[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-notes-on-cultivation-at-wulong-mountain":3,"chapter-notes-on-cultivation-at-wulong-mountain-notes-on-cultivation-at-wulong-mountain-chapter-72":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Notes on Cultivation at Wulong Mountain",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2272977,4440,"Chapter 72","notes-on-cultivation-at-wulong-mountain-chapter-72",72,"\u003Cp>Dongting Lake stretched for ten thousand hectares, its emerald waves shimmering under misty haze, vast and boundless, surging tides crashing against the shore, churning up a thousand layers of white foam. Liu Xiaolou walked along the lakeshore for half a day, gazing toward the lake’s center, yet could never spot the famed Junshan Island at its heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Junshan Island was not a paradise realm, but a blessed land visible to all, which only proved how immense Dongting Lake was—far beyond Liu Xiaolou’s imagination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the northern shore of Dongting Lake lay a narrow bay. After entering the bay, the waters calmed into a tranquil pond, its surface blanketed with lotus leaves stretching as far as the eye could see—this was the Heaven-Connecting Lotus Pond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After walking another three li, he spotted a stone pavilion in the distance, its pillars rising from among the lotus leaves—surely the place Hou Zhishi had mentioned for leaving messages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Xiaolou waited until nightfall, confirmed no one was around, then donned a straw hat and black veil before slipping silently into the pavilion. He stomped on the floor tiles beneath it and found one that seemed loose; he tested it, and sure enough, it lifted up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He slipped a note inside, finished arranging everything, then left the pavilion. All that remained was to wait for a reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the northeastern shore of Dongting Lake stood a small market town called Yueyang Market, built centuries ago by the Qingyu Sect. Yet since its construction, the Qingyu Sect had never taken it seriously, so it remained obscure—only slightly larger than the street-stall market at Wuchao Village, and nowhere near the scale of the Tianmen Mountain Market.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since last month, for reasons unknown, the Qingyu Sect had poured massive resources into expanding Yueyang Market. Dozens of new halls and buildings were now under construction, doubling the market’s original size, and rumors said even more expansion was coming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond buildings, what mattered most were merchants and people. In addition to shops already bearing signs of the Zhanglong Sect, Dongyang Sect, and Tianmu Mountain, renowned orthodox sects such as Jin Tingshan’s Jin Tingpai, Mufu Mountain’s Taiyuan Sect, and Qingtian Mountain’s Qingtian Sect were also invited to open shops here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, any thriving market needed places for food, drink, and entertainment—so Zhang Ma and Qing Jie from Wuchao Village’s Head Alley were forcibly brought over by the Qingyu Sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Qingyu Sect had dragged them here roughly, but once they arrived, their treatment was lavish: each was given a large courtyard—free of charge!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Ma’s courtyard bore the sign “Hongyu”; Qing Jie’s bore “Lüyi.” The two courtyards stood side by side, flanking a narrow alley named Wuchao Alley—clear proof of the Qingyu Sect’s high regard for them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So… Qing Jie doesn’t want to go back?” Liu Xiaolou stood in the main hall of Lüyi Courtyard, gazing up at the twenty-foot ceiling and the vast space capable of hosting a hundred guests at once, taking in the gaudy decorations, and couldn’t help but marvel: the Qingyu Sect truly spared no expense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qing Jie’s attire now differed greatly from her days as a streetwalker: a yellow silk jacket with green embroidered sash, white gauze skirt patterned with pink willows. As the saying goes, a man is dressed by his clothes, a horse by his saddle—her naturally beautiful face and shapely figure now made her look like a noblewoman of a wealthy household, no longer resembling a madam at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One word from you, Xiao Lou, and I’d gladly give up everything here and return to Wuchao Village to serve you. Would you have me?” Qing Jie’s gaze was sharp as blades, fixed unblinkingly on Liu Xiaolou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Xiaolou dared not answer. He didn’t even dare ask what kind of word she wanted—so he changed the subject: “You’re wealthy now, Qing Jie. The Qingyu Sect treats you well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qing Jie replied coolly: “It’s fine. Why did you suddenly come here? Miss me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Xiaolou sighed: “I’ve hit a snag in my cultivation… so I thought… perhaps you might let me stay nearby for a while to train. But now I see—even staying here a few days is impossible. I’m broke.