C1 I Want to Go Back to the Village

A fleeting life, a dream so brief, the vast universe contained in a moment's snap. Yet, in this world, there exists a path to eternity. Endless and intangible, it beckons countless souls to embark on its elusive trail!

Welcome to Blessing Village.

"May the village chief bestow his blessings. Let the village's most handsome man ascend the stage and be honored... as the male champion!"

Blessing Village was alive with fervor, akin to a festival, as the villagers gathered around a modestly tall wooden platform, their faces alight with excitement.

Curiously, the villagers were all exceptionally burly, regardless of age or gender.

Seen from above, the scene was quite amusing; the platform appeared to be encircled by a throng of meatballs.

In Blessing Village, plumpness was the epitome of beauty!

With the announcement, an even more exaggerated figure stepped forward, resembling a veritable mountain of flesh. As he set foot on the stage, it seemed to buckle under his weight, trembling involuntarily.

Standing out from the crowd was a youth, about sixteen or seventeen, whose presence seemed at odds with the rest. His skin was fair and clear, his build slender—a stark contrast to the village norm.

Even more peculiar was the black bead nestled between his brows, which upon closer inspection, revealed itself to be an insect!

A beetle!

His name was Gu Xiaoxing. With a bag slung over his shoulder, he watched the wooden platform intently, his eyes brimming with a deeper envy than his peers.

An orphan, Xiaoxing had been raised by the entire village, dining at many tables, and was deeply grateful for their generosity.

He believed he owed it to his fellow villagers not to squander their years of support. His childhood dream was to be recognized as the most handsome man in the village, to stand atop that wooden stage as the male leader.

To marry a beautiful woman and live out his days contentedly was all he wished for.

Yet, all his hopes were dashed by the presence of the tiny beetle on his forehead.

Xiaoxing had no idea where this mysterious beetle had come from. It had burrowed into his forehead inexplicably, as if it had always been a part of him, and no amount of prying could remove it.

The shell was impenetrably hard; not even a knife could leave the slightest mark on it.

Even more bizarre was the fact that the insect actually fed on flesh and blood!

In just six months, he, once counted among the most handsome men of Blessing Village, had withered into a gaunt figure he himself found repulsive.

It might not be long before he was completely drained. By then, he wouldn't just be losing his dreams—he'd be losing his life!

With a deep sigh, Gu Xiaoxing turned and made his way to the village's sole ancestral hall.

The hall was modestly adorned, with a meditation mat, a wooden table, and an incense burner atop it.

A stick of incense burned silently within the burner, substantial in size—over three feet long and as thick as two fingers. Its green smoke wafted gently, suggesting it had been burning for quite some time.

Gu Xiaoxing knelt on the mat, bowing deeply as he prayed, "Ancestors, please watch over me. Though I am an orphan, I am still a son of Blessing Village. I do not wish to become its ghost..."

"Please bless me, help Xiaoxing find the immortals!"

He bowed his head repeatedly until he felt assured his sincerity had reached the ancestors, then stood to leave.

But as he stepped out of the hall, a low growl stopped him in his tracks.

Gu Xiaoxing stiffly turned his head to see a plump dog, teeth bared, in front of him. He forced a tense smile and said, "Lucky... stay calm... easy now!"

Mid-sentence, he pulled a cleaver from within his clothes.

Lucky, crouched and ready to spring, was known as the most splendid dog in the village. Seeing Gu Xiaoxing brandish the cleaver sent him into a rage.

He lunged forward.

Gu Xiaoxing swung the cleaver frantically, but the sight of Lucky's bulky form filled him with dread, and he bolted.

"Stay back! I've got a cleaver, and I'm not afraid to use it!"

But Lucky was relentless, pursuing him all the way to the outskirts of the village.

Thankfully, Lucky's excessive weight slowed him down, and he gradually fell behind.

Gu Xiaoxing couldn't tell how long he had been running, but finally, when the sound of barking faded and Lucky was no longer in sight, he collapsed to the ground, exhausted.

"Thank goodness... Even though I'm leaner and not as good-looking, at least I'm faster!"

Gu Xiaoxing was gasping for breath, a look of resentment on his face. "He holds a grudge like no other. It was just a small accident, stepping on his tail all those years ago... how long will he remember that?"

