At that time, Dou Niang, who had also received some gold and silver, also planned to leave that place.

Dou Niang was still a little girl then. Tian Fangfang advised her to stay there and live with his parents, but Dou Niang refused.

The little girl’s eyes were determined, her tone stubborn: “Big Brother Tian, I’m different from you. You want to venture out into the world, but I only want to reunite with my family.”

“But you’ve been away from home for many years and don’t remember where your hometown is,” Tian Fangfang said.

Dou Niang was very young when she was kidnapped. After so many years, many memories had become blurred. Finding her family was like looking for a needle in a haystack—it seemed impossible no matter how you looked at it.

“I remember my hometown is in the north,” Dou Niang smiled. “Every autumn, there are golden trees. I’ll walk north. I know Big Brother Tian plans to go south, so let’s part ways here.”

Tian Fangfang was still somewhat worried: “But…”

“Big Brother Tian, I’ve served the young master for many years. I’m not a little child anymore. I can take care of myself.” Dou Niang’s thin body stood straight, her smiling eyes curved. “When you become a cultivator of a great sect, we can eat steamed buns together again.”

And so they parted.

Later, a long time passed.

He not only went to southern towns but also visited western rainforests, encountered dangerous, fierce beasts, and dealt with cultivators from sects. The longer the roads he traveled, the more blurred his memories became. It was as if he was naturally born to be such a wandering traveler, unrestrained. Only his love of money constantly reminded him of his past of being poor.

He had also thought of those bitter days, eating steamed buns in the woodshed under the moonlit nights in the wilderness, occasionally remembering that little girl with dimples. He only felt that the past was ethereal, like a great dream, while the future was gradually becoming clearer.

“Big Brother Tian,” the little girl’s voice broke his reverie. Dou Niang asked, “When we parted back then, you said you wanted to cultivate immortality and become a disciple of a great sect. Have you achieved it now?”

Zanxing and the others all looked at Tian Fangfang.

Tian Fangfang felt somewhat embarrassed. He vaguely waved his hand: “Ah, it was also luck. After separating from you, I traveled everywhere. Later, I was fortunate enough to encounter an opportunity and barely counted as half a cultivator. After that, through trial and error, I slowly cultivated. When I heard the Taiyan Sect was recruiting new disciples, I thought I’d try. As a result, a blind cat did catch a dead mouse—I succeeded!”

“Taiyan Sect?” Dou Niang asked. “Is it a very large sect?”

The people in Wufan City had never heard of Taiyan Sect’s name and seemed ignorant of outside affairs. Tian Fangfang said, “Of course! It’s number one in our Duzhou cultivation world. Look, these are all my fellow disciples.” he then put his hand on Gu Baiying’s shoulder, “This is my little Master Uncle!”

“Master Uncle?” Dou Niang was surprised. “This young master looks very young.”

Gu Baiying frowned and shook off his hand, his expression impatient: “What?”

Tian Fangfang withdrew his hand with an apologetic smile and said seriously, “Age isn’t the issue. Our little Master Uncle is young and promising, young and promising.”

Dou Niang nodded as if understanding: “Big Brother Tian is so amazing now.”

“Not bad.” Tian Fangfang stared at her. “Little Bean, what about you? Back then, when you parted from me, you said you were going north. How are you here?”

Upon hearing this, Dou Niang smiled: “I now live here with Father.”

“You and your father…” Tian Fangfang smiled, then suddenly reacted: “Your father?”

“Yes,” Dou Niang’s eyes curved, the two round dimples on her cheeks becoming even more adorable. “Big Brother Tian, I found my father!”

Tian Fangfang was stunned.

When Dou Niang said she wanted to go back and find her family, Tian Fangfang hadn’t believed she could find them. Dou Niang was too young when she was kidnapped and didn’t even remember her hometown’s name. The journey involved both carriages and boats, and she couldn’t remember the route. Moreover, after so many years, what if her parents had already moved away, or what if her parents were also on the road searching for her?

It was just that Dou Niang was stubborn then, as if she wouldn’t be content for the rest of her life if she didn’t go. Tian Fangfang couldn’t dissuade her and could only let her be.

Now, Dou Niang was saying she had already found her family?

Dou Niang didn’t notice Tian Fangfang’s expression and pulled his sleeve forward: “Come, I’ll take you to my house to meet my father!”

Tian Fangfang was dragged forward, while Zanxing and the others behind him had strange expressions.

“Master Uncle, what do you think?” she asked.

“Something’s wrong.” Gu Baiying stared at the backs of the people ahead.

“I also think something’s wrong,” Meng Ying frowned slightly. “For Junior Brother’s fellow villager to suddenly appear in this place—it’s too much of a coincidence.”

“And what that little girl said,” Mu Cengxiao also spoke up. “To find family after being kidnapped for many years—that’s simply impossible.”

“What’s wrong with you all?” Mendong’s voice interrupted them. Zanxing looked down to see the little brat with a dark face, angrily saying, “What coincidence, what’s wrong? When someone finds their family, shouldn’t you congratulate them? How did it become a reason to suspect them? I think you’re all seeing danger everywhere, being overly nervous!”

