The Legend of Futian

Ye Futian followed Ling to where she lived, which was a simple small courtyard.

Out in the yard, an old man sat quietly on a chair, who seemed to be quite leisurely and at ease.

“Grandpa!” Ling called out while she was still a way off. The old man looked in their direction, assessing Ye Futian and those who were following behind Ling. Ye Futian saw the old man but did not detect any aura from him, only that he appeared ancient!

“We have guests.”

He slowly stood up from his seat, crouching slightly. He did not appear to be particularly mobile. Those eyes looked a little muddy as he looked in Ye Futian’s direction.

“Please sit, Grandfather,” Ye Futian stepped forward and said. There were many ordinary folks in the village, so this old man must be one as well. The old man looked around 80, but Ye Futian himself was not much younger in reality. Strictly speaking, it was not appropriate for him to address the man as “grandfather,” but this was his way of showing respect.

If it were based strictly on actual age, perhaps, it would be more appropriate to call him “older brother.”

But in the world of cultivation, age was the most unimportant factor, and no one cared much about it.

“I’m fine.” Seeing Ye Futian being courteous, the old man waved his hand. “Please come in and sit down.”

“Thank you, elder,” replied Ye Futian.

“Just call me ‘Old Ma,'” the old man said with a smile, leading Ye Futian and the others inside the house. Ye Futian would temporarily settle down here.

The place where Ye Futian settled down seemed quiet, which only juxtaposed the liveliness of the two parties that arrived before him. In addition, more people were entering the Four Corner Village after them every day.

Gradually, the Four Corner Village became quite high-spirited. After Ye Futian got acquainted with Old Ma and Little Ling, he decided to walk around the village to orient himself with its layout.

Old Ma asked Little Ling to give Ye Futian a tour of the village. As they walked on the bluestone streets inside Four Corner Village, he could see that even though the village was more lively than usual, it was still far from the prosperity most major cities had to offer.

However, although the Four Corner Village did not have majestic landscapes, its general disposition was one of exquisite elegance. A clear river sat along the cobblestoned streets, while small boats would occasionally sail on the river. Sometimes an acquaintance or two would stop and greet Little Ling, which was always met with an enthusiastic response from her.

When they walked onto a bridge, a chubby middle-aged man came from the opposite direction and said, “Little Ling.”

“Uncle Zhong,” Little Ling responded. With a smile on his face, the man glanced at Ye Futian and the others next to Little Ling and asked, “Guests?”

“Well, this is Uncle Ye,” Little Ling nodded.

“From where?” the man inquired further.

“From very far away. Uncle Ye said it was the Donghua Domain.” Little Ling didn’t actually know where that was; she didn’t have a clear idea about many things.

The chubby man gave an assessing look at Ye Futian and the others and continued, “Look good, but maybe not so useful. Did Old Ma pick?”

“Grandpa asked me to go and see. That’s how I met Uncle Ye and the others,” replied Little Ling.

“Old Ma is way too careless,” the chubby man said with some disbelief. “Each house has only one quota, and you guys gave it away so easily.”

He shook his head as he walked on by. When he passed Ye Futian, he was still mumbling, “After all, they just don’t know what’s good for them. Too bad now that Fang family has got their boy and the cooperation of the Lu family; they will probably have the best chance. Although you don’t understand, there was a chance to choose someone known in our Shangqing Domain. No need to waste it on these people.”

He was not afraid to anger Ye Futian and the others. In this Four Corner Village, outsiders were absolutely forbidden to do anything violent. No one had dared to break this rule in all these years; it was an order from Donghuang the Great himself.

Furthermore, he believed that even if someone dared to violate the rule and did something in this village, the violators would not be able to get out of the village alive, even without Donghuang the Great lifting his little finger.

“Uncle Ye, don’t mind him.” After the chubby man left, Little Ling raised her head, her clear eyes filled with innocence.

“I won’t.” Ye Futian smiled and put a hand on Little Ling’s shoulder, saying, “Let’s continue our walk.”

“Good.” Little Ling nodded with a smile as she forged forward.

This village was not that big, nor was it small. Ye Futian and the others walked for quite a while before they came to a grand mansion. Someone shouted, “Ling.”

