Devil cultivators

Shiliang Town lay in Feng'an Prefecture in southeastern Qi Province, one of the more remote regions of the Chu Kingdom.

But compared with those other little border settlements, Shiliang Town had its own good fortune.

The cold of Great Heaven Mountain to the south did not reach it, nor had the friction between the small kingdoms and tribes to the west spilled over here.

Only to the east was it close to the Yue Kingdom, but an enormous rift valley formed a natural barrier between them. The people of the two kingdoms could go their entire lives without ever seeing one another. Never mind conflict-there was no chance of even a minor clash.

Moreover, it bordered Lin Province, with unobstructed official roads.

As a result, Shiliang Town was not particularly backward in its development.

During festivals, lantern fairs, and markets, it was probably even one of the liveliest places in Feng'an Prefecture.

Song Yan walked slowly through town, occasionally greeting familiar faces.

"Candied-hawthorns-icy-treats-"

"Come take a look, come have a browse-wares from north and south-"

"Old Liu, where did you get all this random junk this time...?"

"Hah, listen to you..."

"Ah, good sir, combs from Dongyuan Township, clay figurines from Nanhong City, Buddha carvings from the Xiqi River, flower seeds from Beiya Mountain. Whatever you want, have a rummage in the chest yourself..."

In a roadside teahouse, a storyteller's words poured forth like a cascading river.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the world is a lively place these days. Last time, we spoke of Li Lianxiu, head of the imperial kitchens, known as the divine chef of the capital, who was accused of colluding with the enemy and betraying his country, and whose entire household was executed..."

"Today, I shall tell you about the Chu Kingdom's youngest general, Li Yi, the Marquis of Yan, who died fighting on the frontier at just eighteen..."

"Oh, how many in your party? Right you are, three guests for the second private room in the east wing. Ah, sir-right this way-"

The sharp-eyed young inn waiter spotted Song Yan.

"Oh, Doctor Song! Er... heh, listen to me. Immortal Song."

"Oh, stop it... Is A Nian here?"

The waiter, Huang Dou, was an old acquaintance of Song Yan's too. It seemed nothing had changed.

"No, I haven't seen him today... Ah!"

Huang Dou suddenly slapped his forehead. "My memory! He should be at the Meng Family Clinic today."

"Constable Ling has had a few days to recover, and young Nian is keeping his master company at the clinic."

"Ah, thank you."

"Take care."

Back then, his grandfather had already passed away, and Song Yan, the divine physician's disciple, had been led into an immortal sect by Zhao Fengcheng to cultivate. At first, some people had worried about where they would seek medical treatment in the future.

Fortunately, there was another doctor in town.

Passing through the market and the crowds, Song Yan looked up at the old, weathered sign hanging over a building's entrance.

Meng Family Clinic.

Song Yan stepped inside.

"Ye Sheng, you're here."

"Uncle Meng, I'm heading back to the sect soon. There's something I want to talk to A Nian about."

"Oh, Constable Ling and the others are all in the back courtyard. Lulu and Da Rong are applying medicine for them."

"All right."

In the back courtyard, Xu Darong and Meng Lu had just finished applying medicine to the two constables, one old and one young, and were putting things away.

"Constable Ling."

"Ye Sheng."

Seeing Song Yan, Constable Ling smiled faintly. "A Nian and Yun'er told me all about yesterday. Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

After exchanging a few pleasantries with everyone, Song Yan called Sheng Nian out of the clinic alone.

"You didn't know that Rogue Cultivator of Xin Mountain before this, did you?"

"I'd never even heard of him."

Sheng Nian waved a hand. "I'm just a mortal. How would I know about the affairs of you cultivators?"

"But it seems you were the reason he sent people to Shiliang..."

"?"

Sheng Nian's expression sharpened. He was about to deny it, but suddenly paused, then raised his eyes to look at Song Yan.

"Those three are dead?"

"..."

"You killed them?"

Song Yan pondered for a moment, then nodded.

