Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 160 Secluded in the Mountains, Accumulating Strength

It is said that a disciple of Tianjian Manor once offended them in the mountains because he did not know the rules. As a result, he was tortured to the point of wishing for death but could not live, and finally escaped in a sorry state.

From then on, Tianjian Manor established a rule that, unless necessary, its disciples should not easily enter the depths of the Southern Wilderness Mountains, nor should they have conflicts with these mountain people.

Over time, this place became a no-man's-land.

These mountain people revere and worship the mountains, believing that the blood of the mountain god flows in their veins, which is why they are able to thrive and multiply in these perilous mountains.

However, these people are not inherently bad. As long as you have no ill intentions towards them, they will treat you with the most sincere enthusiasm.

They especially welcome peddlers.

Because the road leading to their village was so difficult to travel, ordinary peddlers could not even get there.

So when Chen Ye appeared at the village entrance carrying his load, the whole village was in an uproar.

Soon a large crowd poured out of the village, and when they saw Chen Ye's attire, especially his signature peddler's carrying pole, everyone's faces lit up with surprise.

"It's a peddler! The peddler has really arrived!"

Then a burly man with painted face parted the crowd and strode up to Chen Ye.

He first looked Chen Ye up and down, then said in a somewhat stiff but still fluent Mandarin, "Welcome to our Kawa Village, guest from afar!"

As he spoke, he opened his arms and gave Chen Ye a bear hug.

Chen Ye was caught off guard by this sudden enthusiasm, but he could sense that there was no malice in the other party, only pure joy and welcome.

"Hello, my name is Chen Yuan, I'm a peddler," Chen Ye replied with a smile, having made up a name.

"Brother Chen Yuan! It's an honor for our entire village to have you here!" The burly man said warmly, pulling Chen Ye's hand. "Come in, please! We'll definitely treat you well tonight!"

And so, surrounded by a large group of mountain people, Chen Ye entered the village called Kawa.

Under the cover of night, Kawa Village is brightly lit and bustling with activity.

A huge bonfire was lit in the open space in the center of the village, and the flames shot into the sky, illuminating the entire village as if it were daytime.

The entire village, young and old, men and women, gathered around the bonfire, their faces beaming with genuine smiles.

To welcome Chen Ye, the peddler who hadn't arrived for several years, they held a grand bonfire party.

The fragrant roasted meat sizzled on the fire, emitting an enticing aroma.

The large earthenware jar was filled with clear, sweet wine, and the air was filled with an intoxicating fragrance.

Chen Ye was treated as the most honored guest and was seated next to the most respected elder of the village.

The old patriarch was very old, his face etched with deep wrinkles, but his eyes remained bright and piercing, as if they could see right through people's hearts.

As the party began, the men from the village lined up with bowls of wine to toast Chen Ye.

"Brother Chen Yuan, my name is Ashan. I'd like to offer you a bowl of wine! Thank you for bringing us things from outside!" A dark-skinned man tilted his head back and downed a bowl of wine.

Chen Ye was also infected by this hearty atmosphere, and he smiled as he picked up his wine bowl: "Brother Ashan, you're too kind!"

After saying that, he drank it all in one gulp.

"it is good!"

The men around him cheered loudly when they saw how straightforward he was.

"Brother Chen, you have a good capacity for alcohol! Let me toast you!"

Another man squeezed in.

Chen Ye accepted all the bowls offered, one after another.

His tempered body had a much higher capacity to metabolize alcohol than the average person; he drank more than a dozen bowls without changing his expression or breathing.

Now, the men in the village looked at him differently; their initial welcome was replaced by genuine respect.

In the minds of these mountain people, a man who can drink is a true man and a friend worth making.

After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere became increasingly lively.

Some slightly tipsy men, shirtless, came to the campfire and began to dance a rough and powerful dance around the flames.

Their dance steps are simple, yet full of primal vitality.

The girls from the village joined in with smiles. Their dance was much more graceful, like butterflies fluttering in the firelight. Their clear and melodious songs intertwined with the shouts of the men, creating a wild and beautiful symphony.

Chen Ye sat next to the old clan chief, munching on roasted meat and drinking wine, a smile unconsciously appearing on his face.

Just as Chen Ye was engrossed in watching, the old patriarch who had been silent suddenly spoke up.

"Sir, you're probably not a real peddler, are you?"

The old clan chief's voice was not loud, and even a little hoarse, but it reached Chen Ye's ears clearly in the noisy environment.

Chen Ye's smile froze instantly, and he stopped eating the grilled meat. He then turned his head to look at the old man beside him.

The old clan chief still wore a kind smile on his face, his eyes were clear, as if he had just asked a casual question.

But Chen Ye's heart sank at that moment.

Because he didn't know what the other person meant by suddenly bringing this up, whether it was out of kindness or malice.

Just then, the old clan chief tapped his pipe, then slowly raised his head and looked at Chen Ye with his eyes that seemed to see through everything.

"Don't be nervous, child. Although we mountain people don't interact much with outsiders, we're not stupid."

