Although Shen Qing had made it very clear that she didn't want to return to Worry-Free Peak, He Yu seemed to turn a deaf ear.
He thought Shen Qing was just in a fit of pique with them. As time went by, she would surely miss Worry-Free Peak.
Her current resolute attitude was just her being stubborn and putting on airs. After they got back, he would send her some gifts to coax her.
So He Yu put on a knowing look. "Alright. If you manage to get me out of this secret realm safely, I'll take care of getting you back to Worry-Free Peak."
Back then, the He family had managed to get him into the sect as the direct disciple of True Lord Heng Ling. Now, with some resources, it shouldn't be too difficult for him to restore Shen Qing's status as a direct disciple.
Shen Qing knew that He Yu was being thick - headed at the moment, so she didn't plan to continue the conversation.
"Big sister, do you believe what that bully said?"
Luo Ling looked up at Shen Qing with her small face, her big round eyes fixed on Shen Qing, hiding complex emotions.
Shen Qing could sense Luo Ling's nervousness. Her little hands were unconsciously clutching the sleeve of her dress.
"Luo Ling, although this guy is not a good person, I can guarantee that what he just said is true."
Luo Ling's eyebrows relaxed a bit, but her face still showed disbelief. "If what this bully said is true, then the villagers must be lying."
"But the villagers have been so kind to me. How could they lie?"
Hearing Luo Ling's words, Shen Qing felt something was off. So many things had happened just now that she hadn't had the chance to take a good look at Luo Ling.
Now that she did, she noticed that Luo Ling's clothes were covered in dust, and she was dirty all over. There were holes in her little embroidered shoes, and even her little feet could be seen.
Shen Qing recalled the villagers she had seen just now. Without exception, they were all dressed in luxurious silk and satin.
This was contrary to what Luo Ling had said about the villagers being kind to her.
Could this be the breakthrough point?
"Luo Ling, tell sister the truth. Did the villagers really treat you well?"
A look of uneasiness flashed across Luo Ling's face. She took Shen Qing's hand, looked around, and only felt relieved when she saw no villagers around.
"Big sister, this is not the place to talk. Follow me."
Luo Ling pulled Shen Qing forward a few steps, then turned around and reached out her hand to Qing Qing.
"Big... big sister, you come too."
A look of surprise flashed in Qing Qing's eyes, and then she nervously looked at Shen Qing.
But Shen Qing was busy calling the ghost wolf and didn't notice their conversation.
Qing Qing let out a sigh of relief, but when she looked at Luo Ling again, her eyes were full of vigilance.
The group returned to Luo Ling's small cottage. Qing Qing and Shen Qing both involuntarily recalled the scene in the illusion, and a look of uneasiness appeared on their faces.
It was because they couldn't get into Luo Ling's cottage that they were led to the wooden house where the guests stayed.
So when Luo Ling invited them in, they both tensed up for a moment.
Fortunately, the cottage was much more spacious than in the illusion. Qing Qing and Shen Qing just had to bend a little to get in.
The furniture inside was all small, just right for Luo Ling.
Although the wooden house wasn't very tall, it was quite spacious. Two people, a dog, and a child didn't feel cramped inside.
The stools were too small for Shen Qing and Qing Qing, so they simply sat cross - legged on the ground.
Luo Ling carefully pulled the curtains and locked the door from the inside.
After doing all this, Luo Ling sat down at ease, picked up the small teapot on the table, and poured a cup of hot tea for Shen Qing and Qing Qing.
Shen Qing also noticed that the ghost wolf had a set of special small tableware in Luo Ling's house.
There was a bowl for drinking water, a plate for eating, and a towel for wiping its mouth. Everything was there.
It seemed that the ghost wolf and Luo Ling had a very good relationship.
So was the reason the ghost wolf brought them here because of Luo Ling?
As if struggling in her heart for a long time, Luo Ling finally made up her mind to speak.
"Big sisters, if you don't mind my rambling, I'd like you to listen to my story."
Luo Ling's voice was soft and sweet, and soon drew Shen Qing and Qing Qing into her story.
It turned out that Luo Ling wasn't a native of this village. Her parents were cultivators. They were seriously injured in the great war against the demons and fled to this village.
The demons soon caught up and killed several villagers.
To prevent the disaster from befalling this village, Luo Ling's parents fought to the death with the remaining demons.
All that was left for Luo Ling was a jade pendant with a protective spell.
To repay the kindness of the villagers, Luo Ling refused the invitations from several sects and resolutely stayed in this small mortal village.
In those years, the demons were running amok, and the people were suffering. But because of Luo Ling's jade pendant, this village was able to enjoy a brief period of peace.
However, the villagers didn't like her.
Because all the bad things she predicted would come true one by one. Gradually, the villagers began to call her a jinx and a doomsayer.
The villagers originally wanted to drive her out of the village, but they were reluctant to part with the jade pendant on her.
They wanted to keep only the jade pendant, but the jade pendant was useless to the villagers who had no spiritual power. So they had no choice but to keep Luo Ling reluctantly.
After that, Luo Ling was ordered not to speak in the village.
As time went by, Luo Ling only dared to talk to the ghost wolf, an animal.
Shen Qing was silent. So even a great power had a tough childhood.
But according to the story, how did Luo Ling enter the world of cultivation and become the only Great Saint?
Luo Ling seemed to see Shen Qing's question and continued her story.
As Luo Ling grew up, the spiritual power on her body became so strong that it attracted some rogue cultivators who practiced demonic arts.
After years of use, the jade pendant had completely lost its effect.
To escape the disaster, the villagers pushed Luo Ling out, saying it was for her to repay their kindness.
Those demonic cultivators saw that Luo Ling had a special constitution and was beautiful, so they had other ideas and wanted to turn her into a cauldron for cultivation.
But for the sake of the villagers, Luo Ling had no complaints.
Those demonic cultivators weren't satisfied with just capturing Luo Ling. They also wanted to absorb the souls of the villagers to enhance their cultivation. Half of the villagers were massacred.
Luo Ling was tied to the ground, watching the villagers being brutally killed by the demonic cultivators, their heads separated from their bodies. Headless corpses fell to the ground.
Blood was everywhere. The head of Xiaosanzi, who had once given her a few eggs, rolled to her feet. His wide - open eyes could never close again.
The whole village was ablaze with a raging fire, and those blood - covered demonic cultivators stood in the fire, massacring wantonly.
Their disgusting and cruel appearance made Luo Ling feel as if a big hand was crushing her heart. She stared wide - eyed, opened her mouth, but only felt a sharp pain in her throat and couldn't make any sound.
Time seemed to stand still at that moment. She watched helplessly as the villagers died a horrible death, but was completely powerless to resist.
In extreme pain, Luo Ling felt as if some kind of shackle on her body had been broken.
With blood - filled tears in her eyes, her body trembling, she stared at the few demonic cultivators who were still laughing wildly with hatred in her eyes.
"You demonic cultivators, massacring living beings, are intolerable to heaven and earth. Luo Ling is here. I'll offer my blood as a sacrifice, for the sake of all sentient beings, and exterminate the evil!!"
"All of you die!!"
The few demonic cultivators who had been laughing wildly with human heads in their hands just now instantly turned into a mist of blood and vanished into thin air...