"The Zhao Family Village is just ahead, Immortal Master."
Zhao Quan said cautiously.
He did not know why this Immortal Master had been perfectly fine yesterday, yet wore a conical hat today.
Still, he had brought a weapon. Though no matter how he looked at it, it seemed like an Iron Staff.
Perhaps it was some immortal magic artifact.
"Mm."
"Take me to see your village chief."
"No one else needs to show themselves. This Immortal Master dislikes crowds."
Song Chengan said.
After questioning Zhao Quan thoroughly yesterday, he had deduced that the Monster was not particularly strong. At the very least, once he used the Summoning God Technique, he had nothing to fear from it.
So Song Chengan had come.
He wanted those hundred taels far too badly.
As for the conical hat—
And his claim of disliking crowds—it was simply because he did not want to run into that Zhao family girl.
It was all that fool Black Bear's fault. Otherwise, how could there be so much trouble?
"This lowly one will take you to see the Village Chief at once, sir!"
Zhao Quan attended to him with utmost care.
He had long heard that these Immortal Masters were mercurial, and he truly did not dare slight him in the least.
"Old Village Chief! Old Village Chief!"
"I-I brought back an Immortal Master!"
As he spoke, they arrived before a grand residence.
This residence was truly imposing.
Even in Lingqiu City, anyone who could afford to live in a residence like the one before Song Chengan was either wealthy or noble.
It seemed this so-called village chief was the Clan Leader of Zhao Family Village.
Song Chengan knew that in these villages below, a single village was usually made up mostly of one clan, and the Clan Leader held supreme authority.
They were the maintainers and beneficiaries of the patriarchal system.
For many matters, they would use Patriarchal Law to settle them, even resorting to private punishment.
They were utterly lawless.
Yet the Government Office liked it.
Because these clans could keep the villages below stable.
Though Patriarchal Law might create wrongful grievances, what did that matter?
What the Government Office wanted was stability.
As Song Chengan pondered, a group of people emerged, both old and young.
They seemed to be the more prominent figures of Zhao Family Village.
The man at their head was over sixty, leaning on a cane.
Yet what surprised Song Chengan was that the Old Village Chief's face immediately turned troubled the instant he saw him.
At that moment, Zhao Quan stepped forward and said something beside the Old Village Chief.
Song Chengan waited quietly.
The Old Village Chief waved away everyone beside him, then walked over and carefully cupped his hands. "May I ask upon which immortal mountain this Immortal Master cultivates, and what Dao teachings you practice?"
Song Chengan was somewhat surprised.
This Old Village Chief had seen the world.
He cupped his hands.
"I cultivate in all four directions and follow the Dao teachings of ten thousand households."
"Tell me about the Monster."
He could hardly say that he cultivated on Mount Luo and had learned the Dao from a Monster.
If he truly said that, this Old Village Chief would likely report him to the Government Office at once.
The Old Village Chief visibly let out a breath of relief.
"Our village was originally peaceful. Then, for some unknown reason, this Monster came."
"It demanded that we offer it young boys and girls."
"Of course, we were unwilling."
"So this Monster began killing one person each day."
"With no other choice, we went everywhere seeking capable people."
"A few capable people did come, but the moment they saw the Monster, they all fled in terror."
"Oh? Hasn't a true capable person arrived now?" Song Chengan boasted shamelessly.
"Immortal Master, please let me finish."
The Old Village Chief cautiously studied Song Chengan's expression. "Had the Immortal Master come yesterday, we naturally would have been overjoyed."
"But today..."
"What happened today?"
Song Chengan asked in confusion.
"Could it be that someone has already eliminated the Monster?"
If that were truly the case, then he would have made this trip for nothing.
"It is not that the Monster has been eliminated."
"It is that a High Monk arrived today, a Grand Sorcerer from Xuanqing Temple."
"The Grand Sorcerer has gone out to seek the Monster."
The Old Village Chief said this much.
"So...?" Song Chengan raised his brow.
After hemming and hawing for so long, what exactly was this Old Village Chief trying to say?
