Medicine Master Disciple’s Cultivation Notes

Chapter 48: I'm Mountain Guest Chu Xiaohe

Blue Stone Platform had a wealthy household surnamed Zhao. How wealthy was this Squire Zhao? Put it this way: the several most prosperous streets surrounding Blue Stone Platform, with various merchant houses and shops on both sides—nearly half belonged to his family.

It was said the Zhao family's ancestor had received that immortal's teachings. Although he lacked the talent for cultivating immortal methods, he still learned quite a bit of useful knowledge, started his own business, grew strong, and enjoyed a lifetime of worldly riches.

But because of Mohe the Perfected Being's incident, the Zhao family also suffered. Squire Zhao and his two sons were all taken back to the county. Until now they hadn't been released—neither living persons seen nor dead bodies.

Now it was said the Zhao family's several branch households were fighting over dividing the family, the inside a complete mess. Quite a few of these street-front shops had also closed. Some burned storefronts hadn't even been repaired yet, left there scorched and broken, looking extremely desolate.

Li Qiuchen circled the large bluestone twice, wondering in his heart if he could find the opportunity Jiang Tingyue mentioned here.

Quite a few people actually shared his mentality. Every day, an endless stream of people came to visit the large bluestone, all seeking immortal connections.

Of course, the results were the same—all returned empty-handed with nothing gained.

This was also quite normal. The large bluestone had been placed here for who knows how many years. If there were really any benefits, how could later people get a turn?

Perhaps after long gestation, that mass of spiritual qi inside could upgrade it to become a true spirit stone, but with human lifespans, they probably couldn't wait for that day to arrive.

Li Qiuchen mixed in with the crowd watching the excitement, completely inconspicuous but there were also people whose style looked different.He saw two young scholars obviously not from the countryside standing beside the large bluestone conversing in low voices. He pricked up his ears and eavesdropped a few sentences.

"This place's spiritual qi is thin. Completing this assignment probably won't be easy."

"If it weren't difficult, what kind of assignment would it be?"

"Really don't know where to start from..."

"I think you're just purely lazy."

"It really is hard to do. If it really doesn't work, let's just copy one."

"Even copying must be creative. Tonight let's go visit the local Earth God here, ask about causes and effects, so we'll have some direction."

"Blue Stone Platform had such a major incident. Can the Earth God still hold his position?"

"Hard to say. It's also none of our business. We just need to complete this assignment well..."

What assignment?

Li Qiuchen was very curious in his heart but didn't dare open his mouth to inquire.

Seeing the sky gradually darkening, staying at an inn with his identity seemed inappropriate. Li Qiuchen calculated in his heart, followed the town's cart drivers, and came to a cart inn.

Cart inns, also called chicken feather shops, were a type of cheap lodging specifically provided for these cart drivers on the road.

The environment went without saying—no environment to speak of. The air was filled with the smell of horse manure and human urine. How clean it was depended entirely on your personal degree of cleanliness obsession but it also had advantages—it was warmer than outdoors.

Other problems, in Li Qiuchen's view, weren't anything.

Staying in this kind of place could well disguise his identity.

At night, people played dice gambling. Li Qiuchen also joined the excitement, squeezing in to play a couple rounds.

With his ocular technique, he could of course see the dice points inside the dice cup, but the stakes weren't large. No need to cheat, so he played relatively casually. After half an hour, he lost over twenty wen. Under the gazes of numerous cart bosses looking at a foolish young master and sucker, Li Qiuchen withdrew in time.

Everyone gathered here from all over. Just getting familiar with each other's faces was enough. No one would care too much about his identity. Leaving a superficial impression was fine. This way, even if interested parties traced here in the future, they wouldn't find anything suspicious.

Steady.

Steady.

Still steady.

Getting up in the morning, Li Qiuchen found a stall and ordered a bowl of meat and egg wontons plus two fried cakes.

Steaming hot wontons were brought up. Just as he prepared to pick up his chopsticks, he heard someone behind him say, "Xiaohe, you're really a wealthy person. Having meat first thing in the morning?"

Yesterday when gambling, Li Qiuchen used a fake name, saying he was called Chu Xiaohe.

Turning his head to look, sure enough, it was yesterday's gambling friend.

Not very old either, about fourteen or fifteen, named Hu Hai'er. He came to Blue Stone Platform with his father driving a cart and would stay here for a while.

Li Qiuchen immediately called the boss, "Add another bowl of wontons!"

Hu Hai'er grinned and repeatedly waved his hands, "No need, no need!"

Li Qiuchen glanced at him, "What, looking down on me?"

"Absolutely not!"

Hu Hai'er swallowed his saliva, sat beside Li Qiuchen, cupped his hands with a smile, saying, "Thanks so much."

"It's just a bowl of wontons, thanks for what?"

Northern people generally had forthright personalities, especially regarding food—absolutely not stingy.

This kind of behavior that southern people saw as somewhat presumptuous and impolite was completely ordinary in the north.

"If it's not enough, just order more. Don't be polite with me."

Li Qiuchen sipped a mouthful of wonton soup. Seeing Hu Hai'er somewhat embarrassed, he couldn't help but raise his brows and ask, "Looking for me about something?"

"Nothing!"

Hu Hai'er gave a simple laugh, quietly asking, "My dad told me you came down from the mountains?"

"Mm."

Li Qiuchen noncommittally nodded.

"I knew it. You're so wealthy yet squeeze into cart inns with us."

Hu Hai'er quickly stuffed a bowl of wontons into his mouth in a few bites. Turning back to see Li Qiuchen still chewing slowly and carefully, he couldn't help but purse his lips.

"You got any good mountain goods?"

Li Qiuchen glanced at him, "What for?"

"I'm just asking."

"Are you asking, or did your dad tell you to ask?"

"I'm asking myself."

A trace of craftiness flashed in Hu Hai'er's eyes.

"Xiaohe, I know you mountain runners all have mountain goods. If you want to sell them..."

"You're buying?"

"How could I have that kind of money? But I know people who buy."

Li Qiuchen nodded, understanding. This was trying to earn a commission but commissions weren't that easy to earn.

Mountain guests—this profession was extremely dangerous.

Not only the mountains' danger, but also the danger from people around you.

People in the old mountain forests were no different from wild beasts.

Digging up old ginseng, finding dog-head gold, suddenly getting rich—human nature would instantly break through moral boundaries.

What underworld rules, brotherly bonds... Anyway, killing you here, no one would know.

So mountain guests' vigilance was very high. Unless you were life-and-death brothers or family, they absolutely wouldn't easily trust.

Similarly, they wouldn't trade with strangers.

Hu Hai'er's one sentence exposed his bottom, showing he fundamentally didn't understand the underworld rules here.

Li Qiuchen understood a bit more than him because when young, he'd seen mountain guests in the village.

He also wasn't professional, but at least knew the ways inside.

So Li Qiuchen just smiled and didn't pick up his thread.

Seeing Li Qiuchen had no reaction, Hu Hai'er instead became a bit anxious, winking and making eyes, saying, "Don't disbelieve me. I really know an old shopkeeper. The person is especially righteous, never cheats anyone!"

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