I'm in Yellow Maple Valley, and I have one equipment slot!

"Murder!"

"Elder Feng has been killed!"

Outside the stone house, the first two village women who passed by saw Elder Feng's body lying in a pool of blood with his chest caved in, and they screamed in terror.

The piercing shouts spread like ripples across the village, like pebbles thrown into calm water.

Soon, a chaotic cacophony of footsteps, shouts, and the clash of weapons erupted.

A dozen or so young men armed with bone spears and wooden sticks arrived first upon hearing the news and surrounded the entrance to the stone house.

When they saw Elder Feng's dead body on the ground, their expressions changed, and they looked at each other, not daring to rush forward.

More and more people gathered, and soon there were twenty or thirty people forming a semi-circle around the stone house, whispering and discussing among themselves, their eyes filled with surprise and fear as they looked into the open doorway of the stone house.

Before long, hurried footsteps approached, the crowd parted, and four or five village elders, led by Elder Qin, rushed over with solemn expressions.

"What happened?"

Elder Qin asked in a deep voice, his gaze sweeping over the corpse on the ground, his pupils suddenly contracting.

A tall, thin elder with bulging temples stepped forward, crouched down, and carefully examined Elder Feng's chest and pulse. His expression turned extremely grim. He looked up at Elder Qin and whispered:

"His heart meridian was shattered, and he died with a single punch! Elder Feng's 'Iron Eagle Claw' technique has reached a state of perfection. Three or five ordinary strong men couldn't even get close to him, yet he was killed with a single punch... The person who made the move possessed refined strength and unfathomable martial arts skills!"

Elder Qin's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this.

He looked into the stone house and saw Zhou Yuan standing calmly in the shadows inside the doorway, while Mei Ning stood behind him with a hint of anger on her face.

The two were clean and showed no signs of a struggle, as if they had simply come out to watch the excitement.

"Young friend Zhou," Elder Qin composed himself, took two steps forward, and softened his voice somewhat, but it still carried an accusatory tone, "What just happened? Did you clash with Elder Feng? Why...did you resort to such force?"

If an ordinary newcomer had committed murder upon entering the village, the surrounding young men would have already swarmed him, subdued him, or even killed him on the spot.

Elder Feng's martial arts skills were among the best in the village, yet he was killed by this newcomer with a single punch, which was quite a shock.

At this moment, everyone was just standing around, and Elder Qin was only asking questions. He did not intend to punish or arrest anyone immediately, and his fear was self-evident.

"He wanted to take me for himself and also wanted to cripple Brother Zhou, so Brother Zhou took action and killed him with one punch!"

Mei Ning spoke first, her clear voice tinged with anger, succinctly recounting what had just happened, adding at the end:

"He started it!"

The onlookers erupted in uproar.

Elder Feng's lecherous and domineering nature was no secret in the village, but because of his superior martial arts skills and his status as an elder, no one dared to speak out against him.

Hearing the reason for this, many people's gazes toward Elder Feng's corpse changed from fear to a sense of resignation.

After Mei Ning finished speaking, Zhou Yuan looked up at Elder Qin, his tone calm and indifferent: "That's how things are. What are your plans to do?"

His words were not an admission of weakness or a question; rather, they carried a condescending scrutiny, as if he were giving these people a choice.

Elder Qin and the other elders around him exchanged a few quick glances.

The tall, thin elder said in a low voice, "Feng Ping brought this upon himself. He was arrogant and domineering, and today he ran into a brick wall. He deserves to die. However... this man's martial arts are too high. If we cannot appease him, I fear it will cause great chaos."

Elder Qin nodded slightly, took a deep breath, and put on a kind smile again. He cupped his hands to Zhou Yuan and said:

"Young friend Zhou, this matter is clear. It was Feng Ping who was blinded by lust and bullied the weak first. He brought this upon himself and deserves to die. The village will not pursue this matter against you. On the contrary, with your skills, it is truly unfair for you to live here in such a humble place. I wonder if you would be willing to condescend to serve as an elder of this village? You can share village affairs with us and ensure that no one will dare to disturb Miss Mei here."

The surrounding crowd stirred again, with many people showing surprise.

