Chapter 223: Chatting at the Village Entrance

Hearing the village chief mention the past, Liu Yunan couldn't help but recall old memories, and his eyes began to redden.

"Back then, when I was starving and had no food, Xiao would risk getting beaten by Uncle Lin to bring me some dried rations."

Seeing his emotions, Clan Leader Hu patted him on the shoulder with a gentle smile and said, "You're all good kids, full of affection. Our village will rely on you young ones in the future. With kids like you, we old folks can rest easy."

Village Chief Du nodded in agreement. "Indeed, our Shoushui Village has been poor for generations, surviving on hard work and diligence. We've bent our backs for a lifetime, and now, thanks to your sect, we finally see a glimmer of hope to stand tall. It makes our hearts swell with joy."

Listening to the two elders, Liu Yunan suddenly felt a surge of pride and determination. He patted his chest and said, "Village Chief, Clan Leader, don't worry. Xiao has already told us that our Lingxian Sect will work hard to lead everyone towards a better life!"

Hearing this, the two elders chuckled. "It's enough that you have the heart for it. The villagers are already doing well now; that's good enough. Take things as they come. Don't rush to feed them too much at once—people can't digest it all, and they'll end up overstuffed."

"We understand the challenges you face to some extent. If you ever need our help, don't hesitate to come down the mountain and tell us. We'll do our best to get everyone to cooperate. Don't shoulder everything alone up there. Most of the villagers are related to you in some way and have watched you grow up. They, like you, hope to see our village prosper and for all of us to live good lives together."

Hearing their words, Liu Yunan thought back to when his father passed away, and his family struggled. It was the nearby neighbors who helped them get by, bit by bit, that kept his mother from collapsing under the weight of it all. And when his uncle came to cause trouble, it was the villagers who informed the village chief, who then brought the clan elders to stand up for them.

It wasn't just his family; every household in Shoushui Village supported one another. If anyone had a big event, the villagers would do their best to lend a hand. While there were occasional small squabbles, and some people might gossip, when it came to serious matters, everyone stood united.

So, Liu Yunan nodded firmly and said, "Village Chief, Clan Leader, I understand."

He didn't specify what he understood, and the two elders didn't ask. They simply smiled warmly at him and said, "Good, good child. Now go on and take care of your tasks."

With that, Liu Yunan bid farewell to the two elders and returned to the mountain.

When he arrived back at the sect, the members of Lingxian Sect were just gathering in the cultivation room, preparing to start their practice. After greeting everyone, Liu Yunan said, "From now on, we don't need to avoid the villagers anymore."

Everyone was surprised to hear this. "But if we don't avoid them, they'll start asking about our sect."

Liu Yunan replied, "It's fine. Let them ask. Besides a few critical matters, there's nothing about our sect that we can't share. And since they're our fellow villagers, just follow the explanations we've prepared beforehand. Tell them what you can without revealing too much about our sect's strength."

Hearing this, the others were still a bit hesitant, but Lin's grandfather, who had been listening quietly, nodded approvingly. "That's right. Yunan is correct. We shouldn't keep hiding from the villagers. If we continue, we'll hurt their feelings."

Jiang Youfu also nodded. "Yes, Xiao foresaw that our sect would eventually be exposed. Now that we're gaining some recognition, hiding from the villagers isn't necessary anymore. If Xiao knew, he wouldn't approve of us continuing to avoid them."

With that, the members of Lingxian Sect decided that from now on, they would no longer hide from the villagers. When asked about the sect, they would share what they could, satisfying the villagers' curiosity without revealing too much.

——

Twenty days later, in the capital of Pusi Kingdom.

In the imperial study of the royal palace, only three people were present.

One was the emperor, Li Zhouxuan, dressed in a black dragon robe, sitting at the head of the room. A eunuch stood a meter behind him, waiting on the lower platform, while another man, dressed in sturdy attire, stood with his head bowed in the center of the hall.

Holding the letter Wei San had brought back, Emperor Li Zhouxuan did not immediately open it. Instead, he asked the man standing below, "You only saw a young man?"

Wei San immediately clasped his fists and respectfully replied, "Yes."

Li Zhouxuan, who had just turned thirty, maintained a neutral expression, revealing no emotion. He continued to examine the letter in his hand and, after a moment, asked again, "Did anything else happen?"

Wei San recounted everything he had seen and heard since entering Shoushui Village, including his experience on the Path of Self-Reflection. However, he didn't fully disclose the details of his dream on the path, choosing instead to briefly mention it and move on.

Li Zhouxuan wasn't particularly interested in the Path of Self-Reflection and didn't press for details. He sat silently in thought.

It seemed that this newly emerged sect was indeed real. The question now was how its strength compared to that of the Sunyang Sect...

The thought of Sunyang Sect gave Li Zhouxuan a headache. Such a large sect had been easily infiltrated by an outsider who killed the sect leader and took over the sect.

If that were the only problem, it might have been manageable. However, many of the elders in Sunyang Sect were unwilling to submit to the outsider, so they pretended to obey while secretly fleeing with a group of disciples, using an ancient technique left by their ancestors.

A few days ago, the leader of the elders sent a letter to the court, declaring their intention to reestablish Sunyang Sect. They were now on their way to the capital.

It was then that Li Zhouxuan learned that the Yuan Ying ancestor of Sunyang Sect, who had been in seclusion for many years, had already passed away. The entire sect was now composed of Golden Core cultivators and those below that level.

No wonder the sect had been so easily taken over by a single outsider at the Yuan Ying level.

However, these issues were not the most pressing for Li Zhouxuan. The real concern was that with Sunyang Sect in such disarray, it could no longer stand as a rival to the other two major sects.