“Ah! I am Wu Jiuzhi. I felt an instant connection upon seeing you, brother. Could it be that we were destined from a past life? Come! Later, we shall swear brotherhood with a blood oath and become brothers!”
As soon as the words of Taoist Qingwen fell, that grinning fellow suddenly darted over, lunging right in front of Han Li. He grabbed Han Li’s arm with one hand and spoke with deep, feigned emotion.
Han Li was startled at first but then chuckled lightly.
“Becoming brothers isn’t out of the question, but could you please keep your hands to yourself? My preferences are quite normal, and I have no interest in fresh-faced young men!”
Han Li teased with a smile, abruptly raising one arm and twisting it back with lightning speed to seize a certain wrist—the very hand that had stealthily slipped inside Han Li’s robe.
“Ahem! Ahem! How strange! How did my hand end up in your robe? It must have been so eager to greet Brother Han that it couldn’t help itself!” The young man, caught red-handed, flushed with embarrassment. After a few awkward coughs and excuses, he slowly withdrew his wrist as if nothing had happened.
Han Li had no intention of holding him tightly; as soon as the youth exerted force, Han Li casually released his grip.
Now, Han Li found himself intrigued by this character called Wu Jiuzhi. Clearly a cultivator, yet he employed the thieving skills of a Jianghu rogue to pickpocket him—how amusing.
His technique was remarkably skilled and practiced. Had Han Li not trained in similar secret arts, he might not have noticed the sleight of hand. No doubt many others in the room had fallen victim to this trick.
Just as this thought crossed Han Li’s mind, he heard Hu Pinggu’s gloating voice.
“Young Wu, met your match, haven’t you? Caught right by Brother Han! So much for boasting about your first-rate stealing skills and engaging in these petty thefts!”
“I do as I please, so what? Even if you begged me to steal from you again, I wouldn’t bother. You don’t have anything valuable on you anyway—why even come to the Tai Nan Fair?” Wu Jiuzhi retorted sarcastically, curling his lip.
“What did you say, you little brat? I haven’t settled the score with you for stealing from me last time!” Hu Pinggu shot up from her chair, her face livid.
Her husband, the bearded man, though silent, placed a hand on the large blade behind his back and glared furiously at the youth. Han Li later learned that this Xiong Dali was actually mute from birth, which was why his wife took the lead in all matters.
“Enough! We are all cultivators and should prioritize harmony. Both of you, step back and cease this argument.” Taoist Qingwen frowned slightly but still intervened to mediate. Then, addressing Wu Jiuzhi specifically, he said gravely, “Brother Wu, I know you steal just for fun, and you always return what you take without malice. But this behavior will eventually lead to serious trouble. Not every victim will be so understanding. What if you offend someone from a cultivation family? How could we defend you then, when you’re clearly in the wrong? So, please refrain from playing such jokes on fellow cultivators.”
Hearing Taoist Qingwen’s heartfelt advice, the young man looked somewhat abashed. Scratching the back of his head, he replied quite sincerely, “Actually, I came across this stealing skill on my way to Tai Nan Valley. I found it amusing and unconsciously practiced it, testing it out on everyone here. I truly apologize! But since even Brother Han caught me, it shows there are even more skilled people at the fair. So, rest assured, I won’t risk my life recklessly by using these skills at the event.”
The Taoist was overjoyed to hear this, his face filled with relief.
“Brother Wu, with your exceptional talent, having reached the peak of the eighth layer at such a young age, you are truly a prodigy among us rogue cultivators. You must treasure this gift!”
“I won’t disappoint your expectations, Taoist Priest. I hope everyone can look out for me in the future!” Wu Jiuzhi, straightforward as ever, bowed deeply to everyone in the room, effectively mending the rift.
Though Hu Pinggu still looked somewhat displeased, her expression had softened considerably, indicating she reluctantly accepted his apology.
Taoist Qingwen then turned back to Han Li with a smile. “Who would have thought that just after arriving, Brother Han would accomplish such a feat? I must thank you!”
Han Li smiled faintly and modestly declined, “What does this have to do with me? It was all your doing, Taoist Priest.”
The Taoist shook his head with a light laugh and said no more. But then a muffled, buzzing voice spoke up.
“Taoist Priest, why have you gathered us all here? Why isn’t the monk attending?”
It was the fair-skinned, plump man who spoke bluntly.
However, he had the right to address Taoist Qingwen in such a manner.
Han Li had already noticed that among everyone present, this stout man possessed the most powerful spiritual energy, seemingly even surpassing Qingwen by a margin. Thus, no one dared to mock his unpleasant voice—not even Wu Jiuzhi, who now wore a serious expression, betraying no reaction.
“It seems the world of cultivation is much like the mortal Jianghu—only those with strength earn respect,” Han Li thought with a hint of irony.
“Haha! Brother Huang is as impatient as ever! Very well, let me explain why I’ve called everyone here.” Qingwen flicked his horsetail whisk casually, his tone serene.
“The Tai Nan Fair is already halfway over, with just over ten days left. Shouldn’t we all start trading? If we’re setting up stalls, it’s best to act together. That’s why I’ve gathered everyone to discuss it. As for Master Ku Sang, he’s already traded all the items he brought, so he doesn’t need to join us.”
“Ah, that makes sense. It is time to trade our goods for some spirit stones to buy other things!” Immediately, the room buzzed with hushed discussions.
After a lively debate, everyone agreed to set up their stalls together the next day—except for Han Li.
“Brother Han, you don’t wish to join us?” Wu Jiuzhi asked, surprised.
The others also looked at Han Li with curiosity.
“The items I brought were few, and I happened to meet several suitable buyers last night, so I’ve already traded everything. I won’t be joining you all,” Han Li explained calmly and composedly.
“Is that so? Then there’s no need for you to suffer with us! Brother Han is quite lucky to have traded everything so soon after arriving,” Hu Pinggu said, somewhat envious.
The others also wore expressions that seemed to say, “You’re really fortunate!”
Han Li smiled without responding.
Seeing that the matter was settled, Taoist Qingwen rose cheerfully and said, “Then let’s all rest well tonight and be full of energy tomorrow. May everyone have a fruitful harvest!”
Hearing this, the others also stood up, smiling as they prepared to leave.
Just then, Taoist Qingwen seemed to remember something and addressed the group with sudden seriousness.
“Ah, right. After the Tai Nan Fair concludes, don’t be in a hurry to leave! I’ve heard that after the past few fairs, some rogue cultivators like us have mysteriously disappeared. It’s best to be cautious! I assume none of you plan to miss the Tianwutai Ascension Fair? We might as well travel together—it’ll be much safer that way.”
At the mention of disappearing rogue cultivators, the Heimu brothers and Hu Pinggu’s couple paled. Wu Jiuzhi and the Red Lotus Scatterer looked bewildered, while the stout Huang Xiaotian snorted coldly, though his expression also darkened.
“Yes, we agree with Taoist Qingwen. It’s better to travel together,” the Heimu brothers chimed in.
“We have no objections either!” Hu Pinggu and her husband quickly added, clearly treating the matter with grave concern.
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