Transmigration and Self-Saving Cultivation

Chapter 264 Changes in My Hometown

After defeating Black Wind Stronghold, Lingxi Village enjoyed a brief period of peace. Jun Luochuan watched the jubilant villagers, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He knew that this victory was only temporary; the Wild Wolf Gang and the Spirit Serpent Sect still loomed like two mountains, weighing heavily on the village's future tranquility. But for now, he decided to savor the atmosphere of his hometown and see just how much it had changed over the years.

Su Yao ran around the village excitedly, full of curiosity about everything. "Jun Luochuan, look here, it seems a little different from what you described before." She stood by the old well in the center of the village. The old well used to be the main water source for the villagers, but now it was surrounded by a carefully built stone fence with some exquisite patterns carved on it.

Jun Luochuan stepped forward and gently stroked the patterns on the fence, a complex expression in his eyes. "Yes, this old well didn't have these decorations before. It seems that although everyone has suffered a lot of harassment over the years, they have also been trying to make the village better."

The two strolled along the village paths and discovered that most of the former mud-brick houses had been replaced by brick and tile houses. The walls were adorned with simple yet vibrant murals, some depicting villagers farming and harvesting, others showing children playing in the fields. These murals, brightly colored, seemed to tell the stories of the village.

"Jun Luochuan, these murals are so beautiful! They feel so full of life," Su Yao exclaimed.

Jun Luochuan nodded slightly, a barely perceptible smile appearing on his lips. "This is all the villagers' yearning for a better life. Even though life is difficult, they have not given up their pursuit of beauty."

Passing by a field, Jun Luochuan noticed that the irrigation system had been greatly improved. The original method of irrigating by carrying water by hand had been replaced by a simple yet ingenious water conservancy system. A network of canals crisscrossed the field, evenly distributing water to every plot.

"What's going on?" Jun Luochuan asked curiously.

An elderly villager nearby heard his question and came over with a smile to explain, "Luochuan, since you left, the young people in the village have been thinking about how to make farming easier, and they came up with this irrigation system. It has been a great help, and now irrigating the farmland is much easier."

Jun Luochuan felt a surge of relief. He hadn't expected the villagers to be so innovative in such dire circumstances. "These villagers are truly remarkable. With such wisdom and perseverance, they will surely overcome all difficulties."

However, behind these positive changes, Jun Luochuan also noticed some worrying signs. There were significantly fewer young people in the village than he remembered, and most of the people he encountered on the streets were elderly people and children. Moreover, although many houses had been renovated on the outside, upon closer inspection, one could still find traces of repairs, wounds left from battles with the enemy.

Upon arriving at the village ancestral hall, Jun Luochuan noticed several mottled sword marks on the main gate. Inside, the ancestral tablets were also damaged. A surge of anger welled up within Jun Luochuan; he knew these were the crimes committed by those evil forces.

"These bastards, they even went so far as to raid the ancestral hall." Jun Luochuan clenched his fist.

Su Yao gently took his hand and comforted him, "Jun Luochuan, don't be angry. We have already defeated Black Wind Stronghold, and we will definitely make the Wild Wolf Gang and the Spirit Serpent Sect pay the price, and restore the village to its former peace."

Jun Luochuan took a deep breath, trying to calm his anger. "Yes, I will make them pay a heavy price for what they have done."

After leaving the ancestral hall, Jun Luochuan and Su Yao encountered a former friend, who now looked somewhat weathered. Upon seeing Jun Luochuan, a flicker of surprise crossed the friend's eyes, quickly replaced by deep worry.

“Luochuan, it’s good that you’re back. But the village is in a really tough situation right now. Over the years, many young people have left to resist the harassment from those forces. Some went out to find stronger forces, hoping to come back and help the village; others were forced to leave their hometowns to protect their families,” his friend said helplessly.

Jun Luochuan felt a pang of pain in his heart. He realized that the changes in his hometown were not only material, but also reflected in the population structure and the villagers' mental state. "I understand. We can no longer sit idly by. We must find a way to completely eliminate the threat from the Wild Wolf Gang and the Spirit Serpent Sect as soon as possible."

To better understand the village's situation, Jun Luochuan decided to organize a village meeting. Standing in the village square, looking at the villagers gathered together, he felt a mix of emotions.

"Fellow villagers, I know you've all suffered these past years. So many changes have occurred in the village, some good, some bad. But I want to say that now that I'm back, and Su Yao is with me, we will definitely fight side by side with you to protect our homeland." Jun Luochuan's voice was firm and powerful, echoing in the square.

The villagers nodded in agreement, their eyes rekindling with hope.

“Luo Chuan, we believe in you. Over the years, although we have tried our best to change things, we have always been powerless against those evil forces. Now that you are back, we have a pillar of support,” an elder said.

Jun Luochuan looked at everyone and continued, "We need to understand the Wild Wolf Gang and the Spirit Serpent Sect first. Only by knowing ourselves and our enemy can we win every battle. Does anyone know anything about them, such as their strength, weaknesses, or recent movements?"

