Transmigrating into the world of Jade Dynasty, I was targeted by the female lead in a reverse romanc

I wandered around the village again and chatted with some familiar villagers. After the village was rebuilt, the layout was similar to before, only some details had changed, such as the east entrance of the village...

Jiang Xiaochuan was walking along when he suddenly stopped, looked ahead, and froze.

There used to be a dilapidated thatched temple at the east entrance of the village. It had been neglected for years and was almost collapsing, but now it has been renovated.

The walls were painted white, the tiles were replaced, the temple door was open, and there was even incense burning inside, with wisps of smoke rising.

That's nothing, the villagers believe in this, building a temple is normal, but the problem is...

Jiang Xiaochuan squinted and carefully examined the statues of gods enshrined in the temple.

The clay statue of the deity, dressed in a Taoist robe, appeared to be a young boy, with features...

Why does it look so familiar?

His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly walked over and went into the temple.

Now I could see clearly. The clay statue of the deity sat cross-legged, its face bearing a half-smile, its eyes curved, exuding an indescribable air of sagacity. Those features, that expression…

Holy crap?!

Isn't that me?!

Jiang Xiaochuan stood frozen at the temple entrance, his mind buzzing.

He stared at the clay statue that looked seven or eight parts like himself, then looked at the plates of fruit and snacks and the burning incense in front of the statue, his expression as if he had seen a ghost.

Lu Xueqi followed in, looked at the clay statue, then at Jiang Xiaochuan, and a rare look of surprise appeared on her usually cold face.

"What... what's going on?" Jiang Xiaochuan's throat was dry, and he turned to ask a villager who had followed him.

The villager, a middle-aged man, rubbed his hands together, a simple yet somewhat embarrassed smile on his face: "Well... Little Immortal Master, we all discussed it, and you've been incredibly kind to our village, saving so many people, and even... well, you know. So we thought we'd erect a statue of you, receive some incense offerings, and pray for your safety and well-being, and also for the safety of our village."

Jiang Xiaochuan: "..."

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but then felt that nothing he said would be right.

Should he say "I don't need it"? Should he say "This is absurd"? Looking into the villagers' simple and earnest eyes, the words caught in his throat, and he finally managed to squeeze out, "I'm ashamed... There's really no need for this..."

"Yes, yes!" another elderly woman who had rushed over upon hearing the news interjected, her eyes reddening. "Young Immortal Master, you are a living deity! If it weren't for you, our village would have been gone long ago. We should erect a statue so that the children will know that you saved us, that you are our great benefactor!"

"Yeah yeah!"

"Young Immortal, please don't refuse!"

Other villagers also gathered around, chattering amongst themselves.

Looking at those sincere faces, Jiang Xiaochuan felt a mix of emotions, a bittersweet feeling that ultimately left him with only a heavy, heartwarming warmth and a deep sense of shame.

What merit or ability did he possess? Saving people is what he should do, but he failed to save everyone, and now he's being worshipped as a benefactor...

He took a deep breath, and bowed solemnly to the clay statue and the villagers.

"Thank you all for your kindness. I... am unworthy of it."

The villagers hurriedly returned the greeting.

The hillside behind the village is the cemetery of Caomiao Village.

The grave, which was newly built five years ago, is now covered with green grass, and only the tombstone remains cold.

Zhang Xiaofan and Lin Jingyu each knelt before a grave, burning paper money and whispering something. The ashes were swirled up by the mountain wind and drifted into the distance.

Jiang Xiaochuan stood a little further away, leaning against an old pine tree, watching quietly. Lu Xueqi stood beside him, her gaze fixed on the slender backs of Zhang Xiaofan and Lin Jingyu, a hint of pity in her eyes.

She remembered the two children; five years ago, when she rescued Jiang Xiaochuan, she had seen them on Qingyun Mountain.

Back then, they were just innocent children. Overnight, their families were destroyed and their lives were lost. Their eyes were filled with fear and confusion. Now, they have all grown into tall and handsome young men, achieved great things, and gained cultivation. But when they kneel before their parents' graves, the loneliness and sorrow in their backs are still as strong as ever.

After an unknown amount of time, the paper money burned out. Zhang Xiaofan and Lin Jingyu kowtowed three more times before slowly standing up. Both of them had red eyes and tear stains on their faces.

Jiang Xiaochuan walked over, patted Zhang Xiaofan on the shoulder, and then patted Lin Jingyu on the shoulder.

"Alright, stop crying. Your parents are watching from heaven and they'll be happy to see you all doing well now."

Zhang Xiaofan nodded vigorously, wiped his face with his sleeve, and Lin Jingyu turned his head away and sniffed.

