Chapter 62: Special Plot Clue, Heavenly Eye Vision

"Grandma, what do you mean by that?"
"Is he not from your Shanghe Village?"
The two exchanged glances, looking somewhat bewildered. They had imagined countless possibilities, but never once did they expect the old woman to say that Lu Yuan was not from Shanghe Village.
This. Surely not.
Even if Lu Yuan was adopted, there was no need to deny his bloodline, let alone his very status as a human being.
What kind of deep hatred or bitter resentment was this?
"Old me's meaning is quite clear."
"That Lu Yuan, the esteemed Chief Constable Lu, is not a person from our Shanghe Village."
The old woman's expression was serious, and her tone left no room for doubt.
"That's impossible."
"Grandma, even though Lu Yuan was adopted by the blacksmith Lu, you shouldn't just outright deny his lineage."
"He was born in Shanghe Village; how could he not be a person of Shanghe Village?"
"Did he offend you in some way?"
"Sigh."
The old woman shook her head.
"The blacksmith Lu, you must mean Lu Xingzhi."
"Who told you that Lu Yuan is a person of our Shanghe Village? The people of our Shanghe Village all belong to the same clan. Clan members are all like brothers and hands, sharing equal standing. Our village has never abandoned its offspring; even if both parents pass away, we raise them to adulthood."
"He, although abandoned by us, was never truly a person of our village."
"He has no parents; I, this old woman, picked him up from the back mountain."
"He is not human."
"He is definitely not human."
The old woman uttered something even more mind-boggling.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Even if Chief Constable Lu Yuan was abandoned by his biological parents in the back mountain of your village, that doesn't prove he isn't human."
The old woman's words were growing increasingly spine-chilling, making Jing Ye all the more curious about what her answer would be.
"Hahaha, young lady, you do not understand."
"The back mountain is the inner mountain of Shanghe Village, and also our clan's ancestral graveyard. Buried up there are none other than the ancestors of Shanghe Village through the generations."
"How could it ever tolerate an outsider entering?"
"When old me says he is not human, it is because he fell from the heavens."
"This is something old me witnessed with my own eyes."
"An infant dropping from the clouds and yet not being dashed to pieces—could such a thing be human?"
The old woman recounted the events she had experienced twenty years ago, telling Jing Ye everything from Lu Yuan's birth to his abandonment.
She had no personal grudge against Lu Yuan; without proof, would she dare utter such words?
That Lu Yuan could not possibly be human.
That day, she was weeding her old man's grave when suddenly, the earth shook and the mountains trembled. A deafening roar echoed through the heavens, followed by flashing lightning, rolling thunder, and heavy, oppressive dark clouds that seemed to herald the end of the world.
She saw a pair of giant hands—a pair of golden giant hands—rip an opening right across the sky. Lu Yuan, the Lu Yuan of twenty years ago, shot out from that fissure like a shooting star and slammed viciously down right in front of her.

Carving out a huge crater.
Under normal circumstances, falling from such a height would have smashed even an immortal into a pulp.
The reality was that Lu Yuan was completely unharmed.
Not a single scratch on his entire body.
The sudden birth of Lu Yuan brought her no joy, only terror.
Because their clan rules explicitly stated: Beware of people from beyond the heavens.
At that time, twenty years ago, she naturally did not know that "people from beyond the heavens" referred to players, and she had subconsciously classified Lu Yuan as the otherworldly beings mentioned in the clan code.
Not to mention the terrifying aura of ghosts weeping and spirits wailing that accompanied Lu Yuan's cries—it was utterly horrifying.
Because all the ancestors of Shanghe Village across generations leaped right out of their coffins.
This was the literal, true-to-life weeping of ghosts and howling of spirits.
Not daring to adopt Lu Yuan, they could only abandon him on the road leading to Wangyou County.
The rest of the story was the version widely circulated in the outside world.
Lu Xingzhi discovered the abandoned Lu Yuan, took him away, adopted him, and named him Lu Yuan.
Thus began the legend of the Demonic Lord Lu.
...
"This..."
"I..."
Hearing the story told by the old woman, Dudu was speechless.
She desperately wanted to ask if the old woman was just spouting utter nonsense.
Yet, recalling Lu Yuan's terrifying strength and inhuman techniques, she gradually began to suspect that the old woman's story might actually be true.
On the other hand, Jing Ye listened with extreme care.
She remained silent from beginning to end.
Obediently, she recorded everything the old woman said.
She would slowly analyze it after returning.
"Because of him, the peace of your ancestors was disturbed."
"So, is this why your village refuses to speak of Lu Yuan?"
"Is that it?"
"Yes."
The old woman nodded in response.
To others, the miraculous phenomenon of Lu Yuan's birth was just idle gossip, but to them, it was an indelible psychological shadow.
Do you have any idea how devastating it is for a village that places utmost importance on clan relations to watch their own founding ancestors leap out of their coffins?
Even to this day, the older generation feels deeply unsettled just hearing the name Lu Yuan.
Kill Lu Yuan when he was still an infant?
They couldn't bring themselves to do it, nor could they commit such an act, and moreover, they harbored a deep dread of Lu Yuan's background and origins.
They feared incurring divine retribution.
As for Lu Yuan in adulthood?
That went without saying.
If they could take a single punch from Lu Yuan and survive, it would mean their bodies were still remarkably stout.
"I understand. Thank you."
Jing Ye drew a bank note from her bosom worth one hundred taels and handed it to Long Gou'er.
"One hundred taels? You've given too much; we can't break this."
"No, it's not too much. Consider the excess a token of good karma."
Jing Ye said with a smile.
"Young lady, do you still have a favor to ask?"
The old woman instantly guessed Jing Ye's intentions.
"Yes."
"Matters concerning this village are things this old woman cannot speak of."
"It's not about your village's affairs, though I am quite curious about those as well."
"Please speak."
"That martial art you mentioned earlier, I wonder if..."
"Is the young lady interested in old me's technique?"
"Yes."
"I wonder if you might impart it? Silver is no object; name your price."
Anything that could be solved with money was no problem at all.
"Old me does not sell it, but it can be traded."
The old woman looked at Jing Ye.
"Very well, what do you require?"
"Rumor has it in the outside world that you otherworldly travelers are scattered across the Nine Provinces and Ten Lands, and possess the ability to transmit items across a thousand miles."
"What old me requires is a medicinal herb found in the Southern Frontier."
"What herb?"
"Gu Mushroom."
"Deal."
...
[Ding! You have discovered Unknown Clue 1.]
[Gathering all unknown clues will unlock a special storyline and grant special rewards.]
[Current progress: 1/7.]
[Ding! You have obtained an Earth-grade martial arts manual (fragmentary edition).]
[Eye of Heaven (Earth-grade Fragment): Due to unknown reasons, the heritage is damaged. Can temper spiritual awareness and see through all disguises in the world. Mana +100, Health +100.]
"A fragmentary edition?"
"An unknown clue?"
Jing Ye and Dudu exchanged smiles. This trip to Shanghe Village was truly worthwhile.
Hahaha.
They had acquired an Earth-grade martial art and discovered an unknown clue.
Investing a mere hundred taels or so yielded a massive profit.
...