"Oh! I am Wu Jiuzhi. The moment I laid eyes on you, I felt an instant kinship — could it be that we were connected in a past life? Come! Let us become sworn brothers, drink blood wine, and seal the bond!"
The words had barely left Daoist Songwen's mouth when the grinning youth suddenly darted forward, lunging toward Han Li. He seized Han Li's arm with one hand and spoke with an expression of deep, heartfelt sincerity.
Han Li was startled at first, but quickly broke into a light laugh.
"Becoming brothers is not out of the question, but would you mind keeping your hands off my person? My tastes are perfectly normal, and I have no interest in innocent young men."
Han Li spoke with a teasing smile. In the same breath, his arm shot upward and, with a twist of the wrist as swift as lightning, snatched a certain hand — one whose front half had already slipped stealthily into the inner fold of his robe.
"Ahem! Ahem! How very strange — how did my hand end up inside your robe? It must be that it, too, felt an immediate kinship with Brother Han and simply could not wait to offer a greeting!" The youth's face flushed red upon being caught red-handed, but after a few dry coughs and a mumbled excuse or two, he withdrew his wrist with an air of nonchalance.
Han Li had no intention of holding on tight. The moment the youth tugged, he let go without ceremony.
It was then that Han Li found himself genuinely intrigued by this fellow called Wu Jiuzhi. The boy was a cultivator, yet he employed the sleight-of-hand techniques of the jianghu underworld to pick pockets — an odd combination, to say the least.
Still, his skill was remarkably deft and polished. Had Han Li not practiced similar secret arts himself, he might never have detected the small movement. Presumably, many others in the room had fallen victim to his tricks.
Sure enough, even as this thought crossed his mind, Han Li heard Hu Pinggu's voice ring out with malicious glee.
"Young Wu, ran into a tough one this time, didn't you? Caught red-handed by Brother Han, and yet you still boast about your first-rate stealing skills — peddling in petty theft!"
"I do as I please — what's it to you?" Wu Jiuzhi curled his lip. "You'd want me to steal from you again, but I wouldn't bother. There's nothing worth taking on you, so why even bother coming to the Tailan Assembly?"
"What did you say, you little brat? I haven't settled the score with you for what you stole last time!" Hu Pinggu sprang to her feet from her chair, her face ashen with fury.
Her husband, the burly bearded man, said nothing, but his hand pressed against the great saber at his back as he glowered at the youth. Han Li would later learn that this Xiong Dali was in fact mute, and so all matters were handled by his wife.
"Enough! We are all cultivators — harmony should be our priority. Both of you, stand down and cease arguing." Daoist Songwen frowned at the scene, but spoke up to mediate. Then, turning to Wu Jiuzhi with grave solemnity, he continued:
"Brother Wu, I know your stealing is done merely for amusement. You always return the stolen items to their owners afterward — there is no malice in it. But sooner or later, this sort of behavior will bring real trouble. Not every owner will be so accommodating. If you offend someone from one of the great cultivation clans, it would place us all in an impossible position — we would want to help you but could not possibly stand on your side. So I urge you, do not play such pranks on your fellow cultivators."
The youth listened to Daoist Songwen's earnest appeal and grew somewhat abashed. He scratched the back of his head and said with genuine sincerity:
"To tell the truth, I stumbled upon this technique of stealing on my way to Tailan Valley. I found it amusing and could not help practicing it, so I tested it on all of you here — I truly apologize for that. But since even Brother Han here was able to make me fail, it shows that the Assembly will be full of formidable people. So rest assured, I will not gamble with my life and will not use my stealing skills at the Assembly."
The Daoist's face broke into a broad smile of relief.
"Brother Wu is gifted beyond measure — to have cultivated the eighth layer to perfection at such a young age. You are a rare talent among rogue cultivators. That is precisely why you must treasure yourself!"
"I will not disappoint your expectations, Master. I ask only for everyone's continued kindness!" Wu Jiuzhi clasped his hands in a sweeping bow to those around the room, closing the rift with all present in a single honest gesture.
Hu Pinggu still wore a faintly disgruntled expression, but her face had softened considerably. She had grudgingly accepted the gesture of goodwill.
Daoist Songwen then turned to Han Li, his eyes crinkling with a smile.
"I did not expect that Brother Han would accomplish such a feat the very moment he arrived. You have my gratitude!"
Han Li offered a modest smile and shook his head. "What does this have to do with me? It was your mediation that resolved the matter, Master."
The Daoist smiled and shook his head, saying nothing more. But just then, a muffled, nasal voice droned through the room.
"Daoist, what was the reason you summoned us all here? Why isn't the monk participating?"
It was the pale, plump young man who had spoken, with no trace of courtesy.
But this fellow had every right to address Daoist Songwen in such a manner.
Han Li had already perceived that among everyone present, this plump young man possessed the most formidable magic power — seemingly even a shade deeper than Daoist Songwen's own. So no one dared laugh at his disagreeable voice, not even Wu Jiuzhi, who maintained a perfectly straight face.
"So the cultivation world is no different from the mundane jianghu — only those with real power command respect," Han Li thought with a trace of irony.
"Heh heh! Brother Huang is still the impatient sort. Very well — I shall explain why I called you here." Daoist Songwen flicked his horsetail whisk, his tone carrying not a hint of agitation.
"The Tailan Assembly is already halfway over. With just over ten days remaining, shouldn't we all start making our moves? If we are going to set up stalls, it would be best to act together. That is why I have called you here to discuss the matter. As for Master Kusan — he has already traded away everything he brought, so there is no need for him to join this discussion."
"In that case, it is time to offload our goods. We can trade them for spirit stones and buy what we need!" Immediately, the room filled with murmured conversations.
After a spirited exchange of opinions, everyone agreed to set up and sell their wares the following day — everyone except Han Li.
"Brother Han, you do not wish to join us?" Wu Jiuzhi asked, somewhat startled.
The others all turned to Han Li with puzzled expressions.
"I brought very few items to begin with, and by chance I encountered several suitable buyers last night and traded everything away. So I do not plan to join your group." Han Li explained with a calm, even expression.
"In that case, you certainly don't need to endure the same hardship with us! Brother Han is quite fortunate — he sold everything the moment he arrived." Hu Pinggu said with a note of envy.
The others all wore expressions that said, "You lucky dog!"
Han Li smiled but said nothing.
Seeing that the matter was settled, Daoist Songwen stood up cheerfully. "Then everyone, rest well tonight. Tomorrow, gather your energy — I hope we all have a fruitful harvest!"
The others rose as well and prepared to leave with smiles.
It was then that Daoist Songwen seemed to remember something. His expression suddenly turned grave as he addressed the group.
"One more thing — after the Tailan Assembly ends, do not rush to leave! I have heard that in the last few assemblies, some rogue cultivators like us disappeared without a trace after the proceedings. You would all do well to be cautious! I imagine none of us intends to miss the Ascension Conference at the Heavenly Mist Platform. We can travel together in a group — that way, it will be much safer!"
At the mention of rogue cultivators vanishing, the Heimu brothers and Hu Pinggu's couple visibly changed color. Wu Jiuzhi and the Red Lotus Cultivator looked blankly confused, while the plump Huang Xiaotian let out a cold snort, his expression turning dark as well.
"We brothers agree with Daoist Songwen's words. Traveling together would be wisest."
"We have no objections either!"
The Heimu brothers and Hu Pinggu's couple spoke their assent in rapid succession, their tone making it clear that this was a matter they took most seriously indeed.