I Have A Sword

After leaving the village, the three continued walking along the main road.

Throughout the journey, Gu Pan remained silent and indifferent.

The Great Daoist Brush Master looked into the distance. At the foot of a mountain, a small village could be vaguely seen nestled into the slope.

He remarked, "Looks like quite a few of the original inhabitants are still living here. Interesting. That force from back then didn't lay a hand on these ordinary people."

Ye Guan asked, "Didn't you say the civilization of the Ancient God Nation originated near the Boundary of Truth and Illusion?"

The Great Daoist Brush Master nodded. "Yes, but for reasons unknown, they eventually relocated."

Ye Guan glanced at him but said nothing.

The Great Daoist Brush Master looked back at the previous village and scoffed. "People always say the outside world is complicated. Honestly, sometimes it's these little villages that are truly messy.

"Most of the villagers gossip all day, twisting the truth, turning black into white and white into black, ruining others behind their backs. For petty gains, they'll go to war over nothing. Today, it's digging a little into your field, but tomorrow it's encroaching on your home's land..."

He shook his head. "The darkness of the human heart has nothing to do with power or status. Some people are just rotten to the core."

Ye Guan said flatly, "If you've got something to say, just say it. No need to go in circles."

The Great Daoist Brush Master smiled. "Ye Guan, it's not easy to change the world."

Ye Guan shot him a look. "Let's not waste time debating this."

The Great Daoist Brush Master nodded. "I am curious, though. With your intelligence, you clearly see the flaws in everything. If one day you really do establish your ideal Order, how will you restrain that Order itself?"

Ye Guan didn't respond.

The Great Daoist Brush Master continued, "You've thought about that, haven't you?"

Still, Ye Guan remained silent.

The Great Daoist Brush Master smiled again and dropped the subject.

Gu Pan glanced at the two of them and closed his eyes.Idiots. Just wait until I get my real body, I'll show you who's boss.

Soon, the three arrived at a second village.

This one was a bit nicer than the first, tidier, with well-constructed buildings and a clean path leading to the entrance. Torches had even been placed along the road for light.

At the entrance stood an elderly man dressed in a grayish-white robe.

Seeing the three approach, the old man hurried over and bowed deeply. "Honored guests, I am Yuan Fan, the village chief of Yuan Village. Welcome."

The Great Daoist Brush Master asked with a smile, "You were waiting for us?"

Yuan Fan nodded slightly. "Yes."

The Great Daoist Brush Master chuckled. "Someone from your village was in the last one, wasn't he?"

Yuan Fan smiled politely. "You're sharp, my lord. It's true, we often fight with that village over water. There's been tension for years..."

The Great Daoist Brush Master asked, "So why were you waiting for us?"

Yuan Fan replied, "If the three of you don't mind, we've prepared a humble meal. Please, join us in the village."

The Great Daoist Brush Master grinned. "Well, in that case, we'll gladly accept."

"Please," Yuan Fan said, gesturing respectfully.

Under his lead, the three entered the village. People watched them with a mix of curiosity and caution, though wariness seemed to take a back seat to wonder.

Yuan Fan brought them to a courtyard where a table had already been set. A girl of around fifteen or sixteen was bustling about, arranging dishes. She wore a simple cloth dress and was not a beauty by any means, but her large eyes gave her a delicate charm.

As they entered, she quickly finished setting the table and stepped respectfully aside. Her gaze lingered on Ye Guan, full of curiosity.

"Please, have a seat," Yuan Fan offered.

The three didn't stand on ceremony and sat down. Ye Guan glanced at the dishes. There were just five or six in total. Nothing lavish, but it was warm and sincere.

"Please, enjoy," Yuan Fan said with a smile.

Ye Guan picked up his chopsticks, grabbed a piece of meat, and took a bite. After chewing for a moment, he smiled. "Tastes pretty good."

The girl, watching from the side, smiled slightly at his words.

Yuan Fan asked, "Young sir, did you come from outside the mountains?"

Ye Guan nodded. "Mmhm."

Yuan Fan replied softly, "Incredible."

The Great Daoist Brush Master interjected, "This place is called the Ancient Ruins, right?"

Yuan Fan nodded. "Yes. Our families have lived here for generations. There are dozens of villages like ours. About a hundred meters east of here is a city called Qiuyong. All the villages fall under its jurisdiction. But even the cultivators from Qiuyong rarely venture outside the mountains."

His words confirmed the trio's earlier suspicion; there were still living people here. Whatever that mysterious force was, it hadn't wiped out the common folk when it destroyed the Ancient God Nation.

Ye Guan frowned, seemingly deep in thought.

The Great Daoist Brush Master looked at him, and then he turned back to Yuan Fan. "Have you ever thought about leaving this place?"

