I Outworked the Entire Cultivation World-Chapter 235 - 206: Heavenly Witch Remnant (Monthly Ticket Bonus: 1,200 for December)
Jiang Yuebai felt the Little Ganoderma on his head tremble and asked Hek ka, who seemed easygoing beside him.
"Are these the corpses of Extraordinary People? Why are they hung here?"
Hek ka glanced casually at the bodies by the roadside, "These are all Extraordinary People lurking in various places within the Ten Thousand Mountains, trying to escape into the Baipu Domain. They were killed on the spot and hung here to deter other Extraordinary People."
"Why do your Witch Clan hate Extraordinary People so much?" Jiang Yuebai asked.
Hek ka replied, "The Witch Clan has been like this for generations, maybe it’s hatred deep in the bloodline. If you want to know more, you can ask Granny Shi Lan in our village; she has vast knowledge."
Jiang Yuebai silently noted the name. Up ahead, the village gate opened, and Yinhuan led everyone inside. Everyone in the village halted by the roadside to salute Yinhuan, showing great respect.
The village was not large, and Jiang Yuebai estimated there were about a hundred people, mostly men with fewer women, all at the Qi Cultivation Stage.
In other words, Yinhuan and Menglu had the highest cultivation at the Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment, followed by Hek ka at the Early-Stage Foundation Establishment. The rest were at the Qi Cultivation Stage or were children yet to cultivate.
Hek ka noticed Jiang Yuebai’s confusion and explained, "Our Sister Yinhuan established the village alone only a dozen years ago. Sister Jinhuan is a Golden Core Stage Gu Master. Jinhuan Village is on the other side of the mountain, larger in scale, and can protect us at any time..."
After listening to Hek ka’s explanation, Jiang Yuebai realized that once Witch Clan women cultivate to the Foundation Establishment Stage, they can venture out independently to establish their own villages.
Sisters typically build their villages close to each other for mutual support, and when the entire clan grows bigger, they can merge into a large village.
There are many such village clusters in the Ten Thousand Mountains, competing for prey and resources, rising and falling, constantly changing.
Only the Five Great Villages, with mixed forces, stand firm and unshaken.
"Hek ka, you take care of this Central Plains boy. I’ll take Sister to have a drink. Menglu, tell someone to prepare the bonfire, good wine, and meat. Tonight, let’s host our visitors from afar together."
Yinhuan waved a big hand, handed Jiang Yuebai to Hek ka, and dragged Yun Shang towards the largest stilted building in the village center. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎
Yun Shang looked at Jiang Yuebai pleadingly, almost in tears. Jiang Yuebai shrugged helplessly; what could he do as a not-useful man?
No competitor, Hek ka was friendly to Jiang Yuebai and took him to tour various parts of the village.
The women in the village typically have multiple husbands, with men doing chores and raising children while women mostly refine Gu and practice cultivation.
Although men’s status is lower than women’s, the women treat men well here, at least not abusing or enslaving them casually, showing relative respect.
"Are you and Menglu both Yinhuan’s men?" Jiang Yuebai asked Hek ka.
Hek ka nodded, "The two of us have been with Yinhuan the longest. She has more than a dozen men won from various villages put aside; she still prefers strong, capable men."
Hek ka’s expression remained unchanged when talking about Yinhuan’s other men, which made Jiang Yuebai quite admire him.
This shows that Witch Clan men have become truly tamed, able to calmly accept the custom of women being superior, something men from other domains can’t do.
Wuwei Mountain Man once mentioned in his miscellany that if one were to choose a place to settle, Baipu Domain would be the best. Unfortunately, Wuwei Mountain Man disliked the damp, bug-infested environment and still chose a nomadic cultivation path.
"Could you take me to meet the Granny Shi Lan you mentioned earlier? I’ve been reading the ’Heavenly Witch History’ recently and find the development of your Witch Clan truly magnificent and tumultuous, with many admirable people and stories, making my heart yearn. I only wish I weren’t a Central Plains person."
