Chapter 30

With the spirit stones in hand, the next step was, naturally, to go shopping.

Shopping didn’t need to be done so far away in Zhuyun City. The two found a secluded spot, spread out their divine senses, confirmed there were no abnormalities, and then used a teleportation talisman to return to Xianyun County.

Stepping back onto the familiar bluestone road of Xianyun County, Yi Zui finally let out a long sigh of relief.

“I think I did pretty well in that meditation state just now, right? But Second Senior Sister, why did you say your surname is Xia?”

Yu Xizhi also quietly let out a breath. It was her first time at the black market, and although she had maintained her composure while haggling, her palms were now slightly sweaty.

“What Xia? Who’s surnamed Xia?”

Yi Zui: …?

Fine.

“If Little Martial Uncle asks why our shopping is so extravagant today, how should we respond?” Yi Zui removed the outer layer of his black robe, revealing his Kunwu Sect attire underneath.

“Just say it’s New Year’s money that the Baiyu Pavillion sect master gave you in advance,” Yu Xizhi replied smoothly.

Yi Zui hesitated, thinking he was too old to receive New Year’s money. “But, Second Senior Sister… although it’s winter, there’s still more than half a month until the New Year…”

“More than half a month, rounding up, is practically tomorrow,” Yu Xizhi replied without a trace of worry, waving her hand.

“Hurry up and go buy things.”

As she spoke, she rubbed off the messy makeup on her face, then took out a talisman to cautiously burn the disguised items. She pulled out a clearly marked qiankun bag, stuffed Yi Zui’s and her own black robes into it, and then nested it within another qiankun bag before finally feeling at ease.

Over the past six months, Yi Zui has quickly transitioned from being an aloof young master to someone adept at following Yu Xizhi’s shopping lists. He was swift and nimble, even pinching his nose and haggling with vendors, often managing to save a few low-grade spirit stones.

—Honestly, Yi Zui himself didn’t know why he had changed so much.

It happened suddenly. After arriving at Qianya Peak, he always felt a strange disconnect from the Kunwu sect. Being proud and stubborn, he acted on this feeling and even stopped collecting his usual allowances.

…Then he found out that not only did he stop taking his share here, but he also felt embarrassed to ask Baiyu Pavillion for more.

Life became happier, but also more frugal. By now, he had become quite poor, and the spirit stones he saved by haggling gave him a peculiar sense of self-sufficient joy.

The two moved quickly, soon filling two qiankun bags to the brim with their purchases.

It was late, the snow was deep, and although cultivators were not as sensitive to the cold as ordinary people, they still craved comfort, like a steaming bowl of noodle soup.

So when they teleported back to Qianya Peak, sword energy more intense than the snowy landscape greeted them, but the aroma of the soup had already enveloped the entire mountain.

Huang Li diligently squatted by the fire, fanning it with a small fan and occasionally tossing in a small fire talisman to keep it going. Beside him, an orange cat lay curled up by the fire. The cat had half-closed its eyes, evidently finding the warmth far more comfortable than other places, its tail lazily swaying.

Further away, Cheng Luocen had just reinforced a row of shelters covering the farmland and was checking to ensure the windproof and thermal insulation talismans were securely attached.

—If anyone else were to see this, they would likely be extremely astonished.

How could talismans be used this way?!

Not to mention, inscribing a talisman requires infusing each stroke with spiritual energy, and controlling the brush while drawing the talisman requires absolute concentration. With the same amount of effort, there are many other talismans one could write; who would write so many windproof and thermal insulation talismans?

Moreover, the paper, ink, and brushes used for drawing talismans are specially made and graded. Upon closer inspection, the greenhouse was plastered with the finest Canglang paper and the most expensive Fengqi ink. Any talisman master would probably stomp their feet and sigh, lamenting such wastefulness.

However, the people of Qianya Peak were completely unfazed, as if this were the most natural thing in the world.

In a flatter area, there were several sturdy and beautiful small wooden houses.

In front of one of the houses, a person was holding a book, slouching somewhat lazily in a chair, slowly turning a page.

Qianya Peak had an array that would activate when someone approached.

Huang Li saw Xie Junzhi lift his eyes, knowing that Yu Xizhi and Yi Zui had returned. He quickly got up to make noodles, and by the time Yu Xizhi walked over to sit at the table, Huang Li had already served the noodles.

Everyone scattered around instinctively gathered at the table, picking up their chopsticks. Some poured vinegar, others added chili oil, or sprinkled chopped green onions, and amidst the rising steam, conversations began.

“Why did it take longer than last time?” Huang Li served a plate of meatballs and a dish of cold braised beef, then sat down, meticulously reporting today’s expenses.

He frowned, speaking with concern about their dwindling funds before asking, “Is it because it’s nearing the end of the year and it’s harder to buy things than usual?”

“Not really,” Yu Xizhi said calmly, blowing on her hot noodles and making up a story.

“It’s just that the items we needed this time were harder to find, so it took a bit more effort. Anything else happen today?”

Yi Zui remained silent, focusing on his noodles.

Huang Li, not suspecting anything, remembered, “Actually, there is something.”

He got up and brought over a letter.

“Next spring will be the triennial Kunwu Sword Selection Conference. Today, Ziyuan Peak sent us a notice about it, asking us to tally up the number of participants.”

Yu Xizhi’s chopsticks paused slightly.

