"Big brother, give this treasure to me please, Erya really loves it." The snotty little girl in Zi Ling's arms reached out to grab it.
"Big brother, give it to me! Can't I trade all of these for just one of yours?" The shameless dirty little brat, holding the marble he'd pulled out of his crotch, sidled up to Chu Feng.
"You can have it if you want, but there's one condition. Your big brother and big sister haven't eaten all day. Whichever one of you has a parent who cooks the best food — treat us to a meal, and I'll give the Spirit Pearl to that person," Chu Feng said.
The moment Chu Feng said this, all the children fell silent, casting their envious, jealous, and resentful gazes toward the snotty little girl Erya.
"Haha, how wonderful! The Spirit Pearl marble is mine!" Just as expected, Erya leapt excitedly out of Zi Ling's arms, bouncing up and down as she shouted, "My mommy's cooking is the best! She can make any dish, and she's the best cook in our village! Big brother, big sister, come home with Erya! I'll have my mommy make you the most delicious food!" With that, Erya went hopping and skipping toward her home. Seeing this, Chu Feng and Zi Ling followed along.
Erya's family was reasonably well-off — at least by the standards of this small village, they counted as a well-to-do household. Erya's mother was also very hospitable. Upon learning that Zi Ling and Chu Feng hadn't eaten yet, she immediately got to work in the kitchen and prepared a whole table full of delicious food for them.
They were all simple country dishes, but you had to admit — Erya's mother was genuinely skilled. At the very least, the food was far better than the wild beast meat Chu Feng had roasted.
Both Zi Ling and Chu Feng ate heartily, especially Zi Ling, whose mouth was slick with oil — a clear sign the girl had been starving.
But you had to hand it to her — a beauty was a beauty, no matter how messily she ate. It still looked adorable. Chu Feng stared until he was completely entranced.
"Big sister, you're so beautiful — just like a fairy!" After the snotty little Erya got home, her mother had already changed her clothes and washed her face. With considerably less snot on her now, you had to admit — once her little face was clean, Erya was actually quite cute. This made her a lot easier on Chu Feng's eyes.
"Erya, where in the world would you find immortals?" Chu Feng thought to himself. Ignorance really was a terrible thing. There were only cultivators in this world, not immortals. The so-called immortals were nothing more than common folk's misunderstanding of powerful cultivators.
Ordinary people who had never cultivated liked to call cultivators immortals or gods. In short, anyone with deep cultivation was a deity in their eyes.
If Chu Feng and Zi Ling were to display their true power, Erya would certainly believe they were gods.
"Sure there are! Whoever can fly is an immortal!" Erya blinked her innocent big eyes and argued back with Chu Feng.
"Alright, if you put it that way, then this big sister of yours really is a fairy sister." Chu Feng glanced at Zi Ling and couldn't help but laugh — because Zi Ling could fly! By Erya's logic, that made Zi Ling exactly a fairy sister.
"Actually, we have a fairy sister at home too! My big sister is really pretty too, but she went far away. Otherwise, I could compare her to this big sister." As Erya spoke, she turned to her mother and said, "Mommy, when is big sister coming back? I miss her so much."
"Your big sister has only been gone a few days. She went on a long journey this time — it'll be quite a while before she comes back." Erya's mother smiled and patted her head, then turned to Chu Feng and Zi Ling. "There's still one more dish. Let me go check on it." With that, she headed toward the kitchen.
For an innocent child like Erya, this scene revealed nothing. But Chu Feng and Zi Ling could clearly see the shift in Erya's mother's emotions — a helpless sorrow, a grief hidden deep within her heart.
Erya's sister had certainly not merely gone on a long journey. Something must have happened in this village. Otherwise, so many old people and women wouldn't be quietly weeping.
After exchanging a glance with Zi Ling, Chu Feng followed Erya's mother to the kitchen. Sure enough, before he even stepped inside, he heard the heartbreaking sobs — Erya's mother, crying her heart out.
"Auntie, what happened? Where did Erya's sister go?" Chu Feng stepped forward and asked.
"You — you—" Erya's mother was startled by his sudden appearance. Her gaze was flustered and bewildered.
"Don't worry, I'm a cultivator. If you're in any difficulty, you can tell me — perhaps I can help," Chu Feng quickly explained.
"Really? You're a cultivator?" Erya's mother was half-skeptical. After all, Chu Feng looked like nothing more than a handsome, sunny young man. Even if he really was a cultivator, how powerful could he be?
She shook her head. "Forget it, child. This matter has nothing to do with you. I don't want to drag you into it for no reason."
Whoosh! In that moment, Chu Feng swept his sleeve, enveloping Erya's mother in a barrier. Then, gripping the barrier with one hand, he activated his Void Flight Technique and soared into the sky, bringing Erya's mother straight up to the top of the clouds.
"Ahhhhh!" Chu Feng's speed was simply too fast. By the time Erya's mother realized what had happened, they were already ten thousand meters in the air. Looking down past the sea of clouds at the tiny village below, she screamed in terror.
"Auntie, now can you tell me what happened? Perhaps I really can help you," Chu Feng asked again.
At that moment, Erya's mother finally understood — it was Chu Feng who could fly, and it was Chu Feng who had brought her up into the sky. Her eyes filled with reverence as she gazed at him. To common folk who knew nothing of cultivation realms, a cultivator who could soar through the sky was an absolute godlike existence.
Suddenly, Erya's mother dropped to one knee in midair, kowtowing and bowing to Chu Feng as she pleaded desperately, "Immortal Lord, please, I beg you — save my daughter, save the people of our village!"
"Auntie, stand up and speak. Haven't I already said I would help you? What exactly happened? Can you tell me in detail?" Chu Feng hurriedly helped her to her feet.
And so, Erya's mother told Chu Feng everything that had transpired, step by step.
It turned out that three hundred li from the village there was a mountain range, and on that range, a group of cultivators was establishing a new sect. Clearing land and constructing on a mountain required immense labor, so they had been conscripting able-bodied men from the surrounding areas.
The strong men of the village had all been taken away, leaving behind only the elderly and children. Erya's sister, because of her striking beauty, had been taken as well.
Among that group, there was an old man who could walk on air and summon wind and rain. The villagers all believed he was a deity and dared not disobey. They could only watch helplessly as their people were taken away, not daring to say a single word.