Chapter 24
In the middle of a small pond lays a bamboo hut with many flowers and medicinal plants are planted all over the boundary of the pond. The spiritual Qi in the area is a little dense because of the spirit gathering formation located in the middle where the hut is. The serene feeling of every person entering this area would always give someone peace and tranquility making cultivation in this place more effective than any other place in the whole of Illusion mountain.
Two people are walking towards this place, a woman with a perfect figure wearing a veil covering her whole head down to her face, followed by a man wearing an article of weird clothing made of beast skin, this is Qin Lou and Shin Jiao.
Upon seeing the pond Shin Jiao was astonished at the simple formation array in the area. What baffled him is that this formation is not using runes and based on the spiritual Qi in the area, it is evident that it is self-sustaining. Clearly, the one who made it is a level 8 or level 9 grandmaster array formation expert. A self-sustaining formation what did this mean? It means that as long as there is the presence of spiritual Qi in the area this formation would exist. Although it's just a simple Qi gathering array it is too profound and baffling in Shin Jiao's eyes. So without a word, he suddenly rushed in towards the eye of the formation and began to study it.
What Shin Jiao did make Qin Lou a little dazed, as she herself also has knowledge in formations and runes. But Shin Jiao is just a mortal man, so she is baffled why he knows arrays and formations?
"This is really amazing, this array is too cool." Shin Jiao muttered unconsciously in his excitement.
Qin Lou just looks at him for a moment with intrigue and then she decided to enter the hut, after a while, she already changed into her school robe. She took a look at the basket and started to classify the spiritual herbs in them.
She wanted to go back to the market area and sell the herbs she has collected. When she got out of the hut Shin Jiao had already finished deducing the formation array and gain a lot from it.
"Wait! Can… can I go with you? I know you're going somewhere. Please!" Shin Jiao said.
It has been a long time since Shin Jiao had seen people, and he wanted to check-out and see what kind of people are in these parts, and he wanted to observe secretly. So he planned to go with her, and upon seeing her robe he had an idea that it's a kind of uniform in a school or sect.
"Look… umn… since I am a mortal. I can be your servant or something…" Shin Jiao added trying to convince her and seeing that the woman didn't answer.
Then she just nods her head, seeming to agree with his suggestion. She then enters the hut and waved her hand out and a bundle of clothing flew towards Shin Jiao. Upon seeing the coarse clothing, Shin Jiao knows that this is what a mortal servant would usually wear.
With a deep sigh, he just accepted it and go to a place where he could change his clothes. After a while, Shin Jiao went back and is now wearing a brown coarse robe with a cloud emblem on the back. Since his hair is not that long as most of the people, he just wore the bamboo hat so that he won't be that conspicuous.
"Okay, let's go... Umn… I forgot to ask. What's your name?"
"Qin Lou" Qin Lou replied calmly.
Then the two of them walks out of the pond area and travel back to the village camp. Shin Jiao took the basket from Qin Lou as he offers to carry it for her. Since they are walking slowly, they just reached their destination after an hour. In that one hour, both didn't talk to each other and acted just like that of a servant and his master.
Today is the start of the inter-school competition and a lot of students can be seen in the village. Those who are staying in this place and the representatives of their own schools are mingling together and traded their items and pills.
Shin Jiao was amazed at the way people traded their goods. It's like he is in the middle ages of earth, where people use coins or stone to buy things or barter and exchange them to what the seller needs. Upon seeing this, Shin Jiao thought of a way of making money. What if he can craft a card-like object that can receive and transfer goods at the owner's will using one's spiritual sense. Just like using your phone to pay when buying something in stores. But the problem is, he is not yet strong enough to protect himself in this world. What of some infant soul or nascent cultivator became greedy and caught him? He would be turned into a money-making slave. Thinking up to here he can't help himself but shiver.
He wanted to change his life in this new world. He wanted to live freely and find a place he could call his home. Well, to do that he needs power and wealth, which is still a far cry from what he has right now.
While he is mulling on things, they came to a small empty stall. Then he gave the basket to Qin Lou and saw her set up everything and began to display all kinds of medicinal herbs. Upon looking at those he was a little dazed as he is only familiar with not even half of the herbs on display. She noticed that Shin Jiao's eyes are glimmering with curiosity and she knows what he wanted. So since he would be helping her she took out a thin book of common medicinal herbs, which is where most common herbs are listed and handed them to Shin Jiao.
"This… Oh, this is nice." Shin Jiao was happy to find the list of herbs on the book.
Since he already learned about most of the languages in this world through Gubu, he was able to understand everything in the textbook. Shin Jiao has a very good memory before he came to this planet, and after he started cultivating his mind became clearer and he can retain a large amount of information and more. And after memorizing almost all of the herbs in it, he is now able to distinguish every herb and their characteristics on the display.
With this additional knowledge, Shin Jiao is sure that he could make any advance medicine according to the properties of each herb. Then with an idea, he took out a recording jade slip and sat behind a hidden corner inside the stall covered by a curtain and began to transfer pieces of information about what he learned on herbs. Since he can now use spiritual Qi, he is now able to form his own spiritual sense but its distance is a little laughable, as he can use it as far as only 10 meters. But this is already enough for Shin Jiao as he has his trusty goggles.
While Qin Lou was standing behind the display, she suddenly felt something from behind. Then she subconsciously turns around and saw the aura in Shin Jiao's body.
"What? I thought he is a mortal? But… he… wait a minute, he is a core forming realm cultivator. How is he able to hide his cultivation?" She mulled over as she observed Shin Jiao's aura which is seeping out of his body.
Unknown to Shin Jiao, as he used his spiritual sense the energy inside the sphere would go out, and the aura from the energy would seep out of his body for that instance.
