Chapter 17: A Golden Opportunity

It was easy enough to understand the concepts of Literary Cultivation and Martial Cultivation. Poison Cultivation and Medicine Cultivation were also simple, since they were more or less skills.

Just what kind of cultivation are Smoking Cultivation and Inebriate Cultivation supposed to be?

Li Banfeng asked, "Smoking and drinking count as cultivation?"

"Of course they count! Why wouldn't they?" Chubby Qin said smugly. "Whether you're smoking or drinking, as long as it leads to a breakthrough, it's cultivation! For example, there's a man from our village we call Second Uncle Liu. He would drink two and a half kilograms[1] of liquor every day, and later we found out he was actually a level-two Inebriate Cultivator!"

Yet, Ma Wu was skeptical. "What kind of work does this Second Uncle Liu of yours do? How can he afford to follow the path of Inebriate Cultivation?"

Inebriate Cultivation was not something an average person could sustain. How much would drinking two and a half kilograms of liquor a day cost?

Chubby Qin retorted, "Second Uncle Liu brews liquor!"

Still, Ma Wu had his doubts. "Even if he brews his own liquor, how much can he really make in a day? If he drinks two and a half kilograms daily, would that even be enough for him?"

Li Banfeng felt Ma Wu was taking it a little too seriously. What if Chubby Qin's Second Uncle Liu owned a distillery?

However, to his surprise, Ma Wu stubbornly refused to let it go. "Inebriate Cultivators aren't common. I want to meet this Second Uncle Liu of yours. Where is he now?"

Chubby Qin puffed out his chest and answered, "He's dead!"

Ma Wu frowned. "How did he die? Don't tell me he drank himself to death."

It was impossible for an Inebriate Cultivator to die from alcohol poisoning.

Chubby Qin scratched his head. "Well, it was related to drinking, but he didn't exactly drink himself to death. One day, Second Uncle Liu got drunk, jumped into the river, and drowned."

Ma Wu chuckled. "Brother, it's not that I don't believe you, but your story doesn't add up. How could a level-two cultivator drown so easily?"

Chubby Qin answered earnestly, "He wouldn't have drowned so easily. When Second Uncle Liu jumped in, he swam very quickly. At first, it didn't seem like a big deal. The villagers called out for him to come back, warning that the current at the river mouth was fierce. However, Second Uncle Liu said he wasn't afraid. He shouted that the founder had appeared before him and helped him to change his Daoist path, making him a Water Cultivator.”

Ma Wu stroked his chin and thought for a long time. "Water Cultivator... Although this Daoist path is rare, it does exist. Did Second Uncle Liu really become one?"

"No idea," Chubby Qin said, shaking his head. "I didn't believe it, and neither did the villagers."

To prove it, Second Uncle Liu swam straight into the fastest, deepest part of the river mouth. He even dove headfirst into the riverbed mud. By the time they dragged him out, his mouth and nose were clogged with sand and mud, and he had already stopped breathing.

Ma Wu seemed to have finally believed Chubby Qin's story and let out a long sigh. "The path of Inebriate Cultivation is far too dangerous."

Li Banfeng asked, "How much did Second Uncle Liu drink that day?"

Chubby Qin answered, "I heard from them that he drank six kilograms."

Li Banfeng thought it was ridiculous.

No wonder he had seen the founding cultivator!

He muttered, "Six kilograms? Can anyone even drink that much water?"

As he thought about it, he remembered that Chubby Qin would have to eat ten kilograms of food within an hour, and it only made him feel that this place was full of absurdities and peculiarities.

Li Banfeng, curious to know more about cultivation paths, asked, "Do Inebriate Cultivators really have to drink as if their lives depend on it?"

"Of course they do. How else would they earn time?" Chubby Qin replied with a serious look on his face.

But Li Banfeng still didn't understand. "What does earning time mean?"

Chubby Qin shot Li Banfeng a look of even greater disdain. "Why do you know nothing about anything?"

