Reunited After Long Separation, One Man Missing; Cultivating with Mercury (4.4k Words)

In Guling Town, there is Wind-Moon Bridge, a place known for its pleasure-seeking.

Brothels, brothels, male prostitutes, and even female prostitutes were mixed together and countless.

Although it is called a bridge, it is actually twenty-four streets and alleys. The streets and alleys are connected by water and are also known as "Twenty-Four Bridges of Wind and Moon" (Note 1). The alley entrances are narrow and winding, like duck intestines, one section after another, with houses overlapping like a forest.

Walking through it is like walking in a maze. Unless you are a regular customer or have a pimp to guide you, you will definitely be dazzled and have no idea where to go.

In such places, there are famous prostitutes, depraved prostitutes, respectable women, and brothels, all mixed together.

Those with names and surnames are all hidden from view, and can only be reached by searching and exploring. The nameless and wicked ones are numerous, and every evening they bathe and burn incense, the fragrance is pungent, so much so that the ditches are filled with muddy water, and the houses seem to be filled with smoke rising from their chimneys.

The prostitutes and gigolos would then emerge from the alleyway, perched like crows at the street corners and in front of teahouses and taverns, a practice known as "standing guard."

Yin Xiaojian came from the Scorched-Tail Hall, walking very quickly.

He looked at the teahouses, taverns, alleyways, and riverbanks, where hundreds of gauze lanterns illuminated numerous prostitutes, some ugly, some with large feet, and some with scars, all adorned with powder.

Because people are often in a bad mood under the lamplight and moonlight, and because fair skin is said to cover up a hundred flaws, the prostitutes and gigolos in this area are all quite good-looking, which makes Yin Xiaojian's mouth water.

He muttered to himself, "I wonder if Fang Shu has ever experienced such a blissful and prosperous place?"

The thought of that guy surnamed Fang, who looked like a clueless virgin, made Yin Xiaojian's face smug, and she felt she was better than him.

This fellow mingled among the crowd, moving like a fish through the twenty-four alleys.

Every now and then, customers would come and go, some disappearing as if swallowed whole by the dark rooms.

Inside the room, the sounds of doors and windows creaking and groaning, like hiccups, were followed by the calls of pimps and their servants. "Sister has a guest!"

Immediately, a thunderous response erupted from inside the room as candles were lit and the ingratiating laughter of a woman or man filled the air.

Yin Xiaojian wandered around, lingering in the crowd and refusing to leave the dark rooms. Even when old women tried to pull him away or prostitutes spoke to him in a sweet voice, he didn't stop.

The reason is simple: this guy doesn't have much capital, he can't afford famous courtesans, but he's picky and doesn't like mediocre courtesans. He always wants to rely on his limited experience to negotiate a good deal at a low price.

So today, Yin Xiaojian wandered around for more than an hour, picking and choosing, but couldn't find anything that suited her.

But the evil fire burning in his heart made him unwilling to leave.

"Damn it, we've come all this way, how can we leave with nothing!"

Just then, as he was passing by an alleyway for the umpteenth time, a person suddenly bumped into him and cried out in surprise:

"Brother Yin!"

The voice was high-pitched and sharp, and the fact that they knew his surname immediately startled Yin Xiaojian. He didn't remember having a lover here, nor had he ever revealed his real name.

The man called him out and walked out of the dark room, revealing his appearance. He was a pimp dressed in a blue robe and hat, but this pimp was also dressed in red and green, and his posture was charming.

Yin Xiaojian looked closely before recognizing him, and hesitated before asking, "You are... Brother Tian?"

The man who arrived was Tian Tianquan, the same man who had come Tian Tianquan the same boat as Fang Yin Xiaojian and Fang Shu Xiaojian.

Tian Tianquan put on a fawning smile, "It's me, Brother Yin. Are you here to have some fun? We know each other well, so you won't get ripped off."

Yin Xiaojian looked at the other person with surprise, her face showing astonishment. She really hadn't expected to see him here, and that he had fallen so low as to engage in such a despicable job as a pimp.

