"How could that be possible? Is it possible that that woman's cultivation level surpasses even yours?" Liu Hai asked, his disbelief clear. "I always assumed only those with high cultivation could get close to the village chief's residence. I haven't been able to even approach it."
Zhang Nu pondered Liu Hai's words. Perhaps it was true that only individuals with significant power could approach the village chief's house. Despite having chosen an advanced aptitude, Zhang Nu found it hard to believe that someone could possess a potential higher than his or progress faster in cultivation.
"I'm not sure," Zhang Nu replied thoughtfully. "But for now, let's return to your house and review what we know. We need to figure out what's really happening."
Liu Hai agreed, and the two quickly made their way back to Liu Hai's home. Once there, they combined all the information they had gathered, but it still wasn't enough to form a clear picture.
"Right now, it's obvious that our cultivation level isn't sufficient," Zhang Nu said. "Do you know of any places nearby where we can hunt beasts or monsters? We need to improve our cultivation quickly if we want a chance at getting closer to the village chief's house."
Liu Hai's face brightened as a thought came to him. "Yes, there's a place not too far from here called Nine Fox Ridge. It's filled with Yao Beasts (妖兽), and I've been going there to strengthen my cultivation."
Zhang Nu nodded. "Good. Then we'll head to Nine Fox Ridge tomorrow. The only thing we can do now is increase our cultivation and hope to discover something new along the way."Liu Hai nodded at Zhang Nu's words, but neither of them noticed the presence of a graceful figure standing outside the window, silently listening to their conversation. The mysterious woman, after overhearing their discussion, let out a soft laugh. Yet, the sound of her laughter quickly faded into the wind, as though nothing had ever happened.
Unaware of her presence, both Zhang Nu and Liu Hai carried on, oblivious to the fact that she seemed indifferent to their plans. It was as if their intentions to enhance their cultivation held no significance in her eyes.
That night, as the two men lay down to rest, preparing to sleep, an unsettling sound suddenly echoed through the village. They heard eerie wails, filling the night with an otherworldly presence.
Zhang Nu, spending his first night in the village, was startled and immediately sat up, turning to Liu Hai for answers.
"What's going on? How could a normal village be filled with such wailing? Could there be something else lurking in this village?"
Liu Hai shook his head. He had experienced the same unsettling noises on his first night here and had gone to investigate but found nothing out of the ordinary. It seemed that, even though the wails filled the air, the village remained unchanged.
"When I first heard the sounds, I went out to investigate too, but I didn't find anything unusual. The village looks the same as it does during the day, except for the lack of light. And if you go outside, the wailing doesn't stop. It only gets louder, almost as if it's deliberately trying to scare you."After hearing Liu Hai's words, Zhang Nu found the village even more unsettling. According to their observations, this place did not seem like a normal village where people should be living. The eerie phenomenon that occurred every night was strange enough, but the fact that the villagers acted as though nothing was wrong made the situation even more suspicious.
Despite the eerie wails filling the air, the villagers appeared completely unbothered. They lived their lives without ever showing fear or seeking help to banish what seemed to haunt their village.
Zhang Nu asked, "But with all that wailing, don't the villagers react at all? Don't they fear their children could be frightened?"
Liu Hai shook his head and replied, "None at all. It's like they've gotten used to it. In fact, if the wailing didn't happen for a night, they'd probably find it strange. It's almost as if they've grown up with it."
Hearing this, Zhang Nu furrowed his brows, feeling an increasing curiosity about the strange nature of this village.