"Why is Brother standing here alone? Waiting for friends?" A clear voice suddenly came from behind Han Li, startling him.
Han Li slowly turned around. A group of six or seven people stood nearby. The speaker was a Daoist cultivator in his late twenties, clean-shaven with well-proportioned features, a horsehair whisk draped over his arm. He was smiling at Han Li.
"Does the Daoist have business with me?" Han Li ignored the question and replied expressionlessly.
"Hehe! Don't misunderstand. We mean no harm. We simply noticed you standing here alone, looking rather curious about everything — so we guessed you were a rogue cultivator attending on your own, and wanted to make your acquaintance. We're all rogue cultivators as well, same as you." The Daoist explained with a friendly demeanor.
"You're all rogue cultivators?" Han Li blinked.
"Indeed. If you are a rogue cultivator, it would be best to travel with us. That way, we can look out for one another at this gathering." This time the speaker was a delicate-featured woman with a scar across her face. Beside her stood a burly, bearded man carrying a broadsword on his back — they appeared to be husband and wife.
"That's right. Rogue cultivators who attend these trade fairs alone are frequently bullied by the major clans, since they have no one to back them," the Daoist said, his expression grave.
Hearing this, Han Li began to understand their intentions.
These rogue cultivators feared being pushed around by cultivation clan members at the fair, so they had naturally banded together into a small group, hoping to form some semblance of collective protection. That was why they had been searching everywhere for solo rogue cultivators like him.
Now that he understood their purpose, Han Li had no reason to refuse. He genuinely needed a small group to shelter behind, even if it was only temporary.
But before committing, he needed to ask a few questions first.
"Since you've already seen through me, there's no point hiding it — I am indeed a rogue cultivator. But before I agree to join your group, might I ask for introductions? And what would my obligations be once I became a member?" Han Li admitted his identity openly, but just as the group's faces brightened, he raised his conditions.
"It seems our new friend has some reservations! Haha! Nothing unusual — the others said much the same when they first joined!" The Daoist and the rest exchanged glances, then burst into laughter. The Daoist then spoke again.
"Allow me to introduce these friends to you!" He gestured toward the other cultivators and began with a smile.
"These two are twin brothers — Heimu and Heijin from Canglang Ridge." The Daoist led Han Li to a pair of young men with strikingly similar features and made the introduction with easy confidence.
The two clasped their fists in greeting, and Han Li returned the courtesy with composure.
"And this is Honglian from Flying Lotus Cave, and Master Kusan from Pulu Mountain." Next, he presented a plain-looking young girl and a frowning little monk.
"As for this couple —"
"We are from Tianshui Fortress: Hu Pinggu and Xiong Dali," the woman cut in with a giggle before the Daoist could finish, taking over the introduction herself.
The Daoist did not seem bothered by the interruption. He merely smiled.
"This poor Daoist is a wandering priest at the Green Ox Monastery on Woniu Mountain. My Daoist name is Songwen. Hehe — I happened to be the one who organized this little group, and the others have elected me as their nominal leader. However, I rarely give orders. I only step forward to speak on our behalf when dealing with outside disputes!" Songwen finished with a modest self-introduction and briefly explained the nature of their arrangement.
The Daoist carried himself with a certain dignity — he seemed like a decent sort. Moreover, the magic power of the others was not weak either; most appeared to be at roughly the seventh or eighth layer of the Evergreen Art. Daoist Songwen was even more impressive — though not quite at the level of the blue-robed man Han Li had once seen, he was still far stronger than Han Li himself.
After a moment's weighing, Han Li concluded that being with these people offered nothing but advantages.
"Since we're all rogue cultivators, and there's certainly strength in numbers — then I, Han Li, will join you for the time being!"
"Excellent! With Brother Han's addition, our group grows stronger still!" Songwen said at once, visibly pleased.
The others also showed satisfaction on their faces. Han Li clearly possessed considerable magic power, and his presence would be a welcome boost.
"Is everyone in our group present?" Han Li glanced around and asked.
"There are two more. One is fast asleep back at the lodgings, and the other has wandered off somewhere." Hu Pinggu curled her lip, seeming to find those two rather disagreeable.
"They're not as bad as Sister Hu makes them out to be — one is just a bit fond of sleep, and the other a bit fond of wandering!" The little bald monk, Kusan, spoke up in their defense.
"You—" Hu Pinggu did not appreciate Kusan's remark and was about to say more.
"Enough! No need to argue. We all agreed from the beginning — when facing external threats, we act as one and follow orders. At all other times, everyone is free to go as they please!" Songwen quickly stepped in to smooth things over.
Hu Pinggu, though still displeased, did not push the matter further. Songwen's strength was considerable, and some respect had to be given.
"Come evening, when we gather, you'll meet those two, Brother Han. I'll introduce them then. They do have a... certain uniqueness about them." The Daoist wore an expression of helpless resignation, as if those two gave him quite the headache.
Though curiosity piqued inside Han Li, he refrained from pressing further.
Next, Songwen asked whether Han Li wished to explore with the group or wander on his own.
Han Li naturally chose the latter. Songwen showed no surprise — newcomers to Tailan Valley were always curious and preferred to roam solo. Once they had seen enough, they would eventually join the others, just as the rest had done.
The Daoist proved quite thorough. He told Han Li about certain taboos and common conventions, giving him a solid understanding of the Tailan Assembly's customs. Then he handed Han Li a talisman.
He pointed toward a small pavilion among the cluster of buildings and told Han Li that was their base of operations. If he grew tired, he could rest there. The talisman served as the key to dispel the protective wards on the building.
With that, the group bid Han Li farewell and vanished into the night, likely off to recruit other rogue cultivators.
Han Li watched their retreating figures until they disappeared entirely, then looked down at the talisman in his hand. The yellow paper shimmered with silver light, inscribed with runes he could not decipher — it seemed genuinely efficacious.
After a moment's thought, Han Li chuckled softly.
He folded the talisman carefully and tucked it into his robe. Then he cast a long glance toward the direction Songwen had departed, and without hesitation turned toward the plaza.
Once inside, Han Li joined the other cultivators in strolling from stall to stall, examining the wares displayed at each one.
According to what Songwen had explained, cultivators here conducted their trades in two primary ways.
The first was the primitive method of barter. Some cultivators hoped to exchange items they no longer needed for something they urgently wanted, and would set up stalls for days on end without making a single successful trade — a common enough occurrence.