Shi Lang's cold tone made the group of people stop. The young leader of the group said, "Fellow Daoists, we are here to cook our food beside the stream, that is all."
Shi Lang did not respond and turned to Yu Xiedi. He coaxed her for a few minutes and had her sit beside him as they ate. He did not wish to be entangled in any unnecessary trouble; after all, these guys might not threaten him, but if a conflict arose, it might harm Yu Xiedi. He did not wish for that to happen.
Yu Xiedi was eating her food, but despite Shi Lang's assurance, she was vigilant of the group. Any quick moment, and she would raise her gaze. The terran noticed all this, but he said nothing to her. Time will make her understand everything, but his deliberate intervention will not be the permanent solution.
The two of them sat together, eating in silence. Shi Lang did not mind what the group of people was doing. Suddenly, the young man from the other side said, "Fellow Daoist, I am Man Micheal."
Shi Lang was surprised to hear the Western name and replied to gain information, "I am Shi Lang, and this is my disciple, Yu Xiedi."
The young man was slightly surprised, but then he nodded. He gazed at Yu Xiedi, who timidly avoided his gaze and chuckled. He said, "Seems like Brother Shi Lang's disciple is very shy."
Shi Lang did not reply but patted the little girl on her head. Man Micheal asked, "If you do not mind me asking, Brother Shi Lang is in the forest for?"
Shi Lang replied, "Some training and bringing Xiao Yu around to learn about the wild."
Man Micheal nodded and said, "We came here to look for some herbs. Three days and no luck, so we thought of going back to the city and replenishing our supplies. On the way back, we met a caravan and bought stuff from them to continue our expedition. That was when we came upon that tree."
In the end, the young man smiled sheepishly. Shi Lang nodded and asked, "Your name does not sound from around here. Where are you from?"
Man Micheal chuckled and said, "Well, you have a quick knack for the details. However, to disappoint you, I am from the central plains only, a small village at the border of the southern provinces. However, my ancestor was not from the central plains."
Shi Lang pretended to be surprised and said, "Oh, where was he from then? Southern Provinces?"
Man Micheal shook his head and said, "My Ancestor was from a lower realm."
Shi Lang raised his brow, but he was not surprised. In his home world in his past life, the western hemisphere was filled with people who had such names. The people from the east did have a translated name for these foreigners, but the real names were different.
Shi Lang guessed that this person must have the same root as his. He said, "We do have some fate."
Man Micheal was surprised, and Shi Lang said, "My ancestor also ascended to this world and settled in the Eastern Barren. I am probably the first from my family bloodline to make it over to the Central Plain."
The five cultivators were shocked. Man Micheal exchanged glances with them and said, "These are all my cousins. The survival and the chances to grow stronger were limited in the village, so we decided to come out and explore. The immortal plain is no longer critical about the ascenders, at least not as much as it was in the past."
Shi Lang nodded. He took a water sack and handed it to Yu Xiedi beside him. Man Micheal asked, "Brother Shi, how did you come to the Central Plain?"
Shi Lang smiled and said, "Grace of a Senior. I cannot tell you much about it because his identity is somewhat sensitive."
Internally, Shi Lang cursed Tian Long for all the mess he had suffered, but he also thought the sovereign was a good cover. Yu Xiedi was leaning against Shi Lang, and unknowingly, she had fallen asleep. nOVe.lb.In
The Terran sensed her steady breathing and said, "Brother Man, I will take my disciple back. Have a good meal."
Man Micheal nodded as he watched Shi Lang leave with Yu Xiedi in his arms. Shi Lang arrived back at the tree and lay the girl on a soft quilt to sleep. She had yet to start cultivation, and thus, this routine was very exhausting for her physically.
The terran was on the night watch when he suddenly heard a few weapon-clashing sounds from the direction of the clearing. He frowned and waved his hand to cover the tree in a barrier and killing formation. This time, he even covered it in an illusion array. These basic arrays were not very time-consuming for him.
After he was done, the terran took out the sniper rifle and hopped on a tree crown. He took his attack position and found that Man Micheal and his people were fighting with a group of people in brocade clothing.
These people seemed like they were some young masters from big families. He heard one of the guys say, "Do you know that it is your sister's fortune to have been fancied by me? I have an Immortal King elder behind me. What can you do? It is useless to put up a struggle. Just give up, and I will spare you all."
Shi Lang noticed a notorious light flashing in the eyes of the arrogant young man. He was standing behind the five people who were fighting Man Micheal and his group. The terran scanned the area and found the Immortal King level elder, who was standing behind the young man shrouded in the dark.
He blinked his eyes and entered a state of indifference. As the battle progressed, Man Micheal and his people gained on the attackers. The young man frowned and said, "Elder Kang, please end this facade."
As the old man was about to make a move, Shi Lang fired the bullet. Before the old man could even react, the bullet had pierced his thigh. The pain made him retreat, and he exclaimed, "Who's there?!"