Nighttime talk in the village

On the old wooden dining table, two worn-out porcelain plates, some even cracked, held pickled small fish and vegetable stalks, and steamed vegetable leaves coated with flour. Three bowls contained some mixed grain rice.

This is what the old Village Chief of Reed River Village usually eats.

But...

This meal was usually enough for him, but with guests visiting and his adopted daughter, whom he hadn't seen for over a year, returning, it seemed rather meager.

So...

Lin Yu and Qin Siyu sat at the table and soon saw the old Village Chief bring out a blackened clay pot with his hands covered in damp cloths.

Thump!

As soon as the heavy casserole was placed on the table, Lin Yu smelled the rich aroma of oil and meat, making his mouth water.

The old Village Chief lifted the pot lid and then looked at Qin Siyu.

"I just made a simple chicken soup... If you had told me you were coming back earlier, I could have started cooking it sooner, and the heat would definitely be more just right now. This is just a makeshift soup. You don't seem to mind, but you, this 'senior' from the Mystic Gate, have come all this way and even brought 'Cold Jade Spring Water' for the villagers. To expect them to drink this kind of half-cooked chicken soup makes our Village seem like we have no hospitality."

The old Village Chief rambled on and on.

Upon hearing this, Lin Yu quickly smiled and said, "It's alright, Village Chief. Your chicken soup looks delicious, and I like chicken with a bit of chewiness."

"Besides, I've been in seclusion lately and haven't been able to eat much... I should let Xiao Qin eat more; she's too thin."

Hearing Lin Yu's words, the old Village Chief sat down as well, patted his thigh, and said, "Daoist, you also think she's too thin, right? I told her long ago to eat more meat, but she insisted that if she ate too much, her agility would slow down, which wouldn't be good for her martial arts practice... What kind of martial art requires you to eat less? Since ancient times, martial arts practitioners have always eaten more meat!"

Qin Siyu said helplessly, "That's what I learned, sir. Stop talking nonsense. What do you know about kung fu?"

As she spoke, she glanced at the bowl. "And isn't that hen you're stewing A Hua? A Hua lays eggs, why are you stewing it!"

"You little brat, you haven't been back for over a year, what do you know? That old hen in the backyard was stewed four months ago. Your Second Aunt of the Liu Family, and she almost didn't make it through the delivery. She needs some old hen soup to nourish herself," the old Village Chief paused, then continued, "But that old hen's chicks have grown up..."

"You've been lazy and ignorant about farming since you were a child, and even now that you're over twenty, you still can't tell the difference between a chick and an old hen."

The old Village Chief hummed in response, but Qin Siyu wasn't annoyed. She just pouted and said, "Oh dear, so you're blaming me now. Isn't it because you, sir, never let me get involved in these things when I was little, telling me to focus on my martial arts training...?"

"Besides, I even brought back the Cold Jade Spring Water... Can't you say something nice about me?"

"Once I get my hands on the Taiyin Moonflower Grass, I can ask Daoist Sect senior Daoist master to refine elixirs to remove the poison. At that time, everyone in the Village will be praising me. If you want to praise me then, you'll have to wait in line."

Qin Siyu said with a grin, and the old Village Chief put down his chopsticks.

"This was indeed well done, Xiao Qin. It spared the villagers from the torment of Fire Poison. The people of Reed River Village should truly be grateful."

"If you can really help the villagers eradicate the Fire Poison in the future... that would be a truly great achievement."

Holding her bowl of mixed grain rice, Qin Siyu seemed a little surprised that the old Village Chief actually praised her, just as she had said.

After all, she had rarely heard this eccentric old man praise her directly since she grew up.

Qin Siyu blinked, then said, "What's wrong, sir? You're praising me like that, it makes me feel quite uncomfortable."

The old Village Chief sighed, "You're not happy even when I praise you... because finding the 'Cold Jade Spring Water' is indeed a great achievement..."

"Besides, even though you had your sect's help, you must have encountered many dangers along the way. It must have been very tough."

"Don't worry too much about that Taiyin Moonflower Grass... When you're out in the world, you should take care of yourself first."

The old Village Chief gave her some advice, and Qin Siyu didn't know how to answer. She could only scratch her forehead with the end of her chopsticks and say, "Don't worry, you said it yourself... I'm all grown up now, not a child anymore. I can take care of myself."

The old Village Chief nodded.

"I know... but if you can take good care of yourself and your circumstances allow, try to go back to the Village more often—it's not good to stay away for more than a year at a time."

"The villagers all miss you, and the kids are always clamoring to see their Xiao Qin... When you're not home, the kids come to bother me every day, it's giving me a real headache."

Qin Siyu smiled helplessly and said, "I'll try my best... but, sir, it might not be possible anytime soon. I came back this time to talk to you about this..."

She looked at Lin Yu, paused, and continued, "Our sect has some matters to attend to right now, so I might have to go to some very far places and won't be back for a while—I can still come back to visit occasionally, but I can't guarantee exactly when."

