Fu Yuan Reappears

Early that morning, before dawn had fully broken, 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 toward 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 come and check every day, afraid he might miss it.

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

On the altar table, usually bare and empty, a white ball of light was now hovering.

"It finally appeared!"

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

The light spheres were divided into six grades, from lowest to highest: white, green, blue, purple, orange, and red.

This white light before him was undoubtedly the lowest grade.

In a few strides, he crossed to the table and reached out a finger toward the sphere.

The instant his fingertip touched its glow, 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 silently, receiving the information within.

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

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

The very family that had already been exterminated.

The information said 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, fleeing in all directions.

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

Among them were quite a few skilled hands at tending spirit fields, raising semi-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 wanted to draw talismans on a large scale in the future, he could not rely entirely on outside purchases for those 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 stepped onto the immortal path, he could devote himself wholeheartedly to studying the Dao of Talismans.

But... would this bring him trouble?

The information within the light sphere 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 in the first place.

Logically speaking, taking them in should not invite pursuit, but who knew whether some hidden danger might be planted in the process?

He had already experienced the reliability of "Fu Yuan" a year ago.

Back then, when he explored a cultivator's cave dwelling at night, it had seemed like a nine-deaths-and-one-life ordeal. Yet by following "Fu Yuan's" guidance, he had truly returned safely after a close call.

Since it had suggested that he could take them in this time, the risk should 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 as they slowly approached.

There were around fourteen or fifteen of them, men and women, old and young. Every one of them wore tattered clothes, their faces pale.

At their head walked an old woman with graying hair, leaning on a thick branch.

Several villagers had already gathered at the village entrance to watch. When they saw the group approach, they all retreated a few steps.

The old woman stepped forward and bowed to a decently dressed man among the crowd, a man around forty years old. Her voice was hoarse.

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

"Could you see if there might be a place for us to settle?

"We are all honest folk. We can work, and we will never eat or stay for nothing..."

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

"Elder Sister, it is not that I lack compassion. There are too many famine refugees these days, and the village truly cannot accommodate any more.

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

The old woman opened her mouth, but the light in her eyes dimmed.

With their identities, the authorities avoided them like the plague. How could they possibly issue them any documents?

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

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

"How about this? There is a well in the village. You may draw some water to drink. Once you have drunk your fill, hurry on elsewhere."

The old woman's lips moved. She still wanted to plead for a few more words.

But the young woman in the group, her face mostly wrapped in a ragged headscarf, could no longer bear it. She gently tugged the old woman's arm and said in a low voice.

"Grandmother, forget it... Let us go and look elsewhere."

Her voice caught in her throat, most likely because she could not bear to watch the old woman humble herself any further.

The old woman sighed and turned, preparing to make her way toward the next village.

Just as they staggered onward, having gone no more than a hundred paces from the village entrance, two people stood quietly at the bend in the road ahead.

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

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 developed the habit of bringing her along whenever he went out to handle matters.

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

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

Along their entire journey, everyone they encountered had either avoided or driven them away. This was the first time anyone had approached them of his own accord.

A flicker of hope reignited in the old 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 looked Jiang Fu'an over and asked tentatively.

"Sir, are you from around here? Could you perhaps help introduce us to the village chief?"

Jiang Fu'an shook his head.

"I do not live here. I was merely passing through today while taking my daughter to visit relatives.

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

"May I ask what crafts you all know?"

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

The old woman's eyes lit up with excitement.

"We know all kinds of farm work! Plowing, weeding, fertilizing, harvesting... we are skilled at every one of them. We can surely do it more meticulously than ordinary farming households!"

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

After all, they had only just met. 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 spirit fields for them to cultivate?

Jiang Fu'an did not expose them. He merely nodded slowly.

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

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

"May we ask where your home is? There are so many of us. Can you accommodate us all?"

Jiang Fu'an smiled faintly.

"More than ten li from here, in Xu Family Village. Let alone all of you—even twice your number could fit."

Afraid that this rare stroke of fortune might slip away, the old woman quickly answered before anyone else.

"Good, good! We will follow you to Xu Family Village!"

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