“Why are you standing here alone, brother? Waiting for a friend?” A clear, bright voice suddenly came from behind Han Li, startling him.
Han Li slowly turned around and saw six or seven people standing not far behind him. The speaker was a twenty-seven or twenty-eight-year-old cultivator dressed as a Taoist priest. He had a fair, beardless face with regular features, a horsetail whisk draped over his arm, and was smiling at Han Li.
“Does the Taoist priest have business with me?” Han Li ignored the other’s question and instead replied with an expressionless counter-question.
“Haha! Don’t misunderstand. We mean no harm to you, brother. We just saw you standing here alone, looking curious about everything, so we guessed you might be a lone rogue cultivator attending the gathering. We thought to come over and make your acquaintance. All of us are rogue cultivators, just like you,” the Taoist explained with a friendly expression.
“You’re all rogue cultivators?” Han Li was slightly taken aback.
“That’s right. If you are a rogue cultivator, it would be best for you to join our group. That way, we can look out for each other during the gathering,” said a young woman with delicate features but a scar on her face. Next to her stood a burly man with a full beard and a sword on his back, seemingly a couple.
“Indeed, in previous years, lone rogue cultivators attending the trading meet often faced bullying from major families due to their lack of support,” the Taoist added with a serious expression.
Hearing this, Han Li began to understand their intention.
These rogue cultivators, fearing mistreatment by cultivator families at the gathering, had spontaneously formed a small group to ensure some measure of self-protection. Hence, they were seeking out lone rogue cultivators like him.
Now that he understood their purpose, Han Li had no reason to refuse such an offer. After all, he did need a small group to provide cover and shelter, even if only temporarily.
However, before agreeing, he needed to ask a few questions to ensure he could join them with peace of mind.
“Since you’ve already seen through me, I won’t hide it. I am indeed a rogue cultivator. But if you want me to join your group, could you first introduce yourselves and explain what would be expected of me as a member?” Han Li openly admitted his status as a rogue cultivator but made his request just as the others began to look pleased.
“It seems you still have some reservations! Haha! That’s nothing. The others said similar things when they first joined!” Instead of appearing displeased, the Taoist and the others exchanged glances and burst into laughter. The Taoist then spoke the above words.
“Let me introduce you to these friends!” The Taoist pointed to the other cultivators and smiled at Han Li.
“These two are brothers from Canglang Ridge, Hei Mu and Hei Jin.” The Taoist led Han Li to a pair of young men who looked very similar and introduced them generously.
The two brothers clasped their hands in salute to Han Li, who returned the gesture calmly.
“This is Hong Lian, the Hermit of Feilian Cave, and Monk Ku Sang of Pulushan.” This time, he introduced an ordinary-looking young woman and a young monk with a sorrowful expression.
“As for this couple—”
“My husband and I are from Tianshui Village. I’m Hu Pinggu, and he is Xiong Dali.” Before the Taoist could finish, the young woman giggled and cut him off, introducing herself and the bearded man.
The Taoist, though interrupted, showed no anger and simply smiled faintly.
“I am an itinerant Taoist from Qingniu Temple on Woniushan, with the Taoist name Songwen. I am the initiator of this small group and have been temporarily elected as the leader. However, I generally do not give orders. I only take the lead when dealing with external disputes.” The Taoist modestly introduced himself and briefly explained the nature of their small group.
This Taoist seemed quite dignified and appeared to be a decent person.
Moreover, the others were mostly quite capable, with cultivation levels around the seventh or eighth layer of the Evergreen Technique. Taoist Songwen was even more impressive. Though not yet at the level of the blue-clothed man, he was still far stronger than Han Li.
After weighing the pros and cons, Han Li felt that joining them would be beneficial without any drawbacks. He said, “Since we are all rogue cultivators and sticking together will make things easier, I, Han Li, will temporarily join your group.”
“Excellent! With Brother Han joining us, our group’s strength has increased yet again!” Taoist Songwen exclaimed happily upon hearing Han Li’s agreement.
The others also looked pleased, as Han Li seemed quite capable and could be of great help to them.
“Is everyone in our group here?” Han Li glanced around and asked.
“There are two others. One is sleeping inside, and the other is wandering around somewhere,” Hu Pinggu said with a slight pout, seemingly displeased with the two.
“It’s not as bad as Madam Hu says. One just likes to sleep a bit, and the other is a bit playful,” the young monk, Ku Sang, defended the two.
“You…” Hu Pinggu seemed unhappy with the monk’s defense and was about to say more.
“Alright! Let’s not argue. After all, we all agreed that aside from unified action and obedience during external conflicts, everyone is free to act as they please at other times,” Taoist Songwen quickly stepped in to mediate.
Madam Hu, though still somewhat displeased, did not press the issue further. After all, Taoist Songwen’s strength commanded respect, and she had to give him some face.
“Brother Han will meet those two when we gather tonight. I’ll introduce them to you then. They are indeed a bit… unique,” the Taoist said with a helpless expression, as if those two gave him a headache.
Though curious, Han Li felt it inappropriate to press for details.
Next, Taoist Songwen asked Han Li if he wanted to join them or explore alone.
Han Li naturally chose the latter, which did not surprise the Taoist. Those new to Tai Nan Valley were often curious and preferred to explore on their own initially. After seeing enough, they would usually join the group, much like the others.
The Taoist responsibly explained some taboos and common practices to Han Li, giving him a better understanding of the Tai Nan Gathering. He then handed Han Li a talisman.
Pointing to one of the small buildings among the pavilions, he told Han Li that it was their resting place and that the talisman was the key to bypass the building’s restrictions.
The group then bid farewell to Han Li and disappeared into the night, likely to seek out other rogue cultivators.
Han Li watched their retreating figures until they were completely out of sight. He then looked down at the talisman in his hand. The yellow paper shimmered with silver light, inscribed with mysterious incantations he couldn’t decipher, suggesting it had genuine utility.
After a moment of contemplation, Han Li chuckled softly.
He folded the talisman carefully and tucked it into his robe. Taking one last deep look in the direction where Taoist Songwen had disappeared, he turned without hesitation and walked toward the square.
Upon entering the square, Han Li, like the other cultivators, began strolling slowly, examining the items at each stall one by one.
According to Taoist Songwen, the cultivators here generally conducted trades in two ways.
One was the primitive barter system, where cultivators hoped to exchange items they didn’t need for things they urgently required. It was common for some to set up stalls for days without making a single successful trade.
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