Rogue Cultivator Gathering [Seeking Follow-up Reads]

"Immortal Master, this is Cave Manor B-7 of Origin Communion Ward."

In the eastern section of Origin Communion Ward, near the center of Primordial Mist Immortal City, Lu Tong led He Sheng to the address Wind Spirit had given them that day.

He Sheng examined the cave manor before him. There was truly nothing particularly immortal about it—at least from its outward appearance. It was simply an ordinary two-courtyard residence, with blue bricks and gray tiles, simple yet elegant.

Fortunately, He Sheng had inquired beforehand. A great many of these so-called cave manors that Primordial Mist Immortal City rented and sold to outsiders were, in truth, merely ordinary courtyards. Only the small portion built upon a spirit vein could truly be called a cave manor.

Standing before the gate, He Sheng did not know how he ought to announce his visit. He could hardly shout out a voice transmission, could he?

Lu Tong seemed to see his predicament and pointed to a bell hanging by the gate, giving off a faint glimmer of spiritual light.

"Immortal Master, this item is called a Voicekeeping Bell. If one wishes to visit the master of this residence, one need only use the secret voice-transmission art to send one's voice into the Voicekeeping Bell.

"If the master is inside the cave manor, they will immediately hear the bell's movement and come to see what is happening.

"Even if the master is away, the Voicekeeping Bell will preserve the recorded message for them to check upon their return."

There was even such a magical artifact?

He Sheng looked at it a few more times with keen interest.

Lu Tong knew quite a bit. He explained that the Voicekeeping Bell was a set of magical artifacts. The bells hung outside gates were all subsidiary bells, while the parent bell remained in the owner's hands. Only the parent bell could retrieve the messages recorded within.

Because this artifact offered strong confidentiality, it had always sold well.

Naturally, Lu Tong knew these things through his uncle, who worked for the Four Directions Commerce Association.

He Sheng then used the secret voice-transmission art to speak into the Voicekeeping Bell.

"Rogue Cultivator Xiang Yue has come at fellow Daoist Wind Spirit's invitation to pay a visit."

After recording his message, He Sheng asked Lu Tong about the rental prices of cave manors.

Lu Tong knew the matter like the back of his hand and replied, "The second-rank spirit-vein cave manors available for rent in the immortal city are divided into four grades: A, B, C, and D. Even the lowest-ranked Grade D cave manors cost eight hundred low-grade spirit stones a year.

"A Grade B cave manor like this costs fifteen hundred spirit stones a year.

"Grade A ones cost over three thousand spirit stones, and the vacancies are extremely scarce..."

Afterward, Lu Tong explained the differences among cave manors of the various grades.

For example, Grade D cave manors were really just small mixed courtyards. The courtyard itself was built at the edge of a spirit vein, with only a few quiet rooms inside situated atop it.

The environment was rather complicated. Generally, only Foundation Establishment cultivators with truly little capital would rent such places.

From Grade C onward, all were standalone courtyards. The differences lay in their size and their location on the spirit vein, which concerned both the density and abundance of spiritual energy. That would more or less affect one's cultivation speed.

Once He Sheng understood, he began considering whether he should rent a cave manor and make the identity of Rogue Cultivator Xiang Yue more convincing.

"To gather all kinds of information through the Southern Mountain Society, I naturally need to firmly establish this Rogue Cultivator Xiang Yue identity.

"With the Voicekeeping Bell, I only need to show up once every three to five months and deal with the recorded messages.

"For the rest of the time, I can say I'm immersed in cultivation and artifact refinement, creating the persona of a reclusive rogue cultivator artifact refiner?"

As He Sheng pondered, the inner gate of the cave manor opened from within with a creak.

Wind Spirit came out smiling to greet him. Today, he wore a cloud-patterned Daoist robe, his face glowing with health.

"Since our last parting, this poor Daoist has longed for fellow Daoist Xiang day and night. At last, I have awaited your arrival."

Wind Spirit spoke as warmly as though he had met an old friend of many years.

"Fellow Daoist Wind is too courteous." He Sheng clasped his hands with a smile. "I hope you will forgive this intrusion."

"What are you saying? Please! Come inside and let us talk!" Wind Spirit stepped aside and gestured for him to enter.

He Sheng did not stand on ceremony. After first giving Lu Tong a few spirit stones and sending him a voice transmission to help find a suitable Grade C cave manor, he followed Wind Spirit inside.

Passing through the moon gate of the outer courtyard, the view within suddenly opened up.

Though this Cave Manor B-7 was not as lavish as the Grade A residences, its layout was exquisitely designed.

A living spring had been drawn into the courtyard. Artificial hills rose and fell in scattered arrangement, while waterside pavilions and towers dotted the grounds. Several maids in gauzy robes moved among the flowers and trees carrying incense burners or fruit trays, tending the cave manor until it resembled an earthly paradise.

He Sheng swept the place with his divine sense and had already formed an assessment.

"Looks like Wind Spirit is no ascetic cultivator. He enjoys the pleasures of life quite a bit.

"For a Rogue Cultivator to possess such leisure and refinement, the Southern Mountain Society must be far from simple."

Wind Spirit led He Sheng all the way into the main hall.

