The Lord of Void and Real - Chapter 142 - Chapter 142: Chapter 141: The Desolate Village

Chapter 142: Chapter 141: The Desolate Village

The young girl’s wounds had been simply bandaged, and she looked terribly pale. However, her eyes were still bright and different from the rest of the crowd.

“Daoist friend, although you helped us fend off these beasts, there’s no guarantee that new monsters won’t attack again. Brother Qingniu, lead everyone to repair the stockade gate and…clean up the corpses outside. Sister Yu, together with Aunt Luo, use the meat of these giant birds to prepare food for everyone. We haven’t had meat for a long time. Preserve the rest,” the young girl turned and instructed.

“Understood,” the dark-skinned man who had asked her earlier replied promptly.

“Ying Luo, we’ve got this. Don’t worry,” two middle-aged women wiped their faces and quickly replied.

Shen Luo noticed that this young girl, although injured, was still smiling brightly. This wasn’t the forced smile, but a sincere, wholehearted one, exceptionally radiant, which uplifted the spirits of those who saw her.

Influenced by her, the villagers soon stopped crying, scattering to help clean up the chaotic village.

“Daoist friend, please follow me,” said Ying Luo as she then turned to Shen Luo said crisply.

Shen Luo nodded slightly and strolled slowly along with the young girl through the crowd.

“If you’re truly an immortal from Mt. Fangcun, why did you only come now? Why did you come only after my husband and son are dead?” asked a pallid, middle-aged woman leaning against the gate as they approached.

Shen Luo stopped abruptly, about to clarify subconsciously, but he saw Ying Luo give him a subtle wink and swallowed his words.

“Of course our Daoist friend comes from Mount Fangcun, how else would he save us all from this hardship?” Ying Luo responded, looking at the middle-aged woman.

“An immortal from Mount Fangcun…,” hearing her words, some villagers cheered.

“Thank god, an immortal from Mount Fangcun…,”

“We’re saved!”

The rest of the crowd also rejoiced.

Shen Luo frowned slightly, wondering why it mattered whether he was a monk from Mount Fangcun or not.

At this moment, he felt a cold gaze on him. Turning his attention towards the village gate, he noticed the white-haired old woman, who had been fiercely protecting the children earlier, standing there, staring at him with an indifferent expression, in stark contrast to the joyous demeanor of the others.

Standing next to her were a dozen or so children, aged around eight or nine, who peeked timidly at Shen Luo.

The old woman’s eyes were dull and her sockets sunken, which discomforted Shen Luo.

Ying Ruo also noticed Shen Luo’s gaze and looked towards the gate. Shen Luo then saw the old woman’s gaze linger on Ying Luo for a moment. They seemed to communicate in silent understanding before the old woman led the children away without a word.

Shen Luo followed Ying Luo through the village gate, and the sight before him was a picture of desolation.

The houses inside the village, densely packed but scattered,were mostly destroyed near the village gate. Blue-green moss grew from the collapsed and broken walls giving a dreary look. White traces of paper stuck to the broken window sills could still be faintly discerned.

A gust of wind blew up a layer of dust across the ground, and the sparse straw on the rooftops also fluttered into the air.

Shen Luo waved his hand to keep the dust from coming towards him and followed Ying Luo into the village, stepping carefully over the uneven ground.

Ying Luo stayed silent all the way, so Shen Luo didn’t speak either, but he kept scanning the surroundings, observing the whole village.

Throughout their journey, they saw few trees-most of the elm willow trees were already dead, their barks peeled off, leaving only bare trunks with twisted branches standing alone.

After the commotion at the village gate, silence returned to the village, with only the sound of the low wind and occasional sobs echoing around, creating an oppressive atmosphere.

As they rounded a collapsed house and were about to continue forward, Shen Luo suddenly furrowed his brows and looked back to see a thin, small figure hurriedly hiding.

“Chen Guanbao.” Ying Luo too noticed someone following them and called out.

A child, dressed in a worn-out blue cloth shirt, walked towards them with a rather restrained expression.

Shen Luo found the boy somewhat familiar. He appeared to be the boy who was standing next to the old woman earlier.

“Sister Ying,” the handsome boy approached Ying Luo with his hands behind his back and softly said.

“Chen Guanbao, why are you following us?” Ying Luo asked gently.

Hearing her words, the handsome boy looked up at Shen Luo, slightly hesitated, as though plucking up courage, before saying, “Immortal Brother, can you teach me magic? I want to fight monsters like Sister Ying and protect our village!”

Upon hearing this, Shen Luo was somewhat moved and took a second look at Chen Guanbao.

He noticed that although the boy was slender and weak, his gaze was determined. The light in his eyes was something that many adults in the village did not possess.

However, Shen Luo found himself unable to answer him, as he had no plans to stay in this place.

Ying Luo seemed to understand his hesitation. She raised her hand, ruffled the boy’s hair and laughed, “Chen Guanbao is brave, I know that. But you are too young to learn magic spells now. Let’s talk about it when you grow older.”

“Sister Ying, I’m not small. When the monsters came, I was protecting Tian Niu and the others,” Chen Guanbao puffed his chest out and said loudly.

“Great, Chen Guanbao has grown up. But Sister Ying and Immortal Brother have things to discuss. Go back first, if Granny Ma can’t find you, she’s going to scold you,” Ying Luo said, laughing.

Upon hearing this, Chen Guanbao immediately lowered his head and turned around to leave.

However, quickly he turned back, took out a wrinkled wild fruit from behind him and handed it over.

Shen Luo looked at him in surprise since the fruit was offered to him, not Ying Luo.

“Is this for me?” Shen Luo asked.

“Thank you, Immortal Brother, for saving Sister Ying, for saving us,” Chen Guanbao earnestly nodded his head.

Shen Luo accepted the wild fruit and saw Chen Guanbao run off hastily.

Looking at the small figure disappearing in the distance, Shen Luo felt warmth in his heart, and a hint of a smile flashed on his face.

Noticing this, Ying Luo smiled subtly and, after glancing at Shen Luo, continued walking forward.

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Shen Luo pocketed the wild fruit and followed her.

After walking a bit further, they finally stepped into a bamboo house.

“What is your exact identity, Daoist friend? Why did you suddenly appear in our Longevity Village?” As soon as they entered the house and Ying Luo closed the door, she suddenly turned to Shen Luo and asked sternly.

“Didn’t you tell the villagers that I’m a cultivator from Mount Fangcun?” Shen Luo raised his eyebrows slightly and asked somewhat displeased.

“Daoist friend, you’ve been kind to us, and I shouldn’t be so impolite. However, given the circumstances, I would be grateful if you could be frank with us,” Ying Luo said, her eyes flashing a complex expression, and she apologetically explained.