Night had settled in. From the yellow-clay ridge they looked down and could hear the You River whispering as it ran. Moonlight turned the water into a scatter of bright, silvery ripples. They were on the northwestern edge of Wulong Mountain; below the slope lay the territory of Gengsang Cave. The Long Family Fort that Liu Xiaolou had visited before sat about ten li to the southwest.

“After we leave, Brother Wei, where do you want to go?” asked Liu Xiaolou.

Wei Hongqing studied the river for a moment, then gave a rueful smile. “I’m thinking of heading west.”

“To Bashu, then?”

“Yeah. I want to see if there’s any chance for me there.”

“You’re not planning to join Gengsang Cave, are you? Don’t turn your back on us. If you do, you’ll end up as an enemy of the Wulong brothers…”

“Don’t worry. They cultivate Poison Path; why would I join them? And no matter what, I’m not going to be the one to turn against the Wulong brothers. Even if Wulong’s not perfect, it’s my home.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Xiaolou.”

“Go on, Brother Wei, just say what’s on your mind.”

“Xiaolou, I only want to remind you... looks don’t last.”

“Huh?”

“You and I, they call us the ‘Twin Handsomes of Wulong Mountain’…”

“Haha, that’s just the brothers joking around.”

“Joke or not, a man stands in this world by his skill and strength; that’s what truly matters.”

“Don’t worry, Brother Wei. I’ve never relied on my face. As a matter of fact, I hate it. You have no idea how often people say I look like Jingzhao from the Qingyu Sect, especially from the side. It drives me crazy.”

“Is that so? I’ve never actually seen Jingzhao.”

“Anyway, that’s enough talk. You’re heading west, may the road treat you kindly, Brother Wei.”

“Take care, my friend.”

They clasped hands tightly, eyes meeting in silent understanding. As they let go, both suddenly crouched low again, pressing themselves back down against the ridge.

Down below, a sudden flash of light broke through the darkness. A fight had erupted out of nowhere. Three figures clashed furiously: one against two. It was clear the pair were losing ground, driven back again and again by their lone opponent.

Shouts and curses drifted up through the night air:

“Damn western Xian witch! You dare stir up trouble on Badong turf...”

“You’ve crossed the line, sneaking in here like...”

“Fuck your ancestors...”

“...Uncle! Run...”

“You go first! She’s mid-Foundation Establishment stage… I’ll hold her off...”

“Uncle, did you bring the Flower with you?”

“No… call for help!”

“Help! Someone help! It’s a witch from western Xian...”

Liu Xiaolou and Wei Hongqing exchanged a glance, both speaking at once.

“Zhang Daming!” Liu blurted out.

Wei stared in shock. “It’s her… She really didn’t give up…” He turned suddenly. “Can we trust those two from Badong?”

Liu Xiaolou hesitated. “For now… I think so.”

Wei’s thoughts flickered fast. In the next breath, he sprang to his feet and lunged downhill. “Now’s our chance!” he called back.

Liu Xiaolou followed, though his heart was pounding. “Wei, are you sure about this?”

Of the two Badong men, one was only at early Foundation Establishment stage. Even with Wei Hongqing and Liu Xiaolou joining in, that lineup, strong as it looked, was still no match for someone in mid-Foundation Establishment. It could end very badly.

But Wei Hongqing kept charging, a grim smile twisting his mouth. “She’s got an old flaw in her cultivation. We might just pull it off…”

Suddenly, both of them dropped flat again, crawling backward up the ridge.

More figures were already rushing in from afar, answering the calls for help.

Down below, the battle reached its breaking point. Zhang Daming grunted in pain, stumbling back more than ten steps before collapsing to the ground. The “Uncle” shielding him retreated as well, tightening his defenses and summoning his weapon to hover protectively before them.

The fight had broken out the moment they accidentally stumbled upon each other’s tracks. From that first clash to the moment Zhang Daming got hurt, it all happened in less than half a cup of tea’s time. If it hadn’t been for his “Third Uncle” throwing himself in the way, Zhang Daming might’ve ended up far worse than just injured.

That “Third Uncle” wasn’t some nobody either. The guy could really fight.

The gap between an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator and a mid-stage one is nothing to scoff at. It’s not unusual to see someone at the ninth or even eighth layer of Qi Refinement challenge a tenth, but for an early Foundation Establishment cultivator to go head-to-head with a mid-stage one? That’s rare. No doubt about it, this “Third Uncle” Zhang Daming mentioned was quite the figure.

His desperate stand bought them just enough time for reinforcements from Gengsang Cave to arrive. Seeing that, Lu Yan decided not to push her luck. She turned on her heel to flee. Zhang Daming to cough and shout after her, “You witch, don’t run!”

Even as his voice echoed, a streak of golden light shot out of the darkness, aiming straight for her back. She whipped out a magical weapon—hard to say what it was exactly, something spinning like a wheel—to block the attack. But the golden light twisted mid-flight, curving at an impossible angle, and struck her squarely between the shoulders.

Lu Yan spat blood, yet before the golden light’s master could catch up, she vanished into the depths of Wulong Mountain.

