Book 1- The Start of Cultivation Chapter 29: What The Actual Fuck?!

"Or wha—hic—what? Everything's gone to hell, if you helped me when I asked, now—hic— give me the—hic—mony. The Whithe Tiger Merchants—hic—still say I own them—hic—"

"Xue Yi, shut your mouth before I do something I'll regret!" his father roared.

"Oh, hic—go ahead, old man—hic—take a swing. But if you dont dare—hic—I will go tell that you have—hic—mony!" hahaha "And they will—hic—take your wife—hic—too and..." Xue Yi taunted, thrusting his cheek forward. He knew his father pitied him too much to deliver a real blow. But these words where to much even for his father to tolarate

But before he could take even a step Xue San was already in from of his elder brother. "Oh, really? Don't mind if I do."

Before he could blink—much less guess who had spoken—Xue San slapped him so hard that several teeth went flying.

Xue Yi collapsed in a heap, blood streaming from his mouth.

"Father, take Big Brother inside and wait for him to sober up." Xue San said. He felt disgusted at this brother of his, it wasn't enough that he said what he said but the entire time he didn't even look or ask for his own daughter. The little had tears in her eyes as she was hiding behind his mother

Xue Chang was stunned by this sudden development. He then looked at his younger son, from the look in his son's eyes, Xue Chang realized that Xue San's life had not been nearly as carefree as he had claimed. The old Xue San would never have dared strike a member of his own family.

His mother and sister were stunned into silence. Rou Shui couldn't believe her beloved son would say something like that. As for Xue Er, unlike Xue San, she had spent much more time with Xue Yi. No matter how far he had fallen, she still remembered the loving and protective brother he once was. Hearing him say those words, even if he was drunk, shattered her heart.

Unlike Xue Er, Xue Si didn't have such a strong bond with him, for her, Xue San was her big brother"Big Brother, can I come with you?" Though still visibly shaken, she was determined to follow Xue San.

Seeing the worry in his sister's eyes, Xue San felt his heart soften. "I have something I need to take care of," he explained gently, "so I'd like you to stay here and look after Fluffy. Can you do that for me?"

Xue Si nodded vigorously in response.

"Xue San, you don't do something that-"

Meeting his father's concerned gaze, Xue San sighed. "Father, we'll talk later. I have sect matters to attend to. This isn't just a vacation."

Then he turned around and left, his expression darkening the moment he turned his back on his family. So they still refused to let them go and wanted more money, fine.

To hell with morals. They had dared to come after his family, and Xue San would make sure they never got the chance to do so again.

Xue San decided his first stop would be the White Tiger Merchant Guild. He needed as much information about them as possible, wary of the risk that a powerful cultivator might be involved, which could ruin his plans.

He already had a scheme in mind: using the Mindstream Pill as bait. Unlike Darkwood Forest, which boasted numerous alchemy shops, pills were scarce in Dragon Fort City. Most were monopolized by the Long Clan, leaving any that escaped their control to fetch inflated prices.

Still concerned that a figure akin to Bear-Axe might be behind this so-called "tiger group," Xue San wanted to prepare thoroughly. Beyond his cultivation, he also had the poison pills he had taken from Dan Qing.

He was about ninety percent certain these poison pills no longer worked on him, ever since he consumed Dan Qing's flesh and blood. But he couldn't be absolutely sure—perhaps there was another strange factor that had rendered him immune to poison. Hence, he decided to test a pill on himself once again.

It took him around forty minutes to reach the White Tiger Merchant Guild. Even Xue San had to admit these bastards had good taste.

The Guild's headquarters was in the bustling commercial district. Its facade was built of white marble, arches soaring into the air. Fierce tiger motifs carved into the walls lent it a menacing grandeur, and twin columns flanked a massive entrance. A colossal mural of a roaring white tiger dominated the courtyard, while protective talismans sealed the narrow windows lining each floor. At the apex, a gilded insignia glistened, proclaiming the Guild's might to passersby. Two guards stood watch at the entrance.