"Your load is real, and your goods are real, but you yourself are fake."

"Old man, I don't understand what you mean." Chen Ye ultimately chose to play dumb.

The old clan chief seemed to have expected him to say that, and he wasn't angry. He simply pointed to Chen Ye's hands and said slowly, "A real peddler carries heavy loads year-round, braving wind and rain. His hands and shoulders will have thick calluses."

"Although you deliberately make your hands rough and dark, that's just a facade. It can't fool my old eyes. You don't have the marks left by years of hard work in your bones."

Chen Ye was startled and subconsciously glanced at his hand.

He did indeed use his divine soul power to change the texture of his skin, but he didn't expect that he couldn't hide it from the old clan leader.

"Moreover," the old patriarch continued, lighting his pipe with a flint and steel, taking a deep drag, exhaling a smoke ring.

“The way you drink doesn’t look like an ordinary person. The liquor in our mountains is strong. An ordinary person would get dizzy after drinking three or five bowls, but you drank more than ten bowls and you’re fine. This shows that your body is much stronger than it looks.”

“The most important point is…” The old patriarch paused, a strange light flashing in his deep eyes.

“My eyes were blessed by the mountain god, and I can see things that ordinary people cannot see. That’s why I see a strong… murderous aura on you.”

"Although you concealed that murderous aura very well, it was like a precious sword wrapped in cloth. No matter how you hide it, you can't hide its sharpness. Ordinary peddlers wouldn't have an aura like yours."

After hearing the old clan chief's words, Chen Ye fell completely silent.

He knew that no matter how much he pretended now, it was pointless, because the other party had not guessed, but had actually seen through his flaws.

The mountain people are indeed extraordinary.

Chen Ye took a deep breath, put down the wine bowl and roasted meat in his hand, stopped arguing, and met the old clan chief's gaze frankly, nodding.

"Old man, you have a good eye. I am definitely not a peddler."

Now that he'd been seen through, hiding it would only make him seem petty. He wanted to see what this old clan chief was really up to.

Seeing Chen Ye admit it so readily, the old clan chief's face showed an approving smile: "He's a straightforward person. I like dealing with straightforward people."

The surroundings were still filled with laughter, singing and dancing. No one noticed the conversation in the corner, while the light from the campfire shone on the two people's faces, flickering on and off.

"Old man, now that you've figured it out, what do you plan to do?" Chen Ye asked calmly. "Are you going to tie me up and hand me over to those people outside?"

The people he was referring to outside were naturally the Tianjian Manor.

"Hand you over?" The old clan chief seemed to have heard something amusing, shaking his head with a smile. "Young man, what do you take our Kawa Village for? We are the children of the mountain god, not under the jurisdiction of outside governments, nor do we listen to those so-called major sects."

“We have our own rules. Once you enter our Kawa Village, as long as you don’t have any ill intentions towards our people, you are our guest. So no matter how much trouble you cause outside, it has nothing to do with us. Our village does not welcome outsiders to come here to arrest people.”

The old clan chief's words were resolute and filled with unquestionable authority. After hearing them, Chen Ye finally felt relieved.

He didn't expect that the other party not only had no ill intentions, but also intended to protect him.

"Why?" Chen Ye asked, somewhat puzzled. "You're not related to me at all, why are you helping me?"

“We’re not helping you,” the old clan chief shook his head and corrected, “We’re upholding the rules of our Kawa Village. These rules have been passed down from our ancestors, and no one can break them.”

"Moreover..." The old patriarch glanced at Chen Ye again and said meaningfully, "Although I don't know who you are, I can sense that you are not a bad person. Although the killing intent on you is strong, it is not evil. It is the kind of aura that only those who deserve to be killed would have."

"Besides, I'm very happy to see those arrogant guys outside suffer a setback."

In the end, the old patriarch revealed a hearty smile.

Chen Ye completely relaxed and sincerely bowed to the old clan chief, saying, "Thank you, sir."

"No need to thank me." The old clan chief waved his hand. "Since you're not a peddler, then stop pretending. Just be yourself in our village, and you can stay as long as you want. No one will kick you out."

"Alright." Chen Ye nodded, then picked up the wine bowl again and toasted the old clan chief, saying, "Elder, I'd like to offer you a bowl."

"it is good."

Two rough earthenware bowls touched lightly in the air, producing a crisp sound.

The bonfire in the distance was still burning brightly, and the songs and laughter of the mountain people still echoed in the night sky.

But Chen Ye's state of mind was completely different from before.

The next morning, Chen Ye took off his peddler's clothes and put on a simple, coarse cloth outfit commonly seen in the village.

He gave the peddler's carrying pole and its contents to the people in the village.

This move earned him even more goodwill.

Since he had decided to stay here temporarily, Chen Ye didn't intend to eat and drink for free.

He started working alongside the young people in the village.

Life in the village is simple, but also hard.

The men went into the mountains every day to hunt or cultivate the land, while the women stayed at home spinning, taking care of the children, and processing the game.

Chen Ye followed the man named Ashan who had greeted him when he first arrived at the mountain village, along with other young people from the village, and ventured deep into the mountains for the first time.

