Life as a Rogue Cultivator

Chapter 314: Luofu Mountain Black Market

Liu Xiaolou started with the person closest to him on the left.The guy was sitting cross-legged beneath a hollowed-out dead tree. There was nothing laid out in front of him. Behind his mask, his eyes fixed on Liu Xiaolou. “Sir,” he said in a raspy voice, clearly forcing it lower on purpose.

Liu Xiaolou lowered his own voice as well. “What are you selling?”

“Information. I sell information,” the man answered right away. “Whatever you want to know, you can ask me.”

Liu Xiaolou had no idea where these people got their intel, but he’d been to the underground market in Chicheng Fang once before and came away seriously impressed. Those information brokers were seriously good at what they did, and he had always respected that. After mulling it over for a second, he asked, “How many spirit stones for one piece of information?”

“That depends on what you’re asking about,” said the man.

“How about cultivation techniques,” Liu Xiaolou said. “For example, in this black market, who’s selling the most techniques?”

The man let out a sigh. “Go farther in. You’ll see three old pine trees growing close together. The person sitting under them is the one who sells techniques. As far as I know, he has the largest selection.”

Liu Xiaolou’s eyes lit up. That single answer had saved him a huge amount of time. He reached for a spirit stone to offer as thanks, but the man waved it off.

“It’s nothing,” he said. “If you spend a few days wandering around here, you’d figure it out sooner or later anyway.”

Following the directions, Liu Xiaolou headed straight in. After walking for about fifteen minutes, he finally spotted the three old pine trees tangled together, their twisted trunks wrapping around one another. They stood out immediately.

Their branches and needles were interwoven, forming a natural canopy. Someone was sitting cross-legged beneath it, deep in conversation with another visitor.

Liu Xiaolou waited patiently on the outskirts. It wasn’t long before the other person took their leave. Only then did he step forward and explain why he was there.

The Hand Greater Yin Meridian, Hand Yang Bright Meridian, and Foot Greater Yin Meridian... those were the three starting meridians for the techniques he was after. Of course, he wasn’t about to spell that out. Instead, he said, “I’m only interested in what meridians a technique focuses on. If something fits, I’ll buy it.”

This man was clearly a seasoned dealer in cultivation techniques. He instantly clocked that Liu Xiaolou was here to pick up where some previous method left off.

The seller had brought a truly impressive haul. He tipped his sleeve and poured out a large pile. Most of it was made up of hand-copied manuals. There were also old volumes with yellowed pages, several bundles of bound bamboo slips, and even a few jade tokens etched with techniques.

The fact that he owned a storage artifact meant his cultivation was very likely at Foundation Establishment or above. And anyone at that level was, at the very least, trustworthy.

Liu Xiaolou’s mood lifted.

He went through them right there on the spot, flipping through one book after another. For each, he only skimmed the first few pages, taking quick glances before moving on. He spent nearly an hour like this. When he finished, his earlier good mood evaporated.

Out of more than sixty different techniques the man had brought, only two shared the same first three meridians as the True Mysteries Scripture. And even those two diverged right after. No match on the fourth meridian, let alone further.

That was… pretty frustrating.

Liu Xiaolou felt a wave of disappointment crash over him. Wasn’t it said that the Sanxuan Sect had historical ties with the Luofu Sect... shared origins, old alliances, all that stuff people whispered about? Then how come, in the middle of a Luofu Sect market like this, he couldn’t find a single technique that matched even as far as the fourth meridian?

“Not even one that matches?” the man asked, taken aback.

Liu Xiaolou shook his head, dejected.

“Which three meridians do you start with, fellow Daoist?” the man asked cautiously. “I’ve got some other scrolls I didn’t bring today. They’re unorthodox paths, but once cultivated to the deeper stages, they’re no worse than orthodox methods.”

At this point, Liu Xiaolou didn’t give a damn about keeping it secret anymore. He just came right out with it. “Hand Greater Yin, Hand Yang Bright, and Foot Greater Yin.” He glanced at the pile again and added, “Truth is, two of the methods you brought start with those exact same three. But only three... that’s just not enough.”

The man nodded. “And the fourth and fifth meridians?”

Liu Xiaolou hesitated for a moment, then gave the answer anyway. “Foot Yang Bright and Hand Faint Yin.”