The past six months at Qianya Peak have been a blend of serene and mundane days. She practiced swordsmanship daily, refined pills, and drew talismans. With the sword energy overflowing at Qianya Peak, she had been spitting blood and eating pills. Despite only half a year passing, she was already showing signs of forming her core.

Life had been so comfortable in cultivation that she almost forgot about this event.

The Sword Selection Conference was indeed mentioned in the original novel.

The sect’s grand competition was a time for disciples to showcase their talents and abilities, hoping to make a name for themselves. The so-called “ten years to hone a sword” at the Sword Selection Conference was when the swords were revealed.

Such a bustling event didn’t have much to do with the original character. She barely made it through a few rounds before encountering her junior sister, Xia Yiyao, and naturally losing. Xia Yiyao didn’t hold back, making the original character’s defeat somewhat humiliating. This defeat laid the foundation for the original character’s resentment towards the protagonist.

Of course, these details are merely touched upon briefly. In this Sword Selection Conference, there were two truly notable events.

The first was Xia Yiyao’s debut with the Xiaoyu Sword, which astonished everyone and quietly spread her fame. The original male protagonist, Cheng Luocen, later heard about this and always felt that the sword used by the girl in the story was somewhat similar to his own. This led him to Kunwu Mountain.

The second event was that the head of the Kunwu Mountain Sect, Huaiyun, after seeing Xia Yiyao’s sword, broke through from the Complete stage of the Soul Accumulation realm to the Void Refining realm in one night. He became the first true grandmaster since the War of the Sun Eclipse.

Xia Yiyao’s sword was thus shrouded in a unique aura, and some even called it the Enlightenment Sword. Elders and sect leaders from various sects constantly came to pay their respects just to see her sword.

Later, whether due to the protagonist’s aura or some other reason, out of every ten people who observed the sword, two or three actually broke through their limits. Xia Yiyao’s fame grew even more, truly starting her life as a Mary Sue protagonist in a classic Long Aotian protagonist story.

“Are we going to participate?” Huang Li asked again.

“Isn’t that obvious?” Yi Zui rolled his eyes.

“You don’t go out much, so you might not know. After what happened six months ago, countless people in the sect have their eyes on us at Qianya Peak. There are countless people from Ziyuan, Xuecan, and Liuguang Peaks who want to challenge Second Senior Sister in swordsmanship, pill refining, or talisman crafting. And you too.”

Huang Li was greatly surprised. “Me?”

“It’s you, not only you, but also Cheng Luocen, who picked up dog…luck for nothing, so he who is an outsider and not even from the outer sect could step directly into Qianya Peak.”

Yi Zui, still mindful of his manners while eating, swallowed back a less polite term: “This is Qianya Peak! How many people’s eyes are sore and bleeding, just waiting for the sword selection conference to beat you to a pulp!”

Yi Zui then sneered, “But they’re watching us, wanting to compete with us. Well, I’m also watching them. The Sword Selection Conference is great. Just wait and see how I beat them all.”

Yu Xizhi bit into a meatball, thinking about how, in the original novel, Yi Zui was also defeated by the junior sister. She even broke his natal sword, and after that, he disappeared from the story, only mentioned as having “slunk back to Baiyu Pavillion to recuperate.”

If he appeared again, it would be much later in the book, which Yu Xizhi hadn’t finished reading.

Huang Li was clearly nervous, putting down his chopsticks halfway through his meal. “I… I only know how to plow fields. Little Martial Uncle even said my destiny is to use a hoe…”

Yu Xizhi hesitated.

She was originally a stepping stone cannon fodder, destined to fight against the protagonist for her fate. If it were just her, she would undoubtedly draw her sword. But dragging Huang Li and Yi Zui into it didn’t seem right, nor did involving Xie Junzhi, who was supposed to stay out of the public eye, to back her up.

Huang Li didn’t even appear in the original novel, and Yi Zui, as minor as he was, might survive by avoiding the plot altogether. As for Cheng Luocen…

She quietly glanced at the young man. The elegant youth remained silent and reserved. She wondered if the “old grandpa” golden finger within him was still alive. According to the plot, he shouldn’t be here, nor should he challenge Xia Yiyao. Initially, she only intended to subtly shift the timeline, never imagining it would turn out like this.

If Cheng Luocen ended up clashing with Xia Yiyao, what would happen?

Otherwise…

While she was still pondering, Xie Junzhi’s voice broke the silence.

“What’s wrong with a hoe? I think a hoe is great.” Xie Junzhi picked up a slice of beef, dipped it into the hot soup to soak up the broth, and said slowly, “You can plow several acres of land with a single hoe. How many in this sect can do that? Even those from Xuecan Peak who grow medicinal herbs, how many of them can match you?”

His skin was still a cold pale, and the room’s warmth seemed unable to warm him. He picked up a mouthful of noodles, letting the steam blur his vision. “The prize for the Sword Selection Conference is choosing a sword from the Sword Tomb. The first prize is a thousand top-grade spirit stones, and the second prize is five hundred. Additionally, there’s a competition between the five peaks, with the prize for the winning peak being the renovation of their main hall.”

The poor guys in the room suddenly stopped eating, their eyes slightly shining.

Xie Junzhi continued, “Coincidentally, Qianya Peak needs a new main hall and fifteen hundred top-grade spirit stones.”