Chapter 68 - 67:Trust me

Chapter 68: Chapter 67:Trust me

The four moved closer, keeping to the side of the road. As they approached, they noticed a thin trail of smoke rising from the chimney.

Someone was definitely inside.

Minghao slowed near the corner of the neighbouring house and studied the lit windows.

The curtains were drawn, but the light behind them shifted now and then, as though someone was moving around inside.

He extended his spiritual sense, careful not to intrude too deeply, and found something unusual. The house was warm, its hearth burning steadily, yet he could not detect a clear presence within.

"Can you sense anyone?" Yuexin whispered.

"No, I don’t sense anyone."

Xiaoyu tried to extend her own spiritual sense, but after a few seconds, she frowned and pulled it back. "I... I can’t sense anyone either."

"Then perhaps the person inside is stronger than us," Yichen said.

Minghao gave him a sideways glance, almost an eye roll even.. "Or perhaps you should stop guessing before we know anything."

Yichen shrugged, but his eyes remained on the house. A moment later, a faint sound came from behind them.

Something wooden scraped against the ground.

!!!

All four turned at the same time almost in an instant.

There, at the far end of the road, beside a collapsed fence, a small wooden stool had fallen onto its side. It had not been there when they passed just now.

Beyond it, a narrow path led between two houses toward the back of the lit one.

Yuexin looked at the stool, then at the house. "Someone has been outside just now?"

"Recently?" Yichen asked.

"Look at the dirt."

A thin line had been dragged through the dust beside the stool, leading toward the narrow path. It was too faint to be a cart track, and the marks were uneven, as if something with a narrow leg had been pulled along the ground.

Minghao approached it and crouched. He touched the mark, then examined the dirt caught beneath his fingernail.

"Not a beast. Something was dragged from the house."

"Why would someone drag a stool out here?" Yichen asked.

Xiaoyu looked between the stool and the narrow path. "M-maybe it was in the way?"

Before either of the others could answer, a dry voice spoke from behind the fence.

"Because it was in the way, yes... You four aren’t idiots after all."

"What!"

Chen Yichen nearly turned with his hand already reaching for his weapon. Minghao stepped in front of Yuexin and Xiaoyu, while Yuexin immediately looked toward the narrow path.

An old woman stood there.

She was so thin that her loose, faded clothes seemed to hang from her bones. Her back was bent, and one hand rested on a crooked wooden cane.

The other held a small oil lamp, its flame trembling despite the still evening air. Her grey hair was gathered loosely behind her head, with several strands hanging over her wrinkled face.

None of them had sensed her approach and none of them had sensed her approach from behind. To that fact alone, achill ran down their spines, raising goosebumps along their arms and the backs of their necks.

Xiaoyu’s eyes widened, and she instinctively stepped closer to Yuexin, gripping the strap of her pouch as the hairs on her arms stood on end.

The old woman looked at the four young cultivators, then at the overturned stool.

"Young people these days," she muttered. "Always stepping where the road has already been swept."

Yichen glanced down. The dirt around his feet was covered in weeds and fallen leaves.

"S-sorry, Grandma. We didn’t see you."

"That much is obvious." She tapped her cane against the ground, then glanced at the overturned stool. "You nearly stepped on it, too."

Minghao studied her carefully. She looked like an ordinary old woman, with a bent back and a face marked by age. Yet he still couldn’t sense her presence. Even now, standing only a few steps away, she seemed strangely difficult to focus on.

"Do you live here, S-senior?" he asked in a careful tone as he cupped his hands forward.

The old woman looked toward the house. The lamp in her hand cast a faint glow across her face, but her expression remained difficult to read, "Someone has to look after the place, no?"

"B-by yourself, Senior?"

She didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she turned her gaze toward the empty houses lining the road.

"People come and go," she said at last. "Some leave their homes behind. Others forget they ever had one."

Yuexin glanced at the abandoned buildings. "Did the villagers leave?" The old woman gave a faint smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes, "You’re standing in their village. Why don’t you tell me?"

Yuexin had no answer to that.

Yichen looked past her toward the dark windows. "It doesn’t seem like anyone’s been here for a long time, grandma."

"Perhaps."

The old woman shifted her grip on the cane and started walking toward the lit house. Her steps were slow, and she occasionally leaned on the cane for support.

After a few steps, she spoke again without looking back.

"Then why are you standing in the road?"

Yichen opened his mouth, but no answer came immediately.

The old woman gave a faint chuckle and started toward the house, dragging her cane through the dirt. The four watched her pass. Her steps were slow and, yet the lamp in her hand never shook, and the cane made no sound when it touched the ground.

The old woman reached the door and stopped without turning around.

"If you’re looking for a place to rest, you may come in."

She rested one hand against the doorframe, holding her lamp in the other.

