Chapter 6: Awakening

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“Knock, knock!!”
The cane struck the ground with a heavy thud, briefly silencing the ancestral hall.
Uncle San He, seeing the quiet, finally turned to look at Ye Lu and the two others who had remained silent all along, especially Ye Lu, who maintained a calm expression.
“Lu, what do you think?” Perhaps because Ye Lu’s previous suggestion was reasonable and aligned with the villagers’ hopes, Uncle San He sought his opinion this time.
This was exactly what Ye Lu wanted. His revealing of the gift of the Trickster was meant to secure some influence in the village. Being asked, he remained composed and calm.
“If it were up to me, I’d choose the Forbidden Stone Ridge!”
“Oh?” Uncle San He showed no surprise at Ye Lu’s words. On the contrary, his expression was calm as he patiently waited for Ye Lu to elaborate.
“Although I don’t know the full details about the strange plants, I do know that their growth depends mainly on strange flesh and blood; the fertility of the land is secondary. So, the eerie nature of Forbidden Stone Ridge isn’t our greatest concern.” Ye Lu had been observing the villagers closely for three days.
He noticed a detail.
Perhaps due to consuming white millet for years, the villagers of He Village were very strong. Large jars that two adults could barely carry could be lifted easily by a child of seven or eight. Also, the two sorcerers mentioned that although the eerie presence was serious, it wasn’t a critical problem for them. Clearly, the villagers were not as terrified of the strange phenomena as others might be.
“Another advantage of Forbidden Stone Ridge is that it’s sparsely populated.”
“Fewer people means more land, more fertile land, and more good land for our village to divide.” Ye Lu pointed out what many villagers cared about most.
Some villagers began to visibly relax upon hearing this.
He Lan also listened quietly. Their village had long consumed eerie food, so the children’s gifts were sufficient. They didn’t panic at the strange forces the way ordinary villages might. In her heart, He Lan agreed with Ye Lu, though she showed no outward sign.
“The Ten-Thousand Mountains would be great, with many strange plants and beasts, but it’s too far. We’re unfamiliar with the dangers there; casualties would only rise. If all the able-bodied men go there, what happens to those left behind?”
In plain words, Ye Lu was not optimistic about the Beast King’s Court or the Ten-Thousand Mountains. The distance was great, and many would suffer from the harsh environment. This was an escape, not a well-prepared expedition; deaths would only increase.
Having said what he wanted, Ye Lu fell silent.
The ancestral hall sank into stillness.
“Then we’ll follow Lu’s suggestion.” An elder sitting at the front spoke.
Soon, someone in the crowd chimed in, “Since we have to face these strange things anyway, better to choose a place we’re confident about. The legend of Forbidden Stone Ridge has been around for who knows how long, and no one has gone there yet. We should go early and claim a spot.”
“Yes, yes!”
“Village Chief Qian, don’t you agree?” A burly woman nodded and asked for Qian Bachun’s opinion halfway through.
“...” Qian Bachun was momentarily stunned, then hesitated, “It’s true, but...” Ye Lu’s words had swayed him. The legend of Forbidden Stone Ridge was indeed useless. Now there was a vast expanse of empty wasteland there; they could surely claim a good place.
What did empty land mean?
Besides fields, there would be wild strange beasts and plants. What if they could tame some? Thinking of this, Qian Bachun swallowed nervously.
“Going there’s fine!”
“Then let’s go!” Uncle San He made the decision on the spot. This time, their escape would indeed be to Forbidden Stone Ridge.

