Tong Nuonuo's mood was low and full of worry, his entire demeanor wilted like a drooping flower. Chen Xiao had no choice but to ask about the other person—Wu Qing. Was he also staying here? If possible, they wanted to visit and ask him some questions. After all, Tong Nuonuo was still young and might have overlooked many things. Wu Qing, being a more experienced cultivator, might be able to provide valuable clues.
Ah Shou's house was small, barely enough for Tong Nuonuo alone. Wu Qing had been placed in the home of a neighboring family, with extra payment offered in exchange for their help in looking after him. Incidentally, that same family was also providing meals for both Wu Qing and Tong Nuonuo, the bowl of noodles Immortal Immortal Master Tong had eaten earlier had come from them.
Chen Xiao followed them next door to see Wu Qing. The living conditions here were slightly better than Ah Shou's bare-bones home. Most of the furnishings were made of bamboo, with only a few wooden pieces. It wasn't that Chen Xiao had any issues with bamboo furniture, it's just that compared to solid wood, bamboo wears out faster and is generally cheaper. From this, one could make a rough guess about the household's modest financial status.
The windows and doors of Wu Qing's room were wide open for ventilation, but a faintly bitter herbal smell still lingered in the air. Since he had used up all the pills he brought with him, Wu Qing's recovery now depended entirely on the village's barefoot doctor, who went into the mountains to gather medicinal herbs. These herbs were ground into powder and boiled into a paste, which was then applied to his spine.
Life-saving pills could only preserve his vitality. Nourishing pills helped protect the meridians and internal organs, preventing hidden injuries from forming. But for a spinal injury as serious as Wu Qing's leaving him paralyzed from the neck down, he needed a very specific kind of pill that could reconnect nerves and meridians. Unfortunately, neither he nor Tong Nuonuo had that kind of specialized medicine. So, Wu Qing had no choice but to lie there, healing slowly while waiting for news.
His mood had soured from the pain, but when he saw the three visitors arrive, he was as excited as Tong Nuonuo. Once he found out that their visit was coincidental, he looked slightly disappointed, but he quickly rallied. At the very least, their willingness to visit showed that they cared. With their help, whether it was delivering messages or seeking aid, there was now a glimmer of hope.
After a serious discussion, the group gleaned even more information. Wu Qing suspected that the man leading their group, a ninth-layer Golden Core cultivator, was the true mastermind behind everything. He even suspected the man was a barbarian cultivator who specialized in beast taming.
The term "barbarian" was a derogatory and prejudiced label. Much like in Chen Xiao's previous world, this one also divided people into various races. Aside from the overwhelmingly dominant majority, there were scattered minority races across different realms. Though their appearances differed slightly, they were no less intelligent or innately gifted.
However, due to their small populations, they were unable to establish their own sects or form prosperous nations. Their level of development and civilization was relatively low. Because of this, many people held a common bias against them, regarding them as primitive, uncultured, and inherently inferior.
Such prejudice led to minority cultivators often facing unfair treatment. Most of them would either conceal their identity or prefer to keep to themselves.
"He had high cheekbones and sunken cheeks. That face shape alone might not mean anything," Wu Qing explained, "but his ears weren't round. He usually wore a hat to cover them, but I saw them once—long, pointed, and wide, just like an animal's, triangular in shape! The Golden Core cultivators around him treated him with great respect. None of them dared to call him by name. They only addressed him as Immortal Master Li."
Armed with this new information, the group returned to Ah Shou's house.
Ah Shou had come back by then, carrying three wild rabbits and a pheasant. He also had a bamboo basket on his back filled with fresh vegetables bought from nearby villagers and a jug of newly brewed fruit wine. Since they were guests, they couldn't just sit around while the host did all the work. Neither Xi Yunqing nor Chen Xiao could cook, so Du Rong volunteered to help Ah Shou in the kitchen.
Inside the house, only Immortal Immortal Master Xi, Chen Xiao, and Tong Nuonuo remained. They were discussing what they had just learned from Wu Qing.
Tong Nuonuo said gravely, "It really does seem like Immortal Master Li, the team leader, is the one behind everything. A beast tamer capturing the offspring of a fierce beast, it all fits."
Chen Xiao was curious. "Did you see Immortal Master Li's ears? Were they really triangular?" When he heard that detail, he immediately thought of pets, cats and dogs. Both had classic triangle-shaped ears, cute and playful. Chen Xiao struggled to imagine what a person would look like with beast-like ears.
Tong Nuonuo shook his head. "Immortal Master Li was very aloof. He never spoke to those of us with lower cultivation. He was always off by himself when we camped, and sometimes he disappeared all night, only reappearing at dawn when it was time to move out."
Chen Xiao didn't know enough about this world to offer any solid advice, but he wasn't one to waste an opportunity to learn. He turned to the silent Xi Yunqing and asked, "Immortal Immortal Master Xi, what's your take?"
Xi Yunqing was deep in thought. After a moment, he replied, "There are too many unknowns. It's impossible to draw a conclusion based on just this. Only when we return to Hanshan City will we be able to get real answers."
