The two descended onto Shouyin Mountain, a place of extraordinary wonder.
Clouds of various colors would occasionally descend upon the mountain, while strange and peculiar clouds would drift out from it.
"Shouyin Mountain is also known as the Cloud Nest, much like how your Mingzhi Mountain is referred to as Qing Shen Mountain. The latter is often a pseudonym we use when traveling incognito to represent our sect," Luo Wanhua explained.
As they drew closer to Shouyin Mountain, Yun Qi felt as though he were immersed in a pool of multicolored pigments.
Their clouds landed at a dock named Gaoliu on the mountain.
The area was filled with weeping willows, their countless green tendrils swaying in the breeze, resembling a verdant cloud from a distance.
Luo Wanhua led Yun Qi deeper into the willow grove.
"What kind of cloud are you looking for?" Luo Wanhua asked as they walked.
"What kind of cloud?" Yun Qi shook his head, unsure.
"For example, the five elements—metal, wood, water, fire, or earth. Which do you lean towards? Or perhaps flying—do you want a cloud that flies high or one that flies fast? Or in terms of function—do you want a cloud that gathers spiritual energy or one that conceals your presence?"
Yun Qi hadn't realized there were so many considerations.
He thought for a moment and said, "I lean towards fire. My master intends for me to first open my Heart Mansion, which is associated with fire. As for flying high or fast, I prefer higher. As for other functions, it depends on the price. I hope the cloud doesn't cost more than one or two taels of gold."
Luo Wanhua listened carefully, then after some thought, clapped his hands and laughed.
"Perfect! What a coincidence."
He looked at Yun Qi and asked, "Yun Qi, do you trust me? If you do, let's skip the cloud market for now. I have a senior sister who's planning to sell a cloud. Come with me to meet her and see if her cloud suits you."
Yun Qi smiled and nodded.
"We're fellow disciples—of course I trust you."
Luo Wanhua smiled back and explained further, "The senior sister I know is of the Ji generation, with the Dao name Xuan. She's the direct disciple of my nominal master. I call her senior sister in private, though I'm not really qualified to do so since I haven't opened my mansion yet, while she has already opened both her Heart and Lung Mansions, wielding the power to melt metal with fire!"
"Impressive!" Yun Qi chimed in.
"Senior Sister Ji Xuan has recently been planning to weave her second cloud. It's truly a stroke of luck—both for her and for you. Due to certain reasons, she's shifting her focus from fire to metal. Her first cloud is a fiery cloud, made with many precious materials. It's fire-aligned, flies high, and fits your requirements perfectly. She's in a hurry to buy spiritual materials for her new cloud, so we might be able to negotiate the price down to one tael of gold."
Yun Qi was quite pleased with this.
After some twists and turns, they arrived at a cave dwelling.
Luo Wanhua activated the sound transmission talisman on the cave's door.
"Senior Sister Ji Xuan, it's Wanhua. Do you have a moment?"
"Come in," a woman's voice replied from inside, and the door opened.
A female Daoist sat before a large loom, holding a golden shuttle.
The cave was filled with stacks of clouds, piled up like cotton.
Luo Wanhua introduced, "Senior Sister Ji Xuan, this is Cheng Yun Qi, newly arrived at Lantern Street and registered under Mingzhi Mountain. Though young, he's already made a name for himself. Yun Qi received teachings from Master Su Kong and achieved Qi absorption in just six breaths."
Pu Ji Xuan's eyes lit up, shining like the golden shuttle in her hand.
"So you're the one who achieved Qi absorption in six breaths."
Luo Wanhua then turned to Yun Qi and said, "This is Daoist Ji Xuan."
Yun Qi bowed.
"Greetings, Daoist Ji Xuan."
Pu Ji Xuan nodded and asked Luo Wanhua, "What brings you here?"
"Senior Sister, Yun Qi is interested in purchasing a cloud, and I recommended yours."
"Oh?" The female Daoist's eyes brightened further, and a smile appeared on her face.
"My cloud isn't cheap. You two haven't even opened your mansions yet—where would you get the money?"
Luo Wanhua chuckled.
"He achieved Qi absorption in six breaths and made it to fifth place on the Southern Dipper Ranking. The academy naturally rewarded him with gold."
