Chapter 96: Differences (2)

Another day passed, and only one day remained until the formation would be activated. It was clearly a moment worth looking forward to, but Dong Zhu felt that as time passed, the atmosphere in the village began to grow more subtle.

The old village chief stopped inviting people to his mud house, but the young people who did began to behave strangely. They would gather together to talk, then separate and seek out others in corners to discuss something. Some who heard what they were saying were incredulous, others sullen. The villagers seemed like beans being sorted artificially, with two vague factions forming.

But Dong Zhu didn't care. She simply wanted to guard the formation on the altar, occasionally fiddling with the still-gorgeous nameless flower. Every time she tried to unravel her inner suspicions about Luo Xuanyi, the soft petals melted her guard.

"What the hell are you talking about!"

Dong Qi's furious voice boomed, startling her. She had never heard Dong Qi so angry before, and she couldn't help but turn her eyes away from the altar. Following the sound, she saw the broad hands grabbing the front of the lapel. The scars on them were extremely familiar to her, and the person being roared at was someone she had never expected.

"Big brother, second brother? What are you doing?"

"Ask him what the hell he's talking about!" Dong Qi snorted coldly, grabbing Dong Xian by the collar and dragging him in front of Dong Zhu like a father disciplining a child. The crowd surrounding him, worshiping at the altar, erupted in laughter. Dong Xian hid his face in his collar, letting his hair fall over his face.

Ling Yong, who had been watching from the sidelines, put down his basket and quickly walked over, barely separating the two. "What's going on? Don't quarrel in front of your sister! Sister Zhu, are you scared?"

Dong Zhu stared at Dong Xian, frowning: "Second brother, what did you do?"

Being stared at with angry or suspicious eyes by three people, Dong Xian showed no sign of panic or uneasiness. He simply straightened his clothes calmly and gently dusted off his sleeves. "It's okay, you'll know in a moment. I just wanted to give you a heads-up, but it seems Big Brother can't accept it. I was wrong in my prediction - after all, we're family, and there are still differences."

"What are you talking about?" Even Ling Yong was confused. The three of them were about to say something else when they suddenly noticed that the atmosphere around them had changed.

There was no more whispering and laughing around, and the footsteps of many people shook up the dust on the brown ground, and then stopped behind them.

"Village chief, Fellow Daoist Yi." Dong Xian walked into the team without looking back, leaving only three people who suddenly had an ominous premonition in their hearts.

The old village chief looked at Dong Zhu with a hint of disappointment, leaving Dong Zhu perplexed. Seeing the gloomy Dong Xian, she whispered something in the old village chief's ear and then stood at the head of a group of young villagers. These people had previously either been following Ling Yong or diligently running errands for Dong Qi and Dong Zhu, but now they stood at attention, their faces grim.

"Everyone, I have something to announce to you."

Under the majesty of the old village chief for many years, the villagers who were offering sacrifices withdrew, and soon people who were working in other places came one after another. Those who had originally followed the old village chief mixed in with all the villagers, and everyone began to listen to the old village chief who was standing in the front with his back against the altar.

"We are going to give up on leaving Guning Village. After this formation is activated tomorrow, Fellow Daoist Yi will convert it into spiritual power and leave on his own."

A bolt from the blue.

At first, the villagers couldn't understand what the old village chief was saying. Anyone who wanted to raise questions was immediately surrounded and covered by several villagers. The old village chief seemed to have noticed nothing, and simply spoke slowly about those complicated matters until he dismissed the group and left, leaving Luo Xuanyi standing there with a complicated expression.

"You all heard it. I wanted to help you gain freedom, but I almost killed you. I'm so sorry." She seemed to have gotten a little hoarse from arguing, and she smiled helplessly. "Tonight is my last night before I leave. I brought some things with me, and I wanted to celebrate with you guys after I left, so I might as well take them out and have a banquet today!"

All the villagers who wanted to interrogate her fell silent. They gathered around her, silent and curious, as if they were still digesting this heavy news. Luo Xuanyi didn't give them time to digest it. "Please make way for me so I can get the things out!"

The crowd spread out, Dong Xian's brows were furrowed, but he still said nothing and mingled with the crowd.

Among the three, only Ling Yong remained rational. Seeing the strange atmosphere, he deliberately shouted loudly: "No matter what, we haven't entertained any guests in three days! At least let Fellow Daoist Yi taste the cold frost fruit!"

"Hey, the cold frost fruit is no different from the northwest wind except that it can fill your stomach!"

