Farewell

Recently, there were always people coming in and out of Xiushui Village from time to time, basically people from nearby villages who had relatives in Xiushui Village.

Occasionally, a peddler carrying needles, threads, and other odds and ends would wander through the village.

It was only at times like these that this isolated little village experienced some exchange of information.

In the afternoon, right after lunch, it was a good time to doze off under the shade of the trees.

At this time, Third Aunt Hu of the Hu family in the village was pulling her younger sister-in-law into her room to whisper.

"Let me tell you, those little kids in our village who play well with my second nephew are a bit strange."

Her sister-in-law was a bit confused.

"How are they strange?"

Third Aunt Hu slapped her thigh and whispered,

"Sigh! Let me tell you, that boy from the Lin family, the one who lives not far from the village entrance. His father is the one in our village whose wife died and who hasn't found another match since, you know?" Saying this, she leaned close to her sister-in-law's ear and covered her mouth with her hand, "A few days ago, he actually cut off the hands and feet of Eldest Liu from our village..."

"Ah! Is that the reckless Eldest Liu you always tell me about?" Her sister-in-law covered her mouth in great surprise.

Third Aunt Hu nodded.

"Yes! He's a ten-year-old kid with barely any meat on his bones, but I heard he completely immobilized Eldest Liu. The usually tyrannical Eldest Liu just let him cut off his hands and feet. Don't you think that's strange?"

Her sister-in-law glanced outside the door and asked softly,

"That strange? Then doesn't your fierce mother-in-law do something about it?"

Third Aunt Hu curled her lips.

"That old hag spoils her precious grandson to no end all day long. Why would she care about this?"

"Oh my, that won't do. What if that Lin boy is possessed by some evil spirit and passes it on to your second nephew? Why don't I go back and ask Mother to come over and talk to your mother-in-law?"

...

Similar scenes were playing out in the homes of many gossips in the village, and not just in Xiushui Village.

The villagers of Xiushui Village who went to visit relatives nearby also brought up similar topics in various villages.

For a time, topics like "the notorious Eldest Liu had his hands and feet cut off by a twelve-year-old kid" and "the kids run up the mountain early in the morning and return late at night, suspected of being bewitched by monsters" made Lin Xiao quite famous in the nearby villages.

He didn't even know if someone among them remembered that he had recruited disciples in the village back then, but the sect's reputation in the system had recently increased by a few points.

If Lin Xiao hadn't glanced at the sect's reputation in the system while checking his father's and eldest cousin's information, he wouldn't have known.

However, Lin Xiao had always been mentally prepared for the fact that the news would leak out sooner or later.

It was just that he wasn't particularly worried.

After all, the cultivation world was too far away from here.

He figured that even the Shangyang Sect, which had come to their town to take in disciples before, was definitely not close to them.

The activity circle of those cultivation sects was not in the mortal realm at all. Even if the news of his sect leaked out to the surrounding villages, it wouldn't have much of an impact.

Unless it really blew up enough to alarm the government above the county level, to the point where the government sent people to investigate.

At that time, Lin Xiao might worry about whether it would alarm the Shangyang Sect.

Therefore, even though they saw the inexplicable increase in the sect's reputation and knew that their cultivation might not be kept secret in the nearby villages for long, the people of the Lingxian Sect continued to cultivate and relax as usual.

The lack of information in ancient times was really not just an exaggeration.

Only after coming here did Lin Xiao personally experience this.

If it weren't for Aunt Yang, he wouldn't have even known the name of the country he was in for the past twelve years.

If the county magistrate changed, their village might only hear the news half a year or a year later.

After all, there was no internet and no cell towers here. Everyone traveled on their own two feet, and the farthest place most people had ever been was the town.

Any news had to wait until people were free to share it with their relatives.

And after a sentence passed through the mouths of three people, it basically lost its original shape. Even if it was spread out, others would just treat it as a joke.

Life was hard enough already, so who had the free time to ponder the truth of other people's words?

Today was also the day Qin Jianghe set off.

He had already discussed it with his family beforehand, that he would go out to explore with his two cousins.

The elders thought that his two cousins were quite reliable and big in size. If the three brothers went out together, they wouldn't easily be bullied, so they didn't strongly object.

Before dawn, Qin Jianghe, who had bid farewell to his family, walked from his home to the village entrance and saw Lin Xiao and the others waiting there to see him off.

He went forward and said goodbye to everyone one by one.

Lin Xiao patted him on the shoulder, took out twenty teleportation talismans, and handed them to him, saying,

"Keep these teleportation talismans. If you really encounter any danger outside, use them immediately."

He always kept the mother talisman in the sect.

Qin Jianghe accepted them and solemnly cupped his hands to bid farewell to everyone.

"This time out, I will definitely find a way to open up financial resources for our sect, so that you brothers can cultivate without worrying about money and food. Everyone, cultivate well in the sect. When I come back, if anyone's cultivation level is still lower than mine, a person who is away from home, I will deduct his salary! Even Brother Xiao won't be able to stop me!"

"Hahaha, then don't even think about it. It's absolutely impossible for you to deduct our salary. Just wait to be caught by us to cultivate when you come back!"

"It's getting late, hurry up and set off, otherwise your two cousins from the neighboring village will be waiting for a long time."

"Take it easy when you're out alone..."

"Wishing you immediate success!"

And so, under the morning light and amidst everyone's farewells, Qin Jianghe embarked on the road leaving the village.

When Qin Jianghe's figure gradually turned into a small black dot and finally disappeared completely, the crowd turned around and went back up the mountain to cultivate.

Today, the cultivation levels of all the people in the Lingxian Sect had improved a lot.

Except for the newly admitted Lin Dayou, Lin Lei, and the youngest Lin Ying, who were still at the first level of Qi Refining, everyone else had at least stepped into the second level of Qi Refining.

And Sun Yigao had also advanced to the eighth level of Qi Refining yesterday.

Now, the cultivation levels of the people in the Lingxian Sect from high to low were:

Lin Xiao: Early Foundation Establishment (12055/100000); Liao Pantu (Soul Body): Equivalent to the ninth level of Qi Refining; Sun Yigao: Eighth level of Qi Refining;

Jiang Youfu: Fifth level of Qi Refining; Lin Yun: Fifth level of Qi Refining; Liu Yunan: Fourth level of Qi Refining;

Qin Jianghe: Third level of Qi Refining; Yang Jinshu: Third level of Qi Refining; Liu Shengsheng: Second level of Qi Refining;

Hu Liang: Second level of Qi Refining; Little Luan: Second level of Spirit Opening;

Lin Ying: First level of Qi Refining; Lin Lei: First level of Qi Refining; Lin Dayou: First level of Qi Refining.

It had only been about two months, and everyone in the Lingxian Sect had achieved such cultivation results.

When Liao Pantu found out that all of them had only been cultivating for a month or two, he was extremely shocked in his heart.