Fortunately, Xi Yunqing happened to have the specific kind of pill Wu Qing needed. He gave him three. All they could do now was wait for Wu Qing's condition to improve, at the very least, for sensation to return to his body, before they returned to Hanshan City to uncover the truth.
At dinner, Du Rong and Ah Shou hit it off, drinking heartily as they chatted. Over the course of the meal, the group gained a better understanding of the village and its circumstances.
Most of the people in this village shared the surname Chang, so it came to be known as Changjia Village (Chang Family Village). They had lived here for over a hundred years. According to local lore, their ancestors had once offended the ruling family of Hanshan City. Hunted and unable to survive there any longer, they fled with their families and kin.
Originally, their plan was to traverse the vast and perilous mountain range, teeming with fierce beasts, and reach the lands beyond, where ordinary people lived in peace. But unexpectedly, they stumbled upon a basin with excellent terrain. So, they decided to settle down right there.
The environment around them was harsh, and their ancestors were well aware of it. But among their kin, most had little to no cultivation, and some were mere mortals. The odds of making it through the dangerous mountains were slim, eight or nine out of ten would likely die. Staying here was difficult, yes, but at least most of them could survive.
Du Rong was a bit surprised. "What did your ancestors do to offend the city lord's family?"
Ah Shou scratched his head and sighed. "Back then, my family was small in number but still a clan of cultivators. We were vassals of the city lord's family, enjoying great prestige. But it didn't last. During a fight among the students at the clan school, one of my ancestors accidentally gravely injured a young master from the city lord's household. Things escalated from there. A group of their youths challenged ours to a formal duel. That fight ended in disaster, three of ours died and five were badly injured. The city lord's side also suffered casualties, and worst of all, the only son of the main family died in that duel."
"The city lord flew into a rage and ordered my entire family to be arrested and buried with the dead. Realizing the severity of the situation, my ancestor gathered the whole household and fled overnight."
Du Rong was at a loss for words. Deaths on both sides, there was no turning back from that kind of grudge. What made it worse was that Ah Shou's family were vassals of a lower status. To put it bluntly, it was a case of insubordination. And killing the only heir of the main family? No wonder the city lord was furious and wanted their entire clan executed.
You could argue they should have accepted the punishment, but slaughtering the entire family would've been excessive. Yet fleeing only made matters worse. There was really no good outcome. So Du Rong said nothing more and simply drank in silence.
Perhaps talking about his ancestors had stirred some melancholy in Ah Shou, because he ended up drinking himself into a stupor. Du Rong, feeling guilty for bringing up a painful subject, kept him company and also drank until he could barely stand.
In the end, Chen Xiao and Tong Nuonuo had no choice but to carry the two drunk men back into the house. They laid them down together and let them stink of alcohol side by side—neither in a position to complain.
Tong Nuonuo had originally invited Chen Xiao to stay with him, but Chen Xiao couldn't leave Immortal Immortal Master Xi behind, so he politely declined. While it was still light outside, the two of them left Ah Shou's house. Thanks to Chen Xiao's charming and pleasant face, they managed to borrow two rooms nearby for the night.
The two rested peacefully, and nothing happened through the night. At dawn, Xi Yunqing rose early to meditate. By the time he finished, Chen Xiao was already on friendly terms with the household.
After breakfast, the two of them set out for Ah Shou's house. The mountain village was especially fresh and invigorating in the early morning air. Chen Xiao couldn't help but say, "Immortal Immortal Master Xi, do you know how many children in this village have spiritual roots?"
Xi Yunqing had been fully focused on cultivation and hadn't paid any attention to what was happening outside. He hadn't heard Chen Xiao talking to the villagers and naturally had no idea. He replied, "I do not know."
Chen Xiao gave a knowing smile and said quietly, "The village has a total population of two hundred and thirty-eight. Among them, there are forty children and teenagers of suitable age for cultivation. Of those, eighty percent possess spiritual roots. And among that group, twenty-one show exceptional talent and rapid progress."
Even Xi Yunqing, a member of the prestigious Chongxuan Sect, was startled by those numbers. He halted in his tracks and looked at Chen Xiao. "Are you sure these numbers are accurate?"
Chen Xiao nodded. "Absolutely."
Xi Yunqing couldn't understand it. Why were there so many gifted youths in this remote place? Could there be something special about the area?
Chen Xiao looked at him and said thoughtfully, "I think there must be a specific reason behind it."
Xi Yunqing was already pondering the same thing, though he truly had no leads. So he asked, "What are your thoughts?"
Chen Xiao replied with conviction, "I believe it has everything to do with the village's unique geographical location." He fixed his gaze on Xi Yunqing. "Do you remember how I insisted on coming here in the first place? It was because I sensed something unusual about this place."
Then he looked straight into Xi Yunqing's startled eyes and said, with a calm honesty, "I must apologize, Immortal Immortal Master Xi. I wasn't entirely truthful before. The legacy I inherited from that immortal's antique wasn't just about residences, it's actually called the Art of Feng Shui. The stuff about houses is just one part of it."