The people in the village showed no fear towards the sibling trio upon their arrival, meaning they were likely honest with what they told me. Especially now, observing their palpable nervousness around their mother.
As the bow-wielding brother began to stutter, I stepped forward, clasped my fist against my palm, and bowed slightly to show respect. "Hello ma'am, my name is Liu Feng. Sorry if your sons weren't able to get much hunting done today. I was lost, and they kindly offered their assistance."
It was evident the trio cared deeply for their mother, and her gentle gaze and amiable demeanor revealed she would never condone her son's criminal activities. I could use this in the future as blackmail in case I needed these guys to do something.
"Ah, don't worry. My sons have always been helpful, and sometimes their kindness is rewarded. But the true reward for good deeds lies not in this life, but the next," she remarked.
Next life? Did the common folk in this world believe in an afterlife or deity? Liu Feng's clan, as per his memories, revered their ancestors and clan founder, but never delved into concepts like deities. It seemed the general populace believed in things that immortal-seeking cultivators like him would disregard.
"Then I'm sorry to intrude further, but could I stay the night?" I inquired. With darkness descending, attempting to rest in an unfamiliar forest seemed dangerous. Despite the unlikely presence of threats, given the Blazing Sun Sect's efforts to purge the area of dangerous beasts. But even their influence had its limits.
"Oh, you must be similar to the young girl who visited earlier today. She was searching for someone, but you don't match the description," she nodded. "Regardless, I've prepared some rice porridge. You're welcome to have some."
Young girl? Was there someone else before me? I got the impression this village was desolate and rarely visited by outsiders.
It was clear they were poor, and taking from such a kind old woman didn't sit right with me, so I shook my head. "No, but thank you for the offer. A healer advised me to abstain from eating for the next two days as I consumed some tainted food in Greengrass Town."
"That sounds dreadful," the old woman's expression shifted to concern. "Is everything alright?"
Now, I felt a pang of guilt for deceiving her. But it was too late to retract now; I had to forge ahead. "Yeah, just some unscrupulous food stand that the authorities have shut down. The vendor was peddling spoiled pig meat salvaged from butcher shop trash."
However, my fabricated backstory wasn't what troubled me. The individual searching for someone set me on edge. This proximity to the Blazing Sun Sect hinted at potential danger, and there was a good chance the other party was a cultivator.
Would an enemy from a rival sect dare to venture so close? It seemed improbable, yet caution was warranted. "Did they describe the person they were looking for?"
The old mother shook her head. "I have no idea. She only spoke with the village elder. It seemed like she was in search of something."
"And where might I find this village elder?" I inquired.
"Just up the hill there. His home isn't any grander than ours, but it has the high ground," she chuckled as if reminiscing about some private joke.
I nodded. "Then I will go and talk with him. It would be impolite to arrive in someone's village without the elder's knowledge. I'm a stranger, after all."
"Oh, don't fret. I doubt he would mind," she reassured me.
Nevertheless, I smiled and added, "I prefer to stay on the side of caution. I had a negative experience in a village once, so now I always take precautions. Also, I should inquire about the arrival of merchants or caravans. Perhaps I could secure passage with one to reach a nearby town."
"You are right," she nodded. "Nowadays, the forests around here have grown much more dangerous. Did you know that a couple of years ago one of the lumberjacks in the village died?"
No, I did not know. Because I just came to this village.
Despite my thoughts, I kept my smile and nodded politely. My previous life experience in handling old people came in handy, "Really? Poor man."
"I know, right? His poor wife was pregnant with their third child. Her family was taking care of her as she had to move back in with them, but her mother also died during the long winter. Horrible stuff all around," she continued telling me other stories and tragedies of where people died.
Old people sure loved their stories. But hopefully, if I ever become old enough to ramble like this, the youngsters will be polite about it. Treat others how I would want to be treated in this situation.
I would have liked to know if my sons were two-bit criminals, but that would not solve anything.
"Mother, I will take Liu Feng here to see the village elder. Futou broke his ax trying to fell a tree, and Oftu is going to help him get a new one. See you later," Tufei said, sending an uncomfortable smile my way.
His mother hadn't called him out on it, so she probably couldn't see that well at that age. With a nod, she sent us away while inviting me once more for dinner, and I had to refuse again. After we were a dozen steps away from the mud hut, Tufei leaned in and whispered, "Thank you for not telling my mother about our deeds."
"I see no need to punish the elderly for the mistakes of their foolish children," I said. "Also, at that age, learning that her sons were going around acting like hoodlums can't be good for her heart."
