“I won’t lie, I don’t know how I got here. I just lost my way in a fog, and when I emerged, I found myself here.” Seeing that the other party was sincere, Shen Luo eased his expression and mused for a moment before answering.
“So, you found your way here through the fog. Could it be possible to reach the outside world through it?” Ying Luo’s eyes sparkled as she asked eagerly.
“I am not sure about that. Miss Ying Luo, could you first tell me what this place is?” Shen Luo furrowed his brows as he asked, feeling more puzzled by the minute.
“This is Longevity Village, located within the jurisdiction of Bei Qiao County of Baoxiang Country,” Ying Luo replied.
“Baoxiang Country, does that not mean we are in the territory of the West Niu Hezhou Continent…” Shen Luo was taken aback when he heard this.
He had come across a journal of a previous traveler in the sect’s repository and had seen records of Baoxiang Country in the text. He knew that it was quite far from the Great Tang situated on the Southern Sub-Central Continent. He couldn’t help wondering, when he entered the dream this time, had he actually traversed through an entire continent?
“Are you not from this country, Daoist friend?” Ying Luo asked with some surprise.
“In fact, I traveled here from elsewhere, to be precise, I come from a place called the ‘Great Tang’.” Shen Luo gathered his wits, smiled at Ying Luo, and explained.
“Great Tang… No wonder your clothing seems a bit unusual. May I ask your name? Thanks for your assistance this time. You saved Longevity Village from danger; I owe you a bow of gratitude.”Ying Luo said, with a hint of a smile, she then bowed to Shen Luo.
“Big Brother Shen.” Ying Luo promptly accepted.
“Miss Ying Luo, could you tell me what’s the story with the fog outside? From what you said earlier, it seems like it is not possible to penetrate through the fog to the outside?” Shen Luo asked again, his face showing a touch of seriousness.
“How did you make it out of the fog, Brother Shen, since you didn’t know anything about it?” Ying Luo asked, a peculiar look flashing in her eyes as she heard his words.
“I really just stumbled upon this place, there’s nothing deceptive about it. If the young lady knows something, I hope she would tell me the truth,” Shen Luo said earnestly.
“In fact, I am also not clear about what is happening with the fog. All I know is that hundreds of years ago, after the Heavenly Demon Annihilation, the surroundings of Longevity Village began to be shrouded by the fog and we have been isolated ever since then.” Ying Luo looked at his earnest expression, a flash of disappointment in her eyes, as she said slowly.
“What would happen to a person who steps into it?” asked Shen Luo curiously. However, he couldn’t help but recall what Yu Yan’s father and son had said about the “Heavenly Fire descending to earth after the Monsters swallowed the sky”, which was also said to have happened hundreds of years ago. He wondered if the two incidents were related.
“It’s said that once a person steps into it, they will lose their direction. If they go a little further, they will be trapped until death. In the early years, many villagers continuously attempted to explore the fog, but after too many people died, no one dared to venture anymore.” Ying Luo said with a bitter smile.
“So, you are saying that you have been cut-off by this fog for hundreds of years? That’s impossible! Being stranded for so long, it would have been impossible for you to survive.” Shen Luo said with some disbelief. In his opinion, the small amount of farmland outside the village didn’t seem like it could support that many people.
“When the fog first started engulfing the village, things were not so terrible. There were fertile farmlands outside the village for cultivation and each household also had domestic animals. The village was even guarded by several disciples from Mount Fangcun. Under their lead, even though life was tough, it was sustainable. However, after a series of incidents, things went from bad to worse.” Ying Luo paused here.
“Many times you’ve mentioned Mount Fangcun, but what exactly is it?” Shen Luo inquired.
“The big mountain backing our Longevity Village is Mount Fangcun. I heard from my father when I was young that there used to be immortals living on this mountain and there were real cultivation sects present. At that time, the village was protected by them and everything was peaceful. Many strong youngsters from the village were also selected and led to the foot of the mountain to learn magic.” Ying Luo said, a look of yearning in her eyes. Řἁɴ𝖔𝐁Εş
“If there was such a powerful sect, why didn’t you seek their help after you got trapped?” Shen Luo frowned.
“It’s not that we didn’t want to, but we couldn’t. The disciples of Mount Fangcun who were in the village also tried to send a message to the mountains using special methods, but unfortunately, no one responded. Afterwards, they attempted to climb the mountain. Three people went, but only my ancestor came back. He was already an initial-stage soul-condensing cultivator, but when he returned, he was fatally injured. Before passing away, he left behind a warning, ‘never go to the mountain’.” Ying Luo sighed and said.
“Perhaps something happened on Mount Fangcun as well,” Shen Luo said thoughtfully.
“We don’t know what happened on the mountain, but after the Heavenly Demon Annihilation, it was as if the immortals there had vanished. They haven’t shown themselves again. However, the people in the village still fantasize about the day when the immortals from the mountain will return.” Ying Luo chuckled bitterly.
“No wonder you introduced me as a monk from Mount Fangcun in front of the villagers.” Shen Luo suddenly realized.
“I had no choice. After incessant attacks by the Monsters, villagers are already exhausted to the point of despair. I could only say you were an immortal from Mount Fangcun to arouse their last bit of hope. Otherwise, without the threat of Monsters, they would not have been able to go on.” Ying Luo’s expression darkened.
Recalling the expressions of the villagers, especially their worn-out and hopeless faces, Shen Luo couldn’t help but marvel at the burden that this young girl carried.
“In this case, it can be considered a white lie. But this is not a long-term plan,” Shen Luo sighed.
“Battling on with hope is always better than waiting for death in despair…Speaking of which, I should thank you for not exposing my lie in front of the villagers,” Ying Luo said.
“That’s nothing. But I am a bit curious. It seems there are no other cultivators in the village, apart from you?” Shen Luo shook his head and asked.
“There was one more, but after her Dantian got damaged, she lost all her mana and is no different from an ordinary person now,” Ying Luo answered, a glint flashing across her eyes.
“Is the person you’re talking about a white-haired Granny who takes care of a group of kids?” Shen Luo thought for a while and suddenly asked.
“How did you know?” Ying Luo was somewhat surprised.
“Among all villagers, no matter whether they believed I was a Mount Fangcun monk or not, only her gaze towards me is different,” Shen Luo recalled the old woman’s eyes and said.
“Indeed, that’s her. But you don’t have to worry about it. Granny Ma is a bit eccentric. Apart from me and the kids, she hardly talks to anyone in the village,” Ying Luo quickly replied.
“Those kids…” Shen Luo hesitated as he mentioned this.