One day, two months later, Lü Zhong had mastered the Sword Technique.
He could now transition seamlessly between moves, and the chance of making a mistake had dropped to an extremely low level.
While he wasn't yet able to wield the Green Frost Sword completely at will, he was at least proficient, able to launch attacks with fluid grace.
And with that, his final weakness was covered.
Unable to contain his eagerness to test his sword, he decided to go out and get some experience in the wilds.
Considering the dangers of the wilds, Lü Zhong did his homework. He not only gathered all the relevant information but also unhesitatingly bought two Tier One High-grade Golden Light Talismans, which cost Ten Spirit Stones apiece.
He had spent more than half of his income from the past two months just to buy the talismans.
After making so many preparations, Lü Zhong was even more eager for his trip into the wilds.
He arrived at Tongfu Tea House on North Street. It was a gathering spot for adventuring Loose Cultivator teams, who would often recruit members or use it as a rendezvous point.
At that moment, quite a few Loose Cultivators were sitting inside, drinking tea and making small talk.
As Lü Zhong walked into the tea house, he immediately drew many stares.
They saw his clean, neat clothes and his fair, unscarred skin.
To the veterans in the room, he was obviously a rookie—as green as they come.
Immediately, a few Loose Cultivators with ill intentions approached, eager to invite Lü Zhong to join their teams.
Their motive was simple: to squeeze him for all he was worth.
While they had enough reservations not to kill him, the methods they'd use for financial gain would be rather extreme.
The other Loose Cultivators saw what was happening but didn't say a word to warn him. Most of them took the attitude that it was none of their business.
Many of them had gone through the same thing, so they were practically hoping Lü Zhong would suffer a major loss as well.
At most, they'd just complain that they had been too slow to act and hadn't gotten their hands on the fat sheep themselves.
A shifty-eyed, lean man retracted his furtive gaze and sent a voice transmission to his tablemates. "So, what do you think? How much can they squeeze out of this greenhorn?"
The Loose Cultivator next to him glanced over at Lü Zhong and replied in a low voice, "He's not even wearing a Dharma Robe. I doubt they'll get much. Ten-odd Spirit Stones at best."
"I'm so jealous of Boss Hongg's crew. They had some real dumb luck last time, managing to score over a hundred Spirit Stones!"
At this, the lean man couldn't help but sigh. He figured he'd never be able to save up a hundred Spirit Stones in his entire life.
"Heh, jealous of Boss Hongg? You want to end up six feet under, too...?" Another Loose Cultivator dropped a bombshell, revealing that the "fat sheep's" elders had tracked them down, chopped them all up, and fed them to the dogs.
The attention of the idle, bored-shitless crowd immediately shifted, and they all went into full-on gossip mode.
Over on Lü Zhong's side, the invitations finally stopped.
Perhaps the other Loose Cultivators had realized that even though this newcomer looked like a total greenhorn, he wasn't a complete idiot.
'It's finally quieted down. I wonder when they'll get here.'
Lü Zhong had, of course, come to Tongfu Tea House for a reason.
Venturing into the wilds alone was practically a death wish.
Normally, the smart thing to do was to join an adventuring party and travel together.
However, the quality of teams adventuring in the wilds varied wildly. Many of them had the mentality of fleecing newcomers like "fat sheep," or they had a severely unfair system for distributing loot. Joining such a team meant you were bound to get screwed over.
The Loose Cultivators jokingly called this selection process the "rookie phase."
Without a guide, many Loose Cultivators could only grit their teeth, hold back their tears, and take the losses. Only after they had "paid their dues" or found a reliable adventuring party could they finally escape the so-called "rookie phase."
Lü Zhong should have been in the same boat.
But luckily for him, he was a local Talisman Maker who sold his wares at a stall. With a clean and verifiable background, he was easily trusted. He took the initiative to reach out and quickly found a reliable team that just so happened to be short on members.
The two parties hit it off immediately and agreed to a temporary partnership.
After a while, three cultivators walked in through the door.
