Chapter 6: Cannon Fodder

Jinping Manor was practically wrecked, but Liu Xiaolou didn’t feel the slightest bit sorry for them. As a rogue cultivator at the very bottom of the food chain, just getting hold of a single cultivation resource was a constant struggle. Who was he to feel sorry for anyone? Besides, even though the manor was tucked away in southern Xiang, he’d heard enough about it to know what kind of place it was. The Zhang clan belonged to the outer faction of the Dongyang Sect. Backed by that power, they monopolized the cultivation world within a hundred-mile radius around Jinping Manor. Any rare spiritual herbs or beasts that appeared in the forests or lakes, no one else dared even look at them. If a talented cultivator showed up nearby, they claimed them first. Traveling merchants had to pay them tribute and fees. And if they were mistreated, they had to swallow it. If not for all that, the Hero’s Post wouldn’t have drawn even local magnates like Gao Feiyan and Wan Jianxin into the fray. Liu Xiaolou knew his place. Even though Zhang Xianbai was dead, there were still cultivators defending the manor. Where the fighting was fiercest, he dared not go. He kept to the walls, slipping through shadows, ducking into the side halls and checking any place that looked promising. Now and then, he’d run into Zhang mortals and household servants. Tough-looking men who jumped out from corners wielding blades. A few of them even knew a bit of martial arts. But all were amateurs. Before Liu Xiaolou, they were nothing more than straw men. He took each of them down within a few moves. He searched through a few buildings and picked up a dozen or so taels of loose silver and a few average-looking jade pendants. Gold and silver didn’t do much for cultivation, but they made day-to-day life easier. Not that Liu Xiaolou cared much for luxury; he took only a little and left the rest. Too much would just slow him down and be a burden when it came time to escape. What he was really after were spirit stones, pills, rare herbs, or magical items and talismans. But despite searching hard, he came up empty. This wasn’t working. He started making his way toward the manor’s center while keeping an eye out for Dai Shenggao. He didn’t spot Dai Shenggao, but he did catch sight of Dragon Mountain Wanderer. He was hard to miss, with that scruffy beard. Liu Xiaolou sprinted after him. Dragon Mountain Wanderer glanced back. “Xiaolou, keep up!” he called out before darting toward the northwest side of the manor. Grateful, Liu Xiaolou pushed himself to stay close. They passed several courtyards and ponds, finally arriving at an artificial mountain where things had suddenly gotten crowded. Dozens of people were blasting away at it with various magical tools. Someone on the inside had tipped them off: this was where the Zhang clan’s treasure vault was hidden, and now everyone was working together to bring down the protective formation. Dragon Mountain Wanderer shouted and hurled his coiled dragon staff into the fray. Liu Xiaolou followed his example, hurling his own Three-Mystery Sword to help. The formation guarding the vault was far weaker than the one that had protected the whole manor. It was purely defensive, with no counterattack enchantments. After a sustained assault, it finally gave way, revealing a doorway behind the rockery. The door wasn’t big. Only wide enough for one person at a time. With this many people, a bottleneck was inevitable. Frustration exploded into violence. The so-called “heroes” abandoned any sense of honor or restraint. Spells flew, blades flashed, magical weapons collided. Under the onslaught, the artificial mountain collapsed. At that point, no one could tell where the secret vault had been. All that was left was a chaotic mess of stones, dust, shattered wood, broken crates, silver, and random jars and bottles. Liu Xiaolou surged forward with the rest of the veteran cultivators. The shouting died down. Everyone was too busy scouring the debris in silence, hunched over, searching for anything of value. Liu Xiaolou found a few old jars under a collapsed wooden rack. He smashed one open. And was hit by the rich aroma of spirit wine. Others aso found these jars too, and the crowd quickly swarmed toward them. Clutching one of the jars tightly, Liu