Temporary Residence Token

Before the two had even descended the mountain, someone came looking for them the next day.

When the visitor arrived to pay his respects, Liu Xiaolou was hunting at the foot of the mountain. As he returned to the mountain carrying a plump wild boar, he was intercepted on the mountain path by this person.

"Are you Liu Xiaolou, the one Lord Xingde mentioned?" The visitor, who appeared to be around forty, had a distinctive mustache split in the middle, and he scrutinized Liu Xiaolou from head to toe.

"And who might you be..." Liu Xiaolou asked, looking confused.

"I am a Patrol Steward of the Qingyu Sect, my surname is Hou and my given name is Sheng," the man said, introducing himself with his left hand behind his back and stroking his mustache with his right.

Liu Xiaolou quickly put down his carrying pole and cupped his fists in greeting, "Greetings, Steward Hou!"

The Qingyu Sect is located on Junshan Island in the heart of Dongting Lake, less than two hundred li to the east. It is one of the blessed lands for cultivation in the world. The Qingyu Sect ranks among the great and renowned sects, its fame even surpassing that of the Zhanglong Sect in Xiangxi, the Dongyang Sect in Xiangnan, and the Lu clan of Tianmu Mountain in Zhongxiang. As for Patrol Stewards, they are typically cultivators responsible for investigating cases within the inner sect of various sects. Their cultivation levels may not be particularly high, but to Liu Xiaolou, they were definitely existences he couldn't afford to offend, as they had the backing of their entire sect.

"Are you a rogue cultivator from Wulong Mountain in Xiangxi?" Steward Hou continued to ask.

"Yes." Liu Xiaolou was very honest, just as he had been with the Patrol Steward of the Zhanglong Sect. He couldn't afford to be dishonest in these minor matters; they could investigate at any time, and if they found out he was lying, they might automatically link him to one of their cases, which would be a huge trouble.

"Where on Wulong Mountain do you cultivate?"

"Replying to Steward Hou, I cultivate on Qianzhu Ridge."

"Let me ask you, what mountain lies northwest of Qianzhu Ridge? And what mountain lies northeast? Who are your neighbors?"

Was this an interrogation? To verify if he had fabricated his background?

Liu Xiaolou's trip was above board, so there was no need to lie. He answered each question one by one.

Steward Hou neither confirmed nor denied his answers, likely because he didn't know what mountains surrounded Qianzhu Ridge or who lived there. He merely warned him, "I will verify this. You had best be telling the truth."

Liu Xiaolou felt helpless, "Steward, feel free to investigate. You can find out by asking at Wulong Mountain."

Afterward, Steward Hou inquired about Liu Xiaolou's purpose in coming to Xingde Mountain, how long he planned to stay, and so on. Then he said, "You rogue cultivators, since you've come, behave yourselves. Don't harbor any wild ideas, or our Qingyu Sect will not let you off lightly!"

Liu Xiaolou, inexplicably stopped and interrogated, could only swallow his frustration and nod, "Yes."

Steward Hou then asked, "Have you seen anyone suspicious recently?"

"When the Steward says suspicious, you mean..."

"Those with unknown origins, hiding their faces, acting furtively... that sort of thing."

"No, I haven't. If I encounter anyone like that, I will report it to the Steward immediately."

Steward Hou nodded and mused, "Our Qingyu Sect is currently clearing out the Taoyuan Mountain Range. Those with unknown origins are to be driven away to maintain peace in the region. You are fortunate that Lord Xingde is willing to vouch for you. However, if you wish to reside here long-term, you still need to register and obtain a Temporary Residence Token."

As he spoke, he patted his waist.

Only then did Liu Xiaolou notice the string of small wooden tokens hanging from his waist and immediately understood, "May I ask, Steward, how much is the usual fee?"

The Qingyu Sect's actions were no different from the Zhanglong Sect, which dominated Xiangxi. Every three to five years, the Zhanglong Sect would send stewards into the mountains to clear out "unknown origin" rogue cultivators from outside. Thus, Liu Xiaolou was well aware of the procedure.

Steward Hou nodded, feeling that Liu Xiaolou was teachable. His tone improved considerably, and he said with a smile, "Twenty taels of pure silver."

This immediately took all the silver Liu Xiaolou had on him. After paying the silver, he received the wooden token, which was inscribed with the words: "Temporary Residence Permitted in Taoyuan Mountain."

