10/10

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

After Lu Wu uttered those two words, the atmosphere among the group froze completely.

“Village Chief”—those two characters held profound significance for everyone present.

They represented an indelible, vivid mark etched into their youth.

Most of the hundred members of the Lu family were orphans. Their childhood experiences varied greatly.

Some had fled famine only to nearly starve to death, others had been gravely wounded and near death, and still others had been abandoned as infants. Their survival and acceptance into the village were all thanks to the Village Chief’s kindness.

Every single one of them had been rescued and brought here.

In this small village, barely large enough for a hundred souls, they had once spent the most beautiful years of their youth.

As their cultivation grew ever higher, what they lost only increased.

And so, the longing for the past grew ever stronger.

Especially… when they returned to this land, back to this now-dilapidated little village.

“Fifth Brother, what nonsense are you spouting…” Lu Qi’s face darkened. How many years had the village chief been gone?

Lu Er’s expression was equally cold. Even if they wanted to prevent a fight among them in the lower realm, invoking the village chief was going too far.

Only Wen Jue looked ashen.

Could he send all these people back to the upper realm?

But it seemed too late now—

Wen Jue watched Qin Zhou emerge from the storehouse, where he’d been organizing tools, drawn by Lu Wu’s shout.

“Baixing greets the Grandmaster.”

Not only had Lu Wu arrived, but he’d even brought his disciple along.

Qin Zhou nodded, his slightly furrowed brows instantly smoothing. “You arrive just in time. The fruits in the fields are ripening. Your help will be welcome.”

Lu Wu smiled as he presented a bulging sack. “Village Chief, I brought you some alchemical ingredients from above. All third-tier. I thought you might find them useful.”

Qin Zhou accepted without hesitation, nodding. “Very well.”

After receiving the bag, Qin Zhou glanced skyward. “It seems quite lively today.”

Lu Er and Lu Qi had both returned.

Their movements might not have been noticeable inside the storehouse.

But standing in the courtyard, the three figures soaring overhead were impossible to miss.

Each occupied a corner, poised and ready, hardly the picture of harmony.

The atmosphere between the three froze in unspoken tension.

Village Chief?

That’s the Village Chief?

Lu Qi’s face was filled with disbelief. He shifted his gaze from Qin Zhou to Wen Jue, his eyes demanding an explanation.

Lu Er also looked at Wen Jue, seemingly waiting for an explanation.

From what he’d gathered while tailing Fang Huai, the person with Wen Jue should be Wen Jue’s mortal lover—that mortal alchemist from Ping City named Qin Zhou.

Wen Jue had no intention of explaining to these two.

He flew down first, ran to Qin Zhou’s side, tugged his sleeve, and cleared his throat. “I don’t know these people. Not sure if this trouble was caused by you, but I’ll just… help you out.”

First things first: distance himself from the situation. He wasn’t the one causing trouble!

Lu Qi: ?

Lu Er: ?

Even Qin Zhou, who knew Wen Jue’s identity, froze for a moment at those words.

He couldn’t see Wen Jue’s face, but the tone alone suggested his expression. Glancing down at the sleeve he was tugging, a smile spread across Qin Zhou’s lips. “Alright.”

Qin Zhou tilted his head back, gazing at Lu Er and Lu Qi in the sky. These two… weren’t exactly troublesome.

“Aren’t you two coming down?” Qin Zhou looked up, addressing Lu Er and Lu Qi in the sky.

Hearing this, Lu Er and Lu Qi both paused.

Deep down, they still couldn’t believe this young man before them was the village chief. Especially since he appeared to be only at the Foundation Establishment stage.

But Lu Wu and Lu Shi were both over there. Even Wen Jue, who was least likely to mistake anyone, had gone to his side.

Lu Qi was the first to concede.

Unlike a certain deadpan face, he wasn’t inflexible.

Lu Qi landed with a spin, striding unapologetically before Qin Zhou. He eyed him up and down, tilting his head. “The village chief? You really are the village chief?”

Qin Zhou: “No, it’s a lie.”

Lu Qi sucked in a sharp breath, his face instantly draining of color. “Oh no! He’s the real village chief!”

Qin Zhou offered a faint smile.

Everyone present looked stunned. Shisi exclaimed aloud, “How on earth did you recognize him?!”

Qin Zhou didn’t say it, but this story traces back to a long time ago.

Back then, Lu Qi was encountered when he took Lu Yi to the city to buy supplies. At that time, the game still had gambling dens—though called gambling dens, they were essentially small games where you threw dice to guess high or low.

Lu Yi was playful and always wanted to try everything.

So when the gambling house activities first started, he took Lu Yi there.

It was there that he met Lu Qi.

A skinny kid, yet he had a shrewd look about him, moving around the gambling house like a fish in water. He didn’t gamble; he just watched quietly, observing who was the richest. Once he identified his target, he acted decisively.

To put it bluntly, he was a thief.

