Heavenly Star

“This place is sealed off, right?” Ye Wuchen asked.

“Yes. It’s surrounded by an invisible barrier. Anything can come in, but nothing can go out. It’s strong, strong enough that even all of us together can’t break through. Just now I was waving for you guys not to come in…back then my grandfather’s grandfather and all the others fell here, and were trapped here forever. But it might not be all bad. My grandfather mentioned once that the mysterious force that saved his grandfather seemed to have something to do with the barrier. If this is true, then without the barrier I wouldn’t exist.” He gazed at Ye Wuchen. “You’re the first outsider I’ve ever seen in my life. In the beginning I was pretty freaked out. I thought I was seeing things.”

“But from now on you guys can only stay here just like me. See…”

Walking and talking, they quickly left the forest. Before them appeared neatly plowed land. Each section was full of all kinds of fruits and vegetables. Some of them were only peeking out, while others were fully grown. All the seasons here were the same, so that they could naturally choose to farm any time of the year. In the distance, they could see a few figures at work.

“This is our land and garden. There are many places like this so that although we can never leave, we’ll never be hungry. Ahead is where we live. My grandfather, father, and many uncles, brothers, and sisters all live there. Even further is another forest. Many big animals dwell there. If we’re bored, we go and hunt them so that we’ll have meat for ourselves.” Gong Luo explained all of this to the two of them enthusiastically. After so long in this closed-off world, the people inside relied on each other for existence. The young people here had never encountered true evil, so even when they suddenly bumped into outsiders like Ye Wuchen they didn’t know to be cautious. Instead they were excited. To them, there was also no such thing as a secret in this perpetually closed world.

“Everyone here has their own tasks to do. My brother, you must be tired now. I’ll help you get back and rest.” Hearing the heavy breathing by his ear become more intense, Gong Luo knew that Ye Wuchen’s current state couldn’t wait only more. He tried to decrease the weight that Ye Wuchen had on the ground, carefully walking toward his dwelling.

“Sorry for making you work like this.”

“Hey! It’s nothing, don’t be so polite.” Gong Luo answered casually.

The further they walked, the more people there were in the distance. A middle-aged woman greeted them from afar, “Three, you’re back so soon…who are these two!” Suddenly seeing two unfamiliar faces, the woman was clearly shocked.

This woman had a hoe on her shoulder. She was barefooted, dressed in coarse fabric, and had a large bone structure. Soil still stuck to her, and she looked just like a normal farmer who had just gotten home from the land. But even as she walked toward them quickly, her feet left no traces in the soft soil. Ye Wuchen felt a chill run through his heart. A twenty-year old man had horrifying amounts of power, and a completely ordinary farmer also showed shocking amounts of skill. What kind of monsters were all the people here!

“Auntie Chun, these two fell from above and walked in here accidentally. I’m taking them to see Grandpa.” Gong Luo explained to her.

“Hello, auntie, my name is Ye Wuchen. This is my sister Ning Xue.” Ye Wuchen responded with a polite smile. The middle-aged woman before him made him feel very comfortable as well. He couldn’t sense any negative emotions on her.

“Hello auntie,” Ning Xue imitated her brother, waving her small hand shyly.

Auntie Chun looked them up and down before issuing a low exclamation. “My dear, in my life I’ve never seen anyone from outside…hm?” Her eyes flashed and she stepped before Ye Wuchen, hands pressing into his chest like Gong Luo had, and withdrawing them. “This, this…child, you’ve suffered a lot, someone forcing you to jump. Poor child, don’t worry. No one will pick on you anymore here. Three, don’t just help him along when he’s in this state. Come, I’ll carry you.”

Only after he was scolded lightly did Gong Luo begin to think properly again. He patted his head and smiled apologetically. “Ah, look how dumb I am. I’ll carry him instead, Auntie.”

Without waiting for a response for Ye Wuchen, he hoisted him up onto his back with a light movement of his hands. “Auntie Chun, you can go back to work. I’ll be seeing Grandpa soon.”

“Work? It’s been years here and finally something big has happened. How could I keep working? Come on, little girl, I’ll take you there.” Auntie Chun picked Ning Xue up enthusiastically, petting her white hair sneakily without leaving a trace. When she and Gong Luo started walking together, their speed seemed almost lightning quick.

