The two followed Elder Wu out of the plaza and through the reveling crowd. Everyone, whether native or soul cultivator, made way for them. Many of the natives even threw themselves to the ground. Even Xiao Hua felt envious at the sight of such fervor.
After great difficulty, they passed through the crowd and reached the rear of the plaza, where a gate guarded by more than a dozen soul cultivators and soul beasts stood.
At the sight of Xiao Mao approaching, these soul cultivators respectfully saluted. Even the soul beasts lowered their heads obediently.
Elder Wu asked a few questions and received several replies before nodding. He then led the way, inviting Xiao Hua and Xiao Mao through the gate built of enormous logs.
Beyond the massive wooden gate stood more crude wooden huts. Elder Wu led them slowly onward, while Xiao Hua had long since impatiently released his Buddhist sense. Yet after looking for quite some time, he found nothing unusual.
Elder Wu had clearly sensed Xiao Hua's position in Xiao Mao's heart, and perhaps had even noticed something peculiar about the item Xiao Mao had bestowed. From time to time, he turned around, addressed Xiao Hua as Elder, and made casual conversation.
Xiao Hua answered him absentmindedly.
After passing through a vast stretch of wooden huts and encountering quite a few patrolling soul cultivators along the way, the three arrived before a slope.
"Caw—" With a birdlike cry, a Qingxi Wuyu descended from the sky and landed directly before Xiao Mao. Its snake-like head, now tame and docile, lowered itself before Xiao Mao's feet. Its tongue even stretched out to lick Xiao Mao's boots!
"This is that old Qingxi Wuyu!" Xiao Hua suddenly understood. "So this thing was here! This must be one of the village's secrets."