The one in the lead was a burly, bearded man. He wore a black Dharma Robe covered by a layer of Scale Armor and carried three or four bags of various sizes—the standard getup of an adventuring Loose Cultivator.
Seeing him enter, many of the Loose Cultivators took the initiative to greet him.
"Captain Lin, going out again today? Still short on people? Count me in."
"Captain Lin, don't listen to Zhang Er! He was at the Yichun Courtyard with the ladies again yesterday. His limbs are probably still jelly. How about you take me instead?" one Loose Cultivator said, seizing on the previous speaker's weakness, trashing him while promoting himself.
It was clear the bearded man held some status among the Loose Cultivators.
His name was Lin Zhongze, a Loose Cultivator who hailed from a clan, and he currently had a Fourth Level of Qi Refining Cultivation.
Because he was known for being fair, his reputation was excellent.
Furthermore, his expeditions were always profitable and his team rarely suffered casualties. As a result, the Loose Cultivators saw him as a God of Wealth, and they all desperately tried to curry favor with him.
But unexpectedly, Lin Zhongze didn't even glance at them. His gaze was fixed on Lü Zhong.
At that moment, Lü Zhong had already stood up. He said with a cupped-fist salute, "Fellow Daoist Lin, I'm ready."
"Mm. We're still waiting for one more person. She should be here shortly." Lin Zhongze nodded slightly, ignoring the fawning Loose Cultivators around them. He sat down squarely on the bench and started drinking his tea.
GLUG, GLUG, GLUG. He downed half the pot of tea like an ox.
Just then, a figure walked in through the door.
It was a Female Cultivator dressed in a vibrant red gown.
Her arrival drew the gazes of nearly everyone in the tea house.
At first, all anyone saw was her graceful figure, and their imaginations began to run wild.
Some had even begun to call out "fairy!"
But when they saw the hideous scars on her face, their hearts sank, and any excitement they felt instantly deflated.
The Female Cultivator swept her gaze over the room and walked toward Lin Zhongze's table.
Hearing the approaching footsteps, Lü Zhong couldn't help but look up and size up the newcomer.
At first glance, he recognized the woman.
'Huang Shuyuan? I can't believe she's not dead...'
Lü Zhong didn't know what had happened to Huang Shuyuan to ruin her once-beautiful face so completely. 'It almost looks like she did it to herself,' he thought. 'Otherwise, with a cultivator's constitution, it's unlikely any scars would remain.'
Their eyes met, but neither spoke a word.
"You're here. Let's not waste any more time. We leave now," Lin Zhongze said, putting down his large bowl and getting to his feet.
...
The group of five walked out of Qingliu Square and headed straight north.
Their destination was Wild Ox Valley in the northern mountains. Lin Zhongze had received a reliable tip that a lone Fear Bear was in the valley—a Tier One Demon Beast that offered a handsome reward when killed.
At first, they followed a main road that led to Yanling Mountain Market, so they occasionally ran into merchant caravans or other adventuring parties. But after walking for a dozen or so li, they abruptly turned onto a small trail.
The trail was overgrown with weeds, looking as if it had been trodden into existence, and it was hard to tell how long it had been since anyone had last used it.
Lin Zhongze, who was leading the party, stopped and turned to Lü Zhong and Huang Shuyuan. He instructed, "It's still relatively safe here. Fellow Daoist Lü, you partner up with Xiaoqi for now. As for you, Fellow Daoist Huang, stick with Sanniang. Keep an eye out for any potential danger from the rear."
Lü Zhong naturally had no objections.
When adventuring in the wilds, the captain's authority was absolute.
Even though this was just a temporary team, obeying orders was still essential.
So he nodded, walked over to a lean young man, and said with a smile and a cupped-fist salute, "I'll be in your care, Fellow Daoist Lu!"
"Heh heh, no trouble at all! I just follow the captain's orders," Xiaoqi said, waving his hand with a broad smile.
Huang Shuyuan, in turn, moved to stand beside the Female Cultivator named Sanniang.
Then, the party continued on their way.