Over the past few days, Liu Xiaolou had been making time each day to wander the streets, taking in the atmosphere and scoping things out. But the Zhanglong Sect had a tight grip on Wuchao Town; there was no safe route for escape.
He'd also gone to the entrance of First Alley. Mama Zhang and Sister Qing had already been driven back inside. Zhanglong sect members were stationed at the mouth of the alley, not letting them continue their work, not even allowing them to leave their homes or anyone else to enter. They said it was to keep the men from getting restless. Just like that, Liu Xiaolou lost one of his main sources of information.
Even so, he'd gotten a decent sense of the situation. The Zhanglong Sect had made Wuchao Town their base of operations. The sect leader had come in person, along with four of the five elders. Twelve inner disciples were here too, plus over two hundred cultivators in total when you added up the stewards, outer disciples, managers, vassal families, and rogue cultivator factions tagging along. On top of that were hundreds of strong, able-bodied servants and retainers. It was a massive show of force.
The Zang family of Ewe Ram Mountain, which was a major branch of the Zhanglong Sect, had also turned out in full. The family head, Zang Baili, had come leading a dozen cultivators and retainers from the clan, as well as twenty or so household staff. They even took over the two courtyards next to Liu Xiaolou's home.
The familiar retainer was there, along with even the guy who handled spirit grain accounts; he'd come to manage logistics for the Zang family. Around mealtime, the scent of spirit grain, spirit wine, and spirit meat would waft over from the courtyard across the way, making Liu Xiaolou's mouth water. One time he couldn't resist and dropped by around dinner, offering to help out in any way he could. But the attendant waved him off with a lazy "wait for orders," and that was the end of that.
That day, after finishing his cultivation routine, Liu Xiaolou was just about to head out for another walk when someone suddenly started banging on the front gate. Loud enough to shake the whole house.
When Liu Xiaolou opened the door, he saw it was that Zang family retainer. Without saying much, the man yanked someone from behind and shoved him inside. He looked at Liu Xiaolou and said, "This fellow cultivator's from Wulong Mountain too. See if you know him... he's staying with you."
Then he turned and left. It was dinner time, and he needed to get back to the courtyard across the street to eat. That left Liu Xiaolou and the newcomer just standing there, staring at each other.
"Brother Tan, what are you doing here?" Liu Xiaolou was genuinely surprised.
Of course, the one who got drafted was his good friend Tan Bajhang. Tan slumped into a chair, holding his head in both hands like he was in pain.
"I was hiding up in the mountains," he groaned. "Got bored out of my mind, so I figured I'd come down to town for a stroll, maybe drop by First Alley and see Green Pearl. But the second I hit the edge of town, they stopped me and slapped a badge on me..."
Liu Xiaolou was speechless. "Seriously, what time is this? The big battle's about to explode, three sects against one. I'm stuck here because I can't get out, and you just walk in and throw yourself into the net. You really couldn't keep it in your pants, huh? I've met Green Pearl. She's not even that seductive."
Tan Bajhang shook his head. "Green Pearl is great. Totally seductive."
"Come on. Honestly, she's a bit on the plump side. She doesn't have Liu He's face or Yezi's figure."
Tan Bajhang shot back, "Yeah, but she has a big chest. Think about it, Liu. Those two mounds, just right there in your face..." He closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and let out a deep, dramatic sigh. "Ahhh..."
Liu Xiaolou shook his head. "To each their own, I guess."
Tan Bajhang leaned forward. "Alright then, who do you like, Brother Liu?"
Liu Xiaolou thought for a moment. "Sister Qing…"
Tan Bajhang let out a mocking laugh. "Forget it. Who doesn't like Sister Qing? But that's a dead end. She hasn't taken any clients in years. Word is she used to have someone she was sweet on… no one knows who got that lucky. Unless you're planning to force it; which, come on, that'd be pointless. You'd break the rules, and the whole town would be against you.
"But Sister Qing, man.... yeah, she's pushing thirty, sure. But that mature charm of hers? Damn… if I could get a taste, just once… whew. Brother, if we're talking looks and figure? That chest, that waist, that ass... sweet heavens. Tell me, what kind of plan would it take to get her in bed? I'd pay a hundred taels of silver. No, one spirit stone!"
