Rogue cultivators

"Innkeeper, I'd like to ask you something!"

Coming down to the inn's first floor, Lu Mingyue glanced at the scattered guests eating and drinking in the main hall, then placed a two-tael lump of silver on the counter and pushed it toward the innkeeper.

"Of course, miss, ask away! This old man has run an inn here in Cang Province Prefecture's capital for half his life. I wouldn't dare make any grand claims, but I'll certainly tell you everything I know and hold nothing back!"

The innkeeper was a plump man in his forties. He had probably had a few cups of wine with dinner, for his face was glowing red. He swept the lump of silver Lu Mingyue had pushed over into his sleeve, then picked up the teapot beside him and poured her a cup of tea.

"Hehe, I knew you were a helpful man..."

Lu Mingyue did not beat around the bush. After all, she was aiming to "go abroad"; talking in circles would only make her more likely to arouse suspicion.

"Ah, miss, you're a straightforward sort. Let this old man presume to have you call him uncle, and offer a few extra words!"

After hearing what Lu Mingyue wanted to know, the innkeeper glanced around, lowered his voice, and said to her:

"Miss, I take it you came to Cangzhou Prefectural City alone? If you want to go beyond the pass by yourself, I'm afraid it could be dangerous. Vicious mounted bandits are everywhere out there. Besides, it takes a full half month to get from here to Taiping City. It wouldn't even be strange to run into an immortal cultivator along the way!"

Seeing Lu Mingyue listening attentively, the innkeeper lowered his voice further, but what he said left her rather excited.

"Those immortal cultivators go by the name of rogue cultivators. They can't join the Immortal Sect, and though they call themselves immortals, what they do is little different from those mounted bandits-murder, robbery, even abducting women. Over the past few decades, there have simply been too many such cases to count in the lands beyond our pass..."

Although Lu Mingyue knew the cultivation world was dangerous, she was still a little surprised that it was this dangerous.

Still, she could somewhat understand why those rogue cultivators had taken up work much like that of mounted bandits.

Immortal cultivators needed money too!

Of course, Lu Mingyue could not agree with those rogue cultivators who abducted women.

She knew without even asking that such wicked rogue cultivators must have done it solely to satisfy their own selfish desires!

"...Miss, if you truly want to leave through the pass, your only option is to go with one of the reputable escort agencies in the city. Give them the money to smooth things over with the officials and obtain your exit papers, and you can head out with them!"

Though the innkeeper was helpful, he would not speak too intimately with someone he barely knew. Having already told Lu Mingyue the dangers of traveling alone, he now gave her the answer she wanted: how to leave through the pass.

"Don't go to those lesser-known escort agencies or merchant caravans, miss. They may charge less silver, but what if something happens? Merchant caravans and escort agencies murdering, robbing, and violating people after leaving the pass is nothing unusual. Even His Excellency the prefect can't do anything about it. It all comes down to how sharp your eyes are!"

The innkeeper pointed to his own eyes. Seeing Lu Mingyue's receptive expression, he smiled and said:

"If you truly want to leave through the pass, I do know a few reputable escort agencies. They've been working here in Cangzhou Prefectural City for over a hundred years. They're family trades, and they earn only what they charge. Even after leaving the pass, they wouldn't do anything to smash their own signboard..."

He was looking to earn himself a little extra money. Lu Mingyue understood perfectly and took out another lump of silver, this one worth three taels, and handed it over.

"Then I'm sorry for the trouble, uncle. To tell you the truth, though I'm only a woman, I do know a little hand-to-hand combat. Even when I sleep, I keep my ears pricked!"

What a boast. She had never even studied martial arts-where would she have learned hand-to-hand combat?

She did know a few spells, though.

Lu Mingyue thought that once she entered the cultivation world, she would have to ask around and see whether any immortal cultivators specialized in hand-to-hand combat.

"Hehe, this old man could tell you're someone with real skills, miss!"

Having taken the silver, the innkeeper's smile became a little more genuine, and he offered Lu Mingyue a compliment along with it.

"Get a good rest today, miss. Tomorrow, I'll take you around those escort agencies. Whichever one you think suits you, that's the one we'll settle on. They're all family trades anyway, and they're long used to this sort of thing. You needn't worry about offending anyone!"

"All right, I'll do as you say, uncle!" Lu Mingyue nodded and turned to leave, then looked back as though something had suddenly occurred to her.

"Oh, right, uncle. Those rogue cultivators you mentioned beyond the pass-did they leave from our side too? I walked around the city today, but I didn't see any immortal cultivators flying out over the walls!"

After going around in such a great circle, this was actually what Lu Mingyue had wanted to ask.

Because she had thought from the start that if she really could not leave through the pass by normal means, she would fly out over the city wall.

"Heh, why would immortal cultivators need to go to so much trouble to leave?" Suspecting nothing, the innkeeper lowered his voice and said mysteriously:

"They're immortal cultivators, after all! Those people come and go high above the ground. If they truly want to go somewhere, which of us ordinary mortals could stop them? Even if His Excellency the prefect could stop them, he wouldn't offend a group of immortal cultivators merely because they wanted to leave through the pass!"

So?

Lu Mingyue blinked her large eyes, curiosity written all over her face.

"So, if immortal cultivators want to leave through the pass, they only have to go to the city gate and show their abilities. Cast a single cultivation spell, and the soldiers guarding the city will let them straight through!"

The innkeeper looked envious. Clearly, having lived in Cangzhou Prefectural City for decades, he had seen immortal cultivators' spells more than once.

So that was how it worked...

Lu Mingyue began to feel the sting of losing her five taels of silver.

Still, she could hardly blame herself for being too careful. She really had no experience with matters of the cultivation world and could only proceed cautiously.

"Then what if a neighboring country's army attacks the pass while an immortal cultivator is leaving the city?"

Lu Mingyue could not help asking. She had already handed over the silver, after all. Every extra question she asked now was something gained.

"Tsk, miss, surely you're joking!"

The innkeeper cast Lu Mingyue a sidelong glance, as though he had realized the young woman before him knew little of the world, and said with a faint smile:

"They're immortal cultivators! Even His Excellency the prefect won't offend them lightly, and he's given the soldiers guarding the city careful instructions. The neighboring country's soldiers are people too. Who would have the heaven-defying nerve to charge in while an immortal cultivator was leaving the city?"

True enough!

Although Lu Mingyue very much wanted to argue that few Qi Refining Stage immortal cultivators could probably withstand human-wave assaults, she kept her mouth shut when she saw the innkeeper's utterly certain expression.

"Thank you for clearing things up for me, uncle. Sorry for the trouble, but please take me to see those escort agencies first thing tomorrow!"

"Of course, of course. This old man never deceives anyone."

Returning to her room, Lu Mingyue enjoyed a sound night's rest, then went out with the innkeeper early the next morning.

? ? Thanks to dear "2021...8209" for the monthly ticket. (*￣3￣)╭ Kisses~