Chapter Ten: How Can the World Be Saved If None Strive? Thus Spoke the Monk.

Ugly Girl, remember this well. This feast is to welcome Brother Yu home, so make it with care—don’t be stingy with the meat. Brother Yu is remarkable now, practically a celestial being, you know? Last month, a slip of paper fluttered down before my eyes, saying he’d return today. My goodness, that rascal gave me such a fright. So what if he’s become an immortal? Even if he has, he’s still my son, isn’t he?” Madam Xue called out loudly. Ugly Girl, following behind, smiled softly—no one would have mistaken her for an ordinary village girl.

Though Madam Xue had hurried, she suddenly slowed, continuing, “Remember a few years ago, that boy insisted on leaving to make his way in the world. His father and I forbade it, but he snuck out anyway. It’s been four or five years, and now he’s become some sort of immortal, performing magic for his mother. You know, that slip of paper even brought a ten-tael silver ingot with it. I don’t know how he managed it. That’s the wonder of immortals’ powers—beyond anything we can imagine…”

“When Brother Yu returns, I’ll be sure to talk to him about reclaiming your family’s land. That Sun Er is a real scoundrel—who ever heard of trading one mu for two? How could a third-rate field compare with a prime one? He’s just settling personal grudges, that’s what. No matter what, we can’t let the Xie family suffer such injustice…”

Wu Yue slowly withdrew his spiritual sense from eavesdropping. First, he checked his own condition; he was indistinguishable from a mortal, without a trace of vital energy. But this spiritual sense of his was something terrifying—an aftereffect, no doubt, of having transcended the mortal realm before. Wu Yue could sense it: although not as powerful as in his prime, nearly half of his former ability remained. He wondered, though, whether it could still be called “spiritual sense.” After all, Wu Yue had never followed an orthodox path of cultivation. In terms of common knowledge, he was utterly ignorant.

Wu Yue divided his mind three ways—one part of his consciousness enveloped a hundred-mile radius, though beyond that the perception turned vague. Another part manipulated his energy, cautiously drawing vital breath into his body. The third part raked through his memories, which, he had to admit, were distressingly unclear.

Time slipped by.

Soon, Wu Yue had advanced from a mere mortal to the peak of Qi Condensation. But, attempting to breakthrough to Meridian Unblocking, he encountered considerable trouble. His meridians were simply too narrow—no doubt a matter of talent. Were it not for his formidable spiritual sense, Wu Yue would likely have ended up no different from the masses…

In the distance, two figures entered Wu Yue’s awareness, over a hundred miles away—one was riding a flying sword, carrying another person along.

“Qing, do you think my mother will be excited to see me? You know, when I first said I was leaving to become an immortal disciple, my father hung me up and beat me twice. The moment he let me down, my mother asked, ‘Are you tired? Good, take a rest and let me have a turn!’ That unprecedented mixed double beating lasted an entire day. If it hadn’t been for Uncle Xie, I might never have gotten away. Honestly, I resented my mother at the time, but after five years, I find myself missing her.” Xue Xiaoyu laughed, forming a hand seal that made the flying sword accelerate sharply.

The companion wore a monk’s robe, but the strong arms showing beneath and the whip-like braid of hair betrayed a robust man who looked nothing like a monk. Yet, standing near him, one naturally felt a sense of closeness, unconsciously accepting him as a monk.

“And Uncle Xie—everyone in our village and the neighboring ones respects him. His word carries more weight than the emperor’s. One day, when my cultivation is high enough, I’ll capture the emperor and let Uncle Xie rule. The common people would surely fare better.”

At this, the monk nodded, his voice deep, “If he truly has such ability, letting him be emperor would be excellent.”

Xue Xiaoyu burst out laughing. “And then there’s Aunt Xie—gentle and beautiful, not fierce like my mother, who always looks angry. Aunt Xie can lay out a tableful of delicious food. And her daughter, she must have grown up lovely—I wonder if she’s married yet.”

Qing’s expression suddenly sharpened, and he said coldly, “I sense someone watching us!”

“Could that old man Zhuge still be alive?” Xue Xiaoyu’s face darkened as well.

“Not necessarily. I feel…it’s not quite human.”

“Forget it. To be safe, let’s circle around a bit more.” Xue Xiaoyu made the sword fly even faster.

