Chapter 24

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Chapter 24: The Hidden Depths of the Little Village

The Dragon Claw pattern is surely among the first of the Spirit Motion marks in the upper tier. Even if Li Hui felt proud, he knew he didn’t possess such great fortune.

"To activate such world-shaking Spirit Motion marks must surely involve reasons hard to uncover."

Li Hui was deep in thought, pondering, "Given the nature of those high-ranking figures in the sect, they wouldn’t let me roam about freely. So, it’s likely I carry some kind of restrictions within me. No matter what, knowing the hidden hand’s intentions is enough. Since Uncle Sun mentioned that there’s a medical sage in Baisha Slope in Tianlai City, I might as well head there and see if I can figure out my bodily condition."

He carefully stored the nine heads, relied on the silver snake bracelet for protection while it was dormant, and also took along two artifacts: the Earth Yellow Dust Storm Blade and the Green Wood Eight Trigram Shield. He no longer expected to exert extraordinary power; instead, he would use them like ordinary artifacts.

Just then, there was quite a commotion in the courtyard.

Li Hui propped up the wooden window, catching a glimpse in the morning light, feeling a bit dizzy.

"My goodness! This village is so rich, they have stacked up so much food! The silver I gave them might not be enough."

"Master, you are up?" Tie Shuan’s father squinted his bloodshot eyes and bowed to the window. Besides his family, many villagers were standing outside, waiting. They had been dozing off when they suddenly heard a voice from the courtyard and quickly got up to look over the fence.

Li Hui was indeed very hungry, and not just a little hunger; it was more extreme than yesterday. Without caring for appearances, he propped his hands on the windowsill and jumped into the small courtyard, grabbing some braised beef and stuffing it into his mouth, while also snatching a few pieces of flatbread from the basket. A stack of wine jars nearby was quickly consumed in a whirlwind.

Seeing the master eat, and eating so freely, the villagers gave him a thumbs up in admiration. If not for the silver lining his generosity provided, they might have grumbled.

"Master, eat this. This is tiger meat." Tie Shuan’s father swallowed his saliva and pointed to a large cauldron in the yard.

In order to quietly move this impressive cauldron into the center of the yard, twelve strong men had spent two hours last night, sweating hard, finally managing to complete the task with great care.

The cauldron was belching flames, cooking the tiger meat. The burning charcoal was extraordinary, crafted from gold-threaded cloud wood, and even the piled meat around the yard absorbed the delightful smoky aroma.

"Tiger meat?" Li Hui truly didn’t expect to find tiger meat in this little mountain village. In the realm of the Daling Dynasty, due to war and other reasons, every creature that flew in the sky, swam in the water, or hid in the mud eating algae had not escaped the grasp of the hunger sweeping the land. Back in the army, eating a bowl of loaches and tofu was a feast in itself; he had never tasted tiger meat before.

"This tiger meat tends to be a bit tough, so it needs to simmer in the big cauldron for a long time. Master Ma prepared it with thoughtfulness," Tie Shuan’s father said, despite having not slept all night, his spirit was oddly high. For the first time in his life, he was speaking so fluently. He noticed Liu Yuanwai standing outside the yard waving, quickly bent down, saying, "And Liu Yuanwai expresses his respect for you too."

"Oh, more goodwill?" Li Hui smacked his lips, thinking, "Being a cultivator feels so different. It’s even more awe-inspiring than officials. Ordinary folks rush up to curry favor, seeking merely wealth and opportunities."

With this realization, recalling what Sun Zhengyang had said the day before filled him with new insights. He truly understood the clear divide between cultivators and ordinary people, as each belonged to different strata.

"Go! Bring him in." Li Hui reached into his bag of treasures, pulling out several pieces of wind-milled copper and over ten taels of frost silver, saying, "We can’t let everyone work for free. Take this wealth, share it out, and consider the extra as a token of gratitude."

Though he called it gratitude, it was actually two to three times the worth, meant to repay all he consumed yesterday. After Sun Zhengyang’s pointers, this was nothing at all.

Tie Shuan’s father gasped in surprise; how could such a small bag hold so much? He truly gained new knowledge today.

Liu Yuanwai could hardly wait to enter the courtyard. The wooden fence was merely a decoration; everything said inside the yard could be heard clearly. He held up a wooden box respectfully and presented it to Li Hui.

"Century-old ginseng?" Li Hui was greatly surprised, once again regarding this little mountain village with fresh eyes. Having cultivators guarding it made a significant difference. If all villages in the Daling Dynasty reached such levels, then a peaceful era would not be far off.

"Excellent, this item is of use to me."

Cultivators cultivate their lives, and a century-old ginseng could extend life. For others, it might not mean much, but for a cultivator with only a few years left, it would be entirely different. Perhaps it could be the guarantee for living another six months.

Li Hui was straightforward. He immediately took out two small wooden bottles and instructed, "I am an outer disciple of the Jade Symbol Sect. This alchemy is called Lingxi Pill. Each bottle contains twelve pills. Let your family members take one pill facing the sun every sunrise for two years. If they can quickly draw spiritual energy, they have the chance to become a cultivator."

These two bottles of pills naturally came from Brother Zheng Zheng Tianxiang’s "gift." Li Hui had not consumed all twenty-four Lingxi Pills, and that was one reason he hadn’t activated his Spirit Motion marks yet. However, after successfully activating the marks, these pills would no longer be useful, making them perfect for fostering the younger generation.

"Thank you, Master." Liu Yuanwai was overjoyed. He didn’t care much for the Lingxi Pills; he was truly happy that he had guessed right: a sect member! Everyone knew the prestigious name of the Jade Symbol Sect within a thousand miles. If they maintain goodwill in the future, it would be far more reliable than the protection from Ancestor Sun Zhengyang.

Li Hui did not consume the century-old ginseng; this item should only be used at critical moments to maximize its medicinal effect. If he could find someone to refine Revitalizing Ginseng and Deer Antler Pills, he believed living another year or two would not be a problem.

After consuming a whole cauldron of tiger meat, it transformed into warmth within him.

This was indeed nourishing, and with it as a foundation, his hunger quickly subsided, making for a much less unsightly eating manner.

By noon, Li Hui finally patted his belly, gathered a few baskets of choice meats and dried fruits, and bid farewell to Tie Shuan’s family, walking towards Sun Zhengyang’s residence.

"Li Hui has come!" The refined elder sat under the Peach Blossom Tree, sipping tea. He was aware of Li Hui’s request for villagers to gather food; this action felt somewhat unusual. However, every cultivator harbored secrets, and prying into others’ affairs was not the behavior of an elder.

"Uncle Sun!" Li Hui clasped his fists and cut to the chase, "I won’t hide it from you; I have some grievances connected to me, and I don’t know when my enemies might come looking. Shanghe Village is peaceful, and I don’t wish to disrupt that peace, so I’ve come to take my leave."

Sun Zhengyang nodded, "You have a steadfast nature and a clear sense of grievances and gratitude. I hope you can persevere. I mentioned yesterday, I want to show you a good thing, and I will give it to you. Hehe, here it is."

"Creak, creak, creak…"

Hearing the sound, Li Hui immediately turned around, and he couldn’t help but be surprised…