Liu Xiaolou and Wei Hongqing didn’t dare make a sound. They slipped quietly around the north side of the yellow-clay ridge, descended from the tall Maopo slope, and crouched by the banks of the You River. There, the two exchanged a few final words of farewell. Liu Xiaolou watched as Wei Hongqing slipped into the dark waters, swam across, and climbed ashore on the far side. His body swallowed by the endless night.

Liu Xiaolou finally let out a breath of relief. But instead of heading back right away, he stayed put for a day, worried he might run into Lu Yan. She had fled into Wulong Mountain, so you never know. Though she looked seriously injured, even wounded, she was not someone he could hope to face.

Only after a day had passed did Liu Xiaolou start back toward the mountain, taking his time. He stuck to the main paths and well-known ridges, avoiding the smaller, secluded trails. As he walked, his mind kept returning to that flash of golden light that had struck Lu Yan’s back. Which master from Gengsang Cave could have unleashed such a strike? Whoever it was, that blow surely left her bedridden for a while.

Thinking back on the night before, a chill crept up his spine. That woman had been waiting for him and Wei Hongqing right at the foot of the mountain. If Zhang Daming and his “Third Uncle” hadn’t stumbled upon her by chance, who knows what fate would’ve awaited the two of them.

How did she manage to be so damn accurate?

Still, at least Wei Hongqing was safely on his way. If everything went smoothly, he’d reach Bashu and find his footing in that land of towering mountains and vast rivers. Maybe, just maybe, he’d stumble upon some stroke of fortune there.

Over the next three months, Liu Xiaolou didn’t set foot outside. He shut himself away on Qianzhu Ridge, focused entirely on cultivation, and ignored the affairs of the world.

Once, Dai Shenggao came looking for him, hoping to hand him a Hero’s Post. Liu Xiaolou politely turned him down. This particular invitation came from Boss Wang: the plan was to intercept a shipment that the Jinting Sect was sending to the the Pingdu Eight Formations Gate. No one knew exactly what the goods were worth, but once Liu Xiaolou checked around, he quickly lost interest.

To be fair, Boss Wang hadn’t issued a hero’s post in years, so most people would’ve shown up just for the sake of it. But this time, he was planning to gather a hundred people. Wulong Mountain alone was given ten invitations. Liu Xiaolou did a bit of mental math. Split that loot a hundred ways, and there wouldn’t be more than a few spirit stones in it for each person.

The logic was simple. The Jinting Sect was a major sect. If the cargo were truly valuable... say, worth over five hundred spirit stones... they’d definitely have strong cultivators escorting it. The very fact that Boss Wang dared to issue an open invitation meant the escort’s strength and numbers couldn’t be all that impressive.

Right now, Liu Xiaolou wasn’t exactly short on spirit stones, so it didn’t make sense to risk his neck for just a few. Better to stay put and steadily build his strength.

After three months of focused cultivation, he finally broke through the Jiquan and Qingling acupoints. The Jiquan acupoint alone had consumed four and a half spirit stones, while the Qingling took a little over three. Nearly eight spirit stones in total. All that energy was now stored in two newly opened primordial pools, leaving his cultivation noticeably deeper and stronger.

By the time he had reached the seventh layer of Qi Refinement, his absorption speed had also improved. On average, it took him only twelve days to fully refine a single spirit stone.

It was the middle of the fifth month, and the weather on Wulong Mountain was getting warm. Liu Xiaolou was focusing on opening the third acupoint of the Hand Lesser Yin Meridian, Shaohai acupoint, when a familiar face he hadn't seen in ages appeared. It was Yun Ao, the White-Robed Swordsman.

“Brother Xiaolou! Your Wulong Mountain really is something. Hot and muggy as a steamer! Look at me, I’m drenched in sweat…” Yun Ao sighed in exasperation, fanning himself nonstop with a folding fan.

Liu Xiaolou chuckled. “This year’s been stuffy as hell. The rain’s gathered up a few times but just refuses to fall. Brother Yun, didn’t you bring your cooling jade pendant?”

Yun Ao lifted the one hanging from his belt. “Right here. Doesn’t seem to do much though. And it cost me five spirit stones.”

Liu Xiaolou went inside and came back with a gourd, pouring out two bowls of honey water. “Come on, come on, Brother Yun, you’re in for a treat. This is fresh spirit honey water from Qianzhu Ridge. Give it a taste.”

Yun Ao took a sip and his eyes lit up. “Excellent! Tastes a lot like the honey water mixed from the Golden Ring Honey of Weiyu Soaring Crane Sect. Strong spirit energy, too.”

Liu Xiaolou leaned forward. “If it’s pure honey, how much would that go for per tael?”

Yun Ao raised a brow. “Thinking of selling it, are you? Name your price.”

Liu Xiaolou thought for a moment. “How about… one spirit stone per tael?”

Yun Ao laughed. “Tell you what, Xiaolou. You probably don’t know the going rate. I’ll give you a friendly deal: one spirit stone for a jin of pure honey. I’ll take as much as you’ve got.”

Liu Xiaolou looked a little disappointed. “Only one spirit stone per jin?”

Yun Ao smiled. “I’m guessing this is Golden Ring Honey, right? They sell it at the Weiyu Mountain market for about that price. Don’t worry, Xiaolou, I’m not trying to cheat you. And honestly, I didn’t come here just to buy honey anyway. Think it over... sell or not, it’s up to you. I’m actually here to have you repair my formation disk.”