[{"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-87":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},2272992,4440,"Chapter 87: The Return Gift Is a Worry (Bonus Chapter for the","notes-on-cultivation-at-wulong-mountain-chapter-87",87,"\u003Cp>On this journey, Liu Xiaolou had hardly rested properly; today, after hardship, he finally enjoyed a deep, comfortable sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He slept for more than an hour, and half-asleep, he heard movement outside, finally waking up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the main chamber, Bai Yun Jianke said: “...It is indeed I, Yun.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another voice spoke, tone deeply respectful: “My master says that if you are truly Bai Yun Jianke, he shall come in person to meet you. Please wait a moment, Young Master Yun.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Yun Jianke replied: “How could I dare? If Uncle has time, I shall certainly pay my respects. Master Song, please lead the way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The steward said: “How could I dare? Young Master Yun, please follow me...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Footsteps faded as Bai Yun Jianke followed the Yunwu Mountain Villa steward out of the courtyard, leaving Liu Xiaolou inside, pondering: Could Bai Yun Jianke really have this much influence? Why would the master treat him so specially, insisting on meeting before the matchmaking? Judging by this, despite the villa’s grand appearance, this family likely pales beside the Li family of Damu Mountain—even the Zheng family of Luoshan wouldn’t go this far.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If that’s the case, might this family be all show? Then the return gift after the matter is settled becomes a problem...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then again, setting up a soundproofing array for a waterfall—this family doesn’t seem short of spirit stones either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something’s odd!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment’s thought, he decided to go out and take a look around, see what was really going on. He left the guest courtyard, walked along the covered corridor to another courtyard, and suddenly spotted someone sitting beside a flower terrace, gazing up at the osmanthus tree in the yard, where a few birds hopped and chirped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Xiaolou’s experience was now rich; seeing the man was under thirty, he knew this was likely another suitor, though he didn’t know which noble family he came from.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped forward and bowed: “Brother, I offer my respects.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he drew closer, Liu Xiaolou’s eyelid twitched, and a smile crept onto his lips. The man’s clothes were clean enough, but his blue robe was faded, washed countless times, and even had a patch on the hem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t a noble scion—this was a fallen family. His life was worse than Liu Xiaolou’s own. How could such a man dare come to propose? Either he was wildly overconfident and blind to reality, or like Liu Xiaolou, he was playing his own clever game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a few brief words, Liu Xiaolou was certain: this man belonged to the latter category—a kindred soul. He hadn’t even entered the cultivation threshold; only one and a half meridians were open, at best a martial master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the martial world, there was a hierarchy of disdain: Celestial Realms and great sects looked down on noble families; noble families looked down on hermetic sects; hermetic sects looked down on gangs; gangs looked down on ordinary hermits; ordinary hermits looked down on wild cultivators and bandits; wild cultivators and bandits looked down on martial masters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Take Liu Xiaolou: he and his Wulong Mountain companions considered themselves ordinary hermits, yet the great sects classified them as wild cultivators and bandits—both at the bottom of the hierarchy. One level was lower than the next, but whether ordinary hermit or wild cultivator, both looked down on martial masters. So Liu Xiaolou lost interest in chatting further—just a martial master, what could he possibly know?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then went to another guest courtyard, and finally met an ordinary hermit—but the man’s cultivation base was also Qi Refining Third Layer, his appearance plain, far less handsome than Liu Xiaolou. Feeling inferior, he developed strong hostility and responded coldly to Liu Xiaolou’s greetings, answering nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether he truly didn’t know or was pretending, Liu Xiaolou understood perfectly—he merely shook his head and left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This fellow, petty and narrow-minded!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He found it hard to make friends here, but noticed a problem: most of the young cultivators here came from lowly backgrounds; some were downright destitute. Compared to them, Liu Xiaolou himself was middle-tier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Please visit the latest address\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The matchmaking event at Shenwu Mountain Villa was of low caliber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Low caliber meant the return gift might be problematic, stirring a flicker of anxiety in him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he’d come this far—he couldn’t back out now, or all his effort would be wasted. Even if no spirit stones, getting ten or twenty taels of silver was better than nothing. If he could even score some spirit wine, that’d be a bonus. Liu Xiaolou lowered his expectations drastically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since he had no common ground with them, after “encountering” several suitors, he lost interest entirely—and failed even to learn the family’s surname. It was a complete failure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One man surnamed Dong was especially wary of him, clearly uninterested, glaring coldly—he had no idea what he’d done to offend him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, he swallowed his pride and pulled aside a maid, and only then learned: the master’s surname was Su. As for the matchmaking event, the maid answered everything with “I don’t know”—likely under strict orders, she couldn’t reveal anything useful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Liu Xiaolou was inquiring around, Bai Yun Jianke was drinking tea in the master’s flower pavilion, chatting with the host.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The host, over fifty, named Su Zhi, was not yet old but had silver hair. After inviting Bai Yun Jianke to sit, he asked: “I hear you entered the mountain for my daughter’s sake. This puzzles me greatly—what is your purpose?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Yun Jianke replied respectfully: “Your daughter is beautiful, virtuous, firm-willed, and wise. Many seek her hand, like fish crossing a river—but I am unworthy. Had I been chosen, I would have come with lavish gifts and humble words.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Zhi sighed: “My daughter is spoiled and capricious. It is a great regret we cannot join our families with yours.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Yun Jianke fell silent for a moment, then raised his tea in salute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Zhi asked again: “I hear you are about to marry—is it the Zhu family’s daughter?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Yun Jianke hesitated: “This matter concerns my elders—I cannot speak of it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Zhi thought for a moment, still holding out hope, and asked: “Then why have you come...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Su family of Shenwu Mountain Villa and the Yun family of Baiyun Mountain Villa had long-standing ties; Su Zhi’s daughter and Yun Ao had been childhood playmates. Su Zhi greatly favored Yun Ao—if by some miracle Yun Ao truly wished to court Fifth Lady Su Xi, it would be an unexpected joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But fate rarely grants wishes. The man Su Zhi saw as the ideal son-in-law had not come for Su Xi. Bai Yun Jianke hesitated: “I too am about to marry. I wish to see... whether Wan Niang is here... if I could just see her once...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hope shattered, Su Zhi shook his head: “Ninth Lady is not in the villa—she has been traveling the world for over two years. Besides, she is only an adopted daughter, not my blood. You know I have no authority over her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Yun Jianke was stricken with sorrow, nodded slightly, and fell silent. Long moments passed. Suddenly, he wanted to flee. “Then... I take my leave.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Zhi called out: “I hear you brought a companion with you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Yun Jianke’s mind was elsewhere; he replied briefly: “He’s called Liu Xiaolou. We’re not close—he’s a wild cultivator from Wulong Mountain. We met on the road. He probably heard my uncle was taking suitors and came to try his luck.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Zhi frowned: “Wulong Mountain?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Yun Jianke smiled: “I heard he’s the Sect Master of Sanxuan Gate. Oddly enough, the Li family of Damu Mountain also sent him an invitation when they married off their daughter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Please visit the latest address\u003C\u002Fp>",1292,"2026-06-19T23:11:25.549Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","786c9340759e73fe5662b07d0b9274aa1728058ef76c6a8d6745b7d97371f994","notes-on-cultivation-at-wulong-mountain-chapter-88","notes-on-cultivation-at-wulong-mountain-chapter-86",638,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fnotes-on-cultivation-at-wulong-mountain-cover.jpg"]