Chapter 5, the closer one gets to home, the more timid one feels

In this world, the sky is high and the clouds are low, the vegetation is lush, and the fragrant grass grows thickly on both sides of the official road. It is early autumn, and the wildflowers bloom splendidly, dotting the vast expanse of green.

A night without conversation, the jade rabbit sets in the west, while the golden crow rises in the east

If Lu Beiruo cannot discern what these people are up to, then more than twenty years of his past life would have been in vain

The memories of my early years, fifteen years of life have been spent here, and I do not wish to return after half a month, only to find it desolate and lonely like this

In an instant, the auspicious clouds of three colors carried the two women away into the distance, disappearing at the edge of the horizon

Looking out from the north of the land, the half moon has not returned for a while, and the grass in the small courtyard has grown wildly, already surpassing the ankles

Under the northern foot, he walked steadily, stepping over the soft green grass, and directly pushed open the door of the wooden cabin

Chen Qingshan also felt quite embarrassed, but he quickly accompanied his words with a smile, saying: "Xu Zhu Bu, the Lu family indeed perished in the previous chaos caused by the demons, and even their bodies could not be found"

Lu Bei felt that approximately 30 minutes had passed when he finally opened his eyes at the suggestion of the Cloud Wanderer

Wuliu Village covers an area of approximately 450 to 500 acres, nestled between mountains and water. Although it is midday, the atmosphere in the village is exceptionally tranquil

As one travels along Lubei Road, one can fully appreciate the ancient mountain and countryside scenery, making the journey feel far from monotonous

As he stepped onto the steps paved with green flagstones, Lu Bei trembled as he reached out with his right hand to push the wooden door, a wave of bittersweet emotions surged rapidly to his eyes, threatening to spill over in tears

Not long after, an elderly man with a slightly hunched figure and a gaunt face led the way, followed by a middle-aged, plump man with a pale complexion, no beard, and squinting small eyes, dressed in the attire of a scholar.

"Rest assured, I will definitely come to see you when I have time," said the Cloud Daoist with a smile.

Half a month ago, passing demons attacked Wuliu Village, resulting in over two hundred villagers, with nearly half suffering casualties, leaving every household in mourning

"Come in and place the food on the table," Lu Bei said, retracting his gaze and speaking淡淡.

Before the words were finished, the auspicious clouds beneath her feet were lifted by Su Qingli.

On the second floor of an inn, Lu Bei stood by the window, lost in thought as he gazed at the continuous strands of rain outside the window

In the early afternoon, on a high autumn day, the ox cart swayed gently as it arrived at the boundary of Wuliu Village. Lu Beixi paid the old man driving the ox cart with silver coins, took the goods in both hands, and walked towards the village.

Having spoken, a white cloud emerged from the void. The cloud master grasped Guo Lu's arm and together they stepped onto the cloud.

Then came the sound of "dong dong" as someone knocked on the door. Lu Bei frowned and placed his right hand on the hilt of the iron sword at his waist.

Such a significant matter was actually suppressed by the magistrate of Qinghe County, which illustrates how insignificant the lives of mortals are in this world

The sound of knocking echoed, awakening Lu Bei from his contemplation

Lu Bei stood quietly on the stone steps outside the Qingling Temple, not far from her were the sisters Su Qingli and Su Qingling bidding farewell to the departing Daoist Yun.

The Cloud Daoist watched the tall figure of the stubborn young man leaving silently in the distance, shook his head with a smile, and quickly followed Lu Bei

Lu Beiduan sat atop a cloud, surrounded by ethereal mist in the mountains, as a gentle breeze swept by, and the scenery beside him swiftly receded like fleeting shadows.

Having spoken, he leaped onto the clouds and vanished in the direction from which he came

Lu Beiming silently gazed at this scene of parting, remaining speechless for a long time. Afterward, he turned and strode towards the mountain path.

Lu Bei was aware that this was the influence of residual memories from a previous life, and he did not force himself to suppress it. He set down the burden on his back, held the sword in his left hand, and suddenly pushed open the door with his right hand

"Friend Yun, please stay a moment." Su Qingli walked gracefully, her wide sleeves fluttering, as a three-colored auspicious cloud rose from beneath her feet. The little girl Qingling, with her fair wrist, linked arms with her sister Sai Shuangqi Xue, and with a sweet smile said: "Master, do come to see me when you have some free time."

Not wanting to let the opportunity bestowed by heaven slip away half a month ago, Lu Xun's family encountered an unexpected disaster. At this moment, if one does not take the chance to seize the land under their name, would it not be a disgrace to the name of Chen Banzhuang

Those who follow the path of immortality ride the clouds and mist, traveling to the North Sea in the morning and to Cangwu in the evening, truly enjoying such carefree existence

Lu Bei was not mistaken; Chen Qingshan owns nearly one-third of the land in Wuliu Village, and his family resides in Qinghe County. Therefore, when the demons wreaked havoc in Wuliu Village half a month ago, they fortunately escaped a calamity.

Above the high sky, the Cloud Daoist stands with his hands behind his back, his blue Daoist robe billowing backward in the mountain breeze

It is likely that Chen Qingshan took advantage of the misfortunes of the previous family, intending to seize the land and property left behind by them

After pouring some clean water, Lu Bei picked up a broom and began to clean. Thus, Lu Bei spent his first day back home engaged in a thorough cleaning.

