I, a cultivator, have ended up in the world of tomb raiding.

As soon as Partridge Whistle sang his praises, the surrounding mountain villagers cheered loudly, and more and more people gathered around the basket of goods, chattering and selecting items.

Hong Guniang originally came from the Moon Gate and was quite skilled at performing on the streets. Her methods of hawking and attracting customers were no less than those of Partridge Whistle. She also chimed in and assisted from the side, her hands and feet moving swiftly.

Only Li Yue didn't understand their江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and江湖义气, a code of honor among江湖 people), so he watched and learned from the sidelines.

He occasionally exchanged a few words with the mountain people, but he didn't reveal any flaws.

They weren't really there to do business; as long as they looked presentable and didn't arouse suspicion, that was enough.

Before long, the word spread among the villagers, and they all flocked to the place, not all to buy anything, but to watch the spectacle.

The group of peddlers interacted warmly and worked together, and soon they became familiar with the mountain people.

The tour guide was also busy running around, doing his job diligently.

They were busy until the sun was high in the sky before the villagers gradually dispersed to go home and cook.

Only then did the group have a moment to prepare for their business.

The tour guide wiped the sweat from his brow and approached him with a solicitous expression:

"My lords, you've been busy all morning. Why don't you come home with me? My wife will make you some simple food to tide you over."

Just as Partridge Whistle and Red Girl were about to nod, Li Yue waved his hand first:

"You've been busy for so long, how can we trouble your family further? We'll find a family nearby, exchange these bolts of cloth and salt for a simple meal, and that will suffice."

The director hesitated for a moment, then scratched his head and said, "Okay, let me think about which one would be suitable..."

As he spoke, he turned his head and looked into the village.

Li Yue casually raised his hand and pointed to a courtyard not far away, laughing:

"No need to bother. I see that the house is neat and the courtyard is clean. They seem to be honest and kind people. Let's go there and bother them for a meal."

Upon hearing this, both Partridge Whistle and Red Girl were slightly taken aback, wondering what he was planning.

Director Xiang glanced in the direction Li Yue pointed, his expression relaxing as he smiled and said, "So this is the family..."

"Is there anything special about this family?" Miss Red couldn't help but ask.

"This is a local herbalist. People in our village go to him whenever they need to buy medicine or see a doctor," the guide replied.

Upon hearing this, Partridge Whistle, Red Girl, and the others were taken aback.

What a coincidence?

They looked at Li Yue, wondering if Li Yue had just asked the local mountain people for ways to control poisonous insects.

They were busy selling their goods and didn't pay attention to what Li Yue was doing.

But then it occurred to me that Jinfeng Village was inhabited by the Jin Miao people, who made a living by mining gold veins.

Today, the village is inhabited by both Yi and Han people. Although Li Yue does not speak the Miao language, he can still communicate with the Han people.

They took it for granted, perhaps having learned it from the Han man who came to barter.

The Miao guide didn't think much of it and led them to the farmer's house.

Similar to other stilted houses here, this Miao family also has a small courtyard enclosed by a low wall around their stilted house.

There were many dried herbs piled up in the corner, and a chicken coop had been built in the yard, from which the faint crowing of roosters could be heard.

At first glance, they appear to be an ordinary family who live a secluded life, making a living by collecting medicinal herbs and raising chickens; there is nothing particularly unusual about them.

While others took it all for granted, Li Yue knew the truth in his heart.

While dealing with the villagers, he had already secretly used his aura-gazing technique to scan the surrounding stilted houses.

Just a hundred meters away, a faint, ethereal aura emanated from the courtyard.

It possesses a touch of pure yang and righteous divine power, precisely the aura of a spirit bird capable of suppressing all poisons.

The source of that spiritual energy is in the chicken coop in this small courtyard.

The group was led into the courtyard by the guide. Before they could even sit down for tea, a loud rooster crowed from the courtyard, the sound shaking the roof tiles.

Everyone looked toward the chicken coop at the same time. Inside the coop, a rooster stood tall with its head held high, its red comb as red as fire and its colorful feathers shimmering.

Even though it was confined in a narrow bamboo cage, it still maintained a proud demeanor, showing no trace of the docility and timidity of domestic fowl.

The people inside, hearing the strange noise, also came out.

The head of the family was an elderly man in his fifties or sixties, with a dark complexion and dressed in plain clothes.

The guide quickly stepped forward to greet him, and after a brief introduction, he explained that he was a traveling peddler who had a hard journey and was willing to exchange his cloth and salt for a simple meal to rest.

As they spoke, the rooster continued to crow, its calls rapid and seemingly carrying a hint of alertness.

The old herbalist was annoyed by what he heard. He frowned, called out to his son in the inner room, and decided to kill the chicken beforehand to settle the matter.

Li Yue's gaze fell on the rooster in the cage, and he was already certain in his heart:

This rooster possesses extraordinary power and hidden spiritual energy; it is undoubtedly the Angry-Eyed Rooster, capable of overcoming all poisons.

But he was secretly puzzled. This rooster's crow was not a normal startled cry; it was clearly a warning sign.

Logically speaking, the Angry Rooster is a naturally intelligent bird, and having been six years old, its temperament should be calm and composed. It would not become so agitated just because a few strangers have entered.

When a spirit bird issues a warning, it's usually because it has sensed the menacing aura of its natural enemy...

Thinking of this, Li Yue suddenly realized something.

A few days ago at Ping Mountain, he devoured the six-winged centipede demon soul and absorbed countless Yin energy from the underground palace. Although his cultivation had progressed, his body was also tainted with some Yin death energy.

Ordinary cultivators breathe in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, their aura is gentle and balanced, and birds and beasts treat them as normal.

However, his path of cultivation using yin energy naturally gives him a chilling and evil aura, which spirit birds and beasts are extremely sensitive to and can detect from several feet away.

Unexpectedly, upon entering the Miao village, their true nature was exposed by the Angry Sun Chicken.

Li Yue was both amused and exasperated. He secretly made a hand seal and used a secret technique to completely conceal the Yin energy around him, making him indistinguishable from the people around him in an instant.

Sure enough, in no time, the angry-looking rooster in the cage gradually quieted down, pacing back and forth in the cage, occasionally turning its head to look at everyone, its eyes gleaming.

It seemed puzzled as to why that trace of evil energy had suddenly vanished without a trace.

Li Yue saw this and his mind raced.

He had originally planned to use some forceful methods to make the old man spare the chicken, but now that he saw how sensitive the spirit bird was to the aura, he had a safer idea.

Feed the birds with their breath and guide them with your mind; this will make them easier to subdue in the future.

He took out a few red wild fruits that he had picked in the mountains earlier from his pocket and secretly drew upon the sparse spiritual energy around him.

Silk-like white threads flow between the fruits, silently seeping into the flesh.

The old herbalist was determined and paid no attention to why the rooster was so agitated; he just urged his son to slaughter the rooster.

His simple-minded son, honest and dull-witted, went to find a large, rough porcelain bowl to hold the blood, and took out a thick-backed cleaver. Once everything was ready, he was about to go into the cage to catch the chicken.

Partridge Whistle and Red Girl were both taken aback. They had just entered the house, hadn't even had a sip of tea, and hadn't exchanged more than a few words when the host was about to slaughter a chicken on the spot. It was really strange.

Everyone says Miao villages are xenophobic, but this doesn't seem to be the case.

They boiled water and slaughtered a chicken after only meeting once; that's clearly hospitality.