One Wrong Step, Like Falling Into the Abyss!

Next, Wang Ping stopped paying attention to the group's antics and began to think seriously.

Indeed, according to the Simulator's description, the people of this village were actually quite kind, or else they wouldn't have let him stay overnight. The reason he was killed was that he took out snacks, which were mistaken for poison. If he didn't do that, he probably wouldn't die.

But Wang Ping also felt it was safer to play it cautious, wait until midnight for the simulation, and then decide whether to go. He couldn't be as unlucky as that No. 36, could he?

Still, if others could die, why couldn't he? He, Wang Ping, was just an ordinary person after all. Though he'd struck it lucky and drawn a Golden Finger like the Life Simulator, seeming fortunate, wasn't that No. 36 Transmigrator unlucky too?

"Let's go."

Wang Ping gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and made his decision.

Then, taking a deep breath, he trudged with heavy steps toward the nearby village.

As Wang Ping reached the village entrance, two burly men in linen clothes noticed him. They immediately gripped their spears, fixed him with sharp eyes, and barked, "Stop right there! State your name and origin, or don't blame us for being rude."

Their Crimson Flame Village was this small, and everyone knew each other well. Wang Ping was a stranger, oddly dressed, and they'd never seen him before. So naturally, they could tell at a glance he was from elsewhere.

Moreover, from his slightly pale complexion and skin, along with his callus-free palms, they could judge that Wang Ping was probably no ordinary person—likely a city dweller from outside, living a very comfortable life.

Lastly, they could see that Wang Ping's aura was pitifully weak, probably even inferior to the village children, as if his body had been drained dry—a total weakling with less than 5 combat power. This led them to label him as completely harmless.

Of course, even though Wang Ping was harmless, they couldn't just let him waltz into the village.

"My name is Wang Ping, a traveler. I got lost in this forest and saw the smoke from your cooking fires, so I came over."

Wang Ping quickly raised his hands and explained.

"Lost in the forest? How did you dare to barge in here alone?"

The two Village Guards exchanged glances, looking puzzled, and asked suspiciously.

"Uh, I ran into danger, and my escort stayed behind to cover my retreat."

Seeing their suspicion, Wang Ping's mind raced, and he quickly grasped the issue, explaining with a bitter smile.

"I see, no wonder you're alone."

The Village Guards exchanged another look, finally somewhat believing Wang Ping's story.

Sensing they seemed a bit convinced, Wang Ping ventured a request, "Excuse me, could your village let me stay for a while? Of course, I won't freeload—I can help with work, and I'll repay the village later."

"That's not for us to decide; we need to ask the Village Chief."

"Wait here, I'll go fetch him."

The two Village Guards spoke one after the other.

With that, one guard dashed straight into the village, his steps swift as the wind, covering over twenty meters in the blink of an eye, leaving Wang Ping stunned. That speed was probably well beyond normal human limits.

Next, Wang Ping waited anxiously, hoping everything would go smoothly.

A few minutes later, the guard returned with an old man whose hair and beard were completely white.

Though the old man looked aged, his eyes were bright and spirited, his vitality remarkably good, making one wonder if he was really on the verge of death.

"Greetings, sir. My name is Wang Ping. I ended up here by accident. Please, Village Chief, let me stay for a while, and I'll repay you handsomely in the future."

Feeling the pressure of the Village Chief's piercing gaze, Wang Ping quickly cupped his hands and spoke.

"Heh, our village is far from the hustle and bustle, and few people make it here. For you to arrive safely is quite a stroke of luck, and it shows some fate between us. Letting you stay for a time is not out of the question."

The Village Chief gave Wang Ping a meaningful look and said with a chuckle.

"Thank you, Village Chief."

Hearing the Village Chief agree, Wang Ping breathed a sigh of relief, cupped his hands again, and said gratefully.

"No need to be polite. Follow me, old man, and I'll find you a place to stay."

The Village Chief nodded, turned, and headed into the village.

Wang Ping quickly followed.

After they left, the two Village Guards exchanged glances and muttered, "That kid's a weakling, but he sure has luck. Running alone through the Blackwind Forest without getting eaten by a demon beast or bitten by a poisonous insect."

The reason Crimson Flame Village rarely saw outsiders was that it was nestled in the Blackwind Forest. Though only on the outskirts, it wasn't a place where an ordinary person could survive. Demon beasts and poisonous insects were everywhere.

Let alone a pampered young master who can't even compare to the village children, even some powerful martial artists could end up dead in a careless moment.

This is still the Blackwind Forest during the day. At night, the Blackwind Forest is far more terrifying—danger lurks everywhere. Even an Innate Realm expert would be in grave danger if they didn't find a hidden cave to hole up in before nightfall.

And now, there's less than an hour until sunset.

The Village Chief led Wang Ping along the village path, drawing the attention of many villagers.

These people were mostly the elderly, women, and children. The number of able-bodied men was relatively small, and they appeared to be the village's guards.

When these people saw Wang Ping, they all showed surprise and curiosity, sizing him up.

Some children even followed along out of curiosity.

Wang Ping couldn't help but look around, finding the village quite fascinating.

At the same time, he guessed that most of the village's young men were out hunting, which explained why there were so few able-bodied adults and why most were guards.

"Young friend, I wonder where you come from. This old man still knows a thing or two about the outside world."

Just then, the Village Chief suddenly asked Wang Ping, who was walking beside him.

This snapped Wang Ping back to reality, and his instinct was to make up a lie.

But then he remembered that cultivators in this Xianxia World weren't easy to fool. The Village Chief's gaze felt like it could see right through him, putting Wang Ping under immense pressure.

After thinking it over for a moment, Wang Ping spoke up. "I come from White River Town. I'm the eldest young master of the Wang Family of White River Town."

There wasn't a shred of falsehood in those words.

He really did come from White River Town—just the one on Earth, that is.

As for being the Wang Family's eldest young master, that wasn't wrong either. His family only had him as a child, so calling himself a farmhouse eldest young master was fine.

"White River Town, huh."

The Village Chief furrowed his brow slightly.

He had never heard of this White River Town.

That was perfectly normal. Though he had some knowledge of the outside world, the only places he bothered to remember were cities at the county level and above.

Towns and villages like this were far too numerous in the Great Xia Dynasty for him to keep track of them all.

Besides, such places weren't worth his attention.