Gandharva Ville

Gandharva Ville

"Gandharva Ville?!"

The moment Lin Feng heard that familiar place name, his spirits lifted. He hurriedly questioned the unlucky fellow in front of him.

"You said your name is Farbod, and you're from a place called Gandharva Ville?"

Only when Gandharva Ville was mentioned did Lin Feng finally recall something about the Farbod before him.

—Wasn't this the legend Tighnari had publicly criticized, the guy who managed to poison himself with mushrooms three times in a single month?

"Yeah! I could tell you looked like an outsider, sir, but I didn't expect you to know about Gandharva Ville."

Farbod grew even more excited when Lin Feng mentioned Gandharva Ville, saying eagerly,

"You have to come back with me, sir! I swear on my honor as Farbod that I'll ask Forest Ranger Tighnari to award you a medal for bravery!"

"Ahem, there's no need for a medal. I only happened to save you. Other than opening your cage, I didn't really do much."

Lin Feng was having a hard time handling Farbod's visibly overflowing enthusiasm. In his previous life, he had never been good at dealing with relatives who fussed over him during the New Year.

"To be honest, I'm a wanderer from Liyue. I got lost in the rainforest. If you can tell me how to get to Gandharva Ville, that would be a huge help."

Returning to the matter at hand, Lin Feng raised the question he cared about most—and the original purpose of this whole trip.

Though he had not gotten the information by interrogating the Treasure Hoarders, having a local guide him made Lin Feng feel that the day he left the rainforest was finally in sight.

"No problem!"

Farbod climbed to his feet and looked at Lin Feng proudly.

"I, Farbod, am the best mushroom picker in all of Gandharva Ville! And it's all thanks to my knack for telling directions!"

"Benefactor, just follow me. We'll be out of the rainforest in half a day at most. Shall we set out now?"

Farbod clearly did not want to stay in this place of painful memories for another second.

Seeing Lin Feng hesitate, Farbod explained,

"You should know that while the rainforest looks pitch-black at night, it's actually safer than during the day. Most monsters and wild beasts are resting. Unless you burn down the forest, you won't see any of them at all. Other than it being hard to tell directions, there's no problem."

"—And I happen to be the best at telling directions in all of Gandharva Ville!"

Farbod raised his head, displaying astonishing confidence for a moment—if one ignored the snot hanging from his face.

Lin Feng was tempted. He truly had no attachment whatsoever to this mosquito-infested, unbearably damp rainforest, so he readily agreed.

After scavenging the camp for supplies, Lin Feng put out the bonfire.

After throwing the three tied-up idiots into the cage,

Lin Feng and Farbod, both brimming with excitement, set out on their way back.

Perhaps because they had reached the outskirts of the rainforest, traces of human activity began appearing along the way.

—Makeshift rain shelters made of leaves, the ashes of extinguished bonfires, bushes bent by trampling. Lin Feng even spotted the tent of an Akademiya Scholar.

As they walked, Lin Feng chatted with the talkative Farbod.

From Farbod's account, Lin Feng learned that the three Treasure Hoarders who had kidnapped him actually targeted Scholars who could not afford guards.

Because of their Akademiya graduation theses, Amurta students often came to Apam Woods for ecological surveys.

Gandharva Ville had originally been nothing more than a temporary resting place built by Sumeru's Scholars in the rainforest. Forest Rangers were only stationed there later, with the purpose of protecting those Akademiya Scholars and passing merchants.

But there were always reckless fools who ventured into areas the Forest Rangers had not cleared, hoping to make their theses stand out.

Treasure Hoarders who kidnapped them for ransom had flourished for that very reason. After all, students who could attend the Akademiya generally had plenty of money on them.

It was just that these three rookies were far too amateurish. They had actually targeted a Forest Walker like him, who could not offer anything except mushrooms.

And so, as they chatted to pass the time and Lin Feng gathered information from Farbod, the sky gradually brightened.

Several hours later, Lin Feng finally emerged from the dim rainforest and looked at the unremarkable, scattered cluster of temporary dwellings before him.

They were only a few wooden huts, crude enough to be called shabby, yet they gave him a sense of security unlike anything he had ever felt before.

Lin Feng stroked Xiao Bai on his shoulder as he listened to the excited Farbod beside him dance about and shout wildly.

He raised his head to watch the rising morning sun and brightening sky. The sudden emotion even gave him the urge to cry.

Standing on the roads of Gandharva Ville and watching merchants already hawking their wares and busy Forest Rangers at work despite the early hour, Lin Feng pulled himself together. He politely declined Farbod's invitation to visit his home and instead suggested meeting the person in charge here first—Forest Ranger Tighnari.

Knowing that business came first, Farbod led Lin Feng to Tighnari's treehouse.

Lin Feng told Tighnari about the Treasure Hoarders in the forest, while Farbod provided the exact location.

Before long, the three Treasure Hoarders, still snoring soundly, were brought back by the Forest Rangers. After they were given antidote and the situation was verified, Tighnari swiftly arranged for his subordinates to escort the three unlucky men to a temporary cell.

"Sorry, I was busy dealing with the Treasure Hoarders just now and neglected you."

"Apprehending Treasure Hoarders isn't a Forest Ranger's primary duty, but thank you nonetheless for helping clear out a danger in the rainforest."

After settling the matter of the Treasure Hoarders' confinement, Tighnari looked at the raggedly dressed Lin Feng and solemnly thanked him.

"Also, I'm thanking you on behalf of that idiot Farbod. This isn't the first time he's gotten sick from eating fungi. No matter how often we lecture him, he still manages it once or twice every month."

"Unfortunately, I specialize in botany. Making people grow brains is beyond my field of expertise."

When speaking of Farbod, Tighnari—who usually seemed clear-headed, mature, steady, and capable of anything in front of his subordinates—showed obvious helplessness.

Now that he had finally settled down, Lin Feng curiously studied the first story character he had met. Facing this familiar yet unfamiliar "Grand Forest Ranger," he forced himself to look away from the other man's Ears before responding to Tighnari's thanks.

"I didn't really do anything. I only helped tie those three up. The real credit goes to Farbod's poisonous mushrooms."

"Those three Treasure Hoarders were rookies among rookies. Even if no one dealt with them, they would have poisoned themselves with mushrooms sooner or later."

Remembering the exact course of that "rescue," Lin Feng's face twitched as well.

"Don't say that. Lin Feng, right? You should be from Liyue. In an unfamiliar and dangerous environment like the rainforest, you were still willing to lend a hand to someone in trouble. That alone is reason enough for me to thank you," Tighnari replied seriously.

"And you don't need to be wary of us. As an area where traveling merchants often stay, Gandharva Ville isn't particularly hostile toward wanderers like you."

Tighnari saw the exhaustion Lin Feng could not conceal and assumed he was being modest because he did not trust him.

"Hmm."

Tighnari thought for a moment, then called over a Forest Ranger nearby.

"Nasrin, same as before. Tell the others that I'll be working from Amir's house for the next two days."

After saying that, Tighnari looked at the clearly young yet raggedly dressed Lin Feng and smiled.

"How about this? You must have been wandering through the rainforest for quite some time. You can rest here for a few nights first. As for a proper reward, let me think it over and give you an answer tomorrow. Would that be alright?"