Xiaolou shoved his way out. He didn’t have a storage item, no bottle gourds or jugs to pour into, and carrying a whole jar like this was inconvenient. But desperate times called for simple solutions. He simply popped the lid and drank straight from the jar. He took several deep gulps. Warmth flooded into his dantian—it was quite a rich spiritual energy. In that moment, Liu Xiaolou felt so moved he was almost in tears. He wanted to drink more, but the wine was too strong. Worried he might get drunk and make a fool of himself, he held back. Just then, Dragon Mountain Wanderer appeared nearby, and Liu Xiaolou quickly thrust the wine jar forward. “Senior, Spirit wine!” Dragon Mountain Wanderer caught the jar mid-air. “Much obliged!” he barked, and without another word, tipped it back and drank deep. His cultivation had already reached the tenth level of Qi Refinement. Far above Liu Xiaolou’s. He drained the whole jar without getting drunk, though his face flushed crimson like fire. Liu Xiaolou returned to scavenging and finally found a crystal the size of his thumb. A spirit stone! Spirit stones hold the purest form of spiritual energy, making them perfect for refining one’s true qi. This single stone alone was enough to sustain Liu Xiaolou’s cultivation for half a month. How could he not be overjoyed? This trip was already worth it! Barely able to contain his excitement, Liu Xiaolou carefully pocketed the stone, then looked around. Everyone was quietly looting what they could, no one announcing their gains. No one stupid enough to do that. He bent back down to continue the hunt. Beneath some broken stone, he found a herb. It was hard to tell what it was at night, but the aroma was strong and refreshing. One deep breath filled his lungs with cool clarity; it was most likely a spirit herb. Just as he tucked it into his chest, he noticed someone nearby eyeing him with suspicion. “Brother, looks like you found a spirit herb, didn’t you? That herb...” the man whispered. Liu Xiaolou shook his head. “You saw wrong.” The man didn’t back off. “Two spirit stones. I’ll trade you for it.” Liu Xiaolou’s expression darkened. He glared fiercely. “There’s no spirit herb. Don’t run your mouth.” The commotion drew Dragon Mountain Wanderer over in a few quick strides. He shot the man a look. They locked eyes for a moment, then the man finally looked away, backed off, and slunk into another part of the ruins. Liu Xiaolou exhaled in relief. “Thank you, senior,” he whispered. Dragon Mountain Wanderer clapped him on the shoulder. “No need to be polite. We’re on the same side.” With that, he turned and went back to digging through the wreckage. Seeing that no one else was paying him any attention, Liu Xiaolou kept his head down and continued rummaging. Suddenly, the sound of a mournful flute echoed through the night, followed by a clear voice shouting: “Who dares raid Jinping Manor? Do you take the Dongyang Sect for nothing?” The voice began in the distance....but by the time it finished, it was already just outside the manor walls. Whoever it was, he moved with terrifying speed. Another shout came from the south: “Gu Zhenqi of the Dongyang Sect is here. Thieves, prepare to die.” Panic rippled through the looters. “The Dongyang Sect is here....run!” “It’s Gu Zhenqi, it’s really Gu Zhenqi!” “Ye Zhenba is here too!” “And Su Zhenjiu!” “The inner sect’s Seven, Eight, and Nine have all come!” Not far from Liu Xiaolou, Dragon Mountain Wanderer’s face turned grim. “Three Foundation Establishment cultivators,” he muttered. Liu Xiaolou’s heart sank like a stone. Forget the massive gap between Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment. For ordinary rogue cultivators, even someone at the same level from a major sect like Dongyang would be untouchable. Their techniques were superior, their foundations rock solid, their arsenal full of killer moves passed down from masters. Their artifacts were mid- or high-grade, and they carried rare pills and treasures to protect themselves. How could anyone fight that? Maybe if Boss Wang showed up, and the hundred-plus gathered heroes rallied as one… maybe, just maybe, there’d be a chance. But Boss Wang had yet to show his face. Would he? Could he? More likely, this disorganized rabble of looters was about to be crushed.