Hua Yin shot a look at the other table of cultivators, which consisted of a young woman in her early twenties with bright orange hair and a very big man with a bald head and a shaggy salt-and-pepper beard. Hua Yin was thinking about approaching and speaking with them because they were cultivators. Loose cultivators were known to have the best gossip, or so the rumors and cultivator novels said. The young woman actually had the higher cultivation, being in the Mid-Initiate Realm while the man was in the Low-Initiate Realm. The pair were armed, the woman with a jian on the table beside her, and the man with two-handed war hammer resting its handle on the bench the cultivator was sitting on.
I like that each character is given a lot of attention and depth both in design and personality. Also good form for noting the cultivation level and keeping the weapon locations in mind.
The younger woman actually caught sight of Hua Yin looking at them. She gave Hua Yin a coquettish smile before looking away. The man, noticing the woman's gaze, turned his head to look over at Hua Yin and Ming Xue. He gave Hua Yin a nod. In an almost paternal way, the bearded man waved the pair of disciples over.
Reminder that Hua Yin has charisma 10 and is absolutely gorgeous due to that and cultivation.
Hua Yin and Ming Xue exchanged looks. Hua Yin motioned for Ming Xue to go first while he thought about whether it was wise to share the truth. There was actually no real reason for him to hide his cultivation and being cagey might be seen as rude. It was one thing to blast his aura and advertise that he was an Awakened cultivator to the entire town, but it was another thing entirely merely to say it in a conversation between cultivators. Further, though he didn't know much about the niceties of loose cultivators, this seemed to have a ritualistic quality to it. After Ming Xue said that she was in the Low Initiate Realm, Hua Yin answered, "This Hua Yin has attained the middle of the Spirit Realm."
Black Bear raised an eyebrow and Xi Ning blinked a few times. She smiled at Hua Yin, eying him up and down before giving another martial salute and saying, "Junior greets senior."
Hua Yin returned the salute but said, "This Hua Yin should be calling you both seniors. This one has merely had seventeen years old in this life."
The older man had a canny look in his eye as he seemed to pay even closer attention to Hua Yin. The woman seemed to mutter something under her breath. With Hua Yin's excellent hearing, he thought he made out, "That pretty? He must be Awakened."
Loose Cultivators likely have their own culture and rules, pretty much every type of people do which is a really neat detail and I like that's been included. Also the effects of having a high cultivation and being awakened is shown pretty well, he's given instant respect for being of a higher cultivation.
Xi Ning grimaced as she added, "And of course, they leave the villagers to fend for themselves and get attacked." She brightened as she looked at Hua Yin, "Except, of course, when handsome young Daoists come to save them."
Yeah she's into Hua Yin given how she's been eying him and the various comments.
Black Bear nodded, "Mr. Hua, we've heard many stories about your adventures. I've spoken to some of my caravan guard companions who passed through villages that Mr. Hua has saved. Mr. Hua is truly a righteous Daoist."
Hua Yin's mind raced. As far as he could remember, he'd saved only one village. In retrospect, it did seem like his reputation had gotten bigger than he'd initially expected it could have gotten. And then he remembered that Renxing could change her appearance and always seemed to enjoy needling him about his nickname . . .
Looks like Renxing is using him as a cover identity, I like that he was able to instantly put it together because it show that he is in fact a genius and has an insanely good memory. There isn't much we can do about Renxing using Hua Yin as a cover and it may even help him due to the reputation boosts.
"Of course, it is only right that fellow Daoists share information after all. Master Li is the strongest cultivator in town, though no one knows his exact cultivation. He claims to be at the Pinnacle of the Spirit Realm, but I've heard Master Li is actually in the Profound or maybe even Earth." Black Bear lowered his voice as he said, "They say he was a Broken Tree cultivator who was expelled from the sect. Master Li enjoys playing the benevolent uncle, but I wouldn't cross him if I were you."
"What's a powerful cultivator doing in the autonomous zone?"
Black Bear chuckled, "Of course he's here because he's one of the most powerful cultivators around." Black Bear became more serious as he continued, "There just aren't that many competitors so long as he keeps his head down. The Empire's Broken Tree and the Purple Silk Kingdom's Golden Eagle Tumen suppress any cultivators in the autonomous zone that are too powerful. That's what makes the autonomous zone so safe for young Daoists like yourself Mr. Hua."
Hua Yin was fascinated and made sure to look fascinated. He had never heard any of this before. "What does Master Li do for the town?"
"He runs a lot of the trade. He has his finger in most of the pies in town. " Again, Black Bear leaned in as he said, "I've heard he's trying to suppress the Bei Consortium."
"What are the Beis doing in the autonomous zone? I thought they were Empire merchants."
Okay so Li is likely an former member of the Broken Tree which means he may not like the Sect, but he seems pratical enough to not take that out on people or try and take a swing at the Broken Tree, but it's still good to know. I'd say he's likely either Peak Profound or beginner Earth, also makes sense he'd be here because it makes him the biggest fish around. Also looks like the Golden Eagle Tumen is main rival to the Broken Tree in terms of neighboring foreign sects.
Black Bear and Xi Ning snorted as Black Bear said, "What aren't they doing? Anything that's illegal in the Empire, they try to produce here and then try to smuggle into the Empire or the Kingdom. Mostly mortal drugs but some cultivator materials as well." Black Bear looked like he wanted to spit again.
