Chapter 54: Meeting the Village Chief Again, Eight Monsters

Kneeling on the ground, he kowtowed respectfully to Li Shouhu several times and said with deep gratitude, "Thank you, Master, for your years of guidance and upbringing. Your disciple will leave tomorrow; please take good care of your health, Master. I will surely keep your teachings close to heart."

Li Shouhu nodded gently and then allowed Li Yan to leave.

Upon leaving, Li Yan went straight to Shi Fou's door. He knocked gently and called out, "Senior Brother, are you asleep? I have something to discuss with you."

Shi Fou was reading a book inside. Surprised to hear Li Yan's voice, he replied, "Not yet. Come in."

Li Yan pushed the door open and entered. Seeing Shi Fou engrossed in reading, he couldn't help teasing, "Senior Brother is truly diligent."

Shi Fou smiled and casually tossed the book toward Li Yan. Li Yan picked it up and saw it was merely a popular fiction novel, prompting him to burst into laughter.

Not laughing for long, he stepped closer to Shi Fou and asked, "Senior Brother, what time are we setting off tomorrow?"

Li Yan felt a surge of excitement deep within, having been away from home for a very long time and yearning to return.

After a brief moment of thought, Shi Fou replied, "Let's leave at five o'clock tomorrow morning. We can fly on our swords before dawn breaks, allowing us to arrive just as the sun rises without causing too much of a commotion."

Li Yan nodded, bid Shi Fou farewell, and left the room to return to his own quarters. After packing his belongings, he went to sleep.

At five o'clock the next morning, Li Yan and Shi Fou went together to the back mountain to bid farewell to Li Shouhu before leaving the place on their flying swords. By eight o'clock in the morning, they had already reached the village entrance.

There, Li Yan caught sight of a familiar figure. Upon seeing him, the figure eagerly ran toward them, though being elderly, his pace was quite slow.

Uncertain at first who it could be, yet finding the silhouette deeply familiar, Li Yan quickly hurried over. Examining the person closely, he asked with pleasant excitement, "Are you Village Chief Uncle?"

The old man's hair and beard were completely white and unkempt, making him rather difficult to recognize at first glance.

Recognizing Li Yan, the elderly man smiled and took Li Yan's hands in his, saying, "It's me." Looking Li Yan up and down with a warm smile, he continued, "As soon as I received word from your master, I've been waiting here since early morning. I never imagined my little Li Yan would grow up to be such a fine and accomplished young man. Let's go, let's get some food."

Just as Li Yan was about to follow the village chief, he noticed Shi Fou standing awkwardly a short distance away. With a cheerful smile, Li Yan went over to Shi Fou and introduced him to the chief: "Uncle, this is my Senior Brother, Shi Fou. He came along to help protect everyone."

Only then did the village chief realize he had left someone out, and he hurriedly invited Shi Fou to join them as well. Together, Li Yan and Shi Fou supported the old man as they walked deeper into the village.

Along the way, Li Yan gazed around with a beaming smile, observing the village. It had undergone dramatic changes: the houses were far more luxurious, the villagers' attire had vastly improved, and there was even a newly established medical clinic. Li Yan stood dumbfounded, as such conveniences had once been beyond imagination.

However, both he and Shi Fou noticed the presence of several ghosts and spirits mingling among the crowd. These entities cast abnormal glances in their direction, looking as though they were about to stir up trouble at any second.

Choosing not to react, Li Yan and Shi Fou acted as though they saw nothing, determined not to startle the enemy prematurely.

Soon, they supported the chief to a long table already surrounded by a full circle of villagers. This time, the villagers' gazes toward Li Yan were completely different from before; previously, they had been fearful and even branded him a freak, but now, their eyes were filled with reverence as they stood up to welcome them.

The village chief took the seat of honor at the head of the table, motioning for Li Yan and Shi Fou to sit on his immediate left and right. With a hearty smile, he announced, "Let us welcome Li Yan home. Everyone must be hungry, so let's eat."

Li Yan glanced at the dishes spread across the table. "Oh! Look at all this fish and meat, and so many of my favorites! I love it, I'm going to eat lots and lots!" With that, he began to feast heartily.

Even while eating, he did not forget to keep a watchful eye on his surroundings. He initially noticed nothing amiss until Shi Fou gently tapped the table to remind him that some of the people dining with them were actually disguised demons.

Startled for a fraction of a second, Li Yan casually swept his gaze across the gathering. To his surprise, he discovered that eight of the villagers sharing their meal were demons in disguise.

Seemingly aware of his scrutiny, these demons momentarily flashed their ferocious, true forms to intimidate him as they glanced up.

Li Yan merely smiled.

"Let's see what you're up to," he thought. He lightly tapped the tabletop to signal Shi Fou to remain patient and wait. Shi Fou nodded faintly.

The two continued eating as if nothing were wrong. After a little while, having eaten their fill, they began making casual conversation with the village chief while keeping a close eye on the eight demons.

The demons were clearly growing impatient, repeatedly casting sidelong glances and gestures at Li Yan and Shi Fou to signal them to leave immediately. Yet, the two ignored them entirely, pretending to be completely oblivious.

Fifteen minutes later, the sky suddenly darkened with thick, rolling clouds, and loud peals of thunder echoed overhead as rain began to pour.

Seeing the downpour, the village chief announced to the villagers, "It's raining. Everyone, head on home."

To everyone's surprise, the moment the chief finished speaking, the eight demons suddenly surrounded the area, revealing their true forms: a wolf demon, a rabbit demon, a cat demon, a snake demon, a lizard demon, a fish demon, a fox demon, and a tiger demon. They glared hungrily at the crowd.

Panic erupted among the villagers. Having never encountered demons before, they shrieked and scattered in terror.

"None of you are getting away today! Prepare to become our feast!" the wolf demon snarled first, leading the rest of the demons in a concerted encirclement of the entire group.

Li Yan glanced at Shi Fou and said, "Protect the others. I'll deal with them."

Shi Fou nodded, reminding him to stay safe.

Choosing the wolf demon as his primary breakthrough target, Li Yan channeled his energy into his sword, rendering the blade completely invisible.

Seeing Li Yan approach empty-handed, the wolf demon laughed arrogantly and sneered, "Do you really think you can defeat me bare-handed? Fine, I'll fight you one-on-one so you can't claim I bullied you."

Hearing this, Li Yan smiled. "You asked for it. Don't regret this."