[Vol. 6] Chapter 5: The Blood of the Origin Vein and the Spirit Veil Quest for Immortality
After a round of conversation, Violet finally gained a rough understanding of Zengjia Village and the surrounding area.
This was a remote village located in Yangyuan County, in the southern region of Western Origin Spirit Kingdom.
In Western Origin Spirit Kingdom, which revered ancestral bloodlines, it was common for villages to form around clusters of a hundred or so families with the sa surna. Villages like Zengjia, with a population of around 100 households, were scattered around, with the nearest major city, Yangyuan City, serving as their center. Across the region, there were likely hundreds of such villages.
The cities of Western Origin Spirit Kingdom followed a hierarchical structure: villages supported towns, towns supported cities, and the cities, in turn, collectively safeguarded the kingdom’s central capital.
Although Zeng Xianzhi was a native of Zengjia Village, his position as the village chief wasn’t a result of local election or hereditary succession. Instead, he was officially appointed by the magistrate of Yangyuan City and held a properly registered governnt position recognized by the kingdom’s capital.
*A minor official is still an official, after all…*
Though he didn’t elaborate in detail, Violet could infer from his words that his backstory likely followed a pattern she was familiar with: ‘As a child, the villagers pooled their resources to send him to study in the city. After completing his education, he willingly returned to take on the role of village chief, repaying their kindness.’
If this were true, Zeng Xianzhi could indeed be considered soone who valued gratitude over wealth. While his formal education might have made him adopt a slightly scholarly tone in official settings, he remained inherently simple and easy to get along with.
As for this place… it confird her earlier suspicions: this land was indeed the [Ancient Spirit Realm].
Although Zeng Xianzhi was just a small village chief, his experiences studying in Yangyuan City’s academy had exposed him to knowledge beyond the common villager’s grasp. During their conversation, Violet subtly probed for confirmation, and Zeng Xianzhi verified the na without hesitation.
“Miss… Violet, is it? Your na is truly unique, and your hair, so perfectly black… You must not be a local, correct?”
“Black hair?”
The priestess unconsciously tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear as she glanced sideways, a hint of curiosity in her eyes.
“Why emphasize black hair specifically? Does it hold so special aning?”
In their earlier conversation, Violet had provided a fabricated background for herself: she claid to have spent her life in seclusion, training in the mountains since childhood, with no exposure to the outside world. Now, having achieved so progress in her cultivation, she had decided to venture beyond the mountains for experience.
This wasn’t because Violet had any intention of concealing her true identity, but rather because Zeng Xianzhi’s limited knowledge made overcomplicating her story pointless. After all, her primary objective was simply to gather information.
According to the village chief’s description, although his personal encounters with such individuals were rare, it was clear that this continent was ho to extraordinary individuals who are different from ordinary people. If Violet could confirm that this was indeed the holand of figures like Mr. Dead Soul and his colleagues, she could use the situation at the Spirit Veil rchant Guild as a reference point to deduce the general outline of the power system here.
Whether they were called cultivators, seekers of immortality, or sothing else entirely didn’t matter. What mattered was crafting a plausible explanation for her sudden appearance and her apparent ignorance of the local surroundings.
“Hmm… Miss Violet doesn’t understand the significance of black hair? Does that an you’re also unsure of your origins?”
“Well… I suppose you could say that,” she replied nonchalantly.
A brief flash of surprise crossed Zeng Xianzhi’s face, but he quickly shook his head with a resigned smile and patiently began to explain.
“Our [Ancient Spirit Realm] is vast and fertile, divided into four major nations: Western Origin Spirit Kingdom, the Southern Origin Sacred Kingdom, the Northern Origin Cosmic Kingdom, and the Eastern Origin Mysterious Kingdom.”
“The four nations of the [Ancient Spirit Realm] occupy over ninety percent of the land and were established by the legendary First Four Saints, who bestowed their blessings and protection upon these lands.”
“The power of the Four Saints pervades every corner of the four nations, shielding us from evil threats and plagues. Over ti, this power has gradually beco ingrained in the bloodlines of the four nations, transforming us into four distinct branches with variations in appearance and hair color.”
As he spoke, Zeng Xianzhi gestured toward his hair ornant.
“You see, people from our Western Origin Spirit Kingdom are mostly under the protection of the [Spirit Saint], and over ti, our hair color has evolved to be predominantly gray or darker shades. In contrast, the people of the Southern Origin Sacred Kingdom, influenced by the [Origin Saint], tend to have brighter hair with a golden hue.”
“According to the ‘Chronicles of the Four Nations and Saints’, over a thousand years ago, when the Four Saints descended to vanquish demons and bring peace to the chaos, the [Ancient Spirit Realm] was not yet divided into four nations. Back then, all people belonged to a single lineage, known as the [Origin Vein], which was considered a symbol of purity and primal origins.”
“And the most distinctive characteristic of the [Origin Vein] was black hair.”
“…So, what makes this [Origin Vein] special?”