Ma Wu, however, was very patient and began explaining to Li Banfeng, "No matter the Daoist path, once you step into it, cross the threshold, and reach level one, you must continue cultivating. If you continue to cultivate steadily, following the proper order of the path, it will take ten years to advance a level. This means it will take you ten years to go from the first level to the second level, and ninety years to cultivate from activation of your cultivation to the tenth level. Do you think you can wait that long?"

Li Banfeng didn't know how to respond. He had no sense of how wide the gap between levels was, how great the benefits might be, or whether any of it was worth ten years of his life.

Ma Wu continued, "If you don't want to wait, then you have to earn that time back. I don't know the rules for Inebriate Cultivation, but I know of a level-one Gourmandism Cultivator who eats two and a half kilograms of food a day. What he's doing is called cultivating in accordance with the proper order of the path. If he eats any less, his cultivation regresses.

"And so, if he eats five kilograms a day, he's earning time. The extra two and a half kilograms another day of cultivation. Keep it up, and he'll reach the second level in just five years. If he doubles that every day, he won't need ninety years. It would only take him forty-five to reach the tenth level."

Li Banfeng asked, "What's the benefit of reaching the tenth level?"

Ma Wu explained, "In all of Medicine King Gully, not a single level-six cultivator has ever appeared. If you reach the seventh level, you will be the top dog here. There are only a handful of level ten cultivators in Puluo Province, let alone in Medicine King Gully. A level-ten cultivator holds real dominion and power!"

However, Li Banfeng wasn't too interested in becoming the top dog. "By the time you reach the tenth level, you'd already be seventy or eighty. So what if you are not the one that holds real dominion?"

"What's wrong with being seventy or eighty?" Ma Wu chuckled. "If you reach the tenth level, your lifespan changes. You'll live three times longer.

"If you could originally live to a hundred, now you can live to three hundred. So being seventy or eighty is like being in your twenties. That's the prime of your life!"

By cultivating to level ten, one could triple their lifespan. This was the greatest enticement of all!

Chubby Qin slapped his chest and declared, "Ever since I was born, the neighbors have called me a child of good fortune. I'm bound to reach the tenth level!"

Li Banfeng glanced at him. "So does this mean you'll be eating two and a half kilograms of rice every day from now on, Brother Qin?"

"If that's not enough after I reach the second level..." Chubby Qin said as a trace of worry showed. He wasn't worried about finishing the food but about being able to afford it. Still, he had already made his choice. He knew that eating was the only thing he was truly good at.

Li Banfeng asked, "If someone cultivated to the ninth level, how much longer could they live?"

"None!" Ma Wu waved his hand. "A person's lifespan only changes at the tenth level. Cultivators at the ninth level still have the lifespan of ordinary humans. If you fail to reach the tenth level before death, all your efforts will be wasted."

It seemed almost unreasonable that cultivation would not extend one's life before the tenth level. If someone cultivated in accordance with the proper order of the path, it would take about eighty years to reach the ninth level. Even if they began training at the age of ten, by the time they broke through to the ninth level, they would already be ninety. At that age, would they still have the strength to keep going?

This was probably why cultivators were desperate to earn back time and reach the tenth level as fast as possible. Everyone longed to reach the tenth level before death came calling.

"Is it the same for every Daoist path?"

Ma Wu nodded. "It is. No matter which path you follow, you must stake your life on it if you want to alter your lifespan. You have to fight your way to level ten and beyond."

Martial Cultivators had to train as though every strike determined life or death. Literary Cultivators had to read and study as if a single forgotten word might cost them their life. Gourmandism Cultivators had to eat as though each meal were their last. Hedonism Cultivators had to keep doing the deed as if survival itself depended on it.

Ma Wu added, "Of course, there are shortcuts, like taking medicinal herbs, drinking decoctions, or popping pills. But those methods are far too costly and can't be relied on for long."

Li Banfeng paused in thought before asking, "What about Agrarian Cultivators?"

