Chapter 180 : The Other People in the Village
Chapter 180: The Other People in the Village
When the three of them walked out of the Bridal Chamber, the stretch of sky outside—so flawlessly, almost unnaturally blue—brought not the slightest comfort. Instead, its perfection felt false, tightening the chest with unease.
Long Tao and True Person Mingzhu felt a suffocating oppression at the same time.
Du Yiluo, as an Asura, could return to the Asura Realm and be reborn through death. But they did not possess such an ability—if they died here, they would truly be dead.
Ever since Long Tao had obtained… or rather, been blackmailed by the System, he had already prepared himself to drop dead at any moment. But he absolutely did not want to end his life in such a grotesque and terrifying place.
If one perished normally in the Nine-Xia Realm, there was still hope for reincarnation. With enough luck, one might even return to Earth.
At the very least, there would be a sliver of possibility. But here… he had a strong premonition that if he suffered death and Dao collapse, even his soul would likely be trapped within this heaven and earth, unable to transcend.
Though True Person Mingzhu had once mentioned that the World’s Will would inflict backlash upon plunderers, he did not dare place his hopes in something so intangible.
Just as the two of them steadied their emotions and prepared to follow Du Yiluo around the village, a group of young people suddenly appeared from the other side of The Village, gathering in the central square at the crossroads beside the house.
There were about ten of them, clustered around a banyan tree, speaking in low voices, their brows clouded with lingering worry.
A flash passed through Du Yiluo’s eyes, and she immediately gestured for the two to follow.
“See them? Those are the young people from that small world I mentioned earlier. All outsiders trapped here. Since we’ve run into them, we might as well greet them.”
In such a perilous situation where survival was uncertain, numbers were not necessarily an advantage. But the village was small—there was little point in deliberately avoiding one another.
Rather than breeding suspicion, it was better to meet openly. Perhaps they could exchange some useful information.
As the three approached, Long Tao noticed that the group’s clothing had a distinctive style. It closely resembled the attire of the sect’s Mechanism Masters—simple and practical, clearly suited for work.
Earlier, when Du Yiluo had mentioned that they came from a world with thin spiritual energy but proficient Mechanism Arts, he had briefly fantasized that they might be fellow countrymen. But now it was obvious they were not.
Their manner of dress differed greatly, and the mechanical devices at their waists and hands—primarily wood and Spirit Stones—were similar to the cultivation world’s style, not Earth’s.
The youths sensed the trio’s approach and turned their heads in unison. When their gazes fell upon True Person Mingzhu’s face, astonishment spread instantly.
Several of the young men flushed red at once, their eyes darting away, breathing growing rapid.
Long Tao took the opportunity to observe them carefully. His most immediate impression was… ordinary.
Their features and bearing were far too plain—like random passersby one might see on Earth in his previous life.
But he quickly understood.
The Nine-Xia Realm, where he had grown up, was abundant in spiritual energy. Even ordinary mortals benefited from its nourishment, their bodies superior to those raised in mundane environments.
Having long resided within the sect, he was accustomed to seeing people with spiritual roots.
Even the lowest-ranking menial disciples possessed decent proportions. It would be an exaggeration to say everyone had long legs, but it was rare to see squat, awkward figures.
In contrast, the young people before him—whether in complexion, facial structure, or body proportions—all bore the marks of growing up in an environment deficient in spiritual energy.
“Sister Du Yiluo?”
A freckled girl with a neat ponytail hurried forward. She looked about fifteen or sixteen, a delicate hand crossbow fastened at her waist. In her gaze toward Du Yiluo flickered joy, admiration, and faint timidity and inferiority.
“Xinyao.” Du Yiluo greeted her casually with a smile, clearly familiar with them. “You’ve come at the right time. These two are Long Tao and Yi Suyue… ah… Mingzhu. They only arrived yesterday. They’re from the same world as the Brother Xin you all respect. You’ll have to look after one another from now on.”
