Chapter 24: I Saw Nothing...

Faced with the villagers avoiding him as if he were a plague, Bai Feiyu was perplexed.

He then went to another village to inquire about Li Zikun’s whereabouts. However, just like in the previous village, as soon as Bai Feiyu mentioned the name of the Return to Ruins Sect, chaos erupted. The villagers scattered in all directions, fleeing from him as if he were Li Zikun himself.

Bai Feiyu was utterly baffled.

This was a difficult problem to solve. As a disciple of a righteous sect, he could not act like the demonic cultivators and use force to compel the villagers to speak. All he could do was wander the streets, lost and confused.

As night fell, Bai Feiyu lit a bonfire in front of a pile of rocks and roasted a rabbit—the spoils of his hunt during the day. While gnawing on the rabbit, he pondered what could possibly cause the villagers to react to him as though he carried a deadly curse.

By rights, the arrival of a savior should not be met with such fear.

After thorough consideration, Bai Feiyu decided he should intercept someone when there were fewer people around and question them. Otherwise, if he continued investigating aimlessly like this, let alone defeating Li Zikun, he wouldn’t even get a whiff of his whereabouts.

After half a year, his allotted spirit stones for the year would be spent, and he would become the greatest laughingstock in the history of the Return to Ruins Sect—bar none.

With this thought, Bai Feiyu tossed aside the rabbit meat, then quickly set off toward the nearest village.

He crept quietly into the village.

Because this world was so chaotic, villagers never ventured out at night, choosing instead to stay holed up in their homes. Bai Feiyu tiptoed toward one of the villagers’ houses.

As he reached the eaves, his pent-up frustration boiled over. He had been searching for so long without a single clue, and his anger surged. In a flash, Bai Feiyu leaped into the courtyard.

He was clearly the savior, so why did these people all avoid him?

Tonight, he was determined to find a villager who would tell him the real reason.

Fueled by anger, Bai Feiyu stormed straight into the house.

At this hour, all the lights inside were extinguished. Bai Feiyu, brimming with fury, barged in and with a snap of his fingers, ignited a wisp of spiritual energy, illuminating the entire house in an instant.

The next moment, Bai Feiyu stood dumbstruck.

On the bed, a man and a woman were completely naked, locked in a passionate struggle.

Startled by the sudden intrusion, the pair scrambled to cover themselves in panic.

“Who’s there? Who’s so damn rude?”

“Is there a thief in the house? Or is someone here to rob us?”

Bai Feiyu: ...

I saw nothing...

Damn it, what rotten luck! To stumble upon such an intense moment—could his fortune possibly get any worse?

Quickly, Bai Feiyu covered his eyes and barked, “Put on your clothes and stand where you are. I am a cultivator—defy my command at your own peril!”

Desperate times called for desperate measures. Though the situation was awkward, Bai Feiyu knew he must not back down.

If he faltered now, he’d not only fail to gather any clues, but the reputation of the Return to Ruins Sect would also suffer greatly.

Upon hearing Bai Feiyu’s stern order, the couple hastily dressed and stood to the side, trembling with fear.

“Immortal, please don’t kill us! We truly know nothing...” the man stammered, his voice quivering so much it nearly sounded feminine. A large stain spread beneath him, filling the air with a rank odor.

Bai Feiyu frowned, then lowered his hand and addressed the pair, “I am a disciple of the Return to Ruins Sect, here to eliminate Li Zikun. But there is something I do not understand.”

“Why do all the villagers here refuse to provide me with information? Why do they avoid me upon learning my identity as though I were Li Zikun himself?”

“Now, speak—immediately! Tell me the truth!”

As he spoke, Bai Feiyu unleashed his spiritual pressure.

Although cultivation existed in this world, most people were ordinary. True cultivators were rare, and in the villagers’ eyes, someone with spiritual power was akin to a deity who could decide their fate.

“S-sir Immortal, we really don’t know anything. We know nothing about Li Zikun,” the man pleaded. “Please, let us go and ask someone else. We truly know nothing about him...”

Bai Feiyu’s face darkened.

These two were still trying to fool him.

Li Zikun was the scourge of the region, responsible for countless deaths. Many villagers had lost their lives to his dark arts.

Was it possible they knew nothing at all?

To be honest, living in such an environment—if they claimed ignorance, it was as laughable as a lifelong disciple of the Return to Ruins Sect not knowing the difference between inner and outer disciples.

Even outsiders had heard about Li Zikun. How could anyone here know nothing?

Bai Feiyu’s voice turned icy as he drew his longsword and glared at the pair. “Still pretending? Do you take me for a fool? Speak now, or I’ll end your lives tonight!”

He put on a menacing front, as though he truly meant to harm them.

In reality, he was only bluffing to scare them. As a disciple of the righteous path, Bai Feiyu could never bring himself to harm innocent villagers; otherwise, how would he differ from the demonic cultivators?

Still, for the safety of the people, Bai Feiyu had no choice but to resort to special measures. If not, Li Zikun would only continue his killing spree.

“Immortal... please don’t force us. We truly haven’t heard a thing, please don’t kill us!” the woman pleaded, her eyes brimming with tears as she knelt before him. “We have a three-year-old child and parents in their eighties. If you kill us, our family will be utterly destroyed...”

Bai Feiyu: ...

Could they come up with a more far-fetched story?

He had already checked upon entering—the house contained no one but this couple.

Moreover, they looked to be in their twenties; where would parents in their eighties come from? Could their lies be any more blatant?

Bai Feiyu’s expression grew so dark it seemed about to drip water.

These two stubbornly refused to say anything about Li Zikun. Yet as a disciple of the righteous path, he could not truly torture them for information, and so the standoff continued.

At this thought, Bai Feiyu felt the pressure mounting. He lowered his sword and let out a sigh.

That sigh reached the ears of the couple, who looked at each other in confusion.

...