Lin Xiao Yue led Gù Tiānháo away from the main paths surrounding Maplewood Town, taking a smaller, less-traveled track that wound through sparse woods and small farm plots. After about fifteen minutes, they arrived at a small cottage nestled in a quiet clearing. It was simple, constructed from wood and plaster, with a thatched roof and smoke curling lazily from a stone chimney. A neat, well-tended garden filled with various herbs – some medicinal, some culinary – surrounded the dwelling, indicating the occupant's livelihood and care. It radiated a sense of peaceful seclusion, a stark contrast to the bustling town and the dangerous forest.
"This is it, Young Master," Lin Xiao Yue said softly, a hint of shy pride in her voice as she pushed open the simple wooden door. "It's not much, but it's home. Please, come in.
" The interior was as simple as the exterior – a main room serving as kitchen and living space, sparsely furnished but impeccably clean. There were signs of only one or perhaps two occupants; no indication of a large family.
Xiao Yue quickly bustled about, stoking the small hearth fire and putting a kettle on to boil. She offered Tiānháo the only sturdy wooden stool while she sat on a smaller, worn one. As the water heated, she began to speak, her earlier nervousness replaced by a quiet sincerity. "My parents… they passed away a few years ago during a harsh winter plague that swept through the villages. It's just been me since then. Gathering herbs is the only way I know to make enough to survive, selling them in town or sometimes to traveling merchants.
"She spoke of the difficulties – the dwindling herbs near the village forcing her further into the dangerous forest, the occasional bullying from local youths or opportunistic cultivators like the ones Tiānháo had dealt with, the constant struggle to earn enough for food and basic necessities. There was no self-pity in her voice, only a quiet statement of facts, a testament to her resilience in the face of hardship. She mentioned hearing tales of cultivators and sects from traders, viewing them as powerful, distant figures living in a world entirely separate from her own struggles.
Tiānháo listened quietly, sipping the simple, slightly bitter herbal tea she offered him. Her story was unremarkable in the grand scheme of this harsh world, yet her quiet strength and perseverance resonated with something deep within him. He remembered his own past life, the struggles of ordinary people, the vulnerability he himself had felt before his transmigration and even in his early days as the 'useless' Gu Tianhao. Her simple kindness, offering hospitality to a stranger despite her own meager circumstances, stood in stark contrast to the calculating, often cruel, nature of the cultivation world he was now navigating.
A subtle shift occurred within him. The icy indifference he usually maintained cracked, just slightly. He still wouldn't reveal anything about himself, wouldn't offer empty platitudes, but the way he looked at her softened almost imperceptibly. When she finished speaking, there was a comfortable silence, not an awkward one. "You are resourceful," he stated simply, the words carrying more weight than usual. It was a small acknowledgement, but for Lin Xiao Yue, who rarely received praise or even notice, it felt significant, warming her more than the tea.