He Yi felt that his words were genuine and heartfelt.
Had it been someone else, he probably wouldn't have bothered to say so much. He wasn't quite sure why he had shared so much with Lin Xiao today.
Perhaps, deep down, he hoped that by giving this advice, Lin Xiao would be more cooperative in the future and not resist too much.
He Yi found a reasonable explanation for himself.
Lin Xiao glanced at him silently and chose not to continue the conversation on that topic. Instead, he suddenly asked:
"Envoy, have you eaten?"
He Yi, caught off guard by the sudden question, shook his head instinctively. "No, I haven't."
Upon hearing this, Lin Xiao immediately stood up with a cheerful wave of his hand:
"The sun's about to set. Let's go grab some dinner and continue our conversation. My treat!"
And just like that, before he realized it, He Yi found himself being led out of the Lingxian Academy by Lin Xiao, heading toward the bustling part of Shuishui Village.
It wasn't until they had left the academy that He Yi processed what had just happened. Wait, weren't they just discussing the importance of time for cultivators? How had the conversation shifted to dinner all of a sudden?
Something was off. Why were they even going to eat? At his level of cultivation, He Yi had long surpassed the need for mundane food.
Moreover, Lin Xiao had mentioned "dinner." Were the cultivators in the mortal realm really still adhering to regular mealtimes? The other cultivators He Yi had encountered didn't seem to follow such a routine…
Could it be that Lin Xiao's cultivation level wasn't as high as the rumors suggested? Maybe that's why he still needed to eat? But that didn't align with the information He Yi had received earlier. Based on reports from the Jishi incident, it was assumed Lin Xiao had at least reached the Golden Core stage…
He Yi felt utterly confused.
He glanced down at his arm, which was lightly held by Lin Xiao as they walked.
This Lin Xiao… he wasn't following any conventional behavior.
In the Immortal Realm, no cultivator would ever grab someone so casually upon first meeting. Even standing within two meters of each other was considered a friendly gesture!
Yet Lin Xiao had casually taken his arm, and He Yi hadn't even had time to react.
Clearly, this wasn't due to his own negligence.
It seemed that Lin Xiao's cultivation level was indeed quite formidable.
While He Yi's thoughts were spinning in confusion, Lin Xiao had already led him to the busiest street in Shuishui Village.
Lin Xiao hadn't disguised himself, but he had swapped his sect robes for a simple, plain blue long robe. Because there were so many people around, and given that Lin Xiao had grown up over the past few years, changing in appearance and stature, many of the villagers didn't recognize him right away.
It was also evening, and most villagers were returning home from the fields or packing up their stalls.
Instead of taking He Yi to a restaurant, Lin Xiao led him into a small alley off the main road.
The "alley" was actually just a narrow space between houses, with homes closely clustered together.
As soon as they stepped into the alley, a few children who were playing before dinner noticed them.
One sturdy little boy stood still, staring wide-eyed at Lin Xiao for a moment, before suddenly taking off running toward a nearby house, shouting:
"Mom! Brother Lin Xiao is here!"
Lin Xiao recognized the boy as Dou'er, the village chief's grandson. He had played with him at his older cousin Lin Lei's wedding.
The other children, though unfamiliar with Lin Xiao, had heard their elders mention this brother who had received guidance from the immortals. They quickly followed Dou'er's example and sprinted back to their own homes, shouting, "Brother Lin Xiao is here!"
Within moments, the alley had emptied of children.
He Yi glanced at Lin Xiao, who had just been addressed so casually by a mortal child, yet didn't seem upset. In fact, he looked rather amused. This confused He Yi even more.
From the looks of it, Lin Xiao didn't seem to hold much authority in the eyes of these mortals…
Before He Yi could think much further, a woman hurried out of the house where Dou'er had gone, wiping her hands on her apron and smiling at Lin Xiao:
"Oh, Xiao'er, you've come! Haven't eaten yet, have you? Dinner's almost ready. Come in and sit down!"
As she spoke, the village chief's daughter-in-law noticed He Yi beside Lin Xiao and quickly added:
"Are you Xiao'er's friend? Come in, come in, and eat with us!"
She began ushering the two of them into the house.
Lin Xiao, still smiling, followed her in:
"Auntie, don't worry, we have something to do in a bit, so we won't stay for dinner. I just wanted to stop by and check in on the village chief and Dou'er." As he spoke, he gave He Yi another gentle pull to follow him inside.
The adult men in the village chief's family were still out, and with the colder weather, the village chief's health had declined, leaving much of the village's construction work to his two sons. This kept them busy, often returning home late.
Lin Xiao had been planning to visit the village chief soon, so the timing worked out perfectly.
They didn't stay long, only sitting for a short while before preparing to leave.
Just as they were about to leave, He Yi noticed Lin Xiao handing the village chief a small pouch, telling him to take one of the pills inside if he felt his health worsening.
The pouch wasn't anything special, just an ordinary mortal item. It didn't require any special probing for He Yi to easily sense that inside were several medicinal pills.
But they weren't quite proper medicinal pills either.
They contained only trace amounts of spiritual energy.
For a cultivator, they were nothing more than discarded scraps.
However, for the elderly mortal village chief, while not exactly a miracle cure, the pills could certainly help extend his life to some degree.
Just as they were about to leave, the village chief's daughter-in-law emerged, carrying a large basket.
"Xiao'er, wait! Take this with you. I don't know what you two are busy with, but these will keep you fed if you get hungry on the way."
Inside the basket were soft, fluffy steamed buns, assorted pastries, red persimmons, and even a small clay pot with two steaming chicken legs, fresh off the stove.
The villagers' lives had greatly improved in recent years, so Lin Xiao didn't refuse. He happily accepted the basket and thanked her.
"Come by again when you have time!" the village chief's daughter-in-law called out as they left.
"Of course! I'll be back to mooch a meal off you next time!" Lin Xiao waved back.
He Yi glanced at the large basket of mortal food in Lin Xiao's arms, then at Lin Xiao's cheerful expression. Just as he was about to say something, another house's door opened, and a woman called out:
"Xiao'er! Brought a friend? Want to come in and rest for a bit?"
"We've got some things to do, maybe next time, Auntie!" Lin Xiao replied with a smile.
The woman didn't mind being turned down. "Alright, work is important! Oh wait, Xiao'er, hold on, let me grab you some snacks for the road!" Without waiting for Lin Xiao's reply, she hurried back into her house.
In no time, she returned with a bag full of roasted seeds and fruits.