He nodded and once more said a quiet thanks.
The village elder's house wasn't that much different from others. Except that it was at one of the higher altitude houses on the mountain they had built their village.
Either this village elder was truly corrupt, or they were all just that poor. It was probably the latter.
Tufei walked up in front of me and knocked on the rough wooden door. A thin old man opened it. He had a long beard and falling white hair and used a cane to walk around. He looked like someone who already had one foot in the grave.
"What do you want?" The old man frowned at them.
I stepped up, "Hello sir, my name is Liu Feng, and I was wondering—"
"I don't care about your name," the old man interrupted me.
He was one of those grumpy old men and already seemed angry. But I knew how to handle such people and didn't react to his provocations. "I heard a girl came around here looking for someone. Can you describe what she or the person she was searching for looked like?"
The village elder's frown deepened, and he looked me up and down. "That ain't just some girl. She was a cultivator. She said she was looking for a young man with crimson red hair who talks to himself."
A chill went down my spine.
Someone talking to themselves? She was a cultivator? Had I stumbled upon some kind of cultivation cult soon-to-be battleground? That's what most of the crazy dangerous cultivators usually were a part of.
"If it's not much of a bother, can you tell me what she looked like?" I asked, trying to calm myself.
"Well, she was a beauty, that's for sure," he smiled. "But not like any other beauty, she stood out with dark hair with strands of silver. She was beautiful like jade... Heh, a jade-like beauty straight out of legends."
As soon as the words "jade-like beauty" left the old man's mouth, my decision was already made.
Yeah, I was getting the fuck out of here. I wanted none of whatever that stuff was!
Turning toward Tufei, I said, "Tell your mother I said goodbye and thanks for the dinner offer, but something came up."
"Uh, okay?" Tufei's response sounded more like a question.
He was confused, and I couldn't blame him.
I came here to determine whether the bandits had people who cared about them and to guarantee they would choose the right path from now on. The former, I had already figured out. They were not mere fourth-rate villains from some xianxia novel; they were real people with families, loved ones, and their reasons.
As for them choosing the right path from now on, that was somewhat dubious, depending on whether they believed my curse on them was legitimate. It was not, of course. It was merely a fabricated technique conjured on the spot, bolstered by a contrived backstory about its saintly creator.
Having achieved half of my objective, I was fairly sure they wouldn't continue their former ways, at least not out of fear. If they did, they would inevitably encounter someone who wouldn't tolerate their behavior, and by then it was no longer my concern.
But when jade-like beauties became involved, it signified the start of some craziness. Something I wanted no part of and had no curiosity about. After all, curiosity killed the cat, and unlike felines, I didn't have nine lives.
As for resting during my journey, I was a cultivator. Though still in the early stages of cultivation, I should be capable of enduring days without sleep without suffering short-term physical or mental degradation.
"Welp, I have to go now," I declared, propelling myself off the ground and dashing out of the village and into the forest. I stopped when surrounded by greenery and far away from the village. I tried to catch my breath and exhaled a sigh of relief.
I focused on my heightened senses, listening intently for any signs of pursuit. However, there were no unusual sounds, only the familiar rustling of leaves in the wind. The absence of crickets or any other insect noise was strange.
Then, a small earthquake rumbled, causing the ground to shake violently, nearly causing me to stumble. This was followed by a massive explosion that sent me tumbling to the grassy ground. I scrambled to my feet and stared toward the village, where a mushroom cloud billowed into the sky.
The explosion was dangerously close to the village. For a fleeting moment, I entertained the idea of rushing to help, but what emerged from the mushroom cloud stopped me in my tracks—a gigantic boar, towering over the trees like an apartment building.
The monstrous beast's thunderous roar echoed through the forest, uprooting trees with its sheer power. In the face of such a mighty creature, my previous notions of power paled in comparison.
Monstrous Beasts possessed at least a bit of Qi, and beasts were typically stronger than martial artists of equivalent stages. This beast, at least a Qi Gathering level Monstrous Beast, presented a formidable threat. I stood no chance against it.
Part of me yearned to intervene and aid the villagers, but the beast was still some distance away. However, there lingered the looming possibility that it could charge toward the village at any moment.
But what could I realistically do? Even if I mustered all my strength, the beast would likely shrug off any attack as if it were nothing more than a scratch.
I had momentarily forgotten the absurdity of Xianxia Worlds—the vast differences in power between individuals even just a single stage apart.
Fuck!