Bandit Cultivators

Hua Chunning had once heard her master mention the method of determining one's nature by one's name.

Within the sect, not only himself, but also his senior brothers Liu Zhijian, Hu Yueqiu, and Jiang Xiaoyu, all subtly resonated with this method.

Only the third junior brother Duanmu Ren, was unaware of the situation and acted in the opposite way. Despite having the name Ren (benevolence), he had a fierce and ruthless personality.

Hua Chunning recalled her master's guidance and the Daoist scriptures she had read, and slowly said, "[Clear Water] represents the [Changing Position] of the Water Virtue, which has the transformation of clarity and turbidity."

"In the heavens it is rain and dew; on earth it is springs and pools."

"My cousin's name contains the character for 'rain,' and my brother-in-law's name contains the character for 'spring,' both of which fit the imagery of [Clear Water] quite well."

"If it is a girl, she may be named Lu."

"If it is a boy, you may name him Chi."

"In the future, when you study and learn to read, write, and conduct yourself, you should also strive to align yourself with ideals."

"This method is truly profound, beyond my comprehension; I have only heard the sect leader mention it in passing."

"You might as well give it a try; at least there's no harm in it."

As for agreeing to accept him into Supreme Mystery Mountain, Hua Chunning had already learned her lesson from the Hu Yueqiu incident and would never dare to repeat the mistake.

If there is indeed Fate Manifestation in the future, it will not be too late to bring it to the Master for examination.

Hua Chunning met her childhood playmate, found a trustworthy informant, and even forged a good relationship with [Clear Water]. Her trip was considered a complete success, so she took her leave.

Only Du Qingquan and Hua Yuhe, a married couple, remained in the shop.

"Sigh, she truly lives up to her reputation as a disciple of a celestial sect. That method of naming can replenish one's vital Manifestation and increase Fate. If she hadn't revealed it to him, even Rogue Cultivator would never have been able to comprehend it in several lifetimes." Du Qingquan sighed, recalling the common practice in Danzhou of giving juniors humble names, and felt a little scared.

If I were to follow custom and give myself a humble name, wouldn't I be unintentionally harming my unborn children?

Hua Yuhe, however, did not share such sorrow, only remarking, "She was never this dignified before..."

He paused here, touched his lower abdomen, and said firmly, "My children will also cultivate immortality and seek the Dao!"

Du Qingquan naturally shared this thought, and recalling everything that had happened today, he couldn't help but speak up to persuade her, "Madam, I know you're feeling resentful. But now she's a disciple of the Immortal Sect, and even more so, a direct disciple of the sect leader, wielding immense power and authority."

Even if you share a childhood bond, never harbor resentment again, or the consequences could be dire.

Hua Yuhe was taken aback by his words. She lowered her head and pondered silently for a moment, but still resolutely shook her head and said, "No! I must do this to earn a glimmer of hope."

"Just as you said, her status is now incredibly high, worlds apart from yours and mine."

"At the entrance to the market today, we all witnessed her grandeur firsthand."

"Doesn't she need a cautious, obsequious, and sycophantic steward by her side?!"

"Of course we don't need it!"

"So if I treat her with utmost respect and flattery, she will most likely be filled with disappointment, then turn around and forget everything from the past, treating me like a stranger from now on."

"But she can count her childhood friends, who are related to her by blood, on one hand."

"The only one who can make her feel guilty is me."

"My punishment and expulsion back then were ultimately nothing more than infighting among the women of the inner quarters. The fault lay not with me, and I have no one to blame but her."

"But because of what happened back then, she truly feels guilty towards me, and I truly harbor resentment towards her."

"Especially since my actions today were entirely from the heart, not feigned, they would seem all the more precious to her, who is increasingly detached from worldly affairs."

"As long as she doesn't treat me like a market manager and still cherishes our childhood friendship, and is willing to call me 'cousin,' I'll still have one more chance to ask her for help."

