Cultivator Bandits

"Big Brother Lin, I think the Little Princess was actually quite nice. She didn't look down on us at all."

After leaving Clearwater Bay, the two rode the Spirit Horses borrowed from the Zhou Family. This time, they were in no hurry to travel, leisurely making their way after finally getting the rare chance to leave home.

"Nice?"

Watching Er Niu praise her, Lin Chang'an was speechless. That little girl had grown up, and her schemes had grown with her. She was not as simple as she appeared.

She had only just arrived, and word had already spread through the Market that so many people had come. Was that normal?

If one analyzed it purely in terms of benefits, Yun Yao had gained both a good reputation and goodwill this time.

How many spots for the Sect's Foundation Establishment Pills could there be? Setting aside fellow disciples with family ties, inheritances, and old connections, how many spots would remain?

Among cultivators with High-Grade Spiritual Roots, Yun Yao held no advantage.

Goodwill and reputation might not be important, but doing something was still better than doing nothing.

Of course, he was only looking at it from the angle of benefits. Judging from how Yun Yao had treated them, she was not merely putting on a false front.

"Isn't it a good thing that she doesn't look down on us? Once Fellow Daoist Yun achieves Foundation Establishment, we'll be able to bask in her light as well."

Lin Chang'an changed the subject, smiling as he spoke of the benefits that would come once Yun Yao achieved Foundation Establishment.

Er Niu could not help revealing a longing expression as he sighed. "A Foundation Establishment cultivator... even in the Zhou Family, I had only ever seen one from afar."

"But we can't call her the Little Princess anymore."

After Li Erniu's sigh, the image of that Little Princess in his memories gradually faded away, replaced by the valiant figure of Yun Yao, a Qi Refining Ninth Layer cultivator.

Hearing Er Niu's sentiments, Lin Chang'an merely smiled and shook his head. Seated atop the Spirit Horse, he lowered his head and resumed reading the Evergreen Art notes in his hand.

These notes recorded Elder Lu's experience with the Evergreen Art as a Qi Refining Late Stage cultivator.

[Evergreen Art +10 (Mastery: 23/1000)]

As the increase in experience surfaced in his mind, fresh insights came to him, and Lin Chang'an showed an enlightened expression.

"So a cultivation technique's proficiency can be rapidly improved through the experience of certain seniors. If that's the case, the same should work for Talisman Drawing."

It was like slowly fumbling through practice and cultivation alone, bit by bit, compared to suddenly having the cultivation notes of a Qi Refining Late Stage cultivator guiding you and telling you exactly what to do.

Naturally, cultivation would be easier and faster with the latter.

Their greatest gain this time was this book, a parting gift Lu Qingqing had given them in Elder Lu's name.

The gift for Li Erniu was a secret bedchamber technique Elder Lu had happened to acquire before his death, Dragon Playing with Pearl.

Li Erniu's copy, however, was the original edition, while the notes in Lin Chang'an's hands, with their elegant handwriting and faint fragrance of ink orchids, were clearly a handwritten copy by Lu Qingqing herself.

"It seems this Junior Sister is also someone of meticulous thought."

Lin Chang'an smiled softly. Though he did not know what Shen Lie and Yun Yao had received, both he and Er Niu had developed a great fondness for this Junior Sister with whom they had scarcely interacted.

Perhaps it was not just the four of them. Even Wei Yiyi, whose calculations had come to nothing, was probably brimming with delight as he remembered this Junior Sister's kindness.

Lin Chang'an shook his head. Once they had left the Market's safe zone, he put the notes into his Storage Bag.

After all, they were out in the open. One could never be too careful.

"Big Brother Lin, is that a Storage Bag?"

Li Erniu gazed enviously at Lin Chang'an's Storage Bag. He had seen such a thing before, but three Spirit Stones were simply too expensive.

It was not that he could not afford it. He just felt that those three Spirit Stones would be better spent on cultivation.

Seeing Er Niu's envious gaze, Lin Chang'an smiled encouragingly.

"Er Niu, don't worry. Sooner or later, you'll have one too."

"Big Brother Lin, don't joke around. With those three Spirit Stones, I'd rather buy several dozen jin of quality Monster Beast Meat for cultivation."

