The Art of Chaotic Divinity

Chapter 374: The Xuanwu Cave!

After a long while, Ling Feng managed to stabilize Jingjing's soul and vigor using his golden needles. With a good night's rest, she should recover and be fine by morning.

Handing Jingjing back to her mother, Ling Feng breathed a sigh of relief and said calmly, "Auntie, let Jingjing rest for now."

"Thank you, Mr. Ling Feng, thank you so much!" Jiang Xiaofan's mother cradled her daughter and looked gratefully at Ling Feng.

Though the Xuanwu Village had suffered a devastating blow, and her husband had tragically lost his life, the hope of her daughter's recovery was a rare piece of good news amidst the calamity.

Ling Feng turned to Jiang Xiaofan and said, "Xiaofan, take good care of your mother and sister."

Jiang Xiaofan nodded vigorously, tears streaming down his face once again.

His mother, with tears in her eyes, said, "Xiaofan, you've found a good big brother."

After treating Jingjing's condition, Ling Feng looked around at the villagers huddled in the cave. He then took out several porcelain bottles from his storage ring. They contained common medicinal pills called Bigu[1] Pills.

Bigu Pills weren't high-tier, but they were very practical. Even regular martial practitioners couldn't completely go without food. A single Bigu Pill could stave off hunger for over half a month and maintain a person's energy. Therefore, these pills were essential for martial artists on long missions.

"Here, take these Bigu Pills and share them among yourselves. It looks like many of you haven't eaten in a long time. These pills aren't flavorful, but they will help you get through this."

"Thank you! Thank you so much!"

The villagers, who were already weak from hunger, quickly divided the pills among themselves.

Lin Xian'er and Yun Yiyi also took out their own Bigu Pills and some food, distributing them to the villagers in the cave.

Revitalized by the food and pills, the villagers began to regain their strength and spirit. The presence of Ling Feng and his companions brought them a glimmer of hope.

Seeing how efficiently Ling Feng had calmed and organized the villagers, Gu Tengfeng nodded approvingly. He then said, "Ling Feng, stay here and protect everyone. I'll go scout around the village and see if I can find any traces of the demon."

Ling Feng hesitated for a moment but realized that the villagers indeed needed someone to stay with them. He nodded and responded, "Alright, be quick and stay safe."

"I'll go too," Yun Yiyi volunteered, biting her lip. "I'm a part of the team, and I haven't done much so far. I'll go with the captain to search for clues."

"Okay," Gu Tengfeng agreed. Yun Yiyi, as a sky-tier student, had considerable strength.

Jiang Xiaofan wanted to join them but knew he needed to stay and take care of his mother and sister. He swallowed his impulse and said, "Captain, please, be careful."

Gu Tengfeng nodded and said, "We will." He and Yun Yiyi then left the cave to investigate.

According to the villagers, the murderer was a strange man wearing a demon mask. He had arrived in Xuanwu Village a couple of days ago and slaughtered hundreds of innocent people.

This information matched perfectly with the details provided in the demon slaying mission issued by Tianwei Academy, confirming that they were on the right track.

The one who massacred Xuanwu Village was indeed their target, the Demon-Masked Man!

Based on his previous patterns, after annihilating a village, the Demon-Masked Man would usually linger in the vicinity to practice his demonic arts. Therefore, he was likely still around the area, and they could find valuable clues.

About half an hour after Gu Tengfeng and Yun Yiyi left to scout, Jingjing, Jiang Xiaofan's sister, slowly woke up.

Thanks to Ling Feng's treatment, light returned to the little girl's eyes. However, she still seemed frightened and was unable to forget the horrors she had witnessed.

"Mother..." Jingjing called out softly, causing her mother, who was watching over her at the bedside, to burst into tears of joy.

"Jingjing!" Her mother hugged her tightly with tears streaming down her face.

This was the first time in days that her daughter had spoken!

"Jingjing, you're finally okay!" Jiang Xiaofan also leaned in, forcing a smile through his own tears.

"Brother, you're back... finally..." Jingjing clung to Jiang Xiaofan's sleeve. He had been away at Tianwei Academy for his studies for six whole months since leaving Xuanwu Village.

Ling Feng and Lin Xian'er entered the small cave and smiled warmly upon seeing Jingjing's recovery.

Jingjing, noticing Ling Feng, lowered her head shyly and whispered, "I'm sorry, Big Brother."

She remembered biting Ling Feng's hand earlier and felt embarrassed.

"Don't worry about it. Big Brother's skin is tough," Ling Feng said with a smile, patting Jingjing gently on the head. He then took a closer look at the cave, noticing the stone table and bed that were both well-crafted.

It puzzled him how ordinary villagers could dig out such a tunnel. Moreover, Jiang Xiaofan had mentioned earlier that this place was the ancestral tomb.

Curious, Ling Feng asked, "Xiaofan, when was this tunnel built?"

"Uh..." Jiang Xiaofan scratched his head and glanced at his mother, unsure of whether to speak or not.

Seeing his hesitation, his mother sighed, "Given our current situation, there's no need to keep secrets. Besides, this big brother saved Jingjing's life. Since he wants to know, just tell him."

"Alright." Jiang Xiaofan nodded. "Actually, my grandfather told me that our ancestors have lived here for over a thousand years. This tunnel was built by them."

"A thousand years..." Ling Feng touched his nose, realizing that Jiang Xiaofan's family history was more complex than it seemed.

"This cave is actually part of the Xuanwu Cave, and our village is named after it," Jiang Xiaofan continued, suddenly remembering something. "Big Brother, I want to show you a place. It's the most mysterious part of Xuanwu Cave. My grandfather took me there once in the past. It seems to hide some secrets."

"Really?" Ling Feng pondered for a moment but then shook his head. "If it's a family secret, perhaps it's not appropriate for an outsider like me to know."

"It's fine. Mr. Ling, you should go with Xiaofan," his mother encouraged while gently stroking Jingjing's hair.

"Yes, Big Brother! To me, you're already like my real brother," Jiang Xiaofan added earnestly.

Seeing the sincerity in Xiaofan's eyes, Ling Feng decided not to be overly modest. He couldn't deny his curiosity about the Xuanwu Cave.

Lin Xian'er, though intrigued, hesitated to impose. But then, Jiang Xiaofan turned to her and said, "Senior Sister Lin, you should come too."

"Uh..." Lin Xian'er blinked in surprise but quickly nodded, "Alright!"

With that, the three of them followed Jiang Xiaofan as he led them to the mysterious Xuanwu Cave left by his ancestors.

1. *From the web: Bigu is a Daoist fasting technique interpreted as avoiding grains in the Encyclopedia of China. ☜