Someone in the crowd responded with this, and everyone burst into laughter, easing the atmosphere considerably. Then someone else shouted, "I know something really delicious—the fibrous roots of the cold frost fruit! They're delicious when chewed, just like the candy described in the books, except you can't damage the taproot. I'll go dig some up!"

"Hey guys, you knew this was delicious, why didn't you tell us?" "There's only so much, how can we share it? And you're so clumsy, are you as dexterous as me? I'm afraid you might have dug up the cold frost fruit directly!"

Everyone was bustling with activity. The previously suppressed topic was cast aside, unsure how to proceed, and so they simply dismissed it. The village chief's attitude was too resolute, leaving them all feeling uncertain. They decided to hold a welcome banquet, something they had never seen before.

Ling Yong immediately got busy. He ordered everyone to bring in all the tables and chairs the village could find, then directed the presentation of the cold frost fruit. Luo Xuanyi watched everyone busy with a smile, moving frequently among the crowd, as if deliberately avoiding people. Dong Zhu and Dong Qi wanted to catch her and ask her what was going on, but they couldn't.

Is it really okay to suppress the problem like this? Dong Zhu felt like something was nagging at her, unable to concentrate on enjoying the cheerful atmosphere. Even if no one else could leave, she still wanted to leave. Dong Qi wanted everyone to leave, but the two of them, their faces filled with bitterness and resentment, were eventually pinned to the center of the multi-tiered round table, far away from Luo Xuanyi, who insisted on sitting at the outermost edge.

Everyone took their seats. The table was set with only a plate of three Frost Fruits and a small dish of dark gray roots. The cold, elegant frost spread across the entire tabletop, reflecting the diverse expressions on each person's face.

Luo Xuanyi stood up and took out the small storage bag from her waist. She put her fingers together and gently swiped it. With a flicker of light, several large wine jars, half a person's height and as wide as two people could hug, suddenly appeared on the long table. Even before they were opened, the rich aroma of the wine began to waft, catching everyone's nose.

She wasn't done yet. With another stroke, countless spiritual fruits and even some strengthening pills poured out of that pocket, seemingly endlessly. The colorful liquid rolled across the long table, as if it had cut through the rainbow bridge and spread out. Everyone held their breath.

"What is this?" "Are these all edible?" "There are so many delicious foods outside..."

Luo Xuanyi smiled and gestured for everyone to open the wine seals. She said leisurely, "These are all foods sent to me by like-minded Taoist friends from outside. Of course, they are not the best, but they are all a token of your kindness. Please enjoy them!"

A century-old wine brewed from hundreds of magical herbs and plants was poured into the villagers' chipped clay bowls, emitting a smooth amber glow that intoxicated the senses with just the sniff. Sesame-sprinkled glutinous rice cakes and rice wrapped in lotus leaves were fragrant and glutinous, though the quantity was too small. The villagers mistook the round pills for candy, swallowing them with such surprise that they jumped three feet in the air, exclaiming that a surge of energy flowed through their bodies, imbuing them with immense strength. Then, they began competing to see who could throw the farthest stone...

Flowing colors, stroke by stroke, obscured the world's monotonous blue. Splashes of wine cascaded onto the icy ridges of the tabletop, and the heat melted the last traces of the village. It was as if everyone had left the place they had lived for decades and centuries, arriving in a carefree, forgetful land. The repressive life was gone, and they laughed heartily, savoring the joy they had never experienced. They wandered dazedly, hugging and crying with those they couldn't tell if they were friends or enemies.

Tomorrow all this will be shattered like a dream.

Tomorrow such colors will disappear from your world.

First, a man began to cry. He just wanted to drink another bowl of wine, but the jar was empty, and he burst into tears. Then the person next to him, and the one next to him, and finally everyone cried out together. "Why did you leave us behind? Why do we have to live such a boring life?"

Alcohol makes people vulnerable. They all gathered around Luo Xuanyi. Someone started by shouting, "If the village chief doesn't want to go with you, we'll go with you!" More and more people responded, and even Dong Zhu couldn't help shouting, "Take me away!"

Luo Xuanyi drank but was not at all confused. She just smiled helplessly, like a hammer, piercing the fantasy and pulling them back to reality: "No. If anyone wants to stay, they will most likely die. Either all leave, or all stay. The village chief will not leave."

The atmosphere became cold again.

"Why don't you leave, Village Chief? You're just going through the cycle of life and death here. You might as well go out and try your luck."