Li Erniu waved his hands repeatedly. He did not possess the talent for Talisman Drawing.

Both were Qi Refining Fourth Layer cultivators, but the gap between those with a skill and ordinary cultivators was still enormous.

Once Lin Chang'an could draw first-rank mid-grade talismans, a single one could sell for more than three Spirit Stones. After deducting costs, earning over a dozen lower-grade Spirit Stones a month would not be difficult.

As for people like Li Erniu, whose skills had not even entered the gate, those with good fortune—like Er Niu, who had married into the Beast-Taming Zhou Family—could still earn a few Spirit Stones each month through arrangements made by the Lineage.

But most cultivators could only risk their lives reclaiming land and hunting Monster Beasts, living days where danger was ever-present in exchange for cultivation resources.

Of course, such high-risk ventures could also bring high returns if one was lucky.

Amid the mountain ranges, the two spurred their horses toward Green Bamboo Mountain Market.

There was naturally a reason the Zhou Family bore the name Beast-Taming.

These Spirit Horses could not only travel a thousand li in a day, but could also cross water and climb mountains as though walking on level ground.

When they had gone to Clearwater Bay, they had traveled day and night and arrived in just three days. On the return journey, however, they moved much more slowly.

They were now only one day away from Green Bamboo Mountain Market.

"Er Niu!"

As they passed through a stretch of forest, Lin Chang'an seemed to notice something and called out with a frown.

"Big Brother Lin!"

The tacit understanding they had forged when first entering the Cultivation World had not been forgotten. Li Erniu's hand had already reached for his greatsword.

"More and more Rogue Cultivators have been arriving outside the Market lately. This place is less than a day from the Market, and the terrain is perilous. It's suitable for an ambush."

"An ambush!"

Li Erniu frowned, then said in a low voice, "Big Brother Lin, to be safe, should we take a detour?"

Lin Chang'an nodded without hesitation and turned his horse around.

"Er Niu, take these two Fine Golden Light Talismans and this Godly Travel Talisman."

"Alright."

Li Erniu did not hesitate in the slightest and directly accepted the Talismans.

"What's going on? Why did those two brats in the distance suddenly turn back?"

At that moment, several cultivators hidden on both sides of the distant forest looked at one another in dismay.

The burly man at their head, his face thick with Sha Qi, revealed a resentful expression.

"Forget it. They're only two Qi Refining Early Stage cultivators. One look tells you they're Rogue Cultivators from elsewhere, here to take a gamble."

"The boss is right. These damned days are too hard. If we get some Spirit Crystals and head back, we'll have Monster Beast Meat to eat."

Within the forest, six figures swiftly gave chase in Lin Chang'an and Li Erniu's direction.

They pursued them to another stretch of woods. Just as they were about to catch up and excitement filled the group, the Qi Refining Mid-Stage burly man at their head suddenly had his pupils constrict.

The two figures on the distant Spirit Horses were clearly just straw dummies draped in outer robes and hastily tied together with branches.

"Not good, we've been tricked!"

At that moment, a piercing whistle suddenly came from behind them, followed by a scorching heat that washed over their faces.

When the Cultivator Bandits turned around, more than a dozen lantern-sized fireballs flickered in their terrified eyes.

"A bunch of Rogue Cultivators from outside, and you dare cause trouble here at Green Bamboo Mountain!"

Having used the Spirit Horse straw dummies to lure the Cultivator Bandits and then ambushed them from behind, Li Erniu roared fiercely to overwhelm them with his momentum.

"How is that possible? You're Qi Refining Mid-Stage cultivators!"

The burly Cultivator Bandit leader with Sha Qi on his face was the first to react. He was also the first to flee backward—only to run straight into Er Niu, who held a greatsword in his hand.

The instant the two sides clashed, the Cultivator Bandit burly man's eyes went wide.

Damn it!

You're at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer, so why pretend to be some Qi Refining Early Stage rookie?

At that moment, a nearby great tree suddenly flashed with azure light.

"An ambush! Damn it!"

The Cultivator Bandit leader was terrified. How were these two even more skilled at such tricks than he, a Cultivator Bandit, was?

It was Lin Chang'an, who had used the Invisibility Technique to disguise himself in the same color as the tree. The moment he launched his attack, the spell naturally failed as well.