Chapter 327

Chapter 327: The Path of the Big Shot – The Village Chief’s Start (Part 1)

Across winding paths and curvy streams, white mist paints the green mountains in colorful hues.

At the foot of the rolling mountains lies a village surrounded by little rivers and fields.

It was the peak of summer, and the spirit rice in the spirit fields was growing vigorously. The lush green stalks rustled in the breeze.

Farmers wearing straw hats worked diligently in the fields, while bare-footed children laughed as they ran along the dirt path. In the distance, several old cows grazed on the riverbank, and a melodious shepherd’s flute could be heard from somewhere.

Wang Chen rode a large blue donkey along the rural path beside the fields.

A few mischievous children followed behind, trying to catch the donkey’s swishing tail.

But the large blue donkey caught on to their prank and suddenly took off at full speed, splattering mud all over the little guys!

“Wow~”

The children who got splashed immediately started to cry.

At that moment, a burly farmer jumped out, standing in front of the large blue donkey, glaring at Wang Chen with a fierce expression, “Outsider, this isn’t a place for you to be wild!”

He had dark skin, a strong build, and bulging muscles, giving off an intimidating presence, as if he could strike at any moment.

Wang Chen patted the large blue donkey’s neck, and it stopped immediately.

He pulled a scroll from his storage bag and tossed it to the farmer, “I am the new village chief.”

This scroll was given to him by Luo Zhen and represented an opportunity for an entry assessment.

The assessment task was to serve as the village chief of this village for three years.

Whether he could enter the West Sea Sect depended entirely on his performance during these three years!

“Village chief?”

The burly man was stunned.

He took the scroll but didn’t dare to open it. He scratched his head and said, “Wait a minute, I need to ask the village elder.”

With that, he dashed off like a whirlwind.

Wang Chen didn’t mind and jumped down from the large blue donkey.

He waved to the three little guys behind him.

The three children, around six or seven years old, were not foolish. They had stopped crying while Wang Chen was talking to the burly man.

They looked timidly at Wang Chen and slowly walked towards him, appearing very obedient.

Wang Chen did not make things difficult for them. He sat down on a stone by the road and took out three Spirit Peaches to share with them. “Tell me about your village.”

Seeing Wang Chen’s friendly attitude and the spirit fruit, the little guys’ confidence increased.

They surrounded Wang Chen, eagerly sharing everything they knew about their village, spilling every detail eagerly and without hesitation.

The village Wang Chen was assigned to was called Datian Village, which had a total of three hundred seventy-six households and a population of over one thousand eight hundred. In the surrounding area, it was considered a large village.

The previous village chief had disappeared in the mountains two years ago, with no signs of life or death. For the past two years, all village affairs had been managed by an elder who was highly respected for his moral character.

Having received the Spirit Peaches, the little guys chatted freely, saying everything they could and couldn’t about the village.

By the time the burly man returned with a group of people, Wang Chen already had a basic understanding of Datian Village.

“Young cultivator Chen Anhe, pays his respects to the Higher Steward!”

An elderly man with snow-white hair, leaning on a cane made of rattan, trembled as he bowed to Wang Chen, “I apologize for not welcoming you properly; please forgive me, Higher Steward.”

The group of villagers behind him all bowed in unison, “We pay our respects to the Higher Steward.”

“No need for such formalities.”

Wang Chen raised his hand and said, “I will be stationed in your village for three years. I hope everyone will work together to help me pass the assessment.”

In a large village of nearly two thousand people, it was impossible for there not to be some intrigue after two years without a village chief. Moreover, the villagers were divided among the three main surnames of Chen, Xu, and Huang, and their internal dynamics could not be as peaceful as they appeared.

The elder in front of him looked frail and weak, like someone nearing the end of life, but his eyes sparkled with a Blade-like Gleam and had the aura of someone at the Qi Training ninth level, making him no ordinary opponent.

However, Wang Chen was not here to fight for power with the locals; he made his intentions clear to avoid misunderstandings and any potential sabotage.

Although Wang Chen wasn’t afraid, why complicate things unnecessarily?

As he spoke, he displayed the aura of the initial stage of the Purple Palace.

Chen Anhe was indeed startled, bending even lower, “I am willing to serve you, Higher Steward!”

Wang Chen immediately withdrew his aura and smiled, “Very good.”

Surrounded by the villagers, Wang Chen entered Datian Village and settled into the village chief’s residence.

The village chief’s residence was where the village chief lived, cultivated, and worked. It was a spacious house with front and back courtyards, the finest in the village, fully furnished and equipped.

When Wang Chen arrived, the house had already been cleaned spotless, the ground free of dust.

This was quite normal since there were many cultivators in Datian Village; as long as they practiced the Cleansing Technique, every one of them would become a cleaning expert.

Although he couldn’t see the entire village’s layout, Wang Chen found Datian Village to have a taste of paradise.

Not only was the surrounding environment excellent, but the houses also had white walls and dark tiles, arranged in a pleasing manner. The greenery was lush and clean, everything organized neatly.

This meant that even without a village chief, the village operated without any issues.

Perhaps even better!

For Wang Chen, this was not necessarily a good thing.

Because everything about Datian Village was perfect, and whether he was there or not made no difference—what could he do here?

Be a talisman of the Purple Palace?

Moreover, Wang Chen faintly sensed that the villagers, represented by Chen Anhe, appeared respectful on the surface, yet their words, actions, and expressions carried a hint of rejection.

Clearly, he was not welcomed here.

This was quite normal!

After settling in, Chen Anhe presented a square seal to him, “Higher Steward, this is the village chief’s seal of Datian Village, used to control the protective village formations. It has been managed by the young cultivators until now, but it is time for it to return to its rightful owner.”

The protective village formations!

Wang Chen was surprised; he hadn’t expected a village to have large defensive formations. Truly worthy of the West Sea Spiritual Realm!

After asking a few questions, he learned that the protective village formations were not large, with a defense range limited to the village chief’s residence and the adjacent ancestral hall, serving as the village’s last line of defense.

Furthermore, the protective village formations were not activated regularly; they could only be triggered by the seal’s master in times of danger to protect the villagers’ safety.

“Little He.”

After handing over the village chief’s seal, Chen Anhe called over a beautiful fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl.

He smiled at Wang Chen, saying, “Little He is the great-granddaughter of a young cultivator. Let her serve you, Higher Steward, by bringing tea, water, and preparing your bed.”

Goodness!

This sweet trap just keeps coming!

Wang Chen glanced at the shy girl by Chen Anhe’s side and nodded, “Good.”