They're pretty bad news and I'm okay with taking swings at them given how shady they are.
Xi Ning nodded as she added, "I saw a Broken Tree patrol destroy a village that was housing bandits. The idiots were stupid enough to kidnap a little brother of a Broken Tree disciple. And then, even stupider, they didn't give him back when it was demanded." Xi Ning grimaced as she said, "There was no mercy. The village was wiped out. All that's left is overgrown ruins."
"Is the Broken Tree so brutal?"
Black Bear shrugged as he said, "Not so bad as the Golden Eagle. The Broken Tree will just kill you. The Golden Eagle will crucify you or drag you behind their horses."
Broken Tree still kill people but they don't drag it out, Golden Eagle does though.
Hua Yin grimaced. "We stopped by the town of Guangdong on our way here. It's burned to the ground. Ming Xue and I were too late to stop the raid, but we managed to rescue some girls who'd been taken."
Black Bear shook his head with an angry look. "Damned Purple Silk barbarians. I hope Mr. Hua showed them the difference between Heaven and earth."
Hua Yin didn't say anything, and neither did Ming Xue. The hard look in both their eyes told enough of the story.
That kind of thing leaves a mark especially given that neither Hua Yin or Ming Xue are super jaded yet.
Xi Ning, however, shot Ming Xue a glare before turning back to Hua Yin. There was a predatory look in her eyes as she said, "And I'd love to tell you about it. And if we don't finish the stories now . . . we can always finish them tonight."
Hua Yin gulped as Black Bear and Ming Xue exchanged looks before chuckling.
Yeah she's after him.
Hua Yin and Ming Xue made their excuses to leave as the sun set. Ming Xue seemed to have some sort of understanding between them as they communicated via facial expressions, smirking and laughing in turn as Hua Yin tried to fend off Xi Ning. The pair of disciples only managed to get away once Hua Yin said that he'd try and take Xi Ning out for dinner. Unlike with Lao Ai, Hua Yin recognized that this was a date. He wasn't sure he wanted to actually follow through with it however. Xi Ning was relatively pretty and she was fit, as befitting a cultivator, but she looked at Hua Yin like a tiger looks at a rabbit. Hua Yin shuddered slightly.
Hua Yin is able to tell that people are interested in him when they're that blatant but he isn't really interested in that kind of thing right now.
Gao Jin snickered as he looked at Ming Xue, "Heard you had some fun with some guards."
She shrugged as she replied matter-of-factly, "They deserved it."
"Don't doubt that. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. Heard you kneed one of 'em so hard in the balls, they came out his mouth."
Ming Xue smiled at Gao Jin as they seemed to share a moment. Meanwhile, Hua Yin and Fong Zhou both winced at the mental image.
Ming Xue and Gao Jin vibing while being menaces.
"A couple of things. First, he told me to be careful of someone named Master Li. Apparently, Master Li is some big shot cultivator and one of the powers in this town. He also told me to stay away from the Beis. When I pressed him, he said that he'd heard some of the Beis talking about some shady deal tomorrow night. He thinks that if there's business someone wants to keep out of the town lord's eyes, they'd do it in the village of Chixing. It's about three hours travel from here at mortals walk, so about half an hour for us. I think that's our best bet to find those slavers."
Good to have another source confirming the situation.
"Low. Good number a' cultivators in town, but didn't see no one above Initiate. And it's stupid fucking with unknown cultivators like us, not when there's four a' us." Gao Jin motioned at Hua Yin, "Look at how pretty ya are, Yin. Only an idiot'd think you wasn't a cultivator."
Ming Xue snorted and said, "There's plenty of idiots. Though, we met this loose cultivator who definitely thought Hua Yin was pretty."
Gao Jin gave an evil grin as Hua Yin facepalmed. The former gangster asked, "Yin's got himself a girl? Honestly, thought his balls hadn't dropped yet or he wasn't interested in ladies."
Hua Yin pursed his lips but didn't manage to add anything to the conversation before Ming Xue said, "Just this loose cultivator who wanted him to call her Ning'er and kept trying to get him to agree to a date." She grinned evilly, before saying, "She kept wanting to see his sword."
Both Fong Zhou and Gao Jin snickered, "Maybe he should go on a date. Get us some more information."
They're all having fun teasing him and to be fair it is pretty hilarious.
Hmm. I don't trust Li at all, especially since I don't know how our rolls with him went. But that also might be the safest path forward....
...and if we snub him, since he is stronger than us, it might cause problems too.
Oh yeah pissing off the local power doesn't seem smart.
Good thing he's not totally holding enough of a grudge on the Tree, but enough he'll use us to his own ends. Tbf, we'll be doing quite the same as well. Fortunately we have a common goal in wanting the raiders and slavers gone.
He likely already was willing to use them for his own ends but them being Broken Tree will likely mean he's okay with being harsher about it, the man isn't dumb and likely knows there are limits to what he can do to the Broken Tree.
[X] Meet with Master Li later in the night.
Honestly he'll likely try and get them to take a swing at the Bai or something like that and I'd be cool with that, sure we're here for the Leaves to heal the sickness but breaking up the Bai slavery ring and getting loot would be great.
