117: Encountering Xing Yunting again

"Wait..."

"Isn't this the valley where I previously harvested the spirit cleansing fruit?"

Chu Yuan looked surprised, suddenly stopping in mid-air, his gaze fixed on the valley below.

"Did I... did I circle around and come back here again?"

His expression was uncertain and astonished. He didn't believe there could be two identical valleys in this world.

Even if the valleys were similar, the minor details inside couldn't possibly be exactly the same, right?

So, he had returned here?

For a moment, Chu Yuan's heart felt complicated.

"Chu Yuan, do you remember this place?"

Seeing his complex expression, Little White blinked and asked.

Chu Yuan nodded.

"There is a village not far ahead. Let's go check out the situation there first."

Hearing this, a strange light flashed in Little White's eyes, and it seemed hesitant to speak.

Chu Yuan, however, didn't notice this and flew toward Xiao Huang Village on his sword.

It had been two years since he left the village. Since he was passing by, there was no reason not to go in and take a look.

But a moment later.

Looking at the scene before him, he hovered blankly in the sky, his eyes slowly turning red.

Where Xiao Huang Village once stood, there were no signs of people, only desolation and loneliness.

"H-how could this happen?"

Chu Yuan looked down in disbelief, descending step by step from the high altitude, his expression filled with grief.

Seeming to sense that Chu Yuan's emotions were unstable, Little White hesitantly asked, "Chu Yuan, were there people important to you here?"

Chu Yuan nodded silently, holding it as he slowly walked into Xiao Huang Village.

At this moment, Yin Fiend Qi still lingered in the village. The houses were dilapidated, and strange black claw marks remained on the walls.

A scent of decay permeated the air, a result of the place being uninhabited for a long time.

With every step he took, his heart tightened a little more.

Looking at the ruined scenery, he could imagine the fear and helpless struggle of the villagers when they faced the Ghostly Creature invasion.

The village had a Low-grade Spirit Treasure level evil suppressing bell, yet this still happened.

It was clear that the ghost clan that invaded the village back then was definitely not simple.

He quickly moved through the village and soon confirmed one thing:

The village protecting bell was destroyed, and not a single person survived!

Chu Yuan's expression was sorrowful, and his state of mind was faintly unstable.

Suddenly, he found a familiar jade pendant near a ruin.

Trembling, he picked up the jade pendant, and the image of a little girl appeared in his mind.

That was a neighbor girl from his clan, a little girl who liked to call him Big Brother Ergou.

But now, she was likely... Chu Yuan clenched the jade pendant in his hand, took a deep breath, but his heart remained restless.

"I thought the Karma between us was settled, and that I could abandon everything. Only now do I realize how ridiculous I was back then."

He murmured softly, his eyes gradually growing cold.

He turned back to look at the village, a hint of ruthlessness appearing in his eyes.

"Uncle Zhang, I will avenge you all. May you... rest in peace!"

With that, he turned to leave the village and search for the Fifth-Rank Ghost King that Little White had mentioned.

There was only that one Fifth-Rank Ghost King nearby. Chu Yuan did not believe he knew nothing about this incident.

Perhaps, he was the one who did it!

As Chu Yuan thought this, he suddenly frowned slightly and looked into the distance.

"Someone is coming!"

As soon as he spoke, a golden light streaked across the sky and landed right in front of him.

"Huh?"

The moment the person landed, he exclaimed in surprise, "It's you, kid! What are you doing here?"

Seeing the person before him, Chu Yuan also raised an eyebrow slightly. It was an acquaintance?!

What a coincidence?

Wasn't this the person who had saved him when he was being chased by the Night Mantis back then?

His name seemed to be... Xing Yunting?!

Chu Yuan stepped forward, narrowing his eyes. "Senior Xing, why are you here?"

Xing Yunting shook his head, sighing. He said, "What else could it be? Ghostly Creatures have been rampant in this area this year. The higher-ups sent us to investigate their lair."

