61. Trading Journey in Miao Territory

When Luo Yu heard Su Sangyi’s words, he was instantly speechless, panic rising in his heart: How could Master know? Has the secret been exposed... Is there a crowd chasing after us to catch the thief? Is Master here to warn us?

Qin Yue was also feeling uneasy and uncertain.

Su Sangyi sighed, found a chair, and sat down to admonish them, “You only fear after the deed is done? If someone truly wants to hold you accountable, it’s already too late to escape.”

Luo Yu asked anxiously, “Master... do they know it was us... have they already found out?”

Su Sangyi looked at him, both annoyed and amused, “You two are quite resourceful and left no tangible evidence. But in the Jade Pool gathering of the Nine Heavens Palace, a Spirit Gathering Array was sold, which left traces. If someone is determined to investigate, it wouldn’t be difficult. I heard of the incident and guessed it was you two... If you could infiltrate Bamboo Pavilion, what other sect would be beyond your reach?”

Luo Yu blushed, silently bowing his head.

Qin Yue reflected, “We failed to consider everything. We’ll be far more careful in the future.”

Su Sangyi scolded, “Still thinking about next time? You two have made quite a name for yourselves across the sects. If anything suspicious happens again, you’ll be the prime suspects. Rid yourselves of such thoughts at once!”

Qin Yue had nothing to say.

Master Su continued lecturing for a while. Seeing the pair subdued, he then asked sternly, “Between you two, who is skilled in arrays?”

Luo Yu replied softly, “...I am.”

Master Su nodded, his expression softening. He smiled, “Yue’er’s judgment is indeed sharp! When I first met you, I suspected it was you. To study arrays, one must have powerful spiritual sense to detect flaws and fill gaps. Both of you possess extraordinary spiritual sense—if you can remain steady and grounded, your future achievements will be limitless.”

He shook his head and continued, “The path is arduous, and you two are fond of stirring trouble. My warnings often go unheeded; should disaster strike, I’d be ashamed before my senior brother.”

Luo Yu hurriedly assured him, “Don’t worry, Master! We’ve nearly gathered all the spiritual medicine we need and won’t risk ourselves again.”

He then tugged at Qin Yue, giving him a meaningful look. Qin Yue caught on and earnestly declared, “Qin Yue will heed Master’s teachings, act within his limits, and never be reckless again.”

Master Su scrutinized Qin Yue for a long moment, sighing, “Last time you said the same thing—how did that turn out?”

After a long silence, Master Su added, “Mountains may change, but character is hard to alter; I can only do my best... Bamboo Pavilion is renowned for its arrays, and strong spiritual sense is essential. Since ancient times, our ancestors have painstakingly cultivated their spiritual sense, passing down much experience.”

He took a book from his sleeve and said, “This is ‘The Art of Tempering the Spirit,’ compiled from the wisdom of Bamboo Pavilion’s predecessors. It contains methods to strengthen spiritual sense, manipulate it, and even use it offensively. Though it may not rival your current techniques, it can serve as reference. I gift it to you both—do not share it outside. Possessing another skill, you may one day protect yourselves.”

Luo Yu was deeply moved: Master was too generous—first a great favor, now a secret technique... How could he possibly accept?

Qin Yue felt uneasy, “Master, your generosity makes me ashamed. We have yet to repay your past kindness; ‘The Art of Tempering the Spirit’ must be a Bamboo Pavilion secret, and I fear it burdens you. I dare not accept it.”

Su Sangyi snorted, “My senior’s son—why so stubborn! Techniques aren’t shared to prevent outsiders from harming the sect. Both of you are descendants of sect members, kind-hearted, and even when stealing herbs, you spare strangers. Would you ever oppose Bamboo Pavilion? Techniques exist to be used by people. No more words.”

With things said thus, there was nothing left to refuse. The two gratefully accepted the book.

Su Sangyi smiled, relaxed into his chair, and said, “Little Yu, come here... How about a little exchange on arrays with Master?”

Luo Yu nodded eagerly, “Certainly! Please instruct me, Master!”

Su Sangyi’s eyes sparkled, “I dare not call it instruction—but Little Yu, don’t hold anything back from Master!”

And so, Master Su drew Luo Yu into a fervent study of arrays.

This discussion lasted an entire week, with Master Su repeatedly stunned by Luo Yu’s innovative programming methods and unique thought processes. Though Bamboo Pavilion specialized in arrays, few disciples truly possessed talent and passion for them. Most only studied them because it was their chosen field, mimicking predecessors with rigid, outdated thinking—some even withholding knowledge. How could they compare to the collective wisdom of the world’s programming enthusiasts?

Master Su felt he had discovered an unrivaled treasure—a genius among geniuses! He clung to Luo Yu, voraciously absorbing everything he could. Only when Qing Huo and Su Heng returned from their mission and, together with Qin Yue, prepared to attend the last market gathering of the vacation did he reluctantly take his leave, promising to return often, and even commissioned a mountain-guarding array developed with Luo Yu, along with a batch of magical tools.

In the past few days, someone finally came to buy from the Baqi shop, though only two or three customers—but it was a start. As the holiday drew to a close, two members of the Luo family returned: Father Chu needed to teach classes, and Gong Jin Qian’s consulting job had been taken by foreigners, so he returned as well. Luo Yu introduced his two subordinates to the family, handed store duties to Gong Jin Qian, and, together with Qin Yue, prepared goods for the market, taking his subordinates to expand their business.