"If it were half a year ago, I would've just slapped him away. Why would I need to run?"

He tucked the firewood knife back into his embrace.

It took a while for Gu Xiaoxing to catch his breath. Then, standing up, he gazed toward Blessing Village in the distance and let out the most resolute cry of his life.

"I will find the immortals, remove this curse, and I will return!"

"I, Gu Xiaoxing, am destined to be the future chief of Blessing Village!"

With that, he hurried off, fearing Lucky might hear and give chase again. His figure was solitary and slight, disappearing into the distance...

Nestled in a basin and encircled by mountains, Blessing Village lived in peaceful seclusion.

While in the village, Gu Xiaoxing had always been curious about what lay beyond the mountains. Now he knew—behind the mountains were even greater mountains!

He wasn't just wandering aimlessly. Years before, he had caught a glimpse of a streak of light soaring above Blessing Village.

He could barely make out a silhouette and realized that immortals truly existed in this world.

He was following the path where he had seen the immortal soar!

A month had passed as he traversed mountain after mountain. Now, even more emaciated, Gu Xiaoxing crouched behind a large tree, clutching his firewood knife, shivering with fear.

"How can such an enormous pig exist?"

"How can the world outside the village be so horrifying?"

"With demonic pigs everywhere, could it be that Blessing Village is just living amidst a den of these creatures?"

In the distance, atop a small mound, lay a colossal demonic pig, snoring in its slumber. Its head alone was thirty feet tall, dwarfing Gu Xiaoxing, who was no match for even one of its monstrous tusks.

Yet, it was already on the smaller side.

Throughout his journey, Gu Xiaoxing had encountered at least a dozen colossal beasts, all of which were demonic pigs. The smallest towered at twenty feet, each one sending shivers down his spine.

This brought Lucky to mind.

In comparison to these monstrous swine, Lucky was nothing more than a tiny puppy!

Luckily, the demonic pigs were exceedingly lethargic, rarely stirring from their slumber.

He also encountered a carnivorous tree that lured prey with imitated movements.

But since the local wildlife consisted of enormous demonic pigs, the tree, failing to catch any nourishment, appeared malnourished. Gu Xiaoxing managed to split its branches with a couple of swift chops from his machetes, making his escape.

He even came across a peculiar body of water that moved on its own yet was surprisingly timid. Both Gu Xiaoxing and the water startled each other, hastily retreating in opposite directions.

It was as if everything had come to life!

He also stumbled upon a small mountain that undulated rhythmically, as if breathing or chewing.

A belch-like gust reeking of fishy odor burst forth from the mountain, terrifying Gu Xiaoxing to the core, prompting him to flee at breakneck speed.

Encountering such bizarre and eerie phenomena along the way, Gu Xiaoxing marveled at the miracle of his survival, yet he knew he had to press on.

Fear of death had been his lifelong companion, and it was this very fear that drove him to seek out the immortals!

This fear also awakened a fierce determination within him; sometimes, to stay alive, one had to be ruthless.

With clenched teeth, he stealthily bypassed the wild pigs, careful not to make the slightest sound, and moved on.

Three more days went by, and Gu Xiaoxing visibly withered away, nearly reduced to a skeleton.

Oddly enough, he hadn't seen a single demonic pig in those three days.

"Could it be that I've finally left the pig's lair behind?"

The thought excited Gu Xiaoxing, filling him with the sense that he was drawing ever nearer to the realm of the immortals.

"Those pigs, they must be kept by immortals. After all, we raise pigs in Blessing Village. Even immortals must eat meat!"

"They've got to be way more delicious than the pigs back in Blessing Village!" Gu Xiaoxing suddenly realized it had been ages since he last savored meat, and his mouth watered at the thought.

His provisions had run out long ago. He had subsisted on wild greens and mushrooms—familiar fare from his village—just to make it this far. He was so fed up with his vegetarian diet that he felt nauseous.

As Gu Xiaoxing scaled another peak, eager to take in the view beyond, the mountain quivered beneath him. Whirling around, he was petrified by what he saw.

A massive python was slithering towards him, its length indeterminable. In a flash, it coiled around the entire mountain, leaving only the summit exposed.

With its head raised and tongue flicking, the python's icy gaze fixed on Gu Xiaoxing.

