This small mountain village was remote, poor, and isolated, totaling only a few hundred people, and there were no monsters causing trouble nearby.
The Daoist priests of the One-Qi Dao Alliance held noble status; how could they come to such a place for no reason?
This immediately raised a hint of suspicion in the mind of the cautious Liu Chang'an.
Just then.
Gou Wazi, the neighbor's kid, suddenly ran past, turning back excitedly to shout: "Er Leng Zi, what are you spacing out for!"
"Let's go, come watch the excitement with everyone!"
Following the flow of people, Liu Chang'an also arrived at the open space at the head of the village.
But he stayed at the very back of the crowd, in an inconspicuous spot.
This open space was already completely packed.
Almost all the men, women, and children of the entire village were gathered here, craning their necks, eager to catch a glimpse of the Daoist priest's demeanor.
Accompanied by the old village chief.
An old Daoist priest, seemingly with the aura of an immortal, walked slowly.
He was followed by two young boys, with rosy lips and white teeth.
Arriving at the front of the crowd.
The old Daoist priest suddenly stopped, his voice ringing like a great bell: "Poor Daoist Taixu Zi, I have cultivated for over fifty years. I have captured tigers in the mountains and slain dragons in the sea. Exorcising demons and monsters is a given."
"I am here today only to seek someone with rare, remarkable bones, to take as my last disciple and grant him a great opportunity."
As soon as these words were spoken.
The crowd instantly erupted.
The villagers were all overwhelmingly excited, especially the parents, who all hoped their child could be chosen by this Daoist priest.
Faced with this seemingly heaven-sent opportunity for great success, Liu Chang'an became even more careful.
Not only did he not push forward.
He quietly retreated to the very back of the crowd, using the masses as a shield in front of him, becoming even more cautious.
Just then, someone in the crowd loudly instigated: "Daoist master!"
"I heard you have great powers, capable of moving mountains and turning seas, omnipotent! Can you show us a little of your skill to open our eyes?"
The old Daoist priest stroked his beard and smiled, looking kind and benevolent, agreeing generously: "Why not?"
"Today, I shall let you mortals witness firsthand what the Dao is!"
Immediately after.
The old Daoist priest instructed the accompanying boys to bring over a pot of scorching hot oil.
Under the astonished gaze of the crowd, he muttered incantations, and then directly plunged his hands into the boiling oil.
The hot oil crackled, but his hands remained completely unharmed.
The surrounding villagers all widened their eyes, utterly shocked, shouting that the old immortal had shown his power.
Only Liu Chang'an sneered inwardly. If before he was only suspicious, he was now even more certain that this old man in front of him.
Was nothing more than a charlatan.
But he was not in a hurry to expose him.
After all, Heavenly Venerate Han once said: "The spear strikes the bird that sticks its head out."
Deeply versed in the path of 'Gou' (cautious, low-profile survival), he quietly retreated to the most inconspicuous spot in the crowd.
His utterly ordinary appearance made him even more unnoticeable among the people.
The sun set in the west. This display of spiritual power by the old Daoist priest completely convinced the simple villagers.
They eagerly offered up their household wealth, cartloads of supplies, which amounted to nearly half a year's harvest for the entire village.
However.
The old Daoist priest was greedy.
He was still not satisfied with mere property.
He then went from house to house, selecting young boys and girls, intending to take them away.
Just as Liu Chang'an was preparing to sneak back home.
The old Daoist priest suddenly blocked his way.
"Little friend, Poor Daoist sees that your bones are exceptional; you are truly a once-in-ten-thousand cultivation prodigy. If you take me as your master and learn magic, you will surely achieve great success in the future."
The old Daoist priest wore a benevolent expression and spoke persuasively, his voice laced with temptation.
A person of weak will would likely have been fooled by him long ago.
But Liu Chang'an, who had already seen through the trick, immediately shook his head, feigning a timid look: "Dao... Daoist master, I don't want to leave the village."
"I just want to herd cattle in the village."
The old Daoist priest sneered inwardly, 'As expected, children from the mountains are easy to fool. What future is there in herding cattle?'
Though scornful inside.
He remained outwardly gentle, saying: "Little friend, don't be afraid. Don't you want to live a better life?"
"No!"
Liu Chang'an's attitude was resolute, and he added: "I just want to herd cattle."
"..."
The old Daoist priest was speechless.
Then, he smiled and said: "Don't you want to bring honor to your ancestors and make your parents proud?"
"I still just want to herd cattle."
Liu Chang'an's answer was still the same.
His unyielding attitude made the old Daoist priest's eyes visibly darken.
"Bad sign!"
"This old bastard is probably harboring ill intentions towards me."
His internal alarm bell rang.
It told him.
This Daoist priest was absolutely a hypocritical, sanctimonious fellow.
