Novel Full Chapter 45: The 3rd Floor of the Scripture Pavilion
Chapter 45: Chapter 45: The 3rd Floor of the Scripture Pavilion
The journey back was slower than the journey there.
Liu Ping’s leg was broken. He couldn’t walk and had to be supported by others. Xu Mao had stopped the bleeding in his shoulder, but he couldn’t put any strength into his right arm. After walking for less than an hour, a cold sweat began to bead on his forehead.
Fang He’s group was in even worse shape. Of their seven-person team, only three could move normally. They were carrying a body on a stretcher, and even then, they needed Li Yuan and He Shou to lend a hand.
Fortunately, they didn’t encounter any more Demon Beasts along the way.
By the time they reached the main encampment, it was already getting dark.
He Shou went straight to find the person in charge of the guard post to report. Li Yuan helped carry Liu Ping to the encampment’s medical tent, then settled Xu Mao onto a wooden plank bed so the stationed personnel could treat his wounds.
Fang He’s team also settled in at the encampment. The body on the stretcher was carried into an empty room, and the door was closed.
When He Shou returned, his expression was even grimmer than when he had left.
"About the Arrays, I’ve reported everything—both the ones from the valley before and the new ones we discovered today."
He Shou stopped at the entrance to their quarters, his tone clipped.
"Also, the Wang family has hired an Array expert to come investigate the origin and purpose of these Array markings. He should be here in the next day or two."
"Hired from where?" Li Yuan asked.
"They didn’t say." He Shou shook his head. "But anyone specifically hired by the Wang family must be highly skilled."
He Shou leaned his long saber against the corner of the wall and added, "There’s one more thing."
"An order came back from Captain Wang—we’re to withdraw to the marketplace tonight."
"Tonight?"
"The manpower here at the encampment is being reallocated. We were supposed to stay longer, but the casualties are even higher than last time."
He Shou paused, then continued.
"All teams are heading back together, but those few from the Wang family will remain here. We’ll also be escorting several of the wounded back with us."
...
Traveling at night was faster than during the day.
With no search mission, they didn’t have to stop to check for tracks. Thanks to some medicinal remedies, Xu Mao’s injuries had already improved significantly.
Traveling together in a large group, safety wasn’t a concern.
Chen Qi supported Liu Ping, while Li Yuan was responsible for another injured member from Fang He’s team.
After walking for nearly four hours, the silhouette of the marketplace’s walls appeared in the night.
Upon entering the marketplace, Li Yuan walked along East Street, his pace slowing slightly.
The nights in the marketplace were different from how they used to be.
The stalls on both sides of East Street had long been packed up, but seven or eight handcarts of various sizes were parked by the roadside. They were laden with wooden crates and cloth bundles, all tied down securely with rope. A few people who looked like Loose Cultivators were squatting in a circle around the carts. Some were taking inventory, while others spoke in low voices.
Li Yuan swept his gaze over them and noticed that, without exception, every single one of them had a storage pouch hanging from their waist.
Not just one or two of them, but every single person.
A team of Loose Cultivators where every member had a storage pouch was a rare sight in Qinghe Marketplace. The cheapest storage pouch cost fifty or sixty Spirit Stones. An ordinary Loose Cultivator might not be able to afford one even after saving for several years, let alone an entire team being equipped with them.
’These aren’t ordinary Loose Cultivators.’
Li Yuan didn’t linger and continued on his way.
When he reached the entrance to the North Alley, he saw a similar scene.
Three handcarts were crammed into the open space at the alley’s entrance. Seven or eight people were gathered around, one of whom was squatting on the ground, drawing something on a sheet of coarse paper with a charcoal pencil while several others craned their necks to see.
"...came over from the Primordial Yang Sect’s territory. Took us over half a month. Ran into two groups of rogue cultivators on the way and lost one person, but those two rogues were actually pretty well-off."
A loud-voiced, middle-aged man was talking to the person next to him, holding a jar of wine that he drank from as he spoke.