Though he sometimes spoke sarcastically and was hard to figure out, he rarely jumped up and down like this. Zanxing looked at him meaningfully: “Oh, the little girl is pretty, so Junior Brother is smitten.”

Mendong was startled and became so angry that his face and neck turned red: “Who’s smitten? Don’t talk nonsense!”

“Then why are you so excited?” Zanxing glanced at Gu Baiying. “For her sake, you’re even contradicting your beloved Seventh Master Uncle.”

“I’m not smitten by her. Everything I said was the truth.” Mendong said angrily, “Do you think I’m like you, so easily infatuated with a man?”

Zanxing was baffled: “Who am I infatuated with?”

“Senior Brother Mu, of course! Too bad Senior Brother Mu already has someone in his heart and has long been in harmony with Sister Yunxin. He won’t dual cultivate with you!”

Meng Ying’s expression paused.

Mu Cengxiao: “…Junior Brother, don’t talk nonsense.”

While they were arguing, Gu Baiying planted his spear on the ground, his face frosty: “What are you arguing about? All of you shut up.”

Everyone immediately fell silent.

“If you have energy to argue here, you’d better think about what to do next.” Gu Baiying said irritably, “The Yuanli in my body has disappeared.”

When he said this, everyone circulated their Yuanli and discovered their spiritual meridians were empty, without a trace of Yuanli. Their hearts immediately sank.

Without Yuanli, they were now no different from ordinary people. If they encountered Mo Sha, there would be no chance of survival. Mu Cengxiao said, “Master Uncle, should we continue forward?”

“Of course.” Gu Baiying stared at Dou Niang’s back. “No matter what’s strange about this place, since the Mo Sha haven’t appeared directly, there must be restrictions. Since we’re here, let’s make the best of it. Let’s follow her and see.”

Dou Niang’s home was very far away. Though Wufan City didn’t look large and the roads were narrow, there were many people. They walked along the central road for who knows how long. The taverns and vendors on both sides of the road gradually became fewer. After walking for about the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, at the end of the red clay road, an earthen house appeared.

This earthen house looked like an overturned round cylinder, built entirely of red clay on all four sides, with a wooden door in the middle—quite distinctive. In front of the house was a clean-swept circular clearing where several dirty geese were kept. As soon as they saw people coming, they began honking viciously.

Dou Niang drove away the large geese that had gathered to chase the guests and opened the door: “Come in.”

Zanxing’s group walked inside.

The room looked airtight, with only one square window. Sunlight shone in from outside, also illuminating the furnishings inside.

The tables and chairs were already quite worn. Against the wall was an earthen bed-stove, with a small table placed on it and bedding piled randomly. The floor was clean and tidy, as if it were often swept.

Between the inner room and outer hall, a brown cloth curtain served as a partition. This house looked quite simple and poor.

Dou Niang rolled up her sleeves, lifted the cloth curtain, and went inside. Soon she came out carrying a pot. She squatted down, dragged out a fire stove from the side, skillfully started a fire, then scooped a ladle of clear water from a wooden bucket outside and poured it into the pot, beginning to boil water.

Looking at that clear water, Zanxing asked, “Dou Niang, do you have a river here?”

“Yes.” After Dou Niang placed the pot properly, she picked up a palm-leaf fan and fanned the fire below while answering, “In this desert, there’s only this one river. I heard it was a gift from immortals to the Saint. Later, the Saint brought her people to settle here, which is how Wufan City came to be.”

“Saint?” Gu Baiying’s gaze moved. “The Saint of the Serpent Witch Clan?”

“Does the immortal also know of the Serpent Witch Clan?” Dou Niang stood up, walked to a small wooden stool nearby, and sat down. While watching the water in the pot, she smiled, “The Saint is an extraordinary person. All the people of Wufan City respect her greatly. If you meet her, you’ll like her too.”

Zanxing said nothing. To be honest, she was quite curious to meet that Saint. According to Silver Chestnut, when the Serpent Witch saw him back then, she had already seen the ending. Since she could know the past and perceive the future, perhaps that Saint could help her return to her original world.

The water in the pot gradually came to a boil. At first, it rippled gently, then gradually produced small bubbles, and later the “glug glug” sound continued endlessly. Steam rose above the fire stove, creating a moist water mist.

Dou Niang found several clay bowls in the cabinet. When there weren’t enough bowls, she found a plate and barely managed to pour the water from the pot into them.

“There aren’t quite enough bowls at home.” The little girl bashfully tugged at her skirt and said quietly, “I’ll have Father buy two more later.”

Tian Fangfang stood up carelessly, picked up several bowls, and handed them to Zanxing and the others, taking the large plate for himself. While sipping, he said, “Hey, why be particular about such things? Little Bean, have you forgotten? Back when we were at the Qian household, when we got thirsty at night, we’d pick leaves to scoop water from the vat. Having a plate is pretty good.”

Upon hearing this, Dou Niang seemed to remember the past and also laughed. She looked outside the door—the sun was already gradually setting in the west—and said, “Father should be coming back soon.”

As soon as she finished speaking, a man’s voice sounded outside: “Dou Niang.”

“Father’s back!” She immediately jumped down from the stool and ran joyfully toward the door.