Not the entire village belonged to the Ruthless Bloodline; much like the Shaking Light Sacred Land of later generations, they had simply blended in and lived under assumed names.
They could hide anywhere, and as long as they acted like ordinary people, mortals could never see through their disguise.
Yet why this village?
Zhang Huan could not figure it out.
Seeing that these villagers did not know the details, Zhang Huan did not make things difficult for them; he simply asked about the background of the owner of that strand of divine sense in the village.
His spiritual sense swept across the entire village. Most of those who had not come to the head of the village were the old, the weak, women, and children, who were being protected and hiding in their own homes.
Only one old man stood openly among the courtyards, waving as if he had seen Zhang Huan, his face kind and amiable, without a single trace of hostility perceived.
"Do you all know who the old man living at the third house in the south of the village is?"
Zhang Huan helped the village chief up and asked.
"Th-That is."
The village chief stammered, unable to recall for a moment.
Having just saved this group of villagers, hearing Zhang Huan inquiring, quite a few people crowded around, telling all they knew.
"Isn't that the home of Old Man Mu in our village? How does the Immortal Master know?"
"How could the methods of an Immortal Master be something you can imagine, you bumpkin."
A middle-aged peasant with a somewhat honest appearance scratched his head in surprise.
Hearing this, the village chief suddenly came to his senses and recalled the relevant memories.
"Immortal Master, that old man came to our village more than fifty years ago. I don't know what his name is, but his whole family looks like they were cut from the same mold, and usually he has little contact with people."
"That old man likes to carve wood quietly by himself, so the villagers often call him Old Man Mu."
"He has a son under his knee. I heard that his wife died early, and his son does business outside the village and rarely comes back. Over so many years, we've only run into him a few times. Both father and son have eccentric personalities and are taciturn."
The village chief introduced his impression of Old Man Mu from the time he came to the village until now.
"A while ago, someone even tried to matchmake for his family, wanting to fix up the man in his house, and it almost turned them into enemies."
After listening, he gained nothing; he only knew that the two of them, old and young, belonged to the Ruthless Bloodline, and nothing else had been ferreted out.
"You all, go back and have people pack up some things and run toward the outside of the village. Run as far as you can, and don't come back until there is no movement by dark."
"This Immortal Master, could it be that you have a grudge against this family? Or has his good-for-nothing son offended you?"
Hearing that the situation was taking a bad turn, the village chief plucked up his courage and spoke out, but Zhang Huan was noncommittal.
"Although that old man isn't very likable on usual days, his nature isn't bad either. He's already a man with one foot in the coffin—"
Tears moistened the lapel of his clothes as the village chief pleaded for Old Man Mu.
Having lived together in the same village for half a lifetime, to say there was not a shred of affection would be impossible. He could sense that this Immortal Master was not some unreasonable person, otherwise he would not have saved the villagers just now.
"I'll give you half an hour. If you stay in the village any longer, bear the consequences yourselves."
Zhang Huan glanced sideways, showing not a shred of mercy as he spoke coldly.
It was not that he was ruthless. Judging by what they had just said, the old man's son had been away all year round, and he must have been that middle-aged-looking Saint King, who had already been butchered.
With only the old man left, like a trapped beast in a lair, once someone sought him out, any crazy counterattack from the other party was to be expected.
With his background unclear, he could not afford to take him lightly. When they started fighting later, mortals would be like blades of grass. Unable to save them one by one, it was better to evacuate them directly so that he could act without restraint when they finally broke with each other.
"I've already told you what needs to be said. Live or die, choose for yourselves."
Zhang Huan left the group of villagers behind and walked straight toward the center of the village. With every step he took, his footprints stirred the terrain, and golden Dao patterns sank deep into the earth to investigate and prevent falling into trap formations.
The villagers looked at each other in dismay, unable to make up their minds. In the end, the village chief issued a helpless call to action, and the crowd hurried back home to pack their luggage.
After a long time had passed, and after checking countless times, having walked straight for hundreds of steps, Zhang Huan stopped outside the courtyard where Old Man Mu stood.
