Having cultivated myself into an immortal, all I want to do is raise female disciples.

But at least for now, they are of one mind.

"Never mind, let's go."

Zhang Ruoxue smoothed out the wrinkles on her sailor uniform, then put on the arm armor on her hands. After confirming that everything was in order, she walked steadily toward the village.

Fan Luokui nodded slightly, choosing to follow behind Zhang Ruoxue, while simultaneously amplifying her vigilance and perception to the limit, ready to act immediately should any disturbance occur.

For Lao Yun, her knife was slow.

But to others, her knife was ridiculously fast.

……

woohoo-

As soon as you step into Jingyuan Village, a refreshing breeze greets you.

The earthy scent of the countryside, mingled with the aroma of food, wafted into Zhang Ruoxue's nostrils, and a nostalgic smile involuntarily rose on her face.

She hadn't smelled this scent for two years.

However, she remained highly vigilant, and had no time to enjoy the scent of the house until she figured out the source of the aroma.

Walking down the wide street, everyone turned their curious gazes toward the two of them. For most people here, Zhang Ruoxue was a celebrity, and with her eye-catching attire, it was no wonder that many people noticed her.

One of them was an old acquaintance.

"Little Xue'er? Is it Little Xue'er?"

Zhang Ruoxue abruptly stopped in her tracks. She turned around and saw an old woman with a hunched back, holding a brown cane, her face full of wrinkles and her features almost contorted into a knot.

She immediately recognized the person in front of her.

However, she could hardly believe her eyes.

"Grandma Lin?"

"Oh! My dear Xue'er!" The old woman, addressed as Grandma Lin, immediately beamed with joy, her narrowed, drooping eyes seemingly filled with tears. "It's good that you still remember Grandma Lin!"

Zhang Ruoxue quickly went over and carefully stroked the old woman's hand, which looked as if the skin and flesh had been torn apart, her eyes filled with sorrow.

"Grandma Lin, how could I not recognize you..."

"Hahaha..." Grandma Lin laughed, revealing a set of broken, yellow teeth. "I'm old, it's alright if you don't recognize me. You haven't been back for almost two years, have you? Grandma Lin has missed you quite a bit."

"Um……"

Zhang Ruoxue looked up at Grandma Lin's aged face, seemingly wanting to say something, but then held back.

Grandma Lin, oblivious to Zhang Ruoxue's fleeting sadness, laughed heartily, "Little Xue'er, it's been two years, and you're still so radiant! Cultivators are truly wonderful; like Grandma Lin, they can see every change clearly every year..."

Zhang Ruoxue seemed to be unable to bear it any longer, her voice choked with emotion, "Grandma Lin, please don't say anymore..."

"Ah, yes, yes!" Grandma Lin laughed heartily. "Let's not talk about this old woman's affairs. Little Xue'er, you've come back this time to see your parents and Xiao Han, right?"

"Hmm, do they still live in the same place?"

“They’re still living there. I’ve tried to persuade them several times, but they absolutely refuse to move. They say it’s so that you’ll feel at home when you come back.”

Zhang Ruoxue: "..."

Seeing that Zhang Ruoxue didn't speak, Grandma Lin was also stunned for a moment, and then a meaningful smile appeared on her lips.

With trembling hands, she reached out and patted Zhang Ruoxue's shoulder, calmly advising, "Alright, Xiaoxue, you go first. Grandma Lin is already very happy to see you once every two years, so go quickly."

“…Okay.” Zhang Ruoxue didn’t know what to say, so she slowly stood up and bowed to Grandma Lin.

Grandma Lin smiled and muttered something to herself as she walked unsteadily toward her little house.

Gazing at Grandma Lin's departing figure, Zhang Ruoxue sighed with a sense of loss.

Fan Luo Kui, who witnessed all of this from afar, also looked rather unpleasant.

"When I reached out to touch her just now, I used my divine sense to examine her body and found that Grandma Lin... is probably nearing the end of her life, probably only has about half a year left."

Zhang Ruoxue lowered her head, staring at her hands, her words filled with bitterness.

Fan Luokui didn't know how to comfort her, so she could only try to change the subject.

"Besides that, were there any other discoveries?"

“Yes.” Zhang Ruoxue shook her head, looked around at the familiar little village, and said, “Everything here is very ordinary. Everyone is basically the same as two years ago, the layout is familiar to me, the acquaintances are all familiar acquaintances, and their personalities are the same as before, but…”

"but?"

Fan Luokui was puzzled; she couldn't see anything different about the area.

Zhang Ruoxue watched as Grandma Lin slowly closed the door, revealing a smile to her. After the door was completely closed, Zhang Ruoxue took a deep breath.

At this moment, all that remained in her eyes was shock and panic.

"But everything is the same as it was two years ago."

Fan Luo Kui tilted her head. "...Is there something wrong with this?"

"Yes, exactly the same as two years ago."

Zhang Ruoxue's gaze was fixed on Grandma Lin's front door, her eyes filled with horror.

