Chapter 77: First Encounter with Outer Realm Cultivators
Seeing that everyone present had sworn the Heart Demon Oath, Lu Zhiyuan let out a heavy sigh of relief. He should be able to live now.
Lu Zhiyuan once again raised the Talisman Compendium high: “This talisman book is offered to the Fairy.”
Hua Changxi did not accept it, but instead looked at Elder You and the others: “Please leave this place.”
Elder You and the other three exchanged glances, knowing that Hua Changxi had something to say to Lu Zhiyuan. Without asking further questions, they quickly led Guo Yu and four laborers away from the area.
After they left, Hua Changxi looked at Lu Zhiyuan, who was still kneeling on the ground, and frowned: “Can you still stand up?”
Lu Zhiyuan was stunned for a moment, then quickly got up.
Hua Changxi then asked: “The Heart Demon Curse and this Talisman Compendium appeared out of thin air. Do you have any storage magic treasures?”
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhiyuan thought Hua Changxi wanted his storage ring. Although his heart ached greatly, he nimbly took off the storage ring on his hand: “It is offered to the Fairy.”
Hua Changxi took it and looked at it. It was a very ordinary ring, not comparable to the old Daoist’s. The old Daoist’s storage ring had runes carved on it, and the material was better than this one.
“You have the Heart Demon Curse, the talisman book, and even a storage ring. Where did you get all these things?”
Lu Zhiyuan hesitated for a moment. Seeing Hua Changxi staring directly at him, he worried she had a method to detect lies, so he could only truthfully confess: “Fairy, these were left behind by the ancestors of the Lu family.”
Hua Changxi raised an eyebrow: “So, your Lu family is a cultivation noble family?”
Lu Zhiyuan quickly shook his head: “No, before me, no one in the Lu family could cultivate. My path to cultivation was purely by chance.”
“Two years ago, when I returned home to pay respects to my ancestors, I wanted to test the martial arts of the younger generation in the clan. During the fight, I didn’t hold back and accidentally blasted the ancestral hall down.”
“It was during the reconstruction of the ancestral hall that I discovered the secret chamber beneath it. Then, in the secret chamber, I found the relics left by the ancestors of the Lu family, and thus embarked on the path of cultivation through exploration.”
Hua Changxi looked at the storage ring and asked casually: “Did your ancestors leave any last words telling you how to use treasures like this?”
Lu Zhiyuan: “The reason I could open the storage ring was also by chance. I was accidentally injured while cultivating, and the storage ring happened to get stained with my blood. Then I was able to use the storage ring.”
Hua Changxi looked at him and sighed: “Your luck is truly good.”
Lu Zhiyuan gave a wry smile. Before today, he indeed felt his luck was quite good. He had accidentally stepped onto the path of cultivation, and just as he was worrying about lacking cultivation resources, Zhuo Fan approached him and told him about the Fire Spirit Mine.
However, his good luck seemed to have run out when he made a move to test the person before him.
Having learned how to use the storage ring, Hua Changxi threw the ring back to Lu Zhiyuan, only accepting the Talisman Compendium and the Heart Demon Curse he offered to save his life.
“You can go now.”
Lu Zhiyuan held the storage ring and looked at Hua Changxi in astonishment. He was very surprised that she would return the storage ring to him. Thinking of Zhuo Fan’s evaluation of her, ‘inexperienced, likes equivalent exchange, and a somewhat naive young woman,’ he felt relieved.
“Thank you, Fairy.”
Lu Zhiyuan bowed and retreated. He stopped after a few steps and said: “Fairy, although the Lu family is not a prominent clan in the Central Continent, we do have some foundation. If there is ever a place where you need the Lu family’s help, please do not hesitate to ask.”
Hua Changxi looked at him, noncommittal.
After the unpleasant experience of cooperating with Elder You and the other three, she would no longer make hasty decisions to cooperate with people as she had before.
However, this Lu Zhiyuan was much better in terms of character than Elder You and the other three.
Before meeting him, she only felt disgusted by him. After this interaction, her resistance towards him had lessened considerably.
Lu Zhiyuan did not expect Hua Changxi to agree. Anyway, he had expressed his stance first. Perhaps one day in the future, when the Fairy needed someone, she would remember him.
Hua Changxi watched Lu Zhiyuan leave, returned to her dormitory, and roughly flipped through the Talisman Compendium.
Invisibility Talisman, Evasion Talisman, Water Repelling Talisman, Fire Repelling Talisman, Lightning Repelling Talisman, Immobilization Talisman, Qi Concealment Talisman, Communication Talisman, Teleportation Talisman.
