"Is this the village where that kid named Lu Qing lives in seclusion?"
"This place is so ordinary, yet it has given birth to such an unparalleled genius. The destiny of Heaven is indeed mysterious and unfathomable."
A disheveled figure gazed at the tranquil mountain village ahead, a strange look in his eyes.
In the past few days, he spent a lot of effort to find out Lu Qing's whereabouts, and then he rushed over immediately.
However, he didn't seem to sense any powerful presence in the village.
"Did they go out?" the disheveled figure muttered to himself.
He was not in a hurry to enter the village. It was rumored that Lu Qing's master was a mysterious innate realm expert who had once defeated Wang Cangyi of the Tiancang Sect in one move. No one knew what level of strength he had reached.
With his current strength, he still struggles quite a bit against those at the initial stage of the Innate Realm, let alone those at higher levels. There's no need for him to clash with them.
The disheveled figure immediately decided to lie in wait outside the village for a few days to see if he could find an opportunity.
In any case, with his abilities, if he really wanted to conceal his aura, even someone at the Innate Realm would have a hard time detecting his presence.
Just as the disheveled figure was about to hide on the hillside outside the village and wait for an opportunity.
Suddenly, he heard a few words of conversation and paused for a moment.
"Aunt Ming, where are Aqing and the old doctor now? Have they left Cangzhou yet?"
"It can't be that fast. Cangzhou is not small. The carriage that Aqing and the others are in doesn't look like it can go very fast. It's only been two or three days. It shouldn't be that fast to get out of Cangzhou."
"Aqing and the others are going to Zhongzhou, but we don't know how far Zhongzhou is or how long it will take to get there."
"I don't know either. I've never left Cangzhou in my life, and I've only been to the county town a few times. But I heard from the old people in the village that Zhongzhou is very far away. It's probably going to be a year or two before Aqing and the others come back."
"It's so far. I wonder if Xiaoyan will cry on the way. Traveling is not an easy thing. Why did the old doctor and the others go all the way to Zhongzhou?"
"The old doctor and Aqing are all martial arts masters. How could we possibly understand the affairs of such important figures? Didn't you see that even the young master of the Wei family has set off with Aqing? It must be something very important."
The disheveled figure turned around and saw two village women carrying bamboo baskets, chatting as they walked out of the village.
Thinking of their conversation, he had a sudden thought, and his expression immediately changed. He hunched over, and with his tattered clothes, he looked quite pitiful.
"Ladies, this old man has something he'd like to ask you."
A disheveled figure stepped forward and stopped two village women, speaking weakly.
"Grandpa, what's the matter?"
The two village women stopped when they saw an old man blocking their way.
"I've heard that there's a miraculous doctor here, a kind-hearted physician who can cure all diseases, so I've traveled for several days to come and seek his help. I wonder where this miraculous doctor lives?"
His hair was disheveled, his voice was weak, and his clothes suggested he was ill.
"Sir, are you here to see Dr. Chen for treatment?"
One of the village women was surprised to hear this: "You're too late. Doctor Chen is no longer home. He and his apprentice went on a long trip a couple of days ago."
"How could this be?" The disheveled figure looked disappointed. "I wonder where the old doctor has gone on his long journey, and when he will return. May I wait for him here?"
"That's probably difficult. Doctor Chen and his group went to Zhongzhou, which is said to be very far away. It might take them at least a year or two to return."
The village woman looked at him with pity; she could tell that the old man's health seemed to be really not good.
"I see. That's such a pity."
The disheveled figure, with a regretful expression, turned around shakily as if to leave, but a wicked glint flashed in his eyes.
"Wait a minute, old man."
Just then, a peasant woman called out to him.
She then took out two rice balls from the bamboo basket and handed them to him, saying, "It's not easy for you to come all this way, and you probably haven't eaten yet. I have two rice balls here for my husband who is working in the fields. You can take them with you on your way."
Another farmer woman took out two vegetable dumplings from her basket: "I have some food here too. Please accept them if you don't mind, old lady."
Seeing that the disheveled figure seemed stunned, the two of them stuffed the things into his hands without saying a word.
"Grandpa, we still have farm work to do. You're getting on in years, so please be careful on your way home."
After giving them their instructions, the two hurriedly headed towards the fields outside the village.
From beginning to end, the disheveled figure remained motionless, simply watching them leave in silence.
He only looked away after the two figures disappeared outside the village.
He glanced at the rice ball and vegetable ball in his hand, then casually tossed them into the nearby ditch.
He naturally disdained to eat such lowly food.
"Consider it money to save your lives. After all, the lives of you insects are just as worthless as these rice dumplings."
The disheveled figure chuckled softly, then turned and left.
Normally, given his personality, anyone who had seen him should have been killed.
However, they were just two village women and posed no threat to him, so letting them go wouldn't hurt.
Moreover, he vaguely sensed that there was a rather powerful aura residing in the villa not far away. Making a move rashly might alert it, and since he still had to chase after Lu Qing, it was not advisable to cause any trouble at this time.
"Is that the Wei family's Innate Realm cultivator? He does have some skill; his cultivation is only half a step away from the Lesser Completion of the Innate Realm."
"However, is it a coincidence that you're going on a long trip at this time, or is it that some unseen force is protecting you?"
A strange light appeared in the eyes of the disheveled figure.
"As expected of a chosen one, he is protected by good fortune when danger is imminent, allowing him to avoid disaster in advance."
"But the more you do this, the more it proves your extraordinary nature."
"If I can devour you, my physical constitution will undergo an unprecedented transformation."
"Lu Qing, just wait. You can't escape my grasp. You're destined to become my resources. Even the fortune of heaven and earth can't protect you forever. Once you're inside me, even the fortune within you will be mine..."
Accompanied by cold laughter, the disheveled figure gradually disappeared outside Jiuli Village.
At the village entrance, only a few rice dumplings lay quietly in the ditch.
No one knew that a terrifying demon had just been here.
The villagers were completely unaware that they had unknowingly escaped a calamity.