Pu Ji Xuan stopped weaving and looked at Cheng Yun Qi.
"That's excellent. How much are you willing to offer?"
Yun Qi replied, "May I see the cloud first?"
"Of course," Pu Ji Xuan said with a smile.
A red peony embroidered on the Daoist's robe suddenly detached and flew to the ground, transforming into a wisp of red smoke.
The smoke gathered and formed a vibrant red cloud, casting a red glow on the cave walls, like the evening sunset.
The female Daoist pointed, and the red cloud floated beneath Yun Qi's feet.
As the cloud rose, Yun Qi was lifted into the air.
Standing on the cloud felt like stepping on cotton, warm and comfortable.
Pu Ji Xuan then directed the cloud to lower Yun Qi back down.
The red cloud suddenly transformed into a ball of red thread, which quickly embroidered a red dragon pattern on the left chest of Yun Qi's robe.
Yun Qi immediately felt a warmth in his heart, reminiscent of when he first absorbed fire Qi.
He touched the dragon pattern on his robe, finding it slightly warm to the touch.
Satisfied, he nodded.
"You've come to me, so Wanhua must have told you about this cloud. This cloud is called Vermilion. What you name it later is up to you. Vermilion is a fiery cloud, aligned with fire, light and agile. It can easily reach the first layer of the sky and travel a thousand miles in a day. When retracted, it becomes a pattern on your robe, resonating with your Heart Mansion. The Heart Mansion is warmed by the fire cloud, and the fire cloud is nourished by the heart's blood—a mutual benefit."
"Would one tael of gold be enough for you to part with it?" Yun Qi asked.
Pu Ji Xuan laughed.
"The base material for this Vermilion cloud was taken from the red sunset after a summer thunderstorm—the most transparent and lightweight. The sunset is lively and hard to capture. It took me years just to gather the base material.
After that, I spent six thousand shuttles on the loom to shape it, supplemented with treasures like the down of blood dandelions, the feathers of crested ibises, the silk of fire spiders, and the heart blood of red deer from Mei Mountain. The cost far exceeds ten taels of gold!
Even as a used item, one tael is far too little. Don't mention it again!"
"Ah, Senior Sister," Luo Wanhua interjected, looking calm and composed.
"Don't take advantage of Yun Qi's lack of knowledge. Your cloud is indeed excellent. Even if you said it was worth twenty taels, I'd believe you. But that's not how the calculation works. You spent a lot of time and resources, but what you gained wasn't just this cloud. You opened your Fire Mansion, mastered fire, improved your weaving skills, and learned to fly and escape. These benefits shouldn't be charged to Yun Qi."
Pu Ji Xuan was both embarrassed and annoyed.
"You, Luo Wanhua, how dare you side with an outsider to scold me! Have you forgotten how I've treated you all these years? Fine, you say my Vermilion isn't worth ten taels, but if I sell it for just one, I might as well announce it to the world. You'll see—the line of buyers will stretch all the way to Zhongling Mountain!"
Pu Ji Xuan's outburst made Yun Qi feel somewhat awkward.
After hearing her explanation, he also felt that one tael was indeed too little.
However, Luo Wanhua remained confident.
He shook his head and said leisurely, "My dear sister, Yun Qi is no outsider. He was personally brought into the sect by Senior Brother Ji Hu! Senior Brother Ji Hu even instructed us to take good care of him. Right now, he's staying in Senior Brother Ji Hu's room in the Bingchen Courtyard."
Pu Ji Xuan was stunned for a moment, then grew even angrier.
"Why bring him up? That heartless man left the sect in such a hurry without even informing me!"
Luo Wanhua chuckled but didn't respond.
Pu Ji Xuan suddenly calmed down, cleared her throat, and said, "In that case, one tael it is. If you have any questions about using the cloud in the future, feel free to come to me. Since he brought you in, you must cultivate diligently. Hmm, achieving Qi absorption in six breaths and making it to the Southern Dipper Ranking is quite impressive. Hehe."
Yun Qi's eyes widened.
Ever since Luo Wanhua mentioned Senior Brother Ji Hu, the female Daoist had completely changed her demeanor.
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(End of Chapter)