Chapter 78: Chapter 78 Alone in a Foreign Land as a Stranger
New Year’s Eve, heavy snow.

When the shen hour struck, Wang Chen made his way to the kitchen to start cooking.

New Year’s Eve dinner.

He first steamed a pot half-filled with white rice, then fried some cured pork with dried tofu and braised winter bamboo shoots in oil, followed by a big bowl of egg drop soup, and finally, a clay pot of stewed Monster Beast meat that had been simmering for a long time.

Three dishes, one soup, one rice.

It wasn’t lavish, but it was enough to soothe Wang Chen’s lonely soul at the moment.

He had not been in this world for even a year.

But it felt as if a century had passed.

Memories of his past life grew fainter in his mind, now deeply buried in his heart.

But today was a special day.

In his previous life, every Spring Festival, no matter where Wang Chen was, he would return to his parents’ side.

To spend the New Year with his family.

On New Year’s Eve, his mother would use all her cooking skills to prepare a table full of delicious dishes that made one’s mouth water.

Home-cooked yellow croaker, braised bone club, steamed dragon prawns, salted roast chicken…

And the essential pork and cabbage dumplings!

The family would gather around the dining table, listening to the crackling of fireworks outside the window, feasting together.

At this time, dad would take out his treasured Moutai liquor and have a drink with Wang Chen.

The younger sister, who loved to challenge him as she grew up, would also become very well-behaved.

The condition was that the red envelope Wang Chen stuffed was thick enough.

As for the younger brother…

Err, he couldn’t remember anymore.

And now, Wang Chen could only eat alone with his loneliness.

If loneliness were to be graded on a scale of ten,

How many levels would eating New Year’s Eve dinner alone in a different world be?

He ate all the dishes without leaving a scrap.

Not a single grain of rice was wasted.

After finishing the quiet New Year’s Eve dinner, the snow outside had stopped.

Wang Chen cleaned up the dishes, took a broom, and swept away all the snow in the courtyard and on the roof.

Tonight, he had no inclination to cultivate.

Sitting on the rooftop, Wang Chen gazed at the fireworks blossoming in the distant sky.

Those were spells and fireworks set off by the prominent families in Cloud Mountain City to celebrate the New Year, visible from a hundred miles away.

Very beautiful.

But Wang Chen only felt lonelier.

All alone in a foreign land.

Without experiencing this profound loneliness oneself, it is impossible to truly understand the essence of that poem.

Suddenly, a paper crane “flapped” its way in front of him.

Wang Chen was startled for a moment before reaching out to catch and unfold the paper crane.

To his surprise, the Crane Message was written by Wei Lian.

The girl expressed in the letter that she and Wei Xiong were doing well at the Xie Residence.

The siblings had planned to visit Wang Chen again before the New Year.

But due to strict rules at the residence and being newcomers who couldn’t leave easily, they asked for the Immortal Master’s understanding.

Wei Lian had asked a cultivator sister she met in the residence to send this Crane Message.

Wishing Wang Chen prosperity in the new year and to ascend to the next tier of Cultivation Level!

After reading the Crane Message, a touch of warmth filled Wang Chen’s heart.

Having someone think about him dispelled much of his loneliness instantly, and his mood brightened.

He put away the paper crane and watched the fireworks for a little longer.

Then he prepared to go down and rest.

At that moment, bursts of laughter reached Wang Chen’s ears.

He couldn’t help but look in the direction of the sound.

He saw that in Old Sun’s Spirit Fields, a group of children appeared out of nowhere, running and playing.

Wraith Children, Gray Roam Level Evil Wraiths!

This was not the first time Wang Chen had seen Wraith Children.

Last time he joined the Night Watchman squad and during a patrol, he was ambushed by the Grey Eye Thieves. During the retreat after a fierce battle, he encountered several Wraith Children.

Among all Evil Wraiths, Wraith Children were considered the least harmful.

“As long as you don’t deliberately provoke them, they usually won’t harm people.”

