Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The next day, Liu Nanzhou woke up feeling something was off—why was it so cramped?

He turned his head and saw Qi Wuyu was sleeping in his bed.

Liu Nanzhou shook his head.

"Alright then, remember not to drink in the future." Qi Wuyu shook his head with some regret. "With such a low tolerance, you're missing out on a real treat."

Liu Nanzhou didn't think that stuff was any "treat" and didn't understand what was so great about wine that Qi Wuyu drank it like water every day.

Qi Wuyu flicked his forehead. "Since you're awake, get up. Get ready, it's our turn to sell vegetables today."

"Oh."

The older and younger pair got ready, collected the day's vegetables to sell, and headed down the mountain.

It had been a long time since Liu Nanzhou had been down the mountain; he even felt a bit like he was in another world.

The market was already bustling with activity, filled with food, games, and drinks of all kinds. Liu Nanzhou's eyes couldn't take it all in. He even spotted a peddler selling clay trinkets, one of which looked a lot like Auspicious Snow, and he couldn't help but stare a little longer.

Afraid he might be hungry, Qi Wuyu bought him a few meat buns. After finding a good spot, they started setting up their vegetable stall. Liu Nanzhou sat to the side, first handing a bun to Qi Wuyu before eating his own. The smell of meat attracted a stray dog nearby, who stared at the bun in Liu Nanzhou's hand, whimpering pitifully. Liu Nanzhou stole a glance at Qi Wuyu and, while he wasn't looking, gave the remaining buns to the dog.

Qi Wuyu smacked the back of his head. "You gave them all away? Are you full?"

Of course, Liu Nanzhou wasn't full, but he knew he'd have another meal later, one that would fill him up. That dog, however, didn't know where its next meal would come from.

Qi Wuyu smiled and shook his head gently. "Tell me if you're hungry."

Liu Nanzhou nodded.

Qi Wuyu said, "Come on, let's sell some vegetables."

Liu Nanzhou looked up at him. "How do we sell them?"

"You shout, of course!" Qi Wuyu pointed to the lively vendors around them. "See how hard they're working?"

Liu Nanzhou's lips moved. "Sell... vegetables?"

"Louder, like this—" Qi Wuyu put his hands on his hips and shouted with full vigor, "Fresh vegetables for sale!"

"..."

Qi Wuyu was incredibly enthusiastic about selling vegetables. He was good-looking and sweet-talking, so before long, many elderly uncles and aunties had gathered to buy.

The spiritual energy on Rifu Mountain was potent, and the vegetables grown there were larger and looked more delicious than those from ordinary fields.

Eating vegetables from the mountain could strengthen the body. Apart from keeping enough for the sect's daily consumption, Rifu Mountain's vegetables were sold to the townspeople at the same price as ordinary vegetables, ensuring everyone could afford them.

"Auntie, look how good this cabbage is." Qi Wuyu patted the large cabbage in his hand. "See how firm it is? You definitely won't get a bad deal."

"Hey, sister, what are you cooking for lunch? Making soup, right? This season is perfect for a light winter melon soup. Look how evenly shaped this winter melon is."

Liu Nanzhou was very perceptive, helping to keep accounts on the side. The two of them worked busily for a while, and in less than an hour, they had sold more than half of the vegetables, making a good amount. Qi Wuyu sat down, took his wine gourd, and had a drink. "That was pretty tiring."

Liu Nanzhou was still calculating the accounts. Qi Wuyu stretched. "Wait here for me. I'm going to get some wine. Don't wander off."

Liu Nanzhou looked up at him, asking out of the blue, "You... are you coming back?"

Qi Wuyu was taken aback by his question. "Of course I'm coming back. Where else would I go?"

"Okay."

Qi Wuyu got up to get wine. On his way back, he bought a clay whistle from a peddler—the one that looked like Auspicious Snow to Liu Nanzhou. It wasn't a clay figurine but a whistle.

