"Well, I'm not sure. Although life here in Peach Blossom Village is comfortable, we certainly don't keep idlers. With your skills, hunting is inevitable."
"Alright then."
Ye Liang agreed.
Not because of anything else—the old man was right. No place would keep someone who did nothing.
Perhaps last night when Mikamitsu Shirabe granted him the cultivation technique, there had been this implication too.
After breakfast,
the two wandered around the village for a while to aid digestion before heading directly outside the village.
"Old Man Shizhi, what's this? Do I really have to carry it?" Ye Liang asked, pointing at the plaque on his chest. An elderly man at the village entrance had insisted on giving it to him.
He said it was a pass to leave the village—without this, one couldn't go beyond!
"Of course. Without this plaque, how can you resist the side effects of Yomi food and drink?"
"Side effects of Yomi food and drink? Old Man Shizhi, are you speaking nonsense again?" Ye Liang questioned.
"Just try dropping the pass on the ground," the old man replied.
Drop it on the ground?
Ye Liang was taken aback.
He vaguely sensed something wrong.
He took the plaque off his neck and flung it carelessly onto the ground. The moment it left his hand, an unprecedented discomfort surged in his abdomen!
It was a feeling of hunger!
Extremely unbearable!
As if he hadn't eaten for years!
Clutching his stomach, Ye Liang's vision blurred as he grabbed a fistful of dirt and actually tried to shove it into his mouth!
The old man quickly hung the plaque around his neck again.
"Now do you understand?" he remarked smugly.
Instantly, Ye Liang was fine again!
Spitting out dirt, Ye Liang stared wide-eyed at the old man: "What the hell just happened! And where the hell did that damn discomfort come from!"
He shouted furiously,
his eyes filled with disbelief as if refusing to accept his current situation.
The old man began explaining: "Didn't I tell you earlier? Once you enter this village, forget ever leaving!"
"You bastard! So that's what you meant by that sentence!"
Suddenly, Ye Liang realized how ambiguous the old man's words were!
Before, he thought being unable to leave the village was only due to Mikamitsu Shirabe's rules. As long as his strength was sufficient, Peach Blossom Village definitely couldn't stop him.
But now—
things suddenly looked different!
Without the plaque, could he even leave the village?
Seeing Ye Liang half-understanding, the old man nodded and resumed explaining, "The food and drink in Peach Blossom Village come from a creature native to Yomi itself! You should've heard this proverb back when you were alive!"
"Once you consume Yomi food, you'll never be able to leave Yomi again!"
"This is also why I didn't want you coming to Peach Blossom Village in the first place."
Holy crap!
I'm not even from Japan—how would I know this saying!
Ye Liang felt a wave of helplessness.
His hopes for a future suddenly felt crushed—he lost all motivation in an instant!
Seeing Ye Liang suddenly lose his energy, the old man comforted him, "You don't need to feel too upset. As long as you stay peacefully in the village, this hunger won't return. Considering your abilities, within a hundred years at most, you'll definitely be able to reincarnate as a human again."
A hundred years?
I'll be dead by then!
The old man didn't know that Ye Liang wasn't a Pure at all—he was completely and utterly a living person!
Maybe in a few years he'd get so bored he'd off himself right here in Peach Blossom Village...
"Alright, no need for sentimentality—we still have to gather the ingredients for Her Ladyship's birthday feast today!" Shizhi Xiao said.
This hunting team consisted of more than just the two of them. Outside the village, quite a few people had already been waiting for their arrival.
The Pure didn't actually need sleep; so-called rest was merely a reminder of their past humanity. If they ever forgot their former lives, they would become the Fallen!
Seeing Ye Liang and the old man approaching, a fat bald man with thick sideburns walked over from outside the village.
"Zhiqi old ghost, who is this kid? No newbies are allowed on this mission!" the bulky man questioned aggressively while shooting Ye Liang a look of disdain.
The old man's expression stiffened.
This person was Ichiro Matsushita, one of the top hunters in the village.
But he and Shizhi Xiao never really got along.
Ichiro strongly disliked newcomers, and often clashed with Shizhi Xiao, who enjoyed mentoring them. Their disputes sometimes even escalated into physical fights. Because of this, the two hadn't worked together in the same group for a long time.
With Mikamitsu Shirabe's birthday banquet drawing near, the food stores were insufficient.
So these two veteran hunters were forced to work together again.
"Baldy kid, this young man is personally chosen by Her Ladyship! Do you really dare to question someone specifically designated by her?" the old man shot back without hesitation.
"Pfft! This brat is actually someone chosen by Her Ladyship? Who do you think you're fooling!"
"If you don't believe me, go ask Mikamitsu Shirabe directly!" the old man replied.
Ichiro Matsushita fell silent.
Though full of doubts about what the old man had said, he didn't dare to confront Mikamitsu Shirabe directly either, so he grumbled and left with the others.
After they had walked far away, Shizhi Xiao began counting the people on his own side.
Besides Ye Liang, they had two men and two women—six total, including himself. Twenty people had come out altogether for this hunting trip.
Who would've thought that before even setting off, most of them had already left with Ichiro Matsushita!
Shizhi Xiao sighed.
This wasn't just an ordinary hunt; it was also to prepare food for Mikamitsu Shirabe's birthday feast.
Yomigami were extremely powerful creatures.
With only six people, capturing a strong Yomigami would be very difficult.
"Don't worry, Master Xiao." A woman spoke up confidently. She looked sharp and martial, like a female general.
The old man recognized her.
She was a newcomer brought from another realm.
Her name was Nao Uzumaki.
She had formidable talent, nearly matching even his own. Her confidence came from her strength.
"Fine."
The old man nodded. "Since you're so confident, let's split into pairs. Chunjiao will pair with Zhiming, and I'll team up with you. How does that sound?"
"Sure thing! Whatever you say, Teacher," the woman agreed quickly and immediately started organizing the groups.
Before long, the old man and the other Landborn Kinoto had set off one after another.
Nao Uzumaki stared at Ye Liang in utter shock. "F***! This wicked old wretch dares to be so shameless!"
She had confidence in herself, but that was only when compared to regular team members. If it came down to her leading a team solo, there was absolutely no way that could work. At the very least, she couldn't possibly lead a total rookie!
Unfortunately, it was already too late to regret anything.
Once you've talked big, you've got to live with it. Can't blame anyone else.
Ye Liang gazed dully at the woman leading the group.
"Who are you?"
He still hadn't recovered from his previous shock and had completely missed what just happened.
The woman was taken aback!
Looking at Ye Liang's stunned expression, she asked, "Bro! You sure you're up to this? We're talking about a Yomigami here! Have you even laid eyes on one before? If you aren't capable, we'd better head back now—no need to risk our lives over this!"
"Of course I'm up to it! How could I not be!"
Ye Liang roared.
A man just couldn't admit he wasn't up to the task!
Even if he didn't understand what was going on.
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