Jiang Yuebai took out the ’Heavenly Witch History’ previously bought, showing evident signs of having been read. Her words further stimulated Hek ka’s pride as a Witch Clan person, and he immediately nodded.
"Granny Shi Lan lives behind the village. I’ll take you there."
Hek ka led Jiang Yuebai around the front, crescent-shaped stilted buildings to the back mountain of the village. Halfway up the mountain stood an old stilted house nestled among lush ancient vines and trees.
The roof was covered with moss, and the columns with vines blooming with small flowers, nearly merging into nature.
An elderly woman with graying hair, in blue cloth clothes washed to white, sat in the corridor sorting various dried bugs.
"Granny Shi Lan."
Hek ka walked up. Granny Shi Lan was about to respond with a smile when she saw Jiang Yuebai behind Hek ka, and her murky eyes suddenly brightened.
"Granny Shi Lan, I brought..."
"Step aside."
Before Hek ka could finish, Granny Shi Lan pushed him aside, put down the dried centipede, and stared intently at Jiang Yuebai, beaming.
"Oh, what a handsome young lad! Just a bit less than the one I fancied when I was young. Come closer and let Granny take a look."
As Jiang Yuebai approached, Granny Shi Lan grabbed his hand and scrutinized him. She spoke Central Plains language fluently.
Hek ka’s heart twitched. Granny Shi Lan liked the fair and handsome Central Plains men, so he could earn her guidance in Gu Technique with his looks.
Now... he’s no longer Granny’s favorite!
Granny Shi Lan held Jiang Yuebai’s hand, "Are you from the Central Plains? Have you ever met someone named Xuu Qingye? He was exceptionally handsome. When he came to our Witch Clan territory, the chiefs of over a dozen villages fought over him. In the end, I won him, and he became my man."
"But his heart was too restless. After learning all I knew, he wanted to learn more and didn’t want to stay in these Ten Thousand Mountains. Seeing his unhappiness, I let him go, and he never returned to see me again, sigh..."
Hek ka awkwardly advised, "Granny, that was five or six hundred years ago, right? This young brother is probably not even thirty yet; how could he have met the person you mentioned?"
Jiang Yuebai was slightly surprised. The granny before him appeared to be a mortal without cultivation, yet she had lived for so long?
Granny Shi Lan snapped back, chuckled wryly, and patted Jiang Yuebai’s hand, "People get old and love reminiscing about the past, love to nag."
Jiang Yuebai shook his head, "No worries, I always love listening to stories. Granny is willing to tell; it’s my honor."
Granny Shi Lan beamed, "You Central Plains men are always so glib with women. Granny likes you at first sight. Since Yinhuan let you into the village, you are a guest. What brings you to see Granny?"
Jiang Yuebai produced the ’Heavenly Witch History’, "I had many doubts reading this book. Brother Hek ka said your knowledge is profound, so I came to seek your guidance."
Granny Shi Lan patted the floor beside her, signaling Jiang Yuebai to sit, "How does the book describe the Witch Clan?"
Hek ka and Jiang Yuebai both sat beside Granny Shi Lan, watching her continue sorting various dried bugs.
Jiang Yuebai, holding the book, said, "I only read the beginning. It says when heaven and earth first opened, all things and spirits were born from primordial chaos, a chaotic ancient era with the coexistence of Human, Demon, Devil, and Witch clans."
"At that time, the Witch Clan was still called Heavenly Witch Clan. After the Immortal Demon War, the Demon Clan perished, and the Heavenly Witches declined, slowly evolving into today’s Witch Clan. The specific reasons are vaguely written, making one very curious."
Granny Shi Lan nodded, "The Immortal Demon War predates the Heavenly Calamity; indeed, few know what happened. I only know a bit from the songs passed down for generations."
"Actually, the Heavenly Witches, like the Demon Clan, were born from the muddy qi of the heavens and earth. The ancient Heavenly Witch Clan looked just like the current Extraordinary People."
Jiang Yuebai was surprised, "Ah? Then... could it be that Extraordinary People are the true Heavenly Witch Remnants? But aren’t Extraordinary People supposed to have blood ties with the Demon Clan?"
