Chapter 350: Departure |
So Liu Xiaolou nervously learned Han Gao’s Spirit-Sealing Step.
The footwork itself was not complicated. It was not even a proper cultivation technique, more like a practical technique. It was easy to practice. You usually just ate July Fragrant Orchid, applied Purple-Gold Lotus Fragrance Paste when using it, and recited a short formula of fewer than a hundred words while training. That was enough.
Liu Xiaolou had already been eating July Fragrant Orchid for nearly two months, so he had the basics down. Once he applied the paste and repeated the formula, he got the hang of it in just three days.
The technique took effect fast. As soon as he got started, Liu Xiaolou felt wind rushing around him, as if gusts were rising out of thin air.
With Han Gao helping out right there beside him, he kept firing off flying swords at him nonstop. Every time Liu Xiaolou dodged and weaved to avoid them, he could clearly feel the sharp spiritual energy riding on each sword.
In the past, that energy only showed up in his perception as a feeling, an aura, or even a kind of scent. Now his body could actually touch it, like an invisible force.
At this point, what he was dodging was no longer just flying tools or spell techniques. He was dodging the spiritual force at their core. Compared to before, it was only a tiny shift, but that tiny shift pushed Liu Xiaolou’s evasive skill forward in a big way. He could now slip past moves that used to be impossible to avoid and that he had no choice but to take head-on.
Liu Xiaolou was very pleased. On top of the flying sword, the gu technique, the formation, Bewildering Fragrance, and the yin-yang arts, he now had a movement technique for getting away. If a fight went south, he could run. It felt like growing wings on a tiger.
And with wings, how do you even stop a tiger from getting away?
Whenever it was time to eat, Lin Twin Fish and the others would come over. The six people and two beasts would sit around the table, making the small bamboo courtyard feel lively and warm. Geese flapped, cats pounced, smoke rose from the kitchen, laughter mixed with complaints, curses, honks, and meows, all bouncing off each other.
Compared to the cold and lonely years before, this kind of life was full of charm in its own way.
It had been more than half a month since the day Liu Xiaolou was supposed to report to Zhanglong Mountain, and he had almost forgotten there was a major battle waiting for him.
But what is coming always comes. By the end of April, an inner-sect disciple finally arrived from Zhanglong Mountain.
Not a regular steward, but the inner disciple Zang Qianli.
The Zang family of Ewe Ram Mountain had operated spirit fields for the Zhanglong Sect for hundreds of years and was one of its most important branches. Every generation produced outstanding disciples, and Zang Qianli was the most talented of this one.
More than ten years ago, Liu Xiaolou’s good friend Wei Hongqing lost the woman he loved. And Liu Xiaolou lost a sister-in-law in the process. The one who set the whole tragedy in motion was none other than Zang Qianli. Of course, Zang Qianli himself had no idea that such a story existed, so Liu Xiaolou chose to forgive him. Otherwise, he would never have gone to the Zang family’s place to help harvest spirit rice.
Back then, Zang Qianli had just begun Foundation Establishment. Now, more than ten years later, he was already brushing up against the late stage. His cultivation had progressed remarkably fast.
In the old days, Liu Xiaolou would never have been allowed anywhere near someone like Zang Qianli. But now that he had reached Foundation Establishment himself, even if only the very beginning, he at least had the qualifications to be looked at seriously.
Not to mention he was a Foundation Establishment cultivator from Wulong Mountain.
“Liu… Sect Master?”
“That’s me. It is an honor to have you here, Daoist Zang. Qianzhu Ridge welcomes you.”
“I actually heard about you a long time ago. Back then the Zhuoshui battle had just broken out and the situation was urgent. The Sect Master sent me to Shenwu Mountain to deliver a message, so I stayed with the Su family for several days. Unfortunately we missed each other and never met.”