The various kinds of spirit talismans made Hua Changxi’s eyes dazzle.
Spirit talismans were also divided into ranks, from first-tier to ninth-tier, with nine ranks.
First-tier corresponded to the Qi Refining Realm, second-tier to the Qi Sea Realm, third-tier to the Core Formation Realm, fourth-tier to the Nascent Soul Realm. The Talisman Compendium did not record beyond the fifth-tier.
“So the realm above Core Formation is Nascent Soul Realm.”
“Judging by the ranks of the spirit talismans, there should be a total of nine major realms for cultivators’ cultivation realms.”
After finishing reading the Talisman Compendium, Hua Changxi put the book and the Heart Demon Curse into the Shen Nong Cauldron, then took out the old Daoist’s storage ring.
She was still very curious about what was inside the old Daoist’s storage ring.
Although Lu Zhiyuan’s method of opening the storage ring was to get blood on it, Hua Changxi dared not be careless. The experience of burning the Buddha’s Hand had left her with quite a shadow.
The old Daoist was so cunning and had so many tricks. She truly dared not directly drip blood on his storage ring.
Hua Changxi first condensed a Fire Lotus, then placed the storage ring in the center of the Fire Lotus to be burned.
She was afraid the Fire Lotus’s power was too great and would melt the storage ring, so she carefully controlled the spiritual energy input.
As expected, during the burning, a character Jiāng slowly appeared on the storage ring.
Seeing this, Hua Changxi’s apprehension towards the old Daoist deepened. She became even more convinced that the old Daoist was not dead, and that the escaping spiritual light should have been the old Daoist’s life-saving trump card.
After the character ‘Jiāng’
disappeared, Hua Changxi continued to burn it for a while. When the storage ring showed no further abnormalities, she did not directly retrieve it to drip blood. Instead, she broke a finger and forced out a drop of blood, using spiritual energy to send the blood to the center of the Fire Lotus, where it entered the storage ring.
As soon as the blood entered the storage ring, Hua Changxi sensed a space about the size of a football field.
There were not many things in the space. Most of them were spirit stones. There were some spiritual plants and spiritual medicines, and ten boxes.
Hua Changxi thought about taking out the boxes, and they appeared on the dormitory floor.
Five of the boxes contained various pills. Hua Changxi took a look. Most of them were first-grade and second-grade pills. There were only about ten bottles of third-grade pills, a few bottles of fourth-grade pills, and not a single one above fifth-grade.
The three boxes contained mostly stones, minerals, or the bones and claws of Demonic Beasts.
The remaining two boxes held books, Spirit Talismans, Weapons, some flags, and a round disk resembling a Bagua plate.
Pill Saint’s Notes, Jiang Family Alchemy Technique, Five Elements Art, Qian Yuan Travelogue, Yin Yang Cultivation, Qi Concealment Art, Everlasting Spring Art, Burning Flame Art, Four Arts Beginner.
There weren’t many books, and Hua Changxi quickly flipped through each one. She hadn’t expected that a travelogue would end up being what she valued most.
“Qian Yuan Realm”
“That Old Daoist surnamed Jiang is actually a Cultivator from the outside.”
Hua Changxi was somewhat astonished, meaning that beyond the Great Jin Dynasty where she lived, there was another World, and perhaps, more than one.
That made sense. For Cultivators who could fly and escape, one World was too small; roaming the universe and traversing various Realms was true freedom.
However, the Mountain Spirit had said that the Realm they lived in was sealed. If it was sealed, how did outside Cultivators manage to enter?
If the Old Daoist surnamed Jiang could enter, could other outside Cultivators have also entered?
Furthermore, before the Spiritual Energy Revival, their World likely couldn’t be cultivated in. But outside Cultivators didn’t have such obstacles. Thus, on the path of Cultivation, outside Cultivators would definitely be ahead of native Cultivators, and the gap between them would not be small.
“No wonder Old Daoist Jiang’s Cultivation was so high and he had so many methods.”
Hua Changxi mused that there couldn’t be only Old Daoist Jiang among the outside Cultivators. Old Daoist Jiang was a Nascent Soul Realm Cultivator, so other outside Cultivators lurking in the Great Jin would definitely have strength comparable to or even greater than his.
“I need to be more cautious in my actions from now on.”
Old Daoist Jiang could fall into her hands not only because of the potent Divine Abilities of the Fire Lotus and Buddha’s Hand, but also partly because he had been severely injured at Five Finger Mountain previously.
Against a Nascent Soul Realm Cultivator whose combat strength was not compromised, she might not have fared so well.
