The area outside was more lively than Yan Shouyi had imagined. Upon learning of Yan Chou's return, the villagers, led by the village chief, came to greet him.
Compared to Yan Chou, Yan Shouyi was still young. Previously, the villagers had mostly visited Yan Shouyi. However, they showed much more respect towards Yan Chou.
The old village chief held Yan Chou's hand, refusing to let go. Perhaps reminded of Yan Shouyi's grandfather, the old chief wept profusely for quite some time.
When the villagers saw Yan Shouyi appear, they gathered around him again, showering him with words of gratitude. Those villagers who had escaped only later learned that Yan Shouyi had braved the mountains to rescue them. Their gratitude towards him now was indescribable.
"I always said that Shouyi has inherited his grandfather's legacy and will surely achieve great things in the future!"
"Shouyi, if it weren't for you this time, I would have perished on that mountain!"
"What happened to that Boss Zhou? Did you get revenge for us?"
Yan Shouyi knew that if he explained the specifics, the villagers might not understand.
So, he summarized, "Boss Zhou and his accomplices are all dead. There's no chance for you to get revenge. I've arranged for people to perform a ritual for our villagers who died unjustly in the mountains, guiding their souls to reincarnate, so they won't become lonely spirits."
The villagers listened and expressed their gratitude again.
Then, Yan Shouyi changed the subject, "However, villagers, although Boss Zhou and his gang are dead and everyone has returned to the village, it doesn't mean you are safe. You know what lies in those mountains… Tonight, before dawn tomorrow, it's best for everyone to stay at home. No matter what sounds you hear, do not go outside. My father and I will resolve the threat in the mountains and bring a safe Chenjia Village back to you all!"
Originally, Yan Shouyi was worried that his battle with Jiang Wusheng would endanger innocent villagers.
So, he took this opportunity to remind everyone to stay indoors, lest they be caught in the crossfire.
The villagers of Chenjia Village trusted Yan Shouyi implicitly. The old village chief immediately said, "Everyone stay home tonight. If anyone goes out and courts death, don't blame anyone else!"
The villagers repeatedly shook their heads, especially after witnessing the terror of the snake ghost. They were unwilling to face it again.
They thought Yan Shouyi was going to deal with the snake ghost, unaware that the snake ghost was already dead. The enemy tonight was infinitely more terrifying than the snake ghost.
Yan Chou observed from the side. He noticed that his son had grown by more than just a little.
Even when facing an enemy like Jiang Wusheng, Yan Shouyi displayed rare composure. He had considered many things, including the safety of the villagers.
Once the pleasantries with the villagers were mostly concluded, Yan Shouyi approached Yan Chou and quietly asked,
"Dad, shall we go now?"
"Mm."
Yan Chou unhurriedly stood up and called for the Dog Taoist and Miao Ji.
Seeing the father and son preparing for an important matter, the villagers naturally did not obstruct them. They watched as the group left the courtyard.
After leaving the village, Yan Shouyi couldn't help but ask, "Dad, did you and Grandma visit Grandpa?"
"We did. The tombstone is carved nicely," Yan Chou replied, smoking a cigarette.
"And Grandma, the elder..."
"She wanted to spend some time alone with Grandpa, so I temporarily left Yin Mu by Grandpa's tomb and had San Yuan protect her there."
This put Yan Shouyi's mind at ease.
He then asked, "Where is the true form of the Zanpakuto?"
Yan Chou stopped walking and turned around, facing Chenjia Village.
Chenjia Village lay at the foot of Yanqian Mountain, a bare and immense stone mountain that seemed to loom over the village, adorned only with unsightly vines.
Yan Chou said, "The feng shui of Chenjia Village isn't particularly good, but do you know why my grandfather and I, after traveling all over, chose to settle here?"
Yan Shouyi pondered for a moment and replied,
"Perhaps, the feng shui of Chenjia Village is only average now, but many years ago, it was very good?"
Yan Chou raised an eyebrow, "What makes you say that?"
"I only suspected it before, but after learning that Uncle Jiang's mountain had a King Jian's tomb, I became quite certain of this idea," Yan Shouyi analyzed. "Firstly, King Jian was glorious in his time. He wouldn't have buried himself in an ordinary feng shui location after death. Therefore, during King Jian's era, Chenjia Village's feng shui must have been exceptionally good."
"But our Jianzhou is located on the edge of an earthquake zone, so it would have been affected. Thus, after a thousand years, due to geographical changes, Chenjia Village's feng shui was hidden."
"Based on my estimations, I've restored the ancient feng shui of Chenjia Village and discovered that Chenjia Village is connected to the Wuyi Mountains. Moreover, Yanqian Mountain likely sits at the 'dragon's eye' position within the Wuyi dragon vein. If Chenjia Village's feng shui was like this in the past... it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a dragon vein! This is a true treasure of feng shui!"
After hearing Yan Shouyi's analysis, the Dog Taoist couldn't help but applaud.
"Truly, the student surpasses the master, each generation stronger than the last! This brat, at such a young age, has such profound mastery of feng shui?"
Yan Shouyi humbly replied, "It's all thanks to King Jian's tomb. Otherwise, I wouldn't have thought in that direction."
Yan Chou did not offer false modesty. He believed his son should be this exceptional. If Yan Shouyi hadn't grasped this point, he would have been displeased.
After analyzing Chenjia Village's feng shui, Yan Shouyi also roughly guessed the reason behind Yan Chou's question. He tentatively asked,
"Dad, so you chose Chenjia Village back then because of its feng shui? But does this have anything to do with the Zanpakuto? ... Could it be that Chenjia Village's feng shui was used to suppress the Zanpakuto?"
The more Yan Shouyi thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Correspondingly, his understanding of the Zanpakuto was completely refreshed.
What kind of terrifying power did a blade require a former dragon vein to suppress possess?
Yan Chou saw that Yan Shouyi had already guessed what he intended to say, so he didn't bother with further explanations. Instead, he pointed to the stone mountain behind Chenjia Village and said,
"At the summit of the stone mountain, there is a cave concealed by vines. Inside are two dragon and tiger statues, created by your grandfather's good friend, Zhang Shantong. Those statues are extraordinary. The essence of dragon and tiger from Longhu Mountain is sealed within, used to suppress the Zanpakuto. To obtain the Zanpakuto, you must pass the dragon and tiger's trial."
A trial from Longhu Mountain?
Yan Shouyi's expression turned serious and focused. He had initially thought obtaining the Zanpakuto would be as simple as finding it and picking it up.
Longhu Mountain was a sacred Taoist site, and the essence of dragon and tiger was the very foundation of its teachings. How could passing such a trial be easy?
But Yan Shouyi did not falter. He looked towards the summit of the stone mountain, his gaze resolute.
The Zanpakuto would be his, without a doubt!