Chapter 38: A Night Visit to the Bamboo Grove Pavilion

Father Chu said coolly, “Very good. Your ideals are sound. The first one you should eliminate is that bastard Lampez!”

“Darling, are you calling for me?” The vampire appeared out of nowhere in a most uncanny manner, slipping his arms around Father Chu’s waist from behind. “To hear you calling my name the moment I walk through the door—what happiness.”

Father Chu snapped, “Let go!”

Luo Li stood up, her expression blank. “Mommy, you mustn’t fabricate lies to deceive the child, making her believe she lives in a perfect, happy family—Daddy has never acknowledged you as his lover!”

Lampez grew solemn. “Oh, darling, do you see what the child has misunderstood? I think you might reconsider your attitude toward me… We ought to dispel our dear one’s confusion, don’t you agree?” With that, he lowered his head and sealed her lips with a kiss.

At first, Father Chu pounded Lampez’s shoulders with her fists, but gradually she could only clutch his collar, struggling to remain upright.

After a long and tangled embrace, the vampire finally released his beloved, albeit reluctantly. Father Chu’s cheeks were flushed like peach blossoms, her breath unsteady, and her usually calm eyes shone with misty light, making her look heartbreakingly lovely.

She glared at those bewitching eyes and scolded, “Scoundrel! How dare you do such things in front of the child! What on earth goes on in your head? Should I throw a brake in there?”

The vampire replied with deep affection, “Don’t be anxious, darling. You see, with just a gesture like this, the child’s wounded heart is easily healed. You know, children yearn to see their parents in love—it makes them feel truly happy.”

Father Chu was speechless.

Luo Li watched this scene for a long time, head tilted, then pursed her lips and said, “All right, Mommy, I apologize. My family truly is blissful.” She rubbed her eyes, dragged her pillow, and left, muttering, “Adults are so strange. Clearly their feelings are good, yet they act like enemies. What a tasteless sense of humor… So boring.”

Father Chu: “……”

Time rolled onward like the rushing Yellow River, and before long, September arrived. After a semester and a summer of diligent effort, Luo Yu finally reached the ninth layer of Qi Refining before the start of the second season. Qin Yue was on the verge of Foundation Establishment, stuck at her current rank, so she devoted all her energy to practicing PK and refining tools. Even Luo Li managed to advance to the sixth layer over the past half-year, and her claws, under Mommy’s training, became exquisitely skillful and fierce.

The Mid-Autumn Festival that year fell on September thirtieth. Qin Yue secretly bought her plane tickets in advance, and after Luo Yu started school, set off alone.

Soon the plane landed in Jiuzhaigou. Qin Yue calculated that there were still three days until Mid-Autumn, so she began searching the mountains for the location of the Bamboo Academy, unhurried by time. Passing through Bonsai Beach, Tiger Lake, and Five-Flower Lake, he was entranced by the scenery, and somewhat regretted coming alone—a place so exquisite as this shouldn’t be experienced in solitude.

After wandering through the valleys, he found nothing unusual, as expected; if the Bamboo Academy truly existed here, then the public would never have discovered this famed site. Qin Yue climbed to the summit of a small mountain, leapt lightly onto the treetop, and surveyed the surroundings: nearby forests were dazzlingly colorful, almost overwhelming, while distant silver peaks glimmered under the sun, revealing the chain of mountains behind. A smile tugged at Qin Yue’s lips—these were the methods cultivators would use.

His silhouette flickered atop the tree, and in an instant, he vanished.

On the desolate, icy peaks, a lone figure sped forward against the wind-driven snow mist. Up close, it was a young man clad only in thin clothing and a light jacket. The biting wind sliced his handsome, resolute features, but he merely pressed his lips together, seemingly colder than the blizzard itself, utterly indifferent. This was Qin Yue, now at the peak of Qi Refining; minor winds and snows were nothing to him.

Qin Yue spent all day traversing the mountains, and by dusk, reached a snow-clad mountainside. Surveying the area, he saw only black-and-white desolation, but felt a ripple of magical power.

