Fairies Are Fierce

Chapter 25: Mountain Patrol

The moon was bright, the stars were sparse, and the valley was silent.

The roaring waterfall accompanied the sound of swords. Unbeknownst to the east, dawn was breaking, and a new day had arrived.

Zuo Lingquan woke up early and followed Senior Sister Xiaohua to the living quarters of Qihuang Valley. He received his clothes and doorplate, officially becoming a disciple of Qihuang Valley. Because he was recruited by Wu Qingwan, he naturally ended up in the Pill and Artifact Room.

As the name suggests, the Pill and Artifact Room manages the sect's medicinal pills and cultivation tools. Its main responsibilities on a daily basis include picking and drying herbs. The senior brothers and sisters who have been there longer are responsible for refining pills and making tools.

Zuo Lingquan did not rely on his identity as a son-in-law to receive special treatment from Wu Qingwan. Following the usual steps for disciples, he meditated with the senior brothers and sisters every day and performed simple tasks. At the same time, he had a strong desire for knowledge and sought to understand various aspects of cultivation.

Wu Qingwan naturally favored Zuo Lingquan. In her spare time, she studied books and asked her peers for advice. She could answer any questions Zuo Lingquan had, wanting him to smoothly enter the sect.

Zuo Lingquan was intelligent and composed, and he had great perseverance. He could remember everything Wu Qingwan told him and even draw inferences from one example. With a little guidance, he understood the principles and subsequent paths.

Unfortunately, Zuo Lingquan's body was like a walking stone, capable of understanding but unable to put it into practice. This made Wu Qingwan suspicious, wondering if Zuo Lingquan was pretending not to learn just to tease her.

Fortunately, hard work pays off, and there was a slight turning point in the situation.

After a week had passed, it was already mid-February.

Zuo Lingquan settled in the Pill and Artifact Room and became familiar with the environment and the senior brothers and sisters of Qihuang Valley over the course of seven days.

According to the sect's arrangements, disciples couldn't just stay in the valley all the time. Every few days, they would accompany the valley's attendants or senior brothers with strong abilities to patrol deep into the mountains, collecting herbs and driving away ferocious beasts to ensure the safety of the residents outside the mountains.

The Changqing Mountain Range stretched across the western side of the Dadao Dynasty. Disciples with higher cultivation levels would patrol the entire Dadao Dynasty for a month or so, while newly recruited disciples like Zuo Lingquan, who had just entered the sect, didn't have the ability to go that far and only needed to go out for three days.

Zuo Lingquan had just arrived and had no cultivation at all, so he didn't have the opportunity to go on mountain patrols. However, he was no longer a six-year-old child and had some self-defense abilities. Wu Qingwan informed him and allowed him to go out and gain experience.

In the early morning, Zuo Lingquan wore the black disciple robe of Qihuang Valley, held his sword, and brought some dry rations as he arrived at the central square of Qihuang Valley.

Behind the square was a grand hall, the main hall of Qihuang Valley. It was usually closed and only opened during major events.

On the square in front of the hall, there were many teams preparing to go on mountain patrols. Each team consisted of twenty people, mostly Qi Refining stage one or two cultivators of varying ages.

Zuo Lingquan looked around the vast square and found the team that Wu Qingwan had mentioned. The team was led by She Yulong, an attendant from the Sword Room.

She Yulong was the direct disciple of the Grand Master's senior brother. At the age of twenty-four, he had already passed the seventh level of the twelve levels of the "Hanging Pivot."

Talented cultivators start their practice at the age of six. They progress smoothly without encountering any bottlenecks. It takes three years to open one's first aperture, and reaching the seventh level would take until the age of twenty-seven. However, She Yulong reached the seventh level at the age of twenty-four, which shows his exceptional talent. Therefore, he is highly regarded by the elders in the valley.

Zuo Lingquan approached the group and She Yulong, who carried a long sword on his back, spoke kindly, "Lingquan, this is your first time going out to patrol the mountains. You don't need to take turns with other senior brothers to explore the path. Just keep up with the pace and don't get lost. Otherwise, I won't be able to explain it to Sister Jiang."

Although Zuo Lingquan did not deliberately promote himself, his appearance was too outstanding and his identity was quite special. The Phoenix Valley was not too big, and his personal deeds became well-known within a few days, thanks to the gossiping senior sisters in the pill refining room.

Facing She Yulong's teasing, Zuo Lingquan smiled and stood with a group of young men and women.

