Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 329 Two Days, Ceremony

The village chief's house looked significantly more spacious and cleaner than the other bungalows in the village.

The damp smell of earth after the rain, mixed with a faint scent of firewood, filled the air. Several tanned animal hides hung on the wall, while some unknown herbs were drying on the rack below, as if they had been temporarily brought indoors because of the sudden downpour.

There were no lights on; only the dim light from outside the window barely illuminated the room.

The three sat around a wooden table.

The village chief, with his white hair and beard, sat at the head of the table. Although his face was etched with the wrinkles of time, his eyes were still clear, but at this moment they carried a hint of worry and caution that he could not hide.
Aspen sat next to the village chief, his body tense, his linen shirt slightly stretched by the muscles beneath, his expression calm yet revealing a hint of nervousness.
Xia Nan sat across the table, a bit further away from the two men. Two long swords were still strapped to his back, and he was naturally not removing his armor. His expression was calm and composed.

"Mr. Xia Nan, you've come a long way, it must be tiring." The village chief spoke first, his voice hoarse but polite, his calloused old hands gently pushing a bowl of cloudy barley wine in front of Xia Nan on the table.

"On behalf of all the villagers of Foglight Village, I welcome you and thank you for your generous help to Aspen and Fuyuki."

"The village is remote, and it is rare for outsiders to pass by. Please forgive us for any shortcomings in our hospitality."

Xia Nan took the ceramic bowl with both hands, his dark eyes subtly scanning the turbid wine swaying inside, his perception reaching its peak in an instant.

It has been largely confirmed that there are no major problems.

Only then did he lift the earthenware bowl, lightly touch it with his lips, and although it was slightly moistened, he did not put it in his mouth.

It's not that I'm complaining about the quality of the drinks; after all, when you're traveling alone, you have to be careful in everything you do.

The oppressive atmosphere in the village when he arrived had already made him wary, so he couldn't easily trust the drinks offered by the other party. He raised his glass and slightly moistened his lips, which was a way of showing his goodwill and respect for the two people in front of him.

As expected, seeing Xia Nan's behavior, the village chief and Aspen were not angry at all, but even relaxed a bit, which eased the tense atmosphere at the table.

"You're too kind, village chief."

"Having a shelter from the wind and rain and a bowl of wine to relieve fatigue during a mission is already a blessing for adventurers like us."

Xia Nan put down the earthenware bowl filled with wine and replied slowly.

Then came a brief silence and some polite small talk that offered little substance.

I don't intend to waste too much time here, nor do I have any intention of testing the other party's attitude with words.

Xia Nan lightly tapped the desktop with her fingertip, getting to the point:
"To be honest, I didn't just happen to pass by this place. The goal of this mission is to collect fog lamp grass in the canyon not far from Fog Lamp Village."

"It was only because of this heavy rain that we encountered a mudslide, which completely blocked the entrance to the canyon, making it impossible to go any further."

"Then I heard that Foglight Village is located near the entrance to the other side of the canyon, so I had no choice but to come and bother you."

"I wonder if the village... could do me a favor?"

While explaining the situation, he also carefully observed the changes in the expressions of the two people.

It was clear that when the specific terms "fog lamp grass" and "the entrance to the other end of the canyon" were mentioned, the village chief and Aspen's expressions changed almost simultaneously.

No matter how well it was concealed, it couldn't escape Xia Nan's eyes.

Aspen appeared somewhat anxious, half-rising and subconsciously adjusting his seat.

The two exchanged a knowing glance, then the village chief coughed lightly, forcing a smile, and said cautiously and hesitantly:

"Ah... fog lamp grass, I see..."

“No offense intended, Mr. Xia Nan. It’s not that we’re unwilling to do this favor, but Foglight Canyon is a forbidden area for our village, passed down through generations. Not to mention someone like you… uh, a stranger, even villagers who have grown up in the village are strictly forbidden from entering under ancestral rules.”

"so……"

Aspen picked up the conversation, his voice deep and powerful, adding, "Unlike the other side, the canyon on this side near the village is extremely dangerous. Unless there are special circumstances, the hunters in the village would never go near it."