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Ye Lu was taken aback by how quickly the village elders made their decision. They were known for their straightforwardness, but this was too much. Didn’t they fear he might be leading them into a trap? Ye Lu instinctively glanced at the ghost scholar beside him, who wore an equally indescribable expression.
The atmosphere in the ancestral hall suddenly grew noisy again, but Uncle San He remained silent.
“Knock, knock!!”
The cane struck the floor again, the heavy sound echoing throughout the hall!
Instantly, silence fell over the entire ancestral hall.
Uncle San He fixed his gaze on Ye Lu and the two others. Ye Lu felt confused under his look. There seemed to be something else in Uncle San He’s eyes. The ghost scholar and the Trickster also sensed the unusual gaze, especially when He Lan and Qian Bachun looked over.
All three fell silent simultaneously.
“Since we’re leaving, we won’t hold off any longer. Before moving the green millet, let’s awaken the children of the village one more time.”
“Lu grew up in Little Ye Village. He missed the last awakening, and then the next, so he’s missed it twice. The other two children—” Uncle San He paused, then said, “They’re all from our village, so we’ll follow our village’s rules.”
“Bachun.”
“Tonight, they awaken.”
“Tomorrow during the day, we move the village!” Once Uncle San He made the decision, everything moved fast, as if rushed.
Awakening — a word they had never heard before.
But since arriving in this world, Ye Lu and the others had indeed felt weaker. Their spiritual energy seemed suppressed by layers of something. Even eating white millet didn’t help. Could this be the awakening Uncle San He spoke of?
Ye Lu remained expressionless on the surface.
Inside, he was very curious.
Qian Bachun seemed prepared. When Uncle San He spoke, he calmly agreed and even nodded at Ye Lu and the others before turning to leave.
The villagers wore varied expressions, mostly surprise at the elders’ decision. But they accepted it quickly; the elders had their reasons. Soon, everyone quieted and left the hall, eager to return home to pack.
Only Ye Lu, the two others, and a few elders remained in the ancestral hall.
Ye Lu looked around the empty hall, glanced up at the beams, and was about to say something when Uncle Qi He waved him off. He came forward, patted Ye Lu’s shoulder, and whispered, “Don’t worry, it’s not bad. We’ll talk more at night.”
“There will be someone to explain everything. You should rest here in the hall for a while, regain your strength. When you wake, you can join the awakening ceremony.” Uncle Qi spoke softly, offering no details but trying to calm the three. When saying the last sentence, he gestured with his eyes for Ye Lu to sleep near the black door.
It was clearly a good spot specially prepared by Uncle Qi for his nephew.
As he spoke, Uncle Qi glanced back at Uncle San He.
Uncle San He closed his eyes, as if seeing nothing.
Ye Lu understood immediately and led his two hapless brothers to the black door. As they approached, he sensed a difference — a vibrant strange force emanated from behind the door, oppressive, like a crushing weight pressing down.
Indeed, Ye Lu’s keen eyes caught it. Prolonged exposure to such vibrant energy would awaken the strange force considerably. No wonder Uncle Qi worried so much for his nephews.

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The three quickly closed their eyes and soon drifted into sleep.
When they awoke, night had fallen.
Uncle Qi waited at the door. Uncle San He had already left the ancestral hall. Seeing them awake, Uncle Qi stopped and said,
“You’re awake, just in time for the ceremony.”
“Hurry and follow me. Sigh, it’s your father’s doing. Little Ye Village is an ordinary place. You ate less eerie food growing up, so I’m not sure if sleeping here in the hall helped. We can only hope the strange power of the green millet helps your awakening.” Uncle Qi led the way, his tone laced with mild resentment toward Ye Lu’s father, speaking softly as if their nephew had been held back by his own dad.
Ye Lu: “...” Well, although he suspected it, now it was confirmed—his father was truly a poor boy who married a rich girl. Probably his gift was quite good, which is why his mother favored him.
Though night had fallen, the temperature remained high.
There was almost no wind. The heat clung to their skin, making it all the more oppressive.
A group followed Uncle Qi toward the village clearing. From afar, they saw flickering flames. But what caught the most attention wasn’t the villagers’ torches, but the tall plant at the center, surrounded by everyone, glowing with a jade-like sheen.
A faint eerie force mingled with thick vitality.
Ye Lu instinctively inhaled deeply; the strong vitality seemed to pour into him. His eyes brightened. This strange plant was more dominant than any spirit plant he had seen before.
Very powerful, truly powerful.
Even at the Yellow Fierce level, it far exceeded imagination. Ye Lu couldn’t imagine what the higher levels—the Azure Phantom, Blood Vengeance, or even Black Eerie—might be like.
As they approached, Ye Lu noticed a small round bronze mirror beside the green millet plant. Its surface was deep and unclear, surrounded by intricate patterns resembling human figures with outstretched hands fervently praying. Two sorcerers gathered near the mirror, smiling as they watched the children in the village center.
Besides Ye Lu and the two others, four children were present—one girl and three boys, all around the same age, each nervously watching the sorcerers. Ye Lu and his companions had arrived last, so they stood at the back.
“All right, everyone’s here. Let’s begin!” The sorcerer first looked around, nodded upon seeing Ye Lu and the others, then spoke.
The stone sorcerer stood by the bronze mirror, while the green millet sorcerer stood beside the plant. Gently extending his hand, he channeled eerie power. Green energy flowed from the plant’s branches onto the mirror’s surface, which instantly became much clearer.
Qian Bachun called out loudly, “Shi Ermi! Hurry up!”
The boy called stepped forward quickly. Qian Bachun motioned him to stand before the mirror. The stone sorcerer examined the mirror carefully, frowning slightly.
After a moment, he shook his head and said, “The gift hasn’t awakened yet. Wait for the next time.”
“Eat more eerie food at home!” The stone sorcerer said kindly. “You’re still young and have many chances. No need to rush!” This was true; among all present, this boy was the youngest, barely seven or eight.
The boy’s face turned pale, clearly disappointed. He knew he couldn’t cry now, so only his eyes reddened as he obediently returned to his parents.
“Liu Xiaocao!” Qian Bachun called out before comforting Shi Ermi, summoning the next child.
The next was a slender girl who obediently stood before the bronze mirror. This time, the mirror finally responded.