「I need to buy some spare clothes to change into. Though I have a Foundation Building Dao body, my body stays clean with little sweat or grime, I still haven't cultivated magical power, so I can't use a cleaning spell to remove dirt and dust, nor can I keep my clothes from getting dirty. Besides, this outfit of mine is far too conspicuous. Fine brocade clothes are not suitable for traveling, and this body is still young... it would be hard to avoid trouble.」
「Better to prepare a few blue-cloth Daoist robes and commoner clothes!」
「Also, there is no telling what the Reincarnation mission in three days will be like. I need to prepare a few disguises...」At that thought, Qian Chen mocked himself: 「This body is youthful and handsome. If I were to disguise it, the best would be to dress as a maidservant or a young lady. With the sinister makeup arts of my past life, I could definitely manage a disguise art worthy of the wuxia novels I used to read.」
「I should also get a meditation mat. I'll be cultivating at fixed hours, and out in the wilderness there won't be any couch to sit on; if I sit in meditation too long, my backside will ache.」
「And bowls, chopsticks, pots, fire-starting gear, knives, bedding, and a sleeping couch. The Qiankun bag still has plenty of space, so I can pack more. Although I can use the magical implements in the bag to perform some spells, spells and magical implements like those would be far too conspicuous. Many times they are inconvenient. They count as my trump cards, so I should hide them deeper.」
Qian Chen circled the small county once, asked for the location of the local market, and went straight to the East Market.
His attire was indeed conspicuous and drew attention along the way, making Qian Chen frown inwardly, so he first entered a cloth shop. The present Great Jin was a standard ancient dynasty: men tilled and women wove, rising with the sun and resting at sunset. Even if there was some commercial activity in the cities, in this remote small county it was not prosperous.
The cloth shop sold only fabric; there was no concept of ready-made clothes. Fortunately, the shop also had tailors, so customers could have measurements taken and custom clothes made. After all, it was one thing for a family to sew coarse cloth robes themselves, but truly fine clothes required a dedicated tailor. The shopkeeper saw that Qian Chen was a fourteen- or fifteen-year-old boy alone and was somewhat surprised, but Qian Chen wore brocade and looked like a customer who could afford to pay, so the owner greeted him warmly.
Qian Chen asked how long custom clothes took and learned it was seven or eight days at the shortest, a month at the longest. Seeing that Qian Chen seemed impatient, the shopkeeper said with a smile: “Young sir, if you need them urgently, I can hurry them along. You could have them in three to five days, but it would cost extra labor fees.”
“Money is no problem...” Qian Chen did not care about that. “But I can't stay in this county for more than two days; I can't wait that long.”
“Do you have clothes here that are about to be delivered to other customers? Find one that matches my figure, and I'll pay extra to buy it.” In the Qiankun bag Miaokong had left him, there were plenty of copper coins, even dozens of jin of gold and silver, so Qian Chen truly did not care about price. The shopkeeper looked troubled. “These are custom items for other customers.”
“Just make them again. What does it matter if they get them two days late?” Qian Chen took a small piece of gold from his bosom and placed it on the table. “Is this enough money?”
The shopkeeper beamed, took the gold, bowed, and said, “Enough, enough!”
Qian Chen was not really so impatient. He was alone, with the appearance of a weak youth. If he did not act like a rich young master and spend lavishly, it would probably cause trouble.
Perhaps because of the gold, or perhaps because Qian Chen's rich-young-master act was convincing, the shopkeeper brought out all the suitable ready-made clothes in the shop. Qian Chen picked two scholar's robes, planning to pose as a traveling scholar. Though there were still flaws, it was much better than his current conspicuous appearance.
He also picked two coarse work clothes. He wanted to choose outfits for other identities, but this shop's ready-made clothes did not offer that much choice, and it did not even have the Daoist robes Qian Chen wanted most. He had to buy these first, then ordered two Daoist robes from the cloth shop, paying extra for an urgent order, the kind worked on day and night.
He set the shop assistant to go out and buy other supplies for him. The assistant ran all over the market and finally gathered everything. Qian Chen paid, but it would not do to stuff everything into the Qiankun bag and leave, so he asked the shop to deliver the goods to the abandoned courtyard where he was temporarily staying.
The assistant hesitated. “That place—isn't it abandoned? They say it's haunted...”
Qian Chen said indifferently, “I'm staying there for now. Just deliver the goods there.”
The shopkeeper's expression changed, and he scolded, “Do as the gentleman says.”
Qian Chen did not care what they were guessing. In this small county, few people could threaten him, and even these preparations were just his usual caution.
He next turned into a rice shop, but this time it was less satisfactory.
The best rice in the shop was only local polished glutinous rice. It had little spiritual qi, and even its water-grain essence was scant; after eating it, Qian Chen would have to work hard to refine away turbid qi and impurities.
Cultivators generally were not so particular, but Qian Chen was at the critical juncture of Foundation Building and did not want to waste his cultivation effort.