"It’s nearly night. There aren’t many places to stay around here, and the next settlement is quite far. You’d be better off resting here than wandering through the dark."

Minghao exchanged a glance with Yuexin. Their journey had already taken several weeks, and finding another place to rest before nightfall would be difficult.

Even if they continued, they would have to travel through unfamiliar terrain in darkness.

Xiaoyu looked toward the empty village. "A-are there really no other places nearby?"

"Not that I know of," the old woman replied.

Her answer was simple, but something about the way she said it made Xiaoyu hesitate.

"Come in, if you wish. The night is not getting any shorter."

Minghao exchanged a glance with Yuexin. "Thank you, Elder. We don’t wish to trouble you."

"Trouble?" The old woman pushed the door open, allowing warm light to spill across the abandoned road and reveal a clean wooden floor inside, along with a small table set for four.

She glanced over her shoulder.

"Four guests have come a long way. It would be rude to leave a chair empty."

Yichen’s gaze shifted toward the table.

There were five bowls.

Four of them were still steaming.

Xiaoyu stared at the bowls for a moment before quietly looking at the others.

Minghao exchanged a glance with Yuexin, neither of them immediately offering an answer. The old woman had already turned toward the house, her crooked cane scraping softly against the dirt as she stepped inside.

He waited until she had moved farther into the house before leaning toward the others.

"Something’s wrong with her," he whispered.

Yichen glanced at him. "You noticed it too?"

"Of course I did. We were standing right outside, yet none of us sensed her approaching. She was practically behind us before she spoke."

Yuexin’s expression turned serious as she glanced toward the old woman’s retreating figure and attempted to sense her again. However, there was still nothing she could clearly identify, not even the faintest trace of spiritual energy.

"She’s definitely a reclusive expert," she said quietly.

Minghao nodded. "I think so too. Someone capable of concealing their presence from all four of us to this extent is certainly not an ordinary cultivator."

Xiaoyu looked toward the house, her earlier uneasiness now accompanied by a hint of reverence. "Then... we should be careful not to offend her."

"Of course."

Minghao fell silent for a moment as another thought occurred to him. They had been standing outside, casually discussing their journey and surroundings, completely unaware that someone had approached them. If the old woman had harboured even the slightest ill intention, they could have died a thousand times over before realizing what had happened.

His expression stiffened slightly.

And this fool actually called her Grandma?

Minghao silently cursed at Yichen.

That’s a reclusive expert, you idiot! Even if she’s old enough to be your grandmother, you can’t just address a senior like that!

He quickly leaned closer to Yichen and whispered, "Be more respectful from now on. Don’t call her Grandma. Address her as Senior."

Yichen looked at him, seemingly wanting to say something, but Minghao gave him a warning glance before turning his attention toward the house.

The old woman had already disappeared inside, leaving only the warm light spilling through the open doorway and the faint sound of her cane tapping against the wooden floor.

Yichen watched in the door’s direction for another few seconds before closing his eyes.

Minghao frowned when he noticed Chen Yichen’s sudden movements, "What are you doing?"

"Checking something."

"With your eyes closed?"

Yichen ignored him. He stood still, his expression gradually settling as he focused on the feeling he had sensed earlier. After a while, he opened his eyes and looked at the three of them.

"She doesn’t have any ill intentions toward us."

Minghao stared at him. "You can tell that?"

"Yes."

"How?"

Yichen hesitated, seemingly searching for the right words. "I don’t know how to explain it. I just know."

"That’s not much of an explanation."

"I never said it was."

Minghao looked as though he wanted to argue, but Yichen turned to him with a relaxed smile, "Trust me. When have I ever been wrong about things like this?"

"That’s exactly what worries me," Minghao muttered.

"Plus, if the senior wanted to harm us from the start, why bother waiting this long?" Chen Yichen smiled, spreading his hands as he gestured, "Even now, I doubt the senior couldn’t hear us. Think about it, she is even giving us enough time to think about the situation."

Yuexin let out a quiet laugh. She had known Yichen long enough to understand that, despite his usual carelessness, he sometimes noticed things the others overlooked.

His confidence was irritating, but his instincts in situations like this had rarely led them astray.

"He might be an idiot," she said, giving him a small smile, "but he’s always been right about people in situations like this."

Yichen’s smile widened. "See? Yuexin understands me."

"Don’t get carried away."

Xiaoyu looked at the three of them, then cautiously glanced toward the old woman. "I-I trust you too, Yichen. But... should we still be careful?"

"Of course," Yichen replied. "Being careful and accepting an invitation aren’t mutually exclusive."

Minghao sighed. "You make it sound so simple."

Before Yichen could reply, the old woman came back from the doorway. She had apparently been watching them for some time, her cloudy eyes moving between their faces.

"Are you four coming in, or have you decided to spend the night outside?"

She tapped her cane against the doorframe.

"The fire won’t stay warm forever, and the night is getting colder."