"Good." Sheng Nian merely nodded as well. "My master will soon be promoted into the Six Gates. I'll leave Shiliang then."

"Where will you go?"

"Anywhere but here."

"If you get the chance, take that disciple token and try your luck at the Sheyang Sect."

Song Yan used a little trick to deliver those words.

He transmitted his voice in secret. Even if the walls had ears, no one else could hear him.

Sheng Nian looked thoughtful, but did not nod.

Song Yan waved his sleeve. "I'm heading back."

"Aren't you going to say goodbye to them?"

"Better not. I'm afraid I won't be able to bear leaving either..."

"Devil cultivators?"

Dongyuan Sect, Outer Sect Miscellaneous Affairs Hall.

Lin Qing frowned deeply, studying the blood-smeared page and three pitch-black nails in his hands.

"If that's really the case, you've rendered a great service on this mission."

Indeed, Song Yan was a little stingy. He had handed over only three nails, and even those had only been produced because he needed to recount what had happened.

Three villagers had gone missing from Yunding Village. The Dongyuan Sect could easily uncover something like that. If he concealed things and they followed the vine to the melon, uncovering grounds to charge him with concealing a devil cultivator's belongings, he would be in trouble.

Better to play it safe and simply give a full, accurate account.

Lin Qing took a blank jade slip from his Heaven and Earth Bag and handed it to Song Yan.

"Junior Brother Song, record everything that happened in here, exactly as it occurred. I'll report this to the sect elders immediately."

"Yes."

The whole process did not take long before Lin Qing hurried away.

Song Yan tallied his mission rewards and left the Outer Sect Miscellaneous Affairs Hall.

"The ten spirit stones and ten sect contribution points for the mission itself were already quite good. I didn't expect another ten sect contribution points for providing a lead on devil cultivators."

Cultivation resources came in many varieties: pills, talismans, formations, law artifacts, spirit stones, cultivation methods, and so on...

Sect contribution points were perhaps among the hardest of hard currencies for sect disciples.

With enough contribution points, one could exchange them within the sect for any of the cultivation resources listed above.

Of course, that depended on the sect actually having the item.

Previously, Song Yan had simply gone about performing miscellaneous chores within the sect, accumulating few contribution points. Even with these twenty, he only had forty-eight sect contribution points.

It certainly wasn't a lot, but it wasn't so little either; he could actually exchange them for quite a few good things.

No hurry. I'll save them for now and spend them when I need to.

Without pausing for breath, Song Yan headed straight for Lingyuan Marsh Market.

"Granny Qin!"

Qin Xijun was lying in a wicker chair taking a midday nap in a rather ungraceful position. Before Song Yan had even stepped into the Worry-Relief General Store, he was already shouting.

"Good heavens! You little brat, why are you shouting so loudly?!"

"You nearly frightened this old woman to death..."

Seeming to realize something, Song Yan cautiously glanced around. Fortunately, the place was secluded, with practically no one around.

He entered the general store, shut the door behind him, and even locked it.

"You... you... what are you doing?"

Qin Xijun was rather baffled. "Did you steal the sect master's wife?"

"..."

This time, it was Song Yan's turn to be speechless.

Forget it. I'll get straight to the point. Song Yan slapped his Heaven and Earth Bag and dumped out all those things that could not bear the light of day, arranging them one by one on the little counter.

"Hm? Yin Corpse Puppet Rebirth Nails? Wait, why are there only two...?"

"Is this... a Spirit-Transforming Blood Pill? And the pill formula too?"

"These thick sheets of paper seem to be materials for low-grade paper puppets..."

The more Qin Xijun looked, the more startled and puzzled she became. These were generally things only devil cultivators had any use for. How had this boy become entangled with devil cultivators on a single trip down the mountain?

The more Song Yan listened, the more impressed he became. Granny Qin truly was knowledgeable and widely experienced; she recognized everything. That would save him quite a lot of breath and effort introducing them.

After all, Granny Qin would not shortchange him on the price.