Proofreader & Editor: Lotas
Mi Xiaojing came upon a small river and asked, "Shall we follow the river?"
Luo Bo replied, "Yes, yes, it's convenient to have water!"
Following the river, they quickly encountered a dense forest of thick trees, likely a remnant of an ancient woodland.
The forest wasn't large, and after about ten minutes, they emerged to see fields of harvested crops and a village not too far away. However, Mi Xiaojing wasn't too pleased; the village was too small, and their presence would be too conspicuous.
As they passed the village, several elders sitting at the entrance soaking up the sun stood aside upon seeing Mi Xiaojing and his companions. The villagers knew these were Cultivators, not only wealthy but also formidable—a dangerous sort.
Living here year-round, the villagers had the common sense to respect and fear Cultivators, who belonged to a different world.
Mi Xiaojing commanded, "Xiao Mi, go ask for directions!"
Xiao Mi hurried over to the elders and said, "Good day, grandpas, may I ask if there's a town nearby?"
During his time at the Western Evolutionary Sect, Xiao Mi had grown accustomed to addressing older commoners respectfully, so it came naturally to him. His sweet words startled the elders—who would dare to be his grandpa? That's courting death!
"Good day, young master!"
"We wouldn't dare, young master, greetings!"
Mu Xiaoyin couldn't help but giggle from a distance; the exchange was quite amusing with everyone being called 'grandpa.'
One of the quick-witted elders cut to the chase, "Follow this road and you'll reach Shuanghe Town, the largest in the area, built along both sides of the river. That's where the wealthy reside."
Mi Xiaojing said, "Zhang Ke, give them a bolt of cloth."
Zhang Ke approached, pulling a fine bolt of blue cloth from his storage bag. To Cultivators, it was a mere trifle, but to commoners, it was a treasure, equivalent to money.
"Here, this cloth is for you."
The elders hastily expressed their gratitude, "Thank you for your generosity!" They were well-practiced; the commoners knew Cultivators to be generous. A simple answer had earned them a bolt of blue cloth.
With that, Mi Xiaojing led his group towards Shuanghe Town.
About half an hour later, they saw a large town with at least a few thousand households, with houses built along the riverbanks. The town was crisscrossed with waterways, and Shuanghe Town boasted various bridges—stone and wood alike. Here, the waterways served as roads, with each household's back door opening to the river, where a small boat was moored.
Shuanghe Town was controlled by a Cultivator family surnamed Luo, a family with a mid-Foundation Establishment Cultivator, making them the undisputed rulers of the town.
Typically, these towns were controlled by Cultivator families, who in turn were overseen by the experts of the Tianyuan Market. Some of the towns were even managed by sect Cultivators.
The villages below were often held by the town's families, creating a clear hierarchical structure. Thus, every village and town was well-managed.
Mi Xiaojing and his companions entered the town without drawing much attention. The main street was bustling with both lavishly dressed Cultivators and commoners.
The town's layout was interesting, with two parallel paths: one a waterway behind the houses, the other a stone-paved road in front. The stone road was flanked by another waterway, and covered by wooden shelters, providing protection from sun and rain, their ancient charm evident from their construction.
Boats creaked through the water, paddled by their owners, while the sounds of hawking, talking, and even arguing added to the lively atmosphere.
The mortal world was noisy, far from the serene quiet of Cultivation!
The group felt out of place, but Xiao Mi, Da Zhu, and Mu Xiaoyin were fascinated, finding everything new and exciting. Luo Bo tried to emulate Mi Xiaojing's composure, attempting to ignore the surroundings, but once inside, he couldn't help but let his eyes wander.
Zhang Ke, being older, was much more composed. He asked, "Should we buy a house in town, or build one on the outskirts?"
As they walked, Mi Xiaojing replied, "If there's an available house, that's best. Otherwise, we'll hire someone to build one."
"Eh, isn't that Brother Xiao Mi?"
A man stepped out of a shop, spotting Mi Xiaojing and his group, and called out in surprise before quickly approaching.
"Junior Brother Lu Yu, what brings you here?"
Mi Xiaojing recognized him, and Lu Yu's face lit up with joy as he said, "Come, to my shop!"
"You have a shop here?"
"It's a long story, let's talk inside!"
Leading Mi Xiaojing and the others to a shop by the street, Mi Xiaojing took a moment to glance at the sign before entering.
Lu's Ready-Made Clothing!
To his surprise, it was a clothing shop with no apparent connection to Cultivation.
Lu Yu ushered everyone through the shop without pausing, directly into an adjacent residence.
Once seated, Mi Xiaojing curiously asked, "When did you leave the sect?"
With a wry smile, Lu Yu said, "I ran before the fighting started, using the excuse of procuring for Grass-Benevolence Hall. I didn't expect to hear later that the sect suffered greatly, so I dared not return. Thankfully, I've found you. How's the sect now?"
Mi Xiaojing shook his head, "The sect is gone, swallowed by volcanic fire and magma."
"Ah! Are there any survivors from my estate?"
"If they didn't leave before the battle, then they couldn't escape. Nearly all perished."
Lu Yu was stunned, and after a moment, he muttered, "So, I can't return?"
Mi Xiaojing nodded, "Yes, there's no going back."
Lu Yu slumped in his chair, murmuring in disbelief, "How could this happen, just a few days ago… I didn't believe the rumors, but now it's all over."
For someone like Lu Yu, who grew up and flourished in the sect, the loss of his sect was like the sky falling.
Mi Xiaojing watched Lu Yu curiously, wondering, "Why is he so disheveled? Is the sect's destruction really that devastating?"
Unconsciously, Mi Xiaojing had become indifferent to the calamity of the sect's demise, accepting that life and Cultivation must go on.
Seeing Mi Xiaojing, Lu Yu found a glimmer of hope. For someone who had never left the sect, its destruction was devastating. Seeing a fellow sect member, he naturally sought support, "Brother Xiao Mi, how did you escape?"