The old Village Chief frowned. "Going on a long journey? You... never mind, since it's your sect's business, it must be a matter of eliminating demons and protecting the righteous path."

If you have serious matters to attend to... you should prioritize those.

At this point, the old Village Chief also stood up. "I'm full... I'll go tidy up your house—you haven't been back for over a year, and I've been using your room as a storeroom, storing a lot of firewood in it..."

"Master over there, my humble abode is simple; you'll probably have to share a room with me tonight."

Lin Yu said, "I apologize for bothering you—actually, I'm fine even if I don't sleep all night."

"That won't do," the old Village Chief insisted, "This isn't how we, the villagers of Reed River Village, treat our guests!"

Qin Siyu spoke up, "We don't necessarily have to spend the night in the Village... Senior, do we really have that much free time?"

Lin Yu nodded. "There probably is, after all, Daoist Master Xingyi can't be that fast."

"Your elders said it's possible... You need to go back to the Village; you can't just leave after only one night!"

After saying that, the old Village Chief looked at Qin Siyu again. "You should entertain the Daoist priest well. After he finishes eating, leave the dishes and utensils there. Show him around and let him see the scenery of our Reed River Village."

With that, the old man turned and walked into the house.

Qin Siyu winked helplessly at Lin Yu and whispered, "Senior, the old man has a bit of a strange temper, please don't mind it too much."

Lin Yu shook his head. "I don't find anything strange about him... I do think he's a really nice person."

"Alright, I've almost finished eating—as the Village Chief said, how about you take me for a walk?"

The scenery of Reed River Village is indeed beautiful. Not far from the Village, a wide River flows through it, with large patches of reeds growing on the riverbank. As dusk approaches, the setting sun slowly sinks through the gaps in the reeds, turning the sky into a warm color and the River into a pinkish glow, making it a very beautiful sight.

Qin Siyu took Lin Yu for a walk around the area, enjoying the beautiful scenery while also digesting their meal.

Along the way, we also encountered a group of women returning from washing clothes by the river, as well as a few children returning from playing by the river. We exchanged a few pleasantries with them.

Lin Yu could sense that Qin Siyu was clearly somewhat relaxed during this process.

Qin Siyu could also sense that her mood had eased.

So...

As dusk settled and twilight deepened, Qin Siyu, who was on her way back to the village, took the initiative to speak.

"Thank you, senior."

She spoke softly.

Lin Yu walked ahead of Qin Siyu, looking at the road ahead, and casually asked, "What are you thanking me for? You've already thanked me many times along the way for saving my life."

"This isn't about saving my life, it's about thanking you for considering my feelings and letting me have my way," Qin Siyu said softly. "Before leaving, you gave me this opportunity to see my hometown and my fellow villagers... Even if I can't come back for a while, I'll feel more at ease and have no regrets."

Upon hearing Qin Siyu's words, Lin Yu casually replied, "Oh... it's nothing, it just happens that this opportunity arises now."

"But you're much more humane and sensitive than I imagined, senior," Qin Siyu said with a smile. "When we first met... you kept saying you were Yaomo and always trying to scare me. Plus, you're incredibly powerful... I thought that even if you weren't Yaomo, you were probably just an arrogant guy. I never expected you to be so considerate of other people's feelings."

Lin Yu shook his head. "No, not really... In our world, there's a story called 'Wu Qi Sucking Pus,' which tells of a general who sucked the pus from the wounds of his wounded soldiers with his mouth. The soldier's mother was heartbroken when she saw this. When others asked her why, she said, 'He treats my child like this, my son will surely die for him...'"

Qin Siyu blinked. "But senior, you've already saved my life and helped me get the Cold Jade Spring Water. Even if you didn't do those things, I'd still be willing to die for you."

Lin Yu shook his head. "Alright, that allusion isn't quite right. I'm not trying to make you moved by my actions... I just think that since you'll be following me and helping me from now on, it's a good thing to have fewer worries on your mind."

During their conversation, the two found themselves standing once again at the door of the Village Chief's house, which was also Qin Siyu's house.

Lin Yu pushed open the courtyard gate again, the chains rattling. The yellow dog stood up, but when it saw Qin Siyu and him entering, it didn't bark.

"Alright... go to sleep -- we should head back to Nine Cold Mountain tomorrow."

As Lin Yu spoke, Qin Siyu thought for a moment, seemingly having a lot to say.

But in the end, she swallowed those words back.

"Well... see you tomorrow, senior."

Qin Siyu spoke, Lin Yu nodded and also went to the Village Chief's room.

After pushing the door open, Lin Yu saw the Village Chief standing behind it.

Upon seeing Lin Yu, he bowed deeply in respect.

"Master Daoist... I'll have to trouble you to take good care of Qin Siyu from now on."

After the Village Chief finished speaking, he stood up, his body now appearing semi-transparent.