Chapter 57: Chapter Fifty-Six: Setting Up a Stall

Holding a jar of Zhuyeqing liquor, Liu Xiaolou first went to the mouth of Tou Tiao Alley, then to the humble marketplace of Wu Chao Town, looking around but seeing few people setting up stalls—fewer than usual—and even fewer customers wandering about, leaving him puzzled.

He hadn’t found Qing Jie at the mouth of Tou Tiao Alley or at his own courtyard, and she wasn’t here either—he didn’t know where she’d gone or whether she’d contacted the Jade Jade Sect’s overseer.

Liu Xiaolou found a corner, placed the liquor jar beside him, and the few other stallholders in the marketplace turned to look.

Someone asked: “Spirit liquor?”

Liu Xiaolou nodded, but no one asked further. He was wondering whether he should find a brush and write a sign saying “Zhuyeqing” to attach to the jar when someone hurried in, whispered something to the man who had just spoken, and the man immediately bundled up his pile of rare mountain goods and left.

The remaining stallholders exchanged glances, none of them understanding what had happened.

After a while, the same thing happened again—one more stallholder packed up and left.

Liu Xiaolou grew alert, thinking: Could something be about to happen? He grabbed the jar and hurried away; as soon as he moved, the others all sprang into action—packing bundles, gathering baskets—and the marketplace erupted into chaos.

Just as he stepped out of the marketplace, he ran straight into Qing Jie, who grabbed his arm and pulled him away: “I was just looking for you—hurry!”

Liu Xiaolou was dragged out of Wu Chao Town and asked: “What’s going on?”

Qing Jie said: “Everyone’s gone to Wu Long Mountain—who’s still setting up stalls here? This is the spirit liquor you brought? Only one jar? That’s too little—probably not enough...”

Liu Xiaolou was bewildered: “Wait, Qing Jie... we can’t go up Wu Long Mountain—they’re sealing it and conducting a siege!”

Qing Jie replied: “If you don’t go up, who’s going to buy your liquor? The Jade Jade Sect’s overseers are all up there buying goods—do you think they have time to come down? Every merchant in town has gone up—the mountain is bustling, yet you’re still holed up in that alley, waiting till the monkeys and horses come around and no one even glances your way!”

Qing Jie dragged Liu Xiaolou onto a cart pulled by oxen, and they rattled back down to the foot of Wu Long Mountain, where indeed many people were ascending and descending—clearly lively and crowded.

“Where’s the marketplace set up?” Liu Xiaolou asked, pulling his conical hat down.

“At Ghost Dream Cliff,” Qing Jie replied. “It used to be occupied by a young Daoist named Wei—he was as handsome as you. Do you know him? But Master Wei has probably left Wu Long Mountain.”

So they were really going up—deep into the heart of the mountain?

They abandoned the cart and began climbing. When they reached the foot of Ghost Dream Cliff, Liu Xiaolou felt a fresh wave of tension, recalling again whether he had any connection to the Jade Jade Sect, whether anyone could identify him. As he thought, he suddenly remembered one overseer who knew him—he’d once slipped him silver on Star De Mountain—and he stopped in his tracks.

“Come on?” Qing Jie urged.

Liu Xiaolou pulled Qing Jie into a dense patch of trees. She chuckled: “So eager? Didn’t you say you’d wait until you’d cleared the Five Meridians?”

Liu Xiaolou whispered: “Find out if there’s a patrol overseer from the Jade Jade Sect named Hou Sheng on this mountain.”

Qing Jie asked: “You know him? You want to find him?”

Liu Xiaolou said: “He’s the only one in the Jade Jade Sect who recognizes me—if he’s up there, I can’t go forward. Or... could you go up and sell my liquor for me?”

Qing Jie shook her head: “No thanks. You cultivators have too many spells—I don’t understand anything, I’d get tricked in a heartbeat, and I wouldn’t even be able to prove if they swapped my liquor... I’ll go find out for you.”

Liu Xiaolou waited in the dense woods for half an hour before Qing Jie returned: “That Hou fellow isn’t here—he’s been sent north on official business.”

Now Liu Xiaolou was reassured. He continued climbing the mountain, carrying the jar. Before reaching Ghost Dream Cliff, he heard loud commotion from above, so he pulled his hat lower, trying to shield his face.

When he reached Ghost Dream Cliff, he was stunned by the sight.

Over three mu of cliffside was packed with over a hundred people—merchants and cultivators everywhere. Disciples, overseers, and servants from every branch of the Jade Jade Sect moved among dozens of stalls, inspecting all kinds of goods.

The few who had left early from the Wu Chao Town marketplace were here too; they’d arrived late, so their stalls were set up on the outer edges, loudly haggling with customers.

As Liu Xiaolou gazed in bewilderment, someone brushed past him, noticed his figure was familiar, bent down to peer under his hat, and laughed: “Xiao Lou!”

Liu Xiaolou jumped, hastily readjusting his hat—then saw it was Tan Ba.

“Tan Brother...”

“Hah! Xiao Lou’s here too—I was just looking for you... Take off the hat, no need—wearing it just makes you stand out... Oh, Qing Jie, you taken a fancy to our Xiao Lou? Holding on so tight? Hah...”

“Pah! You Tan Wangba, wait till Ye Zi gives you a proper beating! Xiao Lou... I’m over there by those trees—if you need anything, call out...”

Qing Jie released Liu Xiaolou and went to the large trees on the west side of Ghost Dream Cliff, where Liu Xiaolou spotted Zhang Ma, whispering to a Jade Jade Sect overseer.

Liu Xiaolou was speechless—had business really reached Ghost Dream Cliff?

Tan Ba pulled Liu Xiaolou past various stalls, and Liu Xiaolou saw the Seven Heroes of Gu Zhang Mountain—their stall was the largest, selling spirit rice, but the rice jars and weighing tables looked oddly familiar, just repainted.

He also saw Longshan Sanren and Lingling Ke—Longshan Sanren’s stall piled high with spirit herbs, Lingling Ke selling honeycombs.

There was Huang Ye Xian of Jade Maiden Cave, the Ma brothers of Five Sons Peak, Jiang Feihu of Flying Tiger Cave, Zhang Shihua of Stone Flower Valley, Old Hu Du of Gourd Mouth...

Had all the cultivators of Wu Long Mountain returned?

Dazed, Tan Ba pulled Liu Xiaolou into a stone cave on Ghost Dream Cliff—occupied by Zuo Gaofeng, who sold specialties from his Half Mu Gorge. At the cave’s entrance stood a large earthenware jar filled with over a dozen plump fish—caught by Tan Ba from beneath Long Ma Waterfall.

Zuo Gaofeng laughed: “Is this the liquor you’re selling? Spirit liquor? If so, you’ll make a small fortune—the Jade Jade Sect has plenty of liquor fiends—they’ll buy as much spirit liquor as you’ve got!”

Under Zuo Gaofeng and Tan Ba’s guidance, Liu Xiaolou numbly placed the jar at the cave’s entrance, and the wooden sign reading “Zhuyeqing” was propped up.

Before he’d even sat down, a Jade Jade Sect overseer spotted the sign and rushed over: “Real Zhuyeqing? From Tianmen Marketplace?”

Liu Xiaolou pried off the seal, and a fragrant spirit aroma spread out.

The overseer said nothing, immediately resealing the jar: “Name your price—I’ll take this jar.”