However, upon closer reflection, recalling his experience on the night voyage, he realized that the job of a pimp might actually be a good fit for Tian Tianquan.

Yin Xiaojian adopted a cautious stance, hesitatingly asking, "Is it really true that acquaintances charge higher prices?"

Upon hearing this, Tian Tianquan knew things were looking promising. He rubbed his hands together, then immediately took Yin Xiaojian's arm and led her into the dark house.

She was also calling out, "Hey ladies, we have guests!"

Upon entering the house, an even more pungent smell of cosmetics filled Yin Xiaojian's nose and mouth, causing him to sneeze violently several times.

The man couldn't help but curse, "Just what kind of stall do you have? Do you really have any good stuff?"

Tian Tianquan chuckled awkwardly, "Yes, yes!"

As a result, one after another, misfits and deformed individuals passed by Yin Xiaojian. Some were disheveled, some were sickly and listless, and some had hoarse voices; none of them had a good appearance.

This annoyed Yin Xiaojian, who repeatedly made gestures as if she wanted to leave.

Tian Tianquan was so anxious that he tried every means to comfort and inquire about her well-being, even kneeling on the ground and begging:

"Brother, please have mercy! I haven't had a customer in almost a month. The madams don't want me to do business anymore; I can only be a pimp. Please take care of me and let me choose again."

The two men's pulling and tugging drew laughter from the other pimps, gigolos, and prostitutes in the room, who either made sarcastic comments or laughed and joked amongst themselves.

"This wretched, rotten ass, if the madam lets you open for business, wouldn't she scare the customers to death?"

"When you encounter a poor, pathetic person in a crowd of scoundrels, who isn't pitiful?"

Yin Xiaojian was also a seasoned patron of prostitutes.

He'd seen it all before and didn't believe Tian Tianquan's complaints at all. Instead, he said impatiently, "If you don't have business, go sell your blood. Why are you begging me?"

Tian Tianquan cried out, "I want to sell too, but the Blood Hall said they won't take me because I'm sick."

These words still did not move Yin Xiaojian in the slightest, and he continued to shout:

"If you can't sell them, go mining! You might just find a rare treasure and turn your fortunes around."

This time, Tian Tianquan stopped responding. He just clung to Yin Xiaojian's leg and continued to sob, looking utterly miserable.

The two were making a scene, which caused a ruckus throughout the room and drew curses from many of the other clients.

"What are you crying for! I came here to have fun, not to listen to mourning."

"I hate it when grown men cry, throw them both out."

The pimps and gigolos in the restaurant swarmed over, pushing and shoving as they tried to throw Yin Xiaojian Tian Tianquan out.

But just then, another gaunt figure emerged, recognizing the two people in the crowd, and exclaimed in surprise:

"Hey! Young Master Yin?"

In her panic, Yin Xiaojian looked up and saw another familiar face from the same boat.

This gaunt man was none other than the Lü Daoist, Lü.

However, the other party was no longer wearing a Daoist robe, but a flowery robe, with powder on his old face and flowers in his ears, looking more like a male prostitute than a customer.

Yin Xiaojian exclaimed in surprise, "Master Lü, what are you doing here?"

"Make way, everyone. This is my brother, Lao Lü. Please be understanding." Lü Daoist squeezed into the crowd, just as righteous as he was on the boat.

He also forcibly dug up the Tian Tianquan, cursing:

"Hey Tian, stop delaying everyone's business, get up!"

After a considerable commotion...

The people in the restaurant didn't give Lü Daoist face at all; instead, they threw him out of the restaurant along with him.

The three of them stood at the alley entrance, looking at each other.

Lü Daoist looked embarrassed, so he shouted, "It's rare to meet like this! Come on, I just received a reward today, let's go have some wine."

Seeing that there was free tea, Yin Xiaojian suppressed her restlessness and decided to take a look first and listen to what had happened to the two of them.

Instead of taking them to teahouses and taverns, Lü Daoist spent money to buy several candles from a tea server, weighed out several packets of offal wrapped in lotus leaves, and shamelessly bought three ceramic bowls on credit. He then sat down by a ditch and invited the two to drink.

