Liu Huowang stood on the roadside in silence, wearing a bamboo hat and leading a horse as he gazed into the distance at Niuxin Village.
A few months ago, in this very spot, he had stood here wondering how to explain to Bai Lingmiao that he had killed her entire family.
Today, in the same place, he stood here thinking about how to explain to the other villagers everything he had been through during his absence.
He had accomplished his goal; he no longer had to be troubled by the Huan Jue. He was about to see them all again, yet for some reason, his heart was filled with anxious unease.
Compared to the desolation of winter, Niuxin Village in spring was clearly much livelier. The fields around the village were dotted with people and oxen busy at work.
These people weren't very old. They looked clumsy and awkward, but they worked diligently. Yet for some reason, none of them looked particularly well.