Lu Qi exited the gambling den, weaving through the crowd to shake off any pursuers. With stolen money, he bought some steamed buns and made his way to a dilapidated temple.

Inside were several children even younger than him, dressed in rags so tattered they might as well have been beggars. They were nearly starved to death, barely moving.

Lu Qi gave them all the food.

He pulled out his own half-cold steamed bun and took a bite.

It was a time of famine. A child navigating the complex underworld, his hands not entirely clean, yet still holding onto his own kindness, robbing the rich to aid the poor.

Unfortunately, his luck didn’t last. One day, Lu Qi stole from a local wealthy landowner. His actions were discovered, and he was cornered in an alley and beaten severely.

Those men struck with brutal force. His small frame couldn’t withstand it, and he was close to being claimed by the Lord of Death.

Even in the moment before he lost consciousness, there was not a trace of surrender in his eyes.

Later, it was Qin Zhou and Lu Yi who saved him.

Qin Zhou once asked Lu Qi if he knew those beggar children. Lu Qi said he didn’t; he’d just happened to see them.

Then why save them?

Qin Zhou still remembered the boy’s eyes crinkling as he shrugged indifferently, “Well, I guess I was hoping that if I ever became a beggar myself, someone kind might give me a steamed bun to eat.”

Doing good deeds is simply doing good deeds—why need so many reasons?

Children born into hardship mature faster than others. Perhaps driven by circumstance, he’d done many wrong things.

But to Qin Zhou, anyone who’d been drenched by rain and now held an umbrella for others was a good kid.

Perhaps it was simply fate.

Lu Yi said, “Village Chief, let’s take him back.”

Qin Zhou didn’t think twice and agreed.

On the way back, Lu Qi kept asking nonstop—

“You’re the village chief? The head of a whole village? You really want to adopt me? Why?” The child was chatty, but it seemed he genuinely wanted to confirm he’d finally have a home. He didn’t stop talking for a moment along the way.

“Is it true? Are you really the village chief?”

Fed up with the child’s clamor, Qin Zhou replied expressionlessly, “No, it’s a lie.”

Lu Qi chuckled, confirming it was true. He really would adopt him, he really was the village chief of some place, and it was all real… He was finally going to have a home.

Even years later, the village chief’s words remained etched in Lu Qi’s memory.

So when Qin Zhou spoke, Lu Qi instantly realized—that tone, those words, could only belong to the village chief!

Confirming Qin Zhou’s identity, Lu Qi felt an inexplicable flutter of panic and immediately glanced at Wen Jue.

This is bad.

We’re both demons now.

If the village chief knew he’d become the head of a demon sect…

Wen Jue averted his gaze. I don’t know you, leave me out of it.

Lu Qi: ?

Qin Zhou didn’t notice their subtle exchange. “Lu Qi’s arrival is timely. The fruits in the fields are nearly ripe. Everyone, come help later.”

“Oh, okay.” Lu Qi replied instinctively. He still didn’t grasp the situation.

Why had the village chief suddenly returned?

Why hadn’t anyone told him?

His gaze swept over Wen Jue’s face. The other man wore an expression that screamed ‘we’re not close,’ leaving him speechless.

He glanced at Lu Wu, who only knew how to smile with narrowed eyes.

Then there was Lu Shisi, cowering with his neck tucked in, hiding off to the side.

Hmph.

Lu Qi shifted his gaze to Lu Er standing outside the door. Tsk. There was even one too scared to come in.

Qin Zhou followed Lu Qi’s line of sight. Lu Er stood at the doorway, his sword already back on his back. He seemed to have no intention of entering.

“Are you two at odds?”

Lu Qi paused a second before realizing the village chief was addressing him. He gave a dry chuckle. “No, of course not.” Right—the chief still didn’t know about him and Lu Er…

“Probably just homesickness making him dumbstruck,” Lu Qi shot a glance at the figure by the door, thinking to himself, That’s about all he’s got.

“Lu Er.” Qin Zhou finally spoke.

The sword cultivator standing self-punished at the doorway flinched slightly.

“Aren’t you going to ask who I am?” Qin Zhou said calmly.

Lu Er shook his head slowly.

He didn’t need to ask.

The reactions of everyone present were enough to confirm that this person, before him, who looked far too young, was undoubtedly the village chief.

Everyone seemed troubled in his presence. More accurately, everyone was hiding something from him, but Qin Zhou didn’t dwell on it. His stance remained unchanged: survival was all that mattered.

“The fruit on the back mountain will ripen soon. Will you help?” Qin Zhou asked.

Lu Er answered without hesitation, “I’ll help.”

“Good. Then head to the back mountain and wait for me. I’ll go to town to buy some hoes and shovels.” Qin Zhou, who had been fretting over manpower shortages just two days prior, now wore a hint of joy on his face.

“Yes, Village Chief,” the group replied in unison.

Qin Zhou nodded, pulled out the whistle for Tunfeng, summoned the horse, and soon vanished from sight.

Even after Tunfeng carried Qin Zhou away, Lu Qi still couldn’t quite process what had happened.

