Life as a Rogue Cultivator

Chapter 303: Looks Are Justice

After the Qingyue Mistress patiently explained things, Liu Xiaolou finally got it. Coming to marry someone here didn't mean you’re becoming a lowly live-in son-in-law. It’s not like that at all. But the person you marry .If Liu Xiaolou took a liking to Xue Bu or Sheng Han and paired up with one of them as cultivation partners, then whether that relationship ended up as a threesome, or even a foursome... well, that’ll be up to how good he was at winning his wife's loyalty.

There were all sorts of strange people and stranger stories out there in the world. Take today’s two senior elders of Qingyue Altar, the ones in charge of teachings and discipline. They were not unique. In the previous generation there had been an even older elder, the husband of the former Mistress. He was said to have been part of a four-way cultivation partnership. After the former Mistress and the other two elders passed away one after another, he was the only one left. Every day he sweeps their graves in the back mountain, keeping those three company through twenty-five long years.

Liu Xiaolou admitted that the women of Qingyue Altar were tempting. Whether it was the current Mistress or the heir candidates Xue Bu and Sheng Han, each one was remarkable. But he had absolutely no interest in sharing a wife with anyone.

Of course, the most fundamental reason was simple. He already belonged to a sect of his own, and he had reached Foundation Establishment.

As for Han Jiuqian, the one who brought him here in the first place, Liu Xiaolou could only grumble to himself a little. He wasn’t actually upset. No matter what, witnessing such an odd little episode was still interesting.

Seeing how he absolutely refused to agree, Qingyue Mistress's attitude turned nasty again. But even as she kept accusing him of "messing with our sect" and the like, in the end she didn’t dare to do anything reckless. In the end, she could only fume in anger as Liu Xiaolou turned and drifted down the mountain.

Once he'd reached Foundation Establishment, your average sect or clan wouldn't want to offend him lightly anymore. That was one big takeaway Liu Xiaolou got from this whole trip up the mountain. His status had changed, and most of the time he no longer needed to bow and scrape at every turn.

Of course, his attempt to buy a Qingyue Altar cultivation method didn’t work out either.

As he was heading down the mountain, someone called after him from behind. “Senior Liu!”

He turned back. The one chasing down the slope was the female disciple Xue Bu.

She came up to him with a look of deep disappointment on her face. “"Senior, you're refusing to join the altar... is it because this junior isn't good enough to catch your eye?”

Liu Xiaolou sighed. “How could that be? With looks like yours, you are easily one of the most beautiful women I have ever met. How could I not be moved?”

Xue Bu pressed on, “Then is it because my cultivation is too low? The mistress said the sect will be able to obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill for me within three years.”

Liu Xiaolou shook his head. “It isn’t your cultivation either. Your Azure Wood True Scripture is beautifully executed. Your mistress told me the technique is called Cloud-and-Rain, right? It’s not only lovely to watch, but your future potential is enormous.”

Xue Bu stepped closer until she was almost touching his chest. She lifted her eyes to his. “Then why?”

Liu Xiaolou sighed again. “I told your mistress already. I don’t want to share my cultivation partner with anyone.”

“I heard you once married into the Su family of Shenwu Mountain. If you were willing to marry into someone else’s household, why can’t you…”

“Even if I marry in, I still won’t share!” Liu Xiaolou cut her off.

Xue Bu stared at him, disappointment gathering in her eyes. She slowly stepped back. “It’s fine. I was the one who misjudged you. I didn’t realize you were no different from ordinary mortal men.”

Liu Xiaolou couldn't be bothered to argue. He just let her back away and leave, watching until she vanished down the mountain path.

Xue Bu's heart was churning with bitterness. She kept her head down the whole way back up the mountain, only to bump right into Sheng Han, who was blocking her way.

“Senior Sister Xue, why did he refuse?”

Xue Bu gave a cold snort. “He’s just a mortal man, that’s all.”

