Chapter 531: Changes in Baihe Village

Chapter 531: Chapter 531: Changes in Baihe Village

...

"Good morning, Old Ma!"

Nowadays, the first thing Wang Ji does every morning upon leaving his house is taking Meng Gu to worship at Lord Taboo’s Holy Hall, both to express loyalty and pray for the child yet to return.

"Morning." Ma Dashu stands at the door, glancing inside, "There are still two people inside, please wait a moment."

"Alright, no problem." Wang Ji waves his hand.

It’s not just him; most villagers make a trip to the Holy Hall when they find the time, just at slightly different times.

Initially, everyone gathered in the morning, and when there were many people, they surrounded the Ma Family completely. Later, it was Ma Shun who conveyed Lord Taboo’s opinion—he didn’t support this behavior, saying it was a pure waste of time, which led the villagers to restrain themselves.

But that lord never said worship was forbidden.

After all, what deity doesn’t enjoy offerings?

So people still come.

They just consider Lord Taboo’s feelings and come when there are fewer people.

"How’s that Eight Trigrams Palm training going recently?" Wang Ji casually asks.

"Ah, it’s a bit complicated." Ma Dashu can’t help but sigh when this is mentioned, "Why should we study arithmetic and astronomy just for martial arts training?"

"Your daughter is the one teaching it, why not ask her more for advice?" Meng Gu laughs.

"Impossible, as a father, I have my pride." He snorts at the idea.

"If you can’t learn it, we might be outshone by the outside groups." Wang Ji lowers his voice to remind him.

"This..." Ma Dashu’s expression immediately becomes serious. The outside groups refer to those loose cultivators coming with the news. Recently, more and more cultivators are visiting the village. "Alright then, I’ll just swallow my pride and ask Lady Qiu for some lessons tonight."

During the conversation, the people inside finished their worship and came out.

After exchanging greetings, Ma Dashu steps aside, "You may go in now."

The Wang couple enters the Ma Family’s house, removing their shoes outside the Holy Hall, stepping barefoot into Lord Taboo’s domain. A soft sensation comes from beneath their feet, like stepping on a thick hide, but upon closer inspection, it reveals sections resembling intestines.

This also sets the room’s theme—though small in size, it’s immensely mysterious, originally just a simple guest room, but after being used by Lord Taboo, it gained a drastically different significance.

At the center of the room sits a bronze incense burner, the only item not made of flesh here—it was custom-made in Yongtang City by the villagers, a gift to the Lord of Flesh and Blood.

Wang Ji picks up an incense stick from the table beside, lights it, and respectfully places it into the bronze burner.

Lord Taboo has been in Baihe Village for half a year now.

Who could have imagined that the village would undergo such significant changes in just half a year?

Charcoal burning is still an occupation here, but far from the only one. People still burn and sell charcoal mostly to maintain secrecy for Lord Taboo, fearing the outside world would notice the changes too quickly and cause unnecessary trouble.

They’ve learned medicine-making, alchemy, and even talisman drawing, which earns far better than selling charcoal. Every ten days or so, Li Mo takes their cultivation results beyond the mountain to exchange for money... According to him, there are many loose cultivator spots to the north where people don’t question the source as long as you have goods.

Of course, it’s not just Li Mo going; he brings a team of about ten people with him as well. With so many cultivators gathered, no one dares to rob them.

Wang Ji has never gone because his cultivation talent is quite average, middling in the village.

But that doesn’t prevent him from enjoying the benefits of cultivation.

Having money means buying good things from neighboring villages or nearby towns, at least not having to worry about going hungry or lacking warm clothes in winter.

Strangely, when he had no money, he always thought about earning more, but now that he can, he’s less concerned with it.

Not just him, other neighbors have similar changes.

Perhaps... in the face of immortal destiny, money truly seems trivial.

He used to get exhausted climbing mountains or bedridden for days after falling. Now, he can run around Earth Slope Mountain ten times without stopping, full of youthful vigor, even his nights feel lively and energized, the joy of rejuvenation beyond words.

All thanks to Lord Taboo.

Undoubtedly, Lord Xuan is the gospel for all flesh creations.

If their child could return safely, his life would be complete.

With incense lit and heads bowed, the worship ends.

Wang Ji steps out, just in time to see Ma Qiuniang preparing to go gather herbs. "Lady Qiu, no classes today?"

"No, everyone’s pretty much learned the basics of reading. For now, focus on cultivation with Master Li." She nods in reply, "I’ve consulted with Lord Taboo, and he’s agreed to it."

Ma Family’s little girl isn’t ordinary either! Wang Ji thought. After spending ten days in the city, she came back able to teach them reading and writing—why hadn’t he realized her brilliance before? Furthermore, now that Lord Xuan rarely appears, she managed to consult with him, which left Wang Ji quite envious.

Watching Ma Qiuniang leave, he also plans a trip to Earth Slope Mountain. Previously, he only knew about cutting trees, unaware of the many treasures in the mountains... Basic herbs for alchemy, catching deer or wild boars for a feast, and encountering a small demon could reward a spell from Lord Xuan.

Additionally, cultivating on the mountain top or by the creek makes Spiritual Qi flow more smoothly; according to Li Mo, such places are called feng shui auspicious sites. A step further, Grotto Heaven’s incredibly abundant Spiritual Qi can even accelerate cultivation.

Lord Xuan’s long absence from the village probably indicates he’s looking for a suitable Grotto Heaven to reside in?

"Let’s go," Wang Ji says to his wife. "Today, we’ll spend it in the mountains."

...

Chen Xuan is indeed crafting his Grotto Heaven.

Unexpectedly, this Grotto Heaven isn’t elsewhere; it’s located roughly 500 meters beneath Baihe Village.

Initially, he submerged his body underground to avoid appearing too bloated, and the flesh coursed along soil and rock crevices, forming a complex web much like the mycelium under a fungal forest.

But to Chen Xuan’s surprise, the flesh did not accept his "fragmented self."

They formed connective tissue like coating a stone, either gradually decomposing it or discarding it in spacious areas... Eventually, the web fused into one entity, its interior an empty cavity of flesh—soft and dense with chitinous shell protecting it from moisture and cold.

This process was entirely automatic, and within six months, its size approached a composite sports venue, with a vertical height over fifty meters, horizontal length near a thousand—building houses inside to accommodate Baihe Village’s entire population wouldn’t be a problem.

Realizing this is his true body, and what’s walking on the surface is merely a vessel, Chen Xuan finds it both amusing and puzzling.

What defines a big stomach?

His "belly" is the perfect illustration.