C16 The Sky of the Village Is about to Change

"Boss, that could belong to one of the major families..." Scar's brow furrowed as he hesitated.

"How much do you think we could fetch for it?" Lin Sanjin didn't pay any mind to Scar's concern, instead turning his attention to the gathered crowd.

The retail merchants who had been bustling about during the day were now huddled together inside the house. They listened to the exchange between the two men, utterly baffled, unsure of what was being discussed. They exchanged glances; Lin Sanjin commanded a formidable presence among them, prompting a few to respond.

"We wouldn't have to worry for the rest of our lives, right?"

"That's the Thunder Bloodline you're talking about. You're underselling it, aren't you? The city's bulletin boards are plastered with notices seeking it."

"Ha, I meant we all wouldn't have to worry for our next lives!"

Lin Sanjin, hearing the spirited debate that filled the room, nodded with satisfaction. He clapped his hands to capture everyone's attention and announced, "As valuable as the Thunder Bloodline is, we need to actually have it in our possession first. As luck would have it, I've discovered someone with the Thunder Bloodline right here in our village!"

The room fell into a hushed silence, which was quickly shattered by an even greater uproar, with many voicing their skepticism.

"I understand your reservations. Bloodlines are tied to noble families, and it seems unlikely for the Thunder Bloodline to emerge from such a destitute place," Lin Sanjin said, pausing to let his words sink in. "But what if he's not from around here? Some of you saw that young man at the dinner table, didn't you? It's clear to anyone with eyes that he's not a local."

"You're right, Boss. I remember him."

"Exactly. He's too refined, too well-groomed. He doesn't belong here."

"Boss, his candy was incredible. I've never tasted anything like it!"

Despite the excitement, there were voices of opposition and doubt. It was common knowledge what the Thunder Bloodline represented; its awakening traits were posted on every town's notice board. It was a rare bloodline sought after by the empire itself. How could these mere bandits hope to contend with a scion of a great family?

Lin Sanjin patted his belly and added, "That young man is indeed of the Thunder Bloodline. I've had it confirmed by several villagers. From what I can tell, he's definitely from a prominent family, albeit as an illegitimate child! The family must be unaware of his bloodline; otherwise, they would have already claimed him."

Only those from prestigious families might possess such fine bedding, and Lin Sanjin had seen it with his own eyes. He had no doubt about Lee Yu's status as a member of such a family, yet he suspected there was more to the story.

The Thunder Bloodline, so desperately sought after by the empire—how could it simply be left unattended? Lee Yu's continued presence in this godforsaken village suggested only one thing: the secret of the bloodline was known solely to the residents of Stone Village.

If Lee Yu were present, he'd surely be at a loss for words. What kind of wild speculation was this? He had simply signed up; there was no illustrious family behind him.

But the others in the room were oblivious to this. Lin Sanjin was confident in his conjecture. Surveying the room, he addressed the group, "Brothers, are we in on this? It's a big score. I'm all ears for your thoughts!"

"We follow your lead, Big Brother!" "You call the shots, Boss. Why ask us?"

"So, we..." Lin Sanjin relished the eager anticipation in the eyes of his comrades. He paused, then drew a finger across his throat, signaling, "No witnesses can remain."

The discussion on their next move ensued.

Moments later, a cough echoed from outside.

The lookouts entered the cabin with Mu Yinhua in tow. "What's everyone doing here? Dinner's ready," she remarked, puzzled by the hush that had fallen over the room. "Why the blank stares?"

"Right behind you," Lin Sanjin replied with a grin, escorting Mu Yinhua out. Once out of sight, he discreetly signaled with a wave of his hand.

Only a handful followed him out, while the rest remained behind, each citing a different excuse.

...

Lee Yu became a diligent little bee, tirelessly transporting three baskets full of ginseng back to Blue Star.

In this Otherworld, numerous plants surpassed ginseng in efficacy, explaining the locals' indifference toward it. Lee Yu could acquire those with superior properties, but he dared not take them to Blue Star.

