After preparing everything, Chen Jinshu and her companions accepted a mission from the sect, then set out in the direction of Qingquan Village, the location where Hua Jingyi's grandfather had once sensed their master's tribulation.
Qingquan Village was quite far from the Xuanming Sect. The journey required flying continuously southward.
The southern regions were dense with forests, where the presence of cultivators and trade towns gradually thinned out.
Fortunately, they had already mapped out the route in advance. There would be three marketplaces along the way. All of them were small, but they could serve as temporary rest stops. The total distance from the Xuanming Sect to Qingquan Village was more than 8,000 li. Even after passing the last marketplace, they would still have over 500 li to travel.
Before setting out, Chen Jinshu and the others had already changed into plain clothing, blending in as ordinary villagers.
Chen Jinshu, in particular, looked exactly like a rural woman. Yet her bearing and spirit were far more striking, making her stand out even among peasants.
Five days passed in a flash.
At last, the group encountered a band of refugees. The group, heading in the same general direction as Qingquan Village, numbered about fifty or sixty people. Whether there was one more or one less didn't seem to matter.
"Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, we'll part ways here," Hua Jingyi said as he glanced at the group of refugees nearby. "From now on, we'll disguise ourselves as part of this refugee group and stay with them until we reach Qingquan Village."
The two senior brothers nodded, though a bit reluctantly. They couldn't take part in the operation, nor could they violate the sect's rules.
"Your cultivations will be sealed from this point on. You'll become mortals, completely without spiritual power. Are you ready for that?" Zheng Shaosi asked, glancing at the group.
Chen Jinshu had already prepared everything she would need to blend in. She looked no different from the other refugees ahead.
A small blue bird rested quietly on her shoulder.
This was Xiao Yin. Its cultivation had also been sealed, and for now it could only remain in this diminutive form. Even so, its claws were far more dangerous than any ordinary bird's. Even a hawk wouldn't be able to harm it.
Chen Jinshu planned to use Xiao Yin to deliver messages to the two senior brothers.
"This is a bird I raised. It flies quite fast, so it can make a round trip from Qingquan Village in a day. If anything happens, we'll send word."
As she spoke, she tightened the large pack on her back.
"Trust Junior Sister to think ahead," someone commented.
Their eyes lit up as they looked at the little sparrow. None of them had thought to use a spirit bird for communication. Seeing that everyone was ready, Zheng Shaosi raised his hand and cast the sealing technique on the six of them.
"This seal will last for one year. If all goes smoothly, we'll seal your cultivations again after that period." He had hesitated to set the seal for too long in case anything went wrong, so this gave them an option to reassess.
"Thank you, Senior Brother," they said in unison.
Chen Jinshu's face now appeared sunken and sallow, a stark contrast to her once plump and lively expression.
"Junior Sister, you really do look like a refugee now," Dai Yuzhu chuckled.
"You're no better than me, Senior Sister."
"You've all gotten thin and tanned. You look awful!" Bu Yuanxiang laughed.
"It's just a short-term appearance-altering pill. After three months, we'll go back to looking like normal mortals," Chen Jinshu explained.
"Enough chatting. It's getting late. You need to reach Clear Spring Village as soon as possible."
The group nodded and headed down the mountainside, emerging from the forest underbrush. Chen Jinshu carried a large bundle on her back and a basket filled with food and water in one hand.
She walked slowly in the direction of Qingquan Village.
They had agreed to act as strangers during their time in the village, blending in separately. Each of them would live there as new residents until their master's tribulation was complete. Afterward, they would erase the villagers' memories and return to the sect.
Perhaps because they were cultivators, even though their powers had been sealed, Chen Jinshu didn't feel tired after walking more than a hundred li. From time to time, she would nibble on some dried rations from the basket and drink some water.
The water came from a cold spring stored in a specialized container. It held thousands of catties of water and was more than enough to last. Even without spiritual power, the container could still function, as it was designed not to require cultivation to use.
So long as she didn't draw upon spiritual energy, it wouldn't count as breaking the rules. The group split up and moved in staggered paths, so they soon found themselves walking separately from the other refugees.
As they continued, the official roads built by mortal kingdoms faded away, replaced by dirt tracks covered in loose stones and overgrown with weeds.
Without Xiao Yin flying overhead to guide them, they might have gone the wrong way. It was becoming painfully clear just how powerless they were without their cultivation.
Eventually, after rejoining with the other refugees, they finally arrived at Qingquan Village. At the village entrance stood a large stone, upon which were carved the rough, weathered characters: "Qingquan Village."
A crowd of villagers had gathered near the entrance, whispering among themselves as they watched the newcomers.
One bolder villager stepped forward. "What are you people doing here?"
"Granny, we're fleeing from disaster," Chen Jinshu replied with a tearful face. "We've walked over a thousand li to get here. Please, will you take us in? We can work. We won't cause you trouble."
She forced out a few tears as she spoke.
Now she looked just like an ordinary girl who had recently come of age, face gaunt and expression lifeless. The old woman hesitated, then looked toward a white-bearded elder surrounded by the crowd.
"What do you all think? Since they've come all this way, maybe it's fate. Why not let them stay?" the village chief asked.
"Where are they supposed to live? What are they supposed to eat?"
"We can't just let anyone walk in here like it's nothing. This isn't some charity!"
A few villagers voiced their objections at once.
"You heard them," someone said. "You'll have to handle food and shelter on your own. If you can't manage that, you'll have to leave."
"Don't worry, Village Chief," Hua Jingyi replied quickly. "We've got hands and feet. We'll build our own houses. If anyone from the village helps, we'll pay them. We won't let you work for free."
The village chief considered his words, then gave a nod. "Very well. Come in."
In total, about a dozen refugees had arrived with Chen Jinshu's group, including five or six elderly folks, women, and children who had somehow joined them along the way. Perhaps they had nowhere else to go and decided to follow.
"There's a clearing near the edge of the village. That's the only open land available. But be warned, there are often snakes and lizards in that area. You'll have to be careful."
"And another thing. If there are any disputes over the pay for house-building, you're out. We won't tolerate conflict."
"Thank you, Village Chief. We understand."
As they followed the chief toward the edge of the village, a ruckus broke out nearby.
"You lazy brat. I feed you, and you can't even do a bit of work?"
"I told you we should've sold her and used the money for wine. Why are we still keeping her?"
The shouting and cursing came from a woman berating a young girl.
The girl had a delicate face beneath the grime and dust. Her posture was timid, her patched clothes old and yellowed. She scrubbed dishes with hands covered in calluses while her mother scolded and threatened her.
Still, the moment Chen Jinshu laid eyes on her, she recognized her immediately.
This girl was Shui Huanmeng—her master who would one day face the tribulation.