Before long, Xu Xianqing could no longer manage to smile.
She had suddenly remembered the old folk tale of the Women’s Kingdom…a tragic myth born from a world that valued sons over daughters. Infanticide was rife, and infant girls were routinely discarded into the river. Over time, as the lingering souls of those lost children gathered, they formed a realm of their own.
It was a heavy, sorrowful thought.
Xu Xianqing followed the local women into the settlement. Unlike the seemingly endless, winding path of Wugen Village, the roads of Laohuai Village were wide, immaculate, and flanked by vibrant, blooming flowers.
At the very center of the village stood an enormous, ancient scholar tree, from which the village clearly derived its name…Old Scholar Tree Village.
As Xu Xianqing glanced toward the tree, one of the women offered an explanation.
“Centuries ago, a noble lady’s family met with ruin. She fled here with her maidservant, utterly exhausted and starving. They collapsed beneath this very tree and fell asleep. When they awoke, they had been blessed with immortal magic. In their dreams, the tree had even taught them how to survive in this land. So, they settled down here. Over time, our village grew into what you see today.”
Xu Xianqing wisely chose not to press further about how the rest of the villagers came to be. After all, two women were unlikely to bear children on their own. Given how thriving the village was now, many other events must have unfolded in the intervening years.
Some secrets were simply not meant for outsiders’ ears, and an outsider certainly had no right to pry. Xu Xianqing maintained the gentle curiosity of a mere traveler, admiring the passing scenery and listening quietly whenever the women spoke.
Eventually, they arrived at the residential quarter.
The arrangement of the houses was bizarre. They were scattered across the terrain seemingly at random, lacking any uniform orientation.
Normally, when building a village, people consulted geomancy to align structures along favorable Feng Shui axes, ensuring long-term prosperity. Yet here, there was no order whatsoever…it was impossible to discern any deliberate layout.
“Come, stay at my home!”
A stout woman hurried over, reaching out to drag Xu Xianqing toward her house. Before she could finish, several other villagers crowded around with equal enthusiasm, practically shouting over one another to invite Xu Xianqing into their own homes.
Xu Xianqing felt less like Tang Sanzang entering the Kingdom of Women and more like the monk stumbling into the Cave of the Silkworm Demons.
“All right, all right, quiet down! You’re going to frighten our guest,” called out a young-looking woman who clearly held immense authority.
At her word, the crowd instantly hushed and relented.
Relieved to be free from the commotion, Xu Xianqing quickly set to work filtering through the information she had just gathered, sifting out what was useful.
Scanning the villagers, she noticed none of them displayed visible cultivation levels or character names. At first, she assumed her system interface was malfunctioning. However, checking her main menu revealed an active item duration timer, which was still counting down.
“I am Siniang, the chief of Laohuai Village. How may I address our guest?”
“I am Xu Xianqing.”
“I shall call you Miss Xu then,” Siniang replied, turning to disperse the crowd. “Those with chores to attend to, run along. Everyone else, get some rest.”
Once the villagers scattered, Siniang motioned for Xu Xianqing to follow.
“Do you intend to stay overnight?” Siniang asked.
Xu Xianqing nodded, though she refrained from specifying how long.
Initially, she had planned to follow the Taoist’s advice: spend a single night here, leave for the forest at first light, and then head straight for the Yilin Prefectural Seat. However, having unexpectedly triggered a system quest along the way, she would likely have to stay until the mission was either completed or failed.
Fortunately, Siniang didn’t press for details regarding her departure.
Xu Xianqing checked her rations, estimating she had enough food for about three days. That meant returning to Wugen Village in three days’ time. If the Taoist could give her food once, he could do it again. Furthermore, she needed to investigate the secrets surrounding Wugen Village anyway, so traveling back and forth between the two locations made logical sense.
With her plan settled, she followed Siniang into her courtyard.
It was a simple rammed earth house enclosed by a bamboo fence, with a yard split into two small, tidy vegetable patches. It appeared utterly ordinary.
“Wife, I’m back!” Siniang called out as they entered the yard.
A moment later, a woman stepped out from the house. But the instant Xu Xianqing caught sight of her, she froze…a bone chilling dread surging straight up her spine.
She had seen this woman before.
Not even a day ago, on the road leading to Wugen Village…she was the female corpse that had rolled out of the coffin.
As the woman walked closer, Xu Xianqing instinctively took two steps back.
Siniang looked at her, puzzled. “Miss Xu, is something wrong?”
“No… nothing,” Xu Xianqing forced herself to calm down, quietly drawing a breath and discreetly wiping the cold sweat from her forehead with her sleeve.
“Wife, this is a traveler passing through. It’s getting late, and she’d like to stay the night in our village.”
The woman glanced at Xu Xianqing and smiled subtly. “Our guest looks… somewhat familiar to me.”
Xu Xianqing’s heart, which she had just managed to steady, instantly leaped into her throat once more.
What did she mean by that? Why was a corpse from Wugen Village alive and well in Laohuai Village by the afternoon?
And why did she say Xu Xianqing looked familiar?
Xu Xianqing remembered the corpse’s wide, unblinking eyes staring straight at her as it tumbled from the coffin, and a shudder went through her. She quickly mentally inventoried her defensive magical artifacts and recited the Mind-Clearing Mantra her master had taught her in her past life.
Slowly, her composure returned.
Siniang chuckled gently. “This is her first time in our village, how could you possibly know her?”
“I suppose you’re right,” the woman laughed softly.
Siniang turned to Xu Xianqing. “This is my wife, Wan’er.”
Xu Xianqing offered a polite smile. “You two seem very close. I take it you were married recently?”
“Oh, hardly,” Siniang laughed. “It’s been over two years already.”
Over two years?
Xu Xianqing quietly noted this detail. Shortly after, Siniang guided her to a small guest room.
“Travelers who stayed with us in the past used this room as well,” Siniang said. “Don’t worry, the bedding has been washed and sun-dried. It’s perfectly clean.”
“Thank you for your hospitality.” Xu Xianqing didn’t mind the modest accommodations. Having lived as a beggar in Pingkou Alley, she was no stranger to hardship. After sleeping outdoors these past few days, having a proper roof over her head was a welcome relief…even if the place itself felt deeply eerie.
Just as Xu Xianqing was settling in to rest, a knock sounded at the door.
She checked the sky; the sun had just dipped below the horizon, leaving only a faint crimson twilight behind.
Opening the door, she found Wan’er standing outside alone.
Xu Xianqing looked at her guardedly, keeping her tone light. “Is there something you need?”
“It’s time for dinner,” Wan’er offered warmly.
“Ah, no need. I brought my own rations,” Xu Xianqing declined softly. “Taking up shelter here is already trouble enough; I shouldn’t burden you further.”
Wan’er tried to persuade her a little longer, but seeing Xu Xianqing’s firm refusal, she eventually nodded. “Very well. I will leave some food in the kitchen. If you get hungry during the night, feel free to help yourself.”
“Thank you.” Xu Xianqing watched her walk away.
On the surface, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Yet, why had the Taoist explicitly warned her never to touch the food or drink the water here?
Xu Xianqing decided she would slip into the kitchen in the dead of night to inspect the food for herself.