Chapter 38

The next location was still in the Peach Source Mountains, about seven li from Xingde Mountain, nestled within a gorge.

“To the northwest is Wulei Mountain; to the southeast is Wangyue Mountain. This valley extends eastward, leading to the main road to Dongting...” Standing at the gorge’s entrance, Xingde Jun pointed to either side and introduced them to Liu Xiaolou.

As he spoke, several people descended from each mountain, following the trail eastward, preparing to leave Peach Source. Seeing Xingde Jun and Liu Xiaolou, they called out: “Are you also being driven out by Qingyu Sect?”

Xingde Jun remained silent, face cold, but Liu Xiaolou replied: “Are you all in the same boat?”

As more gathered, the group began complaining: “Damn it! Everyone in Qingyu Sect deserves to die!”

“What did we do to them? Can’t we even live here?”

“The Zhou family was robbed, but it wasn’t us! I heard about it and rushed over, hoping to get a share—but it was already cleaned out. Now I’ve gained nothing and taken the blame. What a damn injustice!”

“Peach Source won’t let us live—where else can we go?”

“Where else? Go back to your hometowns.”

“Back home? Brother, where’s your homeland? I won’t go back—I’d have no way to survive.”

“Fine! Welcome then! I’m from Heishan. Come to Heishan—we’ll plot great things together...”

“Heishan?”

“North Cliff of Heishan.”

“North Cliff? Do you know the Thousand-Faced Butcher?”

“Oh! So we’re family! Brother Tu is my elder brother—not by blood, but closer than any blood brother...”

“Close your damn mouth! Big bastard, crazy fool—let’s take him down!”

“Hey... why are we fighting? Brothers, what’s going on? Oh no...”

“Go ask the butcher—he’ll tell you. First, I’ll beat you to vent my rage, then drag you to North Cliff of Heishan to settle accounts—give back my sister!”

At the gorge’s mouth, flying swords and long blades clashed, water arrows danced with fireballs—soon it was a chaotic mess.

Liu Xiaolou quickly pulled Xingde Jun away, slipping into the valley. Xingde Jun glanced back with a cold sneer: “These wild cultivators!”

Liu Xiaolou rolled his eyes, thinking: “Isn’t this normal?”

The valley was thick with trees and vines, hard to traverse. Liu Xiaolou led the way, hacking a path with his sword, until they reached a stretch of scattered rocks.

Xingde Jun pointed to one large boulder: “Move it.”

After moving the boulder, a narrow underground hole was revealed.

“What kind of mine is this?” Liu Xiaolou asked curiously.

“This isn’t a mine—it’s an ancient tomb,” Xingde Jun said, then leapt inside.

Descending into the tomb, he lit a match. Before them stretched a three-zhang-long corridor, leading to a stone chamber where a stone coffin rested in the center.

“When I found this place, all the burial goods had been stolen—even the bones were gone. Only the mercury inside the coffin remained—perhaps grave robbers couldn’t carry it away.”

Liu Xiaolou leaned close and saw the coffin filled with a thick layer of silver liquid. Probing it with his sword, he stirred a faint ripple—it was indeed mercury.

“I heard mercury preserves corpses from decay—is that true?”

“It is. But it requires enormous quantities. No ordinary person could obtain this much. The tomb’s owner must have been a powerful noble or high cultivator.”

“So it’s lucky for us.”

“Mercury preserves spiritual power, preventing it from dispersing—it’s indispensable in forging. But don’t use too much. Thin, even layers are key. Most forgers wrongly believe more mercury locks in true qi better. That’s nonsense. Too much makes the artifact clumsy and dull, losing all agility.”

Another forging secret—Liu Xiaolou quickly noted it down.

Xingde Jun pulled out a small bamboo tube and had Liu Xiaolou fill it with mercury from the coffin.

Afterward, the two foraged for cinnabar, saltpeter, and other materials across the mountains. Night fell, dark and heavy.

Xingde Jun had no intention of returning to the monastery. Under cover of night, he and Liu Xiaolou left Peach Source, heading east. Occasionally, they veered off course to remote wastelands or deep ravines to gather needed materials.

He told Liu Xiaolou that forging materials varied endlessly, but some were essential for nearly all magic treasures: the Five Metals and Eight Stones.

The Five Metals were gold, silver, copper, iron, and tin. The Eight Stones were cinnabar, realgar, mica, azurite, sulfur, rock salt, orpiment, and saltpeter. Each metal and stone had countless varieties and distinctions—different qualities produced artifacts with vastly different traits.

Their quality was judged by color, hardness, weight, and purity, ultimately classified under the Five Elements.

The essence of forging was refining the Five Elements.

As they walked and talked, Liu Xiaolou listened intently, asking questions now and then. Before he realized it, dawn broke.

Forging was vast and profound. Even Xingde Jun admitted these teachings were merely the basics of array-plate forging. Still, they left Liu Xiaolou dizzy and confused—knowing how, but not why. This wasn’t something mastered overnight. He could only learn slowly, repeatedly.

During study, Liu Xiaolou understood Xingde Jun’s intent: he was teaching his secret forging methods as repayment for a debt. This delighted Liu Xiaolou, and he trained with even greater focus.

Fortunately, the Three Xuan Sect’s teachings included a method for crafting Illusory Incense Sinews—Liu Xiaolou had spent years mastering it, and many principles overlapped. His quick grasp left a strong impression on Xingde Jun.

Without warning, ahead lay a vast expanse of blue water. Dozens of fishing boats, sails raised, cast nets across the surface—they had reached Dongtinghu.

In the lake’s center lay a great island, invisible from shore due to the lake’s immense size. That unseen island was Junshan, one of the world’s blessed lands and the main gate of Qingyu Sect. Liu Xiaolou gazed toward the lake’s heart, filled with awe.

Following the lakeshore south, they circled widely, then left the shore and traveled northwest for over twenty li, arriving at a mountain villa with layered tiled eaves.

Xingde Jun stopped and led Liu Xiaolou into the nearby woods, taking out dried rations to fill their stomachs.

Liu Xiaolou asked: “Master, you’ve been watching that villa all along?”

Xingde Jun replied: “That’s the Zhou family’s villa.”

Liu Xiaolou was startled: “The one looted a few days ago? It doesn’t seem as wealthy as Zhang Xianbai’s Jinpingshan Villa.”

Xingde Jun said: “You mean Zhang Xianbai’s Jinpingshan Villa? The Zhou villa has far deeper roots. The cultivators within are far superior. Jinpingshan has only Zhang Xianbai as a true expert. But this generation of the Zhou family has three top experts—two already achieved Foundation Establishment and are inner-disciples of Qingyu Sect.”

Liu Xiaolou glanced at Xingde Jun and cautiously asked, "Master's injury..."

Xingde Jun nodded: “I was wounded here.”

Liu Xiaolou beamed: “So Master also received the Hero’s Invitation! Or perhaps... you were the one who issued it? Do you know Old Wang...”

Xingde Jun blinked: “Hero’s Invitation? Old Wang?”

Seeing he wasn’t lying, Liu Xiaolou quickly changed course: “You said the Zhou family had no good people—why come here? Is there a forging treasure inside? Are you planning to imitate the recent bandits... no, imitate those thieves and raid the villa again?”

Xingde Jun shook his head: “I came here only by chance. My main goal is gathering materials nearby. But... since we’re here, help me. Lure Zhou Qi’s wife here.”

Liu Xiaolou was stunned, then smiled: “Ah, I see. Master, rest assured—I’m quite skilled at this. Does Zhou Qi’s wife have cultivation? What level?”