As they walked deeper into the forest Zhang Lian's heart was heavy with worry, her thoughts thinking around the fate of her parents.
She whispered to her system assistant, in a low voice, "Do you think my parents are alive?"
The cat, floating beside her with its small tail moving here and there, responded quietly, "Host, maybe, after all I think that Demonic cultivator might be dead too.
Zhnag Lian confusingly, asked why he would die?
"Host, that Demonic Cultivator might have been killed. That's probably why his storage bag got destroyed."
Zhang Lian nodded slightly, her mind thinking. "It's possible that the Jade Serpent Sect sent disciples to eliminate the demonic cultivator.
But then, Gou Liang mentioned that the whole city might be in danger as no one could be seen going in or out of the city. What if it's more than just one cultivator? What if there's a war happening between the Demonic Cultivator and righteous cultivator's.
The cat, always with without much care about the world, replied, "Who knows, host? It could be a war.
Zhang Lian fell silent, her thoughts turning darker. *If my parents aren't alive, what will I do?* she wondered. The idea of being alone in the world, without the comfort and security she had grown accustomed to, was terrifying.
Sensing her distress, the cat tried to lighten the mood in its own unique way. "Well, host, if the worst comes, you could always have babies.
Look around you—so many men here, and although most of them seem married, you could probably find someone in a village who isn't married.
"Having babies could give you the power you need to ensure no demonic cultivator would ever threaten you or your family again."
Zhang Lian blinked, startled by the cat's suggestion. The idea of raising children sounds not so good. Yet, it was a reality she had to consider.
Her thoughts drifted back to the life she had left behind—a life that, despite its comforts, had almost made her forget the struggles of her past life.
She remembered the days when she was John, not Zhnag Lian, living as a beggar, a time when survival was uncertain, and the future even more so.
She distractedly opened the system screen, her eyes scanning the options available to her. A particular item in her eye: the "Newbie Pack".
—---
*System: Baby Making System*
*Shop*
*Newbie's Pack! Price - 49 Normal Points*
—---
Zhang Lian's,"It's so expensive!" she muttered under her breath.
If she had to rely on having mortal babies to earn points, she calculated that she'd need to give birth to at least 25 children just to start cultivating.
Each baby would take nearly six months to carry and birth, meaning it could take up to 12 or 13 years—almost as long as she had lived in this world —just to reach the point where she could begin her cultivation journey.
Frustrated, she cursed softly, "Damn, cat, these things are too expensive!"
Unintentionally, she said it louder than she intended, causing the men around her to turn and look at her in confusion.
Zhang Lian's face flushed with embarrassment. She quickly waved them off with a smile. "Nothing, I was just thinking out loud," she said, trying to brush it off. The men exchanged puzzled glances but didn't press her further, resuming their journey through the forest.
Half a day later…
The walls of the city came into view, from a distance. "We've finally arrived," she said, her voice filled with exhaustion.
The men around her, who had also been feeling the tiredness of the journey, looked at her with surprise. Despite her slim and beautiful appearance, Zhang Lian had kept pace with them, showing no signs of needing rest.
She didn't seem like the typical noblewoman they expected—those who were easily tired or spoiled by their comfortable lives. Instead, she had remained calm, polite, throughout the journey, earning their respect.
*Well, there are different kinds of nobles,* they thought to themselves as they neared the city gates.
As they approached the city gates, Zhang Lian and the group saw a large crowd of people streaming in and out of the city.
The scene was chaotic, with villagers, and some merchants, and even a few cultivators walking or hovering above the ground on their flying swords.
The air was thick with tension and the sounds of hurried conversations and urgent footsteps.
Gou Liang stepped forward. He caught sight of a man who looked like he was also a villager like him, carrying a sack over his shoulder. "Hey, do you know what happened here?" Gou Liang called out, stopping the man as he was about to pass by.
The man paused, looking weary and worn. His clothes were dusty, and he seemed like he was in a hurry. He turned to Gou Liang, recognizing him as a fellow villager, and sighed deeply before speaking.
"A lot has happened. All the people in the city… were killed. Everyone—the royal family, nobles, cultivators, ordinary folks—were slaughtered by those demon cultivators. It was a massacre
----
Zhang Lian's, feeling more worried in her heart.
The man continued, "Now, the disciples of the Jade Serpent Sect have arrived. They're here to investigate and rebuild the city. Half of it is destroyed, and they've asked us to gather men, women, the old, and even children from nearby villages to help with the reconstruction.
They said we'd be given homes in the city and a chance to become nobles if we perform well. With all the people dead, they'll be moving others from different cities here to repopulate it."
