Chapter 126: The Difficult Small Meeting

"Brother, whose disciple are you?" the young man asked, turning his head after excitedly observing the mist before him, as if something had just occurred to him.

During his recent chat with the young man, Han Li learned that in the cultivation world, besides the various cultivation sects and families, there were also many rogue cultivators.

The so-called rogue cultivators were mostly descendants of impoverished cultivation families, ordinary people like Han Li who stumbled upon cultivation techniques and entered the cultivation world on their own, or heirs of minor sects whose legacies were almost extinct. Most of these rogue cultivators had low cultivation levels, generally hovering only in the Qi Condensation stage. Consequently, they were often looked down upon by cultivation families, much like wealthy worldly families would disdain impoverished commoners.

"I don't belong to any family; I've always cultivated independently!" Han Li decided to tell the truth after a moment's thought. After all, impersonating someone from another family would be too easily exposed.

"You're a rogue cultivator!" The young man seemed surprised, but there was no discrimination on his face; instead, he looked rather pleased.

He excitedly circled Han Li, examining him again as if he were a rare curiosity.

"Didn't you just say that cultivation families look down on rogue cultivators, young brother? Why are you so happy then?" Han Li asked, somewhat surprised.

"They are they; don't lump our Wan Family in with other cultivation families! Our family members have always been friendly with rogue cultivators!" the young man replied, curling his lip proudly. He seemed very proud of his family's practices.

"Our Wan Family ancestors were originally rogue cultivators, but by chance, they entered a cultivation sect and became official disciples of the Giant Sword Sect. That's how our Wan Family came to be. So, our family rules have always included the ancestral instruction not to discriminate against rogue cultivators," the young man said with a chuckle.

"Actually, it's not just our Wan Family; the ancestors of some other families were also rogue cultivators, so they don't hold any ill will towards rogue cultivators either. It's just that these families make up too small a proportion of all cultivation families, which is why there's this saying about cultivation families discriminating against rogue cultivators," the young man explained, shaking his head.

"I see! It seems I'm quite fortunate to have met someone from the Wan Family like you, young brother, on my first try." After understanding the young man's words, Han Li's initial wariness towards him, which stemmed from revealing his identity as a rogue cultivator, lessened considerably.

"But, my friend, you've been asking about so many things that are common knowledge in the cultivation world along the way. Could it be that you're also a newcomer who just left the mountains?" The young man's eyes darted, and he suddenly seemed to have a flash of insight, realizing something.

Upon hearing this, Han Li smiled slightly, patted the young man's shoulder, and said somewhat apologetically, "I didn't intend to deceive you, young brother; I've just recently entered the cultivation world, and I had some concerns."

"It's fine, I don't mind! But, Big Brother, you should tell me your name now! And in the future, just call me Xiaoshan." Wan Xiaoshan was clearly the type to be familiar with strangers, saying this with an unconcerned look on his face.

"Haha! My name is Han Li. I have indeed just entered the cultivation world not long ago. I hope you'll look after me, Brother Xiaoshan!" Han Li's favorable impression of Wan Xiaoshan grew, and his tone became much more relaxed.

"No problem, Big Brother Han! Feel free to ask if there's anything you don't understand, hehe! I can't believe there's a time when I, Wan Xiaoshan, get to teach someone else!" Wan Xiaoshan said spiritedly.

"I'll certainly ask you if I have any questions, Xiaoshan. But, shouldn't we enter the valley now?" Han Li said with a faint smile, gesturing to the sky.

"Oh no! I almost forgot about the main business." Wan Xiaoshan exclaimed, flustered, after glancing up at the sky in the direction Han Li pointed.

The young man fumbled around for a while before finally pulling a talisman paper from his embrace.

He held it in his hand, made a few gestures, and muttered a few words under his breath. Then, he tossed the talisman paper into the air, where it transformed into a streak of fire that shot into the mist and vanished.

"Big Brother Han, please wait a moment. This sound-transmitting talisman of mine will soon reach inside the valley, and those within will open the formation to welcome us," the young man explained, seeing Han Li lost in thought while looking at the direction where the fiery light disappeared.

