12dz Chapter 16 Chicken Cry Village
Chapter 16 Chicken Cry Village
Daling Village.
Shen Gui stood with his hands behind his back on the edge of the field, his fingertips gently stroking the hilt of the long sword at his waist, his gaze fixed on the sky, his eyes calm and serene.
"My Qi cultivation is slow to come out, and my progress in swordsmanship and the way of killing has indeed slowed down despite my diligent practice..."
He muttered to himself softly, his tone tinged with helplessness.
four years ago.
Four years have passed since he fell into the northern border region and took over Daling Village and Wotugou.
Now, his embryonic breathing is stable at the fourth level, and the fourth Azure Yuan Wheel is slowly circulating in his dantian. His magical power is profound, and his foundation is solid.
However, he could never quite grasp the essence of sword energy. No matter how refined the sword light was, it could never harm people without leaving the sword or take the enemy's head from a distance.
Greed for more and faster results in ruining the foundation, but the path of the sword is truly elusive.
"master!"
A clear, melodious voice, like that of a nightingale, came from behind, interrupting Shen Gui's thoughts.
He turned around and saw a slender figure walking gracefully from the village.
The girl was about sixteen or seventeen years old, wearing a light blue cloth dress with a plain belt around her waist, which accentuated her slender waist.
Her long, black hair was casually tied back, with a few stray strands falling beside her ears, making her delicate face even more lively and radiant.
Her eyebrows and eyes were clean and clear, with the unique charm of a young girl, while her figure had fully matured, with a shapely figure, a prominent bust and a curvaceous bottom, exuding a lively beauty.
It was Ahe.
Now she has plenty of nutrition and is no longer the pale, thin, and pitiful little girl she once was.
"Master, are you practicing swordsmanship again?" Ahe skipped over to Shen Gui, grabbed his sleeve, and smiled broadly. "Master, I've reached the second level of the Fetal Breathing Realm!"
Shen Gui looked at his smiling apprentice and a hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes.
In four years, he progressed from the first level of Fetal Breathing to the fourth level, while Ahe progressed from the beginner level to the second level of Fetal Breathing, at a speed similar to his own back then.
"Not bad." Shen Gui said calmly, without offering excessive praise.
He's not one to give compliments, so it's quite remarkable that he managed to squeeze out this "not bad."
Ahe didn't mind at all, and happily shook Shen Gui's sleeve, her little mouth chattering away: "Master, I just condensed the Chengming Wheel yesterday, and now that both wheels are running, my magic power flows much more smoothly! I've also learned a lot about the pharmacology in the alchemy scriptures, and I only need to develop one more level of spiritual consciousness before I can truly refine pills!"
"Yes, one must not slack off in cultivation; one's foundation must be solid." Shen Gui raised his hand and ruffled her hair, his tone softening. "Alchemy is important, but cultivation is fundamental; neither should be neglected."
"Ahe knows!" Ahe nodded vigorously, her little face full of seriousness, then added with a smile, "Don't worry, Master, Ahe will definitely not let you down!"
Shen Gui's lips curled up slightly, and he was about to give a few more instructions when he saw a gentle figure hurrying out of the village.
Su Wanniang, dressed in a cloth skirt, was in her early thirties, and her charm was becoming increasingly beautiful and captivating, with a gentle grace unique to mature women in her eyes.
She has now married a young man in the village, had children, and lives a stable and peaceful life.
Shen Gui passed on the captured magic weapon, the whisk, to her. After several years of diligent practice, although she was still only at the first level of the Nascent Soul stage, she could still use the whisk to defend against enemies, making her a formidable force for guarding the village and protecting the home.
"Immortal Master!" Su Wanniang walked quickly closer, slightly curtsied, and spoke with a hint of urgency in her voice.
"Wan Niang, what is it?" Shen Gui's eyes narrowed slightly.
Su Wanniang raised her head and said urgently, "The Zhao family has sent people, saying they want to ask the immortal for help!"
Shen Gui frowned slightly: "The Zhao family? The Zhao family of Fuxing County, who have reached the Foundation Establishment stage?"
He was startled. The Zhao family of Fuxing County was a Foundation Establishment family with great power. Why would they come to ask for help from a mere Nascent Soul cultivator like himself?
Su Wanniang quickly waved her hand and explained, "No, no, it's a village on the west side of our village called Jimingtun. Most of the families in that village are surnamed Zhao, so they call themselves the Zhao family. It shouldn't have anything to do with the Zhao family of Fuxing County."
"Chicken Cry Village?" Shen Gui pondered for a moment, vaguely remembering hearing about this village in the market. There was an old ancestor in the village at the fourth level of the Nascent Soul stage, and this area was quite influential.