The crescent moon hung like a hook, and the water in the ditch was murky, smelling both fragrant and foul, with a strange odor.

Yin Xiaojian sat down, looking at the waste and other items, but he had no appetite whatsoever.

Looking at his two fellow passengers beside him, who were enjoying their meal, he muttered, "You've both fallen on hard times and have no chance to cultivate. You two might as well go down the mountain and live a life of leisure in the mortal world."

Upon hearing Yin Xiaojian's words, Tian Tianquan again, choking back sobs and unable to speak. He even slapped himself repeatedly, as if he were having an epileptic seizure.

"What exactly is wrong with this guy?" Yin Xiaojian asked, looking at Lü Daoist in astonishment.

Lü Daoist slowly but extremely quickly ate the offal, mumbling indistinctly:

"As you said, he regrets coming to Guling Town."

It is said that he was short of money for the boat fare at first, so he pawned his wife and daughter to raise the money. He told his wife and daughter to wait for him, and that once he achieved immortality, he would definitely go down the mountain to ferry them across. Even if he didn't succeed in immortality, he would still bring back a large amount of Talisman Coins so they could enjoy a life of luxury together.

Lü Daoist shrugged and muttered, "Who knew it would be fine when we came, but now we can't go back."

After thinking about it for a moment, Yin Xiaojian understood the meaning of those words.

It takes one thousand Talisman Coins to travel from the mortal realm to Guling Town for a boat, and it naturally takes one thousand Talisman Coins to return as well.

Although you can sell blood in town, all expenses are calculated in Talisman Coins. If you borrow a little and get into debt, you'll be in deep trouble and it will be difficult to recover even if you die.

Otherwise, the Blood Hall business in the town wouldn't be so booming!

For a moment, Yin Xiaojian felt a Tian Tianquan.

He couldn't help but puff out his chest again, chin held high with a smug air, and glanced at the two fellow passengers in front of him.

Compared to those two, Yin Xiaojian has a home to return to, food to eat, and Cultivation Method to practice; he's practically a superior person!

In an instant, Yin Xiaojian's mood, which had been severely damaged at the Scorched-Tail Hall, was completely restored.

He pretended to be unconventional and started drinking and laughing with Tian Tianquan and Lü Daoist.

Yin Xiaojian said with a sullen expression:

"By the way, Brother Lü, you once said you had a skill—that you could use that stuff to smoke liquor. I imagine you're thriving here on Wind-Moon Bridge now."

To everyone's surprise, when Lü Daoist heard this, his face stiffened, and he cursed:

"Don't even mention it. This isn't some ordinary market, it's an Immortal cultivator marketplace. The old women there have such unusual tastes... Sigh, it's a long story. Let's drink."

Yin Xiaojian asked him what exactly happened, but Lü Daoist hesitated and wouldn't say.

Finally, it was Tian Tianquan, who was crying bitterly beside him, who raised his head and whispered a few words.

Upon hearing this, Yin Xiaojian's eyes widened immediately, and she exclaimed in astonishment:

"Iron pestle, nine dragons playing with a pearl? These things can be used as medicine or inlaid?"

Lü Daoist's expression was indescribable; he had something to say but couldn't express it, yet he nodded.

Immediately afterwards, this fellow even went so far as to peddle and boast to the Yin Xiaojian slips:

"Hey, Brother Yin, if any of your elders or peers like to use these things, remember to come find me, Lü."

Mr. Lü may not be good at much else, but he excels at "patience"—guaranteed to satisfy!

Lü Daoist patted his chest and gave his guarantee.

These words sent a jolt through Yin Xiaojian's mind.

It is said that he did indeed have a female elder with a strong Yin Qi, namely his aunt.

During the casual conversation, Lü Daoist suddenly uttered a sigh:

"A boatload of people, reunited after a long separation. The three of us brothers are all here, except for Brother Fang."

He asked Yin Xiaojian:

"Neither of us has encountered Brother Fang Shu in the market. I wonder if Brother Yin has met him? Where does he make a living? I hope he's not out mining."

