by Fang Xiang
That was a place that Zuo Mo wouldn’t even dream about. He always only looked at what was in his bowl.
Chapter 2: Jade Scroll
Blurred like a fantasy with lights floating, Dong Fu was just as beautiful at night as it was in daytime.
The lanterns on the two sides of the street gave off bright and gentle light. From the sky, there were the barks and squeals of the ling beasts, and the lights from flying talismans were more dazzling than a meteor shower. The cool night air didn’t thin the crowds but made it busier. The merchants were all brimming with energy and the shop workers in each store wore uniforms as they stood on either side of the door. One person holding a copper bell, while the other held a Bagua mirror.
The worker holding the copper bell sent out a spell and a clear voice spread out from the copper bell, “This store sells talismans, all kinds of talismans at great prices. Whether or not you are a lianqi apprentice, or a skilled jindan, [15] this store can fulfill your needs……”
[tl: [15] = 金丹(jindan): the fourth major stage of cultivation. ]
Engraved on the copper bell was a Clear Sound Incantation. The voice was mild and moderate, and wasn’t harsh on the ears. Even if it was heard for a long time, the listener wouldn’t be bothered.
The worker with the Bagua mirror cooperated beautifully and had made out a spell at the same time. The Bagua mirror flashed and above his head, holograms of different illusions began to flash, each illusion moving in realistic patterns. As the sound of the bell changed, the holograms changed as well in unison. This was a mirage spell, producing illusions and tricking others to believing it was real.
Stores lined both sides of the street and it was a frequent sight that the workers from stores opposite one another would glare at each other. Each pair of workers swung the bells rapidly with the lights of the Bagua mirror flashing.
This scene was occurring all along the street.
“Fifth-grade Secret Paradise. Has one ling spring, five hundred ping, [16] full of ling energy. No matter for raising animals or planting ling grains or grasses, we guarantee you have a good harvest! Two million fifth-grade jingshi. Don’t miss it, this deal it won’t come again!”
[tl: [16] = 坪: one ping is 3.3 square meters. ]
“This store is selling all kinds of high-grade ling herbs. With a thousand year history , our store’s quality is guaranteed! All of the medicine in our store has been inspected by high-level medicine professors in the Tian Xin School of Medicine! Please don’t worry!”
“Do you want to get into Yi Zi Hui Sword Sect? This training center takes in students all year round, providing training on all kinds of beginner spells, with personal lessons by experienced sword xiu [17] of Yi Zi Hui Sword Sect. Guaranteed to pass the first time! Why are you hesitating? Come try! Those who register now will receive fifteen percent off!”
[tl: [17] = 修: shortened form for xiuzhe. ]
———-
This was the city with no night, the primary town Dong Fu!
Zuo Mo wasn’t unfamiliar with this prosperous primary town, but he wasn’t used to it. He didn’t come often. If he hadn’t brought a flying paper crane, it was hard to even make a trip to Dong Fu.
Even the most beautiful street would have an intersection. Zuo Mo stared dazedly. He was lost.
Damn it, lost again!
He hit his head in frustration.
Helplessly, Zuo Mo walked to a banyan tree and lifted his face. On the branches, he saw many small red birds. The little birds were entirely red and had long crimson tails. When they flew, it was like there was a stream of fire behind them so they were called Flaming Birds.
They were intelligent and psychic. They could understand human speech and were good at learning. Many cities used them as road signs and direction. However, it wasn’t a free service.
Zuo Mo bore the pain as he threw one piece of first-grade jingshi. A flaming bird spread its wings and swooped down from the tree, accurately catching the jingshi and swallowed it into its stomach.
“Free Market.” Zuo Mo shouted.
The flaming bird flew a few circles around his head, and began leading the way.
Zuo Mo hurried to keep up with the bird. The flaming bird didn’t fly very quickly. The long tail feathers threw off red light that glowed brightly in the night.
The red light spread out in the air and quickly disappeared. As he passed through the lantern-lit streets, listening to the calls of peddling, and looking at the holograms changing at the two sides of the street, Zuo Mo became silent and began thinking about how he felt when he had opened his eyes two years ago..