"And only once."

"Even if it doesn't allow our children to directly join a celestial sect, they will at least receive assistance from a superior cultivator, enabling them to overcome cultivation bottlenecks and save themselves a lot of hard work, or escape a life-or-death predicament."

Du Qingquan listened in a daze, momentarily lost in thought.

His wife came from a prominent family, but her life had been full of hardships. She always harbored resentment in her heart, so she was often domineering, stubborn, and arrogant and headstrong regardless of the occasion.

Today, his insightful thinking and worldly wisdom are so profound that it's as if he's become a completely different person.

Du Qingquan was silent for a moment, then said softly, "Madam, you've worked hard."

Hua Yuhe simply smiled faintly and lowered her head to stroke her lower abdomen.

Although the fetus in her womb has not yet been born, and it is unknown whether it is a boy or a girl, it embodies Hua Yuhe's unfulfilled dream of cultivation and her expectation of completely controlling her own destiny.

The saying goes that a mother's love runs deep, and her plans for her children are far-reaching.

Midnight.

Du Qingquan disguised himself in many ways and activated Invisibility Talisman, then left the market and arrived at a low hill.

This is the black market.

Located very close to Azure Cloud Market, and with Late Stage of Qi Refining cultivator overseeing the area, incidents are extremely rare.

Du Qingquan was dressed entirely in black, wearing a hat, and looked no different from the others in the black market. He was unremarkable and inconspicuous in the crowd.

Walking through the crowd, Du Qingquan arrived at the bluestone in a corner of the black market.

An old man with a frail face was dozing off while tending a small stall.

In the black market, those who dare not conceal their faces are either highly skilled in cultivation or have powerful backers. This old man possesses both, and is known as the Daoist Mu.

"You've arrived..." Daoist Mu opened his eyes, glanced at Du Qingquan, and asked, "What good goods do you have today?"

Du Qingquan remained silent and took out several talismans.

Daoist Mu carefully took it, examined it closely for a long time, and was quite satisfied. He couldn't help but urge again, "Fellow Daoist, are you really not considering joining us? Cultivating alone is truly difficult; mutual support and assistance are the right path."

Du Qingquan remained silent, only gesturing for the bill to be paid.

Daoist Mu sighed, took out ten Spirit Stone and handed them over, then suggested again, "Spirit Stone aren't enough, how about I use Azure Primordial Pill as payment?"

After a moment's thought, Du Qingquan firmly shook his head.

The Azure Primordial Pill is a pill produced by the Azure Cloud Sect. It is the most widely circulated in the market and is the most effective in enhancing cultivation. One pill can be equivalent to a month of arduous breathing exercises.

In the past, Du Qingquan had also taken a few pills.

But I met Hua Chunning today and heard her mention erysipelas, so I kept it in mind.

Having no other option, the Daoist Mu had to take out a few more Spirit Stone to make up the difference.

Du Qingquan breathed a sigh of relief and glanced at the miscellaneous items on the stall.

Those so-called fragments of Law Artifact and seeds of Spirit Plant are not worth looking at, but there are a few ancient and incomplete Daoist scriptures that look quite good.

Du Qingquan rummaged through the items, picked through them, and put down a Spirit Stone.

"Heh, another one who hasn't given up yet." Daoist Mu sneered and casually waved his hand, saying, "Since you're a regular customer, take it, take it."

Du Qingyuan got up and left without lingering, heading towards the market.

With the market just in front of him, Du Qingyuan suddenly stopped, and the [Cave Spring Talisman] in his arms trembled slightly.

Someone is lurking ahead, harboring murderous intent.

Du Qingyuan immediately activated a [Light Body Talisman] and turned to flee.

They stopped again after a short while.

There were also people blocking their way from behind.

After a moment's thought, Du Qingyuan activated another [Clothes Cleansing Talisman]. A cloud of fragrant powdery mist burst forth from the incomplete Daoist scripture he had just purchased.

