Life as a Rogue Cultivator

They said they'd take their time and think it through. But this crew? Bold as hell. Not one of them was afraid of going up against a tenth-layer Qi Refiner.

Among them, there was one at the eighth layer, one at the seventh, two at the fifth, and one at the third. Taking on a tenth-layer cultivator with a surprise attack? They'd done this kind of thing before. The odds weren't bad. Sure, the risk was high, but when had Wulong Mountain cultivators ever lived without risk? They danced on knife edges every day.

So now, everyone was raring to go, cracking their knuckles, pressing Wei Hongqing to speak:

"Come on, come on! Out with it already, Brother Wei! What do you know? The sooner we move, the better; before news of the bounty from Mount Tianmu spreads. Even gaining an hour's head start could make all the difference!"

"Funny thing," Wei Hongqing said, "it's pure luck, really. I actually know Lu Zi'an. We crossed paths a few times years ago. One of the reasons I came to Mount Tianmu in the first place was because I heard he was doing well here. I thought maybe I could find him, maybe gain something from the connection. But when I got here, he was nowhere to be seen. Later, I found out he'd been assigned to guard the alchemy room and had gone into seclusion with some of the sect elders."

After a pause, he added, "I don't know exactly where he is now. But I do know a place where he's been known to hide. I've been watching it these past few days, and my guess is, that's where he's holed up. The problem is, I couldn't make a move on my own. So I called you all here to plan this together."

He grinned. "These past few days, I've been walking on eggshells, terrified he'd slip away. But now that you're all here... once the night's dark and the wind's up.... that's when we make our move. That's when we strike gold."

That very night, dark clouds hung over Tianmen Mountain. A cold north wind swept through, cutting through clothes and biting at the skin. The moon was hidden, and the wind howled; just the kind of night they'd been waiting for.

Leaving the market town behind, they headed southeast. One hour later, after crossing several low hills, a small river came into view below. The water flowed north, then curved sharply at the foot of the mountain and turned eastward.

"This is Yangliu Bay. Lu Zi'an has a sweetheart who lives just across the bend in the river," Wei Hongqing said, pointing to a small hill on the opposite side. "See that? Right behind that hill. The woods up there are pretty dense, so it's hard to see clearly. Just remember the direction and head toward the thickest patch of cedar trees, you'll find it."

There was no moonlight tonight, and everything was cloaked in darkness. You couldn't make out much beyond the faint outline of the hill. Even the river below was barely visible, only the soft sound of flowing water hinted at its presence.

Wei Hongqing began assigning positions. "You," he said, turning to the man they called 'the Hermit,' "head up the hill and keep watch from above. Brother Zuo, approach from the north. Brother Tan, you take the east. Xiaolou and I will come in from the south. We'll surround the house on all sides. And listen, do not go charging in. Lu Zi'an's already at the tenth Qi refinement layer. His woman's at least fifth-layer herself. If they're alerted, taking them down will be a lot harder. Wait for my signal. When you hear the partridge call, then we move."

Everyone nodded, then quietly slipped off in different directions, making their way toward the far side of the river bend.

Liu Xiaolou followed closely behind Wei Hongqing as they came down the hill. They found a shallow part of the river to cross. It was early winter, and the water was bone-chilling cold. Liu Xiaolou, seasoned as he was after years of cultivation, didn't mind the cold; but it was enough to cool the fire of excitement that had been burning in his chest.

Once across the river, they made a wide arc around the base of the hill. Moving carefully through the dense woods, they hadn't gone far when they suddenly saw a faint light up ahead.

A small, elegant courtyard came into view: red walls, white tiles, layered eaves gently curving upward. Lanterns glowed softly inside, giving the place a quiet, lived-in warmth.

Tucked behind the hill and hidden in the thick forest, this little house was almost impossible to spot.

Wei Hongqing leapt silently into the branches of a nearby tree and studied the courtyard for a few moments. Then he dropped back down and motioned for Liu Xiaolou to retreat. They fell back to a larger locust tree farther out, and together they climbed quietly to the top.

From up there, the house was barely visible anymore; just a few flickers of light in the darkness, the only sign that someone lived there at all.

"Let's be patient and wait," Wei Hongqing whispered. "Once the lights go out and they've gone to sleep, you just put them under with your incense. Leave the rest to me."

Liu Xiaolou gave a small nod. "Wei," he asked, after a moment of silence, "that woman you know in the Lu family at Tianmu Mountain, can she really be trusted?"

Wei Hongqing gave a faint smile and nodded. "She's... decent enough." He stared at the dim flickers of light in the distance, then suddenly asked, "What are you worried about?"

"I... I've just got a bad feeling," Liu Xiaolou replied.

Wei Hongqing frowned slightly. "A bad feeling? What kind?"

