Cultivation: Starting with Farming in the Spiritual Pivot Grotto

Chapter 37 The Cold of Winter foretells the Approaching Crisis

As the year draws to a close, Yunfu Sect has indeed become much quieter.

A cold wind, carrying fine frost, swept over Yunfu Sect, coating the palaces and buildings with a layer of silver.

Today, the weather is perfect. A bright sun breaks through the thick clouds, and even the frost flowers that have condensed on the branches and leaves of the ancient trees in the Qingmuxuan courtyard are illuminated by the morning sun.

With Li Ya's current physique, he could even take a bath with snow water in winter without any problems.

After a quick wash and change of clothes, her black hair was neatly tied back with a plain wooden hairpin.

"Senior brother, did you get your money back, Senior Brother Liu?"

Senior Brother Lingji nodded, but then smiled helplessly, a hint of mischief in his smile.

"The money will be returned, but that Liu Guiyun is now spending every night indulging in pleasure and living a carefree life."

"You're no longer infatuated with Liu Ruyan?"

"I've been so happy that I don't even know how to get home anymore. Chen Er's method is to refine the heart in the mortal world and break free from attachments to romance."

"I'd like to hear the details!" Li Ya frowned slightly, somewhat puzzled.

He wanted to see what was going on with Chen Er's knife.

Senior Brother Lingji pointed in the direction of Western Town, a hint of helplessness in his eyes.

"That day, Chen Er took Liu Guiyun directly to Baihua Lane and entered the most famous Zuiyue Tower in the lane."

"Liu Guiyun was raised with strict discipline and had never seen anything like this before. Moreover, she only selected top courtesans, each of whom was proficient in seduction techniques and dual cultivation methods, and was most skilled at manipulating people's hearts."

Li Ya burst out laughing.

"That Chen Erduo is really something!"

Then he asked, "So, this inner demon has been completely broken!"

"Ha!" Senior Brother Lingji rubbed his forehead, his tone tinged with regret and sarcasm: "It's broken, but broken too thoroughly."

"After the first night, Liu Guiyun completely lost his former obsession and successfully swindled Liu Ruyan out of her money."

Senior Brother Lingji slowly recounted the changes that had occurred in the past few days:

"In the past, he was only infatuated with Liu Ruyan. Now that he has tasted the tenderness of romance, he is completely immersed in it, lingering in the Drunken Moon Pavilion every night and refusing to return to the mountains."

Li Ya listened quietly, a sigh rising in his heart. Fortunately, he had endured countless trials by succubi in his previous life, and now his Dao heart was extremely stable.

Senior Brother Lingji stretched his body, a lazy aura emanating from him, and a smile returned to his eyes: "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore."

"When I went to Sifang Town to look for him, I saw the town was decorated with lanterns and was very lively. Shall we go down the mountain, join in the fun, and have a hot breakfast?"

After a night of cultivation, Li Ya was indeed a little hungry, and with the morning wind being chilly, a bowl of hot soup would be quite nice.

He nodded slightly and replied, "Let's go!"

The two smiled at each other, turned around side by side, and walked out of the outer courtyard.

On the blue stone steps in the mountains, the two walked side by side. First, Senior Brother Lingji suddenly bumped into Li Ya, knocking him into the snow. The two then started to play around, their laughter echoing in the winter forest.

The scenery changes abruptly from Yunfu Mountain Gate to Sifang Town.

The town was filled with the sounds of cooking fires and bustling crowds.

Sifang Town is close to Yunfu Sect, and its size is actually larger than that of an average prefecture. Most of the people living there are ordinary people who do not know how to cultivate.

When the sun has fully risen, its warm rays will shine down on the long bluestone street.

Both sides were lined with shops and vendors, a scene reminiscent of the early morning market rush before the Lunar New Year.

Every household had brand-new red silk and lanterns hanging in front of their doors, and street vendors displayed dried fruits, sweet cakes, and preserved meats...

The streets were bustling with pedestrians, mostly ordinary people dressed in simple clothes and straw sandals, their faces beaming with smiles.

Li Ya and his companion, dressed in ordinary clothes, walked through the bustling city, occasionally dodging oncoming vehicles.

When the steamer is lifted, white steam billows out, and the aroma of rice and noodles wafts out.