"I met Grandma Lin once two years ago. She was the same as she is now..."

"They all only have a lifespan of six months."

------

This chapter is so long it's giving me the creeps.

22. The eeriness escalates once again.

"Could it be that you remembered it wrong?"

Fan Luokui felt a chill creeping up her spine. Even though she had been through countless battles and witnessed many strange events, she had never seen such a bizarre phenomenon as time being reversed.

A person who only had six months to live two years ago still only has six months to live two years later?

how can that be!

Lifespan is not something that can be easily changed unless one encounters an extraordinary event or receives instruction from a master.

Lifespan is like the end of a living being. Everyone walks on this path. Some people will reach the end and die naturally, while others will die halfway through due to some external factors and turn into dust.

Without exception, lifespan can never exist independently of space and time!

Therefore, Fan Luokui subconsciously questioned Zhang Ruoxue.

However, Zhang Ruoxue did not believe that her memory was wrong at all. She turned her head and her horrified gaze wandered back and forth over the small house next to her.

"No, there can be no mistake... Grandma Lin's lifespan is not a trivial matter. I was heartbroken for a while after I discovered this fact two years ago, and my cultivation level even fell behind because of it. I remember this very clearly."

"Moreover... it's not just Grandma Lin, everything here is the same as it was two years ago."

Zhang Ruoxue pointed to the house on her left. The white-haired, aged man sitting in front of the house was comfortably reclining in a chair, basking in the sunlight.

He wore clothes covered in patches, and although he was poor, he was happy.

"Grandpa Xu, who lives next door to Grandma Lin, looks exactly the same as he did two years ago. The streets, the layout, and everyone here all look the same as they did two years ago."

Fan Luokui frowned. "All of them?"

"All."

Zhang Ruoxue was very certain of her memories this time. After all, these memories were different from the path she had taken. She knew very well what had happened to her loved ones two years ago. She had kept these memories hidden in her heart and would never forget them.

However, if all of this is true.

Fan Luokui didn't dare to think any further.

The nauseating stench that had vanished completely reappeared in Jingyuan Village two years ago. The combination of these two events created an almost inexhaustible sense of crisis.

Just as a seasoned soldier instinctively raises his shield when sensing danger, Fan Luokui's brain instantly alerted her body. She subconsciously lowered her center of gravity, planted her feet on the ground, and gripped the hilt of her knife tightly with her right hand, adopting a vigilant posture.

A cold, swift wind swirled around Fan Luokui, and her peculiar aura instantly made her the focus of attention for the surrounding villagers, with all their astonished gazes converging on her.

Seeing this, Zhang Ruoxue quickly reached out and grabbed Fan Luokui's wrist, "Luokui... don't be impulsive, at least for now these people haven't shown any hostility..."

……

Fan Luokui's wary gaze swept around the room. Indeed, just as Zhang Ruoxue had said, everyone present was only slightly surprised and puzzled by her display of spiritual energy, without any hostility.

It should be noted that Fan Luokui had been working in the trial team for many years, so her ability to sense killing intent and hostility was definitely not weak. If someone released hostility for a moment, even if it was fleeting, she would be able to detect it.

But now—

Nothing at all.

All around was quiet, with only gentle spring breezes caressing our faces.

This gentle, comforting breeze, however, prevented Fan Luokui from feeling any of the vibrant spring. Instead, she felt the chill brought on by the unknown changes, as if an unreachable yet palpable hand was constantly stroking her spine.

"Hoo..." She let out a long breath to calm her chaotic mind.

Slowly, Fan Luokui loosened her grip on the knife hilt, her expression still grim.

Looking at Fan Luokui, who had stopped drawing his sword, Zhang Ruoxue sighed. How could she not know the reason for Fan Luokui's wariness? In fact, even though she had absolute trust in Jingyuan Village, she was still somewhat wary of the small village now.

what happened?

Filled with questions, Zhang Ruoxue tightened the arm armor on her arm and looked into the distance.

"Anyway, let's go visit our parents first."

"Ah."

Fan Luokui had no objection to this.

After all, Jingyuan Village was the place where Zhang Ruoxue was born. She grew up under the care of these elders and peers when she was young and ignorant, and she has grown into the graceful young woman she is today. Even after being taken in by Lei Yuzong, she will never forget that innocent and beautiful time.

Moreover, she was an extremely filial daughter. She had secretly taken out the spiritual fruits that the sect had rewarded her with and fed them to her parents and younger brother, all to ensure that they would be healthy for the rest of their lives.

Before long, Zhang Ruoxue and Fan Luokui arrived at the place where Zhang Ruoxue's parents lived, greeted by various acquaintances.

These familiar faces, like Grandma Lin, are exactly the same as they were two years ago. Their appearance, their personalities, and everything else seem to have been frozen in time, as if time has no effect on this small village.

However, when Zhang Ruoxue actually returned to her hometown, she was truly shocked.

The wooden house in front of us looked a bit dilapidated, with a layer of brown skin peeling off the outside, probably because it had lost its original color under the wind and rain over the years.