Chapter 29: Hard-to-Pick Flowers

Qin Xiaopang didn't resist the idea of forming a partnership. To be honest, he and Li Banfeng weren't close acquaintances; they had only met once at the peddler's.

The reason he had given Li Banfeng so much support along the way was just to form a partnership.

Now that he had met an expert like the gold-rimmed glasses, Qin Xiaopang naturally wouldn't refuse and agreed immediately.

Once he agreed, the other four people around also agreed.

An insider who spoke so sincerely—there was really no reason to refuse him.

These four people were: a middle-aged man in his fifties named Old Yanpao, who claimed to be a first-layer Smoke Cultivator and never left his pipe;

a plump and pretty woman in her twenties named Youtao, who claimed to be a Body Cultivator, just entered the gate, no layers;

a young girl of fourteen or fifteen named Caoye, who claimed to be a Medicine Cultivator, also just entered the gate, no layers;

and a young man in his early twenties named Hu Gaozi, who claimed to be a first-layer Martial Cultivator.

Their names were obviously not real, and as for their cultivation bases and Daoist sects, it was hard to say if they were true or false.

Qin Xiaopang's Daoist sect had already been guessed by the gold-rimmed glasses, so he simply admitted it generously: "I'm called Xiaopang, a Food Cultivator, no layers."

When asked about Li Banfeng, Li Banfeng replied: "I'm called Bai Sha, a Joy Cultivator, no layers."

Xiaopang was startled and stared at Li Banfeng for a long time.

Initially, he called himself Li Qi; whether Bai Sha was his real name didn't matter.

But when did he become a Joy Cultivator?

Wasn't he a Traveling Cultivator?

Was he deliberately not telling the truth to this gold-rimmed glasses?

Then was what he told me the truth?

The gold-rimmed glasses was also very curious and asked Li Banfeng: "You're a Joy Cultivator? Did you come alone?"

Joy Cultivators generally appear in pairs with partners to facilitate cultivation.

Li Banfeng pointed at Qin Xiaopang and said: "I came with him."

Everyone's gaze focused on Qin Xiaopang. Qin Xiaopang was silent for a moment, untied the bundle behind his back, revealed the dry rations inside, and said to everyone:

"I'm a Food Cultivator. I can eat five jin of dry rations in one meal, sometimes ten jin. I really am a Food Cultivator; I'm not lying to you. I'll eat for you to see right now."

The gold-rimmed glasses said to everyone: "I'm called Kaishan, a first-layer Traveling Cultivator. I usually like to travel to famous mountains and rivers. I've been to this Bitter Wushan several times before. Where I can remind everyone on the road, I will definitely remind you."

Hu Gaozi said from the side: "Brother Kaishan, we all trust you. You are our leader. We'll pick the flowers, and according to the rules of the underworld, we'll split twenty percent for you. How about that?"

Hearing this, everyone was unhappy.

You say split, so we split? Did you ask us about this?

The gold-rimmed glasses shook his head repeatedly: "I can't take everyone's flowers. These flowers are exchanged for lives."

"I have no grace toward everyone. I help everyone, and everyone helps me. This is originally a matter of mutual care."

Hearing this, everyone had a few more points of respect for the gold-rimmed glasses, and the leadership naturally fell to him.

The people from the medicine shops were vaguely visible in the thick fog. The gold-rimmed glasses led the crowd to follow behind at a leisurely pace.

Ahead was a stone bridge, more than a meter wide, capable of accommodating two or three people passing side by side.

"This is called the No-Regret Bridge," the gold-rimmed glasses adjusted his nose clip. "Everyone might feel a bit uncomfortable in the throat; this is because you have already smelled the poisonous fog."

"After passing the No-Regret Bridge, it is the territory of Bitter Wushan. Everyone, I don't know if the cultivation bases you reported are true or false, but I sincerely advise you: those without cultivation bases, don't walk forward."

"Every year, there are people without cultivation bases who want to try their luck on Bitter Wushan. As a result, not a single one of those who go up returns alive."

"I'm not blocking everyone's path to wealth; I'm advising everyone to think twice."

Everyone looked at each other and said nothing. Hu Gaozi sneered: "Brother Kaishan, you've already said it to this point. If there are still those who don't understand reason, that's them seeking their own death."

"Little girl, I see you don't have a cultivation base. If I were you, I'd leave quickly; there's still time."

The little girl was named Caoye. She lowered her head, blushing, and said: "I really am a Medicine Cultivator. I understand pharmacology and can help."

Hu Gaozi looked at Old Yanpao again: "You old bones, even if you really have a cultivation base, you won't be useful on the mountain, right?"

Old Yanpao laughed: "Useful or not, let's wait and see."

No one had any intention of retreating, and the group of seven crossed the bridge.

On the other side of the bridge, Li Banfeng only felt his throat tighten and started coughing in bursts.

Li Banfeng entered the Daoist sect by "shining light"; unlike others who had long-term accumulation, the gap in physical fitness manifested itself.

The gold-rimmed glasses frowned: "Brother, do you really have a cultivation base?"

Li Banfeng nodded: "I do, Joy Cultivator."

Old Yanpao laughed: "Joy Cultivators are physically weak and can't withstand the bitter fog; it's reasonable."

As the words fell, everyone looked at Qin Xiaopang.

Qin Xiaopang puffed out his chest: "I'm a Food Cultivator."

The gold-rimmed glasses said to Li Banfeng: "Brother, once on the mountain, if you can't hold on, go down the mountain as early as possible. Don't risk your life for greed."

Caoye took out a cloth bag the size of a palm from her bosom and took out a candy from the bag.

"Big brother, hold a medicinal candy; it works."

Medicinal candy?