He sighed in his heart and a slightly sorrowful mood pervaded.
The clear call of the flaming bird startled him awake. When he saw the free market not far away, his mood lifted. The flaming bird circled a few times around and turned to leave with a trail of red glowing dots behind. Zuo Mo waved his hand at the leaving flaming bird.
The Free Market was the most common place for low-level xiuzhe. It was called the Free Market because anyone could put up a stall and sell things. They only had to buy a Mini-Room, and pay some fees before they could freely sell. The price of a Mini-Room was much lower than a store front. Usually when the mini-room was collapsed, it was only palm-sized and easy to transport. Many xiuzhe would buy one to carry around. Then they didn’t have to worry about where to sleep when they went out.
Buying here was much cheaper than normal stores but one had to spend time searching.
The free market was like a gigantic weiqi board, divided into squares. Each square could hold ten Mini-Rooms which were arranged in two back to back rows of five.
Zuo Mo quickly found his goal.
“Oh, Mo ge, you came!” The store owner was a male about twenty seven or twenty eight. He had a pointy head, his two eyes moving rapidly. His name was Fu Jin. His potential was average and he didn’t have much interest in cultivation. Right now, he only was on the third level of lianqi, so he had decided to start a business. He was skilled at managing and had a variety of suppliers. He basically had everything, no matter if it was low-level talismans or some spells. He could get all of them.
Zuo Mo didn’t waste words, “Did what I want arrive yet?”
“Of course, of course!” Fu Jin patted his thin chest and laughed, “What Mo ge wants, I don’t dare not to do my best!”
Finishing his greeting, Fu Jin started to dig through a little pouch at his waist. Zuo Mo looked with red eyes at the small cloth pouch at Fu Jin’s waist. The little cloth bag might be nondescript, but it was a third-grade Thousand Treasure Pouch.
But very quickly, Zuo Mo’s eyes were attracted to the small object held in Fu Jin’s hands. A piece of blue-green jade, about one finger wide and two knuckles long. It was a jade scroll.
“But Mo ge, don’t blame me for not reminding you. This ling plant jade scroll has five kinds of elemental spells. However, not many can learn all of them.” Fu Jin said seriously, “With Mo ge’s third level abilities at [Little Art of Cloud and Rain], why don’t you buy a water spell jade scroll? Don’t be irritated at my chattiness, but I’ve seen a lot over the years and understand that one well trained ability is enough to overcome all.”
Zuo Mo solemnly responded, “Many thanks, Fu ge.”
Fu Jin was looking out for him. He understood that.
Seeing Zuo Mo still resolute, Fu Jin didn’t continue. He handed the jade scroll to him, “Already said the price, twenty pieces of second-grade jingshi.”
Zuo Mo straightforwardly handed over the jingshi.
Twenty pieces of second-grade jingshi was a significant piece of business. Fu Jin’s mood improved and he smiled, teasing, “If Mo ge can learn all of it then you will become a ling plant farmer. At that time, don’t forget to help out this brother then!”
Zuo Mo also chuckled and raised his hands together expressionlessly, “Thanks, Fu ge for the words. To become a ling plant farmer, one has to learn three different types of elemental spells at
the third level. It isn’t that easy.”
The two finished their transaction happily.
The majority of the jingshi was spent but Zuo Mo didn’t feel any heartache. He carefully put the jade scroll next to his skin. This was a treasure.
Even though travelling at night was difficult, Zuo Mo prepared to return to the mountain after purchasing the jade scroll, if he stayed overnight at Dong Fu then he would need to spend money again.
Without the weight of the ling grains Lil’ Yellow became lighter and nimbler as it carried Zuo Mo, and continued to wheeze as it flew in the direction of Wu Kong Mountain.
When he returned to his residence at Wu Kong Mountain, it was deep in the night.
Zuo Mo laid on his roof under the stars, with his entire body aching. His fingers grasped the jade scroll. Holding the jade scroll in front of his eyes, his eyes narrowed, and he was unspeakably content.
