Chapter 81 Entering Horse Village

After the kiss ended, Qian Mo left the room early, setting off toward her new destination: the Alchemist Guild.

Before parting, Qian Mo also shared earth-shattering news with Ya Fei—the whereabouts of their family’s strongest Dou Huang, the Ice Emperor Hai Bodong—and promised to bring him back. The revelation thrilled Ya Fei, who had been gloomy about Qian Mo’s impending departure. Their clan’s Dou Huang, Hai Bodong, had vanished without a trace after his last journey, and everyone assumed he’d perished. Only Ya Fei had kept faith that he was still alive, and now Qian Mo’s words confirmed her intuition.

The Alchemist Guild was Qian Mo’s next stop—a place she’d only seen in manga and stories in her previous life. But those were just artists’ imaginings. Now that she was actually here, how could she not see it with her own eyes?

The Alchemist Guild was located in the direction of Black Rock City, on its eastern edge according to the system’s map. Qian Mo decided against flying, thinking it would sap the fun from the journey, and chose instead to travel on foot.

She activated “Burst Step,” leaping rapidly from one rock to another, traversing the jagged terrain at lightning speed. The rocks varied in size—some vast and thick, others small and precarious. Soon, a massive stone wall blocked her path. It was perfect for testing her skills; she hadn’t used a battle art since coming to the Dou Qi Continent, and if she didn’t practice, her skills might grow rusty.

“Imperial Seal Art.” Qian Mo suppressed her Dou Qi to the Dou Wang level; otherwise, with her peak Dou Di strength, a single blow would obliterate everything in sight. She gathered Dou Qi in her right hand, aimed at the stone wall, and unleashed the technique.

With a thunderous crash, the wall exploded into fragments, scattering pebbles across the ground.

“This Imperial Seal Art is as formidable as ever!” Qian Mo murmured, glancing at her right hand, then at the shattered stones, before moving on.

At her current speed, the system’s map indicated a small village ahead—Ma Village. It seemed a good place to rest and eat. Even though she was a Dou Di and technically didn’t need food, she was a glutton at heart. Back in her previous life, she’d made her rounds to every buffet, eating so much that owners paid her to leave and banned her from ever returning.

“There’s the village—hope there’s good food.” Qian Mo licked her lips, rubbing her stomach.

She quickened her pace, lured by the aroma of food wafting through the air.

Just as she was about to accelerate, cries for help sounded ahead—two voices, a man and a woman.

“Help! Please, someone save us!” The woman’s voice was exhausted, faltering midway.

“After them! Don’t let them escape! Kill the man, and keep the woman for our enjoyment!” came a cruel shout from behind, followed by raucous cheers and the pounding of hooves—clearly, their pursuers were on horseback.

Standing atop a rock, Qian Mo could see clearly: a burly man and a frail young woman were fleeing.

“Really? Can’t even get a meal in peace?” Qian Mo muttered, exasperated. “Well, I’m too kind-hearted to ignore this—even cockroaches don’t deserve to die under my foot. You two are lucky to run into me! Consider this a warm-up before dinner—I’ll eat even more afterward!” She patted her stomach. “Bear with me; I’ll make it up to you later.”

“The sooner I finish, the sooner I eat.” With those words, Qian Mo leapt down, activating “Imperial Seal Art” and striking downward.

...

“Stop running! Surrender and serve your granddaddy!” the vicious man yelled, spurring his horse after the fleeing pair.

The others followed, shouting and urging their mounts.

Just as they were reveling in the chase, the sky suddenly darkened.

“Huh? Why did it go dark?” the leader called out, looking up—only to see a massive handprint descending from above. Instinct screamed danger.

“It’s an ambush! Retreat!” he roared, but it was too late.

Thunder crashed.

“Nice shot… no, nice seal! A perfect hit!” Qian Mo watched the scene below as if it were a sports match.

The ground shook violently; the explosion could be heard for miles. The fleeing pair were blasted hundreds of meters by the shockwave, finally coming to rest against a tree.

“What… what just happened?” the man gasped, struggling to his feet.

“What was that explosion?” the woman echoed, using a branch to steady herself.

Coming to his senses, the man hurried to help her.

“The explosion came from behind—maybe our pursuers were killed!” the woman said.

“Listen, their shouts are gone, and so are the hoofbeats. Should we go back and check?” the man suggested.

“Okay, but be careful,” she agreed.

They returned to the scene to find a giant handprint fused into the earth, the ground caved in.

“This… who could have saved us?” They stared in disbelief, unable to process the sudden turn of events. As mere Dou Zhe, even facing someone slightly stronger could terrify them. If they’d ever seen the Imperial Seal Art before, that would have been the real miracle.

“May our benefactor reveal themselves! We wish to thank you in person!” the woman called out.

“How do you plan to thank me?” a voice sounded in their ears.

They turned to see a young man in white, reclining leisurely on a tree branch.

