"Maybe I should take a walk?"
Luo Changfeng thought to himself.
After that, he placed his hands behind his back.
Step by step, he walked leisurely toward the outside of the courtyard.
As the remaining elder ancestor of the Luo Family,
his courtyard was also situated at the very center of the Luo Family Ancestral Land.
"Patriarch Changfeng."
"Patriarch Changfeng."
Along the way, members of the Luo Family Clan, upon seeing Luo Changfeng, greeted him with great respect.
Luo Changfeng responded with a smile on his face.
He expressed his friendliness and good intentions toward his clan members.
After all, if he wanted to advance his cultivation and understanding of the Cultivation Technique in the future,
he would need these clan members to provide him with a sufficient amount of Qi-Blood Value.
"Eh..."
"Isn't that Elder Changfeng?"
Just as Luo Changfeng stepped out of the Luo Family's main gate and walked onto the fairly bustling street,
at the main entrance of the Luo Family Ancestral Land,
the man in a green robe, who was leisurely strolling in the clan's area, the Current Patriarch of the Luo Family, Luo Ping, suddenly stretched out his hand to rub his eyes.
He was a bit astonished.
At seeing Elder Changfeng,
Luo Ping even felt as if there was something wrong with his eyes.
Just yesterday, their Elder Changfeng seemed to be on his last breath, as if he was about to expire.
But today, he appeared to have a healthy red glow about his face, brimming with vigor.
He was even able to stand up and walk around.
Isn't that strange?
"Could it be... the so-called 'returning light'?"
His thoughts reached this point,
and Luo Ping's expression suddenly turned ugly.
The mood that had been quite good initially also gradually became uncomfortable.
"I must talk to Chuan'er about this right away."
"And I also need to make a decision about the two options Chuan'er discussed with me sooner rather than later."
...
Soon, Luo Ping disappeared from the main entrance of the Luo Family Ancestral Land.
And then there was Luo Changfeng,
who had stepped out onto the bustling streets.
At that moment, he continued to walk slowly forward with his hands clasped behind his back.
"Candied haws for sale, candied haws..."
"Buns, fragrant and sweet buns..."
"Animal masks, who wants a fun animal mask..."
As he walked, vendors on both sides of the street shouted, smiling, continuously calling out their wares.
Initially, Luo Changfeng was in quite a good mood.
The lively streets, the hurrying passersby, the rich ordinary life atmosphere.
All of it made him feel very novel.
Although he had often seen such scenes in his previous life, that was merely on TV, mobile phones, or computers.
But now, suddenly finding himself in the midst of it,
to personally experience and witness such scenes,
well, it really was somewhat different.
However, it was a pity that
Luo Changfeng's good mood did not last very long.
As time passed and as he walked farther and farther,
the situation on the street seemed to undergo a complete three hundred and sixty-degree turnaround.
The earlier bustling scenes completely vanished.
The vendor's shouting on either side of the street disappeared.
There were still hurrying passersby, but Luo Changfeng could not see any smile on their faces.
What he could see was only deep concern and numbness.
Even the houses on both sides of the street
seemed dilapidated and in disrepair.
...
"No, don't take me."
"Dad, save me, Dad..."
Suddenly, the tender cries of a little girl sounded from not far ahead.
"Here's three taels of silver, the money for your daughter's life."
"Hold onto it well, don't lose it and then come looking for us."
A man with a physique strong like a tiger or wolf and a face full of fierceness,
was handing over three taels of silver fragments to a man dressed in worn-out clothes, with a sallow and emaciated face, wearing an expression of numbness.
"Thank you, thank you."
"With these three taels of silver, I'll be able to break even."
"I can break even, I'm sure I will break even."
"Ying'er, wait for me, once I break even, I will surely redeem you."
"I'll get you delicious food, spicy drinks, and a big house to live in."
The man looked somewhat unwillingly at his daughter who kept begging him for help.
He clenched his teeth tightly, his eyes reddening, as he held back and turned his head away.
Heading straight into a gambling house not far away.
...
"Heh heh, little girl, let's go."
"I'll take you to a place."
"I promise you'll enjoy delicious food, spicy drinks, and a carefree life."
The strong man said while laughing wildly and unrestrainedly.
As he laughed, the several lackeys behind him joined in the laughter.
And the young girl, tightly bound with rope, could not help but let a tear of despair fall from the corner of her eye.
A good place where one could eat well, drink spicy beverages, and live a carefree life.
Even if those men did not say it, the girl knew very well,
what kind of place it really was.
...
As time passed,
those few people and the girl,
also disappeared from Luo Changfeng's line of sight.
"Is this what chaos looks like?"
Luo Changfeng looked around at the chaotic and filthy streets and the hurried, numb-faced citizens.
Then, he looked at those lying at their doorstep, with arms outstretched, motionless,
as if waiting for death to arrive.
He couldn't help but sigh softly, shaking his head, "Forget it, let's not go any further, better head back."
Upon seeing these scenes, Luo Changfeng no longer felt any leisure to walk around.
Now, he only wanted to return home quickly,
and then, as fast as possible, improve his cultivation.
While the Da Feng Dynasty's deterrent power still exists,
the world can already become so chaotic.
If at some point, the Da Feng Dynasty no longer had the strength to suppress the rebellions throughout the land, truly reaching the stage where warlords rise together, competing for the empire,
the world would probably become even more chaotic.
So, if Luo Changfeng wished to survive in this era of chaos,
or say, he wanted to protect the Luo Family, the source of his strength,
a power formidable enough to intimidate outsiders was absolutely necessary.
Just as Luo Changfeng turned around to walk towards the location of the Luo Family,
about a dozen men dressed in common clothes wielding rusty blades,
suddenly appeared beside him,
and surrounded him completely.
...
"Old man, you seem pretty wealthy!"
"In these chaotic times, and yet you can afford to look rosy and full of vigor."
"Must have quite a fortune at home, don't you think?"
"What do you say? Should we escort you there, or will you walk with us willingly?"
Among the group of desperadoes,
there was one wearing black clothes, with a black scarf on his head.
Although he was rather lean, he was wielding a brand-new steel knife,
he looked like a leader, smiling as he sized up Luo Changfeng in front of him.
That gaze, as if appraising his own prey,
made Luo Changfeng, the sole Elder of the Luo Family, feel somewhat uncomfortable.