377: Chapter 377 A New Crisis, Taking Qu Xiaohuan Away?

Chu Sheng stayed in Qingshi Town for a few more days.

He was not in a hurry to do anything major; these past few days, he simply practiced swordplay in the courtyard every day, repeatedly pondering the circulation method of the four swords of zhuxian several times.

The four swords no longer had that sense of estrangement to him, and each one felt like an extension of his arm.

With a mere shift of his mind, the swords would follow; without needing to deliberately urge them, the weather within a radius of hundreds of miles would change accordingly.

The Ancestor Demon Body was also gradually adapting, and that newly born Devilish Qi circulated smoother and smoother within his body.

Although it was still far from being completely mastered, at least it would no longer churn up from time to time like it did when it first formed.

Lin Wanqing's medical skills progressed by leaps and bounds on her side, and Li Zhiyi's fire affinity was also steadily strengthening; these should be the continuous effects of the encounters from Many Children, Many Blessings.

Chu Sheng did not pay excessive attention, but he also kept an eye on their movements from time to time.

That afternoon, Chu Sheng was sitting in the courtyard drinking tea when he suddenly sensed a familiar aura approaching from the direction outside of Qingshi Town.

It was neither Killing Intent nor probing, but rather that unfathomable aura he was familiar with, carrying a certain ancient texture.

He put down his tea cup and looked up toward the entrance of the town.

Bearded Uncle.

That Bearded Uncle still looked the same, wearing a dusty old Daoist robe, with a jade pendant of indiscernible material hanging at his waist.

His pace was unhurried, as if he were here to stroll through a market.

When he walked to the entrance of Chu Sheng's courtyard, he paused for a moment, his gaze falling upon Chu Sheng without completely ignoring him like in the previous simulation.

Instead, he looked him up and down and then slightly knitted his brows.

Chu Sheng sensed that that gaze lingered on his body for more than double the time compared to last time.

However, Chu Sheng felt a bad premonition in his heart, given that he had already achieved a Divine Ability, yet he still could not see through Bearded Uncle.

When Bearded Uncle looked at him during the previous simulation, that look was just like looking at someone by the roadside, completely disregarding Chu Sheng's opinion and sweeping past with a single glance.

But this time it was different; that gaze clearly paused on him for a moment, as if confirming something, and then his brows furrowed even deeper.

"Fellow Daoist?"

Bearded Uncle spoke, his tone carrying an indescribable nuance.

"Who are you? Why are you by our clan's young lady's side?"

Holding his tea cup, Chu Sheng did not rush to stand up, nor did he panic.

He quickly reviewed all the information about this Bearded Uncle from the previous simulation in his mind.

With his cultivation at the Early Stage, he still completely failed to see through this person's depth.

This indicated that either his cultivation was higher than that realm, or he carried some kind of Magic Treasure capable of completely obscuring his aura.

Chu Sheng leaned toward the former.

"Senior is joking."

Chu Sheng put down his tea cup, stood up, and cupped his hands.

"Junior Chu Sheng is temporarily residing here. Xiao Huan is indeed at this place; she suffered some injuries earlier, and Junior has taken care of her for a period of time."

Bearded Uncle did not reply. He stared at Chu Sheng for a moment, his gaze repeatedly patrolling over his body, as if re-evaluating a person's weight.

Then he spoke, his tone carrying a rare trace of seriousness: "The Northern Region has always been barren, with most of it being the territory of the Demon Race. For a Human Race Cultivator with a Divine Ability to emerge from here—that is simply too outrageous."

He paused for a moment and said again: "What is your background? Logically speaking, with your cultivation, you would be a top-notch expert in any region; you shouldn't be obscure. I have also traveled through the Northern Region a few times, yet I have never heard of a person like you."

His gaze became even more focused, as if carefully observing Chu Sheng, attempting to find any clues from his expression and reaction.

Chu Sheng did not avoid that gaze, nor did he deliberately display anything.

He simply stood calmly in place, his tone unhurried: "Junior has some Opportunity, stumbling along to reach this step. Is Senior here to look for Xiao Huan?"

Just as Bearded Uncle was about to say something more, the courtyard gate was pushed open.

Qu Xiaohuan walked in carrying a small plate of freshly washed spiritual fruits, and upon seeing Bearded Uncle, she froze for a moment.

A surge of memories uncontrollably flooded into Xiao Huan's head.

Immediately, a look of pleasant surprise appeared on her face: "Bearded Uncle! Why have you come?"

Bearded Uncle's gaze lingered on Chu Sheng for another moment before turning away. When looking at Qu Xiaohuan, his tone noticeably softened by a few shades.

"Xiao Huan, how have you been living here? The family back home has always been missing you."

Qu Xiaohuan nodded, placed the spiritual fruits on the table, walked over quickly, and spoke in a very natural voice.

"Bearded Uncle, this is Big Brother Chu Sheng. During this period of time, he has constantly been taking care of me. If not for him, I might have long since... In short, he is a good person."

Her tone could not be considered excited, but the meaning in her words was very clear—she was speaking up for Chu Sheng.

Bearded Uncle's gaze fell back onto Chu Sheng, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

As if capturing some detail, he remained silent for a moment before speaking a sentence.

"Since it is you taking care of her, that is somewhat justifiable. However—"

He paused, his tone even slower than before: "She is of our Qu Family Bloodline and cannot continue to wander outside indefinitely. Sooner or later, I will take her back."

Chu Sheng felt the weight within those words of his.

But Chu Sheng was already at the Early Stage now; he was no longer that minor Cultivator who could be manipulated at will by anyone back then.

A Divine Ability Cultivator of unknown origin and background, yet harboring the Heavenly Demon Body and the four swords of zhuxian—such a person was often far more dangerous than a weak cultivation.

Bearded Uncle clearly also realized this point; the reason he did not directly make a move to take Qu Xiaohuan away was precisely because he was weighing Chu Sheng's background and weight.

Qu Xiaohuan stood to the side, lowering her head.

Bearded Uncle glanced at her, then looked at Chu Sheng, his gaze sweeping back and forth across the two of them.

Chu Sheng thought for a moment and glanced at the simulator panel.

[Whether to spend 500 simulation points to simulate this event?]

The simulation price of the simulator was determined based on the scale of the event and the tiers of the Cultivators involved.

If he wanted to know the consequences of forcibly making Xiao Huan stay, perhaps he could spend some simulation points to give it a try.

Five hundred points was not considered much, but it was enough for him to see clearly whether this path was viable.