That quiet kid would never say "I like this" or "I want that" on his own. His likes and dislikes could only be discerned by observation. While selling vegetables, Liu Nanzhou had glanced at it several times. It was rare for his little disciple to show interest in something, so of course he had to buy it to make his little disciple smile.

Having bought the item, Qi Wuyu was in a very cheerful mood, and even his steps back were lighter. He was strolling back when he suddenly sensed something, his face turning cold. He quickened his pace and ran back to the stall.

Only a few unsold radishes lay scattered on the ground.

Liu Nanzhou was gone.

The street vendors' cries seemed to grow distant. Liu Nanzhou followed a man expressionlessly. The man was broad-shouldered and burly, with a rugged build. The two walked to a remote forest.

Liu Nanzhou's eyes were vacant and lifeless, his limbs stiff like a marionette, giving off an eerie aura in the foggy forest. Only the jade pendant on his chest glowed faintly, obscured by the mist.

They entered a secluded cave. Several people hung from the ceiling, lifeless. Dried bloodstains were on the ground, and the air was filled with a faint, lingering smell of blood. The man looked at Liu Nanzhou with greedy eyes. "A child's blood is best for cultivation, especially a child who cultivates immortality."

He pinched Liu Nanzhou's face, looking down at him, and shook his head with some regret. "It's just a pity his cultivation is too low; he probably doesn't even have a Spiritual Core."

He leaned closer to Liu Nanzhou and probed with his hand, frowning. Not only did this child lack a Spiritual Core, but there was also no spiritual energy within him. He hadn't even begun to draw energy into his body. The spiritual energy around him was merely from living in a spiritually rich environment for a long time.

The man was deeply disappointed—he thought he'd caught a fat sheep, but it was just one with thick wool!

Still, even a fly's leg is meat. Thinking this, he prepared to hang Liu Nanzhou up to drain his blood. As he hoisted Liu Nanzhou aside, Liu Nanzhou finally snapped back to reality. He struggled violently, but the man easily restrained him. "Stay still, damn it!"

With a flick of his hand, a dagger appeared in his palm. The cold blade pressed against Liu Nanzhou's skin, raising goosebumps.

The man said, "Don't worry, I'll be quick. It won't hurt."

As he spoke, he slashed the dagger toward Liu Nanzhou's wrist. Liu Nanzhou's heart pounded wildly, and he instinctively closed his eyes, but he didn't feel any pain. Instead, he heard a *clang*. The dagger in the man's hand was knocked away. Qi Wuyu walked in. "Oh, you'll drink anything? Aren't you afraid of indigestion?"

Qi Wuyu saw Liu Nanzhou hanging and the others beside him, his gaze turning cold.

The man sized him up. He could tell Qi Wuyu's cultivation wasn't high. "Judging by your attire, you're from the Tianyao Sect? Perfect timing. I'll avenge my elder brother who died a few days ago!"

Qi Wuyu raised an eyebrow. "Your elder brother? That Black Bear Demon?"

The man didn't answer him and charged straight at Qi Wuyu.

He materialized a weapon in his hand—a meteor hammer—and swung it at Qi Wuyu. Qi Wuyu sidestepped to dodge, and the meteor hammer smashed into the stone wall, creating a large crater.

Liu Nanzhou watched, terrified. With Qi Wuyu's mediocre skills and pitifully low spiritual energy, how could he be a match for this demon?

But after watching for a while, he felt Qi Wuyu didn't seem to be at a disadvantage. Moreover, his moves looked very familiar—weren't they exactly the "Hypnosis Technique" he practiced every day?

Liu Nanzhou had never known that the technique could be so powerful in practice, filled with lethal moves at every turn.

Qi Wuyu bent down and nimbly slipped under the man's arm. He reached back and pulled something from his waist, striking the man's lower back. The man felt a sharp pain in his waist and turned to see Qi Wuyu holding a rolling pin.

The man felt an inexplicable shame, as if he'd done something wrong and was being spanked on the bare bottom, nearly driving him mad.

"You!"

Qi Wuyu just grinned cheekily. "Teaching you a lesson on behalf of your parents. Harming people like this, a beating is letting you off easy."