Returning to the cloth shop, Qian Chen asked about nearby Daoist temples, Buddhist temples, and wealthy clans. The shopkeeper carefully replied, “This county is remote and small, and there are no great clans. There is a small Daoist temple at the east end, properly registered by the Daoist authorities, but there are only three or five Daoists inside. They can only dispense talisman water and perform a few rituals.”
“What rice do they grow?” Qian Chen asked.
“The temple grows its own vegetables, but buys rice from outside.” The shopkeeper carefully studied Qian Chen's expression. In this world, divine powers were manifest, cultivators often came and went, legends of sword heroes and immortals were extremely prevalent, great families took pride in favoring the Dao, and even the imperial court had officially appointed Daoist officials with great authority.
The shopkeeper's eyes flickered, and he tentatively asked, “Sir, are you looking for extraordinary people or seeking to befriend cultivators?”
“Never mind cultivators; even mountain spirits, fox ghosts, or the like would do.” Qian Chen sighed inwardly. If he could not buy things, he would have to rob them. The primordial qi of heaven and earth had declined somewhat from high antiquity, but this world was still rich in resources. Yellow essence and poria in the mountains that had grown for enough years could count as a kind of spirit medicine. They were not as mild as water-grain essence, but he could make do with them.
“This humble one does know a place. On Zuyin Mountain nearby, there is rumored to be a den of fox demons. Some people have seen lantern light curling through the mountain at night, and foxes feasting.”
Zuyin Mountain was a small mountain near the county. Few people went there because the name “Zuyin” referred to the blessing of ancestors—specifically, the place where ancestors were buried. It was the grave mountain of local wealthy families. Legend said the fengshui was good, so local magnates had always liked to bury their dead there. Over time, there was a grave every five paces, and the place became crowded; the great families then turned to other auspicious sites.
A wild fox on a grave mountain—fitting enough.
Qian Chen circulated his qi and leaped swiftly, moving so fast that in less than half an hour he reached the foot of the mountain. The winding mountains and waters did have a layout that stored wind and gathered qi, but the spiritual qi was overly yin and unsuitable for homes of the living.
He went straight to the best fengshui spot. The spirit eye was hidden deeply. An ordinary fengshui master would have to spend decades slowly combing the earth qi, seeking the dragon and marking the point, before he might find it. But for Qian Chen, it was simple. He looked up to read the qi, followed the qi sensation, took a few steps through the mountain, and found it.
It was a mountain grave, but there was no mound; the ground above was overgrown with lush plants and many tall cypress trees.
Qian Chen found a broken stele beside a large cypress tree. He looked at the inscription and laughed. “No wonder wild foxes have settled here. Zuyin Mountain was actually the burial place of a noble of the former dynasty a thousand years ago. There must be a vast underground palace below, possibly with formation mechanisms. It has been usurped by these wild foxes as their den. But they have made enough noise that ordinary people nearby know. They probably do not have many days left to enjoy themselves.”
Qian Chen rapped on the broken stele. “Is the master of this place present? The unattached Qian Chen requests an audience.”
After calling three times, a patch of bushes nearby moved. Qian Chen saw a White-Browed Old Fox emerge from the den. It stood upright on its hind legs, as large as a fierce dog, and somewhat resembled a human. Its body gave off a faint fragrance; an ordinary person would fall into an illusion and see an old man with white hair and white brows.
“Daoist friend, since you have come to visit my humble home, is there some matter?” The old fox was somewhat afraid, but still worked up the courage to ask.
Qian Chen's spiritual sense was keen; he easily noticed white shadows flickering beneath a nearby boulder—two white-furred fox cubs hiding among the grass and peeking. There was no grievance qi or blood qi about this den of foxes. They had some gloomy yin shadow, but that was merely from living in a graveyard so long. Since they were not demons that harmed people, Qian Chen had no intent to exterminate them.
Even if they had usurped someone's ancestral grave, what of it? If the tomb's descendants came, they would certainly kill all these foxes or at least drive them away. But that was none of Qian Chen's business. Moreover, over a thousand years, how much glory has vanished like smoke? The descendants of that former-dynasty noble had probably scattered among the common people and long since forgotten this matter.
“I have just arrived in your esteemed land. I was hurrying along the road and did not bring much food or water. The turbid qi of the mortal dust is heavy, and I fear it will pollute my Dao body, so I wish to exchange some spirit grain with you immortal folk.”
The old fox finally relaxed. It turned its head and gave an instruction. Soon a large mixed-fur fox emerged from the den carrying a basket in its mouth. Inside were some spirit grains. Perhaps because the spirit grain was not enough, there was also yellow essence and poria, all spirit medicines of shallow years. Qian Chen rummaged through it slightly and found even pine nuts from a century-old pine.
It was a jumble, truly fitting the phrase “five grains and miscellaneous staples.”
