Volume Two, The Catalogue of Weapons Chapter 102: When Both Are Not Alike

The exhaustion and hardship of the journey finally erupted completely upon arriving at the bustling Huangfeng Village. Liu Xiaoyi, carrying Shangguan Baozi, didn’t wander for long before returning to their room. The reason was that the little girl had fallen asleep leaning against another shop’s door, causing Liu Xiaoyi’s face to flush with embarrassment as he hurriedly carried her back to the inn.

Ma Shan had the longest experience traveling the martial world, so he naturally took every chance to rest along the way without neglecting his sleep. At this moment, he was the most energetic among them. After making sure the horses were well fed and watered, he chose not to join the others but lay alone inside the carriage, reminding Cai Wu to stay alert while sleeping and not to fall into a deep slumber.

There was definitely something suspicious about the inn’s people—there was no doubt about that. Huangfeng Village didn’t sound like a good place just from its name alone. Moreover, with such a huge flow of people, any shop that could maintain its business was unlikely to be simple.

The two young ladies washed up early and fell into a deep sleep, while Cai Wu, the gatekeeper, sprawled out on the floor in front of the door, already unconscious. Even if someone kicked him, he wouldn’t wake up.

This was Cai Wu’s first long trip, and he had been too excited to sleep on the road, chatting endlessly with Ma Shan until the latter felt a headache coming on. Now that they had a room to stay in, Cai Wu finally succumbed to fatigue and quickly entered the realm of dreams after eating his fill.

After cultivating his Taoist methods, Liu Xiaoyi gradually reduced his sleeping time. He found that once he entered meditation and circulated the microcosmic orbit, he hardly felt sleepy, yet remained full of energy the next day. He thought this was a benefit of cultivating his magic power, but when he saw Li Jue also preparing to sleep after tidying up, he was somewhat surprised.

“Brother Li, don’t you cultivate at night?” Liu Xiaoyi asked.

Li Jue was a little puzzled by the question. “I don’t stop cultivating during the day, but at night we must rest. We Taoists aren’t iron men; we can’t endure nonstop.”

“I thought everyone didn’t sleep,” Liu Xiaoyi replied, sitting cross-legged on the bed with the Green Radiance Sword beside his knee. Once he activated his formation hand signs, the sword rose on its own, emitting a shimmering light and circling his body.

Li Jue stared in astonishment. “You don’t need to sleep? You cultivate at night too? That’s quite intense. What kind of Taoist method do you practice?”

Li Jue was always curious about how Liu Xiaoyi excelled both in swordsmanship and Taoist cultivation. Usually, mastering a weapon required a long time of hard training, and Liu Xiaoyi’s swordsmanship seemed to have been honed over many years. Yet, his Taoist methods were also very proficient, clearly not those of a novice. Seeing this young boy, younger than himself, able to spar with senior masters, Li Jue felt both envious and puzzled.

“It’s called the Profound Qi Technique. It’s not particularly prestigious, but its advantage is that after cultivating it, you don’t need much sleep and can continue training at night.”

“So that’s why you always take the night watch on the way? I think I’ve heard that technique’s name somewhere before.” Li Jue tried to recall where he had encountered it.

Training martial arts by day and Taoism by night meant fully utilizing every moment. No wonder Liu Xiaoyi was so formidable. Feeling a bit disheartened at his own limited progress despite his age, Li Jue tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. The flickering green light before his eyes made him decide to pass the Golden Light Curse onto Liu Xiaoyi.

Since he lacked much talent, but there was a boy capable of maximizing the curse’s power, and with him being the sole remaining member of the Li family, many of the complicated family rules no longer mattered. He alone had the final say.

“Brother Liu, would you like to learn…” Before he could finish, Li Jue sprang from the bed and grabbed his Taoist robe embedded with the family’s Golden Light Curse formation, a treasured heirloom that greatly enhanced the curse’s power.

Liu Xiaoyi also felt something unusual. The Profound Qi Technique not only accelerated his cultivation but granted him extraordinary perception, with magic swirling around his body, allowing him to detect potential enemies in advance.

“It seems those petty thieves can’t resist making a move. If I’m not mistaken, there are five of them—two on the roof, two outside the door, and one downstairs,” Li Jue whispered, aware that Liu Xiaoyi was awake.

“Are all inns like this? Why can’t they just do honest business every day and earn the same amount? What’s the point of this?” Liu Xiaoyi began to regret not unleashing his sword aura to warn these people upon first meeting them. Li Jue had actually missed one—someone in the next room, standing at the center of a strange formation, chanting incantations.

