"Since that's the case, let me introduce myself first. My name is Zhang Nu. You can just call me by my name. What about you?" Zhang Nu asked, even though he already knew Liu Hai's name. It was out of politeness and courtesy to formally inquire. After all, while Zhang Nu had access to certain information, that didn't mean everyone else did.
Upon hearing Zhang Nu's words, Liu Hai cupped his fists in greeting and responded, "I'm Liu Hai. Feel free to call me by my name as well."
With that, their alliance was solidified, laying the groundwork for what would later become a powerful six-man team.
As they walked together, Liu Hai couldn't help but notice how conspicuous Zhang Nu appeared. "Zhang Nu, it might be better if I take you back to my place to change into something more suitable for the village. The people here are suspicious of outsiders."
Zhang Nu nodded in agreement, having already noticed the villagers' wariness earlier. He was curious about what was truly going on in this place.
"You're right," Zhang Nu said. "There's something strange about this village. It's odd for such a remote place to be so hostile towards strangers. There must be some hidden secret here."
After hearing Zhang Nu's words, Liu Hai nodded. Before long, Zhang Nu had changed into clothes that matched Liu Hai's, blending in with the villagers. Zhang Nu stayed close to Liu Hai, posing as one of his new subordinates. Liu Hai guided him through the village, helping him familiarize himself with the layout.
Zhang Nu quickly noticed that Liu Hai had a way with people. Nearly everyone in the village greeted Liu Hai with a smile and seemed genuinely warm toward him. This eased Zhang Nu's mind---he wouldn't need to worry about handling social relations in the village, as Liu Hai seemed more than capable of managing that aspect.
After they finished their walk through the village, Zhang Nu gave Liu Hai a teasing look. "I didn't expect your standing in the village to be so good. Seems like you're doing quite well here. No one even suspects that you're an outsider."
Liu Hai responded with a smirk, laced with a hint of irony. The villagers hadn't noticed he was from the outside, most likely because of how well he had hidden himself.
"That's just something you need to have when you're out in the world. Better to have more friends than enemies."
Zhang Nu agreed. He realized that in unfamiliar places, having allies was crucial. Liu Hai's ability to blend in and make connections was a valuable asset.
Suddenly, Zhang Nu's expression turned serious as he looked at Liu Hai. He had a hunch that Liu Hai could lead him to the village chief's house, where something important was surely hidden. After all, the system had given him a clear hint about that place.
"Do you know where the village chief's house is? Since this village seems so strange, why don't we start by investigating the chief?"
Liu Hai nodded, finding Zhang Nu's suggestion reasonable. However, despite spending a long time in the village, Liu Hai had never actually seen the chief in person. The chief always stayed inside his house, never once showing himself.
"The chief has always remained in his house, issuing orders. No one has ever seen him. He mostly commands us to avoid outsiders or to search for useful items. The villagers practically worship him, thinking he's some kind of deity sent to protect them."
Zhang Nu frowned at this. The whole situation felt off. It didn't seem possible that an ordinary person could issue such specific orders or know so much.
"Don't you think there's something suspicious about the chief? How could an ordinary human know exactly what needs to be done? It seems like too much of a coincidence."
Liu Hai nodded again in agreement. However, he didn't know exactly what was wrong. The last order the chief had given was to forbid outsiders from entering the village.
"I'm not entirely sure either. The village only became so hostile to outsiders because of the chief's command. We don't really know why, but we follow his instructions without question. We push strangers away, and if they don't leave willingly, we force them out."
Zhang Nu nodded thoughtfully. He realized how lucky he was to have met Liu Hai and formed an alliance. Without him, Zhang Nu would likely have been another outsider driven away from the village. Now, the top priority was to figure out the truth about the mysterious village chief."Why would the village chief suddenly seal off the village for no apparent reason?" Zhang Nu pondered aloud.
"We should definitely check out the chief's house," he continued. "Even though the chief never shows himself, there might be some clues around his residence."
Liu Hai nodded. He had wanted to investigate the chief's house for a while, but had always been hindered by the village's security measures. Every time he got close, an alarm would be triggered, and the villagers would come to stop him.
"If your cultivation isn't strong enough and you approach the chief's house, you'll definitely run into trouble," Liu Hai explained. "I've tried to get near the house before, but each time, the villagers turned me away before I could get close. Luckily for me, they see me as one of their own. If I were an outsider, I'd probably be dead by now."
Zhang Nu grew more intrigued by the situation. "How could someone sense that you're approaching from so far away? This chief clearly isn't just a regular person. Could he be a YaoGuai or some other kind of spirit?"
Liu Hai nodded in agreement. He had similar suspicions but couldn't confirm anything without getting closer.
"Whatever the case, it's clear that this chief is no ordinary man," Zhang Nu concluded. "To have this much influence over the villagers and such heightened awareness of his surroundings---he must be something other than human."
"I've thought the same thing," Liu Hai admitted. "But we won't know for sure until we get closer."
Zhang Nu wasn't entirely sure if his current cultivation level would allow him to approach the chief's house safely. However, his Supreme Sacred Body made him far stronger than most, and his rate of advancement was unusually fast. If even he couldn't get close, it was unlikely anyone else could.
"Let's give it a try," Zhang Nu suggested. "Even if I'm not at my peak yet, we won't know unless we make the attempt."
After hearing Zhang Nu's words, Liu Hai nodded in agreement, realizing it was best to let Zhang Nu investigate. He understood that Zhang Nu wouldn't be satisfied until he had tried for himself. There was also no doubt that something important was hidden at the village chief's house---otherwise, outsiders wouldn't be kept away so strictly.
Liu Hai quickly led Zhang Nu to the vicinity of the chief's residence. This small village seemed to be full of secrets, and the chief's house was located on the far outskirts, almost as if he was guarding the village boundary.
Zhang Nu found it strange---why would the village chief live so far from the village center? Typically, a leader's home would be in the middle or close to it. But this village chief did the opposite, settling in the most remote part. Clearly, there was something the chief was either hiding or protecting.
When they were about a kilometer away from the chief's house, Liu Hai stopped. "If you keep going straight, you'll reach the chief's place," he said. "I can't go any further. If we get any closer, we'll be noticed."
Zhang Nu nodded, understanding that Liu Hai's cultivation level wasn't high enough to proceed. Since Liu Hai couldn't go on, Zhang Nu would have to continue alone.
"Alright, leave the rest to me," Zhang Nu assured him. "I'll investigate the chief's place and gather what I can."
Liu Hai nodded in agreement, and at that moment, the two of them felt like old companions. They trusted each other implicitly, as if they could leave their backs exposed to one another without worry, although the two of them had just met.
Zhang Nu calmed himself and began to regulate his internal energy, adjusting his breathing and footsteps until they were nearly silent, like a cat walking stealthily. Liu Hai, watching Zhang Nu in action, was genuinely impressed. He couldn't help but envy Zhang Nu's high level of cultivation. He wondered how he could ever hope to match Zhang Nu's abilities, feeling that if he could reach that level, he would be incredibly happy.
One day, Liu Hai believed, his cultivation would reach the same heights as Zhang Nu's. He was determined to grow stronger and make it to the end of this challenge.
Meanwhile, Zhang Nu continued to slowly approach the village chief's house. As he drew nearer, he noticed something strange---there wasn't a single villager nearby. Yet, Liu Hai had warned him that as soon as he entered this area, villagers would show up to block him.
This inconsistency puzzled Zhang Nu. The area was completely deserted, with no sign of any villagers. So how could they suddenly appear to stop him? Was Liu Hai lying, or was there indeed some hidden secret here that explained everything?