Frozen with fear, Gu Xiaoxing collapsed to the ground, yet his survival instincts kicked in. He snatched up his machete and, with eyes shut tight, swung wildly.

"Please, Mr. Snake, don't eat me! I'm too skinny, hardly enough to pick your teeth with..."

"Human?"

Hmm?

It spoke?

Stunned, Gu Xiaoxing cautiously opened his eyes, only to meet two vertical pupils, chilling and larger than his own. His fear intensified, rendering him utterly immobile.

"It's been an eternity since I've tasted human flesh. I recall it being quite the delicacy... Hmm? Devouring Spirit Insect?"

The python's gaze sharpened as it spoke with human-like articulation, "You little wretch, you dare to poison me?"

Gu Xiaoxing was paralyzed, speechless, his mind in a fog. Yet, he heard every word.

So, the creature that had brought him to this state was the Devouring Spirit Insect?

But in that moment, did it matter? Death was imminent!

He didn't ponder why the serpent accused him of causing harm; his mind was consumed by boundless terror.

"You humans are indeed malevolent. Even in the face of death, you seek to drag others down with you..."

"You wish for me to devour you, only to be drained dry by the Devouring Spirit Insect, ensuring we both perish!"

The python glared at Gu Xiaoxing with a cold, piercing gaze that seemed to penetrate deep into his soul.

"Hmph, do you really think my intelligence wouldn't allow me to handle a mere Devouring Spirit Insect?"

"I could simply wait for the Devouring Spirit Insect to drain you completely. Once you're all dead, feasting on your carcasses will be easy, right? Hahaha!"

The python burst into a triumphant laugh, clearly impressed with its own cunning. But mid-laugh, its eyes suddenly bulged with terror, and it whipped its head around, fleeing the scene.

As the python's intimidating presence faded, Gu Xiaoxing felt his strength return. He watched the retreating python, dumbfounded and hardly able to believe his eyes.

Did it really just leave?

Just then, the sky grew ominously dark. Instinctively, Gu Xiaoxing looked up, his pupils shrinking in sheer terror.

What he saw was a massive roc diving toward him at an unfathomable speed.

In a flash, the sky was blotted out!

A fearsome hurricane descended out of nowhere, lifting Gu Xiaoxing off the ground. While still airborne, he saw the roc spread its wings and vanish into the distant horizon, clutching the giant python, which now looked no bigger than a tiny insect.

The hurricane was as quick to leave as it had been to arrive.

Gu Xiaoxing slammed into a boulder and crumpled to the ground, coughing up blood.

Even though the roc had disappeared, the terror in Gu Xiaoxing's eyes lingered.

"It's too terrifying! The world beyond is too frightening! I need to get back to the village, back to Blessing Village!"

He had thought the demonic pig's lair was frightening, but the outside world proved far more terrifying.

"Lucky, I miss you..."

"Only now do I realize just how docile you truly were!"

Clutching his firewood knife, Gu Xiaoxing surveyed his surroundings with heightened caution, dreading the appearance of another monstrous creature.

Fear had taken hold of him. Whether it was the python or the roc, a mere puff of their breath could snuff out his life.

Bearing the agony of his wounds, Gu Xiaoxing struggled to his feet. This was the first time he had ever been so grievously injured, the pain so intense he could only grit his teeth and bear it.

All of a sudden, he felt a warmth on his forehead, like a soothing stream of heat emanating from between his eyebrows and coursing through his body.

Incredibly... the pain was gone!

Startled, he reached up to touch his forehead, only to find the tiny insect still nestled there, growing at the center of his brows.

For the first time, Gu Xiaoxing realized it had healing properties.

But in the next instant, his heart skipped a beat as a bizarre suction force emerged from his brow, draining his very life force!

Before his eyes... he had visibly withered.

It seemed for every ounce of energy spent healing his body, an equal amount was forcibly drawn out.

"This... this is like a vampire!"

Gu Xiaoxing was enraged.

As he watched his body become nothing more than a skeletal frame, the terror in Gu Xiaoxing's eyes eclipsed any fear he had known before. With a hardened heart, he clenched his teeth and declared in what he believed to be an unwavering tone,

"No! I can't go back. I... I must seek out the immortals!"

"Why seek the immortals?"

An otherworldly voice suddenly filled the space, as though it came from the heavens or whispered right beside him.