Chapter 69, Tailling

Translator: Raznick

 

Why would Zhou Zhengkang be at the Spirit Beast Edifice?

 

Until he returned to the Spirit Beast Pavilion, Zhou Chun still couldn’t figure out what had happened.

 

“Sixteenth Uncle, have there been any visitors from the clan at the store these past few days?”

 

Zhou Chun hesitated for a moment before mustering the courage to subtly inquire about the matter with Zhou Jiasheng.

 

“No, why do you ask?” Zhou Jiasheng looked at Zhou Chun in confusion, not understanding his intent.

 

“Oh, never mind, just forget I asked,” Zhou Chun said, shaking his head slightly, unable to bring himself to mention what he had seen.

 

Regardless of what Zhou Zhengkang had done at the Spirit Beast Edifice, it wasn’t something Zhou Chun felt comfortable bringing up, especially not behind others, particularly in front of other seniors.

 

Zhou Chun had suffered similar defeats in the past life and was naturally determined not to repeat the same mistake this time. As for Zhou Jiasheng, he frowned before nodding and saying, “If there’s nothing wrong, then focus on managing the store properly.”

 

“Yes,” Zhou Chun replied with a respectful acknowledgment, promptly settling himself down inside the shop.

 

Another day passed without Zhou Zhengkang making an appearance at the Spirit Beast Pavilion.

 

On the third day, Zhou Chun finally awaited the arrival of the rogue cultivator Luo Guangshun at the Spirit Beast Pavilion, who had come again with demon beast meat.

 

“Sigh,” Zhou Chun remarked as he inspected the two strange fish corpses that Luo Guangshun had brought in a wooden box. “These odd fish again? It seems your trip to the Celestial Immortal Inn was in vain last time, wasn’t it?”

 

Upon hearing Zhou Chun’s words, Luo Guangshun immediately wore an embarrassed expression. However, having spent decades in the cultivation world, he had experienced countless awkward situations. He quickly forced a bitter smile and said to Zhou Chun, waving his hand: “Don’t even mention it. Last time I was nearly chased out of Celestial Immortal Inn by their manager with a cudgel! I dare not go there again.”

 

Zhou Chun burst into laughter and said: “Fellow Daoist Luo, don’t worry. If that inn refuses to take the fish meat, I will. My two spirit pets usually eat too much beast meat; trying some fish meat would be a nice change for them, and they quite enjoy it.”

 

Upon hearing this, Luo Guangshun expressed his gratitude with a thankful look: “With Fellow Daoist Zhou’s assurance, I’m now at ease.”

 

“Next time you come by,” Zhuo Chun said, “could you bring several more of these strange fish? I have a Senior who breeds a spirit beast whose appetite has become increasingly selective; it refuses to eat many kinds of beast meat. If we could deliver several of those strange fish to him, he’d surely be delighted.”

 

He also added: “If you could bring three or four such fish within ten days, I will offer you half more than the usual price.”

 

Luo Guangshun’s eyes lit up. He hurriedly asked: “Are you serious, Fellow Daoist Zhou?”

 

He hurriedly waved his hand and said, “I’m not doubting Fellow Daoist Zhou; I just wanted to ask Fellow Daoist Zhou—would you like three or four of these strange fish, or would you prefer more?”

 

“Three or four would be enough. If there are any more, I wouldn’t have the means to purchase them.”

 

Zhou Chun shook his head, uttering words that disappointed Luo Guangshun greatly, but nodded slightly and said, “Alright then, within ten days, I will certainly deliver the items to Fellow Daoist Zhou!”

 

“Then I will wait for good news from Fellow Daoist Luo.”

 

Zhou Chun smiled and nodded, personally escorting Luo Guangshun out of the shop.

 

As for Luo Guangshun, after leaving the Spirit Beast Pavilion, he didn’t leave the market immediately. Instead, he went to an inn to meditate. After meditating for two hours, he came back out and began waiting at a certain spot in the market.

 

He waited until the three cultivators who had come with him to the market arrived. The four of them then left the market together.

 

These four were seasoned veterans in the cultivation world, having visited the Red Cliff Market countless times—hundreds of times, even. They each had their own safe routes figured out.

 

With their cultivation and skills making them no pushover for ordinary bandits, traveling on these routes was a breeze.

 

Upon reaching the outskirts of the Red Rock Mountains, they went their separate ways to their respective homes.

 

Since cultivators couldn’t cultivated in the wilds, their dwellings varied greatly.

 

Some preferred quiet and secluded areas, carving out caves or stone rooms near cultivating zones in remote mountains.

