Dong Village was a simple mortal settlement nestled deep within the massive shadow of the Cang Wu mountain eastern range of the southern border.
For mortals, life was an endless cycle of hunting, farming, fishing, and praying that a spirit master never looked in their general direction.
To a spirit master, mortals were barely a step above the dirt they farmed. They were not chosen by the Heavenly Dao. Therefore, they did not matter.
But right now, the mortal village of Dong was in a state of absolute, sheer panic.
For two entire days, an unknown young spirit master had been lying completely unconscious in the humble home of Fei Fei, the village head.
They had fished him out of the river bank, completely unaware of the monstrous trouble they might be inviting into their homes. To make matters worse, Fei Fei had already dispatched a messenger on a donkey to inform the ruling Lin Clan.
Even though Dong Village belonged to the Lin Clan, the donkey would take an entire week to reach them in a good weather. The distance in the Cang Wu mountain region was simply that vast.
Inside the small wooden house, the village head’s daughter, Cui Cui, was gently wiping the mysterious young man’s face with a wet cloth, wetting his pale lips so he would not die of dehydration.
She had been tending to the young man day in and day out, not because she was asked to do so, but because she felt truly sad seeing him in such a state. Cui Cui was a kind girl, but hers was a kindness that invited evil to consume and exploit her.
Suddenly, Hua Ke opened his eyes.
The very first thing his blurry vision registered was a stunning figure leaning over him. She had a cute, delicate face, rosy lips, large eyes that looked like flawless jade, and a cascade of beautiful black hair.
Hua Ke stared blankly. His brain, still rattling from his near death experience, supplied only one logical conclusion.
"Did I die?" Hua Ke muttered out loud, his voice raspy. He stared directly into her large jade eyes. "Are you a fairy of the Nine Heavens?"
Cui Cui instantly blushed, her face turning as red as a ripe apple. She quickly pulled her hands back and looked away. "I am not, Young Master. This is Dong Village of the Lin Clan."
Hearing the words Lin Clan, Hua Ke jolted upright like someone had shoved an full arm down his anus.
He frantically patted his chest, his arms, and his face. He was not dead. He was very much alive. "How long was I unconscious for?"
"We found you two days ago," Cui Cui answered softly, wringing the wet cloth in her hands. "Young Master was floating in the eastern Cang Wu river when we found you."
Before Hua Ke could fully process this information, the wooden door swung open. Fei Fei rushed into the room, followed by his younger son Qing Qing and several burly village adults.
Fei Fei had been praying to the Nine Heavens that this stranger would not bring doom to their village, but seeing the sharp look in the young man’s eyes, he feared the worst.
Seeing Hua Ke sitting up on the hay bed, the mortals froze. They stared at him with intense apprehension, waiting for the spirit master to pass judgment.
Hua Ke put on a hard, stoic expression. Inside, his mind was spinning rapidly to analyze his situation.
He was currently in the Cang Wu mountain range. This place was a massive distance away from his home in the Tie Zhu mountain range where the Hua clan resided.
This was no blind guess. He had thoroughly mapped the Southern Border geography back when he stayed in the Hua clan.
There were at least three massive rivers and two entire mountain ranges separating them. Nobody from his clan would ever guess that the young man they tried to kill had washed up all the way out here.
But this presented a new massive problem.
The Cang Wu mountain region was ruled by five medium sized clans. The Lin Clan was one of them, boasting over two hundred mortal villages, five thousand active spirit masters, and a terrifying Rank 4 clan leader.
Hua Ke was only a Rank 1 Middle Stage spirit master. If he wandered out into the wilderness alone, he would be instantly devoured by wild beasts or skinned alive by demonic cultivators.
He needed a safe place to gather information. However, since these mortals had already sent a donkey messenger to the Lin Clan, staying here for too long was practically begging to be captured and interrogated.
He made a quick decision. He would pretend to be a Lin Clan spirit master for now, collect some information, and escape tomorrow. Telling these villagers he belonged to the Lin Clan would be enough, as mortals would never dare to question a spirit master.
Just as Hua Ke was about to deliver a majestic, intimidating speech to secure his fake identity, his stomach let out a monstrous, thunderous rumble.
The tense silence in the room completely shattered.
Cui Cui covered her mouth and let out a bright, melodic laugh. "I will bring some food for Young Master!" she said, quickly scurrying out of the room.
Hua Ke cleared his throat, completely ignoring the embarrassment of his rebellious stomach. He shifted his gaze toward Fei Fei.
"If you do not mind, I would like to have some rest, Head of Dong Village," Hua Ke commanded smoothly. "My head is spinning, and I would like to speak with you after a few hours of rest and a good meal."
Fei Fei immediately dropped his gaze and bowed so low his forehead nearly touched the floorboards. "As Young Master wishes!"
The village head quickly shooed all the other adults out of the room, shutting the door tightly behind them.
Hua Ke sighed, slumping back against the hay bed. He needed to rest and plan his next move. This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
No matter how he weighed his options, only one path remained: gather information and leave the village.
His primary objective was to grow stronger, but strength meant nothing without survival. Dead men could not cultivate. To advance, he needed a secluded, safe sanctuary in the wilderness that offered prime cultivation conditions and access to jade stones.
A gentle knock sounded on the wooden door. Cui Cui waited outside until Hua Ke asked her to come in.
She entered carrying a wooden bowl. The rich, savory aroma of thick rice porridge mixed with eggs instantly filled the small room. Hua Ke felt his stomach knot with intense hunger. He stared at the bowl with longing eyes.
Cui Cui found his intense stare incredibly adorable. She walked over, sat gracefully on the edge of the hay bed next to him, and brought the warm cup closer to his mouth.
Hua Ke did not stand on ceremony. He drank everything greedily, savoring the simple but heavenly taste. Within moments, the meal was completely gone.
Hua Ke let out a satisfied breath and looked at the beautiful village girl. "Did you make this?"
Cui Cui gave a shy nod.
"Thank you for making this for me," Hua Ke said earnestly. "May the blessings of the Nine Heavens fall upon you."
Cui Cui smiled. She realized this spirit master was vastly different from the cruel, arrogant cultivators she had heard about in terrifying village stories. He was actually very polite and harmless.
Curiosity getting the better of her, she tilted her head and asked, "Young Master, how did you fall into the river unconscious? Were you fighting a beast?"
Hua Ke paused. A very specific, very strange memory flashed through his mind. He slowly glanced down toward his crotch, recalling the bizarre and incredibly taxing encounter involving Senior Pu Zi’s strange statue.
He let out a heavy, solemn sigh. "Indeed. I was fighting with a beast. A rather large beast. It was a rather taxing battle."
Cui Cui gasped in awe, her jade eyes sparkling with admiration for the brave cultivator.
"What is your name?" Hua Ke asked, changing the subject before she could ask for the specific details of his battle.
"My name is Cui Cui, Young Master."
"Cui Cui," Hua Ke repeated with a charming smile. "Would you mind telling me about the area around here? I am quite unfamiliar with this place since I just came from the clan."
Cui Cui gladly nodded her head, thinking this young master was truly unlike anyone she had ever met.