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qing Jie smiled faintly: “I’m practically your half-teacher’s wife. You want to stay here, and you talk about money? Fine. Settle in. Lüzhu, take Xiao Lou to the back courtyard. Prepare a room beside mine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dazzling young woman stepped forward, swaying like willows in the wind—her figure was subtle in curves, yet the prominent parts were unmistakably real. This was Lüzhu, one of Qing Jie’s top courtesans. Now dressed in new finery with light powder, she radiated even more beauty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Little Immortal Master, you and your master are truly our Qing Jie’s eternal foes—first your master, now you. You’re both obsessed with her. Come, don’t leave this time.\" Lüzhu led the way, covering her mouth as she giggled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Xiaolou stared at her boldness, recalling Tan Ba’s words about “sticking to the face,” and closed his eyes: “Ah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s wrong, Little Immortal Master?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I recently met Brother Tan. He still can’t stop talking about Green Lady.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Which Brother Tan?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tan Ba.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, that little bastard. Tell him to come quick—he still owes me five taels. I was soft-hearted and let him run a tab, and now it’s been three months and I haven’t seen him!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s just a tab. Green Lady, you don’t have to call him ‘bastard.’ He probably doesn’t even know you’re in Yueyang Market.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not calling him names on purpose. Last time he crawled into my undergarment and made me call him ‘Little Bastard.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, this courtyard is quiet. Little Immortal Master, stay here for now. The main house is Qing Jie’s. You’ll take the west room. I’m next door. Come visit me anytime. Qing Jie understands your Sanxuan Sect’s cultivation path—I don’t. But I’m willing to learn. I’d like to become your disciple, hehe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Xiaolou’s heart warmed at her teasing, his mind conjuring images of guiding female disciples in acupoint and pulse identification, his pulse quickening. But he was a cultivator—he forced himself to calm after a few beats: “My sect is poor—even poorer than Tan Ba. He has his clan to rely on. I’m alone. Where would I get money to take you in?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The west room was clean and fully furnished. Lüzhu brought in two soft embroidered cushions—one short, one long—and laid them on the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The short one’s for you when you’re alone. The long one’s for when you do dual cultivation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Xiaolou pressed his hand to his forehead, feeling utterly helpless, but dared not explain he wasn’t ready for dual cultivation—afraid the entire Lüyi Courtyard would laugh at him—so he pretended not to hear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Lüzhu left, Liu Xiaolou finally settled down, closed the door, and began his cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t until dawn the next day that Qing Jie returned, yawning. She peered through the door crack at Liu Xiaolou seated in meditation, then went back to her room and collapsed into sleep. Yueyang Market wasn’t finished yet, but thanks to the Qingyu Sect’s deliberate publicity, its fame had spread far and wide. Guests poured in from all corners of the land; she spent her days greeting and arranging for them, never resting. Even if she wanted dual cultivation now, she had no energy left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By afternoon, Qing Jie woke up, ordered wine and dishes brought in, and invited Liu Xiaolou to dine with her. At table, she chattered endlessly, weaving clever stories around the conversation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Xiaolou, unable to outtalk her and already outmaneuvered, shifted topics, asking about the details of their forced relocation by the Qingyu Sect—naturally bringing up the visiting zhishi, Hou Sheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qing Jie said: “It was Manager Hou who moved us here—the same Manager Hou who bought wine from you on Ghost Dream Cliff. He was terrifying back then. I never imagined he’d be so harsh. I almost considered throwing myself at him, begging him to spare us and not drive us out of Wuchao Village. But I soon realized it was useless, so I didn’t let him take that advantage. Don’t worry, Xiao Lou—my body is open only to your Sanxuan Sect.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Xiaolou asked: “So is Manager Hou now in charge of you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qing Jie replied: “Yes. Whenever we have trouble, we go to Manager Hou. The Hou Sheng you mentioned? He’s Manager Hou’s older brother. After we moved here, he came twice—just to listen to music, then left. He never drank, never stayed overnight, never paid. We all dislike him!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Xiaolou was surprised: “Do you have someone here who plays music? Isn’t that unprofessional?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qing Jie rolled her eyes: “Crude! We’re not in Wulong Mountain anymore. We need talented performers. I finally found one—Yong E. She’s plain-looking, only knows how to play the pipa, never smiles. So she’s not popular.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1478,"2026-06-19T23:11:25.549Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","cce1378aeb8cd4ce7caf61c865b6ed11edf1a11a9bcfe7f9b48bf9a31a8093cd","notes-on-cultivation-at-wulong-mountain-chapter-73","notes-on-cultivation-at-wulong-mountain-chapter-71",638,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fnotes-on-cultivation-at-wulong-mountain-cover.jpg"]