Chapter 2088: Ling
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Ye Futian could not make sense of the situation. He walked forwards quietly. The divine phenomenon caused the village sky to be covered with red maple leaves. It made this place feel as though it was beyond this world. It was very beautiful.
In the streets, figures would appear from time to time and size him up curiously. However, they would then turn and leave.
Ye Futian recalled what Li Changsheng told him. He had a basic impression of the Four Corner Village. He also knew that outsiders would enter Four Corner Village every now and then to seek the Way. These outsiders were also not ordinary figures.
The Glimmer of Sky was not ordinary either. Li Changsheng said that it was rumored that only those with great destinies could pa.s.s through the Glimmer of Sky and enter the Four Corner Village.
However, Ye Futian did not have too strong a reaction to this. He even suspected that Li Changsheng might have been misinformed or that the rumors had been exaggerated.
After all, his entire group was here. It was as simple as climbing a flight of stairs. They walked up the Glimmer of Sky without sensing any pressure.
“Where are we headed next?” Xia Qingyuan asked gently beside him.
“Elder Brother said that in order to enter the village, we need the villagers to accept us in. However, from the looks of it now, there does not seem to be anyone here to welcome us,” Ye Futian replied in a low voice. The villagers were the masters of Four Corner Village. Here, outsiders needed to obey the rules. Even combat was absolutely forbidden in the village.
“Just now, when we entered the village, someone approached us. They must dislike us because we are from the Donghua Domain. No one is willing to take us in,” Chen Yi mumbled. Ye Futian looked at him and asked, “Are you familiar with the laws of the village?”
“I have heard some things,” Chen Yi responded. Ye Futian revealed a strange expression. This fellow truly did not reveal his secrets. He actually knew so much about the village. Even now, Ye Futian felt that Chen Yi was mysterious. However, Chen Yi indeed treated him well. He was also too lazy to dig up Chen Yi’s secrets, allowing Chen Yi to maintain his mysterious side.
“Would you mind sharing what you know?” Ye Futian said.
Chen Yi told Ye Futian, “Four Corner Village is a mysterious place. It is a world on its own. Rumors claim that it possesses a Divine Relic and that there are outstanding people here. There are many cultivators with exceptional talents here. They were born with Bodies of Way. Some outsiders claimed that the G.o.ds blessed Four Corner Village. Like the ancestors in ancient times, anyone who awakened their Spirit Roots was a natural cultivator. Once they left this place, they would become extraordinary figures in the outside world. Hence, many major figures came from the village.”
This caused Ye Futian to reveal a strange look. Top forces possessed divine items that could aid cultivators in forging flawless Divine Wheels of the Great Path. However, from what Chen Yi was saying, it was completely different for the village. This place was like the world before the collapse of the Great Path. It was a holy land blessed by the grace of the G.o.ds. Once one awakened to their talent, they would naturally be born with Bodies of Way and Spirit Roots.
This might mean that they had similar cultivation with Ye Futian and were also people born with flawless Great Paths.
“However, it is both a blessing and a curse,” Chen Yi continued explaining. “Although the village is blessed, it is rare to come across someone who can truly awaken their talents. Many people also died early on in their cultivation journey. Many of them do not manage to live more than a few decades. Rumor has it that their bodies exploded while they were cultivating. Hence, Four Corner Village gradually came up with the rule that aside from an extremely select few, other people are not allowed to cultivate. The others will live ordinary lives. Therefore, there are many ordinary people in the village without cultivation.”
Ye Futian nodded his head slightly. He also noticed this issue. Most of the villagers were extremely ordinary people. It was as though they were villagers in an extremely rural area. The name “Four Corner Village” was indeed appropriate for this place.
It might be that the place was named “Four Corner Village” precisely due to this deeper meaning to its name.
That meant that the prohibition established by Donghuang the Great intended to protect the villagers.
“If that is the cause, what Way are we seeking in the village?” Ye Futian inquired.
“This is also my first time here,” said Chen Yi with a smile as he shrugged his shoulders. Ye Futian did not know whether he did not want to reveal this, or he truly did not know.
At that moment, on the stone streets ahead, there was a young girl with a ponytail. She hopped over towards them. Ye Futian looked ahead and saw that the young girl was around her early teens. She was not considered an absolute beauty, but her face was pleasing to look at. She wore very simple clothes that were surprisingly clean. Her eyes were especially intelligent.
She walked up to Ye Futian and stopped not far from him. Her clear eyes sized up Ye Futian’s group. She seemed curious about them.
As she looked at Ye Futian, she glanced over at Xia Qingyuan, who was standing to the side. Her gaze leapt between the two of them. She then mumbled, “They are so good-looking.”
Ye Futian and Xia Qingyuan’s appearances did not need to be mentioned; no villager could compare with them. However, there were many outstanding figures among the outsiders. For instance, the two parties who arrived before Ye Futian’s group also stood out from the crowd.
“Little sister, do you need anything?” Xia Qingyuan asked gently. This little girl was very pleasing to look at. She was lively and full of vigor.
“No one wants to take all of you in?” the young maiden asked in a low voice. Children said what they like, but her words stunned Ye Futian’s group. They then shook their heads and smiled bitterly.
They appeared pathetic.
“Hmm,” Ye Futian replied as he nodded his head. “That seems to be the case.”
The villagers appeared to be exceptionally honest, completely different from the people in the outside world.
“Then, all of you can come to my place,” the young maiden said with a smile. Ye Futian nodded his head as he looked at the sincere smile of the other party and said, “Alright. Will your family members allow us in?”
“My grandfather will certainly agree,” the young girl said innocently with a smile.
“Then, what about your parents?” Ye Futian continued asking.
The sparkle in the young maiden’s eyes seemed to dim a little when she heard Ye Futian say this. However, she immediately returned to normal and answered, “I don’t have parents.”
Ye Futian was stunned. As he peered into the innocent eyes of the little girl, he fell silent for a while.
“Let’s go then,” said the young maiden. She did not seem to mind. She led the way ahead and said, “My name is Ma Ling. The villagers call me Ling.”
“Ling,” Ye Futian muttered to himself.
“Yup,” the little girl responded. She turned around and smiled at Ye Futian and the others as she said, “I cannot remember my parents. From what my grandfather told me, not long after I was born, they cultivated in secret without telling Master. Something happened after that, and now, only Grandfather and I are left.”
“Master?” Ye Futian asked.
“Hmm,” Ling answered as she nodded her head. “Master is Master. Everyone in the village listens to him. If Master says someone can cultivate, that person can cultivate. If he says they can’t, they can’t. Master once told my parents that they couldn’t cultivate, but they did not listen. That is why Grandfather told me to listen to what the Master says and not cultivate.”
When Ye Futian heard her say this, he immediately understood. That meant that Ling was one of the villagers who could not cultivate, just like Chen Yi mentioned before. It appeared that things were just as Chen Yi described them to be. It was both a blessing and a curse. Four Corner Village was blessed by the grace of the G.o.ds. Yet, it was also cursed that only a select few could cultivate.
As for the Master, who Ling referred to, he was most likely an extraordinary figure.