The next morning, Quinn Shepherd was jolted awake by the uproar of villagers. He got up, rubbing sleep from his eyes, and asked what was going on—only to learn that the night watchman had suddenly died during his shift, leaving everyone shocked and uneasy. Outside, a restless wind stirred Quinn’s heart, and he glanced at the ox cart, feeling a wild urge to chase the morning breeze.
Just last night, Quinn had chopped down a tree and a giant serpent had burst out from inside—already terrifying enough. Now, with the night watchman dropping dead in the middle of the night, the villagers were left anxious and abuzz with rumors. Quinn, still feeling the rush from his battle with the serpent, suddenly leapt off the ox cart and sprinted through the pine forest, tapping treetops as stepping stones, chasing the head of the wind as if running across the sky.
The grateful couple whose baby Quinn and Granny Sue had saved brought over a tray covered in red cloth, offering a few humble gifts. The man said nervously, "Granny Sue, young brother, we're just poor folk with little to give, but please, you must accept these tokens of our gratitude." Quinn cheered inwardly, still exhilarated from his run across the sky atop the tip of the wind—a scene that left the villagers whispering in awe.
Quinn was about to refuse, but Grandpa Blind advised with a lazy grin, "Quinn, just take them. If you don't, they'll keep feeling indebted to you forever." Up on the ox cart, the elders craned their necks, watching Quinn’s antics and joking about whether he’d fall from the sky.
Quinn accepted the small gifts and said goodbye to the couple. The man smiled, "Young brother, with your skills and talent, you'll surely be a dragon or phoenix among men one day!" Apothecary sniffed the morning air, his brow furrowing. "That wind Quinn’s chasing—it’s a demon wind, with a spirit inside. Once it notices him, it’ll stop and he’ll drop. Who’s going to catch him when he falls?" he muttered, half amused and half worried.
"What's so great about dragons and phoenixes?" Quinn muttered. Just then, as he ran faster and faster, a snow-white fox appeared beside him, seated primly on a huge banana leaf flying with the wind. Both Quinn and the fox stared at each other, wide-eyed in shock.
Granny Sue snorted, "Dragon liver and phoenix gall are just delicacies on the dinner table. Don't become a dragon or phoenix—be the one who eats them instead." At that moment, both Quinn and the fox screamed in unison. The wind spell broke, the banana leaf hovered, and Quinn plummeted from the sky while the fox clung desperately to its leaf.
The couple exchanged awkward glances. Granny Sue waved them off, "Go on home. Quinn, Grandpa Blind, let's get back to the fair!" Meanwhile, Quinn and the fox’s twin screams echoed through the morning air as he tumbled from the sky, the fox’s tail bristling in alarm.
Quinn hurried after the sharp-tongued old lady, curiosity burning in his chest. "Granny, what happened last night? Was the night watchman the culprit? How did he die? And what was that silver pellet floating at my brow? Didn't you say our villagers are just ordinary? Why do I feel like 'ordinary' folks from other villages are nothing like ours?" As he fell, Quinn shouted in alarm, desperately kicking his legs midair, trying to use the Heaven-Stealing Leg Art to stay aloft.
"Why do you have so many questions?" Granny Sue snapped. Quinn’s feet churned the air, but gravity won out, sending him plummeting downward in a wild, flailing tumble.
Granny Sue looked utterly exasperated, casting a helpless glance at Grandpa Blind. He just grinned and walked forward—then, with a thud, smacked straight into a tree and collapsed, pretending to faint.
Granny Sue stomped on Grandpa Blind's face several times, but no matter what she did, he stubbornly refused to wake up.
Quinn hurriedly hoisted Grandpa Blind onto his back, giving Granny Sue a hopeful look. She pulled a needle from her basket and jabbed it into Grandpa Blind's backside—the wound spurted blood, but he remained as unconscious as ever.
Granny Sue sighed in defeat and blinked, finally explaining, "The night watchman really was the demonic cultivator who raised the serpent. He was no pushover—he used Phantom Shadow Devil Art, a powerful ability from the Cult of the Heavenly Demon. It's hard to guard against. I hit his shadow with my Sand-Hidden Shadow-Piercing Method, injuring his true body through the shadow. But my own inner demon holds me back—I once swore never to harm disciples of the Cult of the Heavenly Demon, so I only drove him away. The one who finished him off was Grandpa Blind."
Quinn blinked and asked, "What about the silver pellet? Was that a Sword Pill? Granny, do you know sword arts?"
Granny Sue blinked back at him, both of them exchanging blinks until their eyes grew sore. Gritting her teeth, she jabbed Grandpa Blind's backside with another needle, but he still wouldn't wake up.
"Silver pellet? Ah, you're talking about this?" Granny Sue flipped her palm, revealing a silver Sword Pill in her hand.
Quinn nodded eagerly, "Granny, teach me sword arts!"
Granny Sue sighed, "It's not that I don't want to teach you—it's that I can't. My swordsmanship is famous, but it's not the strongest in the world. If you learn my sword, the true number-one sword master won't teach you, so no matter what, I can't pass it on."
Quinn was disappointed, but then his eyes lit up, "The world's greatest sword arts? Is it someone from our village?"