Wu Yue slowly withdrew his spiritual sense, now sure that the sword-rider was Madam Xue’s son. Yet he was puzzled: to his eyes, Xue Xiaoyu's cultivation was only at Meridian Unblocking, so how could he command a flying sword? As for the monk behind him, Wu Yue could not see through him at all; inside him was a power utterly unfamiliar to Wu Yue.

Where in the world was this place? The chill in Wu Yue’s heart deepened.

Still, the lingering thoughts of his body’s former owner were gradually being erased. Memories began to return—some clearer, some more muddled.

Night was falling, shadows gathering.

By this time, under normal circumstances, the villagers would have finished their evening meal. Yet now, every household was gathered at Madam Xue's home.

In her courtyard, in the neighboring courtyards, even along the road, banquet tables were laid out in a continuous flow. The fragrance of meat and wine drifted on the wind, setting mouths watering and appetites stirring.

“Sister Xue, is Brother Yu really coming back? Maybe he’s lost track of time while cultivating. There’s a saying, you know—when you cultivate, you lose all sense of day and night.”

“Maybe he got lost and forgot the road to our village.”

“Haha, that could be. Maybe something happened to him, or…”

“I always knew Brother Yu was mischievous as a child. Maybe he’s just teasing you now.”

“Exactly—calling him an immortal, but he’s just a monkey in disguise…”

The waiting seemed to have worn away the villagers’ patience; the initial reverence was fading, and their words were growing sharper.

Madam Xue bellowed, “Silence!”

“We’ve all waited all day; saying a few words doesn’t matter,” someone piped up in a mocking tone.

Madam Xue, famed as a formidable woman throughout the region, was not cowed by the speaker—Sun Er—and glared fiercely at him.

“He’ll come home, I’m sure of it. My Xiaoyu might be a handful, but he’s always been true to his word. No one needs to be impatient.” Still, Madam Xue herself was anxious. Had something happened to her child?

“Auntie, shall I keep preparing the Sanfu braised pork?” Ugly Girl—Xie Huanling—asked softly.

“Of course! Why wouldn’t I? That’s Xiaoyu’s favorite,” Madam Xue snapped.

“How would we know how to eat it, though?” Sun Er joked with a greasy grin. After speaking, he looked coldly around. Ever since he’d become the local headman, he’d always been the center of attention. Now suddenly, some brat returns claiming to be an immortal, and Sun Er is relegated to a mere guest. Immortals? Not in my territory.

His words were venomous. Madam Xue, furious, retorted, “Sun Er, you useless wretch, if you won’t eat, get out!”

Sun Er glared back, “You old hag, look at me closely—do you know who I am? Planning to pay more grain in the autumn harvest this year, are you? Damn it.”

A crowd had gathered, but no one intervened. It wasn’t surprising—Sun Er was known for bullying the villagers, and Madam Xue was famous for her sharp tongue. Besides, with all this talk of her son becoming an immortal, feelings in the village were complicated.

Madam Xue grabbed a stool, ready to strike, and Sun Er boldly did the same. The confrontation was about to escalate.

But Xie Huanling held Madam Xue back, soothing her, “Don’t lower yourself to his level…”

“What did you say, girl?!” Sun Er had overheard. “Heh, it’s dark out, but you don’t seem to mind your looks. Tonight your grandpa will come visit you—just wait for me.”

Xie Huanling had never heard such words before; she trembled with fear. Madam Xue was even more enraged, shouting, “Don’t be afraid, Ling girl! If he dares touch you, I’ll see him try!” She was about to lunge, but someone grabbed her arm. She turned to snap, but saw it was her husband.

“Don’t stir up trouble—it’s not worth it for this girl. The local official is more important than the county magistrate.”

“What did you say?!” Madam Xue was even more furious, but in the end, she stayed her hand.

Seeing this, Sun Er grew more arrogant. In this patch of land, who dared challenge him? He glanced at Xie Huanling again, finding her more attractive by the moment, and couldn’t resist—he seized her arm.

Grinning lecherously, he said, “Tonight…”

Before he could finish, a flash of light streaked before his eyes, followed by a sharp pain in his chest. His body flew backward several yards, completely out of control.

The crowd recoiled in terror as a monk descended from the sky. In a cold voice, he declared, “How can one save the world if the people do not work together?”