Volume Two: Weapon Directory Chapter 157: Wind and Rain at North Fortress Bridge

Rain-and-weather masters are generally active in the Southern Wilderness and the Great Wilderness regions. This profession merely relies on quick-witted thinking to eke out a living and possesses no genuine extraordinary skills. How could ordinary people possibly summon wind and rain? It is merely the local people's projection of their wishes for favorable weather and bountiful harvests.

Liu Xiaoyi pondered all the way, and only then did he suddenly recall that the old Taoist priest Bai Yiting and his disciple Meng Qiaogiao—aren't they the ones who practice this trade?

"I've met a rain-and-weather master before, and they were quite capable. I just don't know if they can truly summon wind and rain," Liu Xiaoyi said.

Lu Haoran replied dismissively, "What rain-and-weather masters? They're just a bunch of charlatans. Before I even entered the Sword Extension Sect, these people were going around swindling others. I haven't seen much wind or rain from them, but they know the ways of the pugilist world inside and out! Besides, why must we take on such a tiring errand? We should just hurry along to the Great Wilderness."

He had never been able to understand why Liu Xiaoyi agreed to this matter. When Gao Yingkui cast a pleading look, Liu Xiaoyi agreed without the slightest hesitation. After finishing the wine and banquet, they set off under the cover of night and rushed toward North Stronghold Bridge.

The Earth Guanyin emerged from the collapsed walls of Han Pass, and the lingering drizzle, after brewing overnight, not only failed to stop but grew heavier instead. By the time the sky was faintly turning light, it had already become a torrential downpour.

The military camps were severely flooded, and the reconstruction of Han Pass could not proceed. The soldiers temporarily retreated to higher ground to take shelter from the wind and rain. Gao Yingkui anxiously asked the scholarly and frail-looking man beside him, "Old brother, do you think those two can manage to invite those two rain-and-weather masters? I heard their tempers are rather eccentric—they don't accept gold or silver, only relying on fate. There really are many strange people in this world!"

The scholarly and frail-looking man was none of other than the second official of Zhongzhou Imperial Censor, the Little Abacus Luo Yu. Among all the civil and military officials, he had the most devious ideas. Before their departure, he had even given Liu Xiaoyi a few parting instructions on how to persuade them upon meeting.

"Don't worry, that kid is quite sharp. If all else fails, using force to tie them back will work just the same." Although he could not see through Lu Haoran's cultivation level, he could sense that faint, suppressing pressure.

Rain-and-weather masters possessed little to no cultivation. Most of the Daoist techniques they practiced were minor arts used to stir up wind and rain, which were not presentable enough for grand occasions and were mostly used to earn some wealth and ensure the safety of a region. Therefore, some said that they had themselves given up on cultivating the Great Dao, and that they were saints who had stepped out of the Six Paths of Reincarnation, which was why no matter where they went, they never had to worry about food and clothing.

North Stronghold Bridge was not very far from Han Pass. Its original location was a large stronghold built centuries ago by a group of bandits who had gathered in the mountains. Depending on the mountains and rivers, it was divided into a South Stronghold and a North Stronghold, separated by a small river running east to west.

Having gone through several wars, these heroes had disintegrated. The South Stronghold was completely burned down by a great fire, leaving only the dilapidated North Stronghold, which was later occupied by refugees wandering to this place and gradually developed into the current New North Stronghold. The bridge spanning both banks had also been renovated and become a landmark of this area.

Plum trees grew abundantly along the banks. Although they were only taller than half a person, a single plum tree could yield dozens of catties of heavy plums. People coming to pick them arrived in an endless stream day after day. The villagers of North Stronghold Bridge had never deliberately tended to these plum trees, yet year after year they remained evergreen and bore fruit, nurturing generations of people at North Stronghold Bridge.

Plum wine, dried plum greens, and plum rice cakes—the women here were skilled at every single one of them. After being produced here, they were even transported via swift horses to Zhongzhou, becoming a major local specialty that added a bit of wealth to the not-so-affluent North Stronghold Bridge.

The two banks were vast plains. Until reaching the location of the North Stronghold, there were no rolling hills. Liu Xiaoyi and his companion, wearing coir raincoats in the distance, appeared as two swaying black dots, seen clearly by the children who had braved the rain early in the morning to pick plums.

They thought the visitors were merchants coming to collect goods. Many merchants from other places would take advantage of the morning light to come and collect the best plums, and then hawk them everywhere to earn some hard-earned money.

"With such heavy rain, there are actually still merchants coming over. It seems the plums at our North Stronghold Bridge really are delicious."

"They might not necessarily be merchants. Perhaps they're uncles going out hunting. I saw a few uncles leave the stronghold this morning before the sky even brightened."

The children discussed among themselves. Seeing Liu Xiaoyi and his companion walk closer, they flocked over and asked, "Are you here to collect plums? It's pouring rain today, and the plums haven't been picked yet. If you're here to collect plums, please move to the pavilion and wait for a moment to take shelter from the rain."

Liu Xiaoyi thought of something, nodded with a smile, and said, "Of course we're here to collect plums. I want ten taels of silver worth. How long will that take?"

Ten taels of silver had no concept in the eyes of the children; they only knew it was a lot. One of the older children replied, "I need to ask the elders at home. Please follow me, the two of you."

The older child led Liu Xiaoyi and his companion toward the North Stronghold. Along the way, they didn't encounter many pedestrians. The rain poured down heavily, and not many people were willing to come out. Everyone was using basins and jars in their own courtyards to catch rainwater in case of emergency.