A young villager stepped forward and said, "Brother Luo Chuan, I heard that the Wild Wolf Gang has recently been colluding with some other smaller forces, and it seems they are planning something bigger. Moreover, their leader seems to have recently obtained a powerful magic weapon, which has greatly increased his strength."

Another villager added, "The Spirit Serpent Sect has always been very mysterious. They are skilled in using poison and strange magic. I heard that they raise many venomous snakes in the valley to train their disciples."

As Jun Luochuan listened, he pondered a solution in his mind. "Alright, this information is very important. We need to formulate a detailed plan based on this information. First, we need to strengthen the village's defenses, not only with traps and mechanisms, but also by improving everyone's cultivation abilities. Su Yao and I will help everyone cultivate and teach them some practical spells and techniques."

Su Yao chimed in, "That's right. If we all work together, we'll definitely become stronger. Besides, we can use the terrain around the village to set up some defensive measures that target their characteristics. For example, against the Spirit Serpent Sect, who are skilled in using poison, we can prepare some antidotes and set up some obstacles to hinder the venomous snakes' movements."

The villagers readily agreed, their enthusiasm ignited. Jun Luochuan looked at the villagers, their fighting spirit renewed, and felt a sense of relief. But he also knew this would be a difficult battle; the Wild Wolf Gang and the Spirit Serpent Sect wouldn't give up easily, and the village's current situation was far from optimistic.

In the days that followed, Jun Luochuan and Su Yao became busy. They chose a spacious open space in the village as a temporary training ground. Every day, they would teach the villagers cultivation methods and techniques there. Jun Luochuan discovered that although the villagers' talents and foundations varied, everyone studied very diligently, their desire to become stronger evident.

"Everyone, please pay attention. When circulating your spiritual energy, keep your breathing even and feel the flow of spiritual energy in your meridians. Don't rush things; steady progress is the only way to improve faster," Jun Luochuan patiently instructed the villagers.

Su Yao, meanwhile, helped the villagers with weaker comprehension skills by explaining the principles of magic in a lively and engaging way, making it easier for them to understand. "Like this," she said, "imagine spiritual power as a group of obedient little elves. You need to guide them to do things according to your wishes, so that the magic can be cast more smoothly."

After a period of training, the villagers' strength has improved significantly. Although they are still not comparable to those professional cultivation forces, they at least have a greater ability to protect themselves when facing enemies.

Meanwhile, Jun Luochuan did not neglect intelligence gathering on the Wild Wolf Gang and the Spirit Serpent Sect. He sent out some clever villagers, disguised, to scout out the surrounding area. These villagers risked their lives to venture deep into the enemy's territory and brought back a wealth of valuable information.

"Brother Luochuan, I discovered that the Wild Wolf Gang's main defense is at the front gate of their stronghold, which is heavily guarded and has many powerful formations. However, their back mountain is relatively poorly defended, with only some patrolling henchmen," said a villager who was in charge of gathering information.

"The Spirit Serpent Sect seems to be preparing a large-scale poison mist spell, as if they're going to attack our village. Moreover, their poison mist requires specific herbs to be refined, and these herbs grow deep in the valley," another villager reported, sharing the information he had gathered.

Based on this intelligence, Jun Luochuan began to formulate a more detailed battle plan. He knew that this would be a battle concerning the life and death of the village, and there was no room for carelessness.

“We can exploit the Wild Wolf Gang’s weak defenses on the back mountain by sending an elite squad to infiltrate and disrupt their plans. At the same time, we’ll launch a feint attack from the front to draw their attention. As for the Spirit Serpent Sect, we need to destroy the herbs used to refine the poisonous mist before they do, thwarting their plans.” Jun Luochuan drew a rough sketch of the battle plan on paper and explained it in detail to the villagers.

The villagers listened attentively and expressed their willingness to follow orders. Although everyone knew it would be a dangerous battle, they all chose to face it bravely without hesitation in order to protect their homeland.

While preparing for battle, Jun Luochuan didn't forget to care about the villagers' lives. Seeing that some families were struggling due to the departure of young laborers, he organized mutual aid activities. The atmosphere in the village became more united, and everyone worked towards a common goal.

However, just as Jun Luochuan and the villagers were making intensive preparations for the battle, unexpected news arrived. The Wild Wolf Gang and the Spirit Serpent Sect seemed to have noticed the village's movements and decided to join forces ahead of schedule to launch an attack on Lingxi Village.

"This is bad, they're here faster than we expected." Jun Luochuan's heart tightened upon hearing the news. But he didn't panic and quickly adjusted the battle plan.

"Don't panic, everyone. Follow the plan and prepare for defense. We already have some strength, and we also have the advantage of the village's terrain. We will definitely be able to repel them," Jun Luochuan shouted, trying to calm everyone down.

The villagers sprang into action, returning to their posts. The village's defenses were complete, traps and mechanisms awaiting the enemy's arrival. Jun Luochuan stood on high ground, watching the dust rising in the distance, knowing the enemy was close at hand.

"This will be a fierce battle, but we must protect our homeland." Jun Luochuan silently vowed in his heart, his eyes fixed firmly on the distance.

End of this chapter