Liu Xiaolou hesitated. "If that woman can't be trusted, then everything you've learned from her, how can we trust any of it? But if she can be trusted..."

He trailed off, unsure how to finish.

Wei Hongqing picked up where he left off: "If she can be trusted, then why would I need to drag you all the way out here from Wulong Mountain to help me, right? That's what you're thinking?"

Liu Xiaolou sighed. "I just thought... if she's really on your side, wouldn't it be easier to just handle this with her?"

Wei Hongqing shook his head. "Whether she's trustworthy or not, I honestly don't know. I was born on Wulong Mountain, raised on Ghost Dream Cliff. The only people I can count on are you and the others."

"And yet you still fed us that story?"

"It was just a bit of misdirection. Come on, did any of you really believe it? If you'd seriously cared, you wouldn't have shown up."

"That's fair."

After a while, Wei Hongqing said softly, "Xiaolou, you need to be careful back on Wulong Mountain."

Liu Xiaolou was taken aback. "Wei, are you saying... after this job—"

Wei Hongqing shook his head. "I'm talking about something from back in the Third Month. The Dongyang Sect might've picked up a few traces of me, which is why I left the mountain to lay low. But don't worry, Xiaolou; no matter what they find, I'd never give you up. It was my mistake back then. I let my guard down and gave them the surname 'Wei' on the fly. Not as cautious as you. But thinking about it now, 'Wei' and 'Wei,' they sound the same. The Dongyang Sect might just make the connection…"

Liu Xiaolou tried to reassure him. "It's just a surname. Even if they do suspect someone named Wei, they don't have any solid evidence."

"Those big sects," Wei Hongqing said grimly, "evidence, testimony.... those are for their own people. For rogue cultivators like us? They don't bother with that. They grab you first, and then it's torture until you confess; whether you did it or not. That's why I'm doing everything I can to get into Tianmu Mountain. Once I'm one of theirs, even if the Dongyang Sect has suspicions, they can't act so easily. They'll have to go through the proper channels. And with the way I've covered my tracks... they'll never get anything concrete. I just wanted to give you a heads-up."

"So it's true?" Liu Xiaolou asked. "You're really involved with someone from the Lu clan? Bajhang said she's a widow\... and already over thirty. That's a full ten years older than you."

Wei Hongqing was silent for a moment, then sighed. "Ten years older? I'd take twenty! Guys like us, coming from Wulong Mountain, what are we in their eyes? Vagabonds, vermin, the scum of the cultivation world. If we don't bet big once in our lives, how are we ever supposed to rise up? Those prestigious sects, noble clans, they insult our mothers, and we have to swallow it. They kick us, and we have to smile back. They break their promises without a second thought. Tell me, how are we supposed to live like that? Can you really stand it?"

Liu Xiaolou fell silent, turning his head away. He stared blankly at the faintly glowing lights in the distant courtyard, lost in thought.

He, too, longed to join a prestigious sect.

Just then, the lights inside the courtyard suddenly went out.

Liu Xiaolou reached into his robe and pulled out a black scarf, wrapping it around his face. Without a word or a backward glance, he slid down from the tree and silently made his way toward the courtyard. Wei Hongqing also covered his face with a black scarf and followed closely behind.

They crept up to the courtyard wall. Wei Hongqing gave a light leap, gripping the top of the wall with one hand, and slowly inched his head upward to peer over. A moment later, he moved swiftly and silently like a civet cat as he flipped himself over the wall.

Liu Xiaolou followed suit, leaping up and grabbing Wei Hongqing's arm as he turned and dropped into the courtyard.

Wei Hongqing caught Liu Xiaolou mid-air, gently lifting him up to soften the landing, ensuring not even the slightest sound was made.

When Wei Hongqing landed himself, Liu Xiaolou gave his arm a quiet assist in return, completing the move in utter silence.

The courtyard contained only five rooms. The main room where the light had been seen earlier was easy to identify, and the two of them reached it in just a few steps. Wei Hongqing climbed onto the roof beam and hung upside down, eight iron darts held between his fingers, ready to strike. If anyone inside were to open the door and come out, they would be ambushed from above in an instant; it'd be impossible to defend against.

Liu Xiaolou crouched low, hiding beside the doorway, concentrating on the sounds from inside.

From within came the steady, rhythmic sound of breathing; the unmistakable sound of someone fast asleep.

Only one set of breathing.

Liu Xiaolou looked up at Wei Hongqing on the beam. Wei also seemed uncertain for a moment, but finally gave a slight nod, signaling Liu Xiaolou to proceed.

Liu Xiaolou gave a slight twist of his wrist, and a length of his illusion fragrant tendon slid silently from his sleeve. Under the guidance of his true qi, it transformed into a faint, invisible wisp of smoke and slipped in through the crack beneath the door.