Strength. She had to continue to seize time to improve her Cultivation. Powerful Strength was the foundation of her standing and her fearlessness.
After eating some Spiritual Fruit, Hua Changxi threw herself into Cultivation.
Meanwhile, at West Mountain Stone Cliff, Elder You and the other three breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Lu Zhiyuan return safely.
Zhuo Fan: “That girl didn’t make things difficult for you, did she?”
Lu Zhiyuan glanced at the four of them: “You were right. Fairy Hua is indeed quite naive. If it were some other old fox, I would have lost a layer of skin today.”
Hearing Lu Zhiyuan refer to Hua Changxi as Fairy, even when speaking behind her back, Elder You and the others exchanged glances.
Lu Zhiyuan ignored their reactions and took out the Qi Refining Realm lower volume of the ‘Five Elements Art’ from his Storage Ring, handing it to Elder You and the others.
“I already gave you the Qi Refining upper volume before. This is the Qi Refining Realm lower volume. Keep it safe. When you are close to breaking through the Qi Refining Realm, I will give you the subsequent chapters. Remember to send me Spirit Stones every month from now on.”
“No, no, no. From now on, I’ll come to collect the Spirit Stones myself every month.”
This way, it would also increase opportunities to interact with Fairy Hua.
This suddenly appearing Fairy was extraordinary. Without power or influence, she managed to snatch Five Finger Mountain from the major forces, and her identity was kept tightly hidden.
This powerful backer must be courted. If not, conditions must be created to foster a closer relationship.
Elder You and the other three looked at the ring on Lu Zhiyuan’s hand, somewhat surprised: “That girl didn’t take your Storage Ring?”
They were incredibly envious of such a portable Storage Magic Treasure.
If they were in Hua Changxi’s position, they wouldn’t be so generous; they would definitely keep the Storage Ring for themselves.
Having known each other for many years, Lu Zhiyuan understood the four of them. He glanced at them indifferently: “To say something you won’t like to hear, your magnanimity truly can’t compare to Fairy Hua’s.”
“Fairy acts with principles. If she can continue to adhere to this, her future prospects are limitless.”
The four of Elder You didn’t refute this. Cooperating with Hua Changxi, with everything out in the open, was actually quite reassuring.
Lu Zhiyuan looked at Elder You: “Old You, quickly tell me about Fairy’s preferences. That way, I can cater to them next time I visit.”
Before Elder You could speak, Zhuo Fan couldn’t help but interject: “You’re quite willing to lower yourself.”
Lu Zhiyuan wasn’t angered by Zhuo Fan’s sarcasm; he smiled faintly: “The four of you have no ancestors to rely on and only rose through your own hard work. This is both a strength and a weakness.”
“You are the first generation to establish a family business, and you have no idea how difficult it is to maintain it. Maintaining a business is far harder than building one.”
“For me, befriending Fairy is beneficial for the family’s development. What does it matter if I sacrifice a little face?”
“My four elder brothers, listen to my sincere advice: when the choice is in someone else’s hands, you must act like a Grandson when necessary. There’s nothing shameful about it.”
“To be able to bend and stretch is the mark of a true man.”
Zhuo Fan snorted. Making these old fellows bow and scrape to a young girl was too difficult for them, but he didn’t say anything to refute it.
Jiang Ye looked at Lu Zhiyuan: “Did that girl ask you if you had been to Five Finger Mountain before?”
Lu Zhiyuan directly raised his hand to interrupt him, his expression serious as he warned: “Don’t be too curious about everything, or you won’t know how you died.”
Jiang Ye’s expression changed. Elder You and the other two looked as if they wanted to speak but stopped themselves. However, Lu Zhiyuan no longer seemed inclined to talk to them and got up to enter the Stone Room.
Elder You looked at his three old friends: “From now on, we really need to be mindful of our attitude when interacting with Changxi.”
On the twentieth day of the twelfth lunar month, as soon as dawn broke, Hua Changxi awoke from her Cultivation. She informed Guo Yu, who was guarding the Medicine Valley, and without seeing Elder You and the others, she left Sancha Medicine Valley directly.
Before returning to the Labor Department, she had to go to Sancha Medicine Farm first. Laborers working at the Medicine Farm needed to have their comings and goings registered.
Upon arriving at the Medicine Farm, Hua Changxi found that there were surprisingly few people in the compound.
As for Hua Changxi, almost no one at the Medicine Farm didn’t recognize her. It couldn’t be helped; the Young Woman had left too deep and peculiar an impression.
“Young Woman Hua, wait, I’ll go call Steward Mao for you.”
