Feng Yaqin, upon hearing Elder Meng’s voice, feigned casualness and found an excuse to leave the Ruined Temple.
Elder Meng stood in the shadowy forest, and when Feng Yaqin appeared, he bowed respectfully.
“Elder Meng, you look surprisingly well.”
Feng Yaqin raised an eyebrow. Despite both of them having endured Lin Yin’s sword strike together, leaving her with fractures everywhere, Elder Meng seemed to be moving about as usual.
Elder Meng smiled and reached into his bosom to take out a small box. Opening it revealed a dull gray pill.
“This is a Third-Grade Healing Pill. Holy Maiden, please accept it.”
Elder Meng offered the box, but Feng Yaqin did not take it immediately. She propped her chin with her fingertip, pondering thoughtfully.
She didn’t want to heal too quickly, because she still wanted to spend more time with Jiang Che.
But in truth, she had already enjoyed enough.
She couldn’t be like others, always thinking to indulge more today and make up for it tomorrow.
Moreover, she was actually eager to start a new life with Jiang Che.
Thinking this through, she reached out and took the box.
Then she reconsidered—after all, it was just a healing pill, so why bother meeting in person?
“Elder Meng, is there anything else?”
“Holy Maiden, there is also this.”
With that, Elder Meng pulled out a letter from his bosom.
Feng Yaqin was a little surprised. She took it and opened it, only to see a blood-soaked letter!
The handwriting and strokes were unmistakably her father’s.
Seeing the moment was ripe, Elder Meng spoke.
“Holy Maiden, during your absence, those who ambushed you have appeared again and injured the Zongzhu. Please return quickly…”
Feng Yaqin clenched the letter tightly, feeling a sense of disbelief.
“Elder Meng, you’re not lying to me, are you? How could my father be hurt by those people?”
“It’s true! They somehow obtained a Magic Treasure and severely injured the Zongzhu with it. The Zongzhu is now in critical condition. I beg you, Holy Maiden, to return with me swiftly.”
“But…”
Feng Yaqin hesitated, her gaze drifting toward the Ruined Temple. She still wanted to bring the Yaoshi along.
“Holy Maiden, I understand your thoughts, but you absolutely must not! The Zhumen is fraught with hidden dangers right now. Bringing that mortal back might endanger him.
Besides, the Elder we saw a few days ago is still in this village. I believe that person and that child have some connection and wouldn’t harm him.”
Upon hearing this, Feng Yaqin’s brow furrowed deeper. After much deliberation, she bit her lip and made a decision. Her gaze sharpened.
“Alright, I’ll go back with you.”
“Very well, then let us depart at once!”
“Wait!”
“Holy Maiden, is there something else?”
Elder Meng, ecstatic at Feng Yaqin’s consent, was ready to set off immediately, but was stopped by her sudden call, causing him to pause.
“Bring out that Thousand-Mile Floating Light Boat of yours—stop pretending you won’t use it.”
Elder Meng wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He hadn’t expected Feng Yaqin to know about that as well, so he had no choice but to bring out his Thousand-Mile Floating Light Boat.
Feng Yaqin’s brow twitched slightly. She trusted most of the letter’s contents, but something still felt off. She wanted to return quickly to check, then come back immediately.
……
Inside the temple, Jiang Che didn’t pay much attention to Feng Yaqin’s plans to leave.
The affairs of cultivators were always complicated. It was possible Feng Yaqin might just leave without a word one day.
Right now, he was more concerned about the village.
It was clear that Hu Qiao’er and Hu Jingzhong were reluctant to move away from here, so the issue of the He Shen had to be confronted directly.
Just now, Hu Qiao’er told Jiang Che that she and her grandfather had lived here for over a decade.
The people were honest and straightforward, living peaceful, stable lives, which they cherished deeply.
However…
Jiang Che was undergoing a trial unlike any ordinary person.
Because he finally understood why Hu Qiao’er took the pillow—she wanted to share a pillow with him to rest!
Jiang Che and Hu Qiao’er lay on a pile of grass, but Hu Qiao’er faced away from him.
Compared to the bold Feng Yaqin, Hu Qiao’er was much more innocent.
After a while, Jiang Che realized he might have been tricked.
Could it be that Qiao’er was using her sadness to coax him into sleeping beside her?
This tactic was reminiscent of when he was a child, when his young junior sister cried holding a pillow, afraid of thunder and wanting to sleep together.
Unconsciously, Hu Qiao’er turned over and nestled close to Jiang Che, her warm breath brushing his ear.
Fortunately, Jiang Che had prepared some sleep-inducing herbs, and Hu Qiao’er quickly fell asleep.
As her breathing grew steady, Jiang Che cautiously rose and headed outside the temple.
According to Hu Qiao’er’s description, the He Shen was a Water Dragon.
This reminded Jiang Che of books he’d read about dragons in the past.
True dragons were living beings with flesh and blood. A water-formed dragon like this was usually some monster skilled at manipulating water.
But normally, to condense a Water Dragon took more than just manipulation—it required very high cultivation and the ability to resist the laws.
Yet even Feng Yaqin had called it a mere little monster. Jiang Che had to consider another possibility: a Magic Treasure.
A very powerful Magic Treasure.
Thinking this over, Jiang Che had an idea. If he pretended to be a sacrifice and let the He Shen take him, then stabbed it when it was distracted, the plan might work.
So he leaned on his crutch and headed toward the village to discuss this with Hu Jingzhong.
But just as he reached the village entrance, he noticed rustling sounds.
And not just one—there were multiple. People all over the village were moving.
In moments, Jiang Che realized a crowd was quickly gathering around him. The clatter of footsteps and rustling clothes encircled him tightly.
He instinctively gripped his crutch, alarm bells ringing in his mind.
Just as his nerves peaked, a deafening shout burst forth, exaggeratedly festive:
“Congratulations to Jiang Che on his third anniversary in our village—!!”
What?
Jiang Che was completely stunned. Third anniversary? This sudden “celebration” was too strange, too deliberate!
Suspicion still on his face, two rough but strong hands warmly grabbed his arms.
“Come, come, Xiao Jiang, have a seat! This is a special sedan chair made just for you by our village!”
“Right, right! Today’s a day of great joy!”
……
Voices babbled chaotically in his ears, forced enthusiasm tinged with barely concealed tension.
Jiang Che was nearly forced, stumbling, into a small, hard wooden sedan chair that was clearly makeshift and uncomfortable.
This bizarre scene was something Jiang Che never expected.
And Jiang Che didn’t believe this so-called third anniversary. They hadn’t even held a second.
While they might have good intentions, he couldn’t resist now and was helplessly carried away by the crowd, deciding to assess the situation later.
In the distance, Lin Yin walked through the village, her face full of astonishment at the current state of the village.
She had just woken up from the temple and hurried here to inquire about Jiang Che.
As for what happened before she fainted, she completely set it aside.
Dressed in white, she stood out sharply from the village but still humbly went door to door asking questions.
However, for some reason, even after explaining she was a cultivator, she was met with cold shoulders, as if someone here had sullied the reputation of cultivators.
Moreover, the villagers were secretly busy with some activity.
Seeing the scene now, Lin Yin could hardly believe they were celebrating a child.
She deeply admired the villagers’ simplicity.
Still, she felt the child being carried in the sedan chair looked strangely familiar.