Probing them with his spiritual sense, Xue San found both men to be at the third stage of the Qi Condensation Realm. He felt satisfied with his growth in using his spiritual sense—despite never having had a teacher.

"So they do have cultivators. For the guards on the front door to be at the third stage, they must have more powerful experts inside," he thought, stepping forward into the store.

The interior was neatly arranged, displaying everything from robes to weapons. He barely had time to take it all in before an attendant approached him.

"Good morning, sir. How may I help you today?"

"I'm here to sell something, not buy," Xue San replied, taking out a small bottle containing a Mindstream Pill.

The attendant's eyes widened at the sight. "I'm afraid I'm not authorized to handle such a transaction. An elder of the Guild is here, though. If you'd kindly follow me…" He bowed, gesturing for Xue San to accompany him.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Surprisingly, they did not ascend to the top floor. Instead, the attendant led him to a spacious, elegantly decorated basement chamber.

"Please wait here. The elder you need to see will arrive shortly," the attendant said before departing.

No more than a minute passed when a middle-aged man walked in. Xue San immediately sensed that this man was a cultivator, for he made no effort to conceal his aura. In fact, it seemed he was trying to intimidate Xue San.

"Humph." Xue San snorted, sending a thread of spiritual sense toward the man.

"S-Spiritual sense…" the man muttered, visibly shaken.

"I came here to do business," Xue San said coolly. "If this is how you treat your customers…"

"Young Master, please wait." The man hastened to apologize. "I'm sorry for my earlier behavior. I simply wanted to test the individual who brought such rare goods to our Guild."

"I see," Xue San replied, though inwardly he scoffed. He was certain that if he had been an ordinary mortal, this man would have robbed him without hesitation.

"My name is Cheng Gen. I'm an elder of our modest organization. Before we proceed, I'd like to see the pill, to confirm its authenticity."

"Of course," Xue San said. He tossed the bottle casually, as though indifferent to any risk of theft.

Cheng Gen caught it with care, opened it, and sniffed gently. Then, removing the pill from the bottle, he scrutinized it for a full ten minutes. Finally, he spoke. "So it is a Mindstream Pill, and it appears to be Mid-Grade—possibly even higher." He returned the pill to the bottle and handed it back to Xue San. Greed flickered in his eyes, though he managed to restrain himself.

"Dear customer, we can certainly sell your product here. We—"

Xue San raised his hand, cutting him off. Cheng Gen narrowed his eyes but said nothing.

"You see," Xue San began hesitantly, "there are more pills where this came from… but the original owner doesn't know I'm selling them." He paused to gauge Cheng Gen's reaction. "I need them sold in at most two days. After that, I have to leave."

Cheng Gen's eyes lit up. "Oh, we wouldn't want to waste your time, especially if the "owner" might change his mind. How about tomorrow?"

"Very well. I'll come back then," Xue San said.

"Wait, young master, how about this: I'll arrange a VIP room in our establishment in the 'entertainment' district. I'll speak to—ah—my Guild Master, and once everything's set, I'll let you know. You bring all the pills you have, and we'll give you a satisfactory price."

"Very well. Tell me the name of the place," Xue San said.

"I can take you there right now," Cheng Gen offered.

"Not necessary. I still have a few things to do. I'll head over once I'm finished," Xue San replied, standing up.

Cheng Gen hesitated but in the end said "It's called the Sakura Palace. We aquired not to long ago it recently, and it's quite popular. Please take this token; show it upon arrival, and you'll receive our highest level of service."

Xue San examined the token. It was crafted from metal with a piece of jade embedded in it. On one side was a tiger emblem, and on the other side the words "White Tiger." He pocketed the token and left after exchanging a few more pleasantries.

The moment Xue San stepped outside, Cheng Gen's malicious grin spread across his face. "Quick, go inform the leader. I think we've hooked a big fish," he said to an underling.

