Chapter 358: Huo Feng Appears Again
The Qushui Village is situated alongside the road, which was fifty miles west of Zhuxian Town.
Although it's called a village, it's actually more like a bustling small town.
Perched halfway up the mountain, the Qushui Village commands a magnificent view of the road below. The buildings inside the village, including pavilions, towers, carved railings, and jade walls, are all extravagantly luxurious.
It was the palace of Lu Heng's past life's world, but in terms of grandeur and style, it was definitely not comparable to an ordinary villa in this world of immortals and martial arts.
Although the area of the Qushui Village is certainly not as large as the Forbidden City.
While at the foot of the mountain, there are many tenant farmers and villagers living, and even further away there are cultivated fields and crops.
It looks like a scene from ancient times, where a large landowner is enslaving many peasants.
Actually, these tenant farmers and villagers only need to submit a small amount of grain. If they encounter a disaster year, the cultivators of the Qushui Village will also distribute relief food and clothing to the tenant farmers and villagers.
With the protection of the cultivators, the tenant farmers and villagers here don't have to worry about the threat of demons, so they live much more comfortably than ordinary villagers and townspeople.
The reason for this is that most of the tenant farmers living near the Qushui Village are descendants of servants who have been serving the cultivators for generations.
These villagers have been serving the cultivators of the Qushui Village for generations, doing miscellaneous tasks in the village, and are already considered half of the Qushui Village's members.
Most cultivators don't need to eat, and don't have a strong desire for material things. Moreover, the productivity in this world is extremely high, and cultivators don't need to exploit and enslave ordinary people.
Therefore, the atmosphere in the Qushui Village is harmonious, and all tenant farmers and villagers have a deep affection for the village.
Of course, ordinary villagers in other villages definitely wouldn't feel as comfortable here.
However, Lu Heng's arrival didn't cause too much of a stir within the Qushui Village.
Mainly because Lu Heng didn't publicly reveal his identity, he only came as a friend of Gu Yin to visit the Qushui Village. Therefore, the Qushui Village didn't know that this man in white was the Wolf God of Hanyu Mountain, who has recently become so famous.
In the Qushui Village, Gu Yin's cultivation level is unique, even higher than that of his father, the village chief, having already condensed the five types of qi in the chest and started to nourish the top three flowers on the head.
In the eyes of ordinary people, Gu Yin has already achieved a successful cultivation in the path of Daoist Truth.
However, Gu Yin's presence is not very strong in the Qushui Village.
This musician, who was picked by a cultivator at a young age and taken out for cultivation cultivate, rarely returned to the Qushui Village throughout the past centuries. After his master was killed, Gu Yin came back even fewer times.
For the Qushui Village, Gu Yin is more like an outsider who only exists in legends. Many young people among the new generation have only occasionally heard of the stories about this ancestral figure in conversations with their elders.
Although Gu Yin has returned, he has never paid much attention to the affairs of the estate. He lives in his own secluded courtyard, staying aloof from everyone and even turning away the servants that were assigned to him.
When Lu Heng arrived, the estate owner wanted to arrange for a few maidservants to take care of him, but this offer was also declined by Lu Heng.
Therefore, in the eyes of the people in the Qushui Village, Lu Heng who came to visit was indeed a friend of Gu Yin, and the two of them were cut from the same cloth of eccentricity.
However, although Lu Heng declined the servants arranged by the estate, he didn't refuse the delicious food provided by the estate.
Lu Heng even unabashedly had the kitchen prepare dish after dish of food, sitting in Gu Yin's courtyard every day, eating and drinking to his heart's content.
The appetite of cultivators is nothing to scoff at. Even Wuyou and Wuyu, two little kids with not very high cultivation, could eat heartily and had oil dripping from their mouths.
After wandering in the wilderness for three months, the siblings finally ate human food. How could they not be excited?
While the siblings enjoyed their hearty meal, it was not the same for Lu Heng.
Most of the time, Lu Heng sat on the side, chatting with Gu Yin about various random things and listening to Gu Yin's stories of wandering around with his master's physical body over the years.
He also learned that Gu Yin went to the Spirit Mountain and sought help from the ten witches of the Spirit Mountain to save his master's life.
Unfortunately, even though the ten witches of the Spirit Mountain were skilled in medicine, they were helpless in treating a soulless body and were unable to help Gu Yin.
Despite being secluded, Gu Yin's courtyard was situated on the slope of the mountain, providing a wide and panoramic view of the Qushui Village. The small pavilion where the two sat offered an unobstructed sight of more than half of the Qushui Village.
On the fourth day of Lu Heng's stay in the Qushui Village, at noon, a group of unfamiliar guests arrived at the entrance of the village.
It was evident that the guests held high positions and statuses, as the village head personally greeted them and the welcome ceremony was lively.
Sitting in the courtyard, Lu Heng and Gu Yin looked at the scene by the gate from afar. Lu Heng smiled and said, "It seems that truly distinguished guests have arrived at the village."
Lu Heng joked with a smile.
He recognized the leader of the group who came to the Qushui Village - it was none other than Lie Lao, the prominent figure from the capital city whom he had met before in the Zhuxian Town.
Lu Heng didn't expect to see the other party again in the Qushui Village after only four days had passed.
After casting a glance at that direction, Gu Yin was also a little puzzled, "At this time, Lie Lao should have been out to exterminate the demons and monsters, why would he come to the Qushui Village?"
Gu Yin was puzzled by this.
After a while, Lie Lao was welcomed into the village, and the Qushui Village became lively.
At Lu Heng's location, one could clearly see the crowds surging throughout the Qushui Village, obviously preparing for a feast to entertain their distinguished guests. Everywhere was adorned with red and green decorations, joyful and festive.
However, even in such a lively atmosphere, Gu Yin's small courtyard remained deserted. It was as if he was in a completely different world from the rest of the Qushui Village.
After another half an hour had passed, a middle-aged man walked towards the small courtyard. It was Gu Yin's second elder brother, Qu Fengchun.
-That's right, Gu Yin's surname is not really Gu; his original name was Qu Fengyu.
After being taken in as a disciple, his master didn't like the name Qu Fengyu and thought it didn't sound pleasant. Seeing Gu Yin's cold personality, she gave him a new name.
After entering the courtyard, Qu Fengchun walked straight to the small pavilion where Lu Heng and Gu Yin were located. After politely greeting Lu Heng, he looked towards Gu Yin.
He said, "Younger brother, Father has asked you to go out and meet the guest. Lie Lao is visiting today and the entire Qushui Village should be attentive and not neglectful."
"Lie Lao appreciates you very much and wishes to have a meeting with you in the lobby."
Qu Fengchun's words made Gu Yin frown slightly.
He said, "I have already talked to Father and during this period of time, I have friends to entertain. Don't come looking for me for matters in the village. Why do I have to go meet guests now? If Lie Lao asks, tell him I'm not in the village."
Gu Yin strongly resisted this matter.
Qu Fengchun spread his hands helplessly and said, "Lie Lao wants to meet you. You cannot possibly refuse to give face, can you?"
Gu Yin said indifferently, "Lie Lao mentioned earlier that he wanted to meet me. I have already followed my father's words and attended the gathering at Fuyu Tower, giving him face."
However, when Gu Yin mentioned this matter, Qu Fengchun immediately glared at him.
"How could you bring that up?! Father asked you to go to Fuyu Tower to meet Lie Lao, but you ran away halfway without even saying hello. Such a rude behavior is simply disgraceful!"
Qu Fengchun's accusation made Gu Yin fall silent for a moment.
Just as Gu Yin was about to speak, Lu Heng smiled and said, "Since Lie Lao wants to meet you, Brother Gu Yin, why not go and meet him? Lie Lao is a good person, just a little too enthusiastic. You can treat it as a kind act and make the old man happy. Don't mind me."
With Lu Heng's words, Gu Yin hesitated for a moment, then stood up and said to Qu Fengchun, "Let's go."
After speaking, this proud musician walked straight out without paying attention to his elder brother beside him.
In this regard, Qu Fengchun was very dissatisfied, but with guests present, he couldn't lose his temper, so he followed silently without saying a word.
Meanwhile, Lu Heng sat in the courtyard and watched Gu Yin's departing figure, letting out a long sigh.
With silver hair and animal ears, Xiao Ai silently arrived by his side.
Watching Gu Yin's departing figure, Xiao Ai frowned and said, "Senior Gu Yin's situation in his family seems to be quite awkward…"
Lu Heng sighed and said, "It's expected. Gu Yin has a solitary personality and is not good at socializing with words. He has also been away from home since childhood and has hardly come back in hundreds of years. He doesn't have much emotional attachment to this place."
"He only came back this time to find a place of retreat because he was disheartened, but the Qushui Village is no longer the way he remembers it."
"Just like if you, Xiao Ai, were to cultivate cultivation for another few decades and then come back to Shuisheng Village, you would also feel unfamiliar."
Lu Heng's words made Xiao Ai slightly startled.
Then Xiao Ai shook her head and said, "When Xiao Ai came back to Shuisheng Village now, it was already very unfamiliar."
"But Xiao Ai doesn't need to go back to Shuisheng Village either."
She looked at Lu Heng's profile and said, "Xiao Ai's home is no longer in Shuisheng Village."
The little girl's words made Lu Heng laugh out loud and say, "That's true. One thing about Hanyu Mountain is that there are enough people."
"Even if I am gone someday, you still have Sun Yan and Gu Yan to amuse you. Otherwise, I would worry that you would end up like Gu Yin, without even a warm place to go."
Lu Heng's words made the little girl slightly furrow her brows.
She really wanted to ask the Wolf God not to make this kind of joke, but when she saw the joyful profile of the Wolf God, her little dissatisfaction in her heart disappeared.
