NOVEL NEXT Chapter 14
Chapter 14 – Chapter 14 – Chapter 14: Shu Tian_1
Chapter 14 – Chapter 14: Shu Tian_1
Xianfeng Ridge was located in a scarcely populated mountain range.
A simple barrier was set up around the perimeter, which appeared to be nothing at first glance; only cultivators could sense the subtle differences.
As they approached the entrance, more people began to appear.
Most of them arrived on foot, while a few rode flying swords directly.
After Qin Changqing reached the eighth level of Qi-Refining Stage, he had become quite proficient in sword riding.
Jin Hong, who was beside him, was quite surprised.
“I heard Brother Qin’s cultivation was quite low? How is he so stable on the sword?”
As they pondered, they arrived at the mountain.
Two cultivators guarded the entrance.
Security was specifically assigned during each fair, and those entering needed to pay a Fairy Stone as an entrance fee.
The two handed over the stones and smoothly entered the barrier.
The scene suddenly transformed from the quiet mountain forest to a lively market scene.
Qin Changqing observed that the entire fair was about ten miles long, with a down-to-earth layout, and magical treasures and elixirs were displayed everywhere. People huddled together in small groups on either side, exchanging conversations.
According to Jin Hong, the Loose Cultivator Fair had three functions.
First was trading.
Second was discussing dao and cultivation.
Third was finding a daoist couple.
However, as time passed, the three functions gradually became two.
Trading and finding a daoist couple.
As for discussing dao and cultivation, there wasn’t much to talk about among low-tier cultivators. Powerful cultivators were generally rare, and for people at the Qi-Refining Stage, only guidance from those at the Establishing Foundation Stage could prove useful.
But those at the Establishing Foundation Stage were few in number, and they may not necessarily be willing to give guidance.
Most people simply bought what they wanted and left.
So, with that time, it would be better to focus on finding a daoist couple.
Anyway, if they found a suitable other half, they could discuss dao and cultivation together all night long.
Qin Changqing’s arrival caught the attention of many.
Not all cultivators were handsome men and beautiful women; in fact, most of them looked quite ordinary. Thus, a ‘handsome guy’ like Qin Changqing naturally caught the attention of female cultivators who were specifically there to find daoist couples.
Since they had no hope of advancing in cultivation, they wanted to gradually cultivate their offspring together with cultivation families.
However, the quality of their offspring’s spiritual roots couldn’t be guaranteed. As long as both parties were cultivators, they would prefer those who were better looking.
Qin Changqing was handsome, young, and had a strong physique, so in the eyes of those women, he was full of hormones all over his body.
“He’s a new guy.”
“He doesn’t look very old, maybe in his thirties but not yet forty.”
“I wonder how his cultivation is.”
“Sister Cai’er, why don’t you give it a try?”
“I wonder where he’s from.”
“The Jin Hong beside him is from the Lingxiao Sect.”
“So he’s from Lingxiao Sect too?”
Some female cultivators’ eyes lit up as they saw Qin Changqing walk by.
Especially when they heard that Qin Changqing might be a disciple of the Lingxiao Sect, their hearts instantly fluttered.
There was still a gap between ordinary loose cultivators and secular disciples of the Lingxiao Sect.
While the shy ones hesitated, the bold ones had already started to make their move.
“Young man, do you have some free time? Would you like to sit down and have a cup of tea?” A woman in a blue dress approached Qin Changqing.
The woman was charming, with a soft and delicate figure, mature and sexy.
However, in Qin Changqing’s eyes, she seemed a bit too mature, probably around fifty years old.
Jin Hong saw Qin Changqing’s hesitation and smiled: “Sorry, fairy, my senior brother and I still have some things to buy.”
The woman also understood, knowing she had been rejected and reluctantly left.
Qin Changqing sighed in relief, they say women in their forties are like fierce tigers. That ‘fairy’ just now might be more ferocious than the three women at home. Marrying her might not guarantee a big family, but it would surely hurt his kidneys.
However, as soon as that woman left, other female cultivators approached right away.Some invited him for tea, some for a discussion about life, and some were even more direct, actually inviting Qin Changqing to join them in their tents at night.
Since the market would last for a month, everyone was in no hurry to leave.
Many people brought tents and set them up in the open space. When the night was deep and lonely, a tent might not necessarily contain just one person,
but perhaps two.
