Qin Xiaopang did not object to forming a partnership. To be honest, he and Li Banfeng were not really acquainted; they had merely crossed paths once at the Peddler's place.
The reason he had looked after Li Banfeng so much along the way was to find himself a partner.
Now that he had encountered an expert like Gold Rimmed Glasses, Qin Xiaopang naturally would not refuse and immediately agreed.
Once he agreed, the other four people around them agreed as well.
He was an insider, and he spoke with such sincerity. There was truly no reason to refuse him.
The four were a middle-aged man in his fifties named Old Smoke Cannon, who claimed to be a first-layer Smoke Cultivator and never let his smoking pipe leave his hand.
A plump and pretty woman in her twenties named You Tao, who claimed to be a Body Cultivator. She had just started and had no rank.
A half-grown girl of fourteen or fifteen named Cao Ye, who claimed to be a Medicine Cultivator. She had also just started and had no rank.
And a young man in his early twenties named Hu Gaozi, who claimed to be a first-layer Martial Cultivator.
Their names were clearly false, and whether their cultivation levels and paths were real was difficult to say.
Gold Rimmed Glasses had already guessed Qin Xiaopang's path, so he admitted it openly. "My name is Xiaopang. I'm a Food Cultivator, no rank."
When they asked Li Banfeng, he answered, "My name is Bai Sha. I'm a Joy Cultivator, no rank."
Xiaopang froze and stared at Li Banfeng for a long while.
He had originally called himself Li Qi. Whether Bai Sha was his real name did not matter.
But when had he become a Joy Cultivator?
Wasn't he a Travel Cultivator?
Was he deliberately keeping the truth from Gold Rimmed Glasses?
Then had he told me the truth?
Gold Rimmed Glasses was curious as well. He asked Li Banfeng, "You're a Joy Cultivator? You came alone?"
Joy Cultivators generally appeared in pairs with their partners, which made cultivation more convenient.
Li Banfeng pointed at Qin Xiaopang. "I came with him."
Everyone's eyes turned to Qin Xiaopang. After a moment of silence, Qin Xiaopang untied the bundle on his back, revealing the dry rations inside, and said to them:
"I'm a Food Cultivator. I can eat five jin of dry rations in one meal, sometimes ten jin. I really am a Food Cultivator. I'm not lying to you. I'll eat some for you right now."
Gold Rimmed Glasses said to everyone, "My name is Kai Shan, a first-layer Travel Cultivator. I usually enjoy roaming famous mountains and great rivers. I've been to Bitter Mist Mountain several times before. Wherever I can remind everyone of something along the way, I certainly will."
Hu Gaozi said from the side, "Brother Kai Shan, we all trust you. You should be our leader. Once we pick the flowers, we'll give you twenty percent according to the rules of the road. What do you say?"
At those words, everyone became unhappy.
You decided on a share just like that? Did you ask us?
Gold Rimmed Glasses repeatedly shook his head. "I cannot take everyone's flowers. These flowers are bought with your lives. I have done none of you any great favor. I help you, and you help me. This is simply a matter of looking after one another."
Hearing that, everyone's respect for Gold Rimmed Glasses rose by several degrees. Naturally, they left the role of leader to him.
The people from the medicine trade could vaguely be seen amid the thick fog. Gold Rimmed Glasses led everyone after them at an unhurried pace.
Ahead stood a stone bridge more than a meter wide, wide enough for two or three people to walk abreast.
"This is No Regrets Bridge," Gold Rimmed Glasses said, adjusting the nose pads of his glasses. "You may feel a little discomfort in your throats. That is because you have already smelled the poisonous mist.
"Beyond No Regrets Bridge lies Bitter Mist Mountain's territory. Everyone, I do not know whether the cultivation levels you reported are true, but I sincerely advise you: if you have no cultivation, do not go any farther.
"Every year, people without cultivation try to go up Bitter Mist Mountain to test their luck. Yet not a single one of those who went up ever returned alive.
"I am not blocking anyone's road to wealth. I am advising everyone to think thrice before acting."
The group looked at one another but said nothing. Hu Gaozi sneered. "Brother Kai Shan, you've already made yourself this clear. If anyone still cannot tell right from wrong, then he is seeking his own death.
"Little girl, I think you have no cultivation at all. If you ask me, you should leave now. There's still time."
The young girl named Cao Ye lowered her head, her face reddening. "I really am a Medicine Cultivator. I understand medicinal principles. I can be of help."
Hu Gaozi glanced again at Old Smoke Cannon. "With those old bones of yours, even if you truly have cultivation, won't you be useless once you reach the mountain?"
Old Smoke Cannon smiled. "Whether I'm useful or not, we'll see as we go."
No one showed any intention of retreating, and the group of seven crossed the bridge.
Upon reaching the other side, Li Banfeng felt his throat tighten and began coughing in fits.
Li Banfeng had entered his path under Heaven's light, unlike the others, who had accumulated their cultivation over a long period. The gap in physical constitution had revealed itself.
Gold Rimmed Glasses frowned. "Brother, you really do have cultivation, right?"
Li Banfeng nodded. "I do. Joy Cultivator."
Old Smoke Cannon smiled. "Joy Cultivators are physically weak. It's only natural that they cannot endure the bitter mist."
As soon as those words fell, everyone looked at Qin Xiaopang.
Qin Xiaopang puffed out his chest. "I'm a Food Cultivator."
Gold Rimmed Glasses said to Li Banfeng, "Brother, once we get up the mountain, if you cannot hold on, come down early. Do not lose your life for the sake of greed."
Cao Ye took a palm-sized cloth pouch from her bosom and pulled out a piece of candy.
"Big brother, suck on a Medicine Candy. It works."
Medicine Candy?
What was that supposed to be?
