Chapter 335: Becoming a Regular |
Liu Xiaolou waited outside the main gate. He knew the Han family would need time to hash things out among themselves, so he waited patiently.
The Han family sent out the same shifty, sharp-eyed guy to keep him company. The man poured tea, offered snacks, and made small talk, playing the polite host.
Liu Xiaolou had already learned that this man was called Han Tousi. A steward who worked closely with Fourth Master Han. Han Tousi chatted on and off, rambling about nothing in particular, while Liu Xiaolou said very little, simply smiling and listening.
He was using the time to regulate his breathing and recover as much of his true qi as he could. If the Han family decided to play rough and completely ignore him, a rogue Foundation Establishment cultivator... or worse, if they sent out one of their own at the same level to fight him head-on, then he needed to be ready for a real showdown.
After more than two hours passed, Liu Xiaolou had recovered a good portion of his qi. He felt steadier and more confident, and only then did he feel like talking.
He said, “Brother Han—”
Han Tousi immediately waved his hands. “I wouldn’t dare! Senior, please just call me Tousi, or Old Han.” He blinked repeatedly, puzzled. That voice… it sounded way too familiar. Had they met somewhere before?
Liu Xiaolou didn’t beat around the bush. He asked straight out, “Tousi, when you entered the formation, why did you go fishing around in the pond? What were you thinking at the time?”
Han Tousi thought about it for a moment. “You mean the fishing? Fishing is just fishing. What is there to think about? If you stop to weigh this and that, then it’s not fishing anymore.”
Han Tousi nodded back. “Exactly. If there’s a fish, you grab it.”
Liu Xiaolou paused, then asked, “Tousi, you’re only at the second layer? How long has it been?”
Han Tousi replied, “About thirty years, I think.”
Liu Xiaolou eyed him curiously. “Then how come after thirty years you’re still only at the second layer? Hasn’t anyone ever told your aptitude isn’t bad?”
Han Tousi shrugged, unconcerned. “Dafeng Mountain has plenty of spiritual energy. It’s a great place to take it easy and live well. I reckon I can easily live another fifty years no problem. I’ll start putting in real effort in twenty or thirty years. If I push myself too hard now, wouldn’t I just be wasting the best years of my life?”
Liu Xiaolou looked at him like he’d just said the dumbest thing imaginable. “Aren’t you worried that in twenty or thirty years… it won’t be enough?”
Han Tousi replied, “If twenty or thirty years still isn’t enough to reach Foundation Establishment, then even forty or fifty wouldn’t help. Why make life hard on myself? Anyway, Senior, are you trying to pass on some cultivation method to me? You wouldn’t be the first. A few others have tried before, but I turned them all down. I’m used to living easy. I can’t handle the suffering that comes with serious cultivation. I’ll enjoy myself for another twenty years and talk about it then.”
Liu Xiaolou was left speechless by that. He cleared his throat awkwardly. “Suit yourself. That’s… not bad.”
As they were talking, Green Pearl emerged from the mountain gate, attended by the maid Xiaocui. The moment she laid eyes on Liu Xiaolou, tears welled up and glistened in her eyes. “Xiaolou...”
Liu Xiaolou went to meet her with a wide grin and called out loudly, “Sis! It’s been so long. I came especially to see you!”
They were standing right in front of the Han family’s main gate, with plenty of people watching. Naturally, they couldn’t joke around like they used to. Their statuses were different now too, so there was no way they could do things like helping each other with face powder the way they once had. All they could do was exchange a few harmless, everyday words.
Green Pearl was a smart woman. She knew it wasn’t so much about what was said, but how warmly it was said. Every line carried the closeness and affection of a sister talking to her brother.
Liu Xiaolou, of course, played along wholeheartedly.
“Thanks to you, Xiaolou, your sister is being promoted to the main wife,” she said with a smile. “Once Jiuqian comes back, we’ll officially perform the wedding rites and I’ll be the proper madam.”
“Oh wow, that’s wonderful! Here, take these two spirit stones as your little brother’s congratulatory gift!”
“It’s all because of you,” she went on. “That old spinster who used to gossip about me came to apologize before her injuries had even healed. I could tell those wounds were fresh. Serves her right.”
“If anyone keeps running their mouth in the future,” Liu Xiaolou said, “just tell me.”
“Don’t worry,” Green Pearl replied cheerfully. “If anyone dares gossip again, I’ll have your brother-in-law take her in as a concubine. I’ll make sure she regrets it.”
“That’s ruthless,” Liu Xiaolou laughed. “Really cool.”