"What is he doing now?" she curiously looks at Shin Jiao who seems to be concentrating while touching the jade slip on his forehead.
When Qin Lou realized this, she was dumbfounded. It is known that although core forming realm cultivators can use spiritual sense, but it is too weak to carry or transmit anything. That's why only gold core realm and above can do mental transmission as their spiritual sense is already powerful enough to exert pressure and of course, carry information. But what she is seeing right now is an abomination, it's not in the natural order of things. She almost could not believe her eyes, as she analyzes everything. Starting from the idea that a mortal can cultivate, is knowledgeable in formations, strong and fast like cultivators, and can use spiritual sense transfer. These mind-boggling phenomenon can break the norm of things.
Qin Lou forcefully calmed herself down. But as she turns around, she noticed the aura of a familiar person, Xian Jian Feng. As usual, he is followed by his harem of girls, and wherever they walk people would really turn their heads as the girls surrounding him are truly exquisite beauties. Most people gave him an envious glare and grumble on their luck while cursing Xian Jian Feng of his good luck and family background.
Unluckily he also saw Qin Lou in that corner stall, as she is too noticeable with the white veil covering her face. Then a smirk appears on his handsome face as he walked briskly towards her. He still had the plan to get the skill she had, just for himself. Although he truly is disgusted with her face, still the enticement of a rare skill is too much for him to let it pass.
"Senior sister, what a good day this is. You seem to be selling a lot of… grass?" he said as he looks at the medicinal herbs and most of them he could not identify.
Qin Lou didn't answer him as she is feeling a little annoyed of the guy. So she just stood there without replying just like a statue. One of the girls wearing the same robe as Qin Lou suddenly move forward. This is Shan Su which is someone whom she called her friend once.
"You're as haughty as usual, senior sister Lou." Shan Su said as she moves forwards and held Xian Jian Feng's arm intimately.
"Shan Su…" Qin Lou said softly, but her eyes inside the veil are full of hurt and lost.
When Xian Jian Feng heard her, his soul quivered. As deep inside him at the bottom of his consciousness, he truly loves hearing her voice and no matter how his mind tries to discourage him and distract his attention by showing the ugly appearance of the girl in front of him, his heart can't help but waver upon hearing her melodious voice.
Shan Su suddenly noticed the changes in Xian Jian Feng as she can feel his hand was shaking a little and felt anger slowly rises from deep in her heart, so she silently curses Qin Lou. She would not accept that Xian Jian Feng would take in another woman, as she wanted her to be his last.
Ever since she had her sights on him, her heart would beat faster just by thinking of his handsomeness. Hence, when she learned that Xian Jian Feng was one of the students sent by the Flowing Water Academy she felt very happy. And she bowed to get his attention, hence after their meeting and doing all her best in tempting him, she was able to gain his favor.
But now, she could not accept that his attention is on this ugly woman, Qin Lou. As the only friend of Qin Lou before, she did all she could to be close to her and gain an advantage of her secrets. But after her long struggle, she found out that Qin Lou is like an immovable mountain. Although they are close and started to intimately share each other's little secrets and problems, she still could not get her trust. And even her face, she only saw it one time when she accidentally enters her room and after that Qin Lou became wary of her.
Shu San's train of thoughts was broken when she heard Xian Jian Feng. But his words made her a little dumbfounded.
"Qin Lou, can you spare me a moment." Xian Jian Feng seriously said as he stood in front of her stall.
His proud bearing and out-of-this-world handsomeness would make most of the young women who would pass by, turn their heads towards him.
Qin Lou could see through her spirit sense that Xian Jian Feng is truly a handsome young man. But his prideful bearing and haughtiness are very annoying, and the fact that she hated rich young masters made her look down on this young man more.
She didn't reply as she didn't want to talk to him and just shook her head, then just silently stood there. This made the other girls behind Xian Jian Feng angry.
"Who does she think she is?"
"Does she think she is a goddess acting all haughty like that?"
"Yeah, she thinks she's still the genius student of the whole Er City."
The women behind Xian Jian Feng all voiced out their resentment and jealousy as they could not accept that an ugly woman like Qin Lou has caught their man's attention.
"Okay, everyone… Quiet, please..." Xian Jian Feng lifted his hand to stop the girls behind him from murmuring.
"I would offer you my protection and prestige if you are willing to follow me. I know you're not a beauty and that your cultivation is almost ruined. So if you have my protection, I can help you. Plus I heard that your master already abandoned you… So the choice would fall on your hands. Consider my offer, as I'm a very magnanimous man." Xian Jian Feng said as he flashed his handsome smile.
His words made everyone in the area who heard him dazed at that moment, almost everyone in this place knew Qin Lou and seeing that a handsome man like Xian Jian Feng taking a liking to her, it is like having a prince like an old witch. Most of the woman envied Qin Lou's luck and wished they were her.
Then he turns around and walks away, wanting to plant a lasting impression on Qin Lou. But he didn't know that everything he said was for naught as she was distracted at that time. She actually discovered that Shin Jiao is crafting something behind her, although he is hidden behind the curtain, she can see him making something like an object for the eyes in a practiced manner.
This is one of Shin Jiao's bad habits, as he would unconsciously apply his ideas when he is in deep thought without thinking of anything, immediately. This is why Cherry Lao would almost always protect him before when they are traveling as he experiments on making medicines.
"What is that? I've never seen that before." Qin Lou quietly asked herself.
"Ha, ha. This is my new and simplified version of my goggles. More refined and with a simple A.I. function. He, he. If I didn't reach my current level I would not be able to make this thing, as it needs spirit sense to be able to craft more accurately." Shin Jiao said to himself.
But then he suddenly feels that someone is watching him using a dense spiritual sense, which means that the person is concentrating on observing him.
"Who... Who's there?" He suddenly blurted out.