Liu Xiaolou sat on the wagon bench, holding the reins of the harnessed horse, heading northeast along a road thick with slushy snow.

The wheels rolled through the mud with a steady rumble, occasionally setting the wagon creaking and groaning. Meanwhile, his mind raced. Should he wait for the right moment to jump off and make a run for it, or should he just keep driving the wagon and take the old woman all the way to Luoshan?

She was sitting less than three feet behind him. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t sense even the faintest trace of spiritual energy from her. But if she really was just an ordinary person with no cultivation, why would she be traveling alone through the wilderness? Why didn’t she have any servants or attendants with her? And why was there no coachman driving the wagon?

In fact, Liu Xiaolou could feel it himself: it didn’t really feel like he was the one guiding the wagon. It was more like the horse was walking on its own. Was this some technique of the old woman’s, or just a case of an old horse knowing the way?

If she was a cultivator, what was the point of having him take her to Luoshan? Or maybe she really was just a noblewoman, and he was just overthinking everything?

The questions came one after another, leaving him too uncertain to act. The road was wide and flat, with no rivers to cross or cliffs to climb. He hadn’t found a single good chance to make a move.

“How old are you, young man?” asked the old woman from inside the wagon.

“I’ll be twenty soon,” Liu Xiaolou replied respectfully.

“Oh, still so young,” she chuckled.

“And may I ask your age, ma’am?”

"I'm ninety-six." 

"You look full of energy. Honestly, I would've guessed you weren’t even sixty."

"Is that so? Hehe, well, I’m still pretty steady on my feet. What's your name, young man? Where are you from?"

Liu Xiaolou paused, deciding to feel her out a little. "I’m from western Xian, from a place called Wulong Mountain..." He glanced back to study her expression. "My family name’s Liu. Just call me Xiaolou."

She didn’t seem to react much to “Wulong Mountain.” She kept smiling with her eyes half-closed and said, “All right. Xiaolou is a nice name. Easy on the tongue.”

Since she didn’t show any noticeable reaction to “Wulong Mountain,” Liu Xiaolou pressed on, “In this freezing weather, heading to Luoshan through the snow. Are you going to visit family, or heading home? How come there’s not even a single attendant with you?”

“I’m going home,” she replied. “I was actually traveling with my sweet granddaughter, but we split up this morning. She was being a little stubborn, got into a mood, and I wasn’t about to indulge her. Let her go off if she wants.”

“And how should I address you, ma’am?” asked Liu Xiaolou.

Her smile was warm, full of grandmotherly kindness. “Just call me Granny Zheng.”

Granny Zheng?

As he steered the wagon, Liu Xiaolou turned the name over in his mind. It didn’t ring any bells. Since beginning his cultivation journey, he’d only interacted with people from the Wulong Mountain. After his teacher passed away, he’d gradually started venturing beyond the mountain, but even now, his reach didn’t extend more than a few hundred li. He barely knew anything about the Qingyu Sect that controlled Dongting Lake, let alone Luoshan, which lay to the north of Dongting. It was completely unfamiliar territory.

“Granny Zheng, traveling all alone like this. Aren’t you worried about getting robbed?”

“Hehe, I’m just an old woman with nothing worth stealing. What’s there to be afraid of?”

“Still, Granny Zheng, you carry yourself with the grace of someone from a wealthy household. Clearly someone of high status. It might be better to be a little more cautious when you travel.”

“Ai, I hear you, Xiaolou. But to be honest, I go by instinct. You’ve got a clean, handsome face and a good bearing. Very pleasant to look at. That’s the only reason I asked you for help. I hope you don’t mind?”

“Mind? Not at all! Hehe… You flatter me too much, really. I’m not worthy of such praise.”

“Oh, it’s not flattery. You are worthy. A fine young man like you, there aren’t many within a few hundred li. I must be lucky today, catching sight of one. How could I not take a longer look? Hehe…”

“Granny Zheng, your family must be quite well-off. Why not hire a few cultivators to serve as guards?”