Among the people going out this time was Wang Rui, whom they had met at the gate when they first arrived. Wang Rui was a disciple of the Discipline Hall. He reached the third level of Qi Refining at the age of eighteen, which was considered above average in the Phoenix Valley. He was optimistic and outgoing, and had a good relationship with the senior brothers and sisters of various halls.

Seeing Zuo Lingquan approaching, Wang Rui walked up with his sword and joked, "Junior Brother Zuo, don't worry. There aren't many fierce beasts in the mountains. Even if there are, with me, Wang Rui, here, I will definitely protect you. But as a reward, if I can't make a living in the Phoenix Valley after leaving the mountain, you, Lord Zuo, must arrange a good job for me."

"Hahaha..."

The group of young men and women burst into laughter, but it was quickly suppressed by the disciplined She Yulong.

Zuo Lingquan was certainly not weak in skill, and he found it amusing that these young kids saw him as someone to protect. However, he didn't have the intention to steal the limelight from his senior brothers and sisters when he had just arrived, so he didn't say anything.

After everyone gathered, She Yulong finished taking attendance and led a group of twenty people to set off. They left through the back of the Phoenix Valley and entered the vast and endless mountains.

On the cliff, Wu Qingwan, wearing a warm yellow long dress, also gazed into the distance.

It was not one hundred percent safe for disciples to patrol the mountains in the valley, otherwise there would be no need for patrols.

There were many fierce beasts in the mountains, although most of them wouldn't come to the outskirts. However, every year, a few would get lost and end up in the wrong place. When disciples encountered them during their patrols, they needed to kill or drive them away to prevent them from causing harm to the people outside the mountains. In the midst of fighting, casualties were inevitable.

Although Wu Qingwan believed in She Yulong's skills, the fierce beasts wouldn't consider the disciples' combat power. If they encountered one that they couldn't handle, without the elders' help, something would definitely go wrong.

Jiang Yi had just been chosen as the Lord's wife. If something happened to Zuo Lingquan, it would be difficult for Wu Qingwan, as an elder, to explain. After hesitating for a long time, she returned to her room and took out her sword. She leaped up from the cliff and followed the team from a distance...

---

In the leisurely spring of February, it was the season of rejuvenation for all things.

In the vast and endless Changqing Mountain, twenty young men and women formed a line, slowly moving forward on the winding paths between the mountain peaks.

Although the surroundings are lush with green trees and singing birds, the area is located deep in the mountains with dense forest, where the tree canopies block out the sun and there is not much scenery to see.

The task of patrolling the mountains is quite dull. The area that Zuo Lingquan patrols stretches from Qihuang Valley to the Black Blind Ridge, which is about a hundred miles away. It is very close to Qihuang Valley and has been traversed by senior brothers and sisters countless times. Not to mention encountering fierce beasts, even encountering a squirrel can be a rare sight.

The twenty disciples accompanying him mostly have tasks assigned by the sect. When they reach specific locations, they would climb up the mountains or descend into the streams to gather mature herbs, while the rest would wait and rest in place. At night, everyone would rest in the campsite set up by previous people and continue their journey at dawn.

At first, Zuo Lingquan was cautious, but after walking for a day and a night, he gradually realized that this was just a normal patrol. His initial caution relaxed a little, and he chatted with Wang Rui who was walking beside him.

On the afternoon of the second day, the sky became overcast with dark clouds, and a continuous spring rain began to fall.

To be safe, She Yulong did not force them to continue to the Black Blind Ridge and instead stopped at the campsite below the Jiguan Ridge.

The campsite at Jiguan Ridge is located in a mountain hollow, a naturally formed cave. The senior brothers and sisters who came before have already built a makeshift stove outside the cave, and inside the cave, they have even constructed temporary beds with wood and thatch. The newcomers only need to maintain them before using them.

After walking on the mountain road for nearly two days, most of the young men and women from Qihuang Valley were exhausted. After putting down their belongings in the cave, they leaned against the stone wall to rest and eat dry rations.

Zuo Lingquan is physically strong and not tired after running for two days, but he couldn't help but feel disappointed with the daily life of cultivators. In his imagination, cultivators should be like mythical dragons, appearing and disappearing at will, with treasures and techniques flying everywhere.

But the cultivators in Qihuang Valley seemed more like a group of herbal farmers to him. It's not that they were wasting time, but doing these trivial tasks did feel like a waste of time. If it weren't for Wu Qingwan's serious help in exploring the problem of his inability to cultivate, Zuo Lingquan would probably have lost interest in Qihuang Valley and returned to the capital to practice his own sword skills. Arguing with the princess would be better than hiding from the rain in this place.

