This humble Taoist priest, Qianhe, begins his quest for immortality by slaying demons and monsters.

Chapter 21 Returning to Zhongjia Village to Avenge His Parents

It is a hundred miles away from Maoshan.

A bolt of lightning streaked rapidly through the canopy of the trees in the mountains, covering dozens of meters in the blink of an eye, its speed so fast that the leaves rustled and fell to the ground.

Feeling the lightning speed, Zhong Bai couldn't help but marvel at how useful the Lightning Release Technique really was!
The post received rave reviews, but Zhong Bai soon stopped in the open space.

While the Lightning Escape Technique is effective, it consumes a significant amount of true energy. For someone like Zhong Bai, who is at the peak of the third level of Qi Refining, using it for long-term travel is somewhat extravagant.

The light blue Taoist robe he wore was rather loose. As the cool mountain breeze brushed against the bangs between Zhong Bai's brows, Zhong Bai's heart gradually grew colder and more piercing.

"Grandpa, it has been five years since Zhong Bai left Zhongjia Village. Back then, Zhong Bai swore an oath before your graves to avenge you. Now, Zhong Bai has returned!"

Taking a deep breath to conceal his killing intent, Zhong Bai gazed intently toward the direction of Zhongjia Village.

"In three more days, we'll be home, wolf demon. Are you ready?"

After saying this, Zhong Bai continued walking in the direction the wind was blowing...

Three days later, Zhongjia Village.

Standing at the village entrance, Zhong Bai stared blankly at the deserted village. In his memory, even when Zhongjia Village had been invaded by wolf demons, it had never fallen into such a state of decline.

"Could it be that something happened in Zhongjia Village after I left?"

Filled with confusion and doubt, Zhong Bai entered the village with trepidation.

All I saw along the way were dilapidated thatched huts, rotten logs, and collapsed mud walls.

Everything speaks of the desolation and decay of this place.

The closer Zhong Bai got to the graves of his parents, the more somber his heart became, until he reached the center of the village.

As a weak, aged voice inquired, Zhong Bai immediately frowned.

"You are... a young man from the Zhong family?"

Upon hearing that the emaciated old man in front of him actually recognized him, Zhong Bai couldn't help but take a closer look.

"Old village chief!"

Upon hearing Zhong Bai's response, the already frail old village chief of Zhongjia Village burst into tears.

"It really is you, Zhong family boy!"
But... you left the village five years ago, so why are you back now?

If it's just to pay respects to the Zhong couple, then finish the ceremony quickly and leave as soon as possible.

The village is no longer the Zhongjia Village it once was. Staying here is dangerous!

The old village chief spoke with heartfelt sincerity, and although his gaze toward Zhong Bai was cloudy and powerless, it warmed Zhong Bai's heart.

Zhong Bai knew that the old village chief, a man of such kindness, would not speak without reason; Zhongjia Village had likely undergone changes he could not have imagined.

"Old village chief, Zhong Bai has indeed come to pay respects to his parents, but in addition to that, Zhong Bai also wants to avenge the villagers who died in Zhongjia Village five years ago!"
It's time for that wolf demon from the Western Mountains to pay the price!

Zhong Bai's eyes were filled with overwhelming hatred, but the old village chief coughed incessantly upon hearing this.

No matter how weak he was, he had to stop one of the few survivors from Zhongjia Village in front of him.

“Child, don’t be foolish. Since the great calamity that struck Zhongjia Village five years ago, all the surviving villagers have moved away with their families.”

Only an old man like me can't bear to leave this place where my ancestors have lived for generations, and I'm willing to stay and wait to die.

"You're still young, and I know you're strong and robust, but that's a demon after all, not something an ordinary person can deal with. You should finish the ritual as soon as possible and leave the village!"

The old village chief wanted to continue persuading Zhong Bai, but Zhong Bai calmly shook his head.

"Old village chief, there's no need to persuade him any further. Zhong Bai became a disciple of Maoshan five years ago, all for the sake of avenging his parents one day. Now that he has returned after completing his studies, why should he be afraid?"

"My methods are no weaker than that wolf demon's!" With that, streaks of purple lightning surged from Zhong Bai's body, striking the surroundings with a crackling sound that left the old village chief speechless.