Such items were unknown on Blue Star. Should Lee Yu attempt to capitalize on them for wealth, he'd likely fail to clear the stringent quality inspections.

After completing the move, Lee Yu still found time to tutor Huang Xiu in the living room upon his return to Blue Star.

In the Otherworld, Lee Yu lay on the wooden bed for a while before getting up. With no pressing tasks, he told Huang Xiu he needed to catch up on sleep and decided to visit the Otherworld to admire the night sky, lit by its two moons.

He ascended to the rooftop.

The starry expanse shone brightly, not just from the twin luminous moons, but also from the vibrant tapestry of stars—so different from Blue Star. As Lee Yu was about to capture the scene with his phone, he caught sight of thick smoke billowing from the buildings on the outskirts of Stone Village.

"Holy smokes, is that a fire?" Lee Yu was about to alert the villagers when he noticed smoke rising in another direction. With no time to ponder, he rushed down.

This wasn't Blue Star, after all. Here, the buildings were made of flammable materials. If the fire wasn't extinguished promptly, Stone Village could lose more than half of its structures.

"119, 119," Lee Yu tapped his phone and muttered, "There's no Blue Star emergency services in the Otherworld."

"Fire! We need to put out the fire!" Lee Yu shouted, taking action. Villagers quickly emerged, spotted the flames, and scrambled to fetch buckets and basins to fight the fire.

Coincidentally, it was lunchtime, and most Stone Village residents were home. The crowd surged towards the two ignition points.

"Something's off," Lee Yu mused, his brow furrowed. As he approached, he sensed an unusual anomaly.

The fire had spread significantly. Despite the area's relative isolation, there were still a few homes nearby. Had no one noticed the blaze?

The firefighting efforts were chaotic: some directed, others fetched water, and some fought the flames. The scene was a cacophony of disorder.

Lee Yu did his part, hauling two buckets of water from a nearby well. Despite the frantic scene, the collective effort of the villagers quickly brought the fire under control.

Taking a deep breath, Lee Yu charged into the burning house with his water. But he stumbled, and half the water in his bucket was gone before it could even reach the flames.

He glanced back, surveying the scene. The ground was littered with debris, likely the aftermath of others' frantic attempts to extinguish the fire, resulting in accidental chaos. Among the clutter, Lee Yu's gaze was drawn to a half-buried object under a cabinet.

It was human-shaped, with a faint scent of roasted meat.

"A body!" he realized, his eyes instinctively scanning the form.

This was Lee Yu's first encounter with a corpse. Though terrified, he couldn't help but look closer, wondering if he'd ever seen this person before. His mind raced with wild thoughts, but they were irrelevant now. Another person burst in with water, stepping on the corpse and inadvertently flipping it over with the force of their foot.

The face, charred by the fire's touch, was unrecognizable, transformed into a blackened mask. Even if he had known the person, identification was now impossible.

What did human flesh taste like? Surely it couldn't taste like crispy chicken, could it?

Lee Yu's mind wandered to a humorous expression from Blue Star, but his body reacted with more urgency. Dropping the cumbersome water bucket, he dashed outside, yelling as he went, "There's a dead body! There's a dead body!"

Meanwhile, more bodies were discovered in other houses. The volunteers who had come to fight the fire exchanged uneasy glances. An authoritative elderly man with a cane scrutinized the bodies laid out before him.

"Knife wounds. Quickly, call Elder Mu. The rest of you, get the armor and weapons ready!" he commanded with an icy tone.

Lee Yu, stepping outside, overheard the elder's instructions. Suddenly, the odd behavior of the retail merchants made sense, and he grasped the strangeness he had sensed from them.

"Big changes are coming to this village," Lee Yu whispered to himself.

What lay ahead? Lee Yu was curious but fearful of delving too deep into his thoughts. If such anomalies were already surfacing, how much more bloodshed was yet to come?