"Young man, why don't you come in?"
The old man stood with his hands behind his back, a peaceful smile on his aged face.
As if he had long known that Zhang Huan was coming here, he had already prepared hot tea, waving leisurely to signal him over.
One could see that his teeth had nearly all fallen out, leaving his mouth bare and looking aged beyond recognition.
Upon careful observation, a sharp glint still flashed within those turbid eyeballs, revealing his essence, Qi, and spirit, as if hinting at the extraordinary might concealed within this aged frame.
Peak Saint.
Zhang Huan waited quietly, secretly analyzing the opponent's strength.
"This tea is rare in the world, and even a Holy Lord would drool at the sight of it. I brewed it for you today, wouldn't it be a pity not to taste a cup?"
"I don't dare to go in. I'm afraid I'll fall for your tricks and get ambushed by you."
Zhang Huan said flatly, making no effort to conceal the killing intent on his body as he made the purpose of this trip explicit.
"That is truly a pity. Clearly, I only wanted to invite you to drink a cup of hot tea and have a proper chat."
"What is there for us to chat about? I killed your son, does that count?"
Zhang Huan said with a light smile, his expression entirely relaxed, as if it were a trivial matter of no concern.
Yet upon hearing this, Old Man Mu trembled all over, his chest heaving violently. It was as if his reverse scale had been touched, and he glared at Zhang Huan, gnashing his teeth.
"I thought I could hold out until I lured you inside and hacked you to pieces, but I still underestimated the pain of losing a son."
His fingertips involuntarily gouged out blood, and his previous leisurely and natural expression vanished entirely from his face. He stopped pretending altogether, and what met the eye was sheer distortion and hatred.
"You deserve to die, I want you to pay with your life for my son!"
"Your son killed countless people, committing towering evils using the Heaven Swallowing Demonic Art. Dying is only getting what he deserved; where does paying with a life come into play?"
Zhang Huan sneered in response. How few people had the Ruthless Bloodline killed? Why had he never seen them pay with their lives for others?
"Shut your mouth! That is my son!"
Old Man Mu looked fiercely toward Zhang Huan like a roaring beast, his eyes stained entirely crimson as he bellowed frantically.
"A bunch of damned beasts! Forcing my son to flee in panic with his life in jeopardy at any moment, wasting his great talent in vain and making it hard for him to achieve the Dao."
Finished speaking, his face twisted, his blood-stained hands clutching his head as he roared.
Hmph, as expected, birds of a feather, neither of them is anything good.
Zhang Huan cursed inwardly.
As expected of the Ruthless Bloodline, even their moral bottom line was so peculiar: it was fine for others to be killed by your son, but your son could not be killed by others. What kind of trash were they, completely rotten to the core.
"Now that he is dead, I have nothing left to live for. I will fight you with this old life of mine and must avenge my son!"
His white hair gradually fell out, and Old Man Mu instantly looked as though he had aged a hundred years. His face was withered like a piece of dead wood, soaked in blood, turning him into a terrifying monster.
Zhang Huan gave a mocking, cold snort, watching from beginning to end without the slightest ripple in his emotions.
The fire of the opponent's life was like a candle in the wind, but his strength was steadily climbing instead, as he used a secret technique that sacrificed his life.
Putting up a front to buy time was actually a desire to avenge his son.
Yet his cultivation realm was too low, and Zhang Huan did not believe for a second that he could threaten him.
The old man was originally at the Sage realm, and at the cost of the essence of his lifelong lifespan, he had merely briefly crossed over into a Saint King.
"With just this bit of strength of yours, you can't kill me."
Zhang Huan relied on the fact that a mere Saint King could not break through his defense, and told the other party to pull out whatever trump card they had right now.
"Heh, heh heh heh..."
Old Man Mu abruptly stopped his wailing, as if his mind had also unraveled, and turned his head to laugh madly. The corners of his mouth split all the way to his earlobes, his eye sockets hollow, his appearance horrifying.
"Did you think... why I let you come in?"
Before you continue