Lu Er was equally astonished.

Tunfeng? That should be the horse he gifted Lu Xiao years ago—how did it end up here?

Lu Qi suddenly understood something, his gaze fixing on Wen Jue’s face. “You really… even going after your own nephew’s things.”

Wen Jue’s composure began to crack. “I’ll return it to him someday.”

“No need. It’s better for the village chief to use it than for it to remain in Lu Xiao’s hands,” Lu Er replied. It worked out well—they hadn’t brought any gifts anyway.

 ━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

While Qin Zhou rode Tunfeng to the provincial capital to buy a hoe, the Lu brothers stood on the back mountain, each more silent than the last.

Lu Wu stood in the center, flanked by Baixing, Wen Jue, and Lu Qi to his left, and Shisi and Lu Er to his right.

“Is there anything you wish to tell me?” Lu Wu asked with a gentle smile.

Lu Yi, Lu Er, and Lu Qi all fell silent simultaneously.

Shisi joined in the playful banter, “Fifth Brother, I don’t have anything to say.”

Unable to tolerate Shisi’s interruption, Lu Qi’s brow twitched violently. He elbowed Wen Jue in the ribs, incredulous. “You’re putting up with this brat?”

Wen Jue remained silent. “…I’ll tolerate it for now.”

Lu Shisi snorted. “Seventh Brother, are you sure? You’re the Demon Sect Master now, and what about you and Second Brother… Oh, right, how come I remember someone stealing the Fertility Pill the village chief kept in the warehouse… How did Lu Xiao even come to be…”

Veins bulged on Lu Qi’s forehead.

Wen Jue shot Lu Shisi a cold glance. “You really want a beating.”

Shisi stole a glance at Lu Qi before quickly ducking his head, instantly cowering. “My fault, Brother.”

“In my opinion, unless he asks, no one else should speak,” Wen Jue snorted coldly. “True, Lu Qi and I are demons now, and we have our share of unsavory pasts. But none of you here are exactly spotless, are you?”

“Fifth Brother, did you mention the Dao-Protecting Alchemy Furnace the Village Chief forged for you broke?”

Lu Wu: “…”

“Shisi, when the Village Chief refined the Soul-Stabilizing Pill for you, did he ask how you got injured?” Wen Jue swept his gaze over him. “What did you predict with the Thousand Mechanism Bell? Would you dare tell him?”

Shisi: “…”

As for Lu Er… Wen Jue’s gaze settled on his icy face, his eyes amused. “And what of that Cangyun Sword Immortal who now stands against us two fiends? Does your sword heart still beat?”

Lu Yi’s words seemed to stir memories Lu Er wished to bury. He frowned. “You…”

“Of course, I have my own secrets too. We’re all in the same boat. Bottom line: keep your heads down in this village. If you need to fight, go back to the upper realm and beat each other to a pulp.”

After that, Wen Jue added coldly, “If you piss off the village chief, don’t blame me for whipping you.”

When he said “whip,” he certainly didn’t mean it lightly. No one doubted he had the strength to back it up.

The crowd fell silent.

Silence meant everyone accepted it without objection.

The matter was settled. That was that.

“The lower realm is about to celebrate the New Year, too. For us, this festival feels like a long-awaited reunion,” Wen Jue sighed.

“Compared to the New Year, farming is what we’ve truly been away from for so long,” Lu Qi remarked, staring at the mountainsides covered in nearly ripe Spirit Heart Fruits, somewhat speechless.

The village was practically deserted, yet the village chief had returned and cleared so much new land.

Only the village chief would do such a thing.

Lu Er’s voice grew solemn. “It shouldn’t be a big problem.”

Lu Qi rolled his eyes. “Did anyone ask you?”

Wen Jue: “…Stop bickering. To the village chief, you two are still the inseparable lovebirds.”

Lu Wu nodded in agreement. “Yes.”

Shisi giggled. “Seventh Brother, it’s the New Year—time for love and harmony!”

Lu Qi: “…”

Lu Er: “…”

Suddenly, Lu Er thought of something and asked Lu Qi, “Should we tell the village chief about Lu Xiao’s existence?”

Lu Qi clenched his fist. “Are you looking to die?”

Lu Er: Oh.

“Speaking of which, Lu Yi, in the village chief’s eyes, aren’t you still a disciple of the Cangyun Sword Sect?”

Wen Jue: “Don’t worry. I haven’t told the village chief who I am yet. If he asks about Lu Yi, you lot just cover for me appropriately.”

Everyone: ?

“You mean you walk around with that hairpin on your head, but you haven’t told the village chief who you really are?” Lu Qi sneered. “Hah. Love truly makes one stupid.”

Collective silence.

Though… well, he had a point.

Wen Jue grew irritated. “Mind your own business.”

It wasn’t about the hairpin at all. His curse made Qin Zhou unable to see his face. If he could see his face, he wouldn’t need any hairpin, right?

He was Lu Yi—that person’s favorite little friend, bar none!