Facing the clear gaze from Xiao Shenshen,

Old Man Zhou uncharacteristically concealed his usual aura of invisible aloofness and coldness, "Wearing it, it might help awaken the Ice Silkworm in your body a bit faster."

"Is this a great treasure?" Xiao Shenshen asked, her face alight with surprise.

Old Man Zhou nodded, "As a token of gratitude for you healing my sickness."

As he spoke, he shook his now restored wrist.

"It should be, thank you for your gift~" Xiao Shenshen happily thanked him.

Holding the ivory pick, she bounced up to me, her eyes smiling like crescent moons, "That uncle gave it to me."

"Right, good girl."

Xiao Shenshen was so adorably soft, my heart melted into a puddle, "Why don't I help you tie it in your hair, so you don't lose it."

"Really? Young Madam will help me do my hair?" Xiao Shenshen asked, shy yet hopeful.

I took the ivory pick, and effortlessly gathered up Xiao Shenshen's unusually smooth hair, "What's there to mind, do you know how to do your hair?"

"Cough cough~ No." Xiao Shenshen stuck out her tongue.

Having appeared as a boy for a thousand years, how could she know how to do her hair – a delicate task typically mastered by girls.

In no time, I turned the ivory pick into a hairpin and styled her hair into a low bun, "There you go, if you won't let me style your hair, who else will?"

"Yes!" Shenshen was overjoyed.

I felt genuinely thankful to Old Man Zhou for his care of Shenshen and cast him a grateful look.

Old Man Zhou glanced back at me indifferently and returned to his wood carving.

Observing his disinterest in worldly affairs, we did not intrude further and walked towards the village.

Leaning on Yu Longting's arm, I was deep in thought about Old Man Zhou's identity, wondering why he was here.

Yu Longting spoke out of the blue, "I also want to grow my hair long."

Turning my eyes, I noticed his stern face seemed almost frosted over, displaying noticeable displeasure.

As if everyone around him owed him millions.

This is...

Is he jealous because I did Shenshen's hair??

Hahaha, I underestimated his mastery in brewing jealousy!

"Mr. Qiu, who are these people, and what are they doing in our village?" a young villager, who had watched us at the village entrance, followed us in and asked Qiu Yuchuan, "You know, we normally don't let outsiders in."

They must be farmers who regularly worship the Snake Immortal, with snake-shaped tattoos more or less everywhere on their bodies.

Their trouser legs were rolled up, revealing calves slightly caked with dry mud.

So why say the life of the common people is full of hardships? Even in such conditions, they still have to work the fields, especially now in the busy spring planting season.

A missed opportunity now would mean missing the precious summer harvest.

Qiu Yuchuan's voice projected the coolness of a snake, "Watch your words; they are the Snake Lord and the Lady of the Snake Lord, specially here to assess the village's situation."

"What... what... but wasn't the village like this because of the Snake Sect's misfortune?"

"They wouldn't be coming to the village deliberately to harm everyone, would they?"

"Exactly, our ancestors have worshipped the Snake Immortal for generations, and now we are left in such a state, everyone is disheartened."

Though they spoke in low voices out of fear,

I could hear everything clearly, thanks to my Spiritual Eye which heightened all my senses.

Yu Longting and I exchanged glances; he seemed slightly unsettled, his eyebrows furrowed.

After all, the Snake Sect had protected them for so long, and losing their trust suddenly, even the highly visible grand Snake Immortal Temple in the village had lost its offerings.

As the Snake Lord, he couldn't possibly be unconcerned.

Qiu Yuchuan's fiery snake eyes suddenly turned blood-red as he gravely explained:

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