In just a few sentences, the other party had already harbored murderous intent.
For this old Daoist priest to be so ruthless, he was definitely not just trying to swindle money.
Just as Liu Chang'an was contemplating.
The old Daoist priest suddenly sighed, flicked his fly whisk, and looked regretful: "Fine, fine. Since we are not fated to be master and disciple, Poor Daoist will not force it."
"Keep this item safe."
"It can ensure your peace for a lifetime."
Before he left, he forcefully handed Liu Chang'an a yellow talisman paper.
But not long after he walked away.
Liu Chang'an tossed it directly onto the roadside.
Soon after, a bizarre aura began to emanate from the talisman as a breeze blew past.
In the early evening.
Amidst the villagers' farewells.
The old Daoist priest did not stay long, departing the village that very night.
The villagers watched as this Daoist of unknown origin took their children, yet there was no sadness on their faces.
Instead, they gathered together happily and held a bonfire party, their eyes filled with expectation.
They all fantasized about the day their children would achieve great success and bring glory to their ancestors.
Only Liu Chang'an, upon returning home, felt a deep, inner anxiety.
Even after lying down.
He kept thinking, and the situation felt increasingly wrong.
The cold gaze the old Daoist priest gave him before leaving clearly did not belong to a good person.
But the man had already left the village.
Why did he still feel like a great calamity was imminent?
In the dead of night.
He tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. He repeatedly considered, What would his mentor, Han Li, do in this situation?
Soon.
His eyes lit up.
When in doubt, it's best to run first.
Any hesitation would be disrespect to Heavenly Venerate Han.
And so.
He abruptly pulled his still-sleeping parents and sister, and hastily prepared to have the entire family sneak away.
"Er Leng Zi, it's the middle of the night, why are you making such a fuss instead of sleeping?" His parents, drowsy-eyed, looked bewildered.
Liu Chang'an had no time to explain, grabbing their hands and speaking urgently: "Father, Mother, don't ask anything. Follow me, and quickly leave the village."
"???"
Father.
"???"
Mother.
The parents looked at each other, and next to them was Hu Niu, who had been woken up.
"???"
All three were dumbfounded.
Running away in the middle of the night?
Faced with their bewildered looks, Liu Chang'an could only urgently explain: "I suspect that old Daoist priest today had other motives and might be planning something bad for the whole village. We must leave immediately!"
"Leave?"
The couple was even more confused: "???"
Hu Niu rubbed her eyes and muttered: "Brother, did you sleep until you're silly? That Daoist Uncle was so nice! He even gave everyone candy today!"
"That's right!"
His parents agreed, "That Daoist master even gave us all peace talismans before he left. How could he be a bad person?"
"Child, did you misunderstand something?"
Liu Chang'an sighed.
Knowing that further explanation was useless, he simply grabbed his parents with one hand, put his sister on his back, and rushed outside: "Go!"
Only then.
Did the couple realize with shock: this ten-year-old child's strength was astonishingly great.
And Liu Chang'an had no martial arts.
He only had Innately Divine Strength.
When he dragged them, they had no room to struggle and were half-dragged, half-pulled.
They ran towards the big mountain behind the village.
The family got further and further away.
They didn't know how far they had run, perhaps about three hundred meters away from the village.
The previously silent village suddenly let out a piercing scream: "Monsters are in the village!"
Immediately after.
WHOOSH.
A flash of fire was quickly ignited in the night, and the flames shot up into the sky.
In the dark night.
The entire village was enveloped in a raging fire, and before long, it was swallowed by a sea of flames.
Even from a great distance, one could feel the intense heat from the fire.
It was imaginable what kind of unimaginable pain the people in the village were suffering—it was a living hell.
A cold wind blew past.
The couple instantly broke out in a cold sweat.
The tragic situation of the village.
They had witnessed it with their own eyes.
If it weren't for Er Leng Zi's eccentric idea, the four of them would probably have been buried in the sea of fire along with everyone else.
"E-Er Leng Zi... How did monsters get into the village?" His mother, being timid, was the first to turn pale with fear.
His father was not much better, his face full of shock.
In stark contrast to his parents' panic, ten-year-old Liu Chang'an was exceptionally steady and calm at this moment.
The greater the crisis.
The calmer he became.
He had already guessed that this great fire and the old Daoist priest from the day before were absolutely connected.
Without offering a single word of explanation, he simply continued to run forward with his family without looking back.
If he hadn't been careful and cautious enough this time, he might have truly been doomed here.
Once he died.
It would mean that this simulation would be completely over.
This was absolutely not the result he wanted.
Fortunately, at the last moment, he remembered that famous maxim once spoken by Heavenly Venerate Han.
Monsters kill openly.
Humans kill with a smile, and can take the lives of your entire family.