"Oh? Who is it? Your teacher? Your sect elder? Your ancestor?" The Earth Guard continued offering suggestions hopefully, as if one would suddenly get a response. Li Yuyue remained unreadable, but Chen Tian thought there was confusion in her posture.
Family relationships were everything in the Peaceful Earth Realm, but not so in the Moonless Dark Realm. Li Yuyue's "master" could be her biological teacher, a distant sect elder, or an unrelated cultivator who had taken her as a disciple. Since the sides were talking past each other, Chen Tian decided to speak up again.
"Yuyue, does your master have a realm key to the Peaceful Earth Realm?"
"I... do not believe so." Her bundled head sank, obviously disheartened. "I know he has a realm key to the Shadow Mystery Realm, but he has struggled to acquire one for the Silver Moon Realm. But I will wait until my master is able to retrieve me."
"That could take years!" one of the Earth Guards exclaimed unhelpfully. "You cannot be without a home for so long! Come, I will allow you to join my family and we will care for you."
"Thank you, but no. I will wait for my master."
"Why not prepare for his arrival?" Chen Tian asked. Since she couldn't see him anyway, he gave all the Peaceful Earth villagers a broad smile as if he'd just had an idea. "In fact, you could help us find our way back! If we can advance sufficiently as cultivators, we would be able to return on our own!"
One of the Earth Guards nodded. "We do have many spiritual herbs for young cultivators. What of you, stranger? How can we help you return to your realm?"
"I fear it does not neighbor the Peaceful Earth Realm, and I have no master who will come for me." Chen Tian hung his head. "I must forge my own path back home, so my only hope is to rely upon your generosity."
"We would be happy to help you, young one." One of the older Earth Guards gave him a pleasant smile, but something was slightly off. "But you have not yet begun cultivation, and I worry that perhaps you do not understand how many steps lie ahead. Perhaps our generosity must take the form of guidance."
Chen Tian froze for just a moment, smile fixed on his face. The old man was too shrewd to be taken advantage of so easily, he had feared this, but he had another angle. "But I do not wish to impose on your generosity with nothing to offer in return. I have some experience, however. If you helped me become a cultivator, I could more than repay you with my efforts."
"A wonderful idea!" One of the other Earth Guards clapped her hands in delight. "With all these cracks in our realm, there will undoubtedly be more demons, and our guests could help prevent the weaker ones from harming any homes."
Ignoring her, Chen Tian instead looked toward the old Earth Guard, who was still watching him. The man's expression was perfectly pleasant, but Chen Tian saw a flicker of skepticism in his eyes. Or whatever the Peaceful Earth Realm had in place of skepticism. Just as he was considering his options, clouds shifted away from the sun, sending Li Yuyue flinching in the increased light.
"I know of a technique that might help you." Chen Tian turned to her fully, putting as much compassion into his voice as possible while pretending to ignore all the others. "It would require a new meridian configuration within your cultivation base, but it would shield you from light and heat in other realms."
Li Yuyue's head shifted toward him. "But I have nothing to offer in return."
"Consider it a gift. There would simply be the matter of acquiring appropriate spiritual materials."
"But... would they truly share anything so valuable with us?" Li Yuyue shifted to regard the others, her voice carrying the faintest hints of hope.
Was it an act? There weren't many things she could have said to better manipulate them, but Chen Tian heard nothing except sincerity in her voice. This was exactly what he needed, since his arguments had already softened up the Earth Guards around them. Even the old man was nodding reluctantly, and after the villagers conferred amongst themselves, he was the first to speak to them.
"So be it. We will guide you and every other guest who cannot easily return home to one of our cities. They have established a school for foreign cultivators there." The old man's eyes met his sharply. "If you contribute to our community, we will assist you on your cultivation path."
"Thank you, honored elder." Chen Tian clasped the old man's hands and lowered his head respectfully, which earned a chorus of positive responses from the villagers around them.
Unfortunately, many of them came to sit closer, asking questions about his home realm. That was exactly what he wanted to avoid, he had cover stories prepared to deflect attention, but he didn't want any of those stories to start attracting attention among mere villagers. Since they had descended on Li Yuyue, asking her more questions about her master, Chen Tian decided it was time to retreat.
He had forgotten how cloying people could be. Chen Tian finally let his smile drop as he moved away, the sides of his mouth aching. There hadn't been much smiling over the past forty years. But even as he adopted a more comfortable scowl, he felt a spark of optimism.
Arriving alongside so many others might prove to be a blessing in multiple ways. Meeting Li Yuyue might be a particular stroke of fortune, if he played his cards correctly. He had useful information for her, and she could be valuable to him both for her strength and her knowledge. Given how uncomfortable she felt in the Peaceful Earth Realm, it wouldn't take much to create a bond between them, which could prove mutually beneficial.