Bab 28: Chapter 58- Yinhui Village
Juanxiu gathered his things, including the key that his father had given him, and prepared for his journey. As he made his way to the entrance of the valley, Mao Wenlin and Du Hong approached him.
"Young Master Juanxiu, please let us accompany you on your journey," Mao Wenlin said.
"We could be of great help to you," Du Hong added.
Juanxiu shook his head. "I appreciate your offer, but I think it would be best if I traveled with Liu Peng and Siyi. A larger party would attract too much attention, and people might mistake us for invaders. I'll be fine on my own. Besides, you are needed here in case something happened. Guard the clan in my absence."
Mao Wenlin and Du Hong reluctantly agreed, and Juanxiu bid them farewell. He then turned to Madam Zhang, who was overseeing the rice and wheat that had grown larger and more nourishing after being watered with the water from the lake.
"Madam Zhang, I entrust the management of the valley to you," Juanxiu said. "And here's a vial of my blood for Alchemist Li. He knows what to do with it."
Madam Zhang took the vial and nodded. "I'll make sure everything is taken care of while you're gone. Be safe on your journey."
Juanxiu nodded and set off, his thoughts turning to the key and the old location of their clan, which was on the way to Liu Peng's home, the Tiger Quarry. He also thought of Siyi, and how it might be good for her to get away from the valley and take her mind off of her anger and fury.
Juanxiu sighed as he gazed out at the rolling hills and towering mountains. He was once again on the move, but this time, he was surrounded by familiar faces. Liu Peng was at his side, his trusty companion and friend, and Siyi was behind him, her eyes scanning the landscape.
"It's strange," Juanxiu mused out loud. "I always seem to be on the move." Still Juanxiu felt grateful for this opportunity.
Liu Peng nodded, his eyes also taking in their surroundings. "Yes, young master. It's good to be out and about again."
Juanxiu thought back to his last journey, how inexperienced he had felt despite all the knowledge he had accumulated inside the tower. "I hope to gain more experience this time," he said. "I want to be more rational with my actions and contribute more to the clan."
He frowned as he thought of his late father and Tengyang, both now gone from their lives. "There's only Siyi and me left," he murmured. "I wonder what happened to the other members of our clan who abandoned us, especially my uncle."
Liu Peng placed a hand on Juanxiu's shoulder, offering a word of comfort. "We'll find out eventually, young master. Let's focus on our journey ahead."
The party of three, Liu Peng, Juanxiu, and Siyi, set up camp for the night under the light of the moon. Siyi sat by herself, her mind consumed by thoughts of revenge for the death of her beloved brother, Tengyang. Juanxiu couldn't help but worry for her and approached her, sitting down beside her.
"Siyi," Juanxiu said softly, "I know you're still grieving for Uncle Tengyang, but don't let hatred consume you. It won't bring him back."
Siyi didn't respond at first, but after a moment, she turned to Juanxiu, tears in her eyes. "I know," she said, her voice shaking. "But how can I not seek revenge for him? He was my father, my only family. I saw him died."
Juanxiu placed a hand on her shoulder. "I understand, but I'm here for you. We are a family. I promise to help you find justice for Tengyang, but we need to do it in a way that will appease his soul. He was a good man. We will seek revenge, the people who did this to our clan will wish death but will not find it."
Siyi nodded, tears streaming down her face. "Every last one of them will suffer."
Juanxiu pulled her into a comforting embrace. "We'll get through this together. We have each other, and that's all we need."
The two of them sat there for a while, comforting each other in their grief. Juanxiu couldn't help but think of Tengyang and all the good he had done for the clan throughout the years.
In the midst of everything that had been going on, Juanxiu realized that he hadn't had a chance to grieve properly for his fallen comrade. But as the young master of the clan, he knew that he had to invest all his energy and life into the clan, leaving nothing for himself. Despite this, he promised himself that he would always be there for Siyi, Liu Peng, and the people of Forgotten Valley, for they were his family now.
Juanxiu reached into his pouch and retrieved the blood of the Lightning Cicada. He held it out to Siyi with a serious expression. "This blood will give you resistance against ten thousand types of poison and lightning," he said. "It's your first step in becoming a powerhouse member of the clan."
Siyi took the blood, her expression skeptical. "Are you sure about this?" she asked.
Juanxiu nodded. "Absolutely. I wouldn't give it to you if I wasn't confident in its power. Find some time where you can assimilate with it."
When the morning arrived, Juanxiu, Liu Peng, and Siyi made their way to the east, their steps growing more cautious as they approached the small village of Yinhui. The picturesque town was usually bustling with activity, as travelers and mercenaries stopped by for a break from their journey. But today, the streets were empty and the silence was deafening.
As they approached, Juanxiu felt a shiver run down his spine. The village was completely still, the only sounds coming from the occasional creak of a wooden board or the rustle of leaves. It was as if the entire town had been abandoned, and the trio couldn't help but wonder what had caused the eerie hush.