"But it doesn't mean that the outside world is terrible and someone will come to wipe us out..."

"But we have a powerful cultivator like Fellow Daoist Youyi protecting us..."

Ling Yong, who was responsible for keeping the atmosphere lively, had also drunk too much. Now there was no one to control their behavior. The few who were still sane began to clean up the mess. The drunks gathered together, their discussions becoming increasingly louder.

"Let's go and explain it to the village chief! He'll definitely understand!"

"What if it doesn't work?"

"If we stay here forever, we might as well die! Have you forgotten those warriors who died? Perhaps this is our last chance to escape. Are we going to give up because of cowardice?"

The drunk Dong Qi climbed onto the wine table. He waved his strong arms, his sturdy muscles glazed with alcohol, and he shouted loudly like a leader.

"We don't live to be afraid of death! Our ancestors, generation after generation, have constantly walked across the Rainbow Bridge to leave, and they are not afraid of countless heroic souls sacrificed! Just so that we can leave this damn place! To live the real life that people should live! To complete the great cause of our ancestors!"

"right!"

"We have the best opportunity right before us. Fellow Daoist Yi said she was about to give up searching for us, but it was the cries of the warriors in distress that led her to the village! Isn't this heaven's will? This is the meaning of their sacrifice! Who can say for sure there will be another chance? Who can say for sure if the next time we're discovered, will the invaders be friendly or evil? This is our only chance! Don't let the sacrifice of these heroes be in vain!"

"right!!"

Dong Qi jumped off the long table and shouted, "Let's go find the village chief and talk it out!"

"right!!!"

A group of people who had drunk wine and taken pills accompanied Dong Qi and ran straight to the village chief's house. They surrounded the village chief's mud house, knocked on the door and windows, and shouted continuously.

“We’re leaving!”

“We want freedom!”

There was no movement in the village chief's room. Dong Xian barely led a group of people to the front of the crowd, blocking the earthen house and the crowd to prevent this group of suddenly crazy people from rushing into the room.

"Calm down! Not leaving is the best option right now! Guning Village is the safest place!"

Dong Xian shouted to calm the crowd down, but all he got in return were even angrier looks and shouts.

"You are in the same group with those old stubborn people! I can see that you are trying to stop us because you want to be the village chief, right?" "You are nothing but a waste. Your cowardly character is nothing like Brother Dongqi!"

"Afraid of death!"

Dong Xian also lost his temper and kept shouting, "No matter what I say, you shouldn't bother the village chief like this! The village chief has worked diligently for us for over a hundred years, and now he's almost two hundred years old. Don't you have even a shred of respect?!"

These words finally calmed Dong Qi, who was at the forefront. He raised his hand, and the crowd behind him, who had been unable to hear due to the noise, gradually quieted down. He stared at Dong Xian and said, "It's true that what we did was inappropriate, but no matter what, we still cannot agree with the village chief's decision to stay. This is simply arbitrary and has completely disregarded our opinions."

"We need to meet the village chief and have another talk with him. Or can you talk to us on his behalf?"

The people behind him scoffed. The few people who had joined Dong Xian in stopping the crowd were indignant, but Dong Xian stopped them. Dong Xian took a deep breath, turned around, and gently rang the bronze ring on the door. "Village Chief, do you think this is okay?"

In the silence of everyone, no one responded from inside the house. Dong Xian knocked on the door again, but there was still deathly silence.

The silence made people feel a little uneasy. Dong Xian seemed to realize something, but before he could say anything, Dong Qi pushed him aside with great force. "Village chief? Are you asleep?"

Only the repeated inquiries and the dull knocks on the door, one heavier than the other, struck everyone's heart. Dong Qi finally sensed something was wrong and suddenly turned sideways and slammed into the door!

After a few seconds, the door collapsed, revealing the still dark room and a figure sitting on a chair with his head lowered.

"Village Chief..." Dong Qi was about to speak when he suddenly shut his mouth. Because the village chief before him was not the one he remembered, everyone saw that his reaction was not right, and rushed to the door and saw the source of the strange smell.

The elderly but still spirited village chief had his throat slit. Blood flowed from his neck, merging with the cross-section of his severed legs, which were neatly stacked beside a chair. The entire room was filled with the rich smell of death mixed with the stench of blood, filling everyone's nostrils like the perfect sobering tea.

The old village chief who said he wanted to stay died in his room.

Third update (I updated today and it's 8,000 to 9,000 words. Hh, I made up for the holiday break.) I like the happy scenes before the tragedy~