As the Ling Yuan family's practitioners leave the area, a figure with one golden eye emerges from behind a tree.
"Hahahahahaha!"
Bursting into laughter, Bai Wen holds his stomach in pain.
Regaining his breath, Bai Wen claps his hands together.
"Ai, Lao Long, a vicious person like you is the most entertaining to watch. Don't you think so as well?"
"…Ai."
As Bai Wen glances to the side, Yun You steps forward with a sigh, and remarks—
"Never thought that there would be an entire village of weapon spirits—who had managed to successfully evade the wipe-out phenomenon for so long. …Well, I guess that ends today."
"Just don't ruin this amusing act for me."
Shrugging his shoulders, Yun You replies—
"I won't. I thoroughly intend to just sit back, and watch how this would play out myself."
"Oh? I'll hold you to that then. In any case… Ai, it's hilarious to hear how hypocritical some of those people are."
"I consider the word ignorant—to be a more appropriate description."
Raising his right eye, Bai Wen remarks—
"Ignorance, is it? Hmm, I suppose, it is more appropriate to call them that. However… There's a saying that goes something like this—sins of the ancestors are their descendants' debts to shoulder."
Laughing subtly, Yun You asks—
"And what would they call the sins that a person had committed during their previous life?"
"…Tch. Karma, maybe?"
Sighing heavily, Bai Wen adds—
"Regardless of its name, they're all debts that must be repay."
...…
Situating themselves far from the village chief's show of coercion—
"…"
Leaning his back against the livestock fence, Long Hua has his eyes closed, as he sweeps his divine senses around the area.
Leaning on the same fence, and positioning themselves to his sides are Tian Cheng and Yao Ying.
"…"
Opening his eyes, Long Hua remarks—
"Hmm. There's something obstructing me from looking into the bottom of the village."
"A magic array perhaps?"
Nodding his head in agreement with Tian Cheng, Long Hua replies—
"Most likely."
Glancing at Yao Ying, Long Hua continues to say—
"Little girl has a fated encountered down there. And once the Ling Yuan family's practitioners arrive, we could use the chaotic nature of the situation to sneak down. But the entrance… Hmm."
"Un… Many of these weapon spirits will probably die, right?"
"…"
Towards the concern that Yao Ying is showing by asking this question, Long Hua replies—
"Oh? Showing concern for weapon spirits now, are you? Death to them, isn't death in the truest sense."
"…"
"Also, you were the one who said that a proper human being like yourself should live in the real world—under a clear blue sky, a while back. Those weapon spirits, they aren't what you would consider to be a proper human being, are they?"
"…"
Recalling the words that she had said, Yao Ying puts on a conflicted look.
Among the weapon spirits of this world, the ones that Yao Ying had interacted with the most were Nuo'er, Zhou'er, and the Owner.
All of them are extremely human-like—whether that be physically or emotionally.
And having interacted with them for some time now, Yao Ying sees them to be no different from ordinary people.
"If they aren't proper human beings, then they're nothing more than tools. And tools need only stay obedient, as they are wielded by those deserving of them."
"…No, that's...…"
Shaking her head, Yao Ying disagrees with Long Hua's words, and continues to say—
"What a person is, it isn't the determining factor on whether they are a proper human being or not. They…- Regardless of what they are, nothing deserves to be imprisoned."
Chuckling lightly, Long Hua remarks—
"So, the little girl knows how to talk big now? Well, regardless of how you feel, this is just the way things work in the practitioners' circle. On the way to acquiring one's fated encounter, you will use others, and others will use you. If you do not want the people using you—to steal your fated encounter, you'd best off them faster than they can off you."
"…"
As someone approaches them, Long Hua turns silent.
"…"
Stopping near the three, and turning to them, the individual remarks—
"You three are quite an odd combo."
The one to make this remark is a young lady, who is dressed in a set of pale pink robes with a white sash, to which, Long Hua replies—
"Do we now?"
"Un."
Nodding in response to this question, the young lady points to the straw basket in her hand, and asks—
"Interested?"
Contained inside the basket are fresh steam buns.
"Sure."
"Help yourselves then."
Picking a steamed bun each, the three proceed to take a bite.
Taste wise, the steamed buns aren't anything special, but the softness of them is definitely easy on the teeth.
"…"
"…"
Noticing how Long Hua had glanced at the livestock, which were sealed within the fence behind him, the young lady remarks—
"Five cattle, four goats, and ten chickens, these are all the livestock in our village. They're kept here for what they're able to produce, and it is only when they reach the near end of their lifespan that they are butchered. Occasionally, scouts like Gui Lian and Lao Teng would bring livestock young back. …In any case, if you were looking to have meat fillings in your bun, I'd have to disappoint you."
Responding to the young lady's remark with a chuckle, Long Hua asks—
"Was I being that obvious?"
"…"
Raising a subtle smile, the young lady ignores the question, and asks—
"Is the outside world truly that dangerous?"
"…"
Towards the young lady's question, Long Hua raises an eye, and asks back—
"Define what you mean by dangerous."
"Hmm."
Contemplating for a moment, the young lady stares directly into Long Hua's azure-colored eyes, and answers—
"Dangerous like you."
"…"
Finishing the steamed bun, Long Hua smiles faintly, and replies—
"Lady, you hardly have any rights to be saying that to me. Aren't you the same?"
Laughing lightly, the young lady smiles in the same manner as Long Hua, and introduces herself as—
"I'm called Hui Sang. The air you give off, it's very different from the other Sinners. You're similar to our elderly."
"Oh? That surnamed Gui said something like that to me as well."
"She did, did she? Interesting."
Having said this, Hui Sang leaves after a subtle bow.
"…"
Finishing her bun momentarily, Yao Ying remarks—
"She seems kind to me."
"…"
Batting Yao Ying an eye, Long Hua shakes his head, and replies—
"Little girl, you've got no eyes for people. The earthly scent on her aside, I also smell the scent of corpses off her. No doubt she must have been to a grave very recently. Would you still consider someone like her kind?"
"…Couldn't she have just been cleaning the grave up?"
"You need to raise your observation skills up some more. That person, she doesn't have the eyes of a kindhearted village lady; those are the eyes of someone who could kill another in the next blink."
Finishing her steamed bun, Tian Cheng asks—
"Master, where shall we camp tonight?"
"Hmm. Ai, if we didn't have plans, I'd say near the river. The sound of flowing waters, it's easy to fall asleep to."
"So, near the forest then?"
"I suppose."
Raising his arms, Long Hua stretches, and mutters—
"If all the villagers are as sharp as that surnamed Hui, then… They'll sniff us out even if we made ourselves invisible."