Liu Xiaolou blinked, feeling strangely cheerful. He laughed to himself but didn't bite. All he said was, "Get lost."
Tan Bajhang, still daydreaming about Sister Qing, suddenly sniffed the air. "Who's cooking spirit grain? Smells amazing! Wait, is that meat I smell? And wine? Spirit wine! That's definitely Bamboo Leaf Green!"
Liu Xiaolou nodded toward the gate. "Who else would it be?"
Tan Bajhang lit up. "Ah, the Zang family..." He scrambled up and perched on the courtyard wall, peering across at the opposite compound. After a moment, he called out, "Think there's any for us?"
Liu Xiaolou shot him a look. "Keep dreaming."
Tan Bajhang hung on the wall a little longer, then sighed and dropped back down. He flopped into his chair, completely deflated, and didn't say another word.
Liu Xiaolou kicked the leg of the chair. "There's rice in the jar, meat hanging from the beam, and firewood in the stove. I heard the Tan family's braised pork is famous, make some. I want to try it."
Tan Bajhang got up lazily and wandered toward the kitchen, grumbling, "That's the Lingnan Tan clan, alright? I'm from the western Xiang Tan family; we're a whole branch apart. But if we're talking braised pork, Xiangxi-style's the real deal. Spicy as hell…"
Liu Xiaolou ignored him and went back inside to continue his cultivation.
After days of nonstop effort, his Daling acupoint was on the verge of giving way. The barrier around it had thinned to the texture of paper, softening more with each surge of true qi. It was clear that one last push would break through.
Making this much progress in less than a month was impressive. The entire Hand Jueyin Meridian only had nine acupoints, and every one of them was a major gate. Once breached, they could store vast amounts of true qi. They were far more than the smaller acupoints on other meridians.
Tan Bajhang's braised pork really did justify the excitement. The spice hit hard, in a good way. He'd piled on prickly ash and dogwood until the meat was practically buried under it. Liu Xiaolou couldn't stop praising it as he ate.
On the third day after Tan Bajhang moved in, he was out in the dripping courtyard, grinding away at his iron staff practice, when the front gate suddenly burst open with a bang.
The retainer stood outside and shouted, "Liu Xiaolou! Tan Bajhang! Grab your weapons and gear and move!"
The two of them let out a quiet sigh. Tan Bajhang slung his tempered iron staff over his shoulder, and Liu Xiaolou slid the Three-Mystery Sword into his belt, the Abyssal Blackstone Formation Disk tucked safely inside his robes. They stepped out of the courtyard and joined the Zang family's ranks.
At the head of the group, Zang Baili led them west of town, where they joined up with the other noble clans and rogue factions, merging into the larger Zhanglong Sect forces. Together, the entire company left Wuchao Town, heading upstream along the banks of the Wuchao River toward Wulong Mountain.
A large ship came cruising upriver from downstream, its sails full and taut despite the wind clearly blowing in the wrong direction. The air around the ship shimmered slightly; definitely a technique at work. At the bow stood a refined elder, surrounded by a dozen or so followers. He pointed occasionally at the marching forces along the shore, nodding and commenting as they passed.
Zang Baili turned to those behind him. "That's Master Qu, the sect leader!" Then he clapped his hands and cheered.
Following his lead, the attached families and factions all broke into cheers of their own. Hundreds of cultivators shouted in unison, their voices shaking the air.
Liu Xiaolou narrowed his eyes, curious to get a better look at the man said to be western Xiang's number one cultivator. Just then, Tan Bajhang tugged at his sleeve and motioned for him to turn around. When he did, Liu Xiaolou was surprised to see familiar faces. Dragon Mountain Wanderer, the Seven Heroes of Guzhang Mountain, Old Hu Du; all fellow cultivators from Wulong Mountain. They were raising their arms and cheering toward the Wuchao River too, but their enthusiasm looked... forced, to say the least.
They'd all been conscripted?
You had to hand it to Zhanglong Sect. They really were the local power. When they came looking for people, who could actually avoid getting swept up?
....
If you're enjoying this web novel and want to see the translation continue, please consider leaving a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. Thanks :)