"Oh!" Han Li nodded in understanding.

"Big Brother Han, you must have brought many items for exchange on this trip to Tai Nan Valley, right? Could you tell me about them? Don't be shy; I'll go first and tell you about my own items!"

"I've brought a stack of basic-grade blank talismans, two basic-grade Invisibility Talismans and two Earth Evasion Talismans, one basic mid-grade Chain Lightning Talisman, a stack of basic-grade Ice Bullet Talismans, a piece of mother iron, a bottle of basic cinnabar, a bundle of Three-tailed Cat demon beast whiskers, medicinal herbs..." Wan Xiaoshan babbled on, ticking off items on his fingers, completely oblivious to the dumbfounded Han Li.

"Alright! It's your turn, Big Brother Han. Huh? Big Brother, why is your face so pale? You..." The young man blinked, looking at Han Li with confusion.

"Do I really need to prepare items to enter Tai Nan Valley?" Han Li's expression was grim.

"No, there's no such rule!" Wan Xiaoshan answered straightforwardly.

Hearing this, Han Li's complexion immediately improved.

"But since you're coming to Tai Nan Valley at this time, you must be here for the Tai Nan Minor Gathering, right? Who wouldn't bring anything? This is a grand trading event held once every five years, specifically for us younger cultivators in Lan State! Especially since the Immortal Ascension Assembly is also being held in Lan State a month from now, even more people will be coming here specifically for the Tai Nan Minor Gathering. Could it be that you didn't come here because you heard about the Tai Nan Minor Gathering, Big Brother?" The young man blurted out this long explanation in astonishment, looking at Han Li with disbelief.

Han Li gave a wry smile.

"Brother Xiaoshan, I honestly didn't know there was any Tai Nan Minor Gathering here. I just accidentally learned that other cultivators lived in this place, so I wanted to come and make some acquaintances. I certainly didn't prepare anything special," Han Li said helplessly, spreading his hands.

"So that's how it is! What a pity then, Big Brother Han. You'll have to miss this excellent opportunity. You know, chances to obtain the materials and items you need are not that common," Wan Xiaoshan said with a look of deep regret, sighing repeatedly for Han Li.

"Still, it's not like I have absolutely nothing to exchange. At the very least, don't I still have those two talismans?" Han Li thought to himself, a touch of self-mockery in his mind.

At that moment, the thick mist before Han Li and the young man suddenly churned, then split open as if sliced by a blade, revealing a narrow path wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side. The other end of the path was out of sight, seeming very distant.

"Alright, let's go!" The young man happily made a funny face at Han Li, then excitedly dashed in ahead, disappearing onto the path.

Han Li, however, calmly observed the path for a moment before stepping onto it, walking steadily and unhurriedly.

The path appeared long, but after only a short walk, they reached its end.

As Han Li stepped out of the path, his eyes suddenly brightened. A verdant valley, filled with exotic flowers and strange plants, appeared before him. The valley was surrounded by mountains on three sides, with its only exit being the mist-shrouded slope through which Han Li had entered.

The entire area was vast, covering well over a hundred *mu*. In the center stood a large complex of palace-style pavilions adorned with carved railings and jade-like stonework, where people in strange attire were constantly moving in and out.

In the open space in front of the pavilions, there was a wide, blue-bricked plaza. Many people, like small vendors, had set up small stalls around its perimeter. From time to time, one or two people would squeeze to the front of these stalls, glance at an item or two, or quietly ask a couple of questions. However, Han Li didn't see many transactions concluded on the spot.

Witnessing this scene, Han Li couldn't help but take a deep breath. This was the cultivation world. Everyone here must be a cultivator, and seeing so many cultivators at once still left Han Li feeling somewhat disoriented.

Han Li lightly shook his head to clear it. He kept reminding himself that he was entering a world previously unimaginable, where anyone could easily eliminate him. He absolutely had to remain cautious and low-key.

With this thought, Han Li glanced back at the path, which had completely vanished, then lifted his leg and walked towards the plaza.