The Black Bear Demon roared in fury, his demonic energy surging around him as he attacked Qi Wuyu even more fiercely.

Qi Wuyu thought to himself, *This is bad.* No matter how skilled and agile he was, it could only be considered decent martial arts. Without any spiritual power to use, even the most formidable martial arts were useless in front of someone with spiritual power—they simply couldn't be compared.

Fortunately, his Qinggong was quite good. Although the Black Bear Demon could overpower him, it couldn't catch him.

Liu Nanzhou had just begun to see Master Qi Wuyu in a more respectable light, only to watch him being chased all over the place by the Black Bear Demon in the blink of an eye. That newfound respect vanished as quickly as it came. He felt both worried and speechless.

*If you can't beat him, why provoke him?*

Seeing that he couldn't hit Qi Wuyu, the Black Bear Demon turned to attack Liu Nanzhou instead, swinging the meteor hammer right at his face. Liu Nanzhou's pupils contracted. A blur of white flashed before his eyes, followed by a muffled grunt. When he looked again, Qi Wuyu was already standing in front of him.

"Master..." Liu Nanzhou's eyes reddened as he saw Qi Wuyu cough up blood.

"Master!"

Qi Wuyu was struck and knocked back, rolling twice on the ground. Before taking the hit, he had used his meager spiritual power to protect his body; otherwise, this blow would have broken his ribs.

"Master?" The man seemed to have heard a joke. "A hack like you can be someone's master? Does the Tianyao Sect have no one left? Such trash—why don't I purge the unworthy for you!"

He tugged on the chain of the meteor hammer, wrapped it around his hand once, and swung it violently.

Liu Nanzhou struggled fiercely against his restraints. He had never regretted not studying diligently at the Tianyao Sect as much as he did now. Otherwise, he would never have been so powerless, forced to watch helplessly as the meteor hammer smashed toward Qi Wuyu.

"No... don't..."

Qi Wuyu wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and sneered, "Purge the unworthy? You're not worthy!"

He knelt on one knee, his entire body tense, his gaze fixed on the descending meteor hammer, showing no intention of dodging at all.

Just as the meteor hammer was about to land, a long sword cut through the wind. Its sharp sword energy severed the iron chain, altering the meteor hammer's trajectory and sending it crashing into the ground nearby.

The man was startled. By the time he regained his senses, the sword's owner was already charging at him with the blade in hand.

The newcomer was clearly on a different level than Qi Wuyu. Within a few moves, the man was already thoroughly thrashed.

Qi Wuyu let out a sigh of relief, staggered to his feet, and hurried over to get Liu Nanzhou down. He crouched down, checking him over for injuries and finding none, which finally allowed him to relax completely.

"Scared, huh?"

As he spoke, he spat out another mouthful of blood, supporting himself with his hands on the ground as he gasped for breath.

Qi Wuyu comfortingly rubbed his head. "It's fine... cough... perfectly fine."

The way he looked was anything but fine.

In the time it took for these few words to be exchanged, Ying Nianling had already cut down the Black Bear Demon with his sword.

He sheathed his sword and landed beside Qi Wuyu, yanking him to his feet. Qi Wuyu, weak and breathless, complained disdainfully, "So slow. Why didn't you wait until he killed me before coming?"

Ying Nianling felt utterly wronged. He had rushed over as fast as possible after receiving Qi Wuyu's message.

"Hmm, I should have been even later, then come to collect your corpse."

Qi Wuyu gave a low chuckle, about to say something else, but Ying Nianling cut him off, "Stop talking. We'll discuss it when we get back."

But Qi Wuyu didn't listen, stubbornly shoving the rolling pin into his hand. "I borrowed this from the wonton stall next door. Remember... return it..."

As soon as he finished speaking, he completely collapsed.

Ying Nianling: "..."

He had no choice but to return the rolling pin first, then hauled one person in each hand back to Rifu Mountain.

Author's Note:

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Surprise, hehe. Daily updates until Tuesday~ Taking a break on Wednesday.