Dusk fell, and the mountain wind ruffled the stray hairs on Xu Huo's forehead. He walked with a hunched back, the withered pig fodder weighing heavily on his thin shoulders.
He pushed open the courtyard gate made of a few broken wooden strips. In the center of the courtyard, his second aunt was laboriously mending a tattered coat by the last light of day.
At the kitchen door, his cousin Li Big Strong squatted, head down, slurping watery porridge. Hearing the movement, he didn't even bother to look up, only letting out an ambiguous "humph" from his nose.
"You're back from the dead? Throw the pig fodder behind the kitchen," his second aunt said without looking up, her voice tinged with impatience. "There's still some burnt bits in the pot. Serve yourself."
A low, raspy "Mhm" escaped Xu Huo's throat. He set down the basket and silently slipped into the low-ceilinged kitchen.
In the pitch-black iron pot, there was indeed only a layer of mushy residue at the bottom, with almost no grains of rice visible, emitting a burnt smell.
He scooped out half a small bowl and, enduring the discomfort, began to swallow in small mouthfuls.
Just then, the courtyard gate was pushed open again.
His second uncle, Li Second Dog, walked in carrying a hoe. His face, darkened by the sun, actually glowed with an unusual reddish light.
"Big Strong! Dog Leftover! Come here, everyone come here!"
Li Big Strong reluctantly wiped the porridge stains from his mouth and shuffled over. Xu Huo set down his cold bowl and walked behind Li Big Strong.
"I went to town today to pay the grain tax and heard some big news. Guess what? It's the 'Immortal Sect'! Those Immortal Masters are coming to our territory to'select Immortal Sprouts'!"
"Select Immortal Sprouts?" Li Big Strong was stunned. His small eyes darted around, and his tone suddenly became urgent: "Dad, for real?"
His second uncle immediately showed off: "How could it be fake? Steward Wang in town said it himself. Every few years, those Immortal Masters sail their shimmering Immortal Ships from village to village to pick youngsters with 'Immortal Fate.' Once you're chosen, it's like ascending to heaven in one step! I heard they eat Immortal Pills and Spirit Fruits like regular meals, live in jade palaces, and learn the skills of immortality and controlling the weather!"
His second uncle's description was filled with the most primitive and fanatical rural imagination of "immortals," spitting as he talked about how the Immortal Masters wore clothes as white as snow, how they turned stone into gold, and how they could move mountains and fill seas with a wave of their hands.
Li Big Strong's breathing became heavy, his heart yearning as if the brilliant immortal light would shroud his head in the next moment.
Xu Huo's expression remained unchanged, but he was already calculating in his mind. Had this world become a Xuanhuan world?
"Does our village have a chance, Dad?" Li Big Strong asked eagerly, his eyes full of expectation.
"Why wouldn't we! Steward Wang said our village is on the candidate list. As long as there are youngsters in the village who are bright and have good foundations, there's a possibility of being selected," his second uncle said, slapping his thigh in excitement.
Li Big Strong immediately perked up, straightening his back with a glint in his eyes: "Dad, what do you think of me? I think I can definitely do it!"
His second uncle smiled slightly: "You? Your temper is too rash. The Immortal Masters like those who are steady. Dog Leftover just turned thirteen this year; let him try his luck. Because the age the Immortal Masters value most is thirteen. Did you know? Li Sanwa from the neighboring Little Wang Village, the one who was exactly thirteen, was picked by a passing Immortal Master just the year before last! I heard the Immortal Master just touched his forehead and said he had 'Unbroken Spirit Bone,' then took him away directly. He even gave Li Sanwa's family ten taels of silver."
Hearing his second uncle talk with such fervor, Xu Huo's face showed no expression, but his heart had already sunk to the bottom. He understood exactly what his second uncle was setting up.
Sure enough, his second uncle continued: "Dog Leftover, you happen to be thirteen this year too. Don't be like a silent gourd all day. Clean yourself up over the next two days. If the Immortal Masters' great ship really passes through our Black Stone Village, maybe they'll take a liking to you? When the time comes and you enter the Immortal Sect to enjoy endless blessings, don't forget the kindness of your second uncle and aunt who raised you all these years!"
If it were the original thirteen-year-old Dog Leftover, he would surely have been deceived by this rhetoric. But now it was Xu Huo, and he noticed the logical flaw in his second uncle's words from the start.
Why would such a wonderful opportunity not be given to his precious son, but to me instead?
This was a typical case of human trafficking—even the price had been marked at ten taels of silver!
Charles's voice suddenly rang out within him, saying indifferently: "I told you long ago, do not be merciful. Kill them all!"
Xu Huo responded in his heart: "I was still thinking of the original host's debt of upbringing, but it seems it's time to sever all ties."
He then obediently agreed to his second uncle's suggestion, even putting on a look of yearning.
Li Big Strong looked at Dog Leftover with jealousy and dissatisfaction. He gave Dog Leftover a kick: "The firewood is almost gone. Go add some more, quickly."
Xu Huo rubbed his head with a grin and ran clumsily to the kitchen, drawing a burst of laughter from the room.
