“Am I not in the same boat as you?
My Elixirs ran out ages ago.
Year after year, how much time do we really get to cultivate?
Don’t we just waste it all searching for Spirit Medicine?”
“There’s nothing to be done.
It’s our own fault for having such poor talent.
I’m so jealous of those gifted enough to join an Immortal Sect, with their endless cultivation resources.
Fate is truly unfair to us.”
“Heh, don’t be ridiculous.
Our lives are hard, but do you think the people in the Immortal Sects have it easy?
Even with a sect backing them, cultivation resources aren’t just handed out.
They have to complete missions to exchange for Elixirs and other things.
Many of those missions could even get you killed.
It’s not as wonderful as you imagine.”
“It’s still a hundred times better than our situation, isn’t it?” The two of them fell silent.
They had arrived outside the cave where Huang Yulang was staying.
Just as they were about to enter, the man with the slightly hoarse voice frowned and stopped his companion.
The man with the gruff voice was no fool.
Realizing there might be a problem inside the cave, he immediately put his guard up.
“May I ask which Fellow Daoist is resting here?
If it’s convenient, perhaps you could show yourself.
My surname is Hu, and my peers call me Master Hu.”
The other man immediately added, “My surname is Lin.”
Huang Yulang had already released his Divine Sense and gotten a clear look at the two of them.
This Master Hu was dressed like an old Daoist priest and carried a sword on his back.
The one named Lin was a burly, rough-looking man who, at a glance, seemed like he would be difficult to handle.
Huang Yulang had originally planned to slip away quietly, but after hearing their conversation, he changed his mind.
Clearly, these two were Loose Cultivators.
While their talent might be a little better than his, it probably wasn’t by much.
The fact that they couldn’t get into a major sect like the Water Cloud Sect, nor even one of the seven or eight smaller sects, spoke volumes.
Besides, the pressure he felt from them was nowhere near that of a powerhouse like Yun Ji, who was at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining.
If Huang Yulang’s senses were right, these two were at the third or Fourth Layer of Qi Refining at most.
Based on Yun Ji’s knowledge of third and fourth-layer Loose Cultivators, these two had, at best, cultivated one or two Small Magics of very limited power.
Furthermore, they didn’t look like they possessed any powerful Magical Artifacts.
The key was learning from their conversation that they were regulars at the Fang Market.
These mountains were vast; without someone to point the way, he had no idea when he might find its location.
Huang Yulang truly wasn’t prepared to run into other cultivators at a moment’s notice.
This was mainly because he had no confidence in his current strength.
His first layer of Qi Refining was simply no match for anyone.
For now, his skills were all in Body Refining.
Fortunately, the cave wasn’t large.
If the two had any malicious intent, the confined space gave Huang Yulang a small boost of confidence.
He had just mentally prepared himself.
‘I didn’t make a single sound,’ he thought, ‘yet that old Daoist still sensed something was off.’ This startled Huang Yulang, leaving him bewildered as to how they had discovered him.
Seeing how wary the two were, Huang Yulang deduced that they were also afraid of him.
At this realization, his eyes flickered, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.
Feigning composure, he called out.
“Ah, so it is two Fellow Daoists.
What a coincidence.
I was just passing through and preparing to rest for a bit myself.
I didn’t expect to run into the two of you here.
If you don’t mind, please, come on in.”
Huang Yulang’s open invitation only made the two more suspicious.
They exchanged a glance, not daring to enter rashly.
Having been in the world of cultivation for decades, they had seen more than their share of cultivators who would fight to the death over a single disagreement, or even ambush and murder others for their treasures.
They had survived this long only because of their extreme caution.
They had come to the Fang Market on Baixian Mountain to trade for Elixirs, and they were carrying a significant amount of Spirit Medicine.
If the person inside had a higher cultivation level and harbored ill intentions, their odds of survival would be slim.
“Heh, my apologies.
We were being presumptuous.
Since you, Fellow Daoist, have already claimed this cave, we wouldn’t dream of fighting you for it.
There are other caves nearby, so we won’t disturb you any further.”
It was mainly because Huang Yulang’s tone was far too calm.
Unable to gauge the true strength of the person inside, they decided it was best not to enter.
The two were decisive and turned to leave.
Huang Yulang let out a sigh of relief.
He knew they were cautious, worried he might launch a sudden attack.
Still, he had finally run into regulars of the Fang Market; he had to at least get directions from them.
“Wait, Fellow Daoists, a moment please.” The two men’s expressions changed instantly.
They spun back toward the cave, their auras flaring as they prepared to counterattack at a moment’s notice.
But then they saw a youth of about fifteen or sixteen walk out of the cave.
Coils of chains were wrapped around his waist, and in his hand, he swung a massive bronze hammer that looked as if it weighed hundreds of pounds.
The two men’s expressions finally shifted.
Wielding such a heavy hammer, not to mention the coils of chain…
all together, it had to be at least five hundred pounds.
Such terrifying strength was something they had never even heard of.
They knew the youth before them was probably incredibly strong, and the fear in their eyes grew more intense as their gazes fixed on Huang Yulang.
“Is there something else you require, Fellow Daoist?” the old man asked, steeling himself.
Huang Yulang’s getup was certainly enough to intimidate most low-level cultivators, but inwardly he was also quite nervous.
Forcing himself to look calm, he put on an amiable smile.
“Heh, there’s no need to be nervous, Fellow Daoists.
My name is Huang Lang, an Outer Disciple of the Water Cloud Sect.
I am under orders to deliver a letter to my Senior Brother Yun Ji in the Yun Country.
