It appeared to be a maiden, Chu Ming guessed in his heart, but due to the distance and the intense darkness ahead, he couldn’t make out the girl’s full features at all.
Out of instinct, Chu Ming exclaimed a warning, simultaneously darting towards the girl ahead almost instantaneously. His toes grazed the ground, rain splashing everywhere, but sliding off Chu Ming’s body automatically upon contact. Water did not cling to his clothes, the droplets dispersing to his sides.
"Big brother, don’t come over, Big Gray will harm you."
Upon hearing the warning, the shadow turned around, revealing a delicate face. Her eyes sparkled as if they could speak, her weak demeanor arousing a protective instinct in people. Such a nimble girl, Chu Ming marveled inwardly.
Despite his amazement, Chu Ming halted his advancing steps, fixing his gaze on the Demon Beast ahead, with his Silver Light Sword ready to attack at any moment.
Seeing Chu Ming remain stationary, the girl finally relaxed, as if genuinely fearful Chu Ming would get hurt. What she did next made Chu Ming gape in astonishment.
She actually turned around and lightly patted the head of the Two-headed Demon Wolf with her white, tender little hand while saying, "Big Gray, be good, quickly leave here and don’t harm the people in the village..."
What happened next was even stranger. Not only did the Two-headed Demon Wolf show no intent to attack, but it also crouched down, whining, with its eyes narrowing in apparent enjoyment.
Witnessing this scene, even Chu Ming, who had lived two lives, was deeply moved. Demon Beasts and humans were mortal enemies. Even though some powerful individuals could tame Demon Beasts, it was through coercion, and the number was limited.
But judging by the Two-headed Demon Wolf’s previous behavior, it was clearly voluntary. All around, there were so many Demon Beasts, but none showed any intention of attacking the girl. They stood around quietly like loyal guards.
The Two-headed Demon Wolf whimpered twice more, and the girl patted his head again before he reluctantly left. Every few steps, he looked back, making strange noises. It took a full two minutes for the hundreds of Demon Beasts to leave completely without a trace.
Only after the Demon Beasts were gone did the girl come to her senses, showing a concerned expression and gently saying, "Big brother, are you okay?"
Chu Ming did not respond, but used his Soul Power to sense the girl’s strength. He discovered that there was no Spiritual Power fluctuation within her body, no strength at all, as if she were an ordinary person.
Moreover, though it was pouring rain outside, not a drop touched the girl’s clothes. It was as if she saw rain as nonexistent.
"Are you from this village as well?" Chu Ming had a hunch in his heart, and softly asked, subtly gripping the girl’s arm and letting his Spiritual Power secretly enter her body.
However, as soon as Chu Ming’s Spiritual Power touched the girl’s body, it instantly crumbled into countless streams of air. The sudden reversal of Spiritual Power forced Chu Ming to spurt out a mouthful of fresh blood, causing internal injuries.
"Big brother, what’s wrong?" The girl, still unknowing, was startled by Chu Ming’s sudden spurting of blood and quickly went to support him. Leaning on the girl’s body, Chu Ming felt no Spiritual Power at all, as if he were in another world.
"I’m fine. Are you also from this village?" Chu Ming stabilized his injuries, secretly grateful for his quick withdrawal. Otherwise, the rapid reversal of Spiritual Power exceeding the load of his Dantian could have crippled him.
"Yes, I came to this village a year ago."
"You can communicate with Demon Beasts?"
"Yes, I’ve been able to communicate with them since I was young, and I can even sense their emotional changes."
"What about your parents?" Chu Ming gently asked, but seeing the girl’s dim eyes, he knew his question was somewhat presumptuous, perhaps touching on her sadness.
"I’ve never seen my parents; they may have abandoned me, or maybe they are no longer alive."
Talking about this, the girl’s mood visibly dimmed, her eyes darkened, but then she recovered slightly and said, "But I have made many friends with the Demon Beasts here. I am very happy with their company." She smiled slightly as she spoke.
As they talked, they walked towards the village with Chu Ming carefully observing the rainwater around the girl. He noticed that the rain evaporated entirely within three inches of her, leaving no trace.
Through conversation, Chu Ming learned the girl’s name was Lu Qianqian; she had chosen the name herself. Previously, she had wandered in the mountains and only settled in the village a year ago.
"Didn’t you encounter any danger in the mountains?" As they entered the village, approaching a house, Chu Ming asked indifferently, suspecting that Lu Qianqian possessed a special constitution.
"No, the mountains are very peaceful, and the Demon Beasts treated me kindly. I even miss those days a bit."
Lu Qianqian seemed to recall her life in the mountains, smiling.
Chu Ming remained silent. He had nothing more to say. If other Martial Artists heard this, they might have the urge to crash into a wall. The deep mountains, which everyone avoided, were described as "peaceful" by Lu Qianqian.
"Go home and sleep early!" Noticing the rain was getting heavier, Chu Ming said to Lu Qianqian. She nodded and headed to her unassuming corner house in the village, modest and with some earthen walls crumbling outside.
As she reached her door, Lu Qianqian turned and waved goodbye to Chu Ming with the demeanor of a neighboring girl.
"Goodbye, big brother!"
Chu Ming entered his room and gently closed the door. Though Lu Qianqian had a simple mind, her constitution was special, possibly due to some unusual reason.
Clearing his mind of cluttered thoughts, Chu Ming lay on the bed, entering a semi-sleep state as the rain outside intensified, thoroughly cleansing the earth.
The next day, Chu Ming awoke early, stepped outside, and noticed the ground was damp, with puddles dotting the landscape, shimmering in the sunlight.
Early risers, the burly man’s family busied themselves inside and outside the house. Seeing Chu Ming, the man said, "Young hero, awake? Eat before you leave!"
"No, thank you!" Chu Ming mounted his Blue Star Horse tethered to a crooked tree in the back. Before leaving, he glanced at Lu Qianqian’s small house and saw the door tightly closed, with no signs of life.
Chu Ming mounted his horse and galloped towards Cyan Smoke City.