Chapter 59, A Trip to Lou County

Translator: StarReader

 

Of course, over the past half year, Su Chen hadn’t been completely without success when it came to spiritual materials.

 

He often went out to perform various errands, traveling between counties and trekking through mountains and fields. Once, while crossing a small river, he happened upon a tiny stone in the stream with a faint blue aura of spiritual energy. Another time, while resting in a small grove of trees, he unintentionally brushed against a fragment of locust wood that had somehow been left behind, only to find that it emitted a weak reaction of green wood spiritual energy.

 

The amount of spiritual energy these items contained was minimal, but at least they showed signs of having some sort of aura, rather than being completely lifeless and devoid of any spiritual essence like ordinary stones or dead wood.

 

These were pure accidents—complete surprises that came out of nowhere. Su Chen had discovered over the past half year that there were indeed small quantities of spiritual materials to be found within the Wu Region. It was just that the commonfolk, with their mortal eyes, couldn’t tell the difference between spiritual materials and ordinary objects, completely unaware of what they were looking at.

 

Even if a Grandmaster possessed extraordinary perception, they might not notice their presence.

 

If Su Chen hadn’t acquired the Wanderer’s Journey, becoming aware of immortals’ existence, and started paying special attention to spirit materials, often using his extraordinary perception to examine things he encounters, he would never have realized that in these vast mountains and fields, there are indeed small amounts of spirit materials to be found.

 

The one thing that disappointed him was that these randomly acquired spirit materials were too fragmented and fragile.

 

If the spiritual energy was too weak, it couldn’t retain any spiritual energy.

 

Su Chen had once tried to make spiritual ink from the paulownia wood, but when he ground it into powder, the spiritual energy inside dispersed and vanished.

 

The other few spirit materials, like small water spiritual stones, also didn’t form a complete talisman, making it impossible to create even one, and thus had little use for him at the moment.

 

This left Su Chen feeling both delighted and a bit disappointed.

 

“Collecting these spirit materials is so hard. How long will it take to gather enough for a complete set of talisman tools?

 

“I’ve heard from people in the martial world that Daoist Han Shan rarely stays at the Daoist temple, as elusive as a dragon. He enjoys traveling far and wide, meeting heroes and outstanding individuals across the land.”

 

He used to think life as a Daoist was incredibly carefree. Now, upon reflection, it turned out things were nothing like that. Instead, they were likely exhausted, constantly traveling for thousands of miles, scrambling to gather materials for talismans—how could they have time to sightsee? Moreover, this had to be done personally; others couldn’t spot the spirit materials and thus couldn’t help at all.

 

Su Chen sighed. If he hadn’t personally gone through the hardships of the past half year, never would he have imagined the endless back and forth that Daoist Han Shan had to go through year after year.

 

…

 

On this particular day, Su Chen, his face streaked with dust, arrived in Lou County, over thirty miles away from Gusu County. He was delivering a letter and a batch of cheap dried herbs to the manager of a pharmacy run by the Medicine King Group.

 

Lou County was one of thirteen cities in the Wu Region, located far from the bustling waterway of the South-North Grand Canal, which was a major trade route. Naturally, it couldn’t compare to the lively and prosperous atmosphere of Gusu County City. Instead, Lou County was quieter, more serene.

 

After completing his errand, Su Chen was heading back to Gusu City when he strolled down a quiet, old alleyway in Lou County. By chance, he spotted an aged pawn shop with a faded signboard.

 

This old brush shop was tucked away in a remote corner of an alley, easy to overlook. Su Chen had been to Lou County several times before, but it was the first time he took notice of this unassuming old brush shop.

 

“Li’s Brush Shop!

 

“Family-run for five generations, a century-old brand!”

 

Sui Chen looked at the signboard of the old brush shop and felt a flicker of interest. Spiritual brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones were the four essential items for writing or drawing talismans, but they were incredibly hard to come by—almost entirely a matter of luck. He wondered if this century-old brush shop might have what he was looking for.

 

Sui Chen didn’t rush in. Venturing into the wilderness to find spiritual materials was one thing, but in such shops operated by people, he remained cautious. He couldn’t risk leaving any trace that could be used to track him down, for fear of being targeted.

 

Su Chen turned onto another street, found a deserted corner, and changed into a rough cotton gown. He donned a bamboo-weave hat, pulling down its brim before stepping into the century-old inkstick shop.

 

The shop wasn’t large and had a musty, decaying feel to it. Behind the counter was a middle-aged shop owner who fiddled with an old abacus, tallying up the recent days’ income and expenses.

 

“Owner, do you have any symbol brushes here?” Su Chen asked, his voice low and muffled by his hat.

 

The shop owner didn’t lift his head but replied casually. “Sir, are you looking for a Daoist symbol brush? This here is Lou County’s oldest brush shop. We’ve been in business five generations and specialize in all sorts of brushes—calligraphy brushes for scholars, symbol brushes for Daoists, and judge’s paddles for martial practitioners. They’re all laid out on the counter. Feel free to browse!”

 

“Oh.”

