Chapter 15: The Strange Village
As for the “won’t she cut her thighs?” question, Song Zhen really didn’t know how to answer.
She couldn’t exactly say she couldn’t get hurt, but if she didn’t explain, they might think she had thick skin. And a delicate little girl claiming she had “thick skin”? That would sound awful.
Seeing their expectant eyes, she gave a dry little smile, scratched her nose, and said vaguely:
“Actually, if you’re careful, it’s not that easy to cut yourself. But you’d still better not try to imitate me—I have a technique for this.”
Maybe I should just stand while controlling the sword from now on. Sitting sideways works too, but riding it is really not a good idea. I end up having to explain it to them every time.
“Seriously. Don’t you really go copying me—if you slice your thigh open, I’m not taking responsibility,” Song Zhen said, already spotting several people itching to give it a try.
The two Golden Core senior brothers quickly held down the disciples who were getting a little too eager.
After being held down, they still struggled and said, “Senior Brother, let us try! Please just let us try!”
Senior Brother Chen coldly and ruthlessly rejected their request: “No. Junior Sister Song already said not to try it casually.”
Senior Brother Li also said, “If you want to lose something precious, go ahead and try. But if you really cut yourself, let’s see who you’ll cry to.”
It has to be said, these two Gold Core stage senior brothers really didn’t give any face at all.
But at least they managed to persuade those eager-to-try people to back down.
Song Zhen shook her head, thinking everyone was just way too curious. They wanted to try everything.
She shifted her position on the sword, side-sitting this time. From everyone’s perspective, it looked… slightly safer.
Her fellow disciples: “…Junior Sister, that actually looks… elegant.”
The rest of the journey passed without incident, but by the time they reached Liu Village, night was nearly falling.
Nightfall was ideal for… well, all sorts of mischief. Moonless nights were when trouble liked to come out.
Standing at the village entrance, a cold wind swept past, raising goosebumps.
This was their first real mission. Exciting as it was, a trace of fear lingered.
Senior Brother Bi noticed. “Everyone, don’t worry. If there’s danger, Me and the two Golden Core senior brothers will handle it. You just go all out.”
“This is your first time facing demons. Show them your courage!”
Li and Chen stood on either side, arms crossed, swords in hand—cold, detached, and very protective. Surprisingly, it was reassuring.
“Go on inside. We’ll wait outside.”
“Wait… outside?” The disciples looked horrified. Why not come in with us?
Li explained, “These spirits aren’t strong. If you work together, you can subdue them. If we go in, we might get in your way.”
“And this is your trial. Our job is to protect you. If danger comes, we intervene. Otherwise, we stay out.”
Song Zhen nodded in agreement. Makes sense. They had to learn to handle things themselves—couldn’t always hide behind senior brothers.
Despite being nervous, everyone bravely stepped inside.
Almost immediately, something felt… wrong. Normally, villagers wouldn’t go to bed this early. Yet the entire village was dark—no lights in any house.
The further they went, the braver they became, even talking amongst themselves:
“This village… no sounds at all. Not even a dog barking.”
“Do they all sleep this early? It’s barely nightfall.”
They reached a large house, where faint light and voices came from inside.
Song Zhen immediately noticed a white paper lantern outside—often a sign of a funeral.
Soon, an elderly man emerged, smiling warmly. “Finally, the cultivators have arrived! Please, come inside, come inside!”
Although he was very polite, Song Zhen couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something odd about this person—though he couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was.
Once they went inside, everyone turned to look at them. The entire courtyard was packed with people; it seemed like almost the whole village had come.
Staying out this late at night instead of sleeping couldn’t be for anything good.
A disciple asked bluntly, “Why is everyone in the courtyard at this hour?”
The villagers sighed.
A woman holding a child frowned, “We want to go home, but this is the only safe place.”
“The village chief placed a protective talisman. It’s the only thing keeping the spirits at bay, so we gather here every night.”
The elderly man gestured humbly. “I, as village chief, can’t save everyone. My home offers shelter, but now that you cultivators have arrived, I trust you will deal with these spirits.”
Song Zhen noticed the interior—the place was arranged like a mourning hall, not a residence. The black wooden table in the main hall resembled a coffin. From top to bottom, the house exuded eeriness.
She exchanged glances with her fellow disciples; they nodded slightly. Even with modest cultivation, they could sense something unusual.
“May we take a look around?” Song Zhen asked.
The village chief quickly replied, “Of course.”
As they turned, a glint flashed in his eyes.
This time, the disciples sent by the Sect weren’t very powerful at all, so all his painstaking efforts at disguise weren’t entirely in vain.
But the Cultivation Sect really was quite reckless—sending just a few low-level disciples like this, without worrying at all about what might happen to them.
On the other hand, it suited his purposes perfectly. The spiritual energy of Sect disciples who have stepped onto the path of cultivation is far beyond that of ordinary people.
If he could refine them, perhaps he could achieve what he had been planning.
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