Chapter 150: Chapter 150: Nocturnal Melody
Very soon, they headed to the young man’s home, and during the journey, Ji Chen chatted casually with him, obtaining some relevant information.
This village is called ’Zhou Village’, and all the villagers share the surname Zhou. The young man is named Zhou Feng, one of the few able-bodied young adults in the village who often takes on the responsibility of hunting outside.
"If you don’t mind, you can stay in this room."
Zhou Feng led Ji Chen into his courtyard and pointed to a wooden cabin inside.
This wooden cabin was originally used for storing miscellaneous items, but fortunately, it wasn’t hard to clean up. A brief tidying up would make it habitable.
"Doggie, quickly get some water for this uncle to wash up." Zhou Feng spoke to his son who was standing nearby.
"Okay."
Doggie nodded and turned to enter the kitchen. Before long, he brought out a basin of clear water for Ji Chen to wash his face.
During this time, Ji Chen chatted with Zhou Feng and learned that Zhou Village had been the home of generations. Although they primarily lived by hunting, every household also grew some vegetables and fruits, so food wasn’t really a problem.
However, ferocious beasts frequently appeared near the village. Zhou Feng’s father, when Zhou Feng was in his teens, was attacked by a demon beast in the mountains and didn’t come back alive.
Since then, Zhou Feng essentially grew up on the food provided by various families, which cultivated his simple and kind character. Thus, when he saw Ji Chen struggling in the mountains, his impulse was to offer assistance.
"Doggie’s dad, do we have guests at home?"
After chatting for a while, a woman suddenly came in from outside the courtyard, around Zhou Feng’s age, and she was his wife.
"Mom."
Doggie went over and took some farm produce from the woman’s hands.
Upon introduction, Ji Chen learned that Zhou Feng’s wife was named Zhou Ting, the village headman’s daughter. In her youth, she was also a wild child, often going hunting with young men like Zhou Feng from the village, and she was quite skilled at it.
Very soon, night fell, and lights appeared in front of the courtyards of every household in the village, illuminating this remote mountain village. Despite being nighttime, it wasn’t as dark as one might imagine.
By the light of the fire, one could still see some villagers returning from farming, visiting each other.
According to Zhou Feng, every household in the village lit fires at night to ensure wild animals from the mountains wouldn’t dare approach, a tradition passed on through generations.
This method proved quite effective since nighttime was when wild beasts were most active, but as long as the village had light, they wouldn’t come near.
Zhou Ting prepared several good dishes, and the family sat together with Ji Chen in the courtyard to eat.
Although, with Ji Chen’s current level of cultivation, he didn’t need food to survive, it was clear he didn’t want to reveal his identity as a cultivator, so he joined in the meal naturally.
Most of the food was the meat from hunting in the mountains, delicately processed and cooked into delicious dishes.
It had been a long time since Ji Chen had tasted such food, and he ate with great contentment.
By this time, most of the villagers who had been busy outside had returned to the village and learned of a guest staying at Zhou Feng’s house.
While Ji Chen dined with Zhou Feng’s family, many villagers brought over some foodstuff, mostly fruits and vegetables, as a form of hospitality for this outsider.
"Uncle."
Just as Ji Chen was about to finish his meal, someone else came from outside the courtyard.
Looking up, Ji Chen realized it was the little girl who had given him a paper crane at the village entrance earlier that day.
She also brought some fruits and gave them to Ji Chen, "These are from my mom for you."
"Thank you."
Ji Chen patted her head and didn’t refuse.
This little girl had a certain spiritual aura, giving him a distinctly different feeling from the other children in the mountains.
"Yanyan, did you come here by yourself?" Zhou Ting also pinched her cute cheek.
"Yes."
The little girl nodded earnestly, "The path is lit up, so Yanyan is not afraid of the dark."
"Doggie’s dad, Doggie’s mom, uncle, Yanyan needs to go back now, otherwise my mom will worry."
With that, she waved her little hand to Ji Chen and the others and left by herself once again.
"This kid really is quite adorable." Ji Chen watched her leave, then withdrew his gaze.
Zhou Ting couldn’t help but say, "Yanyan is indeed well-behaved, much more so than Doggie was when he was her age. Back when she first came to our village, she was just a few months old, and it’s been almost three years since then..."
"Yanyan isn’t from your Zhou Village?" Ji Chen was taken aback.
Zhou Feng explained, "Yanyan and her mother probably came to our Zhou Village three years ago, in circumstances similar to yours, and have since settled here."
...
After dinner, Ji Chen did not sleep but instead sat cross-legged in his room, attempting to break through.
He was already on the verge of a breakthrough and could enter the Eighth Layer of the Returning Ruins Realm at any moment.
It was still early, not yet deep into the night. Doggie had already gone inside to sleep, while Zhou Feng and his wife sat in the courtyard, admiring the moon and chatting leisurely.
"Ding."
In the midst of cultivation, Ji Chen suddenly heard a melodious sound of a guqin resonate in his ears.
It prompted him to open his eyes.
Leaving the room and coming to the courtyard, Zhou Feng and his wife were still there.
"Brother Zhou, this sound of the zither..." Ji Chen couldn’t help but inquire.
Zhou Feng chuckled and said, "Oh, you mean this? It’s played by Yanyan’s mother; she plays it every night."
Zhou Ting added, "The sound of this zither is not only beautiful but also serves to repel the ferocious beasts from the mountains. According to my father, Sister Chu might very well be an immortal, since ever since she came to our Zhou Village three years ago, the sound of beasts near the village has almost vanished."
"Oh?"
Upon hearing this, Ji Chen narrowed his eyes.
The ability to deter the beasts of the mountains with music was certainly not something an ordinary person could achieve.
It appeared that Yanyan’s mother was indeed likely a cultivator.
"Ding."
Soon, the piece concluded, but its lingering notes continued to resonate, leaving Ji Chen with a lingering sense of nostalgia.
Just when he thought the performance had ended, suddenly, the music began again.
Zhou Ting was a bit surprised, "Huh? The melody has changed, never heard this one before, and it’s quite nice."
"When will you learn to play the zither, have Yanyan’s mom teach you, so you can play for me occasionally when you’re free, instead of hunting with us men all day like a wild child?" Zhou Feng lay comfortably on a reclining chair under the tree in the courtyard with his hands behind his head, appearing utterly at ease.
At this, Zhou Ting was both amused and exasperated, "You find me too wild, do you? If it weren’t for me back then, you might have been eaten by wild wolves."
Ji Chen had heard this story from Zhou Feng before. In his early hunting days, he encountered an unexpected situation, got separated from his group, and was surrounded by a pack of wolves. He was saved only because Zhou Ting arrived in time, and the incident eventually brought them together.
"Ding."
Ji Chen sat quietly on the side, watching the couple playfully bicker, which was harmless.
The guqin sound from afar was very pleasing, and as it continued, Ji Chen found himself mesmerized, as the melody seemed increasingly familiar to him.