 

Su Chen nodded and walked past several counters. The shelves were filled with all kinds of brushes. The cheapest ones cost only ten copper coins, while slightly better ones went for forty or fifty. Su Chen examined them closely but wasn’t impressed.

 

Just by looking at their variety and color, he could tell they were made from the most common materials—ordinary bamboo with rabbit hair, chicken feathers, or pig bristles. These were far from what he was looking for.

 

Ordinary people couldn’t tell if something was made from spiritual material, nor could they distinguish them. But Su Chen, after half a year of exposure to a small amount of spiritual energy, had gained some experience and developed the ability to discern them to an extent. He could tell with about seventy percent accuracy just by looking and almost always knew for sure upon touching.

 

Su Chen easily noticed that the brushes at the counters varied greatly in quality, and none were what he wanted. The middle-aged shop owner saw the critical look in Su Chen’s eyes and noticed his lack of interest in the ordinary items. This piqued his curiosity.

 

He set aside the abacus and ledger, lifting his head with a smile to inquire, “Young man, you seem unfamiliar. This symbol brush is not something ordinary people would use. Only Daoists would need such items when drawing talismans. Are you perhaps a new recruit from the White Lotus Society, preparing to learn how to craft White Lotus Talismans?”

 

“Owner, you’re also a Daoist?”

 

Su Chen was caught off guard by the storeowner’s question.

 

He had been traveling in the martial world for over two years, frequently visiting Lou County to deliver messages and goods. He was well aware that Lou County was under the control of the White Lotus Society. The society’s main stronghold was located on an island in Firm Mountain Lake, within the county borders, exerting significant influence in the martial world while maintaining a low profile.

 

The White Lotus Society worshipped the Lord of Light and the Heavenly Mater but was not welcomed by government authorities. In the Wu Region, they were known for their mystery and secrecy.

 

Outside Gusu City stood the Han Mountain Daoist Temple, which followed the Three Pure Ones, officially recognized by the court as a legitimate branch of Daoism. This was vastly different from the White Lotus Society.

 

In the Wu Region, thirteen counties’ martial world affairs were dominated by the Five Major Groups. Only in Lou County, however, did the White Lotus Society reign supreme, operating with such tight control that nothing could penetrate their operations.

 

Even with the strong presence of the Five Major Groups in the Wu Region, they still couldn’t grasp a foothold here. Any permanent branch offices would be eliminated by the White Lotus Society. The Medicine King Group could only operate pharmacies selling herbs and medicines but couldn’t establish branch offices or recruit disciples.

 

Even Han Mountain Daoist Temple, with its sky-high reputation in the Wu Region, didn’t have much influence in Lou County.

 

Most ordinary folk in Lou County secretly worshipped the White Lotus Society, identifying themselves as Daoist followers of White Lotus teachings.

 

The Medicine King Group had warned their disciples to never provoke any White Lotus Society Daoist. Su Chen always kept to himself and never clashed with anyone from the White Lotus Society.

 

His response was to keep silent, neither denying nor conforming.

 

“Don’t worry, brother. We White Lotus Society disciples are all peaceful folks. Many of us regularly attend the White Lotus Chapel at Firm Mountain Lake to receive the teachings of Master Mao. We’re all family under this society! Our brothers often come to my shop to buy brushes. Just let me know what you need, and I’ll give you a discount!”

 

The middle-aged storekeeper seemed to sense that Su Chen was a cautious newcomer to the White Lotus Society, so he added a friendly tone to his words.

 

“Store owner, do you have any better brushes?!”

 

Su Chen did not wish to discuss the White Lotus Society, fearing any slips. The middle-aged shopkeeper readily retrieved several high-quality brushes from under the counter.

 

These were made of finer materials and crafted with exceptional artistry, primarily using sandalwood, wolf hair, and weasel hair. Their prices, however, were steep, ranging from five hundred copper coins to one or two silver taels—already at a premium for such writing brushes.

 

In Lou County, who would squander a month’s income on purchasing a brush that served no purpose beyond drawing a single Daoist symbol? Many low-level disciples of the White Lotus Society hailed from humble backgrounds and could ill afford such luxuries.

 

Su Chen examined them with his perception but detected nothing extraordinary, shaking his head disappointedly. “Still not what I’m looking for. Do you have any better ones?”

 

It seemed even this reputed century-old brush shop in Lou County could not find the special brush he sought.

 

“Not even worth your time?” The middle-aged shopkeeper was surprised, hesitating as he said, “If you want something better, it would be our store’s prized treasure! But it’s quite expensive; can you afford it, young sir?”

 

“Just let me see if it’s what I’m looking for first. The price can be discussed later. Even if I don’t have enough money now, I’ll save up and come back to buy it,” Su Chen said.

 

“Alright!” The shopkeeper quickly retrieved a golden brush from an old iron-locked wooden box under the counter and showed it to Su Chen.

 

The golden brush was exquisitely beautiful, crafted from a combination of metal and stone for its handle, with a tip made of a golden animal’s hair. Su Chen felt the weight and coldness as he held it. Using his extraordinary perception, he peered inside and found that the tuft of golden animal hair at the tip seemed to glow like molten gold.