"I haven't seen a scene like this in a long time!" Li Ya exclaimed.

"Brother Lingji, come with me. There's an old shop there with excellent food!"

Li Ya knew the way well and led his senior brother Lingji to an old shop on the street corner.

The shop wasn't big, but it was clean and tidy. The wooden tables and stools were sturdy and had been worn shiny over the years.

The two found an empty seat by the window and sat down. Outside the window was a bustling street, and inside was the lively atmosphere of cooking.

"This shop has been around since I was a child. It was run by a husband and wife." In his memory, this was a shop that Li Ya frequented when he was young.

Seeing the two men's refined demeanor, the shopkeeper knew they were from the mountain and quickly stepped forward.

Before the shopkeeper could even call out, Li Ya had already spoken: "Shopkeeper, four baskets of fresh pork soup dumplings, two servings of hot porridge and side dishes, two bowls of flowers, senior brother, would you like them savory or sweet?"

"It's sweet, isn't it!"

"Two bowls of sweet tofu pudding, and a plate of brown sugar glutinous rice cakes!"

"Alright! Please wait a moment, you two, we'll be right there!"

The noise inside the shop masked the whispers. Senior Brother Lingji seemed to remember something, his gaze darkened, and his earlier casual smile vanished.

He lowered his voice and said, "Junior brother, the other day when I came to Sifang Town, I also went to the Ghost Market. It seems that a batch of pills has flowed into the Ghost Market. I saw several places selling them, and even the medicine bottles are the same as those in the city."

Li Ya picked up the warm coarse tea on the table, took a sip to warm himself, and felt the warm tea soothe his chest and abdomen.

He looked up at Senior Brother Lingji: "Senior Brother, what kind of pill could possibly catch your attention?"

"There are dozens of types in total, ranging from low to high, covering everything from cultivation to healing. I guess either someone stole from the treasury of some sect or family, or a former cave dwelling has been discovered."

Li Ya felt a chill run down his spine. Could it be that the batch he sold to Qianjin Pavilion had been secretly intercepted by Huang Dan and sold at the Ghost Market?

etc.

A chill ran through him; Huang Dan was a greedy fellow.

Li Ya's expression remained unchanged, calm and composed. He slowly put down his teacup, his tone even and undisturbed, revealing no sign of anything amiss.

"In my opinion, the source of this batch of pills is mostly illegitimate. If they came from a legitimate source, they could have just sold them to Wanbaolou directly. Why bother with all this trouble?"

"That's my guess too," Senior Brother Lingji nodded slowly.

"However, there are a few pills inside that I really want, but unfortunately I can't afford them."

Just then, the shopkeeper strode over with a steaming hot breakfast in hand and set it out on the wooden table.

The scalding white steam rose in wisps, and the two couldn't help but feel their mouths water.

Although it was just a regular meal, the warmth from the hot porridge went down my throat, spread throughout my stomach, and reached every part of my body, making me feel relaxed and comfortable.

Meanwhile, the underground ghost market in Sifang Town.

Inside a shop with its doors tightly shut, sat a slender Taoist priest, none other than Xuan Tong.

At this moment, he was holding a round pill in his fingers, one of the pills that had recently flowed into the Ghost Market.

He applied slight pressure with his fingertips, and fine cracks appeared on the surface of the pill, from which a wisp of pure and gentle spiritual energy slowly emanated.

Its aura is pure and its quality is superb, far surpassing ordinary sect-standard pills.

He only needed to sniff it lightly to confirm that this batch of pills was the clue he was looking for.

There's no other reason than that he's consumed quite a few of these pills, made by alchemists from the Innate Holy Sect.

"Tell me, where did you get this pill?"

The aura of a cultivator at the twelfth level of Qi Refining surged forth, and the shopkeeper and a servant instantly fell to the ground.

"Senior, please spare my life! It was Huang Dan from Qianjin Pavilion who lent me this shop to sell these things. I just wanted to take a cut."

"Qianjin Pavilion?"

Xuan Daoist slowly raised his hand, gathered the pill in his palm, and with a slight exertion of his power, instantly turned it into fine powder.

"Take me to him!"

As soon as he finished speaking, his inner energy suddenly tightened, and everyone except the shopkeeper died instantly.