Joining Forces

1,209 words

Chapter 130: Joining Forces

“Brother, why stand here alone? Waiting for a friend?”

The clear voice came from behind Han Li, startling him.

He turned slowly. Six or seven people stood not far away. The speaker was a cultivators somewhere in his late twenties, dressed like a Daoist priest—fair-skinned, clean-shaven, a horsetail whisk draped over one arm. He smiled as he looked at Han Li.

“Daoist, are you looking for me?” Han Li did not answer the question. Instead, he returned a flat inquiry, his expression blank.

“Heh! Don’t misunderstand. We mean you no harm. It’s just that seeing you standing here alone, looking quite curious about everything, I guessed you were a lone traveling cultivator like us. We thought we’d make your acquaintance.” The Daoist explained with a friendly tone. “The few of us are all independent cultivators, same as you.”

“All of you are independent cultivators?” Han Li was slightly taken aback.

“That’s right. If you’re one yourself, it’s best to stick together at this fair—then we can watch each other’s backs.” This time it was a woman who spoke, her face delicate but marred by a single scar. Beside her stood a big bearded man with a blade strapped to his back; they appeared to be a married couple.

“Exactly. In years past, independent cultivators who came alone were often bullied by the families,” the Daoist added gravely.

At their words, Han Li began to understand their intent.

These scattered cultivators, afraid of being pushed around by members of established cultivation families, had banded together into a small group for self-protection. They were now seeking out other loners like himself.

Since he understood their goal, Han Li saw no reason to refuse such a convenient arrangement. He did indeed need a small group to shelter behind, even a temporary one.

But before agreeing, he had a few questions he needed answered.

“Since you’ve seen through me, I won’t pretend otherwise—I am an independent cultivator. But before I join this group of yours, could you first introduce yourselves and tell me what exactly I’d have to do as a member?” Han Li admitted his status openly. The moment the others showed a flicker of relief, he pressed them with his conditions.

“It seems brother still has some concerns. Ha! That’s nothing. The others all said much the same thing when they first came in!” The Daoist and his companions exchanged glances at Han Li’s words, then burst into laughter. It was the Daoist who answered.

“Let me introduce these friends to you.” The Daoist gestured at his companions with a smile.

“These two are brothers—Hei Mu and Hei Jin, from Canglang Ridge.” He guided Han Li toward a pair of young men with similar faces and introduced them openly.

The brothers saluted Han Li with cupped fists. Han Li returned the gesture with a calm demeanor.

“This is the Red Lotus Ascetic from Feilian Cave, and Master Kusang from Pulu Mountain.” He introduced a plain-looking young woman and a small monk with a long-suffering expression.

“As for this couple…”

“We’re from Tianshui Village—Hu Pinggu and Xiong Dali.” The scarred woman cut off the Daoist before he could speak, letting out a little laugh.

The Daoist was not bothered by the interruption. He merely smiled blandly.

“I am a resident priest at Qingniu Temple in Woniu Mountain, by the style name Songwen. Heh, I’m the one who started this little group, and for now, they’ve elected me the leader. But don’t worry—I won’t be ordering anyone around. I only speak for us when dealing with outsiders.” The Daoist gave a modest self-introduction and explained the nature of the group.

This Daoist seemed to have a decent temperament, and his magic power was far from weak. Most of the others had energy corresponding to about the seventh or eighth layer of the Eternal Spring Art. Daoist Songwen himself was even stronger; though not on the level of the blue-clothed man he had seen earlier, he was still far ahead of Han Li.

Han Li weighed the situation silently. Associating with these people seemed to bring nothing but benefits.

“Since we’re all independent cultivators, and it really is easier to work together, then I, Han Li, will join you temporarily.”

“Excellent! With Brother Han added, our group’s strength grows a little more!” Daoist Songwen said immediately, looking pleased.

The others also showed their satisfaction. After all, Han Li’s magic power appeared respectable—he would be a real asset.

“Are all of our group’s members here?” Han Li glanced around and asked.

“There are two more. One is sleeping inside the building, and the other has wandered off somewhere.” Hu Pinggu curled her lips, apparently not thinking well of those two.

“It’s not as bad as Madam Hu makes it sound. One just likes to sleep a bit too much, the other is a little too fond of exploring.” It was the small monk, Kusang, who defended them.

“You…” Hu Pinggu was about to retort when the Daoist Songwen quickly stepped in.

“Alright, everyone, no arguing. We agreed at the start: only when we face external conflict do we act together and follow orders. The rest of the time, everyone is free to do as they please.”

Madam Hu held her tongue, albeit with some reluctance. No one could afford to ignore Songwen’s authority.

“When we gather tonight, Brother Han will meet them. I’ll introduce you then. I have to admit, those two are… a bit special.” The Daoist seemed rather exasperated by them.

Han Li was intensely curious, but he did not press further.

Songwen then asked Han Li whether he wanted to stick with the group for now or explore on his own.