Upon hearing this, Yin Xiaojian's recently recovered arrogance immediately soured again.

In particular, Lü Daoist Tian Tianquan started discussing Fang Shu's fate and whether or not to continue mining.

Yin Xiaojian wanted to laugh, but couldn't, and remained silent and bored for a moment.

The other two were also muttering to themselves:

"This immortal market is so unbearable..."

"I don't want to be a master anymore, I want to live and go down the mountain."

However, laughter and cheerful voices filled the twenty-four streets and alleys.

By dawn, most of the patrons had left, but the sounds of slapping, whipping, and hunger pangs still lingered.

Meanwhile...

Fang Shu stayed in the Solitary Gu Hall. He had recently acquired the complete manuals of Lead Method and Tongue Sword, and was now wholeheartedly studying the two secret manuals.

While studying, he also set up the Lead Method boxing stance in the room and tried out the Lead Method Marrow Refinement Chapter on the spot.

According to the "Lead Method Marrow Refinement Chapter," this Cultivation Method can refine a mouthful of Silver-Mercury Marrow during the marrow refining and tribulation-crossing process.

It is white in color and heavy like mercury. The main method of refining it requires the use of mercury as an aid to refine it into the body.

Once mastered, the cultivator's bones become both strong and resilient. Even if they crack, the Silver-Mercury Marrow within can leak out and immediately mend the crack, as if the cultivator had never been injured.

However, mercury is highly toxic, so beginners usually start with cinnabar.

Although cinnabar is also poisonous, it is not as potent as mercury. As long as the cultivator has refined Black Lead Blood beforehand, they can try internal and external use, gradually transitioning to using mercury to undergo tribulations and cultivate.

The drawback of using this item for cultivation is that its effects are too slow.

Therefore, Fang Shu is now trying and pondering that the Treasure Blood he has refined is Purple-Lead Venom Blood, which simultaneously possesses the wonderful uses of Gu-Poison Blood and Black Lead Blood.

Furthermore, his physical body had been nourished by the Purple Lead Mica Milk, making his foundation solid enough to determine whether he could directly use mercury to cultivate.

If this were possible, then the efficiency of his Lead Method Marrow Refinement Chapter would undoubtedly increase significantly!

After some deliberation, he thought to himself:

"This plan is feasible!"

So, in the following days...

Fang Shu temporarily suspended his research on Gu techniques, and made the analysis of Lead Method his first task in the Dao Register. He also filled the large Venom Pit in the room with mercury.

After a series of cautious attempts, Fang Shu discovered that he still could not directly ingest mercury, nor could he inhale it into his lungs, as it would easily cause poisoning.

However, he only needs to hold his breath to sit cross-legged in the mercury, meditating and practicing meditation, without being bothered by the poison.

With skin and flesh as a barrier, the toxicity of mercury can only slowly penetrate into the body, and this toxicity is completely tolerable to Purple-Lead Venom Blood.

Being able to directly refine Dao Register with mercury, Fang Shu's brain's ability to analyze Lead Method also increased dramatically.

In less than a month, a line of text appeared in the Dao Register:

[<The Lead-Mercury Blood-Treasure Artifact-Seeding Secret Method Marrow Refinement Chapter> (Completed)]

He was invigorated and couldn't help but murmur:

"The combined power of lead insects and marrow refinement will help me overcome two tribulations!"

At this point, Fang Shu had fully mastered the Insect Method and Lead Method Marrow Refinement Chapter Marrow Refinement Chapter.

With both Cultivation Method fully mastered, one primary and one secondary, he advanced with even greater courage and diligence towards the second tribulation.

Fang Shu thought he would remain immersed in this state of cultivation until he ran out of money and food, and had no more pills, and had to think about offerings, making money and other miscellaneous matters before he would emerge from seclusion.

And it hasn't even been a month yet.

Something suddenly happened at the Paper Workshop. Upon learning of Fang Shu, Fang Shu was so moved by the stillness that he immediately broke out of his seclusion.