Could it be that he wanted him to have a contest of magic with that Xuanqing Temple sorcerer?
If that were the case, then he needed to leave.
Xuanqing Temple was no trifling place.
There were three thousand monks in the temple, and its abbot was even said to have Enlightened to Arhat Fruit Status.
How could he afford to provoke such a force?
As a Rogue Cultivator, he absolutely could not provoke people like them.
It was not cowardice.
A wise man submits to the times.
"If the Grand Sorcerer sees that we have also invited an Immortal Master, he may be displeased," the Old Village Chief said after hesitating.
Then he beckoned.
Someone quickly presented a tray.
The Old Village Chief took it.
"Immortal Master, this is ten taels of silver, to serve as your travel expenses."
"I hope the Immortal Master will not disdain it."
"So that was it."
"Old Village Chief fears that if the Grand Sorcerer sees me, he will be unhappy, thinking your village hired two people."
"At the same time, Old Village Chief believes my cultivation is surely inferior to that Grand Sorcerer of Xuanqing Temple, so he wishes to send me away."
"When Old Village Chief said these words, he was somewhat anxious. I presume he fears that the Grand Sorcerer from Xuanqing Temple may return at any moment."
"Th-this..." The Old Village Chief looked somewhat embarrassed upon hearing this.
"As expected of an enlightened master, Immortal Master. You have seen every last one of this old man's thoughts as clearly as daylight."
"I hope the Immortal Master will be understanding."
"It is not that this old man is snobbish. The Monster is simply too vicious."
"I understand."
"In that case, I shall not disturb your village any longer."
As Song Chengan spoke, he accepted the ten taels of silver.
Though he was somewhat regretful that he had failed to earn those hundred taels—
Ten taels for merely taking a trip was not a loss.
Song Chengan put away the silver and turned to leave.
"Immortal Master!"
"Immortal Master, please wait!"
Yet before he had gone far from the village, someone came galloping after him on horseback.
He turned around.
It was Zhao Quan, his face filled with urgency.
"Something wrong?"
Song Chengan looked at Zhao Quan.
"Immortal Master, please save my Zhao Family Village!" Zhao Quan swung down from his horse.
"Oh? Did your village not find a Grand Sorcerer from Xuanqing Temple?"
Song Chengan found this rather strange.
"That Grand Sorcerer... that Grand Sorcerer... was injured by the Monster and is at death's door..."
"Please return with me, Immortal Master. Save the Grand Sorcerer, save my Zhao Family Village!"
Song Chengan hesitated.
They had just dismissed him with ten taels of silver. If he went back the moment they called, it would be rather cheapening himself.
"Immortal Master, we were ignorant just now. Please save us!"
The moment Zhao Quan saw this, he hurriedly dropped to his knees.
"Take me to have a look."
Song Chengan returned to Zhao Family Village once more.
Then he saw a monk whose face was pale, whose breath was as faint as a thread.
This monk was different from the Xuanqing Temple monks he had seen before.
The Xuanqing Temple monks he had seen in the past were all fair-skinned and tender-fleshed, with arrogant, overbearing expressions that looked down on everyone.
But the monk before him was gaunt-faced and dark-skinned. When he saw Song Chengan, his eyes revealed a pleading look.
How strange.
Could he be someone ostracized within Xuanqing Temple?
"Immortal Master, please save him!"
The moment he saw Song Chengan—
The Old Village Chief looked as though he had seen a savior.
He was terrified now. If this Grand Sorcerer from Xuanqing Temple died in Zhao Family Village, then Zhao Family Village would be in for more than it could swallow.
Were the monks of Xuanqing Temple people to be trifled with?
"Everyone, stand back!"
Song Chengan supported the monk.
Then he pressed both hands against the monk's back and injected the True Qi within his body into him.
Very soon, the monk's complexion became rosy again.
"His life is no longer in danger. Find a physician and have him prescribe some medicine for internal injuries."
Song Chengan was somewhat puzzled.
Why was there not even a trace of True Qi within this monk's body?
Before you continue