The old fox laughed. “A little food is nothing. Since we are fellow travelers, this basket of spirit grain and miscellaneous staples is yours, Daoist friend.”
The white foxes beneath the distant boulder squeaked anxiously, clearly distressed.
This family of white foxes lived in a grave tomb and had thin demonic qi; they were obviously not wealthy. This gift was the best they could offer with all their heart. The old fox meant to avoid disaster, but Qian Chen still appreciated this sentiment from the foxes. But these things were not enough for even a month of his needs. Humans naturally ate more than foxes, and since Qian Chen was at the critical point of Foundation Building, having more water-grain essence to nourish the body was beneficial.
Qian Chen thought for a moment and said with a smile, “I accept your kindness. But since we agreed to exchange for food, taking it for nothing would not be proper. I have a spirit pill here. Though it is not a precious thing, it is fitting to trade it for this basket of food.” With that, he took a Qi-Boosting Pill from the Qiankun bag in his robe and gave it to the old fox.
The White-Browed Old Fox stared at the pill, eyes fixed.
It sniffed carefully at first, caught the heavy medicinal fragrance, then could not help but extend its tongue and lick it. It felt the demonic qi within its body stir and grow eager, and knew this was truly a good thing. This Qi-Boosting Pill was the worst spirit pill among the Qiankun pills Miaokong had given him. Qian Chen had named it casually. After examining it earlier, he had determined it was a pill to aid Qi Refining, made with many medicinal ingredients that invigorated the blood qi and lifted the spirit. For ordinary cultivators, it was a top-grade qi-restoring spirit pill.
But for a cultivator with an excellent Dao foundation like Qian Chen, it was too impure.
But it was no problem for the old fox. To put it bluntly, the pill's qi was probably purer than the old fox's demonic qi. When demons gain spiritual intelligence, it is equivalent to a human successfully completing Foundation Building. In fact, most of this fox family's cultivation was above Qian Chen's. Yet in truth, humans are the spirits of all things, and demons' intake of primordial qi is far more mixed and impure than that of humans.
The Foundation Building stage exists only to allow one to cultivate Daoist methods better. If one is not picky, one can bypass the Foundation Building Sensing and directly inhale the primordial qi of heaven and earth to practice Qi Refining; demons do exactly this. But if one gathers qi without distinguishing pure from turbid, one should not hope to cultivate any superior Daoist method.
The old fox was inwardly excited. “I thought an unwelcome guest had come, and I prepared to smooth things over. But when we met, he was a refined scholar with an extraordinary Dao aura and respectful manners; he must be a disciple of some great sect of the Daoist orthodoxy. When I heard him ask for food and water, I thought I had misjudged him—he was merely a wandering cultivator looking for a handout, coming to borrow grain from miscellaneous cultivators and wild demons like us.”
“Only to send the unwelcome guest away was I willing to take a loss.”
“Who would have thought a fine young talent from the Daoist orthodoxy would not let us suffer loss? He gave a spirit pill as a reward! Heaven have mercy—this old one has never smelled pill qi in his entire life! I only knew such a thing existed; I had never seen it.”
“I wonder if this young master accepts spirit pets or playthings. I could offer my two little daughters.”
Qian Chen bowed slightly and made as if to leave. The old fox hurriedly stopped him. “Young master, please wait. Such miscellaneous grain is not worth a spirit pill. A-Fu, quickly bring out the fine grain from our home.”
The large mixed-fur fox gave a cry, turned, and darted into the den. Before long, it came running back carrying a delicate food box in its mouth.
Qian Chen took it and opened it. It was full of spirit grain.
The big fox went back and brought out two lingzhi. Seeing that it was about to empty its entire store, Qian Chen quickly stopped it. “This box of spirit grain is enough for my journey. Thank you for your help, old elder...” He gave two more spirit pills, then turned and left amid the longing gazes of the fox pack.
The old fox was still regretting that he had not dared to offer his two young daughters.
The two cubs were snow-white and adorable. If a female cultivator had come, he surely could have found takers for them. If they served as maidservants beside a disciple of such a great sect of the Daoist orthodoxy, they would have prospects, and could even return to lift up the family.
“Unfortunately, this young talent of the Daoist orthodoxy is rather proper and does not seem fond of spirit pets. He also left in a hurry. Otherwise, this old one would have entertained him well before making such a presumptuous request...”
Having borrowed the grain, Qian Chen was eager to return and cook. This body had gone hungry for only two days, but he himself had not put a single grain of rice into his mouth for millions of years. Ironically, when Louguan Dao worshipped its patriarch, they would enshrine him on the altar and offer countless rare fruits and delicacies. But Qian Chen often had no time to even look at them before they were taken away.
Back in the abandoned courtyard, Qian Chen sorted the delivered goods and placed them in the Qiankun bag. Then he made a fire and cooked a meal. After eating his fill, he finally had time to open the Qiankun bag and carefully inventory what Miaokong had stuffed inside.
(End of chapter)
Chapter 3