She gave a smug little hum, then added, “Oh right, Xiaolou. Have you been to the Qingyue Altar on Hengshan?”
“I have,” he answered.
“Do you think the girls there are any good? I went last time with Jiuqian up to Hengshan and checked them out. They’re really not bad. Especially that one named Sheng Han. She looks skinny, but trust me, she’s got curves in all the right places. Once she lets loose… honestly, she’s not worse than me. So, has Xiaolou set his sights on her yet? I can have Jiuqian go talk to them. He’s tight with their sect leader.”
“Sis, over there it’s the woman who takes a husband. If I go, I’d be marrying into her family. And the key thing is, she can take several husbands.”
“What’s there to be afraid of? What if she has several husbands? If she can marry other people too, that just means less pressure on you. You won’t have to support the whole household by yourself.”
“Well… when you put it that way, you’ve got a point....”
Fourth Master Han and the second branch’s head, Han Gao, had come out to greet him. The Han family had shown Liu Xiaolou respect, and of course he returned it with even greater goodwill. Folks from Wulong Mountain had always been generous like that.
“I heard that once Brother Jiuqian gets back, he’ll be holding the wedding ceremony with my sister. I’m incredibly grateful. I won’t waste time on empty politeness. If anything comes up in the future, just say the word. As long as I’m able to come, I will. Even if I can’t help much, I’ll show up, wave the flag, and stand in support. No questions asked.” Liu Xiaolou thumped his chest as he made the promise.
“We’re all family here. There’s no need to say things like that. It just makes it feel distant,” Fourth Master Han said with a warm smile.
Han Gao, on the other hand, was more serious. “I’m Jiuqian’s elder clansman, and you and I are of the same generation. Meeting you today truly makes me happy. May I ask which immortal mountain you cultivate on? In the future, I would certainly like to visit and pay my respects often.”
Liu Xiaolou replied, “I’m just a rogue cultivator. I travel wherever the road takes me and don’t have a fixed place to stay. But if anything comes up, you can ask my sister to find me. She knows how to reach me.”
Han Gao asked again, “And may I ask about your relationship with the Southern Sea Sword Sect…”
Liu Xiaolou made his position clear. “Lin Twin Fish and Su Jing from the Southern Sea Sword Sect are close friends of mine. If there’s ever a need, you can contact them directly. I also go visit them often to talk about the Dao. If you’re free sometime, why don’t we all go together?”
Han Gao’s eyes lit up, and he smiled. “I’ve long heard of Fellow Daoists Lin and Su, but never had the chance to meet them. If Fellow Daoist Liu extends the invitation, I would be honored to attend.”
After chatting for quite a while longer, Liu Xiaolou politely declined the Han family’s repeated offers to keep him for a meal. At last, he cupped his hands in farewell and took his leave.
Green Pearl stood off to the side, biting her lip, tears almost spilling over. Xiaocui had already broken down and was crying her eyes out.
Liu Xiaolou turned his head and let out a sharp whistle. Big White and Little Black burst out from some nearby patch of woods, pulling the creaking cart as they rumbled right up to him.
Han Gao praised them, “What fine spiritual beasts!”
Liu Xiaolou laughed. “I raised them from when they were little. No need to laugh at 'em.”
Fourth Master Han caught sight of it and quickly called out, "Hold on a moment, friend!" He turned and gave an order to Han Tousi, who immediately took off running toward the mountain estate.
Before long, Han Tousi returned, directing several Han family servants as they hauled out a large chest and, with a lot of hands, loaded it onto the cart.
Liu Xiaolou was cupping his hands and trying to refuse. “What’s all this about? I’m already on my way out. How could I possibly take anything with me?”
Fourth Master Han laughed. “It’s just some new tea from Dafeng Mountain, a few local specialty spiritual flower seeds for cooking, and a couple of roast geese. Nothing of any real value. You can snack on them along the way.”
“Honk?”
“Meow, meow, meow, meow.”
Liu Xiaolou could only accept them with a bit of reluctance.
By this point, he felt their relationship had reached the right level of trust, so he finally lowered his voice and shared where he could be found. “In western Xian, there’s a place called Wulong Mountain. If either of you ever have something urgent, go to Ghost Dream Cliff on Wulong Mountain. There’s a cave at the top. Just leave a note inside. It’s one of the places I stay from time to time. Since we’re family, I won’t hide it from you, but please, for heaven's sake, don't let it get out.”
Fourth Master Han asked quietly, “Fellow Daoist, is this because you’re…”
Liu Xiaolou let out a sigh. “I’m keeping a low profile. It’s not that I’m afraid of trouble. I’m afraid of the headaches that come with it.”