“Special? Nothing at all.”
“?”
Seeing the black-haired girl tilt her head with a perplexed expression that seed to say, “Are you joking?”, the village chief chuckled again, sowhat helplessly.
“The [Origin Vein] is just the [Origin Vein], a na, nothing more. Why must it have so extraordinary trait? Having the Origin Vein simply indicates that a person’s lineage is ancient and unbroken, stretching back over a thousand years… a heritage of enduring continuity.”
“Of course, if you must find sothing remarkable about it, the ability to maintain an unaltered, primal bloodline over a millennium and pass it down to the present day is, in itself, quite extraordinary. In truth, the [Origin Vein] is now extrely rare. Particularly soone like Miss Violet, with such flawless, pure black hair. This is sothing I have never encountered in my life.”
“Alright then…”
It was clear that this village chief had done his utmost to share all the information he knew. Considering she was a complete stranger of unknown origin, his openness was a rare courtesy. There was no need to push him too hard.
Though she didn’t expect much, Violet decided it was worth asking.
“Then, have you heard of a place called [Spirit Veil Immortal Island]?”
At her words, Zeng Xianzhi froze montarily, his expression slightly stunned.
Violet had assud that sothing so secretive would be entirely beyond the knowledge of a low-ranking village chief. She was already prepared to drop the subject, but to her surprise, Zeng Xianzhi chuckled and shook his head.
“Miss Violet, are you joking with ? The na [Spirit Veil], who in the [Ancient Spirit Realm] wouldn’t know it? Even soone as rough and simple as Uncle Zeng Zhuang in the village grew up hearing tales of the Immortal Island.”
“Oh…?”
The unexpected response caused the black-haired girl to raise an eyebrow in interest.
After a brief mont of thought, Zeng Xianzhi turned around and retrieved a slightly worn, tiworn, and bookmarked ancient to from the bookshelf behind him. He placed it on the table in front of Violet.
Violet glanced at the text on the cover, but she couldn’t understand the [Ancient Spirit Realm]’s script. Maintaining her act, she looked up and gave him an inquiring gaze.
“[The Spirit Veil Quest for Immortality], they say this was written hundreds of years ago by a great figure from our Western Origin Spirit Kingdom who once set foot on the Immortal Island. While I can’t guarantee the contents are entirely factual, it should provide so useful insights. Consider it my gift to you, Miss Violet.”
“A gift… for ?”
Violet frowned slightly but didn’t reach for the book. She was well aware of the saying, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” For soone she had just t to go to such lengths seed excessive, no matter how she thought about it.
Noticing her hesitation, Zeng Xianzhi didn’t seem offended. He simply sat back down across from her and smiled.
“I’m thirty-two this year and have served as the village chief for ten years. I’d like to think I’ve seen a fair bit of the world. But I can confidently say that, even counting the ti I spent studying in Yangyuan City, your beauty and bearing, Miss Violet, are unmatched among all the won I’ve ever encountered.”
“A gentleman appreciates beauty, I won’t deny that part of this gesture is an attempt to please soone as extraordinary as yourself. But there’s another, more important reason.”
Zeng Xianzhi’s tone grew more sincere as he continued, “I can tell that you’re no ordinary person, Miss Violet. From the mont we t, you’ve carried yourself with an air of aloof detachnt, like soone far removed from this world, high above the clouds, keeping others at a distance.”
“But when the topic turned to the Immortal Island, I noticed a subtle trace of tension in your expression, sothing not easily detected. I imagine there must be sothing there of particular importance to you, correct?”
Zeng Xianzhi patted the cover of the ancient book and sighed softly.
“I am well aware that you are no ordinary individual, Miss Violet. To have the honor of eting you today is a blessing for . While this [The Spirit Veil Quest for Immortality] is rare in the market, it isn’t particularly valuable.”
“So, why not give it to you? In the future, if you ever happen to read this book and recall having t soone nad Zeng Xianzhi, a humble village chief, that would be enough for .”
“Is that so…”
The reasoning wasn’t too abrupt. Nodding slightly, Violet chose to skip over the slightly awkward part of the conversation. She shifted her gaze to the neatly organized desk in front of the scholar. The translation device she wore on her ear could only convert spoken language, so the script used in the [Ancient Spirit Realm] was still incomprehensible to her.
However, the reason behind the village chief’s desk work was likely related to the items laid out there.
“Speaking of which, you ntioned earlier to Zeng Zhuang about so preparations. May I ask what they’re for? As a gesture of thanks for this book, perhaps I could offer so assistance within my abilities.”
This didn’t seem to be a secret. Zeng Xianzhi nodded and opened his mouth to explain.
“Actually…”
But at that mont—
The wooden door of the hut was once again knocked on, this ti with an unusually forceful and abrupt rhythm. It seed that Zeng Zhuang had returned. His booming voice suddenly filled the room!
“Village Chief! Village Chief, it’s urgent! You need to co outside right now! Ergouzi has been possessed!”
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