It seemed this formation could block detection, but it was useless against Liu Xiaoyi, making the man quite unlucky. Anyone else might have escaped this fate.

The assassin on the roof was the front-door attendant seen earlier in the day. Now dressed lightly with a black scarf covering his face, he lifted a tile and blew a signal incense inside.

Suddenly, a strange wind blew out from the room, hitting the incense. Caught off guard, the two men exchanged a glance before tumbling from the rafters into the courtyard below.

Ma Shan, who had been too nervous to sleep, was startled by the noise. He quickly jumped out of the carriage and saw the two lying silently on the ground. Approaching cautiously, he found them unconscious from a trance.

“The boss is surrounded by experts; that Taoist isn’t simple. Even the rooftop is guarded,” he muttered.

Instead of returning to the carriage, he grabbed a piece of peeling wall and climbed up. Low crouching, he scanned the surroundings by moonlight, alert for any other intruders.

Li Jue’s pre-prepared Golden Light Talismans played their part. Upon entering the room, he had affixed talismans on all four walls and the ceiling and floor. The incense was repelled by this protective barrier.

“The attackers are not very skilled. They really think we’re weak,” Li Jue said happily sensing the talisman’s effect.

The man downstairs heard the commotion but still thrust his iron spear upward. The spearhead pierced the wooden floor, sending energy through the floorboards. He was positioned right beneath Li Jue’s bed.

This was like stirring up a hornet’s nest. Golden light poured down, not only restraining the spear but also freezing the man in place, unable to move.

Li Jue fetched a bronze mirror and quietly approached the door. Suddenly, he flung it open. The mirror emitted a dazzling light, blinding those outside. Before they could shout, a talisman was affixed to the door.

“All handled. Now we can sleep peacefully,” Li Jue said with relief as he closed the door and returned inside. These five were unexpectedly weak, a world apart from those he had encountered in Baiyujing.

It seemed the weak still made up the vast majority of the world, and Li Jue still had his place to prove himself! After losing confidence in recent battles, today was a day to redeem himself.

Just as he was feeling triumphant, Liu Xiaoyi cooled him down: “There’s still one in the next room—that’s the real boss. Don’t leave here; I’ll deal with him.”

Gathering his magic power, Liu Xiaoyi detected a response from the other side who used the same technique. Drawing his sword, he broke through the ceiling, bricks and tiles falling to the ground, startling Ma Shan on the roof.

A man also appeared on the neighboring rooftop, wearing a square-crowned hat and elegant scholar’s robes. He exuded a kindly aura but was shrouded in an unshakable gloom through Liu Xiaoyi’s eyes.

“Who are you to dare attack us in the dead of night?” Liu Xiaoyi shouted fiercely, sending his magic out with his voice to overwhelm his opponent.

“From Baiyujing, huh? You’re quite capable. The chests you carry are full of gold and silver. Did you steal or rob them?” The man mistakenly thought they were wandering cultivators who plundered everywhere, as many with power bullied the weak.

Liu Xiaoyi smiled. “I’m afraid you’re mistaken. This is all my family’s property, with a clear origin!”

“That’s a pity then. Seems you don’t want to share. Better to suffer some loss to avoid disaster!” The man suddenly waved his sleeve, scattering countless copper coins infused with magic. The coins shifted in mid-air, locking onto Liu Xiaoyi.

A mountain of stone appeared in Liu Xiaoyi’s left hand and surged forward like a tidal wave, shielding him and blocking all the coins without a scratch.

The difference between their magical tools was clear. The man’s face darkened as he threw out a silver ingot, clashing directly with the stone mountain.

Taking advantage of this distraction, Liu Xiaoyi silently moved behind him and struck down with the Green Radiance Sword. The blow was unavoidable and, if it connected, would cause death or at least grievous injury.

“Swift as the law commands! Ten thousand taels of gold!” The man shouted a chant. Suddenly, a thin wall of stacked gold bars materialized in front of him, blocking the sword.

What kind of tactic was this? Liu Xiaoyi was bewildered battling this wealthy man who wasted real gold and silver with every move. The coins clattered to the ground, losing their magic but not disappearing.

Most Taoist spells created illusions or virtual items that dissipated without magic. This man’s attacks were made of actual money, jingling all over the courtyard.

Some copper coins fell into the room, and Li Jue picked them up, shouting loudly: “Who from the Qian family of Golden Silver Island is this? I am the heir of the Li family’s Golden Light Curse. Let’s talk it out—we’re on the same side!”

The man hesitated, his spell momentarily faltering. Liu Xiaoyi seized this chance, delivering a kick that sent him crashing back into the room, wailing as he hit the floor.