Outside the cave, the rain continued to fall. Zuo Lingquan stood at the entrance of the cave, took a sip from his water pouch, and his mood changed from the initial excitement of entering Qihuang Valley to the familiar confusion of the past.

Wang Rui stood beside Zuo Lingquan, perhaps sensing his boredom, and spoke up.

"This is how cultivation is. Ninety-nine percent of the time is dull and tasteless. If you can't endure this path, you will give up. When I first came, I also thought it was boring, but after getting used to it, I feel pretty good. After all, I have endured all these years."

A junior disciple behind them, also on his first mountain patrol, complained with tired legs.

"Senior Brother Wang, when will this endurance end?"

Wang Rui chuckled and looked up at She Yulong, who was carefully surveying the surroundings of the campsite.

"Practice well and learn from Senior Brother She. I heard from the masters that when we give incense money to the Jinglu Terrace next year, we should bring Senior Brother She along. Once we're outside, it will be considered a breakthrough."

Upon hearing this, the junior disciples' eyes filled with despair. After all, She Yulong's performance in the valley was too outstanding. He devoted himself entirely to cultivation, like an tireless machine. He had never been lazy since childhood, and ordinary people simply couldn't compare.

Zuo Lingquan also listened on the side. He couldn't cultivate and could only enter Qihuang Valley through the back door. He hadn't thought about what would happen outside, but he was curious about the incense money that Wang Rui mentioned.

"We have to provide offerings to the sects of the Great Yan Dynasty even though we reside in the Qihuang Valley?"

Wang Rui leaned against the stone cave and shook his head.

"It can't be considered as offerings. It's as difficult for someone from the Southern Nine Sects to join as it is for a fish to cross the river. They don't lack the meager offerings from Qihuang Valley. We can only offer incense to the Jinglu Terrace because of our ancestral master's connection to it. They reluctantly accept it. For places like the Fuyi Mountain in the north or for wild cultivators from other sects, no matter how much celestial money they have, they can't find a way to offer it."

Zuo Lingquan had heard of the so-called celestial money, "Baiyu Zhu," but it couldn't be used in the mortal world. Even if he had a fortune, he had never seen it before. He curiously asked, "Is the celestial money you mentioned, Baiyu Zhu?"

Wang Rui knew that Zuo Lingquan came from a wealthy family and was sure that he had never seen Baiyu Zhu. A hint of pride appeared in his eyes. He turned around and took out a wooden box from his pocket in front of many junior disciples.

"That's right, Baiyu Zhu is not an ordinary silver coin. Only the Southern Nine Sects can mint it. If you want to exchange it with ordinary silver coins, one piece is worth no less than a hundred liang of silver. However, the Dadao Dynasty doesn't produce this thing, so generally no one is willing to exchange it for ordinary silver. It is often exchanged for rare treasures and exotic herbs. This one was given to me as a reward by Senior Wu last year when I was collecting herbs in the mountains and found a hundred-year-old Lingzhi."

As he spoke, Wang Rui opened the wooden box. Inside the box was a piece of snow-white coin the size of a copper coin, transparent and crystal clear like soft jade. Without touching it, one could tell that it had an excellent texture. There were two characters engraved on the front: "Tie Du."

Everyone present were young disciples with low cultivation levels, the youngest being only eleven or twelve years old. They might have seen Baiyu Zhu, but they had never had one themselves, and their eyes showed envy.

This was the first time Zuo Lingquan had seen this thing. Hearing that it was worth a hundred liang of silver, not even enough for his drinking expenses, he naturally didn't hold back and reached out to take it, carefully examining it.

The touch of Baiyu Zhu was similar to that of jade, but it was very light in weight. Other than that, there was nothing particularly special about it.

After taking a glance, Zuo Lingquan asked, "Senior Wang, what is this thing used for?"

Seeing Zuo Lingquan casually picking up Baiyu Zhu without any hesitation, Wang Rui's eyelids twitched. But considering the other's family background, he was afraid of being seen as too stingy, so after hesitating for a while, he didn't snatch it back. He just said with some hesitation, "Um... Baiyu Zhu is created by sealing spiritual energy with a secret method. The contained spiritual energy can roughly fill the Qi Sea of a cultivator at the first stage. After it is crushed, it can be absorbed using the Qi Refining method. However, spiritual energy is everywhere, so generally no one is so extravagant... Hey, hey, don't crush it. I only have this one."

Zuo Lingquan was just joking. He put Baiyu Zhu back into the box intact and was about to make another joke when suddenly a voice came from outside the stone cave, "Silence!"

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Transitioning for two chapters, setting up a bit of background, otherwise it would become a historical martial arts novel...

(End of this chapter)