"This place is always filled with the sounds of people coming and going," Liu Peng commented, looking around with a furrowed brow. "Where is everyone?"
The trio exchanged wary glances as they made their way through the empty streets. The houses that they passed by appeared to be abandoned, not a single soul in sight. The quiet was palpable, almost as if the village was holding its breath.
"We should be on guard," Siyi said, her hand resting on the hilt of her blade.
Juanxiu nodded in agreement, his hand hovering ready to take out his blade.
As they walked towards the inn, Liu Peng suddenly stiffened. "Did you guys see that? Something just moved!"
Without a second thought, Liu Peng took off in pursuit of the shadow, his renewed mobility allowing him to close in on the figure quickly. The person didn't have a chance to escape, and Liu Peng soon had him cornered.
To their surprise, the figure was a young boy, no more than the same age as Juanxiu. The boy was in a disheveled state, his clothes torn and dirty, his eyes wide with fear.
Siyi and Juanxiu approached, weapons at the ready. But as they got closer, they could see the fear in the boy's eyes give way to relief.
Juanxiu, Siyi, and Liu Peng surrounded the kid, their eyes filled with concern and questions. Siyi was the first to speak, "What happened here? Where are all the people?" The kid looked at them with a dazed expression, as if he couldn't quite grasp the reality of the situation.
"They're gone," he finally replied, his voice trembling. "Everyone's gone. I can't remember much, it all happened so fast."
Liu Peng furrowed his brows. "What do you mean, gone? Where did they go?"
The kid shook his head, his eyes filled with fear. "I don't know. I was sleeping, then I just remember hearing strange noises, and then people started disappearing. I was half awake when that happened. After I get up on that day, I haven't seen anyone else since."
Juanxiu took a step closer to the kid, his voice gentle. "Can you tell us anything else? Anything at all that might help us understand what's going on?"
The kid looked at Juanxiu with a pained expression. "I just remember hearing people talking about some sort of curse. They said it was a punishment from the gods. But it's just words, no one could understand."
The four of them decided to occupy an empty residence for the night. As the trio entered the empty residence, Juanxiu pulled out a small, glowing lamp from his spatial pouch. The light illuminated the dark, silent room and provided some comfort in this eerie place. He also took out several ingredients from his pouch and Siyi began preparing dinner.
While Siyi cooked, Liu Peng stayed with the kid, keeping the young boy company. Juanxiu took the opportunity to investigate the house. He noticed that everything was still in its place, with no signs of struggle or chaos. It was as if the villagers just left one day, never to return.
As they settled down for dinner, they askedthe kid about his family and what happened to the villagers.
Juanxiu smiled kindly at the boy and said, "So, kid, what's your name?"
Chang Bao sniffled and looked up at Juanxiu with big, fearful eyes. "M-My name is Chang Bao," he replied.
Liu Peng put a comforting arm around the boy and asked, "And where are your parents, Chang Bao?"
The boy's bottom lip trembled as he said, "I-I don't know. One day, they just disappeared. And then, everyone in the village just... vanished."
Juanxiu frowned. "What do you mean, vanished?"
"I mean, they were just... gone. I woke up one morning and everyone was just gone," the boy explained, his voice shaking with fear.
Liu Peng exchanged a worried look with Juanxiu, and they both knew they had to find out what happened to the people of Yinhui Village. They continued their conversation with Chang Bao, asking him more about the village and what he saw and heard before the people disappeared. Despite the eerie surroundings, the trio did their best to make the boy feel comfortable and at ease, and by the time Siyi finished cooking their dinner, Chang Bao seemed to have relaxed a bit.
The night passed by peacefully, with the three adventurers and Chang Bao spending the night in the empty residence. In the morning, they set out to continue their investigation, determined to uncover the truth about what happened to the villagers of Yinhui Village.
The morning sun rose over the abandoned village, casting a warm light over the quiet streets. Juanxiu, Siyi, and Liu Peng emerged from the empty residence they had occupied for the night, ready to continue their search for answers.
"Let's start by checking each house," Juanxiu suggested, and the trio set off to check the nearest building. However, despite their thorough search, they found nothing - no signs of violence, no clues as to why the village had been deserted.
As they continued their search, disappointment began to set in. All they had found was an eerie silence and an abandoned village. And they couldn't leave Chang Bao here.
"What do we do now?" Siyi asked, looking around the desolate village.
"We can't just leave the boy here," Liu Peng said firmly. "We'll have to take him with us on our journey."
Juanxiu nodded in agreement. "But what will happen to him once we reach our destination?"
The trio had a conversation, discussing the different options available to them. They weighed the pros and cons, considering what was best for the boy and for their own journey. In the end, they agreed that taking Chang Bao with them was the best course of action.
"Alright, it's decided," Juanxiu declared. "We'll take Chang Bao with us. We'll be a family on this journey."
Hadiah
-- Hadiah diterima Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone