Miao Suhuai immediately became alert. Having grown up in the countryside, she had long developed this habit of being vigilant at all times.

Immediately, both nerves and muscles tensed up.

Chen Zhou raised his hand to signal to Miao Suhuai that they couldn't rush things and could only go out first.

Immediately afterwards, Chen Zhou and Miao Suhuai walked towards the soldier who had made the sound.

Along the way, Chen Zhou saw many people queuing up, all of whom were dressed in rags, some even with shackles and covered in blood.

It was obvious at a glance that there had been a fierce resistance. Once they entered the prosperous capital of the Southern Kingdom, no one wanted to go back to the ordinary life of the common people.

"Who are you two?" The guard had a full beard that hadn't been shaved in a long time.

The guard looked at the two men with curiosity. At a time like this, who would willingly leave the city? Everyone would rather stay inside. These were originally civilians who had been forcibly driven out.

Otherwise, who would want to go out?

"My lord, we both aspire to cultivate immortality, and thus wish to leave the city to seek the Dao at the Sword Cloud Sect," Chen Zhou said earnestly, bowing deeply.

The guards continued to scrutinize the two of them. Since the Sword Cloud Sect built the Path of Heart Mirroring, fewer and fewer people have come up the mountain to seek the Dao.

Previously, people would rush to send their children up the mountain to seek enlightenment, but now it's practically impossible for anyone to go. In his memory, the last person to seek enlightenment was just a young child, something like Peng Xiaodeng?

“You two are so thin and weak, it’s questionable whether you can even cross that Path of Heart-Testing. Why go and throw your lives away?” the guard said.

"The Great Dao of Observation is to test our Dao heart. My brother and I believe our Dao heart is firm, so we both want to give it a try," Chen Zhou said gratefully. It was truly rare for this guard to care about the safety of others in a country with such a clear hierarchical system.

The guard nodded. The boy named Peng Xiaodeng had said something similar last time. Sure enough, the world of cultivators was beyond the comprehension of ordinary people like him. He wondered how the boy was doing.

So young, don't lose your life in pursuit of cultivation. The guard admired the child; as a resident of the imperial city, he had no airs and offered help to many civilians at the city gate, which was truly rare.

"Alright then, it's your own choice, and I won't say anything more. Go line up, it'll be your turn soon." The guard said helplessly. After being forced into the ranks for so many years, this was the first time he had encountered such a kind resident of the imperial city. The guard really wanted to get to know the boy named Peng Xiaodeng, but he was just a lowly guard.

What right do they have to know people from the capital?

I wonder if I'll ever see that child again in the rest of my life?

Chen Zhou nodded, smiled slightly at the guard to express his gratitude, and then led Miao Suhuai to the end of the line.

Those in front walked very fast, almost being driven out directly. No one helped those wearing shackles to remove them; they were simply kicked out by several guards and fell heavily outside the city gate.

Those people will probably never be able to escape those shackles in their entire lives.

Chen Zhou and Miao Suhuai were considered residents of the imperial city, so the guards didn't dare to do anything to them and simply let them pass.

After leaving the city, the two headed straight for Mindao.

Neither of them spoke a word the entire way.

The main road remains the same, bustling with people coming and going.

This bustling place was very different from the city Chen Zhou had imagined. There was no laughter or joy here, only endless noise, the bickering between vendors and customers, which passersby had become accustomed to.

Soon the two returned to the uncle and aunt's house. The old woman's body lay quietly on the ground, covered by something by Chen Zhou.

Miao Suhuai walked tremblingly into the wooden house, paying no attention to anything else inside. She approached the old woman's corpse step by step, as if possessed.

In fact, the wooden house was in a mess at this time because no one lived there. The people from Mindao had already come in and moved away everything that could be used!

Even the bed was smashed to pieces, and the bed boards were stolen.

By this time, the wooden house was no longer habitable and had been almost completely looted.

The dry food that Chen Zhou had given to his uncle and his wife had also disappeared.

Chen Zhou politely stepped out of the wooden house and waited quietly outside. Soon after, the sound of sobbing came from inside.

"Are you still going to take her into the city?" Old Ren asked at this moment.

“I buried her father in the city, so naturally I have to take her to pay her respects,” Chen Zhou said.

Burying my uncle in the city should fulfill a long-cherished wish of the people, who all want to move into the imperial city.

My uncle's family was no exception.

"So what are your plans for that little girl?" Elder Ren continued to ask.

Chen Zhou hadn't really thought about this yet. He was just a nobody, and with such a difficult mission on his hands, it was impossible for him to take her with him.

"Let's take it one step at a time and see what her plans are," Chen Zhou replied.

After a while, Miao Suhuai came out, her head drooping, making it impossible to see the expression on her face.

"Could you help me bury my mother?" Miao Suhuai asked, her voice choked with emotion.

"This is what I should do." Chen Zhou immediately went inside.

The two buried the old woman on a secluded hill outside the city, a place rarely visited by people, where she could enjoy peace and quiet all by herself.

They will never have to suffer the same bullying as when they were alive.

"Shall I take you to the city to pay respects to your father now?" Chen Zhou said, standing next to Miao Suhuai.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!