His Thoughts Were Heard

The old village chief instantly caught on and shot him a vicious glare.

"You're stalling?!"

Shen Leyan smiled. "Haven't you heard the saying? Villains die because they talk too much."

The voice outside was gentle and steady, carrying clearly into the ancestral hall through Spiritual Power.

"If you do not wish your son's soul to be destroyed this instant, forever denied reincarnation, please send our Cloud Radiance Sect disciple out unharmed. Otherwise, none of the villagers involved in this matter, nor any human souls lingering in this world, will be spared."

The old village chief had already signaled for the villager hiding behind the wooden table to light the fuse. At those words, his expression froze, a trace of hesitation crossing his face. Then he demanded viciously:

"Is that your Cloud Radiance Sect's sect leader out there?"

Shen Leyan said, "No idea. How would an Outer Sect disciple like me ever have met the sect leader? But whoever the Cloud Radiance Sect sent to handle this must have a pretty high cultivation level. Taking on your whole village... should be a piece of cake."

In the original novel, Lu Yuanyi had been cold and taciturn.

Someone who said this much probably wasn't him.

The village chief hesitated for a few moments, then shouted:

"If I let him go now, will you really spare me and my son, Daoist?! We'll die either way, so why shouldn't I take my chances?!"

"If you turn back now, I can guide your son's soul onward. The Underworld will judge his crimes, and once he has atoned, he may reincarnate. As for the villagers involved, they will be delivered to the authorities. Whether they are executed or exiled will be determined by the Imperial Court's laws."

Seeing the village chief's expression soften slightly, Shen Leyan knew he was wavering.

He quietly fanned the flames. "What are you waiting for? Why haven't you agreed yet?

Let me tell you, plenty of local gentry and landlords seek out our Cloud Radiance Sect cultivators to guide the dead onward. It's expensive—at least ten taels of silver each time!

This time, your son gets it for free. What a bargain! Don't let this chance slip away!

Besides, if you set off the explosives now, your son will be reduced to nothing too. He can't find a wife and make ghost babies for your Old Li Family in so little time..."

The veins in the old village chief's neck twitched. "Shut up—"

After another long moment, he let out a deep sigh. His back suddenly stooped, as though he had aged more than ten years.

"Enough... You may leave."

"You got it!"

Knowing that any delay could lead to trouble, Shen Leyan gave the old village chief no time to change his mind. He promptly let go and got to his feet, brushing off dust as he sprinted out of the ancestral hall.

Perhaps because he was running for his life, he felt several times faster than usual.

In a flash, he reached the crowd outside.

The Cloud Radiance Sect's Outer Sect disciples stood neatly in two rows. In front of them stood a young man who looked only a few years older than him.

His hair was secured with a jade crown, and he wore a dark blue round-collared robe with a subtle woven pattern. Tall and slender, with clear, handsome features, he had a gentle, refined air.

The ink-black longsword in his hand was already unsheathed. Its blade seemed to be made of an unusual material, with faint blue spiritual energy swirling around it.

Despite the torrential rain, not a single drop clung to his clothes or hair.

Judging by his outfit, he must be Zheng Ziheng, Lu Yuanyi's first disciple.

Shen Leyan drew a deep breath of fresh air, savored the joy of surviving for a moment, and quickly looked Zheng Ziheng over.

He looks like a perfect gentleman. What a shame... Sigh, in this cultivation world, the good die young and the bastards live forever.

As those thoughts ran through his mind, he cupped his hands and bowed to Zheng Ziheng, saying politely, "Thank you for saving me, senior brother."

Then he quickly lowered his head and slipped into the crowd.

The first rule of transmigrating into a cannon-fodder character: never stick your neck out. Being plain and unremarkable was best.

What if he was unlucky enough to catch some big shot's attention, and they made him go first whenever something happened?

It's so dark, and the rain's coming down so hard. Zheng Ziheng probably didn't get a good look at my face, right? Please don't come over and ask whether I'm hurt...

Once he reached the very back of the crowd, Shen Leyan let out an almost imperceptible sigh of relief.

The senior brothers and sisters around him gathered to ask how he was doing. Afraid the commotion would draw Zheng Ziheng over, he hurriedly clutched his chest and coughed twice, pretending to be too weak to speak.

"Shen Leyan was already in poor health, and he's just been through something like that. Let's give him some time to rest."

"Exactly. We can ask him questions once he's recovered a little."

"Come on, get an umbrella over him. Don't let him catch a cold in the rain..."

Summer weather was fickle, and the downpour gradually eased.

Zheng Ziheng put away his longsword. A watery blue gleam flashed, and a porcelain bottle as white as jade appeared in his palm.

"There's a healing elixir inside. Take it to that junior brother from earlier—but don't tell him it's from me. Say it's compensation from the sect."

The Outer Sect disciple took the bottle, inwardly puzzled and envious in equal measure, and brought it to Shen Leyan.

A few breaths later, Zheng Ziheng heard that junior brother's voice again.

A Nine-Turn Soul-Replenishing Pill?! Is the Cloud Radiance Sect this rich? They casually hand out a miraculous healing medicine that can revive the dead and restore flesh to bare bones.

But I didn't get hurt here. I don't need it right now. Should I sell it for silver, or save it for emergencies during the Immortal-Demon War...?

The junior brother seemed caught in a delightful dilemma.

One moment, Zheng Ziheng could hear gold coins raining down with a clatter.

I remember a Nine-Turn Soul-Replenishing Pill can sell for tens of thousands of taels of silver. Where am I going to spend all that money?

Buy some land, buy a house with a courtyard, raise a few chickens and ducks, splurge on a full imperial banquet...

The next moment, he heard a heavy sigh.

Money's no good if I don't live to spend it. When the Immortal-Demon War starts, war will rage all across the Nine Provinces. Sure, there are secluded places where I could hide away, but what if I run into demons or evil cultivators on the way and get hurt?

I'd better keep this medicine to save my life... I'll find another way to make money.

The young man clearly hadn't opened his mouth, yet Zheng Ziheng could hear every word.

It was almost as though... he could hear that junior brother's thoughts.

Sending messages through spiritual sense was hardly an advanced technique. Anyone at the Foundation Establishment stage could do it. But this junior brother clearly hadn't learned any techniques. Besides, who would transmit such strange remarks through spiritual sense?

Things like "the good die young and the bastards live forever," "the Immortal-Demon War," and "war will rage all across the Nine Provinces"...

The righteous immortal sects were flourishing, while the aging Demon Emperor spent most of his time in seclusion. Though demons occasionally caused trouble and took lives, the world was reasonably peaceful, and ordinary people lived securely.

The immortal sects had no intention of going to war with the demons.

Hearing the junior brother still agonizing over silver and survival,

Zheng Ziheng smiled, gentle amusement flickering in his eyes.

The young disciple had probably read too many novels and storybooks, filling his head with fanciful ideas. There was nothing wrong with a little youthful liveliness.

As for being able to hear his thoughts... Zheng Ziheng would ask his master how to resolve that once they returned to the sect.