Killing an elder, not only is there no punishment, but you are even invited to become the new elder?

Good books and good stories accompany you every day.

But thinking about Elder Feng's death, it seems... to make sense?

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuan's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile, and he shook his head: "I have no interest in the position of elder."

Elder Qin and the others' expressions changed slightly. Just as they were about to say something, Zhou Yuan continued:

"However, there is something I need Elder Qin's help with."

"Please speak, young friend," Elder Qin said hastily.

"Please gather all the villagers who were once cultivators from outside the village. I have some questions for them."

Zhou Yuan said directly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Elder Qin was taken aback. Although he didn't understand what Zhou Yuan intended to do, he dared not refuse at this moment and quickly nodded: "Alright! This is easy. Tie Yong, go and invite all the registered cultivators in the village to... invite them to come here to young friend Zhou."

"Yes!" Tie Yong responded and left.

Before long, six or seven people arrived at Zhou Yuan's simple stone house.

These people included both men and women of varying ages. The youngest looked to be in their forties or fifties, while the older ones had white hair and were quite old.

Their clothes were slightly better than those of ordinary villagers, but they were still coarse linen clothes. Most of their faces showed numbness and dejection from years of hardship, with only a sharp or lonely glint occasionally flashing in the depths of their eyes.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou." After entering, the group bowed to Zhou Yuan in unison, addressing him as equals in the cultivation world.

The term "fellow Daoist" not only indicates identity but also implies a sense of shared suffering in this place.

One of the elderly men, with a long, gray beard and a gaunt face, sized up Zhou Yuan a few times, then glanced at the still-lingering crowd outside the door and the corpse that had already been carried away. A look of astonishment appeared in his eyes, and he spoke first:

"Fellow Daoist Zhou is truly a hidden master! Not only is your cultivation profound, but you are also proficient in such powerful mortal martial arts! Feng Ping, who was considered a top-tier fighter among the mortals here, was defeated by you with a single punch. I admire you greatly!"

"Yes, with Fellow Daoist Zhou's skills, you won't have to put up with all that filth in this village."

Another elderly man with a ruddy complexion and half-white hair chimed in, his tone tinged with resentment and urging, "Fellow Daoist Zhou, you are new here and may not know this. We cultivators, having fallen into this realm, have lost all our magical powers and are no different from mortals. Yet those mortal elders in power are constantly wary of and suppress us! They force us to risk our lives hunting Yin beasts just like ordinary mortals."

"Even the Netherworld Beast Crystals, the only thing we can somewhat utilize to create some simple defenses as a substitute for magic, are firmly in their hands, as if they're afraid we'll regain even the slightest ability!"

The long-bearded old man nodded repeatedly, a look of humiliation on his face: "They're treating us like bandits! What a disgrace! Fellow Daoist Zhou, your martial arts are superb. If you could rally the people, we would gladly follow you! Why don't we cultivators unite and seize this opportunity to take control of this village!"

At that time, Fellow Daoist Zhou, you will be our Grand Elder, in charge of everything. Wouldn't that be better than suffering the humiliation of those mortals here?

The red-faced old man eagerly added, "Yes, yes, yes! Once you seize power, Fellow Daoist Zhou, you'll be the village's undisputed elder, with resources at your disposal. Miss Mei will naturally receive the best care. What do you think, Fellow Daoist Zhou?"

After the two finished speaking, they, along with several other cultivators, all looked intently at Zhou Yuan.

His face was full of anticipation, as if he saw the hope of turning the tables and regaining his pride.

As Zhou Yuan listened to their "ambitions," the smile on his lips deepened, carrying an indescribable meaning.

How could a dignified mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator like himself be tempted by the position of "Grand Elder" in a small village in this Netherworld Land?

Mei Ning, who was standing next to her, couldn't help but chuckle softly.

He immediately realized something was wrong and quickly covered his mouth.

But the smile in his eyes couldn't be hidden.

Who is Senior Zhou?

In the outside world, he was an ancestor-level existence who could establish a sect, rule over a region, and command the awe and submission of countless cultivators!

In ordinary nations, a single thought can decide the life or death of millions.