Han Li chose the latter. Songwen was not surprised. Almost everyone who first entered the Tainan Valley was curious and preferred to wander alone; only after they had seen enough did they naturally gravitate back to the group.

The Daoist was quite thorough. After explaining certain taboos and common conventions, he handed Han Li a talisman, pointing to one of the buildings in the cluster.

“That’s our base. If you get tired, you can rest there. This talisman opens the barrier.”

Then the group bid Han Li goodnight and vanished into the darkness, apparently to look for more scattered cultivators.

Han Li watched their retreating backs until they were out of sight. Only then did he lower his gaze to examine the talisman in his hand. The yellow paper shimmered with silver light; it was inscribed with symbols he could not read, but it clearly had some function.

He pondered for a moment, then chuckled softly.

He folded the talisman carefully, tucked it into his robes, cast one last glance in the direction Daoist Songwen had gone, and turned without hesitation toward the plaza.

Entering the square, Han Li began to stroll like the other cultivators, browsing the stalls one by one.

According to Songwen, the trading at this fair operated on two systems.

The first was barter—one cultivator exchanging something he did not need for something he did. It was common for a stall owner to sit for days without making a single trade.

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Reading Guide Decoding

Strategic Alliances at the Tainan Fair

Cultural / Xianxia Notes

Independent Cultivators (散修, sanxiu) vs. Family Clans: In the cultivation world, a ‘family’ isn’t just a bloodline—it’s a political-economic bloc with generations of accumulated resources, techniques, and protection. Independent cultivators have none of that safety net. Organizing into temporary alliances is a survival tactic born from raw necessity, not camaraderie. Songwen’s group is the equivalent of a medieval trade guild for the powerless.
Talisman Keys (符箓禁制): The talisman Songwen gives Han Li is a miniature version of a classic formation-breaking token. In Xianxia, barriers are often keyed to a specific talisman or technique, turning mundane-looking pieces of paper into functional access cards. This reinforces the idea that even something as simple as a door lock in the cultivation world is layered with mystical security.
Transient Cooperation in Dark Forest Logic: Han Li’s immediate mental calculation—“this is beneficial with no downside”—perfectly encapsulates the Mortal Stream survival principle. He does not trust Songwen; he trusts the configuration of power and information. The group’s existence is a resource to be used, not a bond to be cherished.

Chapter Overview

Welcome to the Tainan Small Exchange, fellow Daoists—a bazaar where independent cultivators rub shoulders with family elites, and where a loner’s survival depends on finding the right cover. In this chapter, Han Li runs into a group of scattered cultivators who are actively recruiting. They offer him protection in numbers, and he offers them a respectable level of power. But Han Li being Han Li, he doesn’t jump in blind. He asks the right questions, calibrates his odds, and only then agrees to ‘join forces’—on a temporary basis, of course. This isn’t a tug-of-war of friendship; it’s a cold, functional merger of assets. And as always, Han Li’s mask of a curious newcomer hides a machine of perpetual calculation.

Key Plot Points

A Daoist calling himself Songwen approaches Han Li, correctly guessing he is an unattached independent cultivator. He invites Han Li to join a small group of scattered cultivators for mutual protection at the fair.
Han Li does not accept immediately. He demands introductions and clarification on what membership entails—a sign of his ingrained caution even when offered a seemingly harmless alliance.
The group is introduced: Hei Mu and Hei Jin, brothers from Canglang Ridge; the Red Lotus Ascetic from Feilian Cave; Master Kusang of Pulu Mountain; and the married couple Hu Pinggu and Xiong Dali from Tianshui Village.
Daoist Songwen explains that he is only the de facto leader for external disputes; otherwise, everyone is free to act independently.
Han Li agrees to join temporarily, having calculated that the arrangement is beneficial with no apparent downside.
Two more members are mentioned but absent: one sleeping, one wandering. Songwen admits they are “a bit special.”
Songwen provides Han Li with a talisman key to the group’s base building and a set of etiquette guidelines for the fair.
After Songwen’s group leaves, Han Li examines the talisman, tucks it away, and heads into the plaza to browse the stalls.
The trading methods are briefly explained: barter is the dominant mode, and it is not uncommon for sellers to wait days for a single exchange.

Reading Guide

Notice how Han Li does not volunteer a single unnecessary piece of information about himself. Even his admission of being a sanxiu is a calculated disclosure—the group already guessed it, so denying it would only draw suspicion.
The scarred woman, Hu Pinggu, shows immediate disdain for the absent members, hinting at internal tensions within this “mutual aid” group. Keep an eye on those two missing members—they are described as “special,” which in this genre often means either incredibly useful or incredibly dangerous.
The fair’s two-trade system (barter vs. spirit stone) will become relevant later. Barter is how protagonists usually stumble into once-in-a-lifetime deals—or once-in-a-lifetime traps.
Songwen’s demeanor is polite and open, but remember: in the cultivation world, a friendly face often hides a long memory and a longer knife. Han Li is not wrong to be cautious; the question is whether Songwen’s kindness will hold.