Splitting the Stone

After Wei Hongqing left, Zuo Gaofeng glanced at Lu Zi'an's body, still wrapped in the net, then looked over at Tan Bajhang and Liu Xiaolou. It seemed like he wanted to say something.

Tan Bajhang also looked uneasy, opening his mouth a few times but saying nothing in the end.

Liu Xiaolou could guess what they were worried about. "Don't worry," he said. "Brother Wei will be back soon."

"Wouldn't be the first time he ran off…" Tan Bajhang muttered.

Zuo Gaofeng hesitated. "This isn't like a wedding. This is serious. Brother Wei wouldn't… I mean, he wouldn't do that."

"To Brother Wei," Liu Xiaolou said. "Lu Zi'an's body matters more than the Foundation Pill."

Tan Bajhang shook his head. "Then why not just leave the Pill behind?"

That was a tough question. One you really couldn't answer. The more they said, the more likely suspicion and bad blood would spread. So Liu Xiaolou chose to change the subject.

"Let's bury Xishan Hermit. We were fellow cultivators, after all. Can't just leave him out here to rot."

The three of them dug a deep pit and buried him. They even carved a wooden marker and stuck it in the ground over the grave. Then they stood there in silence, circled around the simple mound, each lost in their own thoughts, unsure what to say.

It was a long time before Wei Hongqing finally returned, grinning from ear to ear.

"Good news!" he called out. "The reward's in.... fifteen spirit stones each!"

After Xishan Hermit died, Zuo Gaofeng and Tan Bajhang had already guessed the reward would be more generous than originally promised. But fifteen stones apiece? That was more than they'd hoped for, and they couldn't help beaming with joy.

Fifteen spirit stones. Liu Xiaolou had never even dreamed of holding that kind of wealth. And now… it was real?

"Brother Wei," he asked, "did you give up your own share?"

Wei Hongqing joked, "It's nothing. You all deserve a bit more. Just think of it as my belated wedding gift in return for the ones you gave me. Otherwise, if you kept brooding over it, letting it mess with your state of mind and hold back your cultivation, well, I'd be committing a terrible sin!"

The three of them burst out laughing. Just like that, the tension between them melted away.

Wei Hongqing immediately divided up the spirit stones. Liu Xiaolou held his fifteen sparkling stones in his palm, feeling as if he were carrying a mountain. He tucked them carefully into his robe, patted the front to make sure they were secure, and even checked again.... just to be safe.

With everything settled, the group said their goodbyes. Zuo Gaofeng was heading to the market at Tianmen Mountain, and Tan Bajhang was returning home. One by one, they went their separate ways.

Liu Xiaolou was about to leave too, but Wei Hongqing stopped him and handed over a jade token.

"What's this?" Liu Xiaolou turned it over in his hands. He couldn't quite tell what it was, but it clearly wasn't just an ordinary jade pendant. It pulsed with strong spiritual energy; could probably be considered a magical item.

"Didn't they give you that formation manual?" Wei Hongqing said. "Well, I pulled a favor with… my lady, and got you a piece of spirit jade. This stuff is real material for crafting a formation disk. It's way better than the random scraps Xishan Hermit was using. That illusion formation of his could be fully refined into this one piece, and it'd be way more effective, too."

Liu Xiaolou gave a wry smile. "Thanks, Brother Wei; but I don't know the first thing about formations."

Wei Hongqing waved it off. "So learn! Nobody's born knowing formations. Now you've got the manual, the jade, and the spirit stones. Everything you need to give it a shot. And if it doesn't work out? Just sell the jade and the book together. You could still get five or six spirit stones easy."

What else was there to say? Any words of thanks would just feel hollow.

Liu Xiaolou carefully put the jade token away and asked, "Brother Wei, judging by your look, I take it things went well with joining the outer sect of Tianmu Mountain?"

Wei Hongqing nodded. "More or less. Once I've found my footing, you should come visit. I'll show you around the blessed lands of Tianmu."

Liu Xiaolou's eyes lit up. "A blessed land... I've never seen one before. I wonder what it's like."

