Chapter 276 - 37: No, You’re Not Du Wei, You’re Chen Ye

Chapter 276: Chapter 37: No, You’re Not Du Wei, You’re Chen Ye

The old chieftain’s clouded eyes swept over him from head to toe before he slowly said, "Since you’re just passing by, please be on your way."

At these words, the smile on Jian Wuchen’s face nearly stiffened.

He hadn’t expected the old man to be so blunt.

Still, Jian Wuchen took a deep breath, telling himself to be patient.

"Elder, we’ve come in pursuit of a vicious killer who murdered a disciple of my Manor. The man’s name is Chen Ye, a Swordsman. We have reason to believe he has fled into this Southern Wilderness Mountain Range."

He watched the old chieftain’s expression closely as he spoke, trying to read it for any sign.

But the old chieftain’s face was like withered tree bark, showing no change whatsoever.

"Chen Ye?" The old chieftain seemed to ponder for a moment before shaking his head. "Never heard the name."

Then he turned to Niu and the others behind him, asking in a loud voice, "And you? Have any of you seen an outsider named Chen Ye in our village recently?"

"No!"

"Haven’t seen him!"

"An outsider? We don’t get outsiders here!"

The mountain folk behind him all began to clamor, each shaking their head and speaking with absolute certainty.

Only then did the old chieftain turn back to Jian Wuchen and shrug. "Young man, as you’ve heard, there’s no one named Chen Ye in our village. Perhaps the person you’re looking for is already dead in the mountains, eaten by some wild beast or Demon Ghost. So, you should be on your way."

The explanation was watertight.

Jian Wuchen was left speechless and couldn’t lash out. He could only force a smile. "Elder, please don’t misunderstand."

Jian Wuchen took another step forward, his tone so sincere it even disgusted himself. "It’s not that I don’t believe you and your people, but this criminal, Chen Ye, is exceptionally cunning and a master of disguise."

"Perhaps he’s disguised as someone, or used some other means to sneak into your village without you realizing it. I’m only saying this for your own safety. Just imagine—how dangerous would it be to have a cold-blooded killer hiding in your midst?"

He spoke with such earnest sincerity, putting on an air of being completely concerned for the villagers’ welfare.

"So, if you would be so kind as to allow us to enter the village for a look... If he isn’t here, that’s for the best. We’ll leave immediately and present you with a generous gift for the trouble. And if he is, we will have helped your village eliminate a major threat. Wouldn’t that be a perfect solution for everyone?"

He felt he had been more than polite and perfectly reasonable.

However, the moment he finished speaking, the Hunting Captain, Niu, who stood behind the old chieftain, violently slammed the butt of his Long Spear into the ground!

THUD!

With a dull thud, the very ground trembled.

Niu glared with eyes like a bull’s, pointing right at Jian Wuchen’s nose. "Who the hell do you think you are? You want to search our village? You think Kawa Village is a place you can just waltz into and search whenever you please? Not a chance!"

Niu’s shout was like a spark to a powder keg.

"Yeah! Get out!"

"You think Kawa Village is a pushover?"

"Get lost, or we’ll break your legs and throw you out!"

The village warriors behind them joined in, shouting and cursing.

Jian Wuchen’s face instantly turned livid.

’He was the Young Manor Master of Celestial Sword Manor, an Inner Realm expert! Wherever he went, people flocked to him and treated him with the utmost respect. When had he ever been subjected to such a humiliating tirade, with someone pointing right in his face?’

A terrifying killing intent began to emanate from him, beyond his control.

With a sharp SHIIING, the four disciples behind him drew their longswords, their chilling Sword Qi aimed directly at the opposing villagers.

The atmosphere instantly grew taut, ready to snap at the slightest touch.

Just then, the old chieftain, who had remained silent, raised his Wooden Staff and tapped it lightly on the ground.

"Niu, be silent."

The old chieftain’s voice wasn’t loud, but it carried an undeniable authority.

Niu, who had been spewing curses, immediately shut his mouth, though his eyes still spat fire as he glared at Jian Wuchen.

The commotion at the village gate died down in an instant.

The old chieftain then turned his gaze back to Jian Wuchen, whose face was a mask of shifting colors. His tone was placid, yet every word was like steel.

"Young man, we mountain folk may not understand the great principles of the outside world, but we do understand one: mind your own business."

"Kawa Village and your Celestial Sword Manor have coexisted peacefully for many years. There’s no reason for an old man like me to lie to you over some trivial matter that has nothing to do with us."

"When I say I haven’t seen the fugitive you’re looking for, I mean it."

"If you refuse to believe me, there’s nothing more I can do." The old chieftain paused, and a deadly, cold light suddenly flashed in his clouded eyes.

"But searching my village... that is absolutely out of the question. It is our way, a sacred line handed down by our ancestors."

As his last words fell, the very air seemed to freeze over.

The morning mist, once thin and sparse, had unknowingly thickened into a gray wall, shrouding all of Kawa Village.

Jian Wuchen felt as if the entire mountain range had its eyes fixed on him. The sensation of his True Essence being suppressed intensified, to the point where even breathing became difficult.

Jian Wuchen’s heart sank to the pit of his stomach. Still, unwilling to give up, he quietly sent out a sliver of his Divine Thought, trying to bypass the crowd and probe into the village.

However, his Divine Thought had barely traveled a hundred feet before it slammed into a wall—invisible, intangible, yet utterly impenetrable.