What kind of thing was this?

Li Banfeng looked at the candy, wondering whether to eat it.

Seeing Li Banfeng hesitate, Caoye held the medicinal candy in her own mouth and gave Li Banfeng another one: "Big brother, I'm not a bad person."

If he didn't accept it, it wouldn't be appropriate.

Li Banfeng held one in his mouth. The cool, slightly sour juice slid down his throat, and the dry, itchy suffering vanished instantly.

He stopped coughing; this thing really worked.

Li Banfeng thanked her and followed the crowd to continue walking forward. After walking for more than half an hour, they finally arrived at the foot of the mountain.

The winding dirt road extended upward from the foot of the mountain. The visibility was no more than twenty or thirty meters, and the full view of the mountain still couldn't be seen.

"Sister, give me one too. After selling the flowers, sister will give you money." The plump beauty Youtao also started coughing and asked Caoye for a medicinal candy.

The mountain road was narrow and steep. The crowd stood in a line and walked up. Li Banfeng happened to be walking behind Youtao.

Li Banfeng had seen many pretty girls, but he had truly rarely seen a figure like Youtao's.

Her finger-wave hairstyle paired with a red and green cheongsam; her shoulder and back lines were smooth, and her slender waist could be grasped in one hand.

Especially the two peach-like cheeks below her waist—round, proud, and with a unique delicacy and spirit between their massiveness.

No wonder she was called Youtao (Oil Peach).

These peaches were born simply impeccable.

She was right in front, swaying with every step, swaying with every step...

Was she really here to pick flowers on the mountain?

Picking flowers on the mountain—why wear a cheongsam?

This was obviously inconvenient for movement!

This was clearly deliberately disturbing his attention!

Li Banfeng tried his best to move his gaze away from those two cheeks, but Youtao suddenly turned her head and smiled at Li Banfeng.

Her crescent-like eyes carried ten thousand kinds of amorous feelings, and this smile made Li Banfeng's heart tighten.

"Little brother, are you really a Joy Cultivator? I heard Joy Cultivators can handle seven or eight rounds a day without issue."

Li Banfeng said indifferently: "Sister, you flatter me."

Youtao's vermilion lips trembled slightly, and she whispered: "How about we spar another day?"

Li Banfeng shook his head: "Little brother's cultivation is still shallow; I'm afraid I'm no match for sister."

Youtao looked at Qin Xiaopang behind Li Banfeng and smiled with pursed lips: "Almost forgot, your partner is still there. You like round ones, not flat ones."

Xiaopang wiped the sweat from his forehead: "I'm a Food Cultivator..."

Traveling Cultivators are very sensitive to distance. According to Li Banfeng's calculation, the crowd had walked more than five li on the mountain road when a black and white flower appeared beside the mountain road.

The shape of this flower was very peculiar; each petal was narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, with a white base and black spots, just like a snake head covered with a layer of scales.

Snake-Pattern Chrysanthemum!

The gold-rimmed glasses had introduced the shape characteristics of the Snake-Pattern Chrysanthemum, and Li Banfeng recognized it; this flower was exactly the same as the gold-rimmed glasses' description.

Xiaopang also recognized it and was about to step forward to pick it in his joy, when a man suddenly rushed out from the bushes beside the mountain road, holding a long-handled pair of scissors, and snatched the flower first.

Xiaopang was furious, not just because the flower was snatched, but because of this person.

The person in front of him happened to be the bald man he had met before going up the mountain.

It's him again!

Xiaopang lifted the axe again; this time he really wanted to take action.

The bald man looked disdainful: "Stupid as a pig, can't even catch the hot stuff when eating shit! What are you doing with an axe? Try swinging it!"

The gold-rimmed glasses stopped Xiaopang, and the bald man disappeared into the bushes in the blink of an eye.

Xiaopang gritted his teeth: "This dog bastard, I must chop him!"

The gold-rimmed glasses pulled Xiaopang: "Don't worry about one or two flowers on the roadside. Once we get to a good place, there will be plenty of flowers."

"Where is the good place?" Xiaopang was still unwilling.

The gold-rimmed glasses looked at the mountain road; the medicine shop people were fast, and their figures had already disappeared.

"Walk faster and see if we can catch up with them."

Old Yanpao lit his pipe, took a few hard puffs, and spat out a white-yellowish smoke.

The smoke flew forward rapidly, and Old Yanpao bit the pipe stem, savoring the taste.

"They haven't gone far. At the fork ahead, they went to the right."

Hu Gaozi was startled: "Old thing, don't talk nonsense if you don't know."

Old Yanpao tapped his pipe: "If you don't believe me, don't follow us!"

The gold-rimmed glasses believed Old Yanpao because there was indeed a fork ahead.

Turning right along the fork and walking for more than an hour, a clearing appeared beside the mountain road and outside the dense forest.

"They are in this place." Old Yanpao entered the clearing, and the gold-rimmed glasses followed closely.

Traveling Cultivators have fast footsteps. Li Banfeng could have caught up in front, but he deliberately walked a bit slower, his eyes seemingly fixed on Youtao's two cheeks.

Searching in the clearing for a while, Li Banfeng saw a black and white flower beside his feet.

Having watched the swaying peaches all the way, he thought he had seen wrong.

He bent down to look again; he hadn't seen wrong—this was the Snake-Pattern Chrysanthemum.

He took out the sickle, and according to the method the gold-rimmed glasses had explained at the foot of the mountain, he pinched the flower neck and cut the flower off more than an inch from the root.

The first Snake-Pattern Chrysanthemum was in hand!

PS: Dear readers, have a happy weekend. It's the end of the month; give Yumian Shala more votes and leave more comments!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 30 =====