Fu Yuan Reappears

At dawn that morning, while the sky was still dim, Jiang Fu'an rose from bed.

He threw on an outer robe and, following his habit of recent days, pushed open the door and headed for the Hall of Sacrifice.

A year had passed, yet "Fu Yuan" had not appeared on schedule.

According to the panel's description, once a full year had elapsed, it could appear on any day thereafter.

He had no other choice but to check every day, afraid of missing it.

The moment he pushed open the Hall of Sacrifice's wooden doors, his gaze was firmly drawn to the offering table in the center.

On the usually empty altar table, a white orb of light was floating.

"It finally appeared!"

Jiang Fu'an's heart first leapt with joy, only for a trace of regret to surface afterward.

From lowest to highest, the light orbs were ranked in six colors: white, green, blue, purple, orange, and red.

The white glow before him was undoubtedly the lowest grade.

He crossed the distance to the table in a few strides, extending a finger toward the orb.

The instant his fingertip touched its halo, the white light seeped into his palm.

A warm current flowed up his arm and reached straight to the space between his brows.

Jiang Fu'an closed his eyes and stood quietly, receiving the information within.

It was only after roughly the time it took to brew a cup of tea that he slowly opened his eyes, surprise on his face.

The information provided by this "Fu Yuan" was actually related to Bamboo Mountain Miao Family, one of the Song Kingdom's seven great cultivation lineages.

The very lineage that had already been wiped out.

The information stated that when the Miao Family fell, the vast majority of its cultivators had been slaughtered, but a group of ordinary people had survived and were now scattered in flight.

Next month, a group of around a dozen people would pass through Peace Town.

Among them were many skilled in tending Spiritual Fields, raising Half-Spirit Beasts, making talisman paper, and preparing cinnabar ink.

If he could take them in...

To be honest, Jiang Fu'an was tempted.

The other crafts were secondary. What he valued most was their skill in making talisman paper and preparing cinnabar ink.

If he truly intended to draw talismans on a large scale in the future, he could not rely entirely on outside purchases for these two basic materials.

The cost was too high, and it would also leave him at the mercy of others.

If he could establish his own supply early on, then once he truly set foot upon the immortal path, he would be able to devote himself wholeheartedly to studying the Dao of Talismans.

But... would this bring trouble?

The information within the light orb also revealed that these ordinary people were not direct members of the Miao Family and possessed no cultivation, which was why they had been spared.

By rights, taking them in should not invite pursuit, but who knew whether it might plant some hidden danger?

He had already experienced Fu Yuan's reliability a year ago.

Back then, sneaking into a cultivator's cave abode had seemed like a brush with death, yet following Fu Yuan's guidance, he had truly returned safely after a perilous but uneventful journey.

Since it had suggested taking them in this time, the risks presumably would not be great.

Then... he would gamble on it.

A month later, at the entrance to Zhao Village on the border of Peace Town.

A group dragged their weary shadows along as they slowly approached.

There were around fourteen or fifteen of them—men and women, old and young—all dressed in rags, their faces pale.

At the front walked an elderly woman with graying hair, leaning on a thick tree branch.

Several villagers had already gathered at the village entrance to watch. Seeing the group approach, they all backed away a few steps.

The elderly woman stepped forward and bowed toward a decently dressed man among the crowd, around forty years old, her voice hoarse.

"Village Chief, we are all refugees from the north. Disaster struck our homes, and we truly had no other choice.

"Could you see whether you might give us a place to settle?

"We are absolutely decent folk. We can work and will never eat or live here for nothing..."

Before she could finish, the man waved a hand and interrupted her.

"Elder Sister, it's not that I lack compassion. There are too many refugees these days, and the village truly has no room to settle anyone else.

"Besides, taking in outsiders requires official documents. Do you have any?"

The elderly woman opened her mouth, but her eyes dimmed.

With their status, the authorities avoided them like the plague. Why would they issue them any documents?

Yet the weather grew colder by the day. If they could not find shelter soon, the few children in their group likely would not survive the winter.

Seeing how pitiful they were, the man softened his tone.

"How about this? There's a well in the village. You can draw some water to drink. Once you've had your fill, hurry on elsewhere."

The elderly woman's lips trembled. She still wanted to fight for a few more words.

A young woman in the group, her face mostly wrapped in a tattered headscarf, could no longer bear it. She gently tugged the elderly woman's arm and whispered.

"Grandmother, forget it... Let's go and look somewhere else."

Her voice was choked with sobs, most likely because she could not bear to see the old woman humble herself further.

The elderly woman sighed and turned, preparing to shuffle toward the next village.

Just as they staggered onward and had gone barely a hundred paces from the village entrance, two figures stood silently at the bend in the road ahead.

One was a steady-faced middle-aged man, holding the hand of a little girl around seven or eight years old.

They were Jiang Fu'an, who had been waiting for some time, and Yue'er, the daughter he had deliberately brought along.

To take them in smoothly, Yue'er, this "good-luck charm," was indispensable.

By now, he had formed the habit of bringing her along whenever he went out to handle affairs.

Once the refugee group drew near, Jiang Fu'an took the initiative to speak.

"Are you all fleeing famine? Do you have anywhere to go?"

Along the way, everyone they had encountered had either avoided or driven them away. This was the first time someone had taken the initiative to speak with them.

A glimmer of hope rekindled in the elderly woman's eyes, and she hurriedly replied.

"Yes. Disaster struck our home, and we had no choice but to leave. We have yet to find a place to settle."

She studied Jiang Fu'an and asked tentatively.

"Are you from around here, young man? Might you be able to introduce us to the village chief?"

Jiang Fu'an shook his head.

"I don't live here. I was passing through today, taking my daughter to visit relatives.

"However, my family recently built a new residence, and we are short of hands.

"May I ask what skills you all possess?"

To avoid revealing the secret of Fu Yuan, he could only pretend to know nothing and ask step by step.

The elderly woman grew excited at once.

"We can do all kinds of farm work! Plowing, weeding, fertilizing, harvesting... We're skilled at every one of them, and we guarantee we work more carefully than ordinary farmers!"

She did not directly mention skills such as cultivating spiritual plants or making talisman paper, and Jiang Fu'an was not surprised.

After all, it was only their first meeting. It was perfectly normal for them to be wary.

Besides, he currently looked like nothing more than an ordinary farmer. Even if they said it aloud, where would he find Spiritual Fields for them to cultivate?

Jiang Fu'an did not expose them, merely nodding slowly.

"You all look tired. Why not come back with me and rest your feet first? As for work, we can discuss it slowly."

The moment he finished speaking, the headscarf-wrapped woman in the refugee group asked warily.

"Where does your family live? There are so many of us—can you accommodate us?"

Jiang Fu'an smiled faintly.

"A little over ten li from here, in Xu Family Village. Not only can I house all of you, I could fit twice your number."

Afraid that this rare opportunity would slip away, the elderly woman hurriedly agreed before anyone else could speak.

"Good, good! We'll go with you to Xu Family Village!"

She knew in her heart that this might be their last thread of life before winter arrived.