"Brother Chen, you'd better stay close. This mountain is not like the outside world; it's dangerous everywhere," A-Shan said, turning back to warn him as he cleared the way ahead.

Chen Ye nodded and followed the group into the mountains at a leisurely pace.

He discovered that these mountain people were completely at home in the forest, and they were even more agile than monkeys.

Moreover, they can easily distinguish which plants are poisonous and which animal dens should not be approached; their experience is quite extensive.

They soon discovered the trail of a group of wild boars.

"Shh, there's a big one ahead." Ah Shan made a shushing gesture, and everyone lowered their bodies and crept over quietly.

Chen Ye also squatted down. He looked ahead with his Asura Eye and saw seven or eight large wild boars rooting in the ground in a thicket.

One of the boars was particularly large, with long, sharp tusks that made it look menacing.

At this moment, the young mountain people also saw what was happening in the bushes and began to whisper among themselves.

"What should we do? Just go for it?" a young man asked in a low voice.

"No, that pig king is too powerful. If we charge in head-on, someone will get hurt." Ah Shan shook his head, frowning as he pondered a solution.

Just then, Chen Ye picked up a few pebbles from the ground, weighed them in his hand, and said to Ashan, "Brother Ashan, you guys flank them from the left and drive the wild boars toward the cliff over there. I'll deal with the big one."

"You?" Ashan was taken aback and looked at him with some unease. "Brother Chen, that pig king is not easy to deal with. It's incredibly strong. If it hits you, your bones will break."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Chen Ye smiled.

Seeing his confident expression, Ashan hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded: "Alright! Be careful! Brothers, let's go!"

At a command, several mountain men shouted and rushed out from the side, driving the frightened wild boars toward the cliff.

At the same time, Chen Ye tossed a pebble.

Chen Ye used all his strength in this throw, and the stone made a sharp whistling sound as it hit the back of the wild boar king.

Even though the wild boar king was thick-skinned and tough, it was still knocked off balance by the impact. Then it was completely enraged, turned around and charged at Chen Ye like a tank.

When Ashan and the others saw this scene from a distance, their hearts were in their throats.

"Brother Chen, get out of the way!" Ah Shan shouted anxiously.

However, facing the menacing pig king, Chen Ye showed not a trace of tension on his face.

With a flick of his wrist, the pebble in his hand shot out like a bullet.

puff!puff!
Two pebbles hit the wild boar precisely in the eyes.

"Ow—!"

The pig king let out a shrill scream. Due to the excruciating pain and blindness, its huge body instantly lost its balance and fell headlong to the ground, rolling several times before coming to a stop.

Before it could even struggle to its feet, Chen Ye had already rushed forward and stomped hard on the pig king's neck.

Click!

A crisp sound of bone cracking rang out.

The pig king, which had been incredibly ferocious just moments before, had its neck broken by being trampled, and after twitching a few times, it became completely still.

The whole process was clean, efficient, and so fast it was dazzling.

Ashan and the other villagers in the distance were all dumbfounded, their mouths agape, unable to close them for a long time.

The seemingly refined and cultured Chen Ye brothers actually... actually stomped on and killed a pig king weighing over a thousand pounds with a single kick?

It wasn't until Chen Ye clapped his hands and shouted to them, "Hey, what are you all standing there for? Come and help carry it!"

The group of people then seemed to wake up from a dream, looking at Chen Ye with eyes that seemed to be looking at a monster, before excitedly rushing over.

"My goodness! Young man Chen, you're amazing!"

"Yes! I've never seen anyone as amazing as you in my entire life!"

"How did you do those two moves? They were so accurate!"

From that day on, Chen Ye's status in the village rose to a new level. He was no longer just a popular guest, but a hero admired by many young people.

Chen Ye was happy to do so, hunting, drinking, and laughing loudly with these simple mountain people every day.

He taught them some simple fighting techniques, and the mountain people also taught him how to survive better in these mountains.

His heart felt calm and fulfilled like never before.

What surprised Chen Ye even more was that he discovered his strength was also growing rapidly in this simple and pure life.

Drinking mountain spring water imbued with spiritual energy every day and eating dishes made with various mountain delicacies and wild game, his body became stronger and more resilient without him even realizing it.

Every night, Chen Ye would sit cross-legged in his room and practice the Star River Qi Refining Technique, drawing the power of the stars into his body. The results of his cultivation were surprisingly good.

He could feel the sea of ​​qi in his dantian expanding at a visible speed, and his true essence becoming more and more powerful.

Time passed by day by day in this peaceful yet fulfilling life.

Chen Ye almost forgot about the troubles of the outside world, and forgot that he was still a fugitive wanted by the entire Tianjian Manor.

However, what he didn't know was that the world outside the mountains was in complete chaos because of him.

More than half a month later, in Qingzhou Prefecture, at the Tianjian Manor.

At this moment, Jian Wuchen's face could no longer be described as gloomy; it was as dark and frightening as the sky before a storm.

(End of this chapter)