Thief Mountain 3

Yun Zhi led them down the slope while saying, "Halfway up the mountain is the Disciplinary Elder's vegetable garden. Before you achieve Bigu, you can go to the dining hall there to eat. However, speaking from experience, your senior brother advises you to achieve Bigu as soon as possible, because the vegetable garden has nothing but carrots and leafy greens. The only meat is the green caterpillars crawling in the fields."

Upon hearing there was nothing to eat, the Black Cat's face turned green.

Yun Zhi continued, "The bamboo building in the northern bamboo forest is the Medicine Elder's pill furnace."

Qi Yin's eyes lit up, and he said, "Can the elder refine many miraculous pills and wondrous medicines, the kind where eating one makes your cultivation advance a thousand miles a day?"

"You're thinking too much. His pills only cure colds and fevers, as well as bruises and injuries. However, his medical skills aren't very reliable. A few years ago, a senior brother broke his leg while flying on his sword. Not only did he fail to heal the broken leg, he even ended up snapping the good leg."

"May I ask where that senior brother is now?" Qi Yin asked weakly.

Yun Zhi shrugged and said, "His family took him away, and our master even compensated them with quite a bit of silver." He lifted his chin towards the south. "Three hundred steps that way is Repentance Cliff. You can meditate on the cliff, and the scenery is very good, but you cannot go below the cliff. Down there is our sect's forbidden ground. Fenghuan Mountain has ten peaks, and only this northernmost peak is our sect's residence; the other nine are all forbidden grounds. It's said that all the demons captured since the founding of our sect are locked up inside. If you pluck any random one out, its lifespan would reach several hundreds of years. Don't go eating the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard, running over there to play."

"With them locked up so close to us, aren't you afraid they'll escape and cause havoc?" Qi Yin asked.

"It's guarded by the Heaven-Spanning Barrier," Yun Zhi pointed at the southern sky. "Look closely."

Qi Yin looked over. A row of flying geese swept across the sky above the cliff. A faintly visible radiance rippled and spread out like a water ripple.

"If one carries demonic or devilish aura on their body, they cannot pass through that barrier. However, the blockhead junior brother shouldn't have a problem; the demonic aura on his body is so weak it's almost non-existent." Yun Zhi walked down the slope with his hands behind his back and said, "Don't look down on our Fenghuan Mountain for ranking last among the four immortal mountains. It's said that in ancient times, we were quite favored by the Great Goddess Yu, that famous Goddess of Mount Wu. She laid down the Heaven-Spanning Barrier. It's probably the oldest thing on our Fenghuan Mountain."

"..." Qi Yin didn't quite believe it. This thief mountain was probably founded by some swindling Daoist taking root here. On the surface, they taught a tiny smattering of immortal arts and Daoist spells, but in reality, they scammed their disciples while teaching them how to scam others, passing it down to this day.

Yun Zhi sighed again and said, "Things haven't been looking great in recent years. Spiritual energy is thinning, and Daoist arts are declining day by day. The old sayings spoke of three thousand Immortal Sects, but now the sects on quite a few mountain peaks have closed down for good. Who knows how many are left. Master says he'll have someone look at the Fengshui someday. Who knows, once the Fengshui changes, we might become the number one sect in the mortal realm."

Yun Zhi brought them to the cluster of tile-roofed houses they had just passed by while flying on the sword. This was actually a small village. Tile-roofed houses with earthen walls were arranged unevenly. In front of them were water wells, water vats, and clothes-drying poles. The senior and junior martial brothers and sisters had used fences to enclose their respective territories. Looking up, a few dresses that had been washed until they turned white were hanging in front of the houses. Qi Yin had sharp eyes and even spotted a few red innerwears and green underpants. Between the tile-roofed houses was a muddy dirt road that wound its way toward the mountain steps.

Yun Zhi pointed to the room at the very edge and offered it to them. "There happens to be an empty room. You two make do and live together. The previous junior brother left his bedding behind and didn't take it with him, so you can go ahead and use it."

"Where did the previous senior brother go? Why isn't he living here anymore?" Qi Yin asked.