In recent days, Chen Qingshan, relying on the fact that the county constable of Qinghe County is his son-in-law, has taken advantage of his position to engage in acts of extortion and plunder against villagers who have suffered from demonic calamities, regardless of whether they are orphans, widows, or elderly men and women

The Cloud Daoist said in a loud voice: "Young friend, close your eyes"

In early autumn, the sunlight is not too glaring. Lu Bei follows his memories and travels along the official road towards Qinghe County.

The dawn light breaks, and a slight frost covers the mountain path

Lu Bei is sorting through the belongings of his late parents, and from a distance, the faint sound of a crowd can be heard.

Due to the more than 2,000 acres of land in Wuliu Village, there are also over 200 acres of land in the hands of Lu Xun, who is a talented individual from Yuyang County.

Lu Beichong, the Daoist of the Cloud, clasped his hands and said: "Thank you very much for your kind escort, esteemed immortal"

The mountain village after the continuous autumn rain is tranquil and serene

Lu Bei entered the village, and after a short while, he arrived at the front of a small courtyard with blue tiles, covered in green vines. This was the former residence of a family of three.

Thinking of inquiring about Wuliu Village in the county town this morning, Lu Bei felt a sense of solemnity in his heart

A musty odor mixed with specks of dust rushed towards me

This person is the clan leader of the Chen family in Wuliu Village and is also responsible for distributing labor duties in the village. His name is Chen Qingshan, and he is nicknamed Chen Bancun

The Cloud Daoist chuckled lightly and said, "Young friend, I will accompany you for a while."

"Esteemed guest, the meal is ready," a young servant in his twenties called out to Lu Bei in a low voice from outside the door

Lu Bei had finished his meal, then ordered someone to prepare hot water. After taking a bath to wash away the dust of travel, he lay down to sleep

As soon as the four individuals arrived in the courtyard, they were taken aback upon seeing Lu Bei's figure before them

At dusk, a autumn rain drifts by, the sky is dim and unclear, the streets are sparsely populated, the lights of thousands of homes flicker like stars, illuminating the gradually darkening night sky, yet failing to brighten the loneliness in Lu Beixin's heart

The middle-aged man next to Chen Qingshan turned to Lu Bei, a look of displeasure flashing across his face. He lowered his head and said to Chen Qingshan: "Old Chen, what is going on? Wasn't it said that the Lu family had all suffered a calamity?"

Upon thinking of this, Lu Bei felt an even greater yearning for the path of cultivation, and he turned around and strode towards Qinghe County.

Little girl Su Qingling turned her head again and waved to Lu Bei, saying: "Brother Lu, I am leaving..."

Lu Bei stepped forward and said to Chen Qingshan, "I wonder what brings the clan leader Chen to my humble abode unannounced?"

The servant entered, lowered his head respectfully to place the meal, and then turned to leave.

On the second day, Lu Bei got up early and settled the accounts. He first went to a weapons shop in the west of the city to buy a sword, then went to a clothing store to purchase several cotton robes. He also entrusted someone to buy some rice and flour from the rice shop, packed the goods into several bundles, hired an ox cart from a transport company, and set off towards Wuliu Village

Before me stands a gaunt, emaciated old man with a goatee, whose figure evokes memories from the past

Looking back, the Cangwu Mountains, stretching over 1,200 miles and comprising more than a hundred peaks of various sizes, have long been left behind. As for the Feiyan Peak, renowned for its enchanting beauty and resembling a fairyland, it has faded into a mere hazy silhouette.

The Cloud Daoist nodded to Lu Bei and said: "Young friend, if you follow this official road and continue straight ahead, you will soon reach your hometown, Qinghe County. Young friend, take care on your journey, and I shall take my leave now"

The plump clerk let out a low, cold snort, and his small eyes, resembling green beans, narrowed. The plump clerk, named Xu Dian, served as the chief clerk of Qinghe County. As an assistant to the county magistrate, he held a certain apprehension towards Chen Qingshan's son-in-law, the county lieutenant, but it was limited.

The corpulent clerk was followed by two burly men in black robes, each carrying a waist knife.

Lu Bei organized his travel bag, shook off his fatigue, crossed the moat that resembled a green jade belt, and entered the city of Qinghe along with the flow of people

Qinghe County Town is merely a small county town, with city walls no higher than 2.5 zhang. The moat draws water from the small Qinghe River, measuring no more than 5 feet in width. The low city gate arch, with its mottled green walls and drooping wisteria, silently narrates the hustle and bustle of this era as pedestrians come and go.

After approximately two hours of travel, we finally caught sight of the outline of a city in the distance. It was indeed the city of Qinghe County.

Lu Bei gazed quietly at the line of people before him, remaining silent and simply standing with his sword drawn.

Lu Xun's family had long been on Chen Qingshan's radar

Cough cough... Lu Bei covered his nose with his sleeve and coughed softly a few times

In the courtyard of the Lu family, there are five wooden houses facing south, along with a small kitchen courtyard and a large guest room for private tutoring located in the east and west wings

The tone of this voice is indifferent, seemingly suppressing a chilling and bone-piercing intent to kill

When Lu Xun was still alive, Chen Qingshan had long coveted the land under Lu Xun's name. However, considering that Lu Xun was a teacher at the private school in Wuliu Village and held the title of a talented scholar, enjoying a certain level of respect in the countryside, Chen did not dare to act recklessly.

The sword in hand is merely an ordinary iron sword, but once sharpened, it becomes incredibly sharp. In this world, apart from powerful crossbows, sabers, and armor, the government does not actually prohibit merchants from selling iron swords.

Do you think I am blind? Who the hell is this?