Chapter 253: The Token Reappears
At the foot of the mountain, a man and a woman were trying their damnedest to kill each other. Not that either looked particularly good at it. Their cultivation was low, and the magical weapons they were using didn’t even give off a trace of sword-light. Judging by their moves, they were probably only at the third or fourth layer.
A fight like that didn’t really catch Liu Xiaolou or Zuo Gaofeng’s interest. They hadn’t planned on getting involved at all. But the chase carried the pair closer and closer, until before they knew it, the fight was happening right under the mountain’s shadow.
That was when Liu Xiaolou finally got a good look at them. The one fleeing was a short, weaselly-looking man; the one giving chase, a tall woman with bright eyes and graceful look. That's...
Zuo Gaofeng couldn’t help but whistle. “Now that’s a fine-looking lady. Whose family’s daughter is she, eh? Tsk tsk.”
Liu Xiaolou gave him a speechless look. “Brother Zuo… that’s Ah-Zhen.”
“Ah-Zhen? Nice name.” Zuo Gaofeng suddenly blinked. “Wait, she’s that girl from the Tian family?”
Liu Xiaolou nodded. “That’s right. Surprised? When I passed through Xiushan two years ago, I ran into her. Didn’t expect she’d turn out like this. Two years apart, and she’s changed so much.”
“So, do we help her or not?” asked Zuo Gaofeng.
Liu Xiaolou watched a moment longer before saying, “Looks like she’s getting desperate. If we don’t step in, she might not be able to stop him.”
They could both tell that the guy on the run might not actually be outmatched by Ah-Zhen. For some reason, though, he seemed intent on fleeing rather than fighting. Maybe it was because they were so close to Xiushan. Ah Zhen, it seemed, had picked up on that too, which was probably why she looked so anxious.
Liu Xiaolou leapt from the cliff, ten or so zhang high. Back in the day, it would’ve taken several jumps to make it down safely. Now, he sailed down in a single bound.
Before he even hit the ground, his Mysterious True Cord shot out through the air, wrapping itself around the short man. In a flash, the man was bound tight. Every acupoint he’d unlocked was sealed shut again, leaving him completely helpless. He toppled forward and hit the dirt face-first with a loud thud, eating dirt.
Ah-Zhen’s eyes lit up at the sight of Liu Xiaolou dropping from the sky. She rushed over, pressing her foot onto the struggling short man, then jabbed a finger to knock him out cold. Only then did she turn to him, beaming. “Xiaolou, big brother, what are you doing here?”
“What’s going on?” Liu Xiaolou asked.
Ah-Zhen huffed angrily. “This thief said he came to Xiushan to buy a Cicada Wing Armor. But when he found out my master wasn’t around, he tried to steal it instead! When I caught him in the act, he had the nerve to run!”
Zuo Gaofeng came down from the cliff as well, grinning. “Ah-Zhen! Still remember your Uncle Zuo?”
A-Zhen’s face lit up with surprise and delight. “Uncle Zuo! You’re here too? Oh, that’s wonderful; it’s been ages since I last saw you!” She leaned in a little and whispered, “You didn’t come to Xiushan to hide from trouble, did you?”
Zuo Gaofeng chuckled, eyes twinkling. “Oh? And what trouble has Ah-Zhen been hearing about?”
Ah-Zhen shook her head. “Word is, Tianmu Mountain’s putting out bounties on everyone from Wulong Mountain. They’ve gone completely mad! Uncle Zuo, your bounty’s thirty spirit stones! Senior Dragon Mountain Wanderer’s is forty, and Uncle Dai’s fifty!”
“What about me?” asked Liu Xiaolou.
Ah-Zhen blinked. “You? There isn’t one for you, Big Brother.”
Zuo Gaofeng raised an eyebrow. “And… why isn’t he?”
A-Zhen shook her head. “No idea. He just isn’t. I even checked the letters we sent to Xiushan. Nothing.”
Whether there was a reward or not could wait. Right now, Ah-Zhen’s problem needed solving. Liu Xiaolou walked over and searched the small man lying on the ground. After a moment, he pulled out something thin and gleaming. Light as a cicada’s wing, smooth as silk. He handed it to Ah-Zhen. “This is the Cicada Wing Armor, right?”
Ah-Zhen quickly took it. “That’s it! One of these is worth thirty spirit stones. It’s my shift today; if I lost it, I’d have no idea how to explain myself when Master returns to the mountain.”
Liu Xiaolou hoisted the man up by his collar. “Take him back to Xiushan. Let your Master deal with him when she gets back.”
Ah-Zhen nodded. “Alright.”
Liu Xiaolou retracted the Mysterious True Cord and handed the man over to her. Ah-Zhen gave him a solid punch to the chest, sealing his true energy. Suddenly, with a soft clatter, something dropped from the man’s robe.