At this Sword River prefecture, there were many people that farmed. In Wu Kong Sword Sect, about seventy percent of the outer sect disciples would choose to farm when they chose their tasks. The sect would also give out some methods of farming. [Little Art of Cloud and Rain] was one of them, but these were the most basic spells. Wu Kong Sword Sect was a sect for sword xiu. They had many sword arts, but the number of spells they had on any other arts were pitiful.
Farming was a deep and vast topic. Zuo Mo, who had continued as an outer sect disciple for two years, had a deep understanding of this.
The jade scroll included five types of five element spells. They were all spells relating to farming. One of those included was [Little Art of Cloud and Rain]. When he saw this, the stone in his heart landed. Worth it! The elaboration included in the scroll about [Little Art of Cloud and Rain] was more comprehensive and profound than what he knew.
Fu Jin wasn’t wrong. Being a master at one thing was more realistic but Zuo Mo had his own plans.
If he could learn all five kinds of the five element spells and if three kinds reached the third level, he could become a ling plant farmer. If [Little Art of Cloud and Rain] hadn’t broke into the third level, then he wouldn’t have had the idea. Now that he could comprehend the third level of [Little Art of Cloud and Rain], that should mean that he had a bit of a talent in spells that belonged to the five elements.
If he had given up all the ling grains to exchange for contribution points from the sect, then he could have received a decent sword manual.
He didn’t do that. What did he need a sword manual for? To chop wood?
In comparison, farming spells were more useful to him. Even if he didn’t learn all of them, the more he learned, the more abilities he had. The sect didn’t have much, but uncultivated ling fields were everywhere. With enough ling fields, he could grow more ling grains, and get more jingshi.
Thinking and thinking, Zuo Mo’s head became clearer and his drowsiness disappeared.
He sat up and reached out with his palm to touch his face. The muscles on his face were solid and hard like wood. This was why he never displayed any expressions.
He didn’t care about beauty. He cared about another matter.
The faint starlight fell in the yard, giving out a slight silver shimmer. Like the night mist which rose, sorrow rose in the eyes of the expressionless Zuo Mo.
Two years ago, when the head of Wu Kong Sword Sect was returning to the sect, he had found an unconscious Zuo Mo and brought him back to the sect. When Zuo Mo woke up, he found that his memory was blank. In the following two years, he made many attempts but couldn’t recall any of his memories from two years ago.
What was even stranger was his face. Frozen like a stone, Zuo Mo could not make any expressions. The sect leader said it possibly could be a rare kind of affliction. Because of this face, he wasn’t accepted by the other disciples at the beginning and had received quite a few wrongs.
But he didn’t dislike this face of his. It was one of the only two links he could find to his past. Maybe one day, this wooden face could remind him.
Who am I……where is my home……
The other link was the dream that always appeared. Whose voice was that? And what must he not forget?
But he forgot everything!
Sighing in his heart, he shook his head as though he was shaking all those thoughts from his head. He carelessly took up the sound tablet beside him and input ling power in.
The sound tablet was one of the most popular talismans in this xiu world. It was made up of a base and a round jade tablet. There were seal arrangements and it could receive sound transmissions from large scale seal arrangements. Zuo Mo’s sound tablet was one of the most basic models. A base made out of cedar wood holding a jade tablet the size of a palm. After channeling in ling power, the surface of the jade tablet shone and flickered through a multitude of colors and a melodious voice came out.
“ Bloody Sky Metropolis Jie once again breaks out in fierce conflict. Twelve xiuzhe camps simultaneously suffered large scale attacks from yaomo [18] with serious casualties.”