Wei Hongqing smiled. "It's not that special. Just a place with spirit springs to help with cultivation, that's all."

Liu Xiaolou said with envy, "You've cultivated for so many years, and now you've finally made it into a prestigious sect. From now on, you won't have to carry the burden of Wulong Mountain's reputation. Congratulations, Brother Wei."

Wei Hongqing gave a thoughtful sigh. "Since leaving the mountain, I've been drifting from place to place; so much struggle, so much uncertainty. If not for a bit of luck, I wouldn't be where I am now. To tell the truth, Wulong Mountain may not have the best name, but it's still home. I left back then because I felt I had no choice, but looking back... I didn't think it through. Only after wandering the world did I realize that without a home, even finding a quiet place to cultivate becomes a luxury. With Wulong Mountain as our roots, at least we had some peace of mind. The world out there is... brutal."

Liu Xiaolou had heard his teacher speak before about how tough it was for cultivators without a home, but hearing it now from Wei Hongqing, he felt it more deeply.

Seeing his sworn brother find a good place to belong, Liu Xiaolou genuinely felt happy for him, though that happiness came tinged with a faint sense of loss. Just half a year ago, he had tried to join Dongyang Sect, a major sect in southern Xiang, and failed. How could he not feel a little disheartened?

Wei Hongqing added, "I'm heading to the Lu clan hall of Tianmu Mountain to undergo the initiation rites. I can't linger much longer..."

"Go on then—your wife-to-be must be waiting, right?" Liu Xiaolou teased. "Just a shame I never got the chance to meet my sister-in-law."

Wei Hongqing hesitated. "She... doesn't like seeing outsiders..."

Of course, Liu Xiaolou understood his difficulty. That sister-in-law he had never met was a disciple of a prestigious sect. The fact that she accepted Wei Hongqing at all was already bending the rules, how could she possibly be willing to acknowledge a brother-in-law like himself? It wasn't just a matter of pride; even if the roles were reversed, he wouldn't have agreed either.

"Well then, I'll pay my respects another time if the chance comes."

Wei Hongqing nodded. "Alright. I'll be on my way now\..."

Liu Xiaolou watched him walk away. But before he got too far, Wei Hongqing suddenly seemed to remember something and turned back. "Xiaolou, this place is called Taoyuan. Twenty li to the northeast lies a mountain named Xingde. There lives a man of virtue known as Lord Xingde. If you want to forge that formation plate, you should pay a visit to Xingde Mountain."

Liu Xiaolou nodded, waved, and stood watching until Wei Hongqing's figure disappeared beyond the distant bend in the hills.

In the forest, only Liu Xiaolou remained, alone, alongside two graves; one deep and one shallow. He lingered in place for a moment, then decided to make a trip to Xingde Mountain, hoping to find an opportunity to forge a formation plate.

Having once been trapped in that illusion formation, he remained deeply impressed by its ability. With his meager cultivation and poor combat skills, a formation like that could very well be a lifesaver in critical moments.

Heading northeast, he soon entered a range of chaotic hills. Though it was said to be twenty li away, he didn't arrive until dusk. Fortunately, he encountered a woodcutter who pointed him in the right direction.

As he climbed the mountain, he passed curious rocks and twisted pines; the scenery along the way was quite striking. Bathed in the glow of the setting sun, he finally reached the summit, where a small stone temple came into view: Xingde Temple.

The temple was small, consisting of three connected halls and occupying roughly half an mu, covering most of the mountaintop.

There was a gate, but no enclosing walls. The main hall stood at the center, flanked by an east annex and a west chamber, forming a "品" shape. In front lay a veranda courtyard, about a three fen in size. On either side stood a bronze censer shaped like a crane, with thin coils of incense rising from within, releasing a faint, intoxicating scent.

After having just come from a brutal encounter in the wild, stepping into this quiet, peaceful place felt like his spirit had been gently cleansed; everything seemed a little more serene.

Liu Xiaolou stood respectfully at the foot of the steps and bowed toward the main hall.

"Is Lord Xingde here? This junior, Liu Xiaolou, comes to pay his respects."