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 housed guest rooms.

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

Her pale 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 up to behind the scenes!”

“I won’t stop you from entering the town, but don’t touch my people!”

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

In the Huangming Empire, 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 still firm: “In short, you stay out of my way and I’ll stay out of yours. 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: “Proprietor.”

Master Qiao frowned and asked: “Have many people entered 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 one today.”

Master Qiao growled: “Why didn’t you send someone to notify me?”

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

Master Qiao frowned deeply: “Find out what exactly these people are searching for!”

…

The esteemed guest brought many attendants; that night, Chef Rongkui 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 listless. Xu Yuan shared a room with him; their bed was a splintered 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 “Fate.”

Most people have only “Fate,” not “Destiny”—Erliang was one such person.

His “Fate” 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 taels 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 earned tips from guests. Call it twenty taels.” Xu Yuan pointed to the sedan outside: “Did you notice the gold-inlaid silver hooks on the sedan door?”

Erliang looked confused: “What are you getting at?”

“Those hooks are from Nanxiang Ji. One alone sells for thirty taels in the county town—this pair is worth sixty.”

Erliang was speechless.

Xu Yuan rolled over, turning his back to Erliang and preparing to sleep: “Stop being dramatic. Yang the Widow on 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 all this?”

“Chef Rongkui told me.”

“Chef Rongkui’s only been here five days!”

Xu Yuan fell silent.

But Xu Yuan wasn’t truly asleep—he was thinking intently.

He had truly been driven out by his stepmother, but she had no choice. Xu Yuan vaguely knew the family’s situation; after eating the June Worm, he understood her intent.

If you can’t become a Fate Cultivator, you can’t help with family matters—better to survive outside than die inside.

Sending you away was truly for your own good.

But Fate Cultivators are unique: they’re truly powerful, able not only to “See Fate,” but to truly “Reverse Heaven’s Will!”

All major clans and powerful factions in the Huangming Empire seek to possess a Fate Cultivator to ensure lasting prosperity.

This includes the imperial family and the court.

Among the Seven Schools, Fate Cultivators are the only ones who cannot inherit through a “Guide,” but only through a “Medicinal Catalyst.”

Other cultivators require “Entry into the Flow,” but Fate Cultivators, after ingesting the Medicinal Catalyst, immediately become “Nine Flow,” gaining their first “Destiny.”

The Destiny gained is random: ordinary good, exceptionally good, or supreme good.

The “No Taboos” Destiny is unquestionably supreme—thus the value of the June Worm is obvious.

But they’re also truly weak.

At Nine Flow, Eight Flow, and Seven Flow, they possess no abilities beyond their own Destiny and “Seeing Fate.”

Upon advancing to Eight Flow and Seven Flow, they each gain another Destiny.

But Destinies are not direct abilities.

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

Thus, nearly all Fate Cultivators seek protection from major clans and powerful factions.

Without their protection and support, a Fate Cultivator stands almost no chance of reaching the Upper Three Flows.

The cultivation levels of all Seven Schools range from One Flow to Nine Flow.

One, Two, Three are the Upper Three Flows; Four, Five, Six are the Middle Three Flows; Seven, Eight, Nine are the Lower Three Flows.

Only at Six Flow can a Fate Cultivator wield “Fate Arts.”

Their combat power increases dramatically.

At Five Flow, they can condense a “Fate Object,” making them extremely hard to kill at their own level.

If a Fate Cultivator truly reaches the Upper Three Flows, they become terrifying—under the invisible influence of their powerful Destinies, their opponents often don’t even know how they lost.

For example, the “Heaven and Earth as One” Destiny grants constant, inexplicable “assistance”; opponents face relentless misfortune and constant “accidents.”

Xu Yuan’s current headache is that a Nine Flow Fate Cultivator seems useless—even returning home might not help much.

The fastest paths to combat power are the Pill, Method, and Artisan Schools.

He needed a way to cultivate one of them simultaneously.

As he thought this, night deepened. Strange sounds emerged outside—the ones high above, the ones in the streets, and some… as if pressed right against the door!

In the stable, the draft horse that pulled Master Qiao’s cart snorted nervously.

Night travel is forbidden!

Tonight, who knew how many things had descended from Ghost Witch Mountain.

Fortunately, they couldn’t enter the gates.

Every door bore a Door God; as long as the Door God remained intact, ordinary anomalies could not enter.

Xu Yuan silently yawned and slowly fell asleep.

…

At dawn, a loud rooster’s crow shattered the darkness.

The ominous presences that lingered over the town last night also retreated.

This rooster belonged to Ying Taipo; it stood half a person tall, its feathers bright and gleaming, majestic and fierce.

It was the only rooster left in the entire town—all others had been devoured by demons that slipped through doors and crevices.

Xu Yuan rose, yawning, and glanced at the almanac.

The tenth day of the seventh month.

Auspicious: cleaning, bathing, burial, sacrifice.

Inauspicious: marriage, meeting friends, building a stove.

Forbidden: daytime napping, night travel!

Xu Yuan quickly closed his mouth.

“Forbidden daytime napping means if you accidentally fall asleep and dream during the day, a demon might slip into your dream and cause trouble.” Xu Yuan washed his face with cold water from the corner: “Not my problem—I have no time to nap during the day.”

Erliang opened the door; fresh air rushed in: “Time for work.”

He was eager—if Chef Rongkui still asked him to deliver food in the morning, he might see that woman again.

Chef Rongkui prepared two breakfasts: one for Erliang to deliver to the front courtyard, which he rushed off to do, thrilled.

The other was for Xu Yuan to deliver to the side courtyard; Chef Rongkui added casually: “The Proprietor specifically instructed you to take it.”

Xu Yuan paused, then carried the tray over.

(End of Chapter)