"He couldn't continue cultivating Daoist arts, so he went back home to farm," Yun Zhi leaned over, slinging an arm around Fu Lan's shoulders, and chuckled. "Junior Brothers, the Dao is not so easy to cultivate. Since you've entered the sect, your senior brother will provide you with some convenience." Yun Zhi pulled out a blue-covered booklet from his Qiankun Sleeve and stuffed it into Fu Lan's hands. "The Complete Guide to Talismans for Dummies, compiled personally by yours truly. Transformation Talisman, Bright Fire Talisman, Water Evasion Spell—it has everything. Everyone on our Fenghuan Mountain has a copy. With this for your talisman classes, I guarantee you'll get an A-grade every time. Seeing as you only have three copper coins, Junior Brother... Ah well, I'll take a loss. Three copper coins, consider it a gift."

Fu Lan looked at Qi Yin at a loss. Speechless, Qi Yin poured out the three copper coins from Fu Lan's pouch, tossed them to Yun Zhi, and pulled Fu Lan into the room, shutting the door. "Alright, Senior Brother, walk slowly. We won't see you out."

Yun Zhi's head popped up at the window lattice again, smiling to reveal a mouthful of white teeth. "Oh right, one last reminder: don't run around at night, and don't enter the woods."

What did that mean? Was this broken-down place haunted at night?

By the time he wanted to ask more, that guy had already run far away. Qi Yin closed the window, only then realizing the room had no lamp and was pitch-black. Opening the window again, the setting sun was outside, its orange-yellow sunlight falling on the corners of the walls. Unfamiliar senior and junior martial brothers and sisters were outside taking in their laundry, chattering noisily. It was probably because it liked to rain at night in the mountains that everyone was busy taking in their clothes. No one had the time to come and get to know them. That guy Yun Zhi hadn't even mentioned where he lived; it wouldn't even be convenient to drop by for a visit.

Looking back, Fu Lan was sitting cross-legged in front of the desk, staring at him with wide eyes. The Black Cat patrolled the room. Two canopy beds occupied opposite corners, with a long black-lacquered desk in between. Beside it was a floor-standing copper lamp, but it had no lamp oil—just an empty lampstand. A bamboo curtain separated the inner and outer rooms. The outer room held an Eight Immortals table and several curved-leg stools. On the table was a vase of withered dried flowers, as hard as iron wire.

From now on, this was his new home. Sitting across from Fu Lan, Qi Yin suddenly felt a little melancholic.

He would never return to that home in Wutang again.

"Are we husband and wife now?" Fu Lan asked him. "Only husbands and wives live in the same room."

"We are brothers, Blockhead Brother," Qi Yin said expressionlessly. "Brothers live in the same room. Husbands and wives sleep in the same bed."

"Then when can we sleep in the same bed?" Fu Lan asked.

Qi Yin sighed and said, "Give up on that idea, I won't marry you. We're both men. Who knows, if I take off my pants, that thing of mine might be even bigger than yours."

Fu Lan stared blankly at him, clearly not understanding.

The Black Cat jumped onto the desk and said deadpan, "Not even close. I caught a glimpse when you were using the latrine. The blockhead's is much bigger than yours."

Qi Yin: "..."

Knowing better, Qi Yin didn't continue this topic. Instead, he opened The Complete Guide to Talismans for Dummies that Yun Zhi had sold them. Qi Yin didn't hold out much hope for that kid, guessing he was just swindling their money. But since that guy had worked himself to the bone flying them over here and led them around here and there, those three copper coins could be considered a fee for his hard work.

The book was actually compiled quite clearly. Each page had a talisman drawn on it, with the name and function of the spell annotated on the side. The further back he went, the harder the drawing method became. By the end, it was completely a mess of chaotic ink lines, looking like ghosts' scribbles; just looking at it made his head ache.

"Don't tell me I have to memorize this stuff?" Qi Yin cried out miserably.

"Of course," the Black Cat pressed its paw onto the page. "Talismans are a method that allows ordinary people to borrow the spiritual power of heaven and earth to suppress demons. In ancient times, the great shamans communicated with the great gods by writing the language of heaven on golden tablets, which was called 'Jincuo Script'. Now that the golden tablets are lost to time, leaving behind only these scattered words and phrases, it evolved into talismans. If you understood the Jincuo Script, naturally you wouldn't need to memorize them, but since you don't, you have no choice but to memorize them by rote."

"Ah..." Qi Yin looked down at those 'ghost scribbles'. Drawing these things was harder than studying the Four Books and Five Classics.