This time their destination was the southwestern heartland, a region known since ancient times for its treacherous terrain—a headache for emperors, commonly called Miao Territory.

Within these steep mountains lived not only the brave Miao people, but also a renowned stronghold in the cultivation world: the Imperial Heavenly Dragon Village. The Miao excelled in witchcraft and gu, and Imperial Heavenly Dragon was the birthplace of these unique arts.

Imperial Heavenly Dragon held a special place in the cultivation world. They weren’t true cultivators in the strict sense, but had their own ways of prolonging life: secret medicines and gu. In ancient cultivation times, Miao Territory was insignificant. But after the great powers fell, they joined forces with demon cultivators to regain their standing: though not true cultivators, they insisted that cultivation gatherings be held on their turf—otherwise, they’d disrupt the events.

Of course, reputation was only part of it. The main benefit lay in the goods and spirit stones brought by cultivators: spirit stones could be used for arrays, spiritual medicines to raise gu, and many other uses.

Imperial Heavenly Dragon was divided into three main schools: gu insects, witchcraft, and beast-taming. Gu insects were typically used by Miao women, who nurtured them in their bodies to prolong life; witchcraft was the domain of Miao men, who used secret medicines and incantations to strengthen themselves, each rivaling the peak of Qi Refining. Beast-taming was practiced by both genders—they raised animals with various concoctions, then sent them into battle.

The market here was called the “Hero Tournament,” held from the seventh to the ninth.

Luo Yu, Qin Yue, and their two companions set off on the sixth, riding the Kunlun Cloud. They paused briefly in Western Hunan to enjoy local customs: on the modern streets, people in ethnic dress were everywhere—layer upon layer of headscarves forming huge bundles; their clothes mainly blue and black, with exquisite hand-embroidered patterns. Luo Yu also noticed the locals loved sour, salty, and spicy flavors, pickling all sorts of vegetables for snacks, and even bottling chili water in mineral bottles for drinks—truly shocking.

After a bit of sightseeing, they moved on, flying over mountains, and arrived at the Imperial Heavenly Dragon Miao Village by dusk. The endless village sprawled across tens of thousands of hectares of deep forest, a hidden gem. It took two cultivators with senses rivaling Golden Core level quite some time to find it.

Descending from the clouds, the treetops that seemed unimpressive from above grew larger in their eyes—each ancient banyan a forest unto itself, hundreds forming a sea of trees; lush and ancient, with myriad shapes. Streams and waterfalls flowed through the woods, mist wafted, rare flowers bloomed, and colorful pheasants and monkeys peeked from tree hollows.

Imperial Heavenly Dragon was a rising force in the cultivation world, its resources relatively scarce—lacking spiritual medicines, a land of wild mountains and rivers. They had no ancient arrays but cultivated poisonous mists as barriers to isolate themselves from the world.

As they admired the scenery, stilted houses peeked from the woods—some built against mountains, some nestled among trees, forming a kingdom within the forest. Following the stone-paved path, they soon encountered a Miao girl of sixteen or seventeen: her hair was tied into a tall bun decorated with a red flower and a row of silver hairpins; she wore heavy silver jewelry around her neck, short sleeves and skirt, leg bindings, bare feet, a beautifully embroidered apron at her waist, and a lively little monkey perched on her shoulder.

The girl greeted them with youthful pride, asking crisply, “What brings you to our village?”

Su Heng stepped forward, saluted, and said, “We four, master and servants, have come for the Hero Tournament. May I ask, miss, where we might find lodging?”

The girl flashed a smile, revealing bright white teeth, “My nickname is Mei Pu, and I’m here to guide you. Follow me!”

They walked after her, as Mei Pu kept sizing up Luo Yu and Qin Yue. After a while, she began chatting, “Do you have someone you love? I’m very pretty—do you like me?”

Luo Yu was busy admiring her outfit and was startled by the directness.

Qin Yue took Luo Yu’s hand and replied, “We’re Dao partners, and so are those two. You flatter us, miss.”

Mei Pu pouted slightly, “Do cultivators really only love men? What a pity! I like both of you—if only I could marry one.”

Luo Yu, shy and flustered, whispered, “Why did you say we’re Dao partners?”

Qin Yue calmly replied, “Miao women are straightforward—if you don’t make things clear, they might quietly use gu to keep you here.”

Luo Yu thought, That’s ruthless...

Mei Pu led them to a lively stilted courtyard and said, “This is where cultivators stay—don’t wander off, or if a beast bites you, the village won’t be responsible.”

Luo Yu looked up—the courtyard was at the village’s edge, with about a hundred bedrooms. A sign hung over the door: ‘Cultivator Residence No. 7.’ Clearly, there were several such courtyards, and the Miao were cautious about cultivators, not letting them stay within the main village.

They paid ten spirit stones at the entrance and entered. In the central yard, some impatient guests had already set up stalls. The rooms were full, mostly occupied, with a few having defensive arrays outside—obviously the wealthy.

The four found two adjacent rooms and set up their own defensive arrays. Luo Yu, seeing the lively stalls outside, felt tempted and dragged the others down to shop. They were browsing when suddenly someone approached and, in a secretive tone, asked, “Are you the owners of Baqi?”

Author’s note: No second update today... T.T

Friend’s Cultivation Chronicle 61_Friend’s Cultivation Chronicle Full Free Reading_61 Sales Trip to Miao Territory Update Complete!