A Name Shakes the Region; Three Travelers

Chapter 657: A Name Shakes the Region; Three Travelers

The Fu Family's main fortress was nestled deep within a mountain called Purple Dao Mountain, located in the western part of Yuanwu Nation.

This mountain was perpetually sealed and shrouded by a faint purple mist. Any mortal who entered would not only be rendered unable to see, but after a short time in the mist, their eyes would stream with tears and their throat would swell with pain. If they remained any longer, they would be poisoned to death.

Although the local people all knew of the danger posed by this purple mist and regarded it as they would a venomous scorpion, daring not to approach it in the slightest, every year there were still some outsiders unfamiliar with the area who would mistakenly enter it and end up buried there.

To the Fu Family, who had long since treated this mountain as their own private territory, the poisoning of these mortals was a matter of utter indifference.

Mortals died; what of it? Besides, to be able to die beneath the "Poison Cloud Purple Haze Array" that the Fu Family had exhausted their wits to invite several formation masters to jointly set up, it could be considered quite a stroke of fortune for these mortals.

But in the past few days, although Purple Dao Mountain was still shrouded in mist and clouds, this place, usually sparsely visited by anyone, had gradually begun to grow lively. From time to time, cultivators would appear outside the purple mist, shout a few words, then hold up a bright red, invitation-like object, after which they would be led into the mist and vanish from sight.

The mortal town closest to Purple Dao Mountain was a small city called "Taihe." This city was not large, only about ten li across, with a population of just over a hundred thousand. However, it had all the necessary facilities, including taverns, inns, and everything else, without exception.

"Ah Er" was a waiter at "Yongqu Inn," one of the two inns in Taihe City. Though he was only eighteen or nineteen years old, he had been working as a waiter for a good three or four years.

Now, the slightly thin young man was leaning half-supported against the main door of the inn, listlessly hailing passersby to come in and stay.

This wasn't due to Ah Er being lazy. It was the height of summer, and after shouting for a whole morning under the blazing sun, no one would have the strength to be loud anymore.

So even Manager Liu, who was famous for being picky and stingy, saw Ah Er's dispirited appearance and, though his face showed displeasure, only muttered a few words under his breath before burying his head in a yellow wooden abacus, calculating a thick ledger on the table.

Ah Er looked up at the vast, white expanse of the sky, cursed inside his heart several times, then lowered his head and mumbled a few greeting words that even he couldn't hear clearly, looking even more listless.

He was just thinking about whether he could sneak a peek to see if Manager Liu was paying attention, then slip back to the kitchen in the back for a few cups of cold water to cool the heat in his chest. But just then, he suddenly felt the sky darken, and a wave of coolness surrounded him. Startled, Ah Er couldn't help but look up, and what he saw gave him a real fright.

Before his eyes, three strange individuals had appeared without him knowing when.

One was short and fat, with a hemp robe and a tall hat, looking like a big, soft ball. Another was bald and barefoot, with bull-like eyes and a face full of brutish features, towering over ten feet tall. The last one had unbound hair tied with a band, his face covered in a murderous aura, and his eyes as cold as ice.

"Honored guests, are you looking for a room?" Having been a waiter for so many years, Ah Er wasn't a fool. After a moment of shock, he immediately put on a full-faced smile and said. Based on his years of experience reading people, these three, despite their fierce and terrifying appearances, were undoubtedly generous spenders.

"Nonsense. If we weren't staying at an inn, why would we come here? Here. Get us three best rooms each, then prepare a top-tier meal of fine wine and dishes and send it to the rooms." The ball-like, short, fat man glared with his small eyes and casually tossed a large piece of silver, which landed squarely in Ah Er's arms, speaking impatiently.

"Yes, yes! Honored guests, please come in. The wine and food will be sent up right away. Ah Er, hurry and prepare the three best rooms for these three gentlemen." Before Ah Er could say anything, Manager Liu, who had long since noticed everything at the door, shot over like a man in his thirties or forties, snatched the silver from Ah Er's hands, and spoke with a fawning look on his face.

"Yes, Manager." Though he was grinding his teeth in hatred at Manager Liu's actions, Ah Er could only answer in resignation. Silently, he lamented that the tip he had been about to receive had been taken away by that miser again.

If he weren't only fit for this waiter job, and if there weren't only two inns in this city, he wouldn't have kept working for this skinflint for a single second longer.

After inwardly cursing Manager Liu a good long while, Ah Er, still with a smile on his face, led the three men to a room on the second floor, then withdrew.

"Huh?"

The moment Ah Er left their side, the unbearable heat hit him again. He scratched the back of his head, feeling thoroughly puzzled. But after tilting his head and thinking for a moment, he went back downstairs, still full of confusion.

A lavish table of food and wine was soon prepared. Ah Er helped the other waiters carry it into the room.