He paused there, released his spiritual sense, and stepped slowly into the invisible barrier formed by the energy fluctuation. With a single stride, it was as if he entered the void, vanishing into thin air.

Inside the barrier, the scenery changed: no more barren land, but a sloping hillside—sunlit, the alpine air tinged with icy freshness. The ground faded from mottled black and white to verdant grass, then to a sea of flowers, bees and butterflies flitting everywhere, stirring a symphony of buzzing. At the edge of the meadow lay a deep, winding gorge, its mist shimmering overhead, casting rainbows across the sky.

Qin Yue walked toward the gorge, his feet sinking into flowers up to his calves, leaving a trail—a reverse seam in the tapestry carpet of blossoms. As he admired the scenery, a little dejection crept in: if only he’d brought Xiao Yu here—would the boy roll on the ground in delight?

Descending the slope into the valley, he found it resembled Jiuzhaigou outside, but was even lusher and more vibrant. Scattered lakes dotted the area like blue and green gems, each one crystal clear. Some lakes steamed with swirling mist, reflecting the flow of light—these were natural hot springs. Surprisingly, fish swam in them, red, gold, purple, some as long as an arm, having evolved to withstand the heat, gliding carefree through the waters.

Qin Yue formed a “Water Walking Spell” and skimmed across the surface, leaving a trail of ripples behind him, his figure like a banished immortal, gracing the sublime landscape—a pity he wasn’t dressed in white robes.

Following the valley, Qin Yue traversed the clear pools, while from the multicolored forests came faint cries of exotic beasts and rare birds, a place where “the cries of beasts make the woods more tranquil, birdsong renders the mountains more secluded.”

As night fell, Qin Yue chose a huge stone by the lake, pitched his tent atop it, and lay back to savor the night breeze, gazing at the star-studded sky. He found sleep elusive, his mind drifting to nights spent with Luo Yu in the ancient formation—such beautiful scenery, yet there, he felt safe and happy, never lonely. Qin Yue resolved that, once he stole the Immortal Dew, he would never leave Xiao Yu behind again.

The next day, Qin Yue finally reached the Bamboo Academy’s domain. The Bamboo Academy was the only scholarly sect in the cultivation world, revered as a holy land by all scholarly cultivators. Though styled as “scholarly,” its history outstripped even the human Confucian school, tracing back before the era of Fuxi. The Academy excelled at divination, pharmacology, formations, and philosophical discourse, upholding virtue, benevolence, reason, righteousness, and tolerance—but was by no means a pushover, never advocating self-sacrifice for others.

As a powerhouse, the Bamboo Academy also held markets, known as the Da Wen Altar. The sect resembled a grand academy, built according to the contours of mountains and rivers. The terrain was reminiscent of the Five-Color Pond in Huanglong, terraced like steps, but far larger; each level housed ancient, solemn courtyards, with plots by the pools planted with green and purple bamboo, forming nested compounds, each equipped with clear hot springs. Mist drifted everywhere, making one feel as if they’d wandered into Guanyin’s purple bamboo grove by mistake.

Aside from the sect’s mountain gate, there was a sprawling village at the foot of the mountain. The inhabitants were mostly itinerant cultivators, generally at Qi Refining, selling wares to the Academy for a bit of spending stones. Living here brought peace, nestled beside the great sect, safe from bullying.

Since the marketplace wasn’t open, the mountain was very quiet, and few wandered the village. Qin Yue found an inn and spent fifty spirit stones for a room. The inn’s style differed from Luofeng Town: it was a grand hot spring villa, reminiscent of a landlord’s mansion. Qin Yue’s cold, noble features were transformed by the baths, making him look even more delicate and charming. Although the price was more than double that of Luofeng Town and less luxurious, Qin Yue felt it was worth it.

When night fell, Qin Yue stealthily climbed the mountain to scout, circling the sect’s protective array, eventually deducing that the spiritual garden—where spiritual flowers and herbs grew—must be in a courtyard at the rear, built against the mountain, since raising flowers required plenty of earth. The front courtyards were mostly occupied by hot springs, so land was scarce.

