Huang Yulang declined their kind offer, and the two agreed to go with him to the Fang Market first thing in the morning.
As for the cultivation level of the Three Friends, the pair had no idea.
The Three Friends rarely took action.
They had only heard that a group of Loose Cultivators once disguised themselves as bandits to stage a robbery.
Without even showing their faces, the Three Friends had dispatched a single Golden Light Longsword to slay the dozens of bandits one by one.
Since then, no bandits have been seen on Baixian Mountain.
Huang Yulang also invited them to visit the Water Cloud Sect if they ever had the chance, promising he would give them a grand reception.
This left the two overjoyed, and they hastily agreed.
They talked late into the night, and the three of them grew closer.
After roasting and eating some wild game until they were full, they set off together.
“Just over those two mountains ahead?” Lin Dahuan asked with a smile, pointing forward.
Huang Yulang cupped his fists at his two companions.
“If you two hadn’t led the way, I’m afraid I never would have found this place.” The pair laughed heartily.
Just as they were about to press on, a mocking voice suddenly rang out from nearby.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Master Hu and Lin Mangfu.
What a coincidence.
We meet again.” Five or six men emerged from behind a large tree in the distance, every one of them with a murderous look.
The man in the lead had a hideous scar on his face.
Huang Yulang’s eyes narrowed, and his Divine Sense silently swept over them.
They were all cultivators.
The leader was at the sixth level of Qi Refining, while the other five were at the fourth or fifth levels.
Huang Yulang’s expression flickered.
He saw that upon seeing the group, the faces of Master Hu and Lin Dahuan had turned pale, their eyes filled with a mixture of anger and fear.
Apparently, the pair had been bullied by these thugs on numerous occasions.
But Huang Yulang was right there with them.
The moment they remembered he was a disciple of the Water Cloud Sect—and the junior brother of the esteemed Yun Ji, no less—much of their fear subsided.
Mustering their courage, they spoke out in anger.
“Scarface!
What… what do you think you’re doing?
I-I’m telling you, don’t try anything!
This man with us is a preeminent disciple of the Water Cloud Sect, the junior brother of the esteemed Yun Ji!
If you know what’s good for you, get out of here now!
Otherwise… Hmph!”
Huang Yulang’s heart pounded in his chest when he saw they were all cultivators, their leader Scarface an expert at the sixth level of Qi Refining.
‘I should find a chance to slip away in the chaos,’ he thought.
‘I can’t believe this old fool sold me out just like that.
He’s trying to use my fake identity to scare them off!’ Huang Yulang’s mouth twitched, and he silently cursed the old man for being so shameless, starting to regret traveling with them at all.
However, Huang Yulang clearly noticed that as soon as his identity and Yun Ji’s name were mentioned, the men’s expressions changed.
Every one of them immediately fixed their gaze on him.
‘Damn it,’ Huang Yulang cursed inwardly.
‘Now they’ve got their eyes on me.
Escaping in the confusion is pretty much impossible.’ Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to remain calm.
A slight, playful smile touched his lips, and he cast a cool, appraising gaze over the men.
Initially, they hadn’t paid any mind to a young punk like Huang Yulang.
But now, hearing those words, they grew wary and couldn’t help but stare at him.
His contemptuous, defiant expression made them deeply uneasy.
In fact, it was Huang Yulang’s scornful gaze that made them feel even more apprehensive.
They were just a group of Loose Cultivators; they couldn’t even afford to provoke a minor sect like the Corpse-Driving Sect, let alone a major power like the Water Cloud Sect.
And then there was the name of Yun Ji.
Sizing up Huang Yulang more carefully, they finally noticed the coils of chain wrapped around his waist and the enormous copper Hammer he carried on his shoulder.
The men’s expressions grew solemn.
Seeing how intimidated they looked, Lin Dahuan let out a cold laugh.
“Scarface, robbing others is one thing, but a disciple of the Water Cloud Sect is not someone you can afford to provoke.
If the esteemed Yun Ji were to find out about this… Heh heh, you know full well what the consequences would be.”
Upon hearing this, Scarface’s expression darkened.
The Loose Cultivators behind him grew agitated, and one of them quickly stepped forward to whisper something in his ear.
Scarface’s expression flickered through several emotions, but after a moment, a smile suddenly appeared on his face.
He turned to Huang Yulang and cupped his fists.
“Are you truly a preeminent disciple of the Water Cloud Sect?
I wonder, do you have a Token or something to prove your identity?” Master Hu saw their hesitation and breathed a sigh of relief, but Lin Dahuan immediately started yelling.
“Who the hell do you think you are?
Is Fellow Daoist Huang’s Token something the likes of you are qualified to see?
Scram, before you bring disaster upon yourselves!”
‘This Lin character… no wonder people call him a brute,’ Huang Yulang thought, speechless.
‘If showing them a Token would be enough to scare them off, I’d do it in a heartbeat.
Isn’t he afraid that provoking them further will just get us all killed and silenced?’
Sure enough, a murderous glint flashed in Scarface’s eyes.
Lin Mangfu’s heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively took two steps back.
Huang Yulang knew he couldn’t let them make a move.
Otherwise, the three of them would be facing dire odds.
He had to intimidate them before their killing intent could fully form.
“Hmph.” Gritting his teeth, Huang Yulang let out a cold snort and stepped forward.
With a flick of his wrist, he sent the copper Hammer flying toward the men like a cannonball.
Scarface’s face drained of color as he saw the Hammer hurtling toward them.
His men’s faces twisted in terror as they scrambled back with no thought for anything else.
BOOM.
With a deafening crash, the Hammer slammed into a massive boulder not far from where they stood.