The three men were seated separately on one side of the table, not saying a word.

Ah Er glanced at them, a little strangely. The unbound-haired cultivator seemed to sense something and suddenly cast a cold glance his way.

That single glance made Ah Er feel a bone-chilling cold, as if he had instantly fallen into an ice cave. Startled, Ah Er hastily lowered his head, then retreated from the room in a fluster. Even when he got back to the inn's entrance, his heart was still pounding uncontrollably.

Inside the room, the three men finally began to speak.

"Brother Han, why use a Spirit Startle Art on a mortal? Did that kid displease you?" The short, fat man, sensing there was no one outside the door, let out a sly chuckle and spoke to the unbound-haired man.

"It's nothing. That waiter also possesses Spiritual Roots. Though their quality is not very good, there's no problem with him cultivating up to the third or fourth layer of Qi Condensation." The unbound-haired cultivator said expressionlessly.

"Spiritual Roots? That is a bit surprising. But from what Brother Han says, this waiter's aptitude isn't much to speak of. Still, for you to be able to see Spiritual Roots without even touching him is truly an amazing divine ability." The short, fat cultivator's face flashed with a trace of surprise as he spoke, visibly moved.

"My cultivation base isn't much higher than yours, Fellow Daoists. I've merely cultivated a related secret art." The unbound-haired cultivator swept his gaze over the short, fat cultivator and replied slowly.

"Brother Han is too modest. But for an aptitude like that waiter's, even if he entered the cultivation world, there would be no future for him. Even if he was lucky enough to reach our Foundation Establishment stage, without a sect to rely on, he'd still be a lone, wandering ghost, bullied by cultivators of the same rank. The reason we've come to Purple Dao Mountain is to see if we can find some opportunity on the day of the Fu Family Patriarch's birthday banquet. If we could be noticed by a large family or a demonic sect sect coming to offer congratulations, our fortunes would be made. It's a pity that rogues like us can only enter Fu Family Fortress on the birthday itself. Otherwise, why would we have to wait here for half a month?" The short, fat cultivator sighed and said with a wry smile.

"Hmm." The unbound-haired cultivator nodded coldly, as if he didn't want to say more.

Seeing the unbound-haired cultivator like this, the short, fat man exchanged a glance with the bald, burly man. The burly man then opened his large mouth and spoke.

"Brother Han, my companion and I only know that you're also going to the Fu Family birthday banquet, so we traveled together. But after a few days on the road, all we know is that you're a rogue cultivator with an extraordinary cultivation base. We wonder where you cultivated before. Why have we never heard of your great name?" The burly man stared at the Han-surnamed cultivator with his bull-like eyes and said in a deep, rumbling voice.

After the burly man said this, a glint of sharp light flashed in the short, fat man's eyes as he stared unblinkingly at the Han-surnamed cultivator.

The unbound-haired cultivator's expression didn't change. He only replied calmly:

"I was originally a cultivator from Yue Nation. I only recently moved to Yuanwu Nation. It's not strange that you two haven't heard of me."

"Yue Nation! Isn't that under the Ghost Spirit Sect's jurisdiction? Brother Han, why didn't you try your luck with the Ghost Spirit Sect? Why come to our Yuanwu Nation instead?" The short, fat cultivator blinked his small eyes and asked.

"How does Brother Luo know I haven't been? I just found no way to enter their gates. Moreover, in Yue Nation, the Ghost Spirit Sect now dominates alone, and can't tolerate any cultivators from other sects existing at all. So I came to Yuanwu Nation to try my luck. I hadn't been here long before I heard about the Fu Family Patriarch's birthday celebration. This is a rare opportunity, and naturally, I wouldn't let it pass by easily." The unbound-haired cultivator said calmly.

"So that's how it is. It seems Brother Han hasn't had an easy time of it either." The short, fat man laughed heartily upon hearing this and stopped asking questions, instead starting to chat about rumors in the cultivation world.

After finishing the meal, the unbound-haired cultivator took his leave and went to rest in the next room.

The moment the unbound-haired cultivator stepped out of the door, the short, fat cultivator's previously smiling expression vanished, replaced by a hint of viciousness.

He suddenly pulled out a talisman from his bosom. With a pinch of his two fingers in a hand sign, he flicked his wrist, and the talisman instantly transformed into a large sheet of white light that enveloped the entire room.

This talisman was a Sound Isolation Talisman!

"Brother Luo, is what that kid said true? Is he really a rogue cultivator?" The moment he saw the Luo-surnamed cultivator finish his spell, the bald, burly man asked eagerly, looking as if he couldn't wait.

"A rogue cultivator? Definitely not. He's most likely a disciple of some small sect or another!" The short, fat cultivator sneered, stroked his chubby chin, and said darkly.