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Chapter 4: The Mountain Village

“Talismans…”

The black-haired girl withdrew her hand from the talisman paper, deep in thought.

This power resembles something like laws or principles, with some powerful existence capable of intervening in causality having set the rules, using this method to protect all homes bearing such talismans with its strength.

It seems it’s not just simple superstition or custom.

Not wasting much time on this so-called talisman, guided by Zeng Zhuang, Vilyric arrived in front of the most well-structured house in this village, which could even be regarded as quite standard in the city.

“Here we are, here we are, Fairy Lady! This is the Villager’s house! If you’re looking for someone knowledgeable around here, it must be the Villager for sure, considering he studied in the big city!”

“The talismans are drawn every year by the Villager himself and distributed to everyone, hehe, if there’s anything, you can definitely count on him!”

With a hearty laugh, Zeng Zhuang stepped forward, knocking on the tightly shut door of the wooden house.

“Villager, Villager! Are you home? I just met an incredible Fairy Lady in the mountains! Come and take a look!”

The customs here seem remarkably simple…

Watching the woodcutter knocking loudly, the Priestess pondered silently.

She simply descended from the sky and wanted to consult a knowledgeable person about something important. Yet, Zeng Zhuang firmly believed it and wholeheartedly brought an unidentified outsider into the village.

Considering his situation, Vilyric had originally suspected it could be a trap or something, but it seems that’s quite unlikely now.

The structure of this village is very simple. If they were the kind to lure an innocent girl, surely, they would have a lookout at the entrance to prevent unknown outsiders from barging in and exposing their schemes.

That’s only common sense—just because there are guards doesn’t mean there’s something wrong, but if there’s not even the most basic defense, it might really be innocent.

As of now, the only things Vilyric has observed that could be called external defenses are those talismans pasted on every door and window.

It seems this Ancient Spirit Realm continent is generally peaceful and tranquil; otherwise, such common folk wouldn’t thrive here.

Zeng Zhuang’s loud knocking soon received a response.

“Coming, coming! Knock so hard, are you trying to break the door? Will you make me a new one?”

Accompanied by such complaints, the door swung open with hurried footsteps from within.

“Hm?”

…This person is the Villager of the village?

To be honest, he looks much younger than Vilyric imagined.

He’s a man in coarse cloth clothing, looking no older than thirty, hardly middle-aged.

His pure gray hair is tied back, like an ancient scholar from some country, secured with a cloth strip. Though not exactly handsome, he has a clear and pleasant appearance, the kind that gives a good impression at first glance and is easy to get along with.

“Zeng Zhuang Uncle… it’s really you. Not going into the mountains at this hour? What’s going on this time? Didn’t I tell you not to casually come to me for trivial matters like collecting cat baskets? I’m the Villager, not your wet nurse, alright?”

The young man seems to be occupied with something and appears unhappy at being interrupted, immediately directing his frustration at the woodcutter who’s been banging on his door since dawn.

However, it seems he didn’t quite hear what Zeng Zhuang was shouting earlier.

The latter seems used to being scolded and doesn’t get upset. Instead, he removes his hat, rubs his head foolishly, and grins.

“Ahaha… Villager, this time it’s not a trivial matter! A beautiful Fairy Lady has come to visit us from afar! Take a look!”

“What Fairies? Why are you learning to lie…”

The Villager instinctively began to reprimand him again but halted quickly when Zeng Zhuang moved aside, revealing the petite figure behind him, leaving him momentarily speechless.

“Uh…”

“…Hello?”

Seeing the other party staring blankly with wide eyes for some reason, after a moment of awkward silence, Miss Vilyric could only try to greet them.

This sound seemed to finally wake him up, and the young Villager’s face stiffened for a moment before he stepped back and raised his hands, performing a standard greeting that the Priestess had seen on souls.

“Forgive me, forgive me! Your beauty resembles that of a celestial, your grace unmatched! I momentarily lost my composure in your presence, please do not hold it against me…”

“Eh… It’s fine.”

Wait a minute, wasn’t he speaking normally with Zeng Zhuang just now? Why did he suddenly switch to this strange, formal tone?

Is this what they call hospitality?

Before Vilyric could respond, Zeng Zhuang burst into laughter.

“See, Villager? I told you she’s a Fairy Lady! Just look at her appearance, her aura, her… uh, figure! In short, the Fairy must have flown down from the heavens!”

“Flown? Is that so…”

Gradually recovering, the Villager nodded thoughtfully. Noticing that the black-haired girl didn’t seem to express any objections, he bowed to her once more, his clear face showing a humility and respect that was completely different from how he treated Zeng Zhuang.

“You are a guest from afar; please, come in and have a cup of warm tea?”

“Sure, then I’ll intrude.”

Not indulging in excessive pleasantries, Vilyric nodded and decisively accepted the Villager’s invitation.

But just as she stepped into the inner room, a somewhat exasperating argument happened behind her.

“Huh? Villager, why can’t I go in to listen! The Fairy Lady is someone I brought, and she’s so beautiful! What if you bully her when it’s just you two alone?!”

“What nonsense! Do you take me for someone… Enough, Zeng Zhuang, stop this racket and go back to your own business. Tonight is an important night; we can’t afford any delays in our preparations.”

“Huh?”

“Quickly…”

“Ugh… Fine, fine! Then, Fairy Lady, I’ll come find you again later! Today’s a good day, hehe!”

As Zeng Zhuang’s shouts faded into the distance, the Villager closed the door, the bright daylight illuminating the simple room still shrouded in morning’s ambiance. He shook his head helplessly and approached Vilyric.

“The rural folk are uncouth, speaking bluntly; please don’t mind it.”

“It’s fine, actually. I quite like his straightforwardness; it’s refreshing to speak plainly!”

The Villager was momentarily surprised but soon gathered himself, noticing that the guest had taken a seat without waiting for him to sit down across the table stacked with documents. Instead, he organized the papers he had just been dealing with and bowed again.

“May I ask, are you from the capital?”

“Hm?”

Shifting her gaze from the incomprehensible dense script, the black-haired girl answered his question.

“Are there people like me in the capital?”

Such a response effectively amounted to a denial.

The Villager seemed much sharper than Zeng Zhuang; upon grasping Vilyric’s meaning, the originally slightly nervous expression clearly showed disappointment, which he quickly concealed.

The Priestess saw this clearly but chose to remain silent.

“Please forgive me; I have actually never seen anyone from the capital. I’ve only heard rumors of remarkable individuals dressing in strange garments, capable of flying and slaying demons, effortlessly transcending the mundane.”

“I noticed your unusual attire and heard Zeng Zhuang mention you fell from the sky, so I rashly speculated; I hope you don’t mind.”

The clothed scholar smiled and poured tea for the girl.

“I am Zeng Xian Zhi, just a humble Villager here. May I ask for your name?”