Step by Step Ascend to Immortality

Chapter 135: Chapter 124 Night Market

Hearing Liu Suiyun's words, Taikang couldn't help but sigh: "Wang Qinian's group mostly managed to squeeze into Shenxiao Mountain, but unfortunately, almost all of our old brothers got eliminated in the last round! Even the King is disheartened, saying he might go back home to farm..."

"Go home and farm?" Liu Suiyun asked with concern, "Even if farming, it should be on Lingxiao Mountain, right? Has the King truly left?"

Taikang's thoughts aligned perfectly with this: "Exactly! Even if we're reduced to farming, it must be done on Shenxiao Mountain! I persuaded him several times, and for now, he's staying in the market at the foot of the mountain. I told him, 'I managed to get in this year, so with me inside, I'll find a way for him next year.'"

"That's more like it!" Liu Suiyun agreed with a smile. "If you need any help, just say the word."

As they chatted, the waiter began serving the dishes. "Master Kang, esteemed seniors, here are some of our house specialties. Please, enjoy..."

The ingredients were top-notch, and so was the cooking. As they ate, Taikang asked Liu Suiyun, "Old Xing, where are you staying now? I didn't see you during the competition—how did you manage to get into Shenxiao Mountain?"

Liu Suiyun replied, "I gave my all in the small tournament and secured first place. I thought the results wouldn't carry over to the main event, but unexpectedly, my Master's wife came to select disciples. She thought I was diligent and resourceful, so she brought me straight into the sect."

"So that's what happened!" Taikang chuckled. "You wouldn't believe how many people stomped their feet in regret when they heard the news. Old Xing, you really got lucky! Where are you staying now?"

Liu Suiyun answered simply, "I'm currently learning to farm on Zhonghua Peak."

"Zhonghua Peak?" Huo Tianya suddenly exclaimed, "Could it be that Senior Brother Liu is under the tutelage of Master Chu Nanhua? Remarkable, truly remarkable..."

Huo Tianya couldn't help but marvel at Liu Suiyun's extraordinary luck. To think that a small competition led him directly to Zhonghua Peak! "Master Chu Nanhua is one of the top cultivators in our Shenxiao Sect. At this year's entrance ceremony, it's said he ranked among the top twenty..."

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Though Huo Tianya's information wasn't entirely accurate, Liu Suiyun didn't bother correcting him. "Though I've entered Master Chu's tutelage, it's mostly my Master's wife who teaches me. Right now, I'm following her instructions to cultivate tea and crops..."

"That's still impressive!" Taikang laughed heartily. "I thought I had good luck this year, but it seems yours surpasses mine! Now the King can rest easy knowing you're in the sect. Wait, Old Xing, are you already at the late stage of Qi Refinement?"

Liu Suiyun, having entered the tutelage of a Golden Core cultivator—even as an outer disciple—had already gained enough influence to bring the King into the Shenxiao Sect. The benefits he had received after reaching Zhonghua Peak left Taikang utterly astonished.

The progress was too fast! They had met in Jiazhou Market only a few months ago, and Taikang distinctly remembered that when they first met, Liu Suiyun hadn't even broken through the mid-stage of Qi Refinement. He was still trying to reach the fifth layer. Yet, after barely more than a month, Taikang couldn't even discern Liu Suiyun's cultivation level, a clear sign that he had surpassed the late stage of Qi Refinement, leaving Taikang far behind. "Master Chu Nanhua truly deserves his place among the top twenty cultivators in our Shenxiao Sect. Remarkable, truly remarkable!"

Liu Suiyun, who usually found Master Chu Nanhua to be reserved and unassuming, now realized just how extraordinary his master was. Yet, when compared to his Master's wife, even Master Chu paled in comparison. Although he had mentioned his Master's wife several times, neither Taikang nor Huo Tianya had any impression of her, assuming she was merely a Foundation Establishment cultivator. "Taikang, as her disciple, I dare not boast of my teacher's abilities, nor do I dare to act under her name..."