"You two," Jiang Xiaochuan looked at them, his tone becoming serious, "Now that you've entered Qingyun and become disciples, focus on your cultivation and don't think about anything else. Jingyu, you have a talent that comes along only once in a century, and you also have the Dragon Slayer Sword. Your future achievements are limitless. But remember, a sword is a weapon, but it is also a responsibility. Your heart must be righteous for your path to be stable."

Lin Jingyu nodded solemnly: "Yes, Senior Brother Jiang, I've got it."

Jiang Xiaochuan then looked at Zhang Xiaofan, his tone softening: "Xiaofan, your talent may not be as good as Jingyu's, but you are resilient, hardworking and willing to learn. The Yuanlei Sword in your hands may not be inferior to Zhanlong. Practice hard, don't be impatient, take it one step at a time."

Zhang Xiaofan's eyes reddened again, and he nodded emphatically, "Yes! Senior Brother Jiang, I will!"

"Also, the matter of Caomiao Village is in the past. Remember the grudges, but don't let hatred blind you. You have a long road ahead. Look forward, live well, and live with dignity. That's better than anything else."

Zhang Xiaofan and Lin Jingyu seemed to understand, but they both nodded vigorously.

Jiang Xiaochuan looked at their young yet weathered faces and sighed inwardly.

He suddenly reached out and flicked Zhang Xiaofan on the forehead, then turned around, stood on tiptoe, and tapped Lin Jingyu on the forehead as well.

"I'm leaving, heading back up the mountain." After he finished speaking, he turned and walked down the mountain, his shadow stretching long in the setting sun.

Zhang Xiaofan and Lin Jingyu touched their foreheads where they had been tapped, paused for a moment, and then both smiled. The deep pain seemed to be diluted by this familiar yet rough comfort.

Lu Xueqi watched Jiang Xiaochuan's retreating figure, then glanced at the two boys who had stopped crying and started laughing. A faint gentleness flashed in her eyes. She silently followed Jiang Xiaochuan, walking beside him at a distance that was neither too close nor too far.

The setting sun cast their shadows onto the mountain path, where they overlapped.

……

Upon returning to Qingyun Mountain, it was already evening, and the disciples from each peak dispersed.

Jiang Xiaochuan escorted Lin Jingyu back to Dragon Head Peak, and then took Zhang Xiaofan back to Dazhu Peak. In front of Shoujing Hall, Tian Buyi and Su Ru were waiting. When they returned, Su Ru came up to greet them and carefully looked at Jiang Xiaochuan and Zhang Xiaofan. Seeing that the two were unharmed, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Master, Mistress, we're back." Jiang Xiaochuan bowed.

Tian Buyi hummed in agreement and waved his hand, "Go back and rest. Get up early tomorrow and don't fall behind on your studies."

"Yes."

Jiang Xiaochuan and Zhang Xiaofan took their leave and headed towards the disciples' quarters. As they passed the kitchen, a gray shadow darted out and lunged straight at Jiang Xiaochuan's face!

Jiang Xiaochuan instinctively raised his hand to block, but the gray shadow nimbly twisted and landed on his shoulder, its fluffy tail brushing against his neck.

It was Little Gray. The three-eyed monkey was perched on his shoulder, its three eyes darting around, and it stretched out its claws to grab his hair.

"Go away!" Jiang Xiaochuan shoved it off impatiently and gave it a light tap on the forehead. "Are you itching for a beating again?"

Little Grey squeaked twice, seemingly dissatisfied, but it didn't pounce again. Instead, it grabbed his trouser leg, looked up at him, and its dark eyes showed affection.

Big Yellow wagged its tail and came over, rubbing against Jiang Xiaochuan's leg.

Looking at the monkey and the dog, Jiang Xiaochuan felt the gloom he had brought back from Caomiao Village dissipate somewhat.

He bent down, rubbed Big Yellow's head, and stuffed a piece of homemade milk candy into Little Gray's mouth. Little Gray grabbed the candy, squeaking excitedly, and scurried back onto Big Yellow's back, stuffing the candy into its mouth, its cheeks bulging.

Zhang Xiaofan watched from the side and smiled sheepishly.

"What are you grinning about? Go back to your training." Jiang Xiaochuan rolled his eyes at him and turned to go back to his room.

The house remains the same, simple and clean.

He closed the door, walked to the bedside and sat down. He stared blankly for a while, then took out a small cloth bag from his pocket, opened it, and inside were some colorful silk threads and a few small, warm jade stones.

He picked up the silk thread, his fingers clumsily weaving and knotting it.

He wove for a long time until it was completely dark outside. The candlelight flickered, illuminating his focused profile.

Finally, a deep blue sword tassel, interspersed with silver threads and adorned with a small piece of pale blue warm jade at the end, took shape in his hand.

He picked up the sword tassel, looked at it in the candlelight, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously curved up slightly before he quickly pursed his lips.