It turned out the Zhuyao Army held quite a favorable impression of the Tianxiang Sect. Chen Xiaoyan didn’t bother investigating personally and instead took a different approach, inquiring about the monster activity in Muxiang Village.
“Replying to the Immortal, the Zhuyao Army has basically cleared the monsters from Muxiang Village, but a few managed to escape. We are currently searching for them.”
“That simple?” Chen Xiaoyan was a little surprised. If these monsters could be wiped out by a mortal army, how weak must they be?
“Immortal, although the Zhuyao Army cannot compare to a sect, clearing out some low-level monsters is more than manageable.”
Chen Xiaoyan nodded slightly and waited for a moment, then exchanged a glance with Chongchong.
What’s going on?
Why didn’t the quest show as completed?
“Captain Liu, are there some details missing?”
Liu Jiang looked puzzled.
“Ah, yes—about where the monsters came from,” Chen Xiaoyan coughed twice, feigning aloofness.
“That, we have no knowledge of.”
She felt somewhat disappointed; it seemed she would have to do some busywork after all.
“Very well, we will first investigate the village. Farewell.”
Liu Jiang cupped his fists and said, “Immortal, travel safely. If you need us, just send word.”
“Mm, thank you.”
Chen Xiaoyan nodded with a smile, mounted her horse with Chongchong, and entered Muxiang Village.
Liu Jiang and the soldiers watched the fading figures in the distance and sighed.
“Sigh.”
“Brother Jiang, are all the Immortals from Tianxiang Sect this breathtakingly beautiful?”
“Of course, otherwise why would it be called Tianxiang Sect?”
“The folk tales really aren’t exaggerated.”
“If only we could receive the favor of an Immortal, that would be a blessing beyond eight lifetimes.”
“Nice thought, but it depends if you’re worthy.”
“Enough chatter, stay alert. There are still some residual monsters. Don’t gamble with your lives!” Liu Jiang frowned and barked sternly.
“Yes, sir.”
At the entrance to Muxiang Village.
A group of villagers was laboriously moving fragrant wood.
Monsters had been appearing, so working outside was essentially courting death, but the occasional passing patrols of the Zhuyao Army gave them great security.
Besides, most of the monsters had been eradicated.
Monsters?
Nothing much.
“Giddyup~”
Chen Xiaoyan pulled on the reins, making a circle in place. Seeing the busy villagers ahead, she dismounted and packed her horse away.
She began walking to avoid accidental harm.
A sturdy old man hoisted a nearly hundred-pound fragrant log on his shoulder, walking into the village with ease.
“Huh?”
The old man spotted two women approaching. Just as he was about to wonder, he suddenly recognized the pink bustier dresses they wore and his expression brightened.
Living at the foot of Tianxin Mountain, the villagers of Muxiang were more familiar with this attire than anyone.
“An Immortal has come down the mountain!!!”
With the old man’s shout, the other villagers’ gazes instantly gathered around.
Chen Xiaoyan felt very awkward at the call.
She now understood how highly the Tianxiang Sect was regarded among mortals.
Merciful to all beings, healing the wounded.
But this was just a game setting, and had nothing to do with the players—it was merely a guise worn by Tianxiang disciples.
Having done nothing, yet receiving such eager gratitude, respect, and even worship as if a deity—this phenomenon was most severe near Tianxin Mountain.
Thus, Chen Xiaoyan felt a little embarrassed, and a tad ashamed.
The villagers, seeing their sect robes, all put down their tools and gathered.
Though excited, they kept their distance.
“Two Immortals again, have you come to buy horses from Muxiang Village?”
“Immortal, if there is anything you need, just say it. If our village has it, we will surely offer it.”
Chen Xiaoyan scratched her cheek, unable to help but smile wryly.
“We are only here by sect order to investigate monster activity in Muxiang Village. We don’t require anything.”
“Oh.”
Seeing the disappointed expressions on the villagers’ faces, Chen Xiaoyan felt Spartanesque.
Honestly, these NPCs were just too adorable.
“Immortal, the monsters have already been completely wiped out by the Zhuyao Army.”
Of course, Chen Xiaoyan already knew that, but since the quest hadn’t marked completed, what else could she do?
“Then tell me some details—like when the monsters appeared, any signs?”
The villagers looked at one another, all clueless.
Seeing their reaction, Chen Xiaoyan knew it was hopeless.
“We don’t know either. The monsters seemed to have appeared suddenly. Oh, Immortal, the Wu family’s two brothers at the village’s end were seriously injured in a monster attack. Please save them.”
Hearing this, Chen Xiaoyan’s interest peaked and she asked, “Are there other injured in Muxiang Village?”
The villagers shook their heads. “Only the two Wu brothers were hurt.”
Chen Xiaoyan’s mouth twitched slightly.
What kind of joke was this?
The monsters just casually attacked two villagers?
This wasn’t the kind of monsters she had seen—were these so harmless?
“Lead the way.”
“Immortal, please follow me.”
At the edge of Muxiang Village, inside a simple wooden hut.
Two young men in plain clothes lay pale on their beds.
Beside them, a middle-aged woman with graying temples wiped her tears, tucking the covers over them.
“My sons, why is your fate so bitter?”
One of the young men was roused awake, painfully opening his eyes and croaking, “Mother, cough… what did the doctor say?”
“All quacks,” the woman said through clenched teeth, furious when mentioning the doctors.
They said the injuries were too severe, the old medicine man was powerless, and your son’s days were numbered—best to prepare for the worst.
Bah, poor medicine is just poor medicine—no need for excuses.
“Mother, don’t say that. I know my own body,” he said, though hopelessly closing his eyes again.
A pitiful smile appeared on his face.
“But I don’t want to die—I still haven’t repaid my filial duty.”
The woman was devastated, stroking the son’s face, pale as a sheet.
“No!!! There is still hope. I will go up Tianxin Mountain to ask the Immortal to come down and save you.”
She stood up, ready to leave.
“No, mother… cough cough cough!” The son suddenly coughed violently, clutching his chest. His already pale face drained of even more color.
“My son, what’s wrong?” The woman anxiously panicked but was helpless.
“Mother, listen to me—young men hardly succeed in climbing Tianxin Mountain. If you go, it’s a dead end.”
“Wu Da Niang—”
“Wu Da Niang, good news!”
Hearing a familiar voice outside, the middle-aged woman froze, then grew furious.
Her son’s fate uncertain, and this Ba Erniu was shouting “good news” outside?
An uncle can bear, but an aunt cannot.
“Ba Erniu, I’ll kill you!”
She grabbed a random chopping knife used for firewood and stormed out of the house, furious.
Ba Erniu, the villager, was so frightened by Wu Da Niang wielding a chopping knife that he nearly lost his soul.
He quickly retreated behind Chen Xiaoyan and Chongchong.
“Wu Da Niang, what are you doing? The Immortal is here, put down the weapon!”
Chen Xiaoyan cast a disdainful glance at the villager who was trying to intimidate others by proxy.
“Immortal?”
The woman stared blankly at the pink bustier dresses they wore, and the chopping knife in her hand slowly slipped from her grasp and fell to the ground.