Chubby Qin froze. "Why would you choose Agrarian Cultivation? Don't tell me it's just because it's cheap?"

Li Banfeng really was thinking about the cost. He had only two thousand yuan, not even enough for the Initiation Powder.

Before Monkey Qiu left, he had promised to pay for whichever cultivation powder Li Banfeng chose. He could have picked any Daoist path he wanted.

Even so, Li Banfeng wasn't shameless. He was able to survive because he had given out two cup noodles. Just being alive was more than enough. He had no right to keep letting someone else spend so much money on him.

Ma Wu shook his head. "Brother Li, you must be careful. Bargains like that aren't worth chasing. There's no such thing as cheap or expensive powder. Every powder was crafted with the wisdom of our predecessors. The only reason Agrarian Cultivation powder costs less is that no one wants it. Agrarian Cultivation is the hardest path of all."

"Can you explain what you mean by that?"

Ma Wu said, "I don't know how it is in the Outer Provinces, but I'm sure there are farmers there too. You should know the hardships they face. From spring planting to autumn harvest, they labor day after day without rest. However, this kind of endless work can only be called cultivating in accordance with the proper order of the path, not earning any time.

"For an Agrarian Cultivator to earn time, they have to search for good seeds and cultivate rare flowers or spirit herbs. But Brother Li, think about it. When you're seventy or eighty, will you still have the strength to work the land?

"And what if you face windstorms, floods, droughts, or locusts? If the harvest fails, not only will you gain nothing, but your cultivation may even regress. And if thieves or enemies steal, plunder, or burn your fields, you could lose everything for the year. That would not just harm your cultivation. It could cost you your life. Brother Li, this path is far too harsh. You must be cautious, extremely cautious."

Ma Wu is right,

thought Li Banfeng.

I really can't choose Agrarian Cultivation. This path is too difficult.

Li Banfeng now had a rough idea of Hedonism Cultivation and Gourmandism Cultivation.

"Then what about Wanderlust Cultivators? How do they cultivate?"

Chubby Qin perked up at a question he could answer. "You just travel! The more places you go and the farther you wander, the faster your cultivation grows and the more time you earn. People without a fixed home all love becoming Wanderlust Cultivators."

"What about Homebound Cultivators?"

"You just lie around at home. The longer you stay in bed, the faster your cultivation grows!"

Li Banfeng was stunned. "You can cultivate just by lying at home?"

"Exactly! That's why Homebound Cultivation powder is so expensive!" Chubby Qin said with a sigh of regret. "If I'd saved up enough, I would've chosen Homebound Cultivation myself. Ma Wu, you look like you've got money. Why didn't you choose Homebound Cultivation?"

Ma Wu shook his head. "I can't endure the bitter suffocation of being shut indoors. I'd die of boredom if I had to stay inside all year. To be honest, what I enjoy most is the pleasure of intimacy. Without a girl by my side, I can't get through the day."

Li Banfeng said, "That's simple. Just bring a girl into your house."

Ma Wu sighed softly. "You can't simply bring a girl into your house. Homebound Cultivation is different from other Daoist paths. A Homebound Cultivator doesn't cultivate alone. They do it together with their dwelling spirit."

"What's a dwelling spirit?" Li Banfeng asked. He was starting to lose track of all the new terms.

The question stumped Ma Wu, and he tried to explain. "I can't say for sure what a dwelling spirit really is. Homebound Cultivators rarely show themselves, and once they reach a few levels, they're even harder to find.

"From what I know, Homebound Cultivators need to buy a good house. It cannot be too conspicuous, or people will come and bother you. But it also cannot be too remote, or you will not have access to food and water. The house must hold spiritual energy. If it is nurtured long enough, the energy will give rise to a spirit-bound item, which then becomes the dwelling spirit. I don't know exactly what this spirit-bound item is. What I do know is this: a Homebound Cultivator cannot advance without a dwelling spirit, and this is a very difficult hurdle to cross.