Steward Hou left with satisfaction. Liu Xiaolou spat fiercely on the ground, "What a piece of work!"

Upon returning to Xingde Temple, Lord Xingde cautioned Liu Xiaolou, "Don't go down the mountain for the next couple of days. Something has happened at the Qingyu Sect, and they are searching for suspicious rogue cultivators from outside. Although I vouched for you, I'm not entirely confident. If you encounter an unfamiliar Qingyu Sect steward alone, and I'm not around, you might suffer some hardship."

Liu Xiaolou asked, "Does the Qingyu Sect look after the Taoyuan Mountain Range?"

Lord Xingde replied, "This area is situated between the spheres of influence of two sects: the Lu clan of Tianmu Mountain to the west, and the Qingyu Sect of Dongting Lake to the east. If there's trouble, both sects will handle it. If there's no trouble, neither sect will interfere."

Liu Xiaolou asked again, "What happened at the Qingyu Sect?"

Lord Xingde shook his head, "It's said that a few days ago, some rogue cultivators from outside raided the Zhou family. The Zhou family is a cultivating family affiliated with the Qingyu Sect and possessed considerable wealth. Their losses this time are substantial. I heard it was instigated by a ringleader named Wang. Those scoundrels..."

Liu Xiaolou was immediately stunned. Had Old Boss Wang issued another Hero's Invitation?

He felt a surge of longing. What a shame I didn't receive an invitation from Hermit Dai. Judging by what Lord Xingde said, this Zhou family is a fat sheep...

"Xiaolou? Xiaolou?" Lord Xingde asked, "What are you spacing out for? Do you know something about these thieves?"

Liu Xiaolou quickly denied it, "How could I possibly have any news, Senior? As you know, I've been at the temple for over half a month. These scoundrels, robbing the rich... committing robbery everywhere, they are truly hateful. If I knew anything, I would report it to the Qingyu Sect immediately, and I wouldn't let them get away with it!"

Lord Xingde stroked his beard and said, "Actually... it's not necessary."

"Ah? What does Senior mean?"

"None of the people in charge at the Zhou family are good people. It's only right that they suffer some hardship."

"The Zhou family aren't good people? I see..."

"There are good people in the Zhou family, but those in charge are not."

"Your junior... understands..."

So, Liu Xiaolou avoided trouble and did not go down the mountain to hunt. The wild boar weighed a hundred catties, and in the middle of winter, it wouldn't spoil easily, which was enough for Lord Xingde.

A few days passed like this. Lord Xingde felt that his injuries had healed about seventy to eighty percent and finally asked Liu Xiaolou to accompany him down the mountain.

On the way down, he led Liu Xiaolou into the woods halfway and arrived at a mountain hollow. "Have you ever seen cinnabar stone?"

Liu Xiaolou nodded, "Its texture is like wax, and its color is like blood."

Lord Xingde nodded, "Then you must know the use of cinnabar stone?"

Liu Xiaolou replied, "It contains cinnabar, and I've heard it's a material for pill refining."

Lord Xingde said, "Cinnabar has the effect of communicating between heaven and man. It's not just used for pill refining, but also for talisman crafting and artifact refining. With cinnabar as a conduit, true essence can flow unimpeded within artifacts. My Xingde Mountain has cinnabar stone, and its quality is excellent, though others are unaware of it."

Liu Xiaolou looked at a small cave in the mountain hollow. "Is this it? It looks like a bear's den."

Lord Xingde produced a crane-beak hoe about a foot long and handed it to him. "Go dig out two pieces of cinnabar stone. Remember not to damage them. Cinnabar stone is the essence of heaven and earth, possessing its own vitality. Once damaged, its vitality dissipates. Some ignorant and mediocre cultivators think this item is ordinary, and they are careless during excavation, even grinding it directly into powder. The cinnabar obtained this way is very mediocre and cannot be used to refine high-grade magical artifacts."

Though it sounded ordinary, the secret often lay in such simple things. Lord Xingde immediately imparted true knowledge, which greatly surprised Liu Xiaolou. Feeling solemn, he took the crane-beak hoe and entered the cave. He squeezed sideways, digging around inside, carefully prying the sand, stone, and soil downwards bit by bit.

After an hour of this, he finally dug out two pieces of cinnabar stone, both perfectly intact. He didn't even dare to wipe off the soil attached to them before handing them over to Lord Xingde.

Lord Xingde accepted them with satisfaction and waved his hand. "Let's go, to the next place."