"Visitors, halt~!"
The man guarding the gate bellowed at the top of his lungs.
"Our tiny village and humble temple cannot accommodate passing immortals~ Please find somewhere else, you two~"
Even though the visitors were women, they did not dare open the gate lightly. Jianghu was perilous, and besides, the pair carried blades and bows. What ordinary women from poor households had the ability to travel through the wilderness? Whether strangers were men, women, old, or young, they absolutely could not be allowed in.
What the villagers feared most were strange children in the wild, with strange women ranked second. Such people were either great demons, fiendish masters, or vicious ghosts; they might even be cultivators. The villagers did not care whether that was true. They only wanted strangers to leave.
Feng Ying raised both hands to show that she meant no harm.
"The wind and rain in the mountains are too fierce, and the dampness is heavy. Please allow us into the village to seek a roof over our heads and shelter from the rain and wind."
Cultivators in the Cultivation World rarely spoke so politely to mortals. The two merely wanted a place to rest in peace. Entering the village would be best, but if they could not, they would simply go elsewhere. Any hollow in a withered tree or rocky overhang would do in a pinch.
The man answering from atop the stockade wall looked at the other villagers. Every one of them shook their head.
"Sorry! The village is poor and cannot properly receive two honored guests!"
For countless years, generation after generation had suffered too many losses. Perhaps these two were good people, but everything feared that one remote possibility.
Behind every rule lay a bloody lesson. Unless they were familiar villagers from neighboring settlements,