 

Others enjoyed luxury, setting up estates in nearby civilian towns and becoming local leaders.

 

Luo Guangshun, being in his fifties, felt that he couldn’t make much progress on the path of cultivation. So, he decided to choose the latter—he built a grand estate near the Red Cliff Market, taking several concubines as wives.

 

He returned from the market and went straight back to his estate. Most of the spirit coins he had acquired during this trip to the market were hidden in a secret compartment in the wall of his bedroom, with only two coins kept on him personally.

 

This secret compartment was known only to him, not even his most favored concubine knew of its existence.

 

As he looked at the clay pot inside the cabinet, which was already more than half full with over one hundred spirit coins, a mix of satisfaction and concern filled his eyes.

 

“Alas! I wonder if these spirit coins I’ve worked so hard to save will ever be of use before my death.

 

“If I cannot have a descendant with a spirit root to inherit all this wealth, then what is the point of my suffering?”

 

Thinking about how every single spirit coin was saved through years of hardship and careful saving—five or six years—he felt both proud and deeply troubled.

 

He could already see the end of his life from where he stood.

 

The only hope he had left was to have a child with spirit roots who he could nurture from a young age.

 

Let him be able to carry on his legacy. Regrettably, none of his concubines have been able to conceive, let alone give birth to a child with a spirit root.

 

“After completing the task for Fellow Daoist Zhou, I should take in more concubines. If we keep trying, I don’t believe we’ll fail to have a child with a spirit root.”

 

Luo Guangshun clenched his teeth, closed the secret compartment, and summoned two of his favored concubines.

 

After resting at home for two days, Luo Guangshun set out again. This time, the journey was long, so he rode one of the family’s superior-grade steeds. After riding over fifty miles, he stopped outside a range of mountains.

 

He expertly tied the horse inside a cave and prepared feed and water in one of the troughs before leaving the cave to venture deeper into the mountains.

 

Meanwhile, Luo Guangshun was unaware that someone had been following him from over ten miles away.

 

In the mountains and forests, Zhou Chun was steadily following a blue-black butterfly the size of a palm, with his direction aimed towards Luo Guangshun’s location.

 

It turned out that the order Zhou Chun had placed earlier for Luo Guangshun was meant to act as bait.

 

Before Luo Guangshun left the shop, Zhou Chun had sprinkled refined female Black Spotted Butterfly powder onto the spirit coins.

 

When Luo Guangshun touched those spirit coins, his hands and sleeves were covered in the powder.

 

Zhou Chun easily tracked him down using a male Black Spotted Butterfly he had obtained from his clan.

 

That night, while Luo Guangshun was entertaining his two concubines, Zhou Chun had already infiltrated his estate and dusted the butterfly powder on the back of the horse and saddle that Luo Guangshun was riding.

 

As a result, even from miles away, Zhou Chun could easily determine where Luo Guangshun had gone.

 

After following Luo Guangshun through the mountains for dozens of miles, Zhou Chun spotted him stopping by a pond in a mountain hollow.

 

Luo Guangshun wrung the head off a wild chicken he had caught on the way and tossed it onto the shallow by the shore. Then he retrieved a harpoon from his storage bag and prepared himself.

 

After some time, the previously calm water bubbled up and a silver-black strange fish pushed its way through the waves onto the shallow, aiming to attack the roasted chicken.

 

But just as it struck, Luo Guangshun’s harpoon flew out and pierced the strange fish directly, pinning it.

 

Before the wounded fish could break free and retaliate, Luo Guangshun swung another artifact—a black hammer—dealing a heavy blow to its head, instantly smashing it into pieces.

 

After handling the first strange fish, Luo Guangshun skillfully secured its body with a rope, dragged it ashore, and placed it in a wooden box. He then resumed his vigil.

 

In this manner, he remained on guard for nearly half a day, using four wild chickens in the process and successfully capturing five strange fish to complete Zhou Chun’s commission.

 

Once done, he packed up his haul and began heading back.

 

Meanwhile, Zhou Chun, who had been hiding himself with Cicada Forest Blending Breath, emerged from his concealed spot once Luo Guangshun had left.

 

He stood by the pond, deep in thought.

 

Seeing the entire process of Luo Guangshun fishing he found it beyond simple.

 

 

So simple that he felt a pang of guilt about all those spirit coins he had spent.

 

No wonder Luo Guangshun had seemed so disappointed when Zhou Chun mentioned buying only three or four strange fish.

 

“But how could such a small mountain pond have so many fish demons? What do these fish demons eat to grow so large?”

 

Zhou Chun stared at the pond before him, his eyes flickering uncertainly.