He was talking about the time Su Jing went to Zhuoshui for training, got trapped in Gengsang Cave, and when the Zhanglong Sect learned of it, they sent him to the Su family with the news. Bringing up old events was his way of closing the distance between them. Around then, Lin Twin Fish, Wu Changeng, Su Jing, Song Axia, and the others from the Southern Sea Sword Sect also came up into the bamboo courtyard.
Naturally, Lin Twin Fish thanked him again. Zang Qianli smiled and said he did not really help much, which made the Southern Sea people warm up to him a little.
Lin Twin Fish asked why he had come. “Is there news?”
“Yes,” Zang Qianli replied. “Elder Bai already led a team to Dongting ahead of us. He sent me here to invite everyone to join them.”
Lin Twin Fish nodded. “Are we leaving right now?” she asked.
“There’s no need to rush,” Zang Qianli said. “We have three days. It depends on whether anyone still needs to prepare anything.”
Lin Twin Fish said, “Nothing on my side…” She turned her head. “Sect Master, what do you think?”
Liu Xiaolou nodded. “Alright then, let’s get going. Mmm... let me tell those two fellows a couple things so they actually guard the mountain gate properly.”
Zang Qianli frowned. “Who are you talking about?”
Han Gao squeezed forward. “Friend Zang, we can all go too, right?”
Zang Qianli hesitated for a second. “The more helpers we have, the better, of course. But when we actually take the cave estate, the number of people entering still follows what we discussed earlier. As far as I know, Sanxuan Sect registered four people.”
Liu Xiaolou immediately said, “I went up the mountain a few days ago to visit Elder Bai. He agreed to let me add one more person!”
“Which day was that?” Zang Qianli asked.
“Seven days… right, seven days ago. I went up the mountain at noon. I met Elder Bai at the Cloudview Pavilion, and Steward Liu was the one who led me through the gate.”
Zang Qianli thought it over. “Once we get to Dongting, we can just ask Elder Bai and confirm. It’s no big deal.”
Lin Twin Fish immediately assigned tasks. “Sect Master, have Big White and Little Black cook. It’ll serve both as hosting our guest and as a send-off for our Sanxuan Sect. And Friend Han, go lend a hand. We’ll set out after the meal.”
“Alright.” Liu Xiaolou rolled up his sleeves. “Big White! Little Black!”
Han Gao, now certain he was going to Dongting, and as the only substitute among the six of them, no less. That put him in a much better mood. He happily headed toward the bamboo grove. “It rained last night. I’m going to look for some fresh bamboo shoots…”
Liu Xiaolou stopped him. “Brother Han, I’ll have Big White handle the bamboo shoots. Could you run to Ghost-Dream Cliff? There are tons of ghost wood-ear mushrooms on the slope.”
Han Gao turned and headed down the mountain. “Perfect. I love those. I’ll pick a bunch…”
Before long, Lin Twin Fish had pulled Zang Qianli up onto the wooden platform to sit and drink tea. While she explained things to him, they watched Big White and Little Black rushing around cooking, with Liu Xiaolou and Han Gao helping out. The scene was lively and cheerful.
After everyone had eaten their fill, Lin Twin Fish reluctantly said goodbye to Big White and Little Black. Liu Xiaolou gave them instructions to guard the mountain gate well, then waved his hand and called out: “Let’s move out!”
And so, the six members of Sanxuan Sect headed down the mountain together with Zang Qianli, bound for Dongting.
Liu Xiaolou had traveled this route more times than he could count, so he knew it well. He led the way, and the group spent the night on Xingde Mountain. In two days they reached Lake Dongting, and they rested another night on the lakeshore.
The next morning, a small boat came sailing across Dongting Lake with its sail fully billowed. When it reached shore, the Qingyu Sect steward on board called out, “Which sect are you all from?”
Zang Qianli stepped forward and showed a token. “I am Zang Qianli of the Zhanglong Sect, here under orders to escort the Sanxuan Sect up the mountain.”
The steward examined the token, then nodded. “Sanxuan Sect is on the list. Come aboard. Your sect’s Leader Qu arrived last night and is on Junshan Island now.”