Sheng Han murmured, “He doesn’t want a woman to have two husbands? Maybe…”

Xue Bu warned, “Junior Sister, don’t go breaking the sect’s rules just for some ordinary man!”

Sheng Han gazed down the mountain, dazed. “But Senior Liu is ridiculously good-looking…”

After Xue Bu headed back up the mountain, Sheng Han hesitated again and again, then finally decided to chase after him. She caught up with Liu Xiaolou at the foot of the mountain.

Liu Xiaolou saw that it was her and shook his head. “Miss Sheng, I thought I made myself very clear.”

Sheng Han kept her head down. “I can promise you this,” she said softly, “in the future I won’t take another husband. I’ll stay true to you alone.”

“Then will you come with me?” he said.

Sheng Han blinked in surprise and looked up. “Go where?”

“Back to my hometown, or just wandering the world with me. Either way, we won’t stay on Hengshan. I won’t lie to you, Miss Sheng . I have my own sect, passed down from our founder. I’m the third generation leader, and there’s no way I can join the Qingyue Altar.”

A pang of sadness shot through Sheng Han’s heart. “Then why did you come to Zhurong Peak?”

Liu Xiaolou let out a helpless breath. “I’m sorry. This one is on me. I had a misunderstanding with a friend. I came to the Qingyue Altar to get my hands on a cultivation manual.”

They were silent for a while. Then Sheng Han slowly nodded and took a deep breath. “I know. My Mistress already told me. I just can’t help feeling a little unwilling to accept it. Senior, what kind of technique are you looking for?”

“In your sect’s archives, which cultivation methods start by cultivating the Hand Greater Yin, Hand Yang Bright, or Foot Greater Yin meridians? I’m willing to pay a high price.”

Sheng Han thought it over. “Our Azure Wood True Scripture and our Fengshui Method don’t start with any of those three. But there are twenty-nine other techniques stored in the scripture tower. Would you like to wait while I go back and check?”

Liu Xiaolou hurriedly nodded. “Yes, of course. I can wait right here. Is that alright?”

Sheng Han said, “It’s already getting late. I’ll come down before sunrise tomorrow and give you an answer.”

They were standing in a dip in the mountain at the foot of Zhurong Peak. Liu Xiaolou glanced around, found a tall tree, leapt up, and settled onto a thick branch to wait.

The mountain wind kept sweeping past and the pines kept rustling. Liu Xiaolou sat there through half the night. Thinking back on everything that had happened that day, he found the Qingyue Altar weird. Then he thought about the Elders of Transmission and Enforcement, along with the Altar Mistress. How the hell did the three of them even manage day-to-day life together? Part of him envied it, part of him thought it was pathetic. He couldn’t help it; he spat on the ground in disgust.

He also wondered about the other two altars on Hengshan. What strange rules did the Guangtian Altar, and Dongling Altar have?

His mind was drifting all over the place when he heard the soft whisper of fabric moving through the woods. Sheng Han had arrived.

She pulled a scroll from her sleeve and handed it to him. “Senior, this is the . Its first three meridians are exactly what you're looking for. You can take a look.”

Liu Xiaolou lit up with delight. As he opened it, the fresh scent of ink drifted out. She must have copied it herself not long ago, and the thought moved him deeply.

“Miss Sheng, here are fifteen spirit stones.” It was already triple the usual price, and Liu Xiaolou still felt embarrassed as he handed them over. He knew the issue wasn’t the spirit stones.

And sure enough, it wasn’t. Sheng Han didn’t take them. She just looked at his face with a soft, dazed expression. “It was nothing, really. I’m glad I could help you, Senior. I… will head back now.”

Watching her walk away, that swaying figure... Liu Xiaolou suddenly felt a pang of regret. Those legs flashing in and out under her skirt looked pretty long and fine.

He pulled his thoughts back in and flipped through the again. He was blown away with excitement. This technique wasn't just matching his first three meridians. The fourth, Foot Yang Bright, and the fifth, Hand Faint Yin, were exactly the same as well!

He had luck on his side.