[tl: [18] = 妖魔: yao and mo are two different things. Yao could be considered equivalent to spirits, and mo to demons. They are put together as yaomo because they are both enemies of xiuzhe but they are not one entity. ]
“Zhou Ding Sword Sect has found another new jie. The exploration has already found large amounts of ling veins. According to those familiar with the matter, there are more than fifteen sects that have sent out high-level xiuzhe at the same time. Additionally, as there are a high amount of aboriginals on this jie, industry xiuzhe predict that this could cause the prince of xiu slaves on the market to drastically decrease……”
“After slaying the famous high level Master Xi Mo Da of the yao race, the Western Shang Sword Sect of Western Shang Jie has forged the life feather into a flying sword. Today, the flying sword has finally come out of the forge. It is rumoured the energy of the sword when it came out expanded ten miles. High level experts from forging sects estimate this Gold Feather Sword has reached an astounding seventh-grade~ The Western Shang Sword Sect has a new weapon!”
……
Under the stars, Zuo Mo listened silently. When he had just woken up, this rough sound tablet had helped him gradually understand this world.
Since then, he developed the habit of listening to the sound tablet everyday.
When his mood was bad or jittery, he would open the sound tablet and listen silently. His mood would then calm down.
In the dark sea of the night, the stars shone and a zombie quietly sat on top of the roof and listened to the sound tablet, spellbound.
Chapter 3: The Little Yard
Making rain for fifty mu [19] was a significant amount of work for even someone like Zuo Mo who had the cultivation of lianqi seventh level.
[tl: [19] = 亩: measurement of area. Approximately one fifteenth of a hectare. ]
Wiping the sweat on his forehead, Zuo Mo expressionlessly said, “Alright, this is killing me.”
Old Black cheerfully gave a thumbs up, “Mo ge’s [Little Art of Cloud and Rain] is just as rumoured!” Finishing, he squatted down with a face full of joy to check the growth of the ling grain.
Zuo Mo calmly accepted the flattery. Old Black’s ling grain had been sturdily planted. Based on his observations, this year’s harvest would be good. Adding on the rain he made, it would easily increase the harvest by twenty something percent. For payment, Zuo Mo would take ten percent was a large sum.
For some reason, when Zuo Mo saw the devoutness and joy that Old Black had when he stared at the ling grains, he himself wasn’t happy.
Old Black had been an outer sect disciple at Wu Kong Sword Sect for twenty years. His cultivation was low and he had planted ling grains in the sect for twenty years.
The rent for the ling fields could be paid using ling grains. Each year, one had to give ling grains to the sect and receive contribution points before they were given continual qualifications to stay and be an outer sect disciple in the sect. If one wanted to learn new
spells, then they need to keep contributing to the sect.
Roughly calculating, the amount that a farmer would be left with was pitiful. The ling grains were a harvest that Old Black was reluctant to eat.
It wasn’t easy being an outer sect disciple. Zuo Mo knew that better than anyone.
Even under these conditions here were still countless people trying to get into a small sect like the Wu Kong Sword Sect t. Even if it was hard, they could learn something. When they left the sect, they could find a good job. To someone like Old Black who didn’t have any savings, it was a very steady job.
Zuo Mo’s days were much better. He was an outer sect disciple, but he had been taken in by the sect leader. No one dared to bully him. His innate skill and comprehension were high. After comprehending the third level of [Little Art of Cloud and Rain] by himself, his days became increasingly comfortable.
Zuo Mo had no great ambitions. There were no clues to his history and birth. Other than living more comfortable days, he didn’t have any other wishes.
After the completing the job, he slowly walked back to his own residence.
There was only Wu Kong Sword Sect on Wu Kong Mountain. There was plenty of space. The entire western peak was sectioned off as the residential area of the outer sect disciples. How extravagantly one wanted to live, outer sect disciples could decide and construct yards for themselves. Most people would choose the yards that former outer sect disciples had left. Even if people hadn’t lived in them for a long time, often all that was needed was a good cleaning.
Zuo Mo’s yard took up a great amount of space. He might be thin and weak but he liked large things so at the beginning, he had picked the biggest yard on the western peak. It was a seventh entry compound. Half a mu of fish pond, about five mu of ling fields. The shixiong [20] that had built this yard definitely would have been a fanatic about farming. There were no fake mountains, no flowerbeds and courtyard, no other decorations. This shixiong had changed it all to ling fields.