The fundamental reason why it was difficult to grow many food crops in the Southern Wilderness was that there was too little rain. The output of deep wells was only enough to meet the needs of humans and livestock, and could hardly satisfy large plots of farmland. Some elderly people were already carrying hoes down to the fields at this time, taking advantage of the abundant rainwater to reclaim wasteland and plant drought-resistant crops once the weather cleared up.

Otherwise, when drought struck, the reserve grain in the cellars would not be enough, and they would still need to go to the large cities to buy more. The elderly had always been reluctant to part with this expense.

Following the mountain path into the stronghold, the houses built on all sides were well-arranged, with buildings of varying heights leaning against each other, looking quite distinctive.

Lu Haoran had seen countless grand scenes in the Sword Extension Sect, but where had he ever seen such a poverty-stricken place? He could not help but sigh, "With such hardship, there are still so many commoners living here. It's truly too bitter."

Upon hearing this, the older child replied, "What's so bitter about this? A couple of years ago during the famine, within a radius of a hundred miles, only our North Stronghold Bridge didn't have people starving to death. Everyone says this place is a blessed paradise!"

This made Lu Haoran even more astonished. Back then, the sects of the Sword Extension Sect, for the sake of the common people's livelihood, would often send disciples to surrounding villages and towns to lend a helping hand, and the results obtained were usually very favorable responses. How could he have known there was a place like North Stronghold Bridge?

"You wait here in this pavilion, and I'll go invite the elders over." The child led the two into a roadside pavilion. There were stone tables and stone stools here, along with tea sets and a chessboard, suggesting that when people had nothing to do, they often came here to play chess and drink tea.

The two took off their coir raincoats. At this time, with the wind and rain intermingling, there was still a somewhat chilly sensation. Not long after waiting, they saw two figures—one tall, the other short—walking over from a dilapidated house not far away.

"Hello, hello. I am the one in charge of the plum trade at North Stronghold. Just call me Sun Congyi. You two look unfamiliar; is this your first time here?"

As he spoke, he opened an oil-paper umbrella and welcomed the two into the room. A kettle of hot tea was already boiling on the stove, and Sun Congyi instructed, "Huawa, pour tea for the guests."

Rainwater dripped down the eaves, with clay jars and pottery vats catching it underneath. The crisp sound was reassuring. Unlike the smoke and dust of the Han Pass battlefield, it instantly made Liu Xiaoyi recall the time he spent living in Three Mountains City.

Sun Congyi's inquiry broke the silence: "You two don't look like merchants. Are you here looking for someone in the North Stronghold?"

"Oh! Old brother has a good eye! How did you figure out that the two of us aren't merchants?" Lu Haoran cried out dramatically.

Not only Sun Congyi, but even Huawa could not help laughing out loud. "My elder has been in this business for how many years? Whatever he says goes."

Sun Congyi chased Huawa away with a broom and explained to Lu Haoran, "Don't listen to the little kid's nonsense. I just saw that you two are young and lack experience, so I made a casual guess. The North Stronghold is mostly filled with displaced travelers from other places, and people coming here to look for others happens from time to time. Are those two really here to look for someone?"

Lu Haoran didn't care about being bluffed by the other party; finding people was paramount now. "We came from Han Pass, and we're here to invite the rain-and-weather masters—Liu Junzheng and Sun... It seems to have the same name as you. Is there someone with the exact same name in this North Stronghold?"

Upon hearing these words, Sun Congyi's expression changed drastically. He slammed his desk, stood up, and turned to leave. "Huawa, once they finish their tea, send the guests off for me!"

"Hey! Old brother! Why are you heading back? Could it be that you are the rain-and-weather master?" Lu Haoran wanted to chase after him, but Huawa hurriedly stopped him, shook his head, and explained, "When Teacher Sun refuses something, even nine oxen can't pull him back. I think the two of you should finish your tea and head back."

Huawa had been learning skills from Sun Congyi for ten years now, and he had learned seven or eight parts of that glib, smooth-talking skill. Bargaining with ordinary small merchants, he had truly never suffered a loss. How could Lu Haoran possibly be his match? In just a few words, he was defeated.

Liu Xiaoyi frowned. Since the other party was a rain-and-weather master, there was no reason he couldn't see the oddity of this torrential rain. Could there be some hidden story behind it?

After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the two returned to the roadside pavilion, sitting there while Lu Haoran grumbled, "I think we should just kick the door down and drag him out! Han Pass only asked for living people; they didn't specify how to bring them over!"

As the proud closing-disciple of the Sword Extension Sect, when had he ever eaten a closed door, let alone been rejected by an ordinary commoner? The more Lu Haoran thought about this insult, the more unsettled he felt.

Liu Xiaoyi was about to persuade him otherwise when he saw the group of children who had been picking plums in the plum orchard carrying baskets, running past the front of the pavilion. Instead of returning to their respective homes, they headed toward the mountain forest behind the North Stronghold.

That mountain forest was the place they had passed by when they first arrived, and it didn't seem to possess anything peculiar. Suddenly, Liu Xiaoyi's mind sparked with an inspiration, as if he had thought of something, and he grabbed Lu Haoran and started walking.

"Why are you pulling me to run into the forest? Could it be that you want to go back empty-handed?" Lu Haoran was unwilling to return without success; at the very least, he wanted to vent his anger.

Liu Xiaoyi raised a hand and pointed forward, saying, "Look at what those children are doing."

The children placed the bamboo baskets filled with plums near a stone tablet. Behind this stone tablet was a low earthen mound, which should be the grave of some resident of the North Stronghold. All of these children knelt down in the rain and remained there for a long time without rising.

Raindrops fell upon the stone tablet, and the splashing water droplets fell around the pockmarked graveyard, gradually accumulating into shallow streams that wound their way along the rugged mountain path toward the lower terrain.