Xia Nan's expression remained unchanged. His gaze calmly swept over the two people in front of him, his fingertips gently tracing the rim of the ceramic bowl. His tone was as even as before:

"Forbidden area... I did hear you and Fuyuki mention it before."

“Every place has its own traditions and taboos, and I understand that very well. After all, even a place like River Valley retains many rules, big or small.”

"But as an adventurer, I have some experience with various dangerous environments. Perhaps... if I only stay on the outskirts, collect the fog lamp grass needed for the mission, and then leave immediately without venturing deeper, I wonder if you two can accept that."

"In return, I am willing to pay some compensation or exchange the supplies I carry."

Xia Nan was sincere, and the conditions he proposed were relatively reasonable. He even mentioned compensation at the end.

This put the two people across the table in an even more difficult position.

The village chief frowned, making the deep wrinkles on his face even more pronounced. After hesitating for a moment, he leaned forward, lowered his voice, and adopted a very cautious posture:
“Mr. Xia Nan, I can see your sincerity, but... things are not that simple.”

“These past few days have been a crucial time for our Fog Lamp Village to hold its sacrificial ceremony. The ceremony itself requires absolute quiet and ‘purity’ and cannot be disturbed by any external factors.”

"Otherwise, if the ceremony is disrupted, the entire village will be plunged into disaster!"

"A sacrificial ceremony?" Xia Nan raised an eyebrow.

Living in a fantasy world where gods exist, he certainly knew what that word meant.

“Yes! It’s a traditional blessing ceremony that has been passed down through generations in our village,” Aspen added, his eyes flickering as he avoided Xia Nan’s gaze. “Every few years around this time, we offer… sacrifices to pray for peace and a bountiful harvest for the village in the coming year.”

Upon hearing this, Xia Nan remained silent, simply lost in thought.

But perhaps it was his cold and aloof demeanor and his attire that created too much pressure on people.

The few seconds of silence felt like a countdown to a bomb exploding to the two people across the table.

The suffocating, heavy pressure made it hard to breathe.

"Two days!" The urgent, high-pitched voice broke the deathly silence in the air. The village chief's forehead was covered in sweat, and he almost shouted it out.

"The sacrificial ceremony is in two days, Mr. Xia Nan, what do you think of this arrangement?"

"Please rest in the village for a couple of days. As soon as the ceremony is over, we will immediately arrange for someone to take you into the canyon to pick the herbs you need."

"Let Aspen arrange your accommodation for the next few days; we will provide the best food and lodging."

“Yes, Mr. Shanan, it will only take two days.” Aspen’s attitude was sincere and earnest. “Please understand our predicament, after all, it concerns the survival of the entire village and the land where we grew up.”

Xia Nan remained silent, lost in thought.

Realistically speaking, although the atmosphere in the village was a bit strange, the aura emanating from the villagers along the way and the two people in charge in front of him was at the level of ordinary people, in his perception.

Their strength isn't particularly high.

According to the practices of some adventurers in this world, it's already considered good enough if they don't act arrogantly in the village, why do they have to wait two more days?

It's likely that the moment the word "two days" is uttered, the sword will already be at the other party's neck.

But Xia Nan is different. Coming from a modern society in his previous life and having received a complete education, his sound values ​​and worldview allow him to still regard ordinary people in this world as "human beings," even though he possesses superhuman strength.

I will never cross my bottom line and allow myself to fall into the abyss of depravity.

Therefore, at this moment, faced with their sincere pleas, he was genuinely considering the feasibility of his proposal.

Ms. Edwina's collection mission has a time limit of fifteen days, and the round trip will take about ten days. Hmm... based on my own speed when I came here, I should be able to shorten it a bit more.

After all, he managed to clear two goblin nests in between, and arrived at his destination well ahead of schedule. The two days he spent in the village were still within the planned timeframe.

There's even a considerable margin of error in the return trip, about six or seven days, which is more than enough.

So...maybe it will work?
The few seconds of silence felt like an eternity to the village chief and Aspen, their expressions revealing visible tension and unease.

When Xia Nan made up his mind and slowly opened his mouth, the middle-aged hunter's facial muscles even twitched.