"Dwelling spirits have their own personalities. If a Homebound Cultivator can please one, the spirit will help them amass great cultivation. If they fail, their cultivation will stagnate. And if they provoke it... there have even been cases of a dwelling spirit killing its own master."

Li Banfeng stared wide-eyed as he listened, and even Chubby Qin listened carefully. The Homebound Cultivation truly was a mysterious Daoist path.

Li Banfeng asked, "Why would a dwelling spirit get angry? What could drive it to kill its own master?"

Ma Wu replied, "I've only ever heard of one such case, and it happened right here in Medicine King Gully. Dwelling spirits love cleanliness. If they encounter filth, they'll try to clean it up. That's why Homebound Cultivators must always keep their homes tidy.

"However, there was once a Homebound Cultivator in Medicine King Gully who was an absolute slob. He left his house in a mess. He never washed his face, never bathed, never changed his clothes, never trimmed his hair or beard. He was always very dirty.

"At first, the dwelling spirit tolerated him. It even tried to help by washing his clothes, wiping his face, and cutting his hair, doing what it could to make him look tidier. But the man showed no remorse and refused to change. Not only was he filthy himself, he also invited a group of equally filthy friends to stay in his house for several days.

"In a dwelling spirit's domain, no outsider may enter without its permission. Those guests made an even greater mess of the house. In the end, the dwelling spirit unleashed its fury. One night, it killed the cultivator and all his friends, leaving not a single one alive!"

Chubby Qin shivered. He wasn't the cleanest person himself. "So what happened to the dwelling spirit afterward?"

"It stayed in the house and turned into a vengeful spirit. It's still harming people to this day."

"No one's done anything about it?"

"Who would bother? There are vengeful spirits everywhere. Who has the time or energy to deal with just one?"

***

As Ma Wu and Chubby Qin chatted idly, Li Banfeng sank into deep thought.

Which Daoist path should I choose? Is this important? Yes, it is. This concerns my very life. According to the peddler, anyone struck by Heavenly Light must activate a Daoist path. Otherwise, death is certain.

But wouldn't any Daoist path let me survive? I came here to save someone. So is choosing a Daoist path really that important?

Of course it is. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

I offended those people from the Dark Star Bureau, and they swore to kill me. If I want to live, I need real skills to protect myself. More than that, there is the great dream of reaching the tenth level of cultivation.

"A good thing is a good thing. A bad thing is a bad thing. It's really that simple," Li Banfeng muttered to himself.

Chubby Qin didn't catch what Li Banfeng said and asked, "Brother Li, what was that about good and bad?"

However, Li Banfeng didn't answer. He was still deep in thought.

What's happening to me is clearly a good thing. No matter what other factors there are, gaining extraordinary power and a longer life can only be good. If I choose the Daoist path that suits me best, that would be the ideal outcome.

But which path is right for me? I know far too little about them...

Then Li Banfeng asked, "What abilities do cultivators from each Daoist path have?"

"That gets complicated," Ma Wu replied. "Martial Cultivators can fight. Literary Cultivators are skilled at verbal sparring. Wanderlust Cultivators excel at running. And Gourmandism Cultivators wield enchanted arts and great strength once they have eaten their fill."

Chubby Qin added, "Hedonism Cultivators easily do the deed ten times a day!"

Ma Wu chuckled. "That's not the only ability of Hedonism Cultivators. Hedonism Cultivators are also very good at messing with people's minds."

"What about Homebound Cultivators?" Li Banfeng asked.

Ma Wu said, "Depending on the personality of their dwelling spirit, Homebound cultivators can take both offensive and defensive roles. Outside their homes, their power is average for their level. But inside, they're unmatched among their peers, sometimes even able to defeat someone a level higher."

Hearing this, Li Banfeng fell into thought again.

Are Homebound cultivators really that powerful? Maybe I should become one. I can pay Monkey Qiu back later on, but where can I buy a house?

1. This is not a mistake; the author used a mass measurement, not volume. ☜