The man kept nodding. Again and again.

No one knew what he was thinking. He just kept nodding, to the point that Liu Xiaolou started to feel confused. “What do you mean by that?”

He sighed. “I think I know which cultivation method you’re looking for. But I can’t sell it to you. And if you go to the Luofu Mountain market, you probably won’t find anyone else willing to sell it either.”

Why couldn’t he sell it to him?

And why wouldn’t he be able to find the right technique at the Luofu Mountain market?

The other man didn’t explain any further. But all at once, Liu Xiaolou started to understand.

He turned back toward the mouth of the valley and returned to the first stall on the left. Facing the same man who sold information earlier, he said, “I’d like to buy a piece of information from you.”

The man nodded. “Go ahead.”

Liu Xiaolou asked, “That cultivator who sells cultivation methods. He’s the one you just gave me information about, right? Yes, him. That’s the one.”

The man shook his head. “You want to dig into his background? I’d advise you not to. He’s not someone you can afford to mess with. At least here in the Luofu market, there’s no one who can.”

Liu Xiaolou lowered his voice. “Name your price.”

The man shook his head again. “Normally, I charge two spirit stones to look into someone’s background. But I’m telling you now, don’t ask about him. I won’t say a word. I can’t afford to offend him either.”

Liu Xiaolou froze for a moment, staring blankly at the man. After thinking it over, he took out two spirit stones and placed them by the man’s knees.

With a sweep of his wide sleeve, the man gathered up the stones, then closed his eyes and sat in silence.

Liu Xiaolou took two steps back. The man kept his eyes closed and said nothing. Liu Xiaolou backed away a few more steps, and it was the same. Completely ignored.

At that point, Liu Xiaolou understood. He turned and headed back to the raised platform, leaped upward, and surfaced from the pool of water.

“Please return the raincoat,” the fisherman said, pointing at several big trees draped with hanging straw capes.

Liu Xiaolou handed the cape back, but he kept the wooden mask on as he left. It was a gift from the teahouse, meant to help hide their identity.

Leaving Xuanbi Pool Valley behind, he made his way back into the Luofu Mountain market. He drifted through the noisy crowds, his thoughts a tangled mess, not really sure what was on his mind. Without even noticing, he walked from the west end of the market all the way to the east. He passed beyond the market and kept going, until he found himself on a broad road at the foot of the mountain.

Three towering ceremonial gates stood there, one behind the other, all built from white marble. Each looked heavier, older, and more solemn than the last.

The previous time he had come, he had snuck up Jade Goose Peak by a narrow trail. This time, he was standing right in front of the main gate of Luofu Mountain.

“Mist coils around Luofu, layered peaks glowing green.

“A blessed land for cultivation, a hidden realm where spirits gather.

“The Three Purities Garden of Dianwu, the Seven Grotto-Heavens of Zhuming.”

Gazing at the ancient inscriptions carved into the gate, Liu Xiaolou found his thoughts spiraling.

The info broker had said that no one in Luofu Market dared offend that man who sold techniques. Other than being from the Luofu Sect, Liu Xiaolou couldn’t think of a single other reason that made sense.

Someone from the Luofu Sect, claiming to know exactly which method he was looking for, yet refusing to sell it to him. Someone who said that no one in the Luofu market would dare sell such a technique to him. Again, aside from it being a Luofu Sect technique, Liu Xiaolou could come up with no other possibility.

Could it be that the Sanxuan Sect really did originate from this great Luofu sect... just like all the rumors claimed?

Could it be… that he himself actually came from some prestigious lineage?

Thinking about it sent a rush through him. His heart was swelling as he started daydreaming about all the perks of being born into a prestigious family.

No more stretching spirit rice into watery porridge. He could just cook it until the water boiled off and eat it as real rice.

Spiritual pills would not be something you saved for when you were hurt either. You could pop them like candy, munching one after another as you walked.

Spirit stones would not need to be hoarded anymore. Strolling through the market, you could wander into a shop and casually toss down two spirit stones, paying without even buying anything. And whoever actually picked something up to buy would be the loser!

And the next time he went to Shenwu Manor, he could walk in with his chest puffed out and redeem Susu fair and square. He would slap three hundred spirit stones on the table in one go. How cool would that be?