Chapter 5106 — Back to West Star Mountain
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
Once out of the Shennongjia Mountains, Wei Zhao parted ways with Wu Chengtian and went straight to West Star Mountain Village. Standing at the village entrance and gazing at the little mountain hamlet he knew so well, he could not help but be overcome with emotion. In the blink of an eye more than three years had passed. He had changed a great deal; the whole cultivation world had changed a great deal. Yet West Star Mountain Village seemed to have changed not at all—still as tranquil as ever.
"Huh? Aren't you... what's-his-name?" A rustic-accented voice suddenly came from beside him.
Wei Zhao turned at the sound and found none other than the Widow Wang from the village general store, leaning on her window sill cracking sunflower seeds and looking him up and down. She thought for a long while before the name came to her: "Old Lin's little Yi, aren't you? Didn't you go off to the big city to work? Haven't been back in years, have you?"
"Auntie Wang, long time no see. How's the village been these past few years?" Wei Zhao greeted her with a smile.
"What's a little mountain village like ours supposed to be like? A hundred years from now it won't have changed a hair. But you, little Yi—you've changed a lot! Tsk tsk, that outfit you're wearing, all name brands, isn't it? Living in the big city really does make a difference. Not like us bumpkins here in the village!" Widow Wang praised him between cracks of sunflower seeds.
"Not at all. They're just cheap things," Wei Zhao said with an awkward laugh.
"Hey, don't go thinking Auntie Wang's never seen the world. I can tell a name brand at a glance." Widow Wang looked utterly certain, then asked, "You're back to see your grandpa, aren't you? Don't worry, he's fine. It's been a bit chaotic around the village lately, but your family doesn't keep chickens or ducks, so there's no loss to worry about."
"What's been going on in the village?" Wei Zhao was startled.
"Huh? You don't know?" Widow Wang was rather surprised. She had assumed Wei Zhao had rushed back after hearing something had happened in the village and wanted to look in on old Lin. She had not expected him to know nothing at all.
"No, I don't," Wei Zhao said blankly, shaking his head.
"Come, come, come—nothing better to do anyway, so let Auntie Wang fill you in properly." Widow Wang perked right up. Apart from watching television, her daily pleasure was chewing the fat with people to pass the time, but it was always the same few old faces, nothing interesting. Today she finally had a new listener. She lowered her voice conspiratorially: "You don't know this, but it's not just our West Star Mountain Village—the whole area around West Star Mountain isn't peaceful."
Wei Zhao had meant to go straight to see old man Wei, but since Widow Wang had stopped him, he might as well hear what this was all about. He walked over and said, "What do you mean, the village isn't peaceful?"
"Ghosts!" Widow Wang said, determined to startle him with a single word.
"Huh? Ghosts?" Wei Zhao was startled. West Star Mountain Village had always been peaceful—you would not see a single unfamiliar face there all year round. How could there suddenly be ghosts?
"Well..." Widow Wang thought it over and amended herself. "Actually, I can't be sure it's ghosts. Maybe it's monsters."
"..." Wei Zhao was left speechless. He knew at once that Auntie Wang had simply picked up some rumors and was having him on. First ghosts, now monsters—what next, a macaque-faced monk with a thunderbolt mouth? (To be continued.)