“Oh, we do have some. A few of my sons picked up a bit of the arts, too, but they never amounted to much.”

“No wonder. When I first saw you, I could tell you had a noble air about you, so calm and refined. Honestly, you look like someone from an immortal clan. So your family’s involved in cultivation?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t go that far. I don’t know much about cultivation myself. I just live well thanks to the blessings of my ancestors. I eat well, sleep soundly, and keep my health. That’s all.”

As they continued down the road, chatting along the way, Liu Xiaolou gradually began to piece together some details about Granny Zheng. Her family held a large estate up in Luoshan. He figured they were likely an independent cultivation family under the protection of Qingyu Sect, much like the Zhou family south of Dongting Lake. He still couldn’t tell if Granny Zheng herself had any cultivation, but her standing within the Zheng family was clearly significant. If that was the case, once he delivered her safely to Luoshan… maybe the Zhengs would offer him a little something in return?

With that thought, Liu Xiaolou finally shook off his earlier anxiety and settled down. He happened to be out of spirit stones, and this could turn out to be a bit of luck. If he could walk away with one or two as a reward, that’d be perfect. And even if the Zheng family didn’t hand over any spirit stones, a tip of ten or twenty taels of silver wouldn’t be bad either. It’d be enough to trade for a few pounds of spirit grain and keep him fed.

The wagon rolled on, and by late afternoon, Granny Zheng lifted the curtain of the carriage and pointed northeast.

“We head into the mountains from here.”

“Got it,” Liu Xiaolou responded with renewed energy. He snapped the reins and steered the wagon onto a winding mountain path. The road rose and fell with the hills, gradually leading them into a deeper range of mountains.

The terrain grew steeper, but it wasn’t barren. Here and there were flowing creeks and waterfalls, and tucked among dense woods and steep cliffs were small pavilions and platforms, half-hidden from view. It looked wild at first glance, but there was careful design behind it all.

“Granny Zheng, is this Luoshan?”

“Yes. The third peak on the left is the main one. Our manor is at its base. Once you cross it, you’ll reach Bailu Lake. The mountain’s named  Luoshan (conches) because that lake is full of conches.”

The mountain road was smooth and well-kept. It was clear the Zheng family took good care of it. From time to time, they passed woodcutters or hunters, who would step respectfully to the side when they saw the wagon coming, bowing as they let it pass.

The better things looked, the clearer it became: the Zheng family was powerful, and Granny Zheng held a high position. Which meant the chances of a generous reward were getting better and better.

So Liu Xiaolou only worked harder to make a good impression. Whenever they came to a sharp bend, he’d brace himself and pull the reins tight to slow the wagon down. If they came across places where rocks had fallen onto the road, he’d stop and whip the stones aside before continuing on. When they passed near waterfalls or fast-moving streams, he’d even dismount and lead the horse by hand to keep the wagon from slipping.

All the while, he made sure to subtly show off a few of his cultivation techniques. Just enough to hint, intentionally or not, that he was a cultivator. And it would be best to reward him with cultivation resources.

The effect was immediate. Granny Zheng squinted her eyes and praised him loudly, “Impressive. Such skill. Remarkable technique! The younger generation is to be feared, indeed!”

At last, they arrived at the foot of Luoshan’s main peak, stopping in front of the Zheng family estate: Red Conch Manor. The wagon passed beneath a towering stone archway flanked by two mountain gates, then entered the manor grounds through a side entrance, heading straight toward the inner residence. When a servant came out to take the reins, Liu Xiaolou stepped back respectfully and stood behind Granny Zheng, waiting patiently for his reward.

Supported by a few attending maids, Granny Zheng didn’t give out any reward right away. Instead, she smiled and said warmly, “Have this young man put up for the night. We’ll hold a banquet tomorrow.”

The stewardess nanny bowed and replied, “Yes!”