At the sight of the figure appearing out of thin air, Old Jack stiffened and nearly fell onto his backside.
He was only an ordinary man who scratched a living from the fields. In all his years, the grandest spectacle he had witnessed was probably a battle between Soul Masters in their twenties in level.
When had he ever seen someone appear out of thin air like this?
Still, Old Jack had lived for nearly a century. After his initial shock, he soon recovered his wits.
Looking closely, he saw that the figure who had appeared looked like a child. Moreover, why did this child look rather familiar?
He felt as though he had seen him somewhere before.
In a flash, Old Jack finally remembered and said in astonishment:
"You... you're the child who appeared at Nuoding Academy this morning?"
He had originally assumed that this child, being the same age as Tang San, had gone to Nuoding Academy to study just like Tang San. Now, however, it seemed he had not gone there to study.
With the ability to appear out of thin air, how could he possibly have gone there seeking an education?
At a glance, he was clearly some unknown powerhouse out experiencing everyday life.
At this thought, Old Jack grew apprehensive, unsure what someone like him had come to Holy Soul Village for.
He hurriedly cupped his hands in a bow, bending his aged back, and spoke in a respectful voice:
"Please forgive me, my lord. I lost my composure just now and became a little agitated. I hope you will be magnanimous. May I ask what brings you to our remote, impoverished Holy Soul Village?"
Seeing Old Jack bow, Lin Chuan helped him upright without another word.
At the same time, he regarded Old Jack with some curiosity. This Old Jack was no ordinary man-he was the grandfather of countless transmigrators.
After all, judging by the fanfiction from his previous life, most of them had been born in Holy Soul Village.
A gentle smile appeared on his face as he said:
"Sir, there's no need for such ceremony. I'm no great figure, merely a passerby. I've come here to ask just one thing: is there a waterfall in Holy Soul Village?"
Despite his words, Old Jack remained bent over, utterly respectful, not daring to overstep in the slightest.
He pondered briefly before answering solemnly:
"My lord, there is indeed a waterfall cascading down the wild mountain behind the village. But the mountains there are high and densely wooded, and the terrain is treacherous and remote. Even woodcutters rarely go there. It's a very desolate place."
Lin Chuan nodded at his reply.
He had intended to ask Old Jack to lead the way, but at the sight of his frost-white hair and hunched back, something stirred in his heart, and he ultimately abandoned the idea.
Lin Chuan had always believed in respecting the elderly and honoring the worthy. How could he bear to make this old man, whose life flickered like a candle in the wind, trudge over those rugged mountain paths?
At this thought, Lin Chuan spoke gently:
"Sir, I have some private business at the waterfall behind the village. Could you point me in the right direction?"
Though doubts crowded Old Jack's mind, how could he dare ask even half a question more?
He immediately extended a hand as thin as kindling, pointed east, and said respectfully:
"Just head east, my lord. After a few li, you'll see a great waterfall."
Lin Chuan nodded.
With a light sweep of his sleeve, a brocade pouch appeared out of thin air in his palm.
He pressed the brocade pouch into Old Jack's arms, a gentle smile appearing on his face:
"Thank you for the directions, sir. Please accept this as a small token of my gratitude."
As his words fell, his figure swept away like a fleeting swan's shadow, speeding straight east and leaving Old Jack standing alone, clutching the brocade pouch in a daze.
Once he recovered, Old Jack untied the brocade pouch with trembling hands.
A golden glow washed over his face, and a pouch full of Gold Soul Coins filled his vision. Old Jack's deeply furrowed face instantly shook with shock, his expression filled with horror.
Wealth moved people's hearts, let alone such sky-high riches that left a person dizzy and dazed.
For a moment, he was at a loss. He had just been about to call out to Lin Chuan, only to discover that the latter was far too fast and had vanished in an instant.
Old Jack's knees buckled, and he fell to the ground with a thud, kowtowing heavily in the direction Lin Chuan had left.
As tears streamed down his aged face, he murmured in a choked voice:
"My lord, why bestow such a generous gift...? All I did was move my lips and point out a road, yet you handed me this heaven-sent fortune. You truly are a tremendously good person."
Indeed, the brocade pouch contained nothing but Gold Soul Coins, and there were truly far too many of them. Never mind an ordinary household-even for the wealthiest family in the village, this entire pouch of Gold Soul Coins would probably cover the living expenses of their whole family for over a decade.
Lin Chuan soon left Holy Soul Village.
Before long, he saw a waterfall cascading down a cliff, its waters surging with a sound like rumbling thunder.
Lin Chuan thought back over the original plot. He remembered that Tang Hao had hidden Ah Yin and her Soul Bone in a cave by the waterfall.
With that thought, he sent his spiritual power sweeping toward the waterfall.
Very soon, Lin Chuan discovered a concealed cave. Its entrance was tightly hidden behind layer upon layer of withered vines and weeds. Without a careful search, he might well have passed right by it.
Lin Chuan arrived at the cave entrance, swept away all the tangled dead vines and withered weeds covering it, and stepped inside.
Once he entered, a damp chill greeted him.
The cave was truly devoid of daylight. Only a few cracks overhead let in a few bleak threads of moonlight, barely illuminating its contours.
For a moment, Lin Chuan hated that beast Tang Hao even more.
That bastard Tang Hao really was as stupid as an ox or a horse, utterly beyond reason.
Ah Yin was a plant to begin with. By placing her in this sunless cave, did that beast not know that depriving plants of the essence of the sun and moon was no different from cutting off their source of life?
The word "stupid" alone could no longer encompass such an act. He was clearly stupid to his very bones.
Fortunately, that beast was dead. Ah, but it really was a pity that he had not properly tortured Tang Hao. Still, it did not matter. At least there were still Yu Xiaogang and Tang San.
A stalk of Blue Silver Grass had been planted in the center of the cave, but it looked lifeless.
That was only natural, though. Tang Hao had placed Ah Yin in this sunless cave, where she could not even absorb enough sunlight. If she could still flourish with lush leaves, that would have been truly bizarre.
The Blue Silver Grass seemed to sense someone's arrival, and its leaves trembled gently.
Within an ethereal space.
A breathtakingly beautiful woman in blue stood all alone.
But she was only a remnant soul, her form insubstantial and wavering like a dying candle in the wind, as though she might dissipate completely at any moment.
She was none other than the Blue Silver Emperor, Ah Yin.
Sensing someone's arrival outside, ripples suddenly stirred in Ah Yin's deathly still heart, and she nearly wept with joy.
Could it be... that Brother Hao has finally come to see me?
Yet once her joy passed, only desolation remained in her eyes. Brother Hao had not come to see her for six whole years. Why was that?
Why has he only come to see me now?
And why did Brother Hao plant me in this sunless cave?
Didn't I tell Brother Hao that whether it's Blue Silver Grass, the Blue Silver Emperor, or any other plant, we all need sunlight to absorb enough nutrients?