Chapter 4: Nine Flows

The inn's front courtyard was a two-story building; the first floor served as both lobby and restaurant, the second floor as guest rooms.

In the most luxurious room on the west end of the second floor, a graceful woman sat primly on a chair by the window, clad in a red silk dress with a sheer veil obscuring her face.

Her pale white hands rested elegantly atop her knees.

Master Qiao sat across from her at the table, his expression grim and tone hostile: "I don't care what you're looking for, but don't you dare use those tricks on the young men in my town!"

The woman laughed softly, laced with mockery: "Qiao Ziaolang, you really are protecting this town? Don't think I don't know what you've been doing behind the scenes!"

"I won't stop you from entering the town, but don't you touch my people!"

The woman tilted her head slightly, her bright eyes behind the veil studying Master Qiao: "You want to be the village head?"

In Huang Ming, becoming village head isn't enough with just an official appointment.

The mountain runners from the villages are all the village heads.

Master Qiao didn't deny it; his stance remained firm: "In short, you stay in your lane, I stay in mine—we'll both be better off."

…

Master Qiao returned to his side courtyard, where Liu the accountant was waiting and immediately rose to greet him: "Master."

Master Qiao frowned and asked: "Have many people been entering the mountains lately?"

"Many," Liu the accountant managed more than just accounts: "In just these few days, that Xu Yuan in the back courtyard has led five groups into the mountains—and another group today."

Master Qiao frowned: "Why didn't you send someone to inform me?"

"That boy always brings them back alive," Liu the accountant explained cautiously: "If there were real trouble, how could he return? I didn't think much of it."

Master Qiao furrowed his brow deeply: "Find out what exactly these people are searching for!"

…

The distinguished guest brought many attendants; that night, the cook, Uncle Rong Kui, prepared late-night snacks and sent Erliang to deliver them.

Erliang had been here long enough; everyone trusted him with such tasks.

After returning, Erliang was dazed and hollow-eyed. Xu Yuan shared a room with him; their bed was a broken wooden plank padded with dry straw. Erliang lay flat, staring blankly at the ceiling: "Yuan, I miss women."

Xu Yuan glanced at him.

He could see his "ming."

Most people have only "ming," not "ge"—Erliang was one such person.

His "ming" was ordinary white, but since returning from the front courtyard, a thread of crimson had seeped into it!

Xu Yuan calculated for him: "Your monthly wage is six qian of silver. How many years have you worked?"

"Two years and three months."

"That's fifteen taels total. But you're sweet-tongued and hardworking—you've probably picked up tips from guests. Call it twenty taels." Xu Yuan pointed to the sedan outside: "Did you see the gold-inlaid silver hooks on the sedan door?"

Erliang looked confused: "What are you getting at?"

"Those silver hooks are from Nanxiang Ji—one alone sells for thirty taels in the county town; a pair is sixty taels."

Erliang was speechless.

Xu Yuan rolled over, turning his back to Erliang and preparing to sleep: "Stop being so dramatic. Yang the widow down South Street charges three hundred wen per time—reasonable price, enthusiastic service, perfect for you."

Erliang puzzled: "You've only been here half a month—how do you know so much?"

"Uncle Rong Kui told me."

"Uncle Rong Kui just arrived five days ago!"

Xu Yuan fell silent.

But Xu Yuan wasn't truly sleeping—he was thinking intently.

He had truly been driven out by his stepmother, but she had no choice. Xu Yuan vaguely knew about his family's affairs; after consuming the June worm, he understood his stepmother's intent.

If you can't become a ming cultivator, you can't help with family matters—better to survive outside.

Sending you away was truly for your own good.

But ming cultivators are peculiar: they're truly strong—they can "see ming," and actually achieve "defying heaven and altering fate!"

All major clans and powerful factions in Huang Ming want to possess a ming cultivator to ensure lasting prosperity.

This includes the imperial family and the court.

Among the Seven Schools, ming cultivators are the only ones who rely solely on "medicine guides," not "guiding persons," for transmission.

Other cultivators need to "enter the flow," but ming cultivators, after taking the medicine guide, directly become "Jiu Liu," gaining their first "ming ge."

The ming ge gained is random: ordinary good, especially good, or super good.

The "No Taboos" ming ge is unquestionably super good—thus the value of the June worm is obvious.

But they're also truly weak.

At Jiu Liu, Ba Liu, and Qi Liu, they have no other abilities besides their own ming ge and "seeing ming."

When advancing to Ba Liu and Qi Liu, they each gain another ming ge.

But ming ge are not direct abilities.

This path is not only weak early on, but its cultivation speed is excruciatingly slow.

Thus, nearly all ming cultivators seek protection from major clans and powerful factions.

Without their protection and support, a ming cultivator stands almost no chance of reaching the upper three flows.

The cultivation levels of all Seven Schools range from Yi Liu to Jiu Liu.

One, two, three are upper three flows; four, five, six are middle three flows; seven, eight, nine are lower three flows.

Only at Liu Liu can a ming cultivator wield "ming arts."

Their combat power increases dramatically.

At Wu Liu, they can condense "ming objects," making them extremely hard to kill at their own level.

If a ming cultivator truly reaches the upper three flows, they become terrifying—under the invisible influence of their powerful ming ges, their opponents often don't even know how they lost.

For instance, the "Heaven and Earth United Force" fate would always receive various inexplicable "assists," while those fighting against it would suffer constant bad luck and encounter all sorts of "accidents."

What gave Xu Yuan a headache now was that the ninth-rank Fate Cultivation seemed like a useless bone; even if he returned home, it might not be of much help.

The three paths of Alchemy, Magic, and Craftsmanship could gain combat power the fastest.

He had to find a way to cultivate one of them alongside his own path.

Thinking this, he unknowingly reached late night. Outside the house, various strange sounds arose; some were high in the sky, some in the streets, and others... seemed to be right against the door!

In the stable, the carriage horse pulling for Old Man Qiao snorted restlessly.

Night travel is forbidden!

Tonight, who knows how many things from Ghost Wushan had come down.

Fortunately, they could not enter the door.

On every door, door gods were pasted; as long as the door gods remained unbroken, they could block ordinary strange entities from entering.

Xu Yuan yawned silently and slowly fell asleep.

Early morning, a loud crowing of a rooster completely shattered the darkness.

The various ominous presences lingering over the town last night also retreated with it.

This rooster was raised by Grandmother Ying; it stood half a person tall, with bright feathers and an imposing air.

This was the only rooster in the entire town; the others had been eaten by evil spirits capable of slipping through doors and drilling through holes.

Xu Yuan got up, yawned, and glanced up at the almanac.

The tenth day of the seventh month.

Auspicious: Cleaning, bathing, burial, and sacrifices.

Inauspicious: Weddings, meeting friends, and building stoves.

Forbidden: Daytime dreams and night travel!

Xu Yuan quickly shut his big mouth.

"Forbidden daytime dreams means that if one carelessly falls asleep and dreams during the day, evil spirits will take the opportunity to enter the dream and cause trouble." Xu Yuan splashed cold water from the corner on his face: "It has nothing to do with me; I simply have no time to sleep during the day."

Er Liang opened the door, and fresh air rushed in: "Time to work."

He was somewhat impatient; if Uncle Rong Kui let him deliver the meal again in the morning, he could see that woman once more.

Uncle Rong Kui prepared two breakfasts; one was for Er Liang to deliver to the front courtyard, and Er Liang went excitedly.

The other was for Xu Yuan to deliver to the side courtyard, and he casually added: "The master specifically instructed you to deliver it."

Xu Yuan was slightly stunned and carried the tray over.

(End of this chapter)