14 Chapter 14 : Mystery

Chapter 14 : Mystery

Jiang Lei's voice was trembling while asking.

"Where... where did the monster go?" Jiang Lei's voice was weak, but his voice had an urgency to understand what had happened after he lost consciousness.

Bai Zheng exchanged a glance with the villagers in the room before addressing Jiang Lei. "It disappeared without a trace. We scoured every inch of the surrounding area, but it is as if it had evaporated into thin air."

Jiang Lei furrowed his brow in confusion. "Disappeared...?"

Jiang Lei's face turned serious. "I need to know more. I need to understand what happened."

For Jiang Lei, he and the monster were already life-and-death enemies. Either he would survive, or the monster would.

If he didn't find the monster and let it get healed, then what would await him was certain death.

Elder Bai Zheng nodded understandingly. "Rest easy, we will continue to investigate."

Jiang Lei felt relieved listening this, he said with a smile, "Thank you all for everything. And please, keep me informed if you discover anything."

The villagers nodded in agreement, their admiration for Jiang Lei evident in their expressions. They understand the gravity of the current situation, and they don't dare to be idle.

As the conversation continued, many of the villagers asked questions about Jiang Lei, to know more about him. One of them, a middle-aged woman named Mei, spoke up.

"We have been remiss in our manners, brave warrior," Mei said with a warm smile. ""We didn't introduce ourselves nor did we ask for your name."

Jiang Lei returned her smile, grateful for their care. "My name is Jiang Lei."

"Jiang Lei!"

His name was whispered reverently among the villagers, with their admiring eyes. Elder Bai Zheng nodded approvingly, recognizing the introduction

"Hero Jiang," a young man named Zhang asked, "If I may ask, how did you end up in our village?"

"It's a long story. I was on a mission from the Azure Sky Sect. I needed Azure Points to participate in the annual inner competition, and the mission seemed manageable enough."

"I was under the impression that the beast terrorizing your village was a first-level Qi Condensation Realm creature. I thought it was challenging but feasible task,Therefore, I decided to take up this task at hand."

A few villagers exchanged glanced at each other, they got hold of the situation through Jiang Lei's account of events. However, this also made them more thankful for actions Jiang Lei made for them.

"However"Jiang Lei continued, his tone filled with frustration, "I was misled. Information given by the sect was inaccurate. This beast was not a Qi practitioner—it was actually a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator, much more stronger than I had anticipated."

Elder Bai Zheng's brow furrowed.

"You..you faced a monster of the Foundation Establishment Realm alone?" Elder Bai Zheng's voice was full of fear.

""You are right. I underestimated the threat, and it nearly cost me my life. If not for your timely aid, my tale would have ended."

Once again, silent acknowledgments were exchanged, their admiration for Jiang Lei's bravery deepening.

Elder Bai Zheng's expression softened. "Your courage has saved us today. We owe you a debt we can never repay."

Jiang Lei's gaze shifted to meet Elder Bai Zheng's eyes. ""I might have faced the same fate had I not battled the monster. I fought for my survival as much as yours. You owe me nothing."

As the villagers looked at Jiang Lei, the sense of gratitude and respect grew stronger in their hearts. Jiang Lei's polite words only earned their appreciation, and they felt even more attached to the man, they don't know for more than two weeks.

Mei spoke once again, her eyes were filled with deeper admiration. "Regardless of your reasons, you risked your life for us. You saved our lives and this is an undeniable fact. We will be always grateful for your help."

"Thank you for taking care of me as well."

A thought flashed Jiang Lei's mind, and he turned his attention to Bai Zheng. "I'd heard that the monster had been terrorizing your village for a while. Why didn't you consider relocating to avoid the threat?"

Elder Bai Zheng's gaze turned somber listening this, his eyes reflecting his sadness and helplessness. "We've faced the monster's attacks twice before. Each time, we've seen destruction and the loss of loved ones in our village.We also don't wish for our children to be the monster's next meal, but we are helpless."

Bai Zheng continued with a heavy sigh, "we're trapped. There's a mysterious barrier that surrounds our village. It prevents us from leaving."

Jiang Lei's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "A barrier you say?"

"Yes," Bai Zheng confirmed. "It's as if an invisible wall encircles our village. Anyone from the outside can enter freely, but the villagers can't step beyond its boundaries."

"So you're confined to this village by the barrier." Jiang Lei asked with a discreet expression.

Bai Zheng nodded. "Exactly. We've tried countless times to breach the barrier, to escape the threat that has come upon us. But every attempt has been in vain."

Mei also spoke, her voice held a mixture of frustration and sadness. "We're prisoners in our own home, our lives dictated by a barrier we can't see or comprehend."

Jiang Lei could understand their feelings, he also felt empathy for them,"I understand your situation now. You're not just facing the monster's threat, but also a barrier that holds you captive."

Bai Zheng nodded gravely. "It was a fate we had come to accept, we were happy with all of us here, but now this monster..."

Bai Zheng sighed, he is feeling completely useless now, he is the head of the village but he can't do anything for his own villagers.

"Jiang Lei, you've been through a tough time. You should rest now; we won't disturb you anymore," Bai Zheng looked at Jiang Lei with kind face, we won't bother you anymore.

"Thank you, Elder Bai."

Bai Zheng stood up and signaled to the other villagers to leave the room. "Let's give him some space to recover," he told the villagers who were there.

With that, Bai Zheng led the villagers out of the room, leaving Jiang Lei alone. The events of the past days and weeks weighed on his mind, but the villagers' support provided comfort.

Mei, the woman who had spoken earlier, stayed near the door. "Should you require anything, Jiang Lei, do not hesitate to call upon us. We are here to help you."

Jiang Lei smiled appreciatively. "Thank you, Aunt Mei."

As Jiang Lei lay in the quiet of the room, his mind drifted to the situation at hand. He called up his system panel to check his current situation. With a subtle gesture, he accessed the Supreme Copy System, activating his panel.

The familiar interface materialized before his mind's eye, displaying the information he sought:

[System Panel]

Name: Supreme Copy System

Host: Jiang Lei

[Level]

Current Level: Mortal Realm Fifth layer

Experience Points: 0/100

Next Level: 100 Exp

[Abilities]

- Copy Limit: 5 times/month

- Copy Activation: Touch-based

- Copied Abilities: 1/5

[Skills] - Fire Burst Fist, Ember Steps

[Inventory] - A common-grade sword

[Quests]

- Current Quest: None

- Completed Quests: 1

"Congratulations, Master, on completing your first task and gaining one thousand system points."

[System Note]

System Points Usage:

1. Upgrade Skills: System Points can be used to enhance and upgrade your acquired skills, making them more potent and versatile.

2. Realm Improvement: System Points can also be utilized to aid in the advancement of your cultivation realm, allowing you to reach higher levels of power and mastery.

Use your earned System Points wisely.

[Special Abilities] - None