The young men who stayed in the farm to gamble cards were unwilling to spend more time with Hua Changxi, fearing that if they stayed too long, they would become unlucky. They would rather run errands to call someone.
Hua Changxi saw their fear of her and felt quite pleased.
“The young gentlemen don’t want to associate with you, yet you, Young Woman, seem quite happy about it.”
An old man with white hair and beard, smoking dried tobacco, leaned by the courtyard gate, smiling at Hua Changxi.
Hua Changxi looked over and smiled, “Flies aren’t buzzing around me anymore; they run far away as soon as they see me. Of course, that’s something to be happy about.”
The old man chuckled, “You, Young Woman, your words and actions are nothing like what someone your age should be capable of.”
Hua Changxi thought to herself, of course not, she was an adult. But she still asked with feigned curiosity, “How so?”
The old man spoke with the air of someone who had been through it all, “Young women of thirteen or fourteen, when they see young gentlemen, are mostly shy and reserved. You, on the other hand, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say you’re like a shrew.”
Hua Changxi was amused by his words, “I like young gentlemen too, but the quality of gentlemen in this Medicine Farm is too poor; they don’t catch my eye, so of course, I won’t give them a good look.”
The old man looked disapprovingly, “You girl, you’re too proud.”
Hua Changxi rolled her eyes, “Old man, you don’t need to worry about that.” She quickly changed the subject, inquiring about the situation, “Old man, it’s almost New Year, and there’s not much work in the Medicine Fields. Where have all the people in the farm gone?”
The old man replied, “Dong Chi Village caught a pair of adulterers yesterday, and today the village is preparing to drown them in the river.”
Hua Changxi frowned, “Drown them? Isn’t Dong Chi Village engaging in vigilantism?”
The old man looked at Hua Changxi with displeasure, “How is this vigilantism? Those two committed acts that shame decency. It’s only reasonable for the village to impose a punishment.”
Hua Changxi fell silent. She knew that this was how things were in this era; imperial power did not reach the villages. Village matters were decided by the Clan Elders, and incidents like drowning or the ‘pig cage’ punishment were not uncommon.
Just like the Hua Clan, the clan had the authority to deal with and punish Hua Clan Members.
Seeing her silence, the old man thought she was scared and chuckled, “Don’t be afraid. As long as you behave yourself and adhere to the three obediences and four virtues, no one will drown you.”
Hua Changxi lost the desire to talk to the old man and walked out of the courtyard. After standing on the field ridge for a while, she saw Mao Yong hurrying back from outside.
As Mao Yong approached, he looked at Hua Changxi, whose expression was unreadable. For some reason, he felt more pressure than before. “I’ll take you to register. If it weren’t for the need for your personal signature and thumbprint, I could have registered for you, and you wouldn’t have had to make this trip.”
Hua Changxi followed Mao Yong to the office and signed her name on the laborer registration book for the year, also leaving her thumbprint.
Seeing that she had signed, Mao Yong smiled and handed her a slip of paper recording her work period at the Medicine Farm. “Take this to the Internal Affairs Hall, and you can collect your monthly wages for these past few months.”
Hua Changxi took the slip of paper. “Thank you.” She paused and asked, “Is Dong Chi Village really going to drown people?”
Mao Yong glanced at her. “That’s the rule in the village. When I returned, the people of Dong Chi Village had already carried the adulterous couple to the riverbank.”
“Oh, and you know the adulterer.”
Hua Changxi looked surprised. “I know him?”
Mao Yong smiled. “It’s A Niu who serves the livestock in the animal shed.”
Hua Changxi was shocked. “How old is A Niu? How could he be an adulterer?”
Mao Yong chuckled. “A Niu looks thin, but he’s actually sixteen.”
Thinking of Pu Cao’s delicate and lovely face, Mao Yong genuinely felt it was a pity she was going to die. That woman was also foolish; why was she so defiant, insisting on confronting the village chief of Dong Chi Village, preferring death to yielding to him?
Now, she was going to be drowned.
Mao Yong looked at Hua Changxi, who was frowning. He knew this Young Woman was brave and skilled in martial arts. He had heard that she treated A Niu quite well. His eyes flickered, “Do you want to come with me to take a look?”
“You definitely won’t see this kind of scene in the Capital City. It would be good to broaden your horizons.”
Women are generally soft-hearted. Perhaps after seeing Pu Cao and A Niu’s plight, this girl might be moved to save them.
Dong Chi Village has a few Martial Artists; the strongest is only Seventh Rank, about the same Strength as Guo Yu. If Hua Changxi were to make a move, Dong Chi Village would have no choice but to accept their fate.