“Benefactor! My name is Ma Lie.”

“I’m Ma Li!”

“Ma Li? Why not Maria and go parkour?” Qian Mo thought, blinking at the young woman.

“Is there something on my face? You’re staring…” Ma Li asked shyly.

“Nothing, I was just passing by and decided to help. By the way, is there a village ahead?” Qian Mo asked.

“Yes, benefactor, there’s a village called Ma Village. We’re both from there; we can take you,” Ma Lie replied.

“No need for the ‘benefactor’—just call me Qian Mo.” The honorific was starting to grate on her nerves.

“Alright, Brother Qian!”

“You’re from Ma Village? Perfect, I’m starving—take me for a good meal!” Qian Mo jumped down, pulling them along.

“Ma Village is three kilometers ahead. It’ll take a bit on foot,” Ma Li said.

“Three kilometers? Alright, hold on tight—it’s time to drive!” Qian Mo announced.

“Drive? What’s that?” the pair wondered, but before they could react, Qian Mo shouted, “Burst Step!”

“Here we go!” She shot forward, dragging the two like the wind.

“Ahhh!” they screamed, terrified by her speed.

“Slow… down…!” they cried, but Qian Mo was too excited to hear them, their voices drowned out by the wind and her anticipation for food. Her eyes shone with stars, and she licked her lips as the aroma grew stronger.

Soon, buildings appeared ahead, and a large sign at the entrance read “Ma Village.”

“We’re here,” Qian Mo announced calmly, stopping at the village gate. The two she’d dragged along were green in the face, barely able to stand, and collapsed together on the ground.

“We… we’ve stopped?” they muttered, dazed. Relief washed over them.

“Why didn’t you tell me to slow down if you couldn’t handle it? Why tough it out?” Qian Mo asked, puzzled.

At her words, the pair stared at her as if she were insane, silently screaming, “Didn’t we tell you? Didn’t we tell you to slow down? You just didn’t listen! You ignored us again and again—why blame us?? Get lost! We shouted so many times but you never heard us!”

“Why are you staring at me like that?” Qian Mo scratched her nose.

“We, we did tell you to slow down—many times—but you didn’t listen…” the man said, each word labored.

Come to think of it, Qian Mo realized she’d probably forgotten something important, but couldn’t remember what it was until now. Hearing them speak, she finally recalled.

Embarrassed, Qian Mo rubbed her nose. “Ah, maybe the car was too fast, and I couldn’t hear you—haha… Anyway, I’m starving, let’s eat! I could smell the food from miles away.”

She sniffed in the direction of the village.

“This guy… is such a glutton,” the pair thought.

“Well, he did save our lives, and we can’t beat him anyway. Forget it,” they thought, exchanging a look and a resigned smile, torn between laughter and tears.

By the time they got up, Qian Mo had already dashed off in search of food, true to her gluttonous nature.

“Where did he go?” the man wondered.

“He’s already inside—definitely in the eatery.” Ma Li guessed Qian Mo had followed the scent straight to food.

They hurried in after him.

...

Village life was as idyllic as expected, with plenty of visitors. Ma Village truly lived up to its name—horses everywhere, some in groups, some standing alone. This was the land of horse breeders; the villagers raised horses to sell, often fetching high prices from merchants.

The village was large, with most residents hailing from Black Rock City, though many outsiders came to buy horses or eat. Merchants of all kinds bustled about. Most people’s cultivation level was low, from Dou Zhe to Dou Shi at best.

Still, Qian Mo found it puzzling that such a vulnerable village hadn’t been plundered. On the Dou Qi Continent, not everyone was so virtuous. Perhaps high-level cultivators disdained these spoils—or maybe Black Rock City protected them, or another force ruled the area, extorting protection fees for peace.

Whatever the case, as long as no one bothered her, she was content—first, she needed to eat.

Following the aroma, Qian Mo arrived at a shop with a large sign reading “Eatery.”

“Seems I’ve come to the right place,” she said, pushing the door open.

“Waiter! Bring me a plate of shrimp meat!”

“Waiter! I’m out of wine—bring a jug!”

“Waiter!...”

All around, hungry customers clamored for food and drink—a comforting, lively scene.

“Right away, honored guest!” the staff bustled about.

“Look at him, white robe, jade pendant, handsome—must be rich. Time to make a killing,” the front-desk waiter thought, sizing up the young man who’d walked in.

“Welcome to Ma Village Eatery, honored guest. Would you like a room or a meal?” the waiter asked, rubbing his hands.

“I’m starving! Get me your best room, and bring out as many dishes as you can, fast as you can. Money’s no object—once I’m full, we’ll talk about everything else!” Qian Mo declared, tossing a heavy bag of gold onto the counter.

The waiter caught it—so heavy!—his eyes gleaming. “Of course, young master, right away!”

“Someone! Show the young master to the best seat!” the waiter shouted.

(End of chapter)