In the Qushui Village, it is exceptionally lively.
However, the courtyard where Lu Heng and Xiao Ai were located was quiet and soundless.
It felt like being in the Hanyu Mountain, with only the company of one little girl and a wolf.
However, such tranquility was quickly shattered.
Gu Yin's older brother, Qu Fenglin appeared in the courtyard and walked straight towards Lu Heng.
Facing Lu Heng, Qu Fenglin smiled and said, "My father heard that Mr. Huo was alone in the courtyard and blamed us, so he sent me to invite Mr. Huo to the banquet… I wonder if Mr. Huo can honor us with your presence?"
Lu Heng stood up with a smile and said, "Master Qu invited us, so naturally Huo Feng will go too… let's get going. My stomach is already empty, we must have a hearty dinner tonight."
Lu Heng didn't show the reclusiveness and refusal that Qu Fenglin worried about, instead he left with him with a smile, without any difficulties or excuses.
That casual and friendly smile greatly surprised Qu Fenglin. He never thought his fifth younger brother's friend could be so adept at socializing.
He thought that this Mr. Huo Feng was also an eccentric person like his fifth younger brother, with a reclusive and cold character.
Now it seems that things are completely different.
Qu Fenglin breathed a slight sigh of relief in his heart.
And the main hall of the banquet is located in the central area of the Qushui Village.
The courtyard here is large, with flying eaves and hidden beams, and lush vegetation and trees, creating a beautiful and magnificent scene. Among them, there are flowing streams and winding waters, with colorful fishes swimming and jumping, making it as beautiful as a fairyland.
By the time Lu Heng arrived, the banquet was about to begin.
Seven tables were set up in the courtyard, and the guests sitting at the tables were all extraordinary cultivators.
While Lie Lao was seated at the main table with the host of the Qushui Village, Qu Min; next to him were the Zhuxian Town's Lord, Nangong Hao, and several other top cultivators.
It is worth mentioning that among the several brothers of the Qu family, only Gu Yin was seated at the main table while the rest of his brothers sat in ordinary seats.
Lu Heng followed Qu Fenglin and sat beside him. This table was quite far from the main table, indicating that while Lu Heng was fortunate to be invited, he could only sit at the last seat.
Behind Lu Heng, Xiao Ai with her silver beast ears followed all the way, which greatly surprised Qu Fenglin.
After coming inside, Xiao Ai didn't go to sit at a table with the sword servants who were accompanying the cultivators, instead, she followed all the way into the main hall and stood behind Lu Heng.
This scene greatly surprised Qu Fenglin.
Why do they have to bring a sword servant to such an important occasion… Isn't it too impolite?
Does this Mr. Huo Feng really understand manners…
He looked at Lu Heng, wanting to speak but stopping himself.
Xiao Ai gave him a sidelong glance and said, "There is no need to arrange a seat for me. Just pretend I don't exist."
After speaking, Xiao Ai stood behind Lu Heng. With a thought, she instantaneously concealed her breath.
Even Qu Fenglin, who had been staring at her all the time, almost ignored the little girl standing beside her at this moment.
Such a exquisite breath-hiding technique instantly widened Qu Fenglin's eyes.
What… Who is this Mr. Huo Feng? Why is even his sword servant so powerful?
Surprised in his heart, Qu Fenglin stopped talking and turned his head to no longer look at this sword servant.
Lu Heng then smiled bitterly, turned around and gave Xiao Ai a glare, silently mouthing the words, "Stinky brat."
The little girl with silver beast ears, however, had a serious expression, stood up straight like a statue, and completely didn't see Lu Heng's mouth movements.
Lu Heng shrugged helplessly at this and didn't feel like responding to this stinky brat anymore.
Anyway, as soon as Xiao Ai displayed her "Qi-hiding Technique," she became completely unnoticed. Among the whole banquet, those who could sense her presence are less than five people.
With this in mind, Lu Heng smiled and turned his head to start exchanging pleasantries and boasting with Qu Fenglin and the other cultivators at the table.
However, he turned a blind eye to the surprised gazes on the main table.
Although Lu Heng came in without any fanfare, low-key and ordinary, the moment he came in, he caught Lie Yang's attention.
Lie Yang looked at Huo Feng of the Yun Sect, whom he had only met once in Zhuxian Town, in shock. He didn't expect to see him again here.
And Nangong Hao clearly also noticed Lu Heng.
His brow furrowed slightly.
Next, under the gaze of Nangong Hao and Lie Yang, the little girl with silver hair and animal ears behind Lu Heng promptly hid her presence and disappeared from the perception of the crowd.
Even with their cultivation, they wouldn't be able to detect the presence of a little girl standing there unless they deliberately observe.
Such exquisite qi-hiding technique…
Nangong Hao was stunned. He couldn't help but transmit his voice, "Lie Lao, Huo Feng of Yun Sect has appeared again… Should we greet him?"