"What are you 'ah-ing' for?" The Black Cat shot him a sideways glance. "You still have a lot more to learn. The drawing method of talismans has strict rules. It's an imitation of the great shaman's deity-summoning ritual. Great shamans used music and dance to summon deities, and the rhythm of their dance steps strictly followed a sequence; otherwise, the deity would be displeased and refuse to descend. Drawing talismans is the same. Starting a stroke, pausing, and ending a stroke must all be executed flawlessly step-by-step; otherwise, you won't be able to borrow the spiritual power of heaven and earth."

"Why don't you draw one for me to see?"

The Black Cat swatted Fu Lan. "You draw."

A speck of pale blue fluorescent light condensed at the tip of Fu Lan's finger. He drew a few meandering lines in the air. The fluorescent light quietly flowed and scattered from his fingertip, and tiny flying fish swam through the air. The room lit up bit by bit, as a soft and warm halo enveloped them. The room seemed filled with invisible water waves, rippling and sparkling.

Qi Yin's eyes widened in amazement. "What is this?"

"My clones," Fu Lan said.

"So pretty," Qi Yin was eager to try. "Blockhead Brother, teach me."

"You can't learn it. Besides, your spiritual power isn't enough right now," the Black Cat said. "Fu Lan drawing talismans in the void relies on his spiritual power. You have no spiritual power, so you can only use yellow paper and cinnabar to draw talismans."

"Why don't you draw?" Qi Yin asked the Black Cat.

The Black Cat choked for a moment, then snorted and said, "My spiritual power has been sealed, and I don't even have a demonic aura. How could I possibly draw talismans?"

"We can try," Fu Lan suddenly said.

He walked over and sat beside Qi Yin, his left hand resting on Qi Yin's back, and his right hand grasping Qi Yin's hand. Qi Yin was startled by him and tried to struggle free, but Fu Lan said softly, "Don't move."

An icy-cool sensation transmitted from his back. That was Fu Lan transferring spiritual power into his body. The faintly cool spiritual power flowed like a stream of water along his meridians and condensed at his fingertips. Fu Lan held his hand and drew the talisman's lines in the air. Fluorescent light flickered at his fingertips, and tiny swimming fish, shimmering with a gentle halo, swam out from his fingers.

In an instant, Qi Yin's senses became incredibly acute. He couldn't tell if it was he himself who 'saw' it, or if it was what the swimming fish 'saw'. Every corner of the room came into full view: the spiderwebs in the corners, the cracks in the walls, the gaps between the roof tiles, and even every single hair on the Black Cat was revealed in minute detail.

However, the clearest thing of all was Fu Lan's aura. This man was sitting by his side, and Qi Yin was completely enveloped by his scent. It was a cold, quiet, and fresh smell that brought to mind the deep mountains after the rain, filled with soaked grass stems and broken leaves on the ground. He couldn't help but turn his head to look at him. The silent man had his chin slightly raised, his eyes reflecting the pale blue swimming fish. His profile was softened by the halo of light, exuding a uniquely gentle flavor.

This guy... sure looks like a decent human being...

Qi Yin suddenly felt that having Fu Lan accompanying him was pretty nice too. Even though this guy was silly and dense, and was always harboring improper intentions towards him. But with the two of them together, he wouldn't feel lonely. At any rate, he had spent a tael of silver. They could learn the craft of scamming together on this thief mountain. In the future, they would go down the mountain together and become two swindling Daoist brothers. He would be in charge of fooling people, and Fu Lan would act as the shill. This kid had an honest face; a lot of people would definitely fall for it.

"Blockhead Brother," Qi Yin pulled his hand out from Fu Lan's palm and asked, "You guys said I had a marriage agreement with you when I was little. What exactly is going on with that?"

Fu Lan said, "Ah Fu said you were my child bride, and when we grew up, we would get married."

Qi Yin was speechless. Alright, one listen and you could tell this was pure nonsense. What kind of mother would marry off her son to a demon as a child bride? Not to mention, these two guys had scared his mother into moving all over the place.

Qi Yin scratched his head and asked again, "Why do you want to find a mortal for a wife? Don't you demons hate mortals?"

"Mm, mortals make promises lightly, and love to lie."

"Yeah, I'm not very trustworthy either, and I also love to lie."

Fu Lan rubbed the crown of his head, his large black eyes focused and earnest.

He said, "But you are cute."