As soon as he entered the kitchen, the smile vanished from Xu Huo's face. He quickly found the soul-intoxicating grass from his bosom. This herb also existed in his previous life; when its roots and dried leaves are burned, they produce a colorless and odorless smoke. Those who inhale it initially feel dizzy and then fall into a deep sleep. With a sufficient dose, it can cause respiratory paralysis.
This was one of the targets he had been secretly observing and gathering while cutting pig fodder these past few days.
Xu Huo stuffed the bundle of wood mixed with soul-intoxicating grass deep into the stove, pressing it against the embers. Then, he picked up the blowpipe and blew several hard breaths at the wood!
"Whoosh—whoosh—!"
The sparks were ignited by the airflow, quickly setting the dry wood and the soul-intoxicating grass on fire. A plume of blue smoke, mixed with the normal firewood smoke, curled up from the stove opening, quickly filling the poorly sealed kitchen and quietly drifting toward the main house and courtyard through the cracks in the door and walls.
Having done all this, Xu Huo remained expressionless and did not linger. He picked up the rusty wood-cutting knife leaning against the corner and a small bundle of ordinary wood, then shouted to the courtyard: "Second Uncle, Brother, I'm going to the back slope to cut some more hard wood for tomorrow morning!"
"Go on, go on! Come back early!" His second uncle was still talking about the silver from the immortals, his face glowing with excitement.
Xu Huo, carrying the knife and the wood, quickly walked out of the courtyard.
He didn't go far but circled around to a leeward slope behind the house and sat down quietly.
Here, he could avoid any potential smoke while still faintly hearing the sounds from the courtyard.
Time passed bit by bit.
At first, his second uncle's excited voice and Li Big Strong's occasional responses could still be heard from the courtyard.
Gradually, his second uncle's voice became slurred, like he was drunk: "...ten taels of silver... Immortal Pills... ugh... why is my head... so dizzy..."
Then came Li Big Strong's mumbled muttering: "Dad... I... I'm sleepy too... so dizzy..."
Then his second aunt's panicked voice: "Dear? Big Strong? You... ah... I..." The voice stopped abruptly.
Next was a dull "thud," like a heavy object hitting the ground.
The courtyard fell completely silent, leaving only the wailing of the mountain wind blowing through the dilapidated doors and windows.
Xu Huo waited for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, finding a stone to sharpen his knife in the meantime.
He waited until the night had completely shrouded the land.
He slowly stood up, brushed the dirt off his clothes, and, carrying the sharpened knife, calmly walked back into the courtyard.
The fire in the stove had long since gone out, leaving only a few dim red embers.
In the courtyard, three bodies lay slumped on the ground: his second uncle, Li Second Dog, was lying on his back, eyes wide open, with a small amount of white foam at his mouth and nose, already breathless. Li Big Strong was face down on the ground, snoring irregularly, fast asleep. His second aunt was slumped by a stool, also unconscious.
His hand rose, and the knife fell!
After finishing everything, Xu Huo's face showed no expression, only a calm indifference as if he had just finished cleaning up.
He crouched down and carefully searched his second uncle's body. Soon, from a tattered money pouch close to the skin, he pulled out a rough piece of jute paper with a thumbprint on it—the contract selling him to the 'Immortal Sect.' There were also a dozen or so copper coins.
Xu Huo took a quick glance at the contract by the moonlight. On it was written in crooked characters: "...voluntarily recommending nephew Dog Leftover... to the Immortal Master... price of ten taels of silver... middleman Steward Wang..." At the bottom of the contract was Li Second Dog's red thumbprint and the date.
Xu Huo nodded, put the money and the contract into his bosom, and began to handle the scene calmly and efficiently by the faint light of the stove embers.
He quickly dragged the three bodies together and gathered them in the center of the main room. He closed the doors and windows so that nothing could be seen from the outside.
Then he took the ashes from the stove and covered the large patches of blood on the floor.
He then pulled out two palm-sized pieces of Agarwood from his bosom and threw them into the stove to light. As a wisp of fragrance drifted out, Xu Huo nodded. He had discovered that there was a lot of this wood in this world, and for some reason, no one used it. It was perfect for masking the smell of blood.
Afterward, he went to the water jar in the corner, scooped out some cold water, and carefully washed the blood off his hands and the knife. Then he slowly and carefully poured the bloody water into the dirt in a corner of the courtyard.
He changed into Li Big Strong's "semi-new" coat. Although it was still tattered and oversized, it was at least better than his own.
After doing all this, he moved a bamboo chair to the center of the courtyard, looked at the chaotic night sky, and sat down calmly.
Charles's voice carried a hint of pleasure: "Excellent. Souls return to silence, and husks turn to dust. This is the destiny they deserve. As expected of the Genius me. Are you waiting for them?"
Xu Huo responded calmly in his heart: "The contract is in hand, and the date is within these few days. Instead of wandering the wilderness like a stray dog, I might as well 'welcome' our 'Immortal Masters' here. They will surely like this 'meeting gift.' After all, an 'Immortal Sect' that buys and sells people looks like a demonic sect no matter how you view it."
"Jie, jie, jie, truly interesting. I can't wait to see what the extraordinary power of this world is like." Charles's voice was full of twisted pleasure.
Xu Huo did not answer Charles. He just leaned back slightly and casually placed the deed of sale on his lap.