Qin Changqing couldn’t help but feel as if he had entered a matchmaking market, being targeted by a bunch of older ladies.
Fortunately, these ladies were quite attractive.
Some of them were not much older than Qin Changqing,
but he had no interest, while Jin Hong’s eyes turned green with envy, wishing he could take Qin Changqing’s place.
If you can’t do it, let me do it!
“Brother Qin, you didn’t like the one just now? I think her cultivation should be at least Tier 6 Qi-Refining, and she looks quite good,” Jin Hong was anxious, “She even invited you to open a tent with her.”
After thinking for a moment, Qin Changqing said, “She’s a bit too old.”
Jin Hong was momentarily speechless.
They were all cultivators, so their ages were generally higher than ordinary people, what’s the big deal with being a few decades older?
However, Qin Changqing didn’t think it was acceptable. This age difference meant that it would either be much older than him or just a few decades older, which wasn’t very appealing.
“Then you may not find the perfect one in this place,” Jin Hong said.
As soon as his words fell, a woman in a yellow dress stopped in front of Qin Changqing.
The woman was shy and timid, slightly bowing her head, speaking in a gentle and pleasant voice, “Um… Sir, I’m Shu Tian. May I invite you for a cup of tea?”
Jin Hong’s eyes widened.
It took him a long while to squeeze out a single ‘wow’.
Shu Tian was a disciple of a cultivation family in Liu Town, about seventeen years old, with a cultivation level of Tier 2 Qi-Refining.
Her cultivation level wasn’t high, but because cultivation resources were limited in her family, her spiritual root was actually better than Qin Changqing’s previous one, with a Tier 9 Mid-level.
What surprised Qin Changqing even more was her fortune.
[Shu Tian, female, spiritual root: Tier 9 Mid-level, fortune 777, can beget offspring with spiritual roots.]
Her fortune was much higher than his previous one, and even higher than the other three at home!
Qin Changqing didn’t know the exact reason, but the higher the fortune, the better.
On the side, Jin Hong’s eyes turned green with envy.
He couldn’t see Shu Tian’s fortune or spiritual root, but he could see that Shu Tian was not only young and beautiful, but also seemed well-behaved and gentle, with a soft temperament that made people want to protect her.
Even if she were just a normal girl and not a cultivator, marrying her would still be a great deal!
“Hold on.”
Soon, Jin Hong felt that something wasn’t right. According to his understanding of the Loose Cultivator Fair, such a ‘high-quality’ Taoist couple candidate shouldn’t appear here.
It was simple. Shu Tian was a disciple of a cultivation family, so she didn’t need to form a family like a loose cultivator would.
Moreover, Shu Tian was not old and didn’t need to hurry to find a Taoist couple for herself.
Qin Changqing also found it curious, so he asked her about it while having tea and learned the truth.
“This year, my father plans to marry me off as a concubine to the leader of the Zhou family. I am not willing to do so, so I sneaked out to look for a Taoist couple at the fair. I know that my talent is limited. I don’t seek wealth or cultivation from my partner; I just want someone who can treat me kindly,” Shu Tian explained.
“The Zhou family? The Zhou family in Liu Town?” Jin Hong was surprised. “I remember that their leader is almost a hundred years old, right?”
He knew a bit about the cultivation families in Yinxu Prefecture. The Zhou family was quite famous, and their leader was ninety-seven years old, a Tier 9 Qi-cultivating cultivator.
This cultivation level was considered quite high among general cultivation families.
Qin Changqing suddenly realized that the Shu family was planning a marriage alliance.
An ordinary Tier 9 Qi-cultivating cultivator could live up to 130 or 140 years without any accidents.
But as they aged, their internal organs would deteriorate if they didn’t enter the Establishing Foundation Stage, and their skin would age quickly. Qin Changqing guessed that the man probably looked like an old man with white hair. No wonder Shu Tian didn’t want to marry him.
She was only seventeen years old, and if she married a ninety-seven-year-old man, her life would be ruined.
That’s why Shu Tian came here and approached Qin Changqing.
In her eyes, the handsome and elegant Qin Changqing was ten thousand times better than the old man.
However, Qin Changqing was somewhat surprised.
In this world, many women in such situations would choose to obey their families and not go against their decisions.
Unexpectedly, Shu Tian seemed weak and fragile on the surface, but she had such courage.