Yuan Fan shook his head. "Never."

"Why not?"

Yuan Fan replied solemnly, "We're just ordinary people. As much as we're curious about the outside world, we know it's not a place for us. We wouldn't survive out there."

"Fair enough." The Great Daoist Brush Master nodded. He then stood up and said, "Thanks for the meal. We'll take our leave."

Yuan Fan quickly said, "My lords, it's not wise to travel at night."

"Oh?" the Great Daoist Brush Master asked. "Why's that?"

Yuan Fan explained, "The road to Qiuyong city is extremely dangerous after dark. For your safety, I suggest you stay here for the night and travel tomorrow."

The Great Daoist Brush Master smiled. "Don't worry. The three of us can handle ourselves. Ordinary dangers won't be a problem."

Hearing that, Yuan Fan didn't press further. Instead, he turned to the girl. "Yue'er, bring it over."

The girl dashed into the house and soon returned with a bundle. She handed it to Yuan Fan and quickly stepped back.

Yuan Fan presented the bundle to the Great Daoist Brush Master. "The road ahead is long. Here's some food for the journey. Please take it, just in case."

The Great Daoist Brush Master accepted the bundle. "Thanks. Much appreciated."

The trio turned to leave.

After a few steps, Ye Guan suddenly stopped and turned around. "Village Chief, you mentioned a dispute over the water source with the neighboring village?"

Yuan Fan nodded. "Yes. The water flows from upstream. We use it for drinking and farming. The stream runs right between our two villages, so..."

Ye Guan asked, "Why not dig your own well?"

Yuan Fan gave a bitter smile. "We tried. But the ground here is too tough. A few meters in, and we couldn't dig any deeper."

Ye Guan grinned. "I'll dig one for you."

He scanned the area and settled on a patch of open ground nearby. Walking over, he pointed with his fingers. A flash of sword light shot into the earth.

The next moment, his expression changed; his sword light had actually shattered.

The Great Daoist Brush Master and Gu Pan were stunned, too.

The Great Daoist Brush Master stepped forward and examined the spot. His brows furrowed. "There's a seal beneath the ground... a very well-hidden one. Even I didn't notice it at first."

Ye Guan looked down as well and saw faint runes flickering deep below.

He and the Great Daoist Brush Master exchanged glances. This was definitely worth investigating.

They had come here looking for rare and valuable things. This seal was a clear sign that something important was underneath.

Gu Pan asked, "Should we force it open?"

Ye Guan shook his head. "No. The seal is incredibly powerful. If we break it by force, the backlash could destroy the entire village."

The Great Daoist Brush Master agreed. "There should be a proper entrance. Let's rest tonight and start searching tomorrow."

Ye Guan nodded. "Alright."

Gu Pan glanced at them and said, "Fine."

Yuan Fan smiled. "Sirs, there's an empty room in my house, and the houses on either side are vacant, too. You're welcome to stay there."

The Great Daoist Brush Master responded, "Thanks, Village Chief."

With that, he headed toward the house on the left.

Gu Pan went to the one on the right.

Left with no other choice, Ye Guan stayed in the village chief's home.

Yuan Fan said, "Yue'er, take the young master to his room."

The girl said softly, "Please follow me, sir..."

Ye Guan nodded. "Thank you."

She led him into a room and began laying out bedding.

Ye Guan smiled. "No need to go to all that trouble."

"It'll just take a moment..." She looked nervous. After finishing, she quickly slipped out.

Ye Guan walked to the window, just about to rest, but then, the girl returned with a basin of water.

Ye Guan looked a little puzzled.

The girl didn't dare meet his gaze. She lowered her head and whispered, "Young Master... I came to... wash your feet..."

Ye Guan chuckled. "We're cultivators, we don't need foot washing."

The girl looked confused. "Cultivators?"

Ye Guan thought for a moment, then smiled. "Just leave the basin there."

She nodded, walked over with the water basin, set it down in front of him, and turned around to leave.

Just as she was about to step out, Ye Guan called out. "Miss Yue'er."

She turned back to look at him.

Ye Guan smiled and said, "Thank you."

Flustered, Yue'er quickly replied, "I-it's nothing..."

With that, she spun around and ran out of the room.

After she left, Ye Guan sprawled out on the bed, closed his eyes, and sank into silence, lost in thought.

The next morning, Gu Pan stepped out of his house and made his way into the village courtyard. The moment he arrived, however, his expression changed drastically.

Ye Guan and the Great Daoist Brush Master were gone.

Those two shameless bastards had clearly never intended to wait until morning to search for the main entrance; they had to have left in the middle of the night!

Gu Pan's face turned dark. He gnashed his teeth and shouted, "Shameless! Absolutely shameless!!"