"But first, we need to treat her. Her wounds are far too deep," Feng Kail muttered, his voice cutting through the villagers' anxious murmurs.
He knelt gracefully in the snow in front of the semi-conscious Xu Guifei. With a flick of his wrist, a glowing, pristine medicinal pill materialized in his palm, radiating a dense, soothing aroma that temporarily masked the scent of blood in the air.
"Swallow it," Kail commanded gently, placing the pill against her pale lips.
Guifei, barely holding onto consciousness, trusted him instinctively and swallowed the pill.
"Now, sit up and focus on refining its medicinal properties," Kail instructed.
Mustering the absolute last of her willpower, Guifei crossed her legs, forcing her broken body into a meditative posture. Almost instantly, the high-grade pill dissolved in her throat, unleashing a torrent of pure, concentrated energy that rapidly began knitting her shattered meridians back together. Her shallow breathing stabilized, and a faint hint of color returned to her cheeks.
" Ah... Ahhh!"
Suddenly, Guifei gasped in agony, her entire body trembling violently. The sheer potency of the ancient pill was too overwhelming for her Tier 1 Peak meridians to handle. A violent, chaotic aura began to erupt from her pores, threatening to tear her veins apart from the inside out.
"It seems the pill's efficacy is too powerful for her current capacity," Kail muttered, his eyes narrowing. "She can't tame it alone. I need to guide the energy."
Without hesitation, Kail pressed his palm firmly against her back. He unleashed his Flame of Rejuvenation, pouring the soothing, emerald-green fire directly into her body. Under his precise control, the healing flames wrapped around the rampaging medicinal energy, taming the wild currents and safely distributing the nourishing power throughout her entire network of nerves and bones.
An hour passed in absolute silence.
Leaving Guifei in her deep, stable meditative trance, Kail moved systematically through the ruined village square. He channeled the Flame of Rejuvenation continuously, sending waves of life-giving emerald embers over the groaning, mutilated civilians. Severed flesh closed, internal bleeding ceased, and broken bones snapped cleanly back into place under the influence of his legendary fire.
As Kail was finishing up, the old village physician and a few hunters cautiously approached him, looking anxiously toward the ancient oak tree.
"Young master Kail," the old man whispered, bowing his head respectfully. "Why... why has Xu Guifei still not opened her eyes? She has been sitting motionless in that exact position for over an hour. Is there a problem? Was the damage to her soul too severe?"
Kail wiped a bead of sweat from his brow, his expression calm. "Don't worry about her. Her internal injuries are completely healed. Right now, she is utilizing the leftover energy from the pill to break through her mortal bottleneck to the next major realm."
Hearing this, a collective sigh of overwhelming relief washed over the villagers.
Over the next few hours, Kail ensured every single injured villager was standing on their own two feet. The square, which had been a desolate graveyard just hours prior, was now filled with weeping families embracing one another, completely whole and healthy.
The old physician, overwhelmed with gratitude, led the entire village to Kail once more. "Young master, words can never truly express what you have given us today. You have saved our lives, our children, and our pride. Whiteleaf Village is eternally indebted to your kindness." They bowed deeply, their faces shining with genuine happiness.
Kail raised his hand, gesturing for them to stand. "There is no need for such excessive thanks. As I said before, I was merely passing through this valley. I see an injustice, and I cut it down. But tell me—why did a high-level demon platoon attack a small, isolated village like this?"
The old man's smile faded, replaced by a heavy, sorrowful sigh. "To be honest, we do not know the exact reason for this specific raid. But travelers passing through the borders say that for the past few months, the demon race has been aggressively mobilizing, attacking human territories all over the world. Many prominent scholars claim that a cataclysmic, world-ending war between humans and demons is rapidly approaching. Because of this, smaller settlements are fleeing to the big clans for protection."
"Big clans?" Kail echoed, his interest piqued.
"Yes," the old physician explained, running a hand through his gray beard. "Do you know of the four supreme clans that rule the Eastern Continent? The Ming Clan, the Yin Clan, the Chen Clan, and the Yun Clan. Our Whiteleaf Village resides directly within the geographical borders of the Ming Clan's territory."
The old man's fist clenched tightly, his eyes flashing with bitter resentment. "Originally, we were a free, independent village. But a few years ago, Ming Clan elders came to us, promising absolute protection against all external threats if we swore allegiance to them. We agreed, naive and desperate. But in reality? Their sole, greedy focus was the hidden cave behind our valley—a cave rich with Blue Ore."
Kail's eyes narrowed. "Blue Ore? The rare mineral used to forge high-grade, energy-conductive weapons?"
"Precisely," the old man spit on the ground. "In other kingdoms, such ore is incredibly rare. The Ming Clan forced our men, our youth, and our elders into those dark mines, treating us like slaves until every single scrap of the ore was stripped clean. The moment the cave was completely depleted, their attitude changed entirely. They abandoned their outposts, ignored our messages, and left us to rot. When the demon skirmishes began a few months ago, we sent an envoy to the Ming Clan capital, begging for the protection they had promised us. But their guards didn't even let us through the gates. They threw us out like trash."
The old man looked around at the scorched remains of his home, his voice trembling. "To think they would deceive and abandon us after we broke our backs for them... They are utterly soulless. And now, our home is completely destroyed."
He paused, looking back toward the oak tree where Guifei sat. "The great clans are currently hoarding all the powerful independent cultivators across the world, building massive armies to shield themselves for the coming war. They don't care about the common people. Our only hope... is Guifei. Her parents passed away when she was just a infant, and we raised her together. She possesses a rare, formidable talent for cultivation. She is the future of our people."