The main hall was also built in an antique style. Its beams and pillars were all made from thousand-year-old submerged wood, a spirit material of respectable grade, exuding an understated luxury.

Once the two had taken their seats as host and guest and the maids had served spiritual fruit and spiritual tea, Wind Spirit dismissed the attendants before smiling and asking, "Ever since fellow Daoist left last time, this poor Daoist has often thought of you.

"I wonder, has fellow Daoist Xiang come today because you have considered joining our Southern Mountain Society?"

He Sheng lifted his teacup and took a light sip of the spiritual tea before replying evenly, "Fellow Daoist Wind's hospitality is difficult to refuse. However, I have only just arrived here, so I would still like to first see how the Southern Mountain Society operates before making a decision."

Wind Spirit did not take offense at his words. Instead, with considerable patience, he began explaining the purpose of this gathering to He Sheng.

"This gathering hosted by our Southern Mountain Society is of quite a high caliber. Does Fellow Daoist Xiang know why?"

How could He Sheng know? He simply said:

"Please enlighten me, Fellow Daoist."

"This gathering is chiefly meant to allocate intentions for the precious lots at next year's auction."

He Sheng's brows drew together slightly. Not understanding, he set down his teacup and said:

"Fellow Daoist Wind, this auction is hosted by Heavenly Centipede True Person, and the items do not belong to the Southern Mountain Society. What is there to allocate?"

Wind Spirit smiled.

"Fellow Daoist has misunderstood. This allocation is not that allocation."

As he spoke, Wind Spirit sighed.

"I told Fellow Daoist Xiang before: we Rogue Cultivators have never held much standing. We suffer under the exploitation of every faction. If we ourselves do not unite, but instead fight one another, drive up prices, and squander resources, what hope can there be for the Great Dao?

"That is why our Southern Mountain Society exists—to unite everyone. This gathering is for internally settling the ownership of certain precious auction items beforehand. Once it is agreed upon, we will help one another and must not fight over them again..."

Wind Spirit spoke with righteous fervor, and He Sheng understood. Put bluntly, it was about reducing the internal drain among Rogue Cultivators and presenting a united front to the outside.

The idea was not bad—but who would ultimately benefit from it?

He Sheng suppressed his doubts and listened as Wind Spirit continued.

"Since this gathering will determine the precious lots at the auction—such as Gold Core Pills and core-forming spiritual items—most of those invited are Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivators. There are also, on occasion, a few Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivators with formidable strength and deep seniority.

"Now Fellow Daoist should understand just how sincere I was in inviting you to this gathering, yes?"

He Sheng nodded and exchanged a few polite words with Wind Spirit, after which the man continued his introduction.

As Wind Spirit went on about the nature of the Southern Mountain Society and how it operated, He Sheng gradually understood why the man had been so eager to recruit him.

The reason was that the Southern Mountain Society stipulated that Foundation Establishment Late Stage Rogue Cultivators could directly join as full members. Not only could they attend high-level gatherings such as the one a few days from now, but when discussing the ownership of precious auction items during those gatherings, they would possess voting rights equal to those of longtime members.

"The Southern Mountain Society's various measures do seem relatively fair."

According to Wind Spirit, the allocation of precious items at tomorrow's high-level gathering was based on seniority. For instance, the society leader would be the first to state what he wanted.

But merely naming an item did not make it his. It only counted if no one objected or competed for it.

And if two or more members took a fancy to the same precious item, then it would go to whoever received more supporting votes.

Under such a system, every vote was crucial. After all, Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivators were hardly cabbages.

"Wind Spirit is being so warm because he naturally wants my vote.

"It seems he has his eye on some precious item at the auction two years from now."

He Sheng was not averse to Wind Spirit's approach. If anything, his interest in the Southern Mountain Society grew.

Through their lengthy conversation, He Sheng also learned that Wind Spirit held a surprisingly high position within the Southern Mountain Society. By his own account, he ranked third.

"Does Fellow Daoist Xiang know that our Southern Mountain Society's gatherings have always included a traditional segment?"

Near the end of their conversation, Wind Spirit brought up another matter. Every Southern Mountain Society gathering, he said, also included an internal exchange meet.

This exchange meet was rather interesting: one could only trade downward.

"Our society leader possesses a strange treasure called the Treasure Light Basin. No matter what kind of spiritual object is placed within it, it will shine. Gray is the lowest grade, red the highest, thereby indicating the rarity and value of the spiritual object.

"And because tomorrow's gathering is of quite a high level, every member must bring out a spiritual object worth at least five thousand spirit stones for downward exchange.

"If Fellow Daoist has decided to join, then as a new member, you will also have the right to choose one item first in exchange."

At this point, Wind Spirit once again lowered his voice in an air of mystery, just as he had last time.

"As far as I know, there should be quite a few good things at tomorrow's exchange meet.

"Does Fellow Daoist know Sinking Water?

"Do you know Comprehension Fruit?

"Do you know Heavenly Sharp Refined Gold?"

He Sheng knew little about Sinking Water or Heavenly Sharp Refined Gold, and Brother Piao's memories held no impression of them either. But upon hearing the words "Comprehension Fruit," his heart could not help but leap.