"can."

Xia Nan nodded slightly.

"Then I'll stay in the village for a few days. After your ceremony is over, I'll trouble you all to take me to the edge of the canyon."

Upon hearing this, Aspen and the village chief breathed a sigh of relief almost simultaneously, their tense bodies instantly relaxing.

"That's wonderful! Thank you for your understanding, Mr. Xia Nan!" The village chief smiled sincerely, wiping the sweat from his face. "You are truly understanding!"

"I will arrange the best room in the village for you right away, please wait a moment."

"Also, thank you again for your help to Aspen and Fuyuki, we will definitely..."

This was followed by another round of pleasantries.

They respectfully escorted Xia Nan out of the room and then asked the villagers to lead him to an empty room.

Only after the figure carrying two swords disappeared behind the tightly closed wooden door did the two people in the room finally relax completely.

"Village chief, are we really going to let that adventurer enter the forbidden area?"

Aspen let out a long sigh and slumped back in the wooden chair, leaning against the backrest.

Before I knew it, my back was already soaked with sweat.

The pressure I felt in those few minutes was even greater than when I faced that cave bear alone in the wild.

"if not?"

The village chief's expression shifted from respect and caution to a grim look, his wrinkles deepening as he retorted:
"You don't really think that just because I refused, he'll leave on his own and stop trying to get his hands on those fog lamp grasses, do you?"

It's true that few people pass through Wudeng Village, but as the village chief, he has the most experience in judging people in the entire village.

He has dealt with many adventurers, and even worked in the town of River Valley when he was young.

Therefore, he could clearly tell that the seemingly young, black-haired man sitting across the table was definitely not the kind of person who would casually buy a couple of simple pieces of equipment and call himself an "adventurer".

His chainmail, leg armor, and even the two longswords behind him—any one of them could easily buy his entire house.

The superior equipment is one aspect.

On the other hand, it was also because of the other party's impressive record of easily defeating more than twenty goblins single-handedly, as described by Aspen, and the aura of a strong person that he felt when they faced each other just now, which was the result of being tempered and refined.

There is a very high probability that the other party is a seasoned adventurer who has already obtained a professional level!
Regarding the request made by the other party...

Even if we can't agree, we have to agree!

Otherwise, if they angered the other party, Fog Lantern Village might become history.

By then, even the village will no longer exist, so the success or failure of the ceremony will be meaningless.

Fortunately, the fact that he was willing to sit in the room and calmly negotiate with the two of them already demonstrated his attitude and style.

He is definitely not the extreme or biased type.

"The ceremony concluded in two days."

As he spoke, the village chief hesitated.
"When the time comes, I will personally take him there... and keep an eye on things, trying my best not to let him go too deep, otherwise it would be bad if he disturbed the being inside."

"Take good care of them these next two days, and also keep a close eye on things with the villagers. Don't let anyone foolishly anger them for no reason."

“Understood!” Aspen nodded emphatically.

……

Led by the villagers, we walked along the road leading to the empty house.

Xia Nan remained calm.

Mud, fungal growth, and a crooked little wooden house...

It remained as desolate and dilapidated as ever.

But perhaps because they saw him come out of the village chief's house, the guarded look in the eyes of the surrounding villagers, which had been scrutinizing and wary, dissipated a little.

No one dared to come up and chat, and there was much less hostility in their eyes.

Enjoying the peace and quiet, Xia Nan casually surveyed the surroundings.

His gaze suddenly paused.

In the distance, further inside the wooden house where the village chief lived, stood an inconspicuous little house.

It seems to be regularly maintained; both the house itself and the surrounding ground are much cleaner than other parts of the village.

There were even two men standing in front of the door who seemed to be chatting idly, but were actually more like guards.

Feeling something was amiss, he asked the villager leading the way:
"That wooden house looks a bit unusual. Is it inhabited by people from your village?"

The villager had his back to Xia Nan, so he couldn't see the other person's face at that moment.

But what can be observed is that the guide suddenly stopped walking and his body stiffened for a moment when he realized the meaning of his words.

"No, I don't know, Mr. Xia Nan."

　Thank you to "sfqk" for the generous donation!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)