Li Banfeng looked at the candy, wondering whether he should eat it.
Seeing his hesitation, Cao Ye put a Medicine Candy into her own mouth, then handed Li Banfeng another one. "Big brother, I'm not a bad person."
If he still refused it, that would be hard to justify.
Li Banfeng sucked on one. Cool, faintly sour juice slid down his throat, and the dry, itching discomfort vanished in an instant.
He stopped coughing. This thing really worked.
Li Banfeng thanked her and continued onward with the others. After walking for more than half an hour, they finally reached the foot of the mountain.
A winding dirt path stretched upward from the mountain's base. Visibility was no more than twenty or thirty meters, and they still could not make out the mountain's full outline.
"Little sister, give me one too. Once I sell the flowers, big sister will pay you." The plump beauty You Tao had begun coughing as well and asked Cao Ye for a Medicine Candy.
The mountain path was narrow and steep. The group formed a line as they climbed, and Li Banfeng happened to be walking behind You Tao.
Li Banfeng had seen plenty of beautiful women, but a figure like You Tao's was truly rare.
Her hand-pushed wavy hair went with a red-and-green cheongsam. Her shoulders and back formed smooth lines, and her slender waist could be grasped in one hand.
Especially the two peaches below her waist—round and proud, full and generous, yet possessing a unique delicacy and spirit.
No wonder she was called You Tao.
Those peaches had grown to absolute perfection.
She was right in front of him, swaying with every step, swaying with every step...
Was she really here to climb the mountain and pick flowers?
Why wear a cheongsam to pick flowers on a mountain?
It was clearly inconvenient for moving around!
She was obviously trying to disrupt my concentration on purpose!
Li Banfeng did his best to shift his gaze away from those two cheeks, only for You Tao to suddenly turn around and smile at him.
Her crescent-moon eyes carried ten thousand kinds of charm. That smile made Li Banfeng's heart tighten.
"Little brother, are you really a Joy Cultivator? I heard Joy Cultivators can manage seven or eight rounds a day without batting an eye."
Li Banfeng replied calmly, "Big sister flatters me."
You Tao's crimson lips trembled slightly as she whispered, "How about you and big sister exchange pointers another day?"
Li Banfeng shook his head. "This little brother's cultivation is still shallow. I fear I would not be big sister's match."
You Tao looked at Xiaopang behind Li Banfeng and covered her mouth with a smile. "I nearly forgot. Your cultivation partner is here. You like them round, not flat."
Xiaopang wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I'm a Food Cultivator..."
Travel Cultivators were extremely sensitive to distance. By Li Banfeng's estimate, the group had walked more than five li along the mountain path when a black-and-white flower appeared beside the road.
The flower had a very peculiar shape. Each petal was narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, white with black spots, like the head of a snake covered in scales.
Snake Spot Chrysanthemum!
Gold Rimmed Glasses introduced the Snake Spot Chrysanthemum's shape and traits. Li Banfeng recognized it; the flower was exactly as Gold Rimmed Glasses had described.
Xiaopang recognized it too. Delighted, he was about to step forward and pluck it when a man suddenly shot out from the shrubs beside the mountain path, holding a pair of long-handled shears. He beat Xiaopang to it and cut the flower away.
Xiaopang flew into a rage, not merely because someone had stolen his flower, but because of who that person was.
The man before him was the very Bald Head they had encountered before climbing the mountain.
That bastard again!
Xiaopang raised his axe once more. This time, he truly wanted to make a move.
Bald Head wore a look of contempt. "Stupid as a pig—you couldn't catch shit while it was still hot! What are you holding that axe for? Try swinging it once!"
Gold Rimmed Glasses stopped Xiaopang. In the blink of an eye, Bald Head vanished into the shrubs.
Xiaopang gritted his teeth. "That dog bastard, I'm going to chop him to pieces!"
Gold Rimmed Glasses grabbed Xiaopang. "One or two flowers by the roadside are not worth worrying about. Once we reach a good spot, there will be flowers everywhere."
"Where is this good spot?" Xiaopang was still unwilling to let it go.
Gold Rimmed Glasses looked down the mountain path. The medicine traders moved quickly, and their figures had already disappeared.
"Let's hurry and see if we can still catch up with them."
Old Smoke Cannon lit his smoking pipe, took several hard pulls, and exhaled a cloud of white smoke tinged with yellow.
The smoke swiftly flew forward. Old Smoke Cannon clenched the stem between his teeth and savored the taste.
"They haven't gone far. There's a fork ahead. They went right."
Hu Gaozi was stunned when he heard that. "Old man, if you don't know, don't spout nonsense."
Old Smoke Cannon knocked his smoking pipe twice. "If you don't believe me, then don't follow us!"
Gold Rimmed Glasses believed Old Smoke Cannon, because there truly was a fork ahead.
They turned right at the fork and walked for another hour or so. Beyond the dense forest beside the mountain path, an open clearing appeared.
"They're here." Old Smoke Cannon entered the clearing, with Gold Rimmed Glasses close behind.
Travel Cultivators moved quickly. Li Banfeng could have taken the lead, but he deliberately slowed down, his eyes seemingly fixed all along on You Tao's two peaches.
After searching the clearing for a while, Li Banfeng spotted a black-and-white flower at his feet.
After watching those peaches sway all the way here, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.
He crouched down for another look. He was not mistaken. It was a Snake Spot Chrysanthemum.
He took out his sickle and followed the method Gold Rimmed Glasses had explained at the foot of the mountain. Pinching the flower's stem, he cut it more than an inch above the root.
His first Snake Spot Chrysanthemum was in hand!
PS: Dear readers, happy weekend. It's the end of the month—please vote more for Salad and leave Salad more comments!
(End of this chapter)
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