Kail remained silent, his mind racing as he processed the information.
If a massive world war between humans and demons is truly on the horizon, it will inevitably disrupt my path,Kail thought calculatedly. If I want to safely navigate the chaos and eliminate the Ming and Yin clans for what they did to me, I cannot rely solely on my own blade. I need an army. I need an espionage network. I need a foundation. These villagers are currently weak... but if I take them under my wing and provide them with real resources, they can become a powerful faction loyal only to me.
Boom!
A localized explosion of pristine, crystalline Qi erupted from beneath the ancient oak tree, blowing away the surrounding snow.
Xu Guifei slowly opened her eyes. Her irises seemed deeper, sharper, and a vibrant, healthy glow radiated from her skin. She gracefully stood up, the lingering dust swirling around her ankles as she locked her gaze directly onto Feng Kail.
Kail looked back at her, a brief, silent appreciation crossing his mind. With her meridians completely reformed and cleansed by the Rejuvenation Flame, her natural beauty has become even more striking. Her presence is entirely different now.
Guifei gently tucked a stray strand of midnight-blue hair behind her ear, her cheeks flushing slightly under his intense scrutiny. She kept her eyes locked onto his, completely captivated by the profound, mysterious aura surrounding the young man who had rewritten her destiny.
The old physician glanced between the two of them, noticing the heavy, lingering silence, and let out a deliberate, dry cough. "Ahem... cough! Guifei, how does your body feel? Are you truly alright?"
Guifei blinked, quickly breaking eye contact as a soft blush bloomed on her face. "Ah! Yes, Elder, I am perfectly fine. Not only have all my internal injuries vanished, but I have also successfully broken through the bottleneck. I am now officially a 1-Star Qi Enlightenment (Tier 2) cultivator! This... this miracle is entirely due to Master Feng Kail's intervention."
She walked forward and bowed deeply to him, her voice filled with sincere devotion. "I am deeply grateful to you, Master Feng Kail."
"Just call me Feng Kail," he replied smoothly, gesturing for her to straighten up.
She nodded, a small, elegant smile gracing her lips. "F-Feng Kail."
Kail turned his attention back to the gathered crowd. "Now that you are healed, we must look at reality. Your village is completely leveled, and it is only a matter of time before another demon scouting party notices the destruction of this vanguard and sends reinforcements. However, I have a solution for you—though the choice remains entirely yours."
The villagers silenced themselves, listening intently.
"Follow me," Kail declared, his voice ringing with a commanding, sovereign weight. "I am heading toward a hidden, resourceful territory. I will take you to a safe haven where the big clans cannot reach you, and together, we will rebuild your village from the ground up. I will provide the security; you will provide the foundation."
The villagers looked at one another in stunned silence.
Guifei didn't hesitate for a single second. Step forward, she looked Kail dead in the eyes. "I will follow you. If you can promise to keep these innocent people safe from the monsters of this world, my bow and my life belong to you. We will follow you to the ends of the earth."
Kail smiled faintly. "You have my word. As long as I draw breath, no harm will come to those who walk behind me."
The old physician ran a hand through his long beard, thinking deeply before letting out a decisive laugh. "We already promised to do whatever you commanded of us in exchange for Guifei's life. A true man of Whiteleaf Village never goes back on his word!" Turning to the crowd, the elder shouted, "Who among us is willing to march with our savior?!"
"We will follow Master Feng Kail!" the villagers roared in unison, their despair completely replaced by a newfound, fiery hope.
"Good," Kail nodded approvingly. "We leave under the cover of darkness tonight. Gather whatever provisions, clothes, and remnants you can salvage from the ruins. Prepare yourselves."
The villagers immediately dispersed, moving with urgent efficiency to prepare for the midnight migration.
As the square emptied, Guifei remained standing near the tree, watching Kail.
"Xu Guifei, stay back for a moment. I have something for you," Kail said smoothly.
He reached into his storage ring and pulled out a long, magnificent object wrapped in ancient silk. As he uncovered it, a breathtaking, intricately carved recurve bow revealed itself. The weapon was forged from an unknown, luminescent silver metal, etched with glowing cosmic runes that thrummed with a dense, powerful spiritual energy.
Guifei's eyes widened in sheer, breathless awe. As an archer, she could instantly feel the world-defying craftsmanship of the weapon. "This... this bow... the energy signature is immense. This is an incredible, high-grade treasure! Feng Kail... are you truly giving something this precious to me?"
"My primary weapon is the sword," Kail replied nonchalantly, thrusting the divine bow into her hands. "A weapon is only useful if it's in the hands of someone who knows how to wield it. Besides, your old bow was shattered by the demon commander. Keep it. It will serve you well in the battles to come."
In reality, I just grabbed this out of the treasure pile at the base of Xuan Wang's statue, Kail thought to himself with a hidden smirk. I didn't even know what grade it was, and it was just taking up space in my storage bag. Might as well use it to increase my army's firepower.
Holding the magnificent silver bow tightly against her chest, Guifei's heart fluttered rapidly, a profound warmth spreading through her soul.
He is gifting me a priceless, legendary treasure without even blinking an eye... she thought to herself, her eyes shining as she gazed at his retreating back. Is he... is he giving this to me as a special token? A personal gift? He acts so cold and indifferent on the surface, but his actions are completely different from any man I've ever met.