The more Li Xue pondered, the more her heart trembled, and her face turned pale. She lowered the carriage curtain and took a deep breath to steady her emotions. Quickly regaining her composure, she said to Liu Xiaoshan, "Xiaoshan, let’s go back."
Upon returning to the eastern suburbs, Li Xue went to her room and took out Li Ran’s letter to read it carefully once more. In the letter, Li Ran had warned that spirit stones were vital to cultivators and must be handled with caution. She currently possessed seven spirit stones and several bottles of medicinal pills. Perhaps these low-level items were unremarkable in the cultivation world, but they were likely incredibly precious in the mortal realm. Was it worth the risk? Having read many xianxia novels in her previous life, she knew she had to be on guard against the trope of "murdering for treasures."
If she were alone, she might have taken the chance. But now she had a son. He was still so young; if she died, who would take him to the Yunjin Sect? He possessed a Heavenly Spirit Root, a rarity found only once in ten million people. She could not, under any circumstances, be reckless. Li Xue cautioned herself repeatedly, forcibly driving those tempting thoughts from her mind.
"My son is only a little over a year old. He can't start cultivating until he's at least three. There is still plenty of time. Besides, my cultivation is currently too low. I should at least reach the second level of Qi Condensation so I can flexibly use defensive artifacts and talismans," Li Xue told herself firmly.
Li Xue’s cautiousness, bordering on timidity, truly saved her from a disaster.
In the backyard of the Unnamed Abode, a middle-aged cultivator at the fifth level of Qi Condensation slammed his hand onto a table. He spoke harshly to the three people kneeling before him: "A bunch of useless trash! Is this what you’ve brought me? Look! Look at this! Which of these looks like a spirit stone? What kind of pathetic spiritual energy is this?" He pointed at a jade box on the table.
The three kneeling individuals, all at the first or second level of Qi Condensation, did not dare to even breathe. Finally, the middle-aged cultivator added, "Hmph. If there’s truly nowhere else to get them, go inside and try your luck. Do I really need to give you pointers on even this? Useless trash!" He pointed in the direction of the Imperial City.
The three kneeling figures stiffened. One of them summoned his courage and asked in a low voice, "Great-uncle, what about... the one inside?"
"Hmph. That person hasn't returned for nearly a hundred years. Besides, who told you to be blatant about it? Use your heads. The items could have been lost by their unworthy descendants. Even if that person returns, they won't be able to trace it back to us!" the middle-aged cultivator sneered.
Upon hearing this, looks of joy appeared on their faces. The three exchanged glances, and the same man from before hurriedly said, "Great-uncle is right to scold us. We will see to it immediately!"
The middle-aged cultivator’s expression softened slightly. "A-Qi, I heard you saved a girl two years ago. That child is skilled in the four arts—zither, go, calligraphy, and painting. A child raised by our Wang family will not bring shame to those imperial relatives inside."
The cultivator named A-Qi paused for a moment before quickly understanding. "Great-uncle is right. It is their good fortune. This grand-nephew will go and make the preparations!"
The middle-aged cultivator nodded and stood up. "Do your work well and use your brains. Remember, without spirit stones, we are all finished!" After speaking, he left the backyard, boarded a carriage, and drove away. The three men stood up and looked at each other, a cold, sinister glint flashing in their eyes.
***
Half a month passed quickly. Li Xue returned to Qingfeng Tower. Sitting across from her was the same manager, Lin Tianchang. He was now all smiles, looking at Li Xue as if she were made of gold.
"Madam Li, I am pleased to say we have not failed our mission. Thanks to the efforts of our Qingfeng Tower, all the detailed information you required is right here!" He then began to introduce the three scrolls laid out on the table.
One was a detailed introduction to Mangyun Mountain, another was a route map to the mountain, and the third remained unknown. Lin Tianchang handed the first two to Li Xue. She examined them carefully and found them acceptable. Although the route map was simple—containing only place names, brief descriptions, and a few thick lines—it was sufficient. As for the third scroll, Li Xue looked at Lin Tianchang with a hint of suspicion.
Lin Tianchang explained, "We have gathered everything according to your wishes, Madam. However, regarding your question about how long the journey will take, that must be calculated based on the actual circumstances."
Li Xue nodded. The duration would indeed vary depending on the mode of travel; for instance, the time taken for riding a horse versus walking would be completely different.
Lin Tianchang continued, "If Madam hires a security bureau to escort you, and assuming you encounter no bandits on the road, it will take at least a year and a half. If you do encounter bandits, you will be in danger, and the cost of such an escort is not small." He paused, looking at Li Xue.
Li Xue was speechless. This Manager Lin was truly wordy. She had no choice but to ask, "Does Manager Lin have any good suggestions? Please, speak freely."
Satisfied, Lin Tianchang continued, "In my humble opinion, it would be best for Madam to follow a merchant caravan to the Kingdom of Yun first. Once in Yun, you can find another caravan traveling to the small countries near Mangyun Mountain. Firstly, merchant caravans have their own guards. Secondly, while bandits rob merchants, they generally do not slaughter them. However, this will take more time."
Li Xue nodded in agreement after listening.
Lin Tianchang added, "Looking at the four great merchant families of the Kingdom of You: the Shang family controls minerals, the Yan family manages banks and money houses, the Wang family deals in jewelry, and the Ji family dominates timber and medicinal herbs. The Ji family's caravans not only travel to and from the Kingdom of Yun every year, but according to our investigation, their branches in Yun also conduct medicinal herb business, including in the small countries near Mangyun Mountain."
Hearing this, Li Xue’s eyes couldn't help but brighten.
Lin Tianchang smiled as he picked up the third scroll. "This contains the detailed information. I wonder if Madam requires it?"
Li Xue gave a light laugh. "Thank you, Manager Lin. I will take this scroll as well. May I ask what the total cost is?"
Lin Tianchang replied, "The first two are 300 taels each. As for this last one... 800 taels!"
Li Xue was stunned. Was the detailed information on the Ji family truly that expensive? It was enough to cover several years of living expenses.
