirit stones and a small wooden box, handing them to Liu Xiaolou. “I’m a little embarrassed; I don’t have many spirit stones on me, so I’m probably shortchanging you here. I’ll make it up to you later. Ah, and this box contains refined pine resin. It’s a perfect match for your Sanxuan Sect’s techniques. Think of it as a small token of my appreciation.” Liu Xiaolou didn’t refuse either. He took the spirit stones and the small wooden box, opened it, and saw a three-inch square piece of pine resin inside. Its scent carried a faint musty edge; this was clearly the pine resin essence. This was the main ingredient for one of Sanxuan Sect’s three supreme techniques: the Elusive Fragrance Tendon. It was incredibly rare. Ever since his teacher passed, Liu Xiaolou had lost all access to the material. The last of his supply had long been used up, and there was no telling when he’d be able to refine it again and restore his sect’s legacy. He never expected to receive a piece today. “Senior... you seem to know my sect well,” Liu Xiaolou's eyes narrowed with curiosity. Dragon Mountain Wanderer let out a soft sigh. “Your teacher and I… were the closest of friends.” Among the rogue cultivators of Wulong Mountain, “closest of friends” was a phrase thrown around pretty casually. So Liu Xiaolou didn’t think too much of it. Still, for Dragon Mountain Wanderer to gift him a piece of pine resin essence, there had to be some real connection between him and Master Sanxuan. After that, Dragon Mountain Wanderer continued on his way, making the rounds of the local markets, still gathering the ingredients for a Foundation Pill. And once he managed to collect everything, he’d still have to find someone skilled enough to refine it.... an even harder hurdle to clear. Whether he’d eventually fulfill that dream or not, it was no longer Liu Xiaolou’s concern. But before leaving, Liu Xiaolou found himself facing an inner trial of his own. He spotted someone selling spirit pills. A small crowd had already formed around the vendor, all trying to find out more about the pills on offer. He squatted nearby to listen for a bit, and soon got the full picture. These were healing pills refined by the Lu family of Tianmu Mountain. As long as the injury wasn’t fatal, the pill could either stabilize severe wounds or completely heal lighter ones on the spot. For rogue cultivators constantly caught up in deadly battles, a pill like this was incredibly tempting. The seller only had three pills, and each one was going for two spirit stones. For a pill with that kind of ability, the price was shockingly low\... suspiciously low. It was clear these pills didn’t come from a clean source, and the seller seemed desperate to offload them quickly. The scent of the pills lingered in the air. Liu Xiaolou stood there, wavering, wanting to buy, but pulling back again and again. It really was torture. A bunch of other rogue cultivators were standing around just like him, struggling with the same dilemma. And in the end, someone else made the decision for him. A passing outer disciple from the Zhanglong Sect noticed the commotion, squeezed his way into the crowd, and, without a second thought, slapped down six spirit stones. He grinned like he’d just scored a bargain and walked off happily with the pills in hand. Cursing erupted all around, and just like that, the crowd scattered.