Life as a Rogue Cultivator

Chapter 271: Back into the Tiger’s Den

Hundreds of vines shot out from the dirt, going after a whole mess of birds and animals. Liu Xiaolou was making a run for it when he caught a glimpse of them out of the corner of his eye. The sight made his skin crawl.In all the chaos, the demon tree clearly noticed Liu Xiaolou making a break for it. Two vines shot out and snaked toward him.

They moved insanely fast, wrapping around Liu Xiaolou’s ankles in the blink of an eye. “Help me!” he yelled.

The flying fork from Wan Shangu swooped in, hooking the two vines and twisting them around. True to its reputation as a Foundation Establishment cultivator’s tool, it spun so fast that the vines snapped. The pieces that had been wrapped around his ankles withered to ash. And two pea-sized seeds slipped into the Kunlun acupoints on his ankles.

Pain shot up Liu Xiaolou’s leg, making him jolt and tumble to the ground. He landed more than three meters outside the Ghost Banyan’s canopy. For the first time in two years, he was actually walking on solid ground beyond the tree’s edge. A wave of emotion washed over him.

There was no time to worry about the throbbing in his ankles. He gathered his true qi and pushed off the ground with the rebound force, and darted forward again.

Two more vines lashed toward him, but Madam Wan flung out her net, blocking the attack. The vines swept past, grasping nothing but empty air.

By the time Liu Xiaolou landed a second time, he was already beside the Wan couple, safely out of the most dangerous zone.

Hundreds of vines from the Ghost Banyan had snared nearly all the birds and beasts, leaving them hanging beneath the canopy. They writhed and struggled, but it was all in vain.

A few vines stretched past the tree’s edge, clawing desperately toward Liu Xiaolou. But that was as far as they went and no further; they couldn’t reach him anymore.

At last, Liu Xiaolou was free. Out. Away. Alive.

He couldn’t stop the tears streaming down his face.

Wan Shangu reached out and patted his shoulder. “What’s all the crying about?”

But Liu Xiaolou quickly backed away, stumbling until he found a tree to collapse under. He buried his head and cried, his whole body shaking.

Madam Wan flashed over to him, gently reaching out to touch his wrist. She comforted him. “You’re a grown man, why weep like a young maiden?”

Liu Xiaolou crouched low, dodging the touch again, and cried out, “Two years… two damn years! Do you have any idea what I went through? Nobody knows…”

Wan Shangu stepped up beside him. “You’re out now. Whatever comes next, let’s get out of this cursed place while we still can.”

Liu Xiaolou gradually stopped sobbing. “Thank you… both of you, for saving me. Please take this formation disk; it’s just a small token of my gratitude. I’ll never forget the kindness you’ve shown me. If either of you ever need help, come to Mount Luofu and seek out Li Mu. I’ll go through fire and water if I must; I'll never turn you away!”

Wan Shangu weighed the formation disk in his hand. He didn’t bother examining it. Just looked at Liu Xiaolou with a half-smile. “Only one disk?”

Seeing the couple block him on both sides without any intention of letting him go, Liu Xiaolou decided to come clean. “After I entered the mountains, I was chased by a spirit beast. I lost all my other artifacts while fleeing. I truly am sorry… And I've gone so long without sending any word back. The sect is surely worried; they’ve probably sent who knows how many people into the Ten-Thousand Mountains to look for me. I need to return at once. Let’s part ways here.”

Wan Shangu chuckled. “The name of the Luofu Sect is indeed intimidating. If you’d run into someone else, they might be scared enough of your sect to just let you walk off. But with me and my wife...” he shook his head. “...that sort of thing doesn’t work.”

Madam Wan sighed. “Brother Li Mu, do you know why my husband and I ended up stranded in the Ten-Thousand Mountains? Unfortunately for you, it’s all thanks to the Luofu Sect. And that Zhao Ruyu you mentioned... what a terrible coincidence. We happen to know him quite well. Husband, why do we know Zhao Ruyu?”

Wan Shangu laughed. “Because the two of us were once disciples of the Luofu Sect. Discarded disciples. And the one who meddled and got us expelled was none other than Zhao Ruyu! It happened four years ago, Li Mu. Are you sure you’ve never heard about it?”