On my way, I heard that there was a Fang Market for Loose Cultivators on Baixian Mountain, so I thought I’d come take a look.
However, this is my first time here, and I’ve been searching all day without finding it.
I was about to give up when I happened to run into you.
I was hoping you could point me in the right direction.”
The two were stunned to hear he was a disciple of the Water Cloud Sect.
To possess such immense strength at his young age, he must surely be one of the sect’s chosen geniuses in their eyes.
Yun Ji was the current National Preceptor of the Yun Country.
Although they had never met him, they had certainly heard of the great Senior Yun Ji.
After all, the Spiritual Qi in the neighboring countries was incredibly sparse, and powerful cultivators were a rare sight.
Yun Ji was the cultivator with the highest-known cultivation base they had ever heard of.
Yet this youth referred to that man as his Senior Brother, which shocked them even more deeply.
When they realized Huang Yulang was only asking for directions, they both breathed a small sigh of relief.
Their gazes toward him turned respectful, and they quickly bowed.
“So it is an esteemed disciple of the Water Cloud Sect!
Please forgive our rudeness.
It is an honor to meet you, Fellow Daoist Huang.” Huang Yulang smiled.
They didn’t just state their business and leave; instead, they were bowing respectfully.
‘Their intentions are already obvious,’ he thought.
“Heh, our meeting must be fate.
If you two Fellow Daoists don’t mind, please come in and talk for a while.
This is my first time leaving my sect, so there is much I don’t understand.
I could really use your help in explaining a few things to me.”
The two were somewhat moved that Huang Yulang spoke so politely and didn’t look down on them for being Loose Cultivators.
As for the possibility of him killing them for their treasures, it seemed unlikely.
For one, they had no real treasures on them—at most, some hard-won Spirit Medicine and a few materials.
If he were actually interested in such things, they would gladly offer them up with both hands.
The opportunity to connect with a disciple from a great sect like the Water Cloud Sect was more than they could ask for; their only fear was that he would find their meager possessions utterly beneath his notice.
“Since Fellow Daoist Huang has invited us so sincerely, how could we possibly refuse?
We’ll have to impose on your rest, then.” The two exchanged a look, each seeing the excitement in the other’s eyes.
Huang Yulang smiled, nodded in satisfaction, and turned to enter the cave.
The two followed close behind, no longer worried about an ambush.
Although the cave was dark, all three were cultivators, so everything was perfectly clear to their Divine Sense.
With a heavy THUD, Huang Yulang dropped the bronze hammer onto the ground.
The two men felt the ground beneath their feet tremble slightly.
They glanced at each other again, the corners of their mouths twitching.
Huang Yulang had dropped the hammer deliberately to show them it was the real deal and to warn them against getting any funny ideas.
Even outside the cave, the two could tell Huang Yulang’s strength was terrifying.
Now that they knew his identity, they were even less inclined to make a wrong move.
The three of them sat down, and Master Hu was the first to speak.
“Fellow Daoist Huang, your arm strength is astonishing!
Truly worthy of an esteemed disciple of the Water Cloud Sect.
This old man is deeply impressed.” The burly man named Lin hurriedly agreed.
Huang Yulang waved it off, took out a jar of wine, and poured some for the two of them.
“You flatter me.
It’s nothing worth mentioning.
Come, I don’t have much to offer, but please, have a drink.”
“We couldn’t possibly, we couldn’t possibly.” The two were overwhelmed by the gesture; how could they dare let an esteemed disciple of the Water Cloud Sect serve them?
However, neither of them drank first.
Huang Yulang assumed they were afraid he had poisoned the wine, so he simply raised his own cup and drained it.
“Please.” The two hurriedly raised their cups and drank.
Huang Yulang then smiled and asked his question.
“May I ask, Fellow Daoists, in which direction is the Fang Market?
And could you perhaps tell me a little about it?”
“Of course,” Master Hu said, quickly setting down his wine cup with a smile.
“Our Fang Market is merely a gathering place for Loose Cultivators from the surrounding countries.
It is hardly worthy of the Dharma Eye of a disciple from a great sect like yourself, Fellow Daoist Huang.” Huang Yulang smiled and waved his hand dismissively, and the man continued.
“The Baixian Mountain Fang Market is presided over by three Elders, whom we respectfully call the Three Friends of Baixian Mountain.
Elder Mei handles all the business, Elder Xu is in charge of security, and the last is Elder Ling.
He is skilled at refining all sorts of Elixirs and rarely shows his face in the Fang Market,” the man named Lin took the opportunity to add.
“We Loose Cultivators owe a great debt to those three Elders.
We just have to turn in the Spirit Herbs and Elixirs we gather, and we can exchange them for the various Elixirs we need.
Without them, life for us Loose Cultivators would be even more difficult,” Master Hu added with a wry smile.
Before Huang Yulang even had a chance to ask, the two men spilled everything they knew, like beans from a bamboo tube, telling him almost all there was to know about the Fang Market.
Aside from selling various Elixirs, the Baixian Mountain Fang Market also occasionally sold some low-grade Magical Artifacts and low-level Talismans.
If someone wanted to conduct a private trade, they only needed to pay a single low-grade Spirit Stone.
However, there wasn’t much direct trading between cultivators.
Most people simply sold the items they had gathered directly to the Fang Market, which was more convenient and saved a lot of time.
Of course, the two men also made several verbal attempts to probe Huang Yulang’s identity.
However, the moment he produced the Water Cloud Sect Token, they were utterly convinced.
They then did everything they could to curry his favor, even offering to give him a share of the Spirit Medicine they had worked so hard to collect.
Huang Yulang knew perfectly well that they truly had nothing better to offer.