The closer they got to a residential area, the more people there were. No matter children or adults, everyone reacted like they were seeing an alien and put down whatever they were doing to run behind them. Ye Wuchen was a bit exasperated at the whole thing. What surprised him more was that despite Gong Luo and Auntie Chun’s speed, none of the others struggled to keep up or fell behind. They even chatted in excitement as they ran, or asked random questions.

The people here were monsters indeed.

“Look, this is a spinning wheel we made ourselves. It weaves very comfortable fabric that can be dyed into all sorts of pretty colors.” When they finally reached the residential area, Gong Luo started his enthusiastic explanations again. Talking about the outdated spinning wheel, he seemed proud and excited. To him it seemed like the most amazing thing in the world.

“Three, pipe down a bit. Have you seen what kind of clothing they’re wearing? I’m surprised you’re not ashamed.” Auntie Chun said with a laugh. Ye Wuchen was no longer wearing the white robes that had gotten threadbare within the past two years, but a princely garment storied within the sword deity ring. Even the fabric itself was more than a regular family could afford. Auntie Chun had been staring at his outfit for so long that she was almost drooling, thinking, “What a beautiful outfit! If only San Luzi at home could have one for his wedding.”

Gong Luo flushed, glancing down at his own animal skin clothing and then at Ye Wuchen’s obviously expensive clothes before smiling in embarrassment.

Ye Wuchen and Ning Xue’s arrival was a huge event in this tiny world. Everyone who heard the news flooded from their houses or from the surrounding areas, crowding around them as if they were looking at a monster. There were men and women alike, some so old that they could barely walk with a cane, and children so little that you could push them over with a finger. All of their eyes were bright, as if stars sparkled within them.

After some rough calculation, Ye Wuchen realized that even just the people here numbered in the three hundreds.

The world that had been so neat and orderly became rowdy, as if everyone was going to market. Gong Luo put Ye Wuchen down and waved his hands, shouting, “Everyone quiet down, this young brother isn’t in good shape. I’m delivering him to Grandpa to take a look. If anyone has anything to say, can we talk about it later?”

Gong Luo seemed to command a great deal of respect here. After he spoke, the chaotic atmosphere immediately quieted down. All the curious gazes turned into ones of concern. Ning Xue still stayed glued to Ye Wuchen, hands clutching at him. She rarely interacted with outsiders and had been excluded by many of them. Now that she was faced with so many of them, she was naturally unsettled.

The crowd parted, and a kind-looking old man walked out. The moment he stood out, the atmosphere immediately changed. Everyone’s expressions turned into ones of respect. It was easy enough to see that he must be the leader here, like the mayor of a small town. Every group needed a respectable leader, almost as if a natural principle. Ye Wuchen spoke with a smile, “Sir, I accidentally stumbled into these grounds and have caused a lot of trouble for you already.”

The old man didn’t ask anything. He had probably heard all he needed to know from the people talking around him. Hearing Ye Wuchen speak, he chuckled. “My son, our existence is unknown to others, and rarely do we have visitors. The fact that you appear here means that it must be dictated by the heavens. We’re too busy getting excited to worry about being troubled. In the future we’re all one family, so I don’t want you to say anything like that again.”

When he spoke, no one around interrupted, but nodded along to his words. None of them showed disgust or hesitation. Ye Wuchen couldn’t help but be in awe. “I was exaggerating. I’m sure that this will become another home to me.”

The old man chuckled again. “That’s what I like to hear.” With that, his eyes grew serious and he stepped forward. “Here, let me take a look at your body.”

“Grandpa, Brother Ye’s condition is very serious. You need to think of something. Where are my parents?” Gong Luo asked.

“They’re out hunting and haven’t returned.” The old man responded, pressing his hand against Ye Wuchen’s chest. A hot yet comforting wave of energy began to travel through his whole body. Whether it was Gong Luo or Auntie Chun just now or this old man, their innate energy carried a similar heat. In comparison, this old man’s level was way beyond that of Gong Luo’s. After a short inspection, he withdrew his hand, brows furrowed tight. When he spoke again, he sounded thoughtful. “My son, you probably didn’t expect to survive either.”

“Yes. Thankfully the heavens were merciful, and I managed to survive.” Saying this, his hand closed tight around Ning Xue’s.