"No road is safe these days. If you travel alone, you’re just serving yourself up on a platter. There are twelve of us, and we only dared to travel by sticking together. Even then, we nearly got wiped out."
Li Yuan slowed his steps.
’Traveling merchants.’
Traveling merchants frequently moved between the various marketplaces and regional powers surrounding the Yuanheng Mountain Range. They would purchase goods in one marketplace and transport them to another to sell, profiting from the price difference.
Many Loose Cultivators were in this line of work, but they usually traveled in groups of two or three to handle any dangers. A group of a dozen or more was uncommon.
’To be able to form such a large group, and for every member to have a storage pouch... they’re either an established merchant caravan or a temporary alliance formed because of the recent instability.’
Li Yuan stood at the mouth of the alley for a moment, listening in.
"...things are quite lively over at the Primordial Yang Sect. I heard they’re researching a new pill that uses the Inner Core of a High Tier Demon Beast as the main ingredient to help cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage break through to the Golden Core."
"Golden Core?" A young Loose Cultivator next to him clicked his tongue. "What’s that got to do with us? We can’t even reach Foundation Establishment."
"Doesn’t cost anything to listen," the middle-aged man said, taking a swig of wine and wiping his mouth.
"Also, the stall fees at the Li family’s marketplace have gotten cheaper again, but they’re still thirty percent more expensive than here."
"Is it safe over at the Li family’s place?"
"A lot safer than here. The Li family seems to have some method for driving off or dealing with Demon Beasts."
Li Yuan committed this information to memory, returned to his residence, and began to cultivate.
The Spiritual Qi that entered his body was pure and without impurities. It circulated rapidly through his meridians, and the six permanent entries each performed their function.
...
The next morning, Li Yuan went to the administration office to register his patrol log and report on the situation from the recent operation.
The Spirit Stone subsidy wasn’t much, only four. However, he received a good number of Contribution Points—a participation reward for the mountain operation, totaling fifteen points.
The reward for discovering the Arrays hadn’t been issued yet.
After leaving the administration office, Li Yuan received a notification and went straight to the patrol team’s station.
When Wang De saw Li Yuan enter, he set aside the document in his hands, leaned back in his chair, and looked him over.
"You’re back. I’ve already seen the report on the situation up there."
Li Yuan sat down at the desk without speaking.
Wang De picked up his cold tea, took a sip, then frowned and put it down.
"The pieces of intelligence you provided before—Zhao Wu spying on the marketplace’s defenses, the Jade Pendant’s aura-concealing technique, and the half-pill from the Demon Beast’s stomach."
Wang De’s tone was flat, but his gaze was serious.
"After some investigation, it seems these leads are connected. I can’t tell you the specifics, but the information you provided was genuinely useful. It saved the Wang family a lot of trouble."
Wang De took a stamped document from under his desk and pushed it in front of Li Yuan.
"The higher-ups have approved a reward for you."
Li Yuan took the document and glanced at it.
The document was brief—in light of Patrol Deputy Captain Li Yuan’s repeated provision of valuable intelligence regarding the marketplace’s security, and with the approval of the Wang family’s steward, he was hereby granted special permission to select one Cultivation Technique or Magic from the Hidden Skills Pavilion as an additional reward.
The selection was not limited to mundane techniques; it included immortal cultivation techniques and magic. He could choose one, and he was permitted to go to the third floor—a place that couldn’t be accessed even with Contribution Points on a normal day.
The second floor of the Scripture Pavilion was filled with Cultivation Techniques and Magic that could be exchanged for Contribution Points, but the third floor was a place that Contribution Points couldn’t buy access to.
Li Yuan’s fingers tightened slightly on the edge of the document.
"Thank you, Captain Wang."
"I’m not the one who approved it. It came from the steward’s office," Wang De said, nudging his teacup aside.
"Take this document with you when you go to the Hidden Skills Pavilion. The guards there will verify it. Just make your choice; don’t take too long."
Li Yuan folded the document, tucked it into his sleeve, and rose to take his leave.