"If possible, we are to find a way to eliminate the group of Ghostly Creatures causing trouble."

As he spoke, he looked at Chu Yuan. "You still haven't told me, kid, what are you doing here?"

But right after asking, he suddenly noticed that Chu Yuan's expression was off.

He couldn't help but narrow his eyes, glancing at the village behind Chu Yuan, and asked in surprise, "Are you from this village?"

Chu Yuan nodded, his expression somewhat low and sorrowful. "To be honest, Senior Xing, I am indeed from here. I never expected that after two years away, I would be separated from those uncles and elders by Yin and Yang."

Hearing this, Xing Yunting's expression froze. He stepped forward and patted his shoulder.

"Come with me. I gathered their remains and buried them together nearby."

Hearing this, Chu Yuan's pupils constricted. He asked in a deep voice, "Senior, you know what happened here. Who did this?"

Xing Yunting shook his head. "I don't know either. I discovered this place half a month ago."

"At that time, all that was left in the houses were piles of skeletons. I couldn't bear to leave their bodies exposed in the wilderness, so I buried all of them outside the village."

Hearing this, Chu Yuan couldn't help but close his eyes slightly and gently took a breath.

"Thank you, Senior!"

He cupped his hands in gratitude. "Senior, you have helped me twice. Junior Chu Yuan has no way to repay you."

"In the future, if Senior has any instructions, as long as they do not violate righteousness and do not require this Junior to seek death, this Junior will not refuse."

Xing Yunting nodded slightly. "Alright, come with me!"

Chu Yuan nodded, holding Little White as he followed.

The two arrived at a desolate plain and saw a small mound of earth.

In front of the mound, a stone tablet stood, with nothing written on it.

Xing Yunting said, "I didn't know them, nor could I distinguish their identities, so I buried them all together here."

"You might be able to distinguish some of them. If you feel it's necessary, you can dig them all up and rebury them."

"But I need to remind you of one thing: when I collected them, they were only skeletons, without clothes, so there wasn't much difference. It might be difficult to distinguish them."

Hearing this, Chu Yuan pondered for a moment, then shook his head.

"Since they cannot be distinguished, let's not disturb them. Let them rest."

As he spoke, he formed a sword with his fingers and carved five large characters onto the stone tablet:

"Tomb of Xiao Huang Village"

The moment the final stroke fell, a fierce Sword Intent swept out.

With the existence of this Sword Intent, even Third-Rank Demons, monsters, ghosts, and ghouls would steer clear of the area within a thousand meters.

This could grant them a little peace!

Seeing this, Xing Yunting looked surprised.

He hadn't noticed earlier, but this kid had actually achieved a Breakthrough to the Spirit Crystal Realm?!

Judging by his aura, his cultivation seemed even higher than his own. Was that even possible?

They had only been apart for two years, right?

What did this kid eat?

"Little Chu... Fellow Daoist, where have you been these past two years? How did your cultivation Breakthrough so quickly?"

Chu Yuan returned to his senses and shook his head. "That day, I was originally going to Cuiyun City, but I didn't know the way, so I headed in the direction you came from."

"Unexpectedly, I got lost because of that, and I was eventually trapped in a special place where I gained a small Opportunity. My cultivation also achieved a Breakthrough there."

Hearing this, Xing Yunting's eye twitched slightly. Was this luck even real?

As for whether Chu Yuan was lying to him?

He could still tell a little. Although the other party hadn't told the full story, he wasn't lying.

"You kid... you really have good fortune!"

Xing Yunting sighed with emotion, his eyes filled with envy.

Chu Yuan managed a small smile, said nothing more, and looked deeply at the mound before him.

"Uncle Zhang, wait for me. I will send the Ghostly Creature that killed you all down to accompany you."

With that, he looked at Xing Yunting. "Senior, you must have been investigating the movements of the Ghostly Creatures recently. Have you found anything?"