Kaelan is intrigued by the mention of divine blood and spiritual roots.
He asks about them, his spirit pressing into their minds.
The mercenaries freeze, their thoughts spilling as they wonder how much to reveal.
Kaelan gathers the answers before they can decide.
Divine blood, they think, belongs to descendants of gods.
For them, it is hearsay, for they have never seen gods with their own eyes.
But the families that claim divine blood in their veins produce descendants who, more often than not, advance beyond the Master realm.
Meanwhile, people without divine blood are stuck at the Master realm, unable to break through further.
There is also a whispered theory that there is no divine blood at all, only advanced martial art exercises.
The so-called families with divine blood simply hide these advanced methods, passing them only to their own, and so their bloodline prospers while others stagnate.
This may be true.
But Kaelan knows there are gods, or rather innate beings, in this world.
When he entered this world, he saw floating islands at the edge of the inner world, and upon them he sensed living beings.
The strongest aura he felt there was of half-step Stage Four.
They are not gods in the sense of the void space, but for this world, they are gods.
Spiritual roots, they think, are rare gifts born within certain bodies.
Those with spiritual roots can directly absorb spiritual energy and even store it within themselves, unlike ordinary martial artists.
Such people do not call themselves martial artists but Qi refiners.
That is all they know of divine blood and spiritual roots.
After that, Kaelan tells them to leave.
They pick up the three unconscious young men and quickly run, vanishing into the mist.
Kaelan settles himself comfortably on the cliff, wings folding against the stone.
He waits.
If the behaviour of humans in this world is the same as that on Earth, then visitors will keep coming.
Some will want to use him.
Some will come from curiosity.
Others will come to kill him.
For Kaelan, they are all walking sources of information.
Through them, he can keep learning about this world.
--------
A day later, Chen Wei's group returns to Qinghe Town, tired and grim.
They head straight for the Li Family estate.
Inside, Li Jian, still sullen from being struck unconscious, explodes in anger the moment he steps inside his estate.
He shouts for the estate guards to capture Chen Wei, the mercenary team, and even his own five personal guards.
Steel rings out as the estate guards surround them, weapons drawn, tension thick in the air.
Chen Wei raises his voice, calmly explaining why he had knocked Li Jian out.
But Li Jian, arrogant and unwilling to listen, only sneers.
The estate guards hesitate, uncertain.
After all, the five personal guards Li Jian brought along are also Li Family men, and they refuse to draw blades against them.
Confusion spreads among the guards, but once Chen Wei finishes his explanation, the truth settles in.
They realise he acted not out of rebellion, but to protect their young master from certain death.
Murmurs pass through the ranks.
One guard leans toward another and says quietly that the family head must be told of this matter.
Minutes later, the guard returns, leading a middle-aged man with a dignified yet sharp presence—Li Tianhao, father of Li Jian.
The garden quiets.
Li Jian sees his father and rushes to complain, his voice bitter.
"Father, Chen Wei dared to strike me unconscious!" Li Jian shouts.
Li Feng and Wu Ming add their voices, "The guards also knocked us unconscious!"
Li Tianhao doesn't even glance at them.
His eyes fix on Li Mu.
"Tell me, what happened?" he asks, voice calm but heavy.
Li Mu steps forward and explains everything, how the three were knocked unconscious and why.
Li Tianhao's expression hardens when he hears of the crow.
A demon beast higher than the Master Realm.
The strongest in Qinghe Town is only at the Master Realm.
And the crow is separated from the town by nothing more than the Dahe River.
With its wings, it could cross in minutes.
His gaze shifts back to Chen Wei.
"Are you certain the crow's realm is higher than Master Realm?"
Chen Wei bows slightly.
"The crow released no aura, but its sheer size, its ability to speak, and to read our minds—everything points to a realm beyond Master."
Li Tianhao's brows knit together.
Inwardly, he thinks, I must inform Father and the uncles.
Checking the crow demon myself would be suicide.
But Father and my two uncles are both at the Master Realm, and their strength will give them a chance to survive an encounter.
He turns to the family's head servant.