“From the same hometown as Brother Xin?”
The words were like a pebble dropped into still water, stirring immediate commotion.
Though everyone’s eyes remained drawn to Mingzhu’s breathtaking beauty, they also began sizing up Long Tao with renewed interest and expectation.
It seemed this yet-unmet Brother Xin held considerable prestige here—so much so that even his fellow townsmen received special attention.
The stir lasted only briefly. Soon, everyone’s gaze drifted back to True Person Mingzhu, eyes—male and female alike—filled with undisguised amazement and curiosity.
Long Tao found it understandable. When he had first seen a True Person in his childhood, his reaction had not been much better.
Though Mingzhu wore a plain white Daoist robe, it could not conceal the faint glow flowing across her entire being. It was the natural jade-like luster of skin tempered by spiritual energy at the Golden Core True Person level.
Even though her cultivation was lost here, the essence of her immortal physique remained unchanged. Standing there, she seemed shrouded in a hazy mist of immortal radiance, utterly out of place in this mortal village.
“H-How is that possible…” murmured a girl with double buns, unconsciously touching her slightly rough skin.
The boy beside her rubbed his eyes vigorously, voice trembling. “Master Tong’s newly wedded wife uses the finest fragrant creams every day, yet… yet her skin doesn’t come close to this. Can a mortal truly look like this?”
Indeed, to these youths from a world of sparse spiritual energy, Mingzhu’s appearance had surpassed the limits of their understanding.
Her skin was not merely flawless—it carried a luminous, translucent sheen from within, like the finest mutton-fat white jade revealing gentle brilliance under sunlight.
Though Du Yiluo, as an Asura, also possessed astonishing beauty, she did not have the transcendent skin quality of a Golden Core True Person.
Coupled with the scars on her body, she seemed at least somewhat real—unlike Mingzhu, who appeared at first glance like an immortal maiden stepped out of a dream.
“Could it be some special cosmetic powder?” an older woman speculated, only to shake her head immediately. Even the most delicate pearl powder could not produce such a naturally integrated clarity.
Du Yiluo crossed her arms and stood to the side, mischief glinting in her crimson eyes. She deliberately cleared her throat, breaking the stagnant air.
“What? All stunned by our Miss Mingzhu’s beauty? Too bad—she’s already taken. She’s the wife of this young fellow Long Tao. None of you have a chance.”
The remark dropped like a stone into still water. Long Tao immediately felt several jealous gazes shoot toward him. Still, he could not help feeling smug. Even if it was fake, it satisfied his vanity a little.
“Miss Mingzhu…”
At this moment, a young man dressed like a scholar, wearing a square headscarf, stepped forward. Though flushed, he forced himself to remain composed and cupped his hands respectfully.
“I beg your pardon—may I ask whether you have used some special skincare secret to achieve such complexion?”
Before he could finish, a freckled boy blurted out, “It must be an immortal technique! I told you—ancient records describe cultivators as having jade-like skin and youthful faces. Look—living proof stands before us!”
“The Master does not speak of strange powers and chaotic spirits!” the scholar immediately retorted. “There are no immortals in this world. It must be some technique we have yet to understand, or—”
“Brother Shi, we’ve been trapped in this bizarre village for so long, and you’re still insisting on not speaking of strange powers and spirits? Isn’t that self-deception?”
“This…” The scholar wavered slightly. “As I’ve said before, it may be some lost ancient Mechanism Art or perhaps a form of hypnotic mental influence. In any case, that’s more credible than believing in immortals and ghosts.”
“But…” the earlier girl timidly pointed toward Mingzhu and Du Yiluo. “How do you explain Sister Yiluo and Miss Mingzhu’s transcendent beauty? Even in a hypnotic dream, I couldn’t imagine someone as beautiful as them.”
The freckled boy nodded vigorously in agreement.
Seeing this, Du Yiluo stepped forward with a grin and ruffled his hair, prompting another round of flushed faces among the young men.