Su Wanniang nodded, speaking very quickly: "The messenger said that Jiming Village has recently been repeatedly attacked by demonic beasts, suffering heavy losses. Knowing the divine power of the Immortal Master's sword, they came to ask for help. They are currently waiting at the reception area."
Shen Gui nodded slightly, already having made a plan in his mind.
He had once shown his sword skills in the Lintianya Market. In the eyes of the clan cultivators and rogue cultivators of the Northern Frontier, sword cultivators have always been known for their prowess in combat. It is not surprising that someone sought his help.
"I'll go take a look." Shen Gui strode towards the village, and Ahe quickly followed, her little face full of curiosity.
Su Wanniang followed closely behind, and the three of them arrived at the reception area specially built in the village.
This is a house built of bluestone. Although simple, it is clean and tidy. It is where Shen Gui usually receives guests.
Inside the room, a bald, middle-aged cultivator was pacing anxiously, his forehead covered in sweat.
He was dressed in a gray short-sleeved brown robe, and his cultivation level was only at the second level of the Fetal Breathing stage. His aura was not pure, and he was obviously a rogue cultivator.
Hearing footsteps, the bald cultivator turned around abruptly. Seeing Shen Gui enter, his eyes lit up, and he quickly went to greet him, clasping his hands in a fist and bowing deeply, his voice trembling with excitement:
"Fellow Daoist Shen! It's so good to see you! I am Zhao Laowu from Jimingtun. I even bought your 'Cultivation Manual' back in Lintianya Market! It's truly amazing! Following the methods in your manual, my cultivation has been much smoother these past few years!"
Shen Gui nodded calmly, his tone even: "Fellow Daoist Zhao, there's no need for such formalities. Since you've come for help, you must have something urgent to say. Just speak frankly."
Zhao Laowu straightened up, his face full of anxiety, and said in a very fast voice, "Fellow Daoist Shen, you don't know this, but my Jiming Village has been raising spirit chickens for generations, and we are quite well-known around Tingfeng Pavilion. But in the past few months, a demonic beast has appeared out of nowhere and comes to harass our village every few days, specifically to eat our spirit chickens!"
He became more and more agitated as he spoke: "That monster is too powerful. I don't dare to provoke it at all. Every time, I can only hide in the yard and watch it snatch the spirit chicken and run away without daring to utter a sound! If this continues, all the spirit chickens in our Jiming Village will be eaten up. They are the lifeblood of the whole village!"
Shen Gui's eyes darkened slightly as he asked, "How many cultivators are in your family? What is the cultivation level of that demonic beast?"
Zhao Laowu quickly replied, "My family also has an ancestor who is at the fourth level of the Fetal Breathing stage."
He paused, his face full of bitterness, and continued, "Every time that monster comes, it specifically targets the biggest breeding chickens, catching them one by one. My ancestor and I can only hide in the courtyard, praying that it doesn't eat people, and we're just thanking our lucky stars."
"I went to Tingfeng Pavilion for help before, but those great immortal masters were too arrogant and wouldn't even let me in the door, kicking me out directly. I was truly desperate, so I swallowed my pride and came to Immortal Shen for help!"
As he spoke, Zhao Laowu took out two lustrous spirit stones from his pocket, presented them with both hands, and said sincerely, "Fellow Daoist Shen, as long as you are willing to participate, these two spirit stones are a deposit. After the matter is completed, all the spoils will be yours!"
Shen Gui glanced at the two spirit stones, then at Zhao Laowu's anxious face, and quickly began to calculate in his mind.
He had heard of Jimingtun before; it was famous for raising spirit chickens and was quite well-known around Tingfeng Pavilion. If he could take this opportunity to fight against demonic beasts, gain experience, and at the same time bring Jimingtun under his protection to expand the population under the sect's rule, it would be killing two birds with one stone.
Moreover, he currently lacks combat experience. As for the way of swordsmanship and killing, burying himself in hard training has indeed resulted in slow progress. Only actual combat can hone the sword's edge.
"What is the cultivation level of the demonic beast you mentioned? What kind is it?" Shen Gui asked in a deep voice.
Zhao Laowu was so anxious he kept wringing his hands, and he grabbed Shen Gui's sleeve, pulling him outside. "Fellow Daoist Shen," he said, "that demonic beast always comes at night. I haven't even seen its shadow clearly, but I know it's quite large and its aura is very fierce! Please tell me as we walk, I'm afraid if we delay any longer, that demonic beast will come again!"
Seeing how anxious he was, Shen Gui didn't ask any more questions. He turned to Su Wan Niang and said in a calm but unquestionable tone, "Wan Niang, I'm going to Jiming Village with Fellow Daoist Zhao. You and Ahe will take care of the village affairs."
Su Wanniang curtsied, her gentle face full of concern: "Immortal Master, rest assured, Wanniang will take good care of the village. Please be careful on your journey."
Ahe wanted to go with them, but seeing Shen Gui's calm yet unyielding gaze, she pouted and obediently stayed where she was.
After encountering such great danger with Ahe last time, Shen Gui made up his mind not to go to dangerous places again until Ahe was capable of protecting herself.
"Let's go." Shen Gui looked at Zhao Laowu and said calmly.
Zhao Laowu was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly. He led Shen Gui out of the village and headed west along the forest path.
Along the way, Zhao Laowu kept talking about the situation in Jimingtun.
"Fellow Daoist Shen, don't let my current disheveled appearance fool you. My Jiming Village has quite a reputation in Fuxing County. The spirit meat we raise is delicious and full of spiritual energy. In the Tingfeng Pavilion market, many rogue cultivators are willing to exchange it for spirit rice."
He sighed, his face full of bitterness: "But ever since that monster came, our spirit chickens have become fewer and fewer every day, especially those chickens, which are the treasures of the whole village. That monster specifically targets the breeding chickens, catching them every time. It's like my heart is being torn apart!"
"Where is your ancestor?" Shen Gui asked.
Old Zhao shook his head, a helpless look on his face: "Our ancestor is over ninety years old and broke through to the fourth level of the Nascent Soul stage in his early years. His cultivation is not weak. This time, with our ancestor and fellow Daoist working together, even the demonic beasts below the Qi Refining stage are no match for him!"
He paused, his voice lowering slightly: "Our ancestor usually sits in the courtyard, staring blankly at those spirit chickens, muttering to himself, 'This is all the family property I have in this life, I can't let it be ruined by beasts.' Our ancestor has always loved chickens, but lately he's been very distressed."
Shen Gui frowned slightly. If this ancestor was really that powerful, why would he stay inside every time he was disturbed?
"How many times did that monster come? And each time it only caught spirit chickens?" Shen Gui asked.
Old Zhao nodded repeatedly: "I came here three times before I left the village. Each time I only caught spirit chickens. I never hurt anyone or went into the houses, so my ancestor and I kept putting up with it, thinking it would leave after it had eaten its fill. But it's getting more and more greedy. Last time it caught five breeding chickens in one go. If this continues, our Jiming Village will be wiped out!"
A thoughtful look flashed in Shen Gui's eyes.
The monsters don't harm people or enter houses; they only catch spirit chickens. This is either because they are cautious by nature or because they are not strong enough to pick on the weak.
Either way, it's a good thing for him.
The two kept walking, and wisps of smoke could be faintly seen ahead.
"Fellow Daoist Shen, Jimingtun is just ahead!" Old Zhao pointed ahead, his tone finally becoming a little more relaxed.
The two quickened their pace and entered the village.
But as soon as he entered the village, Shen Gui's brows furrowed tightly.
The village is densely packed with neat houses, and is much more prosperous than Daling Village was back then.
However, what was jarring was the rows of white mourning banners hanging from the eaves, and the mournful cries coming from every household.
A gloomy and desolate atmosphere prevailed.
"This..." Zhao Laowu's expression changed drastically, his body stiffened abruptly, his legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to the ground.
He staggered towards the village, his voice hoarse and choked with sobs: "Ancestor! Ancestor!"
A young member of the Zhao family, dressed in mourning clothes, ran out crying and rushed to Zhao Laowu's side, his voice choked with sobs as he cried out, "Fifth Uncle! You're finally back! Ancestor... Ancestor is gone!"
Zhao Laowu was struck dumb, as if by lightning. He stood there frozen, his lips trembling violently, unable to utter a single word.
The young man wiped away his tears and continued, "The night you left, that monster came again! This time it...it ate all our remaining breeding chickens! Our ancestor was so angry that he vomited blood on the spot and collapsed in the courtyard. By the time we found him, he was already...already dead..."
Zhao Laowu trembled all over, tears finally streaming down his face. He knelt on the ground with a thud and roared with heart-wrenching pain, "Ancestor!"
Shen Gui stood at the village entrance, looking at the village filled with mourning and weeping. His eyes were calm as water, but a chill rose in his heart.
That monster was much more troublesome than he had imagined.
It doesn't harm people or enter houses; it only targets breeding chickens. However, in the brief moment when Zhao Laowu was away seeking help, it delivered a fatal blow.
"I'm afraid this beast has developed sentience, or even intelligence."