Sorry, he's a bit naive and worrying unnecessarily...

"Ahem, I never expected that you, young man of the Zhong family, would actually become a disciple of Maoshan. In that case, this old man will no longer try to persuade you. Whether the grudge of Zhongjia Village can be avenged depends entirely on you!"

After saying that, the old village chief seemed to have exhausted all his strength. He lay down on the somewhat rotten chair and stopped talking, but his eager eyes were fixed on Zhong Bai.

He was too tired and didn't have long to live. He thought he would leave with regrets and pain, but at the last moment he met Zhong Bai, who was returning to his hometown.

There's hope for revenge; he has to hold on!
Zhong Bai also sensed that the old village chief in front of him was about to die, and knew that his return had given the old village chief hope, which was why he perked up.

Perhaps there really is such a thing as destiny, which made the old village chief persevere for five whole years and finally wait for Zhong Bai.

......................................................

As night fell, Zhong Bai finished paying respects at the graves of the two elders of the Zhong family and arrived at the old village chief's house.

The old village chief walked with a limp, as if he were experiencing a final burst of energy before death. He had looked old and frail at noon, but now he was radiant and looked at Zhong Bai with excitement.

"Quickly, Zhong Bai, eat something to fill your stomach. This old man doesn't have much left. All the family wealth has been used to hire sorcerers to come up the mountain to exorcise demons over the years. Don't complain."

Upon hearing this, Zhong Bai sighed softly.

Five years ago, the old village chief was a sprightly old man, but overnight, his son, daughter-in-law, wife, and grandson were all killed by a wolf demon.

Zhong Bai could understand why the old village chief hadn't left Zhongjia Village for five years.

Perhaps the old village chief's heart had already died five years ago. The only reason he survived for the past five years was because of his obsession with avenging his family.

"Old village chief, Zhong Bai doesn't mind. Old village chief, don't worry, Zhong Bai will definitely kill that wolf demon!"

The vengeance for Zhongjia Village will be avenged!

Upon hearing this, tears streamed down his face...

Late at night.

Zhong Bai wandered around the village alone. Besides killing the wolf demon, Zhong Bai also wanted to see if there were any dead spirits in Zhongjia Village that needed to be exorcised.

After all, the people of Zhongjia Village died with resentment, and their ghosts might not be willing to go to the underworld to be reincarnated.

Sure enough, when Zhong Bai activated his divine eye, he did discover quite a few familiar figures.

Throughout Zhongjia Village, hundreds of wandering souls hovered in the sky above the village, and there was a faint tendency for them to transform into vengeful ghosts.

"Alas, the villagers are ultimately unwilling to accept this, but it's no wonder they feel this way. When disaster strikes unexpectedly, who can swallow this insult?"

Zhong Bai shook his head and then sat cross-legged in the center of the village.

As Zhong Bai circulated his true energy and chanted the Rebirth Mantra, the dazed eyes of the dead souls in the void gradually cleared. As one dead soul after another was delivered from suffering, Zhong Bai's previously exhausted demon-exorcising points rapidly increased.

Half an hour later, Zhong Bai opened his eyes and looked up at the void. Indeed, half of the dead souls had been delivered, but nearly half of them were unwilling to reincarnate.

They were all fellow villagers, and Zhong Bai couldn't bear to forcibly send them to the afterlife with lightning.

"Alright, once we kill that wolf demon, I think the villagers will be willing to enter the cycle of reincarnation."

Shaking his head, Zhong Bai stood up. He had just obtained quite a few demon-slaying points, a full 570 points. Now that he was out of the Maoshan area, Zhong Bai could finally add points to the Divine Firmament Five Thunder Technique without restraint!

"call!

With 570 Demon Extermination Points, if you add them to the Divine Firmament Five Thunder Technique, breaking through to the fourth level of Qi Refining will be almost effortless, and even reaching the fifth level of Qi Refining might not be impossible!

Once my cultivation breaks through, I can go up the mountain to find that wolf demon…”

Slowly exhaling a breath of stale air, Zhong Bai decided to strike while the iron was hot, finding an open space to begin his cultivation!
(End of this chapter)