Little Ling turned around and saw that the person calling her was a teenager dressed neatly, which, in this village, was considered a luxury. He had a smile on his face and possessed an extraordinary temperament. There was even a faint wisp of aura coming out of him, indicating that he was a cultivator.

What’s more surprising was that at such a tender age, his cultivation was considerable.

Ye Futian understood that those in the Four Corner Village were either unable to cultivate, or if they could, they would be someone with extraordinary talent. This young man was clearly someone gifted in cultivation.

“Brother Fang Cun!” Little Ling called out. Her voice was a little tentative. She seemed a little self-conscious in front of the boy.

The boy was named Fang Cun, and his eyes showed some contempt. He glanced at Ye Futian and the others and said, “Little Ling, come over here for a second.”

Little Ling bowed her head as she walked next to his side, and she heard Fang Cun say to her, “There are so many people who have entered the village recently, and you guys are too careless in picking them up. Was this your grandfather’s idea?”

Little Ling still hung her head as Fang Cun pulled her around and walked inside the house. Upon entering the house, Little Ling felt a faint sense of coercion and saw a middle-aged man stood quietly in front, looking at them.

There were quite a few people behind the middle-aged man, and next to him, there was an extraordinary young man.

“Grandpa Fang.” Little Ling said. The Fang family was different from theirs. The Fang family was well known in the Four Corner Village because they had produced some powerful characters. Now their descendant, Fang Cun, was also extremely talented. He was studying at the private study with the teacher; he was a favorite.

Moreover, Little Ling had heard from the villagers that Fang Cun’s father was now mighty in the outside world. But as for the specifics, it was not something that she could have known.

The Fang family could pick anyone who entered the village, and no one would refuse their invitation.

“Mmm.” The middle-aged man nodded slightly and looked at Little Ling, saying, “Little Ling, did your grandfather invite those people?”

“I guess so. Grandpa heard that someone came to the village, so he asked me to check it out, and if there was an opportunity, to invite these people to our house,” Little Ling replied.

The middle-aged man nodded slightly and said, “Very well, you may go.”

“Sure thing, Grandpa Fang.” After Little Ling left, Fang Cun looked at her, walking away as he asked the middle-aged man, “Grandpa, why do you ask Little Ling these things?”

The middle-aged man did not respond. He looked at the young man next to him and heard the young man whisper, “I heard that this man came a long way from the Donghua Domain. He may have come to Four Corner Village to try his luck. I heard that because he had entered the village at the same time as the ones named ‘Lu’ and ‘An,’ so he was kind of overlooked.”

“Yes, because of the people in front, they were completely passed over,” the middle-aged man next to him nodded.

This surprised the young man, and he asked, “What do you mean?”

The neglect they referred to seemed to be somewhat different in meaning.

“Do you know the rules of the passage way?” the middle-aged man asked.

“Yes, those without great luck may not enter,” the young man responded.

The middle-aged man nodded. “I have observed these so-called people of great luck over the years. Generally speaking, cultivators with a perfect Great Path may enter the passageway, while those who do not will find it difficult to get in, having a very slim chance of doing so.”

When the young man heard his words, he was contemplating as his eyes showed some disturbance, as if he had thought of something.

“How many people in the group outside possessed the perfect Great Path?” The middle-aged man continued, “If all of them were, then it would be kind of alarming. There are so many cultivators with perfect Great Path. It would be difficult for the top forces of the Shangqing Domain to exert their powers.”

“That’s not possible,” the young man murmured.

“If not, then it’s even more concerning,” said the middle-aged man, his eyes narrowed slightly. The young man looked at him and heard the middle-aged man continued, “Someone with enough luck can shelter the others to enter into the village without being felt by the others. If one man took them into the village, that meant that one man’s luck was extremely strong. It’s not clear yet who caused the phenomenon of the blooming red maples.”

The young man next to him suddenly looked very solemn. Before, everyone believed that it was caused by one of two men, or more precisely, that young man named Lu. After all, he had a greater reputation in the outside world; his talent was said to be extraordinary.

But listening to what the middle-aged man said, it might be possible that it was not because of that person or even An Ruosu, but another previously unknown person.

“Old Ma isn’t old at all.” The middle-aged man squinted his eyes. Was this all a coincidence?