In that instant, shattered rock exploded into the air, and birds scattered from the forest in a panic.
Seeing the terrifying power of the Hammer, Scarface and his men couldn’t help but gasp.
If that had hit one of them, they would have been smashed into a meat paste.
It was the first time Master Hu and Lin Mangfu had seen Huang Yulang in action.
The boulder, which weighed hundreds of pounds, had been pulverized, leaving them utterly stunned.
‘A strike that terrifying… I doubt even someone at the peak of the Qi Refining Stage could manage that, could they?’
‘As expected of a preeminent disciple of the Water Cloud Sect!
To possess such terrifying power at such a young age and dare to travel the world alone… he’s the real deal.’
At that moment, both Master Hu and Lin Mangfu seemed to stand a little taller, their faces alight with excitement as they looked at Huang Yulang with reverence.
With a gentle tug on the chain, the enormous copper Hammer flew back into Huang Yulang’s hand.
He caught it with precision, making it look effortless.
This display stunned Scarface and his men once more.
They all took another step back, terrified that Huang Yulang would hurl the Hammer at them next.
“Get lost,” Huang Yulang roared, his terrifying Divine Sense surging forth to bear down on Scarface and his men.
Huang Yulang’s Divine Sense was exceptionally powerful; even an expert who had just broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage might not possess a stronger one.
As his Divine Sense locked onto them, Scarface and his men felt a terrifying pressure descend, making their hearts pound with terror.
Hearing Huang Yulang’s furious shout, the Loose Cultivators in the back didn’t dare linger for a second longer.
Their faces deathly pale, they dropped their weapons and fled for their lives.
Scarface was completely cowed by Huang Yulang.
Trembling from head to toe and seeing that all his men had fled, he let out a terrified yelp and took to his heels, running faster than a rabbit.
Only then did Huang Yulang retract his Divine Sense.
Watching them flee in disarray, he finally let out a long, internal sigh of relief.
‘Still, I know my own limits.
If they had been truly vicious killers, or if they’d cultivated some profound movement technique and attacked from a distance with a Flying Sword or a Magical Artifact, I would have been the one at a disadvantage.’
‘Thankfully, this Hammer is very intimidating.
Even a Foundation Establishment cultivator probably couldn’t survive a direct hit.
But that’s the key—I have to actually hit them.’
‘A real expert would never give me the chance to land a blow.
Luckily, the reputation of the Water Cloud Sect and Yun Ji was useful enough, and the shock from that one powerful strike was enough to scare them off.’
“Fellow Daoist Huang, incredible!
Truly incredible!
This old one is tempted to ask to become your disciple!” Master Hu was so excited he could barely contain himself, wishing he could latch onto such a powerful backer.
“Fellow Daoist Huang, my deepest admiration!
That’s the first time I, Lin Dafu, have ever witnessed such a powerful display!” The two of them showered him with praise.
Huang Yulang shouldered his Hammer again, but he didn’t let it go to his head and simply gave a humble wave of his hand.
“It was a trivial matter, nothing worth mentioning.
They weren’t weak, either.
If we had truly fought, it’s not certain I would have been their match.”
“You’re too modest, Fellow Daoist.
We brothers have truly had our eyes opened today.”
Although Huang Yulang put on an air of indifference, he couldn’t help but feel a little pleased with himself as the two continued to praise him.
An hour later, they finally crested the two large mountains.
Looking down, they saw a small valley below.
A stream cut across it, ending in a rushing waterfall.
Two rows of buildings had been carved into the stone cliffs on either side of the valley.
Men and women dressed as Loose Cultivators bustled in and out, creating a lively scene.
“Heh, Fellow Daoist Huang, this is the Baixian Mountain Fang Market,” his two companions explained with relaxed expressions as they entered.
“You can trade here in peace.
No one dares to cause trouble.”
Aside from a few prime locations in the center that were the joint property of the Three Friends, the other spots were rented out to various Loose Cultivators for their businesses.
There were restaurants, inns, casinos, teahouses, and even brothels.
Small as it was, the place had everything.
Huang Yulang could clearly sense that there were almost no ordinary mortals here; nearly everyone was a cultivator who had stepped into the Qi Refining Stage.
Huang Yulang couldn’t help but be amazed.
He had rarely encountered other cultivators on his journey, so he never expected to find so many Loose Cultivators gathered in one place.
The valley itself wasn’t particularly remarkable, but Huang Yulang still found it all quite novel.
In front of his two companions, however, he couldn’t let his inexperience show.
His companions led him on a tour of the Fang Market until they arrived before a small pavilion.
Many cultivators were coming and going from the entrance; this was the shop run by the Three Friends of Baixian Mountain.
“Fellow Daoist Huang, let’s go in together.
The two of us need to trade for some Elixirs for our cultivation anyway.” Huang Yulang nodded and stepped inside first.
The inside was chaotic, and no clerk came forward to greet them.
The main hall was filled with a dazzling array of goods.
There were jars and vials of various Elixirs, some low-grade Magical Artifacts, and a few damaged implements.
There were even some Beast Hides, animal bones, and other common materials, all marked with prices.
What surprised Huang Yulang was that while some items required Spirit Stones, many could be purchased directly with silver.
The prices were steep, however.
Low-level materials, Beast Hides, and hundred-year-old Ginseng could easily cost several hundred or even a thousand pieces of silver.
Huang Yulang had only come in to browse and didn’t plan on buying anything for the moment.
But at the far end of the hall, past all the other goods, stood a large bookshelf filled with yellowed Ancient Texts.
Out of curiosity, Huang Yulang picked one up and began to flip through it.
In just a few moments, he found himself completely captivated by its contents.