Yichen looked at the other three. Minghao still seemed unconvinced, but after a brief pause, he gave a small nod.

"Let’s go," Yichen said.

The four followed the old woman toward the house, remaining alert as they crossed the threshold.

The first thing they noticed was the warmth. It was considerably warmer inside than outside, and the smell of cooked food lingered in the air.

The room was modest, with wooden walls darkened by years of smoke and a tiled floor that had been swept clean. A small hearth stood against one wall, its flames burning beneath a blackened cooking pot.

Near the window sat a wooden shelf filled with bowls, jars, and several bundles of dried herbs. There was little furniture, only a few stools, a low cabinet, and a round dining table with four chairs.

Despite the village’s apparent abandonment, the house was surprisingly well kept.

Minghao’s gaze moved across the room, taking in each corner. He checked the windows, the back door, and the narrow passage leading deeper into the house.

Yuexin did the same, though she tried not to make her movements too obvious. Xiaoyu remained close to her, quietly observing the shelves and the bundles of herbs.

"Those are medicinal herbs," Xiaoyu whispered.

Yuexin glanced at the shelf. "Can you identify them?"

"A few. But... some of them look rather old, and some of them, I can’t tell what they are."

"Don’t touch anything for now."

Xiaoyu quickly withdrew the hand she had been about to raise. "I wasn’t going to!"

The old woman paid them little attention. She placed her lamp on the shelf, then walked toward the hearth and lifted the lid of a pot.

"You must be hungry after travelling all day," she said. "Come and eat while it’s still warm."

Yichen immediately looked toward the table.

"Thank you, Grandma."

He walked forward without the slightest hesitation and pulled out a chair.

Minghao remained where he was.

Yuexin had also taken a step forward, but she stopped briefly, looking between Yichen and the old woman. Xiaoyu hesitated beside her, unsure whether she should sit or wait for the others. Her eyes lingered on the food before shifting toward the kitchen.

She wasn’t particularly worried about being poisoned, but accepting a meal from someone they had just met, especially someone whose presence they couldn’t even sense, was hardly something she would normally do.

Yichen, meanwhile, had already sat down.

"Come on," he said, looking back at them. "What are you waiting for?"

Minghao stared at him.

Am I the only sane person in this house?

He looked at the old woman, who was calmly serving food into the four bowls, then at Yichen, who seemed perfectly comfortable despite knowing almost nothing about their host.

Yuexin eventually approached the table and took a seat beside Yichen. Xiaoyu followed after a moment, choosing the chair closest to Yuexin. Minghao stood there for another moment before letting out a quiet breath and joining them.

The old woman placed several more plates on the table. The meal was simple, consisting of rice, vegetables, and a pot of stew that smelled surprisingly appetising. She sat across from them, picked up her chopsticks, and began eating without another word.

Yichen needed no further invitation.

He picked up his bowl and started eating, looking entirely pleased with himself. The food seemed to suit his taste, and he even went back for another helping before either of his companions had finished their first.

Xiaoyu watched him, then cautiously took a small bite of her own food. After swallowing, her expression softened.

"It’s... quite good."

The old woman glanced at her. "Then eat more, little one."

Xiaoyu immediately straightened. "Th-thank you, Grandma."

Beside him, Minghao’s mouth twitched.

Another idiot.

Yuexin quietly lowered her head and began eating as well, though she kept glancing at the woman across the table. Minghao followed suit, taking small portions and paying more attention to their surroundings than the food.

For a while, the only sounds were the faint crackling of the hearth and the occasional clink of chopsticks against bowls.

The old woman ate slowly. She didn’t seem interested in watching them, nor did she ask why four young cultivators had come to an abandoned village. She simply continued with her meal, occasionally reaching for a dish before returning to her bowl.

Yichen, on the other hand, had no such reservations.

"Grandma, this stew is really good."

The old woman glanced at him. "Then eat more."

"Thank you!"

Minghao felt a slight headache beginning to form around his temples.

Why is he acting like we’ve known her for years?

After another few mouthfuls, the old woman finally spoke.

"Where are you four headed?"

Minghao’s chopsticks paused.

Yuexin also hesitated, her eyes briefly meeting his. Xiaoyu lowered her bowl slightly, glancing at the others. Unfortunately, the person sitting between them had no such concerns.

"Oh, Grandma, we’re on a mission to investigate a place somewhere farther east in the region."

Minghao slowly raised one hand and slapped it against his face.

Beside him, Yuexin suddenly coughed. She turned her head away, trying to hide her reaction, though the slight movement of her shoulders betrayed her.

Xiaoyu froze with her bowl halfway to her mouth.

"Y-Yichen..." she whispered.

Yichen looked at them in confusion.

"What?"

Minghao lowered his hand and stared at him.

"Nothing," he said through his teeth. "Please, continue eating.",