"Take the mercenaries to Elder Li Jin, and pay them."
"Father!" Li Jian shouts, furious.
But Li Tianhao silences him with a sharp glare.
"Shut up. Instead of anger, you should be thanking Head Chen Wei for saving your life."
Li Jian opens his mouth to protest, but the glare in his father's eyes chills him.
Fear cools his anger, and he forces himself to turn toward Chen Wei.
"Sorry… and thank you for saving my life."
Chen Wei's lips twitch into a reluctant smile.
"It's okay, Young Master Li."
The butler steps forward, guiding Chen Wei and his mercenary team away.
Li Tianhao turns without another word, striding off to quickly inform his father and uncles.
The guards disperse one by one until only Li Jian, Li Feng, and Wu Ming remain.
Wu Ming exhales, mutters his goodbye, and leaves the estate.
Li Feng glances at his cousin.
"Brother, what gift are you giving Min Xueyao now?"
Li Jian's face darkens.
His thoughts churn—Yes, what gift will I give Min Xueyao?
He forces his tone to be steady.
"Let's wash and change our clothes. Then we'll leave for Bingyu City and check the market there."
Li Feng nods.
Together, they head for their respective rooms.
-----
Li Tianhao descends the stone steps, the air growing cooler as he enters the underground chamber.
The room is vast, its walls lined with heavy doors of dark wood bound in iron, each leading to a cultivation chamber.
The faint hum of Qi lingers in the air, vibrating through the floor beneath his boots.
He strides to the centre, voice echoing off the stone.
"Father! Uncles!"
His fist pounds against the three doors in turn, the sound dull but urgent.
The three doors open one by one, and three men step out, their figures tall and steady, their faces hardly touched by age, though each should already be in his sixties.
Li Zhen, Tianhao's father, takes the lead, his sharp eyes narrowing as he sees the urgency on his son's face.
"What happened? You are calling us like this," Li Zhen asks, his voice calm but edged with authority.
Li Tianhao bows his head and quickly recounts what happened at the cliff—the mist, the unconscious youths, and most importantly, the crow demon beast whose presence loomed beyond the Master realm.
As his words sink in, the expressions of Li Zhen and his two cousins harden, the light in their eyes growing grave.
If such a demon beast truly lives so close to Qinghe Town, disaster could strike at any time.
Without hesitation, the three decide they will personally check on the crow demon when night falls.
Li Tianhao bows again, warning them to be careful, and leaves the underground chamber.
Outside, the news spreads like wildfire through Qinghe Town.
By midday, whispers of the crow demon beast reach every alley and shop, smothering the town in an air of dread.
The magistrate sends officials to the Li family estate to inquire, and soon after, the Min family, the Zhao family, and even the Tide Whale Gang dispatch their own men as well, seeking the truth.
By the afternoon, Chen Wei and his mercenary team return to their village.
Along the way, villagers pause from tilling the fields, waving and calling greetings, but Chen Wei's mind is heavy as he forces a smile in return.
At the gate of the village, he dismisses his men.
"Go home, rest," he tells them, before heading straight to the village chief's house.
Inside, after hearing Chen Wei's account, the old chief bursts into sudden laughter, his eyes shining with excitement.
"My chance has come!" he exclaims, slapping Chen Wei's shoulder hard.
"Chen Wei, quickly, lead me to the crow demon!"
Chen Wei blinks, confusion flashing across his face.
"Village Chief, what do you want to do?"
The old man grins, eyes burning with resolve.
"The chance of our village has come. Now quickly, lead me to the crow demon."
Chen Wei's brows furrow.
He thinks the chief is speaking of an attack and warns, "Chief, the crow demon is higher than the Master realm."
The chief only laughs louder.
"The higher the realm, the better the chance."
His tone is unshakable.
Seeing no way to refuse, Chen Wei nods reluctantly, though unease gnaws at his chest.
Without further delay, the two leave the village and head toward the Dahe River, their figures flashing across the fields with practised movement.
By evening, they cross to the far bank, their speed unbroken as they race along using their running techniques, until at last, they arrive on the other side.