“But the appearance of Wraith Children often indicates the presence of even greater dangers!”

Wang Chen remembered that after he had seen a Wraith Child, he was ambushed by a scarecrow possessed by an evil wraith.

He had almost fallen into a hopeless situation.

And this time, he saw not just one Wraith Child but more than a dozen!

Wang Chen instinctively pulled out an Evil-Repelling Talisman and held it in his hand.

Most of his Evil-Repelling Talismans were trophies of war, totaling twenty or thirty.

But faced with the eerie evil wraiths, no amount of talismans could give him much sense of security.

However, these Wraith Children chased and frolicked among themselves and soon left Old Sun’s Spirit Fields.

They disappeared into the vast wilderness.

The sense of crisis in Wang Chen’s heart also vanished with them.

He let out a long sigh of relief.

When he returned to the underground chamber to rest, Wang Chen sealed all the tunnels, including the ventilation shafts.

The space he had excavated underground was sufficiently large.

Even if sealed for several days and nights, there would still be air to breathe.

That night, Wang Chen did not sleep well.

He kept dreaming.

He dreamed of his family.

Strangely, Wang Chen also dreamed of Wang Shaoyuan.

This original host’s father stood amidst the mist, casting an extremely complex gaze at him.

Then he silently dissipated and vanished.

When Wang Chen woke from his dreams, it was already the next morning.

He remembered the dreams he had quite vividly.

It is said that cultivators seldom dream, and the higher their realm, the less likely they are to have dreams.

If they do dream, it often means their heart has been touched!

However, Wang Chen was different; he often dreamed.

He even frequently dreamed that he was still addicted to playing mobile games.

Truly a grievance.

Opening the tunnel to return to the surface, and after washing up and eating breakfast, Wang Chen, carrying the Spiritual Tea Gift Pack he had bought in Cloud Mountain City, went to pay a New Year’s visit to Old Master Sun’s home.

This old gentleman was very kind and never stingy with advice for the younger generation.

Wang Chen had benefited a lot from him, so paying a visit to offer New Year’s greetings was the proper gesture.

When Old Master Sun saw Wang Chen coming to visit, he was very pleased and instructed the family to bring out a plate of fruits and snacks for hospitality.

Wang Chen took out the Fragmented Spirit Stones red envelopes he had prepared earlier and distributed them to the young grandchildren of the old master’s family.

After the lively visit, Old Master Sun said to Wang Chen, “After this New Year, I will no longer be the Village Chief. ”

Wang Chen was surprised, “Then who will take over?”

Old Master Sun stretched out his hand and pointed upward, “It’s not just me. Most of the Defense Areas are going to have new Village Chiefs.”

He sighed, “Who knows what they are thinking up there, they’re going to increase the field rent by half starting this year!”

Wang Chen said in a grave voice, “Are the rumors true?”

“Indeed, they’re true.”

Old Master Sun let out a bitter laugh, “Not only will they increase the field rent, but from now on, the rice seed will have to be purchased with Flower Spirit Stones.”

This is outrageous!

Wang Chen almost cursed aloud.

The White Jade Spiritual Rice grown by the Outer Sect Spiritual Plant Farmers had always had its seeds controlled by the Spirit Planting Hall.

The food reserved by the farmers for their own consumption was not allowed to be used for sowing.

Previously, these seeds were distributed for free by Spirit Planting Hall based on the amount of mu each farmer had.

Now, they were not only increasing the rent but also forcing farmers to buy seeds with Spirit Stones; it was like sucking the marrow from their bones, gradually extracting the flesh and blood of the lower-level cultivators!

Wang Chen couldn’t help but harbor serious doubts about the actions of the sect.

Such draining of the pond to catch the fish.

What good could this do for the Cloud Sun Sect?

It felt like the upper ranks were urgently preparing for something!

Perhaps it was time for him to consider.

Making preparations for his own way out.

——-

The second update is up.