Sure enough, something had been done to them.

Du Qingquan simply threw away the incomplete Daoist scripture, a surge of anger rising within him. "Bandit Cultivator?! Truly, the kind are bullied! These fools don't even consider that if I can sell talismans, how could I not keep some for self-defense!"

Enough, there's no need to come to this black market anymore.

From now on, I will sell the talismans I draw directly to the Azure Cloud Sect, earning only a stable income, and focus on waiting for my children to be born.

With Hua Chunning of Supreme Mystery Mountain looking after them, Azure Cloud Sect would probably not refuse.

Thinking this, Du Qingquan gave up on running and simply turned around and walked towards the market, where he ran into three pursuing Bandit Cultivator.

The three Bandit Cultivator were also Qi Refining who had undergone the New Method of Body Refining. They were dressed in black and carried ordinary swords and spears, looking quite shabby.

Without saying a word, Du Qingquan threw out a handful of talismans.

A flash of spiritual light, and the three Bandit Cultivator, without any reaction, were reduced to ashes.

The Bandit Cultivator following behind, who had never seen such a ferocious talisman cultivator before, immediately scattered and fled in all directions.

Inside a cave.

"Failed?! What a bunch of trash!" Upon hearing the report from his escaped subordinates, the leader of the Bandit Cultivator sect flew into a rage. Holding a small apricot-yellow flag, he was about to punish these useless fools.

Beside him stood the withered-looking Daoist Mu from the black market, who quickly advised, "The important matter is paramount; don't let a small thing ruin the big picture."

After hearing this, the leader of the Bandit Cultivator suppressed his anger and waved his hand to shoo them away, saying, "Get lost! Go and find out the identity and background of that talisman master. I'll deal with him after I finish my big business!"

The Bandit Cultivator hurriedly nodded in agreement and left as if granted a pardon.

Inside the cave, the Daoist Mu broke the silence, saying hesitantly, "Are we really going to ambush and kill that person? He's True Disciple a celestial sect, not some market vendor or talisman cultivator. Even if we manage to kill him, I'm afraid there will be endless trouble afterward."

"Ha, Supreme Mystery Mountain gets at least 30% of the market's annual profits! Calculate for yourself how many Foundation Establishment Pill you could buy!" The leader of the Bandit Cultivator said coldly, "Why don't you calculate how many days you have left to live? Or why don't you go and kill Lin Muyang and Xue Yong?"

Daoist Mu was no fool, so naturally he wouldn't dare challenge Rosy Clouds Resting Mountain, the overlord of the Southern Edge Continent.

As for Lin Muyang, he's even less suitable; he's Foundation Establishment cultivator!

Moreover, the Foundation Establishment Pill can only be purchased from the Azure Cloud Sect.

After much thought, the female cultivator from Supreme Mystery Mountain, who not only had the lowest cultivation level but was also a foolish child carrying gold in the marketplace, was indeed the most suitable candidate.

"Let's do it!" Since Daoist Mu dared to engage in such a dangerous business, he naturally possessed the courage and boldness. Since he didn't have any Foundation Establishment Pill and only a few days left to live, he gritted his teeth and said, "When do we make our move?!"

"No rush." The leader of the Bandit Cultivator sat in the shadows and spoke softly, "Next, she will be invited to the Azure Cloud Sect, and she will be accompanied by many Azure Cloud Sect cultivators as guards. The best time to make a move will be when she returns to Supreme Mystery Mountain from the market."

The Daoist Mu pondered for a moment, finding it quite reasonable, and then smiled as he probed, "I am seeking the [Foundation Establishment Pill] to prolong my life, but what about you?! To me, it doesn't sound like you're after money, but rather like you're seeking revenge."

"What's it to you?!" The leader of the Bandit Cultivator sneered, then, considering that this person was ultimately involved, said, "She killed my dearest elder, shouldn't I kill her?!"