All the people in the city… dead?* The words filled her mind with disbelief.
She thought that her grandfather's family might still be alive. *Grandfather is a cultivator, even if he's old. He has connections with the sects… surely, someone like him could have survived?
But as the reality of the situation sank in, she realized that even if her parents were gone, she had no idea how to survive in this world alone.
The plan she had formulated earlier, using her family's name to rise if something happened to her parents, seemed to be failing now.
A worried look appeared on her face. She couldn't even say that she has talent for cultivation, not with only 9 SP left—not even enough to reach even the lowest level of spiritual root.
She felt uncertain of what to do next, her mind racing as she tried to figure out a plan.
Gou Liang noticed the change in her expression and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry," he said softly, trying to offer some comfort. "We'll find out more inside the city. Maybe… maybe not everyone was killed."
Zhang Lian's mind was racing as she and the group approached the city gates. The cat's casual remark about having babies to solve her problems had left her with thoughts, but the thought of her uncle—her mother's stepbrother—offered a sliver of hope.
She quickly thought about him, thinking it might be her way to secure some safety and perhaps some reassurance.
As they neared the gate.
A cultivator stood at the gate, his posture straight and commanding. He wore the traditional robes of the Jade Serpent Sect, His, his eyes sharp and unforgiving. A scar ran down his left cheek, giving him a menacing look.
His long, black hair was tied back into a topknot, and a jade pendant hung from his belt, marking his status within the sect.
The group hesitated as they reached the gate, unsure of how to proceed. Zhang Lian stayed slightly behind the others, her normally clean appearance now dulled by dirt and travel, her once elegant clothes were dirty.
She had tried to conceal her beauty, knowing it might attract unwanted attention, but there was only so much she could do.
The cultivator's gaze swept over them, narrowing as it landed on Zhang Lian. She could feel his stare, but she kept her head down, trying to appear as unremarkable as possible.
"Which village are you from?" the cultivator asked, his voice cold.
Gou Liang, who had been leading the group, stepped forward, bowing slightly. "We are from Willow Creek Village, just to the south," he replied, his voice steady.
Zhang Lian took a deep breath, stepping forward slightly. "I am from this city," she said, her voice was calm. "I belong to the Zhang family, and my mother is from the Li family."
The cultivator sneers. "You don't need to brag about your background. Mortal families mean nothing to us cultivators."
Zhang Lian kept her composure. She knew that revealing her connections might be her only chance. "But my uncle," she continued, her voice steady despite the cultivator's attitude, "is Li Feng, a disciple of the Jade Serpent Sect."
Zhang Lian remembered her uncle, Li Fend, whom she had met when she was eight. He was one of many brothers and sisters from her maternal grandfather's side.
Li Fend had a level 4 earth spiritual root, just like her grandfather. However, her grandfather left the sect due to a severe injury, his cultivation progress halted, leaving him with no hope of advancement.
Accepting his fate, he moved to a Mortal city, married a mortal woman, and placed his hopes on his children. Unfortunately, only one of them inherited his level 4 spiritual roots, while the others had weak or no spiritual roots at all like her mom with no spiritual roots.
Considering her situation, Zhang Lian thought that using his name might be beneficial.
When the cultivator heard the name "Li Fend," his expression shifted. "Oh, so you are related to Senior Brother Li Fend? Let me call him; he's also here."
The cultivator reached into his robe and pulled out a talisman. The talisman was a piece of paper, rectangular in shape with golden edges. The center was engraved with weird patterns, each line glowing faintly.
At the top, a small symbol representing the earth element was inscribed, pulsing gently with energy. This was a long-distance communication talisman, designed to connect with the spiritual mark of the other party.
It worked by transmitting a message through spiritual energy, sending it directly to the recipient. However, it was one-way, like sending a letter. The sender would have to wait for a response.
The cultivator infused the talisman with his spiritual energy, and it began to emit a low hum. Holding it up, he spoke, "Senior Brother Li, someone from your family still seems to be alive. I am Feng Yu, near the entrance gate."
After sending the message, the talisman dimmed and fell silent. The cultivator, Feng Yu, tucked it away and looked at the group.
"Well, if he sees the message, he will come. In the meantime, you mentioned you're from a village, right?
Here's the deal: if anyone from you villagers wants to live in this city or wishes to become noble, they can come and help with the rebuilding efforts. Otherwise, they are free to return home."
The ten men exchanged glances. After a moment, one of them stepped forward. "We're ready to work on rebuilding the city. I'll head back to the village and inform the others."
Feng Yu nodded in approval. "Good.