It was a carved piece of purple sandalwood, simple and old-fashioned in design. On its face were the characters: Token of the Hidden Zhi Sect.
Liu Xiaolou immediately recognized it. This sect master’s token looked exactly like the ones he’d already collected -- the Sanxuan Token, the Purple Pole Token, and the Xingming Token -- all made from the same mold, identical down to the last detail.
Ah-Zhen picked up the token, her anger flaring again. She kicked the man a few more times, not stopping until blood streaked his face. “You even dared steal our Master’s token?” she spat. “You deserve to die for that!”
Zuo Gaofeng raised an eyebrow. “Your Xiushan Sect is called the Hidden Zhi Sect? I’ve never heard that Fairy Jingzhen founded her own sect.”
Ah-Zhen explained, “It’s something passed down from our Grandmaster to our master. The Grandmaster used to be the sect leader of Hidden Zhi, but the sect declined long ago. When she entrusted it to our master, she made it clear that we weren’t to speak of the sect anymore, just focus on our cultivation. So our master never brings it up, and neither do we. Still, I’ve heard that back in its prime, Hidden Zhi was a major sect, one that held its own blessed land.”
Liu Xiaolou asked, “So what’s the use of this sect leader’s token, anyway?”
Ah-Zhen shook her head. “No idea. It’s always just been kept on display in the main hall. I’ve no clue why this thief would steal it; it’s not a magical tool, and it’s not even made of spiritual material.”
Liu Xiaolou thought for a moment. “Should we ask him?”
Ah-Zhen nodded, then slapped the thief awake. She released a few of his acupoints and asked, “Why did you come to Xiushan? And why steal our sect leader’s token?”
The short man’s eyes darted nervously. He started begging, “Good lady, please spare me! I—I was blinded by greed, that’s all! I saw that sandalwood token displayed in the hall and thought it must be something valuable. I won’t dare do it again, I swear!”
Ah-Zhen glanced at Liu Xiaolou. He gave her a small nod, signaling to drop it. She pressed a finger to the man’s neck, knocking him out cold again. “Uncle Zuo, Big Brother Xiaolou, where are you two planning to stay? I’ll take this one back first and come find you afterward.”
Zuo Gaofeng said, “The search around Mount Tianmu is getting tighter. We’d better keep heading south. Maybe after half a year or so, we can think about coming back.”
Ah-Zhen looked a little disappointed, but given their situation, she could only nod in understanding. She picked up the little thief and started back up the mountain, looking reluctant the whole way, glancing back and waving several times.
Watching her disappear into the distance, Zuo Gaofeng turned to Liu Xiaolou. “I’m leaving too,” he said. “I want to make another trip to the market at Chicheng Mountain.”
Liu Xiaolou got his intention. “Looking for a Foundation-Establishment Pill, huh? I went there with Junior Fang before; we checked every alchemy shop in the place. Didn’t hear a word about anyone selling those.”
Zuo Gaofeng said, “When I saw the word "hidden" on that token just now, it reminded me of the hidden market in Chicheng Mountain’s marketplace. The regular alchemy shops don’t have any Foundation-Establishment Pills, but in the Hidden Market, who knows? I’ve saved up enough spirit stones, so I want to take a chance.”
The so-called “hidden market” was basically an underground black market. A place for selling stolen or forbidden goods. Liu Xiaolou had stayed in Chicheng Mountain’s marketplace for a month, but most of that time he’d spent crafting formation disks. He’d never had the chance to visit the secret market everyone talked about. And as a newcomer, he wouldn’t have been able to get in anyway.
For Zuo Gaofeng, this was the most important step in his cultivation, so all Liu Xiaolou could do was wish him luck.
“Don’t wake up Junior Fang and Bajhang,” Zuo Gaofeng added. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Take care out there, seriously, be extra careful! That Baiye Mountain business... it’s a bloody big snare. Wouldn’t surprise me if the Golden Core elders from Tianlao Mountain came down themselves this time. Ah-Zhen said your bounty’s up to thirty spirit stones now, so don’t take any chances. Oh, and one more thing; there's Lu's Alchemy House from Tianmu Mountain in the Chicheng Market too. If you’re going there to buy pills, they might…”
Zuo Gaofeng clapped Liu Xiaolou on the shoulder. “Got it. I know what I’m doing.”
After Zuo Gaofeng left, Liu Xiaolou didn’t go back right away. He made his way down to the foot of Xiushan instead and waited patiently. Two days later, just as he’d hoped, he saw several female cultivators escorting the thief who’d stolen the Cicada Wing Armor down the mountain. One of them gave the thief a kick, sending him stumbling. “Get lost! If I ever see you again, I’ll chop you into eight bloody pieces!”