Madam Wan laughed so hard her whole body shook. “If he were really a steward of the Luofu Sect, how could he not have heard of us? I’ve been holding back my laughter all this time. I really can’t anymore, hahaha…”

Liu Xiaolou gaped, brain short-circuiting. What were the odds of that?

Confused or not, instinct still ruled. He said nothing, planted his feet, and bolted into the thick forest.

A flying fork shot after him, whistling toward the back of his head. Liu Xiaolou jerked to the left. The fork whizzed past his ear, shearing off a strand of hair.

It streaked ahead, then twisted midair and came darting back toward him. Liu Xiaolou leapt upward, springing over two zhang off the ground. The fork whipped around again, this time angling up from below, lunging straight for the soles of his feet.

That’s the real gap between Foundation Establishment cultivators and someone still in Qi Refinement. They could command their magical tools with ease, striking from far away while you can’t even touch them. How the hell are you supposed to fight that?

Sure, a tenth-layer Qi-Refiner could throw a flying weapon, but that’s not true sword-flight. It's just tossing something really hard and trying to guide it a little. It’s no match at all.

Besides, Liu Xiaolou only had the Mysterious True Cord. And that thing barely worked on Foundation Establishment cultivators. They cultivated the Qi Sea; they’re not afraid of having a few meridians sealed up.

And even if he hadn’t buried his Qiankun Pouch, pulling out every magical tool he had would only end up gifting them to his opponent.

Liu Xiaolou spun his true qi, twisting through the air to dodge the flying fork once again. He was about to leap for a nearby treetop when a net dropped over his head.

He was instantly tangled up and slammed to the ground.

With two Foundation Establishment striking in sync, he was quickly captured.

The one who had snared him was Madam Wan. She was shaking with laughter. “Foundation Establishment, my foot! That brat was just bragging. I actually believed him for a moment and kept my guard up. Haha...”

Wan Shangu was laughing too, his beard trembling with it. “That kid is slippery as an eel. Can’t get a single honest word out of him.... but I have to admit, he’s pretty entertaining.”

He flicked his flying fork and scratched Liu Xiaolou all over, then shook his head. “Though to be fair, he did say one true thing. Aside from that formation disk, he really has nothing on him.”

After laughing for a long while, Madam Wan finally caught her breath. “Husband, what do you think. Should we kill him or not?”

Liu Xiaolou yelped, “Don’t kill! I’m useful. I’ll do whatever you two seniors ask. Through fire or water, I won’t hesitate!”

Madam Wan thought for a moment. “This kid’s at the tenth layer of Qi Refinement…”

“I am! I am!” Liu Xiaolou said loudly. “Tenth layer, exactly! I’ll gladly work like an ox or a horse for the two of you. Just point the way, and I’ll charge that way. No complaints whatsoever!”

Wan Shangu rubbed his chin. “Tenth layer… Over on Miao Feng Mountain they’re offering ten spirit stones, dead or alive. We could sell him to them.”

Madam Wan clapped her hands. “Then let’s do it. Ten spirit stones is nothing to sneeze at!”

Alive, at least. Liu Xiaolou let out a ragged breath, sweat soaking his back.

Madam Wan pinched her nose. “How many years has this kid gone without a bath? God, he stinks!”

Wan Shangu just laughed, hooked his flying fork under the net, and hoisted it up. Liu Xiaolou bounced helplessly inside as the two of them strolled through the forest.

Trying to memorize the path, Liu Xiaolou made one last desperate attempt. “Two honored seniors, I still have a stash of spirit materials back home in southern Xian. Worth at least thirty spirit stones. How about you come back with me? I’ll hand over every last bit. What do you say?”

Madam Wan chuckled. “We wouldn’t dare set foot in southern Xian. Our cultivation isn’t high enough—how could we run around like you do? Who knows, the moment we step out of the Ten-Thousand Mountains, the Luofu Sect might come after us.”

Liu Xiaolou hurried on, “I’ve got a friend in Badong too! I can borrow spirit stones from him. I’m willing to pay fifty spirit stones to buy my freedom! Seniors, Badong is far from Lingnan; you definitely won’t run into anyone from the Luofu Sect there!”

Madam Wan waved him off. “Give up on that idea. My husband and I only pick fruit we can see. Anything too far away to make out clearly? We don’t waste our time..”