"However, as brothers, we naturally look out for each other. If you need anything, just come to Zhonghua Peak and find me," he added. "These days, I'm busy farming and cultivating tea under my Master's wife, so I don't have many opportunities to leave the peak."

Huo Tianya laughed even more. "Senior Brother, our future is in your hands! Next time you come to the mountain, give me a heads-up. I'll make sure you're treated like royalty, not like today's hurried affair!"

Taikang, staying true to his nature, chimed in, "Senior Brother Huo, don't you dare! I know you've got plenty of lady friends, but Old Xing here already has a lovely wife at home!"

Huo Tianya smiled cheekily. "So what if he's got a wife? We're all men here—what's the harm in having a few drinks and letting some girls sing for us, just to brighten the mood?"

His flirtatious grin clearly indicated he had something more than innocent entertainment in mind. Liu Suiyun, however, remained serious and said, "My wife is a Foundation Establishment cultivator."

At this, Huo Tianya immediately deflated. All he could do was ask, "Then, Senior Brother, is there anything you need help with?"

Liu Suiyun remembered the letter he had written to Gu Yinghua. "Where are you all staying now?" he asked.

"We're currently at Baishi Hall," Taikang answered quickly. "It's said to handle 'everything,' but in reality, they just have us doing odd jobs. Still, we have a lot of brothers scattered across the mountain, so no matter which peak, we've got someone from Baishi Hall there."

Liu Suiyun nodded. "I do need a favor. I want to send a letter to my wife, but she's thousands of miles away. Do you know of any way to get it there?"

Huo Tianya immediately asked, "How far away?"

Liu Suiyun replied, "Even with the fastest horses riding nonstop, it would take a year and a half..."

Both Taikang and Huo Tianya gasped in shock. Taikang, who had met Gu Huijun a few times, thought to himself, Could it be that Miss Gu isn't actually Old Xing's wife?

But since this was Liu Suiyun's personal matter, and his wife was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, Taikang didn't dare ask further. He simply said, "Old Xing, don't worry. I'll help you inquire as soon as I get back. We've got plenty of brothers at Baishi Hall; we should be able to find a way!"

Liu Suiyun nodded and said, "Thank you! I live on the forty-seventh floor of the Jietian Pavilion with my master and mistress. If I'm not on the peak, please inform Chu Cangshan or the other senior brothers. Any costs incurred, I'll cover them."

The meal ended on a satisfying note, though Liu Suiyun ended up paying four spirit stones. But in a place like Shenxiao Peak, especially when it was packed with cultivators, he had no choice but to accept it.

By the time he parted ways with Taikang and Huo Tianya, the moon had already risen. Glancing back, he saw the towering Jietian Pavilion, which reached high into the clouds—impossible to miss. Liu Suiyun smiled to himself. "I've learned a lot about our sect today. Time to take a stroll through the night market..."

The night market was dimly lit, and it was easy to get cheated if one wasn't careful. But it was also the best place to test one's eye for valuable items. Along the roadside, cultivators often displayed rare goods, tempting passersby with their treasures. If one wasn't careful, their spirit stones could disappear in an instant.

Liu Suiyun mainly focused on the stalls selling spiritual herbs and plants, but with little practical experience, he was cautious and only bought a few seeds. Now, under the faint light, he stared intently at several seeds on display. The vendor across from him, seeing that Liu Suiyun was interested, immediately spoke up, "My friend, I can tell you know your stuff. These aren't ordinary Frostvine seeds. They were harvested from a mutated Frostvine, at least three hundred years old. You know how rare three-hundred-year-old Frostvine seeds are..."

Liu Suiyun hesitated and asked, "How many spirit stones?"

"Fifteen spirit stones!" The vendor's price was steep. Liu Suiyun immediately lost interest—several seeds costing a quarter of his spirit stones? Without even haggling, he turned to leave. The vendor, disappointed, was about to lower the price when Liu Suiyun stopped after a few steps and turned back.

"My friend, fifteen spirit stones is already the lowest price! These are three-hundred-year-old Frostvine seeds—you won't find another like them on Shenxiao Peak!" the vendor pleaded.

Liu Suiyun said nothing, crouching down to scrutinize the seeds closely.