Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation
Chapter 781 - 466 Shadows in the Night_3

Chapter 781: Chapter 466 Shadows in the Night_3

"I’m not playing anymore, I’m not playing anymore," the little boy said, scared.

"What if you keep being naughty?" Sister Zheng asked again.

The little boy howled, "If I keep being naughty, just let me become an orphan!"

Half a minute later.

The little boy’s crying grew louder.

...

After walking for over two hours, it had become completely dark.

The guide, holding a flashlight and supporting an elderly person, walked on the mountain path.

The night sky was incredibly deep and vast, beautifully stunning. Looking up, thousands of stars floated in the night, instantly clearing the heart.

It was a night in Hui Province like never before.

Xue Yuantong turned on his cell phone flashlight, gripping Jiang Ning tightly, afraid of getting separated.

Suddenly, several beams of light appeared in the distance. They grew closer and eventually, two groups met.

Facing them were seven or eight young people, dressed simply, with rough skin—the real rural folks.

The village chief was very old. He carefully examined the elderly man’s face for a while, then exclaimed in surprise,

"Are you Uncle Chen?"

Following that, bursts of noise erupted from the crowd. The old man was very excited. Having left his hometown in his middle age, more than thirty years had passed, and now he had returned with white hair.

The village chief led a group of villagers to welcome the party into the village.

Xue Yuantong curiously looked at the houses here: many were made of gray bricks, and even adobe houses.

In her village, even the worst houses were made of red bricks. Most people lived in two-story houses, and adobe houses had been phased out years ago.

Yet here, the entire village had no buildings at all. She found it hard to imagine that such poverty still existed.

Someone had returned to recognize relatives. Uncharacteristically, the village chief set up three tables for a feast. The old man was invited to the main table to drink. Well-cooked chicken, duck, and mutton were served in big sea bowls.

Though the setting was simple, the portions were generous, and they enjoyed their meal.

Village customs were strict; women could not join the main table. Xue Yuantong had to eat at a small table. When Jiang Ning was almost done eating, he grabbed a chicken leg and gave it to Xue Yuantong.

Sister Zheng took the opportunity to bring over a few hundred-dollar bills and asked privately,

"Xiao Jiang, do you have any change, can you give me some tens and twenties?"

She told Jiang Ning that these were red envelopes prepared as per his elder’s request at home. The area was so poor that they only killed chickens during festivals. To host them, the village had spent a considerable amount. It was only proper to give some red envelopes.

Jiang Ning gave her $500 in change, which surprised Sister Zheng a lot.

She also shared some of the change with Jiang Ning.

Jiang Ning and Xue Yuantong called some children over and gave them pocket money. Under the light of incandescent bulbs, the village children went crazy with joy. They had never seen such large sums of money before.

Xue Yuantong gave a bewildered child two ten-yuan bills. After receiving the money, he ran off with a goofy laugh, accidentally dropping one of the bills.

Xue Yuantong took the money and chased after him. Unexpectedly, the child ran incredibly fast.

"Jiang Ning, Jiang Ning!" she exclaimed, grabbing Jiang Ning as they tried to find the child. After chasing around several bends, they lost the child and ended up getting lost themselves.

The mountain village’s terrain was uneven, unlike the plain villages; it was highly perplexing. Xue Yuantong got so turned around that she ended up in a dilapidated courtyard with Jiang Ning.

"Jiang Ning, do you remember the way we came?" Xue Yuantong despaired. She had gotten lost!

"Of course I remember," Jiang Ning reassured her, his Divine Sense enveloping the village without a problem.

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from nearby.

Xue Yuantong turned her head, curious. Making use of the moonlight, she noticed it was a broken window.

Thinking a child was hiding there playing hide and seek, she ran over to look.

Peering in, the window was murky, barely revealing fine iron bars.

Silence, utter silence—the noises inside the window had vanished.

Xue Yuantong’s face drew closer, her eyes focusing on the glass. Suddenly, a disheveled woman lunged at her.

Xue Yuantong was terrified, her soul nearly flying away as she cried out frantically, "Jiang Ning, save me!"