Having locked onto his target, Qin Yue drew closer to the suspected garden, examining how to breach the protective array, searching for any weak spots that might allow forced entry. After years with Luo Yu, he’d learned a bit about formations: with poor programming, insufficient spiritual awareness, or uneven energy input, some parts of the barrier would be strong, others weak.

But after checking several places, he found the array solid and professional, with no vulnerabilities. Given the strength of their defenses, unless one reached the Golden Core stage, brute force wouldn’t work. Qin Yue was disappointed; dawn was approaching, so he decided to leave and try again the next night.

As Qin Yue leapt away, he sensed something amiss—several others were approaching. He slipped aside to observe: sure enough, there were figures outside the array, apparently doing the same as he was. Among them were human cultivators, demon cultivators, and ghost cultivators, all on the brink of Foundation Establishment.

Qin Yue mused silently: everyone’s no fool—it’ll be even livelier here tomorrow night.

Returning to the inn, Qin Yue heard the innkeeper arguing with a guest.

The guest complained, “Such a prestigious Bamboo Academy, how can your inn be so extortionate? Fifty spirit stones—why not just rob me?”

The innkeeper sneered, “You’re lucky to stay here at all. Everyone knows what you’re here for. I’ve seen plenty like you every year—some are regulars. Even if you complain to the Academy, they’ll just snicker. So, are you staying or not? If not, leave—I won’t lose sleep over it. Let me tell you, before Mid-Autumn, every inn charges the same. Mine’s already the cheapest.”

Qin Yue felt dispirited: no wonder the price was so high—it was a deliberate hike, apparently a custom of the Academy. After sleeping half the day, he sat up, dazed, and couldn’t wait for nightfall before heading out to scout again. He reasoned: with so many people, not everyone would wait for night. The innkeepers were used to it, and so must the Academy. With so many involved, merely wandering outside the array wouldn’t draw trouble unless caught red-handed.

As expected, some idiots were already digging holes in the ground—apparently unaware that the array covered all dimensions, and even if they dug from the earth’s core, they’d hit a wall.

Qin Yue circled around, spotting seven or eight demon cultivators, all massive and fierce-looking. One held a device, testing the array. Just then, a small, rat-faced fellow joined them, waved his slender tail, and asked, “Brother, what’s that in your hand? Can it break the array?” Another, with a protruding snout and sharp fangs, replied, “It’s a formation-breaking artifact my brother found, called the ‘Inverse Array Disk.’ We’ve come prepared this time—won’t leave empty-handed!” The rat-tailed one, hearing this, stayed put, ingratiating himself: “Brothers, take me along—I won’t let you down. Just get me inside the array…”

Qin Yue shook his head inwardly; this formation was not easily breached. He would wait until tomorrow night, see if the demon cultivators could stir up anything, and perhaps slip in amid the chaos.

Just as he was about to leave, he heard an exceedingly familiar voice:

“Qin Yue!”

He spun around to see a figure racing toward him, throwing herself into his arms, gripping his collar, and growling, “Some friend you are! Coming here alone!”

Qin Yue paused, then delight flooded his heart, sweeping away two days of disappointment.

He said nothing, just smiled with curved eyes at Luo Yu, who, caught off guard, found herself unable to scold him.

Luo Yu released his collar, snorted, “Why are you smiling? You’re not a beauty! Seducing me won’t work! Beg for my forgiveness now!”

Qin Yue was about to reply when he noticed a small red cat’s head poking out from Luo Yu’s jacket collar. The kitten turned its head twice, then, bizarrely, spoke in a crisp, bright little-girl’s voice: “Ah-ha~ So many monsters! Nii-san, they have tails too!”

Qin Yue was speechless.

Luo Yu looked at him, her expression innocent.

Qin Yue asked, “Why did you bring her as well?”

Luo Yu protested, “She snuck along on her own—I only noticed after boarding the plane. Her innate talent is illusion! Guess how I found her? I heard the stewardess say the ham in the sandwiches had vanished! Then I swept with my spiritual sense… Can you imagine how I felt?”

Cultivator Bro Chronicles 38_Cultivator Bro Chronicles Full Free Reading_38 Night Raid on the Bamboo Academy updated!