Standing in front of the store, Xue San snorted. He knew exactly what would happen next, given how tempting his bait was. Still, he planned to go to the Sakura Palace; he needed to deal with his so-called sister-in-law, and everything seemed to be unfolding so smoothly it was as though Heaven itself willed the White Tiger Gang's downfall.

Next, he slipped into a secluded alley and donned his Blood Moon Guild mask. He wanted to locate the local branch of the Guild, a simple task for him. It took but a moment to pinpoint its whereabouts.

It was housed in the Golden Goose Restaurant, a small family-run eatery near the slums' border. To gain entrance, he had to request a dish called "the golden goose with honey." When the server said they were out of it, he was to reply, "Won't Uncle make one just for me? I've come all the way from the mountains, and it took me a full moon to get here." That was the code phrase.

On the surface, the restaurant appeared utterly ordinary. If Xue San hadn't already known what it really was, he would never have guessed it was a Blood Moon Guild branch.

"Good morning, sir. What can I get you?" asked a young woman as he entered.

"I'd like the golden goose with honey," Xue San said.

"I'm sorry, sir. We've just run out," she replied, her expression unchanged.

"Won't Uncle make one just for me? I've come all the way from the mountains, and it took me a full moon to get here," Xue San recited.

At that, her expression finally shifted. "Please go to the private room on the left. You'll be teleported to the location shortly."

Xue San nodded and made his way into the room. He had barely settled in for five minutes when that familiar sensation washed over him, and he felt himself being teleported.

When Xue San opened his eyes again, he found himself in a pitch-black chamber. The darkness was so dense he could barely see his own hands.

"Why do you have a token with a tracking formation attached?" a voice echoed around him.

"A tracking formation?" Xue San muttered. "Those bastards at the White Tiger Merchant Association, no doubt." Then, raising his voice, he said, "Senior, are you referring to this?" He held up the token to no one in particular.

"Yes," the voice replied.

"I wasn't aware of it. But it's related to the Guild's mission." Xue San explained.

"What mission I didn' issue any missions to any peripheral member," the voice said coldly.

"It was a mission issued by the Guild Master himself."

A tense silence followed. After several minutes, the darkness receded.

Inside a room Jin Fu had an awkward smile "Haha I forgot to inform Shadow Seven but I was just too excited to see what this kid would do. Haa.. real-life plays are the best" The smile on his face was so bright that it could blind someone

Xue San found himself in a room that strongly resembled the one he had seen when he was first invited into the Blood Moon Guild. A figure clad in black robes stood there, wearing a white mask marked with the number nine.

"Senior, I'd like to request information about the targets of this mission," Xue San said, addressing the masked figure.

"What do you want to know? For mandatory missions, the Guild provides whatever information you require—provided it's relevant to the task," the cloaked figure replied.

"I'd like details about the White Tiger Merchant Guild—specifically their strength and a bit of their history."

"Very well. The White Tiger Merchant Guild began as the White Tiger Gang. The Long Clan used them for… let's just call them their less respectable activities. As the Long Clan's loyal dogs, they handled extortion, murder, theft, and smuggling. However, once the gang started drawing attention from other cities—attention the Long Clan didn't want—they decided to rebrand them as the White Tiger Merchant Guild."

"Why not simply dispose of them?" Xue San asked.

"The leaders of the White Tiger Merchant Guild are actually members of the Long Clan."

"I see. Then what about their cultivation levels?"

"The leader, commonly called 'Tiger Head' or simply 'the Boss,' is at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment. Of the two vice-leaders, 'Right Claw' has been at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment for a few years, while 'Left Claw' recently broke into that realm."

"What the actual fuck?!" Xue San nearly dropped his jaw. "How am I supposed to stand against people like that? They're essentially a clan's core strength. No wonder the Long Clan didn't get rid of them."

"You're mistaken. They remain alive because they're members of the clan, not because the Long Clan particularly values their cultivation," the figure clarified.

"How so?" Xue San pressed.

He received no answer but a terse, "That's not relevant to your mission."