Leaving the courtyard means Yong’e quit.

“Where did she go? Did she move over to Red Jade’s place? Or did she leave Yueyang and head to another district?”

“Definitely not Red Jade. Mama Zhang and I keep each other updated. If she’d gone there, I would’ve heard right away. She left Yueyang. Why? You missing her? With her looks, she was at the very bottom of Green Serenity Courtyard. Or are you saying you’ve suddenly developed a taste for music? That’s not really our Wulong Mountain style, is it?”

“Cut it out, Sister Qing. I need to ask her something. Think carefully; before she left, did she say anything about where she was going?”

“What could you possibly need her for?” Sister Qing looked doubtful, but she tried to think back. “I think… before she left, she asked me about some mountain. I told her I’d never heard of it, and she didn’t bring it up again.”

“What mountain? Try to remember!”

“Something with ‘Wind’ in the name? Black Wind Mountain? No, Yellow Wind Mountain? Neither sounds right.”

“How many characters?”

“Missing one… something-Wind Mountain… Ugh, I’m getting old, my memory’s not what it used to be.”

“What did she want to know about that mountain?”

“She didn’t say.”

“Sister Qing, one of your girls leaves the courtyard and you don’t even ask her why?”

“Of course I know. She came to Green Serenity Courtyard hoping to find a way into cultivation. Like, if she could catch the attention of some young master from a great family, or even just some rogue cultivator willing to help her get started, that would’ve been enough. But she was too impatient. She only stayed half a year before she couldn’t sit still anymore. Getting into cultivation isn’t that easy. Look at me, I’ve been stuck for more than ten years with no path forward. In the end, it all comes down to talent and aptitude...”

“So you’re saying she left Green Serenity Courtyard because she felt there was no hope if she stayed?”

“Most likely.”

“And she asked about that Wind Mountain because she thought there might be hope there?”

“Hard to say. Could be she was visiting a friend. Or maybe she heard there’s a better courtyard over there.”

“All right, all right, I get it. Thanks, Sister Qing.”

“Not just Sister Qing. I’m your master's wife, too!”

“Oh, give me a break. Joking’s fine, but don’t take it too far.”

“You little brat, is it me going in or you coming in? Better get that straight. Want me, your master’s wife, to give you a few lessons myself?”

With someone like Sister Qing, there was no winning an argument. If you didn’t end up completely losing face, that was already a victory, because she really might go through with her threats. So Liu Xiaolou had no choice but to retreat in defeat. He had no mood for cultivation. He needed to hurry and track down Yong’e.

From Yueyang Market he rushed straight to Tianmen Mountain Market. There, he waited an entire day at Hongji Tavern before finally catching Wei Hongqing.

Wei Hongqing looked exhausted. “These past days the sect has been piling work on me nonstop. I really couldn’t get away sooner; sorry to keep you waiting. Things are tense right now. Qingyu Sect is stirring up trouble again, planning to use the Dongyang Sect as their excuse. Zhanglong Sect and our own Tianmu Mountain can’t just sit back and watch Dongyang get bullied, so we’re preparing to have a serious talk with Qingyu. A storm’s about to break. Be careful, brother. Don’t let Zhanglong Sect rope you into their ranks again.”

“Do you know why those great sects are stirring things up again?” asked Liu Xiaolou.

Wei Hongqing shook his head. “Haven’t found out yet. All I’ve heard is that it involves the Dongyang Sect.”

“I know what it’s about,” Liu Xiaolou said. “Qingyu Sect discovered Hou Sheng went missing, and they suspect Dongyang was behind it.” He then explained everything he’d heard about the matter.

Wei Hongqing’s face immediately grew serious. “We need to find that Yong’e. She knows you met with Hou Sheng.”

“That’s exactly why I came to see you,” Liu Xiaolou replied. “You hear more than most. Do you know of any place; something-Wind Mountain that can help someone get into cultivation?”

Wei Hongqing thought for a long while. “The only way is through spirit pills. But someone who can only break through to the first layer after taking one has no real future in cultivation. Great sects would never waste their time on something so costly and useless. It’s not the same as taking a Foundation Establishment Pill. A new Foundation Establishment cultivator brings obvious benefits to a sect. But another first-layer novice? That hardly matters. So no, I’ve never heard of anyone making that kind of spirit pill.”

At that, Liu Xiaolou smacked his forehead. “Now I remember. There really is a rogue sect called the Miao Feng (wind) Alchemy Sect. Word is, they’re based on Miao Feng Mountain. Do you know it, Brother Wei? Right here in Tianmen Mountain Market. They don’t have a shop, but some fellow named Yan Sanfei sells their stuff on the street.”

Wei Hongqing shook his head. “Never heard of it. Markets like Tianmen are crawling with those wild sects. Most of them are just scams.”

“But their Heart-Nourishing Pills really does have effects,” Liu Xiaolou insisted.

So Wei Hongqing called in an outer-sect steward and told him to make inquiries about this Yan Sanfei.

The steward actually did know of him, though he clearly looked down on people like that and usually avoided them. After an hour he returned. “Master, I couldn’t find this Yan fellow. Everyone says he hasn’t shown up for a while. As for that Miao Feng Mountain you mentioned, one of the brothers has heard of it, but no one knows where it is. It’s definitely not in the Jing-xiang region. Should I send more men to look into it?”

Wei Hongqing waved him off. “No need. If you hear something, let me know. If not, don’t waste the effort.”

If the matter grew too large and drew the attention of Tianmu Mountain’s inner sect, it would do more harm than good.

Afterward, the two of them put their heads together and thought it over, but they couldn’t come up with a solution. All they could do for now was quietly search for Yong’e’s whereabouts while reestablishing their alliance: if Dongyang Sect really did find her, and if Yong’e really told them about Liu Xiaolou’s meeting with Hou Sheng, then Xiaolou would simply admit it. After all, what harm was there in having met? He could point out that immediately afterward he came to Tianmu Mountain Market and had been eating and drinking at Wei Hongqing’s place for over half a month. By then, Wei Hongqing would testify for him.

Setting that matter aside for now, Wei Hongqing asked, “How did you even hear this news, brother?”

Liu Xiaolou replied modestly, “I’m ashamed to say, by pure accident. I stumbled into the Su family manor on Shenwu Mountain, right when they were holding a son-in-law selection. Somehow, they took a liking to me, and I ended up becoming their son-in-law. It’s been a month since the wedding. A few days ago, Lou Zhenwu, Su Zhenjiu, and Han Wuwang from Dongyang Sect came to pay respects to the Su family. I was at the banquet, and that’s where I overheard it.”

Wei Hongqing’s jaw dropped. “The Su family of Shenwu Mountain? The Su clan tied to the Danxia Sect?”

Liu Xiaolou sighed. “If it were any other Su family, I wouldn’t have agreed. But what can I do? It’s still marrying into their household.”

At once Wei Hongqing grew solemn, hurriedly ordered more wine, and drank with Liu Xiaolou in high spirits.

As the night wore on and the wine went to their heads, Wei Hongqing suddenly wept. “Brother, you’ve made something of yourself! At last, our Wulong Mountain has produced someone of renown. To marry into the mighty Su clan; this is the good fortune of the whole mountain! If Master Sanxuan’s spirit knows of this, he’ll surely be comforted.”

Liu Xiaolou’s own eyes grew red at his friend’s tears. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without the kindness of my mountain brothers, and certainly not without our master's grace. This time back, I was planning to sweep his grave and tell him myself.”

Wiping his eyes, Wei Hongqing straightened up. “As it should be! Tomorrow I’ll go back with you. We’ll return home together!”