People need food to survive, and no matter how cute a rabbit is, hunger is more important.
Boil a rabbit into a pot, and today’s meal is more or less settled.
Jiang Che tugged the rabbit by its ears but didn’t hurry back toward the village. Instead, he sighed while standing in place.
“Had enough hiding? Still not coming out?”
As soon as Jiang Che finished speaking, a figure darted out from behind a nearby tree.
It was a boy about twelve or thirteen years old, a little taller than Jiang Che.
He scratched the back of his head awkwardly and chuckled sheepishly.
“Hehe, Master, you’re amazing! You actually found me!”
Jiang Che recognized this kid.
It was Wang Hao from Shuiquan Village. Most kids in the village had simple names like “Tie Dan” or “Gou Sheng,” so Wang Hao’s name was one of the few “cultured” ones, leaving a deep impression on Jiang Che.
Wang Hao was an honest boy who never bullied Jiang Che but constantly pestered him to accept him as a disciple.
Jiang Che furrowed his brow slightly, his tone displeased:
“I’m not your master. I’m not as great as you think. Keep following me and I won’t be so polite.”
“Don’t say that, Master! Ever since I saw you kill a Wolf with just a stick, I’ve been determined to be your disciple.”
Wang Hao hurriedly stepped closer.
“Look! This is how I saw you practicing Swordplay!”
What Wang Hao was talking about was the year Jiang Che first came to this village. In the forest, he had encountered a Wolf.
Using Listening to Sound to Determine Position, Jiang Che wielded his cane like a sword. At the exact moment the Wolf pounced, he stabbed it through the jaw and pierced its skull.
All right in front of this apprentice-hunting fanatic.
Since then, Wang Hao had been stalking Jiang Che, desperately trying to become his disciple.
Sometimes he even caught Jiang Che practicing swordplay in private.
As he spoke, Wang Hao casually picked up a stick and began imitating the movements right there, though his actions were awkward and off-balance.
Halfway through, he stopped.
“Uh… sorry, Master, I… forgot you can’t see…”
Jiang Che’s mouth twitched faintly. He answered coolly, “It’s fine.”
Then he grabbed the rabbit, slung his bamboo basket on his back, and limped toward the village.
He still had to get medicine from Hu Jingzhong.
Wang Hao was extremely frustrated.
This was a rare expert he had finally found, and he was convinced this was his fate!
Unknown identity, mysterious origin, blind eyes, and unparalleled swordplay.
Wasn’t this the perfect template for a master?
His memory told him all novels were like this.
True, Wang Hao was also a transmigrant, but unlike Jiang Che, he arrived directly in this village and had stayed for twelve years; this year, he turned twelve.
The reason he wanted to become a disciple was because he awakened the Bai Shi System, which wouldn’t activate unless he apprenticed to someone—and the master couldn’t be too mediocre, or the system’s effect would weaken.
But was there any high-level expert in this village? He said he wanted to cultivate immortality, pursue the path of eternal life, and find a master.
But his parents forbade it.
In their rustic accents, they said, “Ah, kid, if there were really Immortals watching you, with such a talent or physique, who’d care about our mountain village? If you really had that gift, your parents would’ve brought you to a sect long ago. Wait till you grow up.”
So Wang Hao had no choice but to obediently wait until adulthood—until a miracle happened.
A strange man came to the village, instantly catching his attention.
From then on, he stalked this person every day. But one night, lost in the mountains, he wasn’t like Jiang Che who treated night like day and day like night.
He ran into wolves.
In the end, Jiang Che saved him.
At that moment, Jiang Che’s silhouette looked incredibly tall and imposing in his eyes.
Tall! Really tall!
There was a rumor that some Immortal Masters who reached the pinnacle of cultivation could reverse aging and taste the sufferings of the mortal world.
He had to seize his future!
“Hey! Master, wait up, let me help you! I’ll carry this rabbit for you!”
At that moment, Wang Hao stuck to Jiang Che like glue, reaching out to take the rabbit.
Jiang Che sighed inwardly.
Kid, cultivation is dangerous, and you can’t handle it.
Jiang Che had planned a wild-foraging route back that passed through the village, so he could conveniently send Wang Hao home.
After about fifteen minutes, they finally arrived at the village.
There were only a dozen or so households, but today the village seemed unusually quiet.
Listening carefully, Jiang Che realized everyone seemed to be gathered in one place—toward the direction of the village Spring.
The village was named Shuiquan Village mainly because it had a Spring that sustained it.
“Wang Hao, did something happen today?” Jiang Che’s curiosity got the better of him.
“Master, just call me Haozi. If you want, ‘good disciple’ works too!”
Wang Hao had spent twelve dull years in this village and had lost all shame just to become a disciple.
“Today seems to be the day to worship the He Shen. All the adults are probably at the Spring, and all the kids are obediently at home.”
Jiang Che suddenly remembered Hu Jingzhong mentioning the He Shen a few days ago. He had almost forgotten.
That probably meant it wasn’t a big deal. Jiang Che felt relieved and was just about to find Hu Jingzhong when Wang Hao spoke again.
“But today, the village also invited an Immortal Master to come, saying they’re going to exorcise this He Shen.
Honestly, the Village Head’s too cowardly! This should’ve been done a long time ago. There’s no He Shen in our village—it’s definitely some little demon.
Master, why don’t we go take a look? Join the fun.”
Jiang Che turned to Wang Hao, their eyes meeting through the grey cloth. Wang Hao immediately felt he’d said the wrong thing and hurried to add,
“Master, you don’t need your eyes to see! Just listen to the sounds and you can picture everything clearly!”
Jiang Che sighed. “Why do you keep pestering me to be your master? Since the village has already invited an Immortal Master, wouldn’t it be more fitting to apprentice under that Immortal Master?”
Seeing Jiang Che wasn’t angry, Wang Hao immediately retorted, “Pfft, what kind of Immortal Master could this village afford? As long as it’s not a fraud, we should be grateful.”
Hearing Wang Hao, Jiang Che couldn’t help but want to laugh.
Sometimes, he felt Wang Hao wasn’t really a kid—he was quite smart and saw things clearly.
Jiang Che thought of the Village Head, a decrepit old man who looked close to eighty.
But his voice was nowhere near as robust as Hu Jingzhong’s or Meng Lao’s, more like a half-buried body.
He never thought the Village Head would dare invite someone to exorcise demons.
***
At the center of Shuiquan Village, the spring water was clear as a mirror, reflecting the sky’s light.
But now, an oppressive atmosphere hung over the place.
A dozen or so villagers stood by the Spring, all adults—no kids were around.
The children had been sent home early to avoid trouble.
Next to the Spring, a makeshift altar had been set up, covered with incense sticks and swirling smoke.
Tied before the altar were a fat pig and a strong ox—obviously today’s sacrificial animals.
In front of the altar stood a man in a rather proper blue-gray Taoist robe, his eyes darting shiftily.
With that shifty look, he didn’t resemble an Immortal Master at all.
The villagers held their breath, praying he actually had some ability to end this farce quickly.
The old Village Head hobbled from the crowd toward the man in the robe, his gaunt, bent body wrapped in gray cloth.
His wrinkled face was even more withered than Hu Jingzhong’s or Meng Lao’s.
With a hoarse voice, he said, “Immortal Master, we’re all ready. Please have a look…”
The man in the Taoist robe casually waved his hand without even glancing at the Village Head, his tone impatient.
“Enough. Start the ritual. Once that thing is lured out, the rest is up to me.”