Cultivation Nerd (xianxia)

Chapter 9 – The Stranger & Danger

The people in the village showed no fear towards the sibling trio upon their arrival, meaning they were likely honest with what they told me. Especially now, observing their palpable nervousness around their mother.

As the bow-wielding brother began to stutter, I stepped forward, clasped my fist against my palm, and bowed slightly to show respect. “Hello ma'am, my name is Liu Feng. Sorry if your sons weren’t able to get much hunting done today. I was lost, and they kindly offered their assistance.”

It was evident the trio cared deeply for their mother, and her gentle gaze and amiable demeanor revealed she would never condone her sons' criminal activities. I could use this in the future as blackmail in case I needed these guys to do something.

“Ah, don’t worry. My sons have always been helpful, and sometimes their kindness is rewarded. But the true reward for good deeds lies not in this life, but the next,” she remarked.

Next life? Did the common folk in this world believe in an afterlife or deity? Liu Feng's clan, as per his memories, revered their ancestors and clan founder, but never delved into concepts like deities. It seemed the general populace believed in things that immortal-seeking cultivators like him would disregard.

“Then I’m sorry to intrude further, but could I stay the night?” I inquired. With darkness descending, attempting to rest in an unfamiliar forest seemed dangerous. Despite the unlikely presence of threats, given the Blazing Sun Sect's efforts to purge the area of dangerous beasts. But even their influence had its limits.

“Oh, you must be similar to the young girl who visited earlier today. She was

"What do you want?" The old man frowned at them.

I stepped up, "Hello sir, my name is Liu Feng, and I was wondering—"

"I don't care about your name," the old man interrupted me.

He was one of those grumpy old men and already seemed angry. But I knew how to handle such people and didn't react to his provocations. "I heard a girl came around here looking for someone. Can you describe what she or the person she was searching for looked like?"

The village elder's frown deepened, and he looked me up and down. "That ain't just some girl. She was a cultivator. She said she was looking for a young man with crimson red hair who talks to himself."

A chill went down my spine.

Someone talking to themselves? She was a cultivator? Had I stumbled upon some kind of cultivation cult soon-to-be battleground? That's what most of the crazy dangerous cultivators usually were a part of.

"If it's not much of a bother, can you tell me what she looked like?" I asked, trying to calm myself.

"Well, she was a beauty, that's for sure," he smiled. "But not like any other beauty, she stood out with dark hair with strands of silver. She was beautiful like jade... Heh, a jade-like beauty straight out of legends."

As soon as the words "jade-like beauty" left the old man's mouth, my decision was already made.

Yeah, I was getting the fuck out of here. I wanted none of whatever that stuff was!

Turning toward Tufei, I said, "Tell your mother I said goodbye and thanks for the dinner offer, but something came up."

"Uh, okay?" Tufei's response sounded more like a question.

He was confused, and I couldn't blame him.

I came here to determine whether the bandits had people who cared about them and to guarantee they would choose the right path from now on. The former, I had already figured out. They were not mere fourth-rate villains from some xianxia novel; they were real people with families, loved ones, and their reasons.

As for them choosing the right path from now on, that was somewhat dubious, depending on whether they believed my curse on them was legitimate. It was not, of course. It was merely a fabricated technique conjured on the spot, bolstered by a contrived backstory about its saintly creator.

Having achieved half of my objective, I was fairly sure they wouldn’t continue their former ways, at least not out of fear. If they did, they would inevitably encounter someone who wouldn't tolerate their behavior, and by then it was no longer my concern.

But when jade-like beauties became involved, it signified the start of some craziness. Something I wanted no part of and had no curiosity about. After all, curiosity killed the cat, and unlike felines, I didn't have nine lives.

As for resting during my journey, I was a cultivator. Though still in the early stages of cultivation, I should be capable of enduring days without sleep without suffering short-term physical or mental degradation.

“Welp, I have to go now,” I declared, propelling myself off the ground and dashing out of the village and into the forest. I stopped when surrounded by greenery and far away from the village. I tried to catch my breath and exhaled a sigh of relief.

I focused on my heightened senses, listening intently for any signs of pursuit. However, there were no unusual sounds, only the familiar rustling of leaves in the wind. The absence of crickets or any other insect noise was strange.

Then, a small earthquake rumbled, causing the ground to shake violently, nearly causing me to stumble. This was followed by a massive explosion that sent me tumbling to the grassy ground. I scrambled to my feet and stared toward the village, where a mushroom cloud billowed into the sky.

The explosion was dangerously close to the village. For a fleeting moment, I entertained the idea of rushing to help, but what emerged from the mushroom cloud stopped me in my tracks—a gigantic boar, towering over the trees like an apartment building.

The monstrous beast's thunderous roar echoed through the forest, uprooting trees with its sheer power. In the face of such a mighty creature, my previous notions of power paled in comparison.

Monstrous Beasts possessed at least a bit of Qi, and beasts were typically stronger than martial artists of equivalent stages. This beast, at least a Qi Gathering level Monstrous Beast, presented a formidable threat. I stood no chance against it.

Part of me yearned to intervene and aid the villagers, but the beast was still some distance away. However, there lingered the looming possibility that it could charge toward the village at any moment.

But what could I realistically do? Even if I mustered all my strength, the beast would likely shrug off any attack as if it were nothing more than a scratch.

I had momentarily forgotten the absurdity of Xianxia Worlds—the vast differences in power between individuals even just a single stage apart.

Fuck!