Courtyard

"Here it is!"

Larry's heavy breathing had finally evened out as he spoke excitedly.

The group had ventured deeper into the forest.

And as the buildings hidden amid the roadside grass grew denser, they finally arrived at their destination.

"Was this where that adventurer found the wooden token?"

Half-Elf Hai An held his Longbow, his silver-grey eyes carefully studying the surroundings, his face full of curiosity.

It was a sprawling courtyard.

Unlike the crumbling ruins they had encountered along the way, this courtyard was remarkably intact, with most of its structures still well preserved.

This allowed Xia Nan to compare what he saw with the knowledge from his Previous Life as he carefully examined every detail of the place.

The entire complex was symmetrically arranged around the central axis of the main gate, with orderly rows of buildings on either side, disciplined yet aesthetically pleasing;

Its classic black-tiled roofs and white walls, its eaves light and graceful like flying birds, its beams and pillars lacquered black and adorned with exquisite Cloud Pattern carvings; its doors and windows mostly featured intricate latticework, though the paper that had once covered them was long ruined, with only scraps clinging to the corners.

They're exactly the same.

Xia Nan murmured to himself.

At the same time, his gaze sweeping across the courtyard suddenly paused, as though he had noticed something strange.

In his memory, the residences of ancient nobles and officials often contained lotus ponds of varying sizes.

Whenever someone passed by, the schools of koi within would swim over to beg for food.

Naturally, this courtyard was no exception.

There were high, arched twin-sided bridges, winding covered walkways, and even a classical stone pavilion extending straight toward the middle of the lake.

Everything seemed normal.

Provided one could ignore the lush shrubs and tall grass beneath those pavilions, corridors, and bridges.

Let alone a lake or pond, there was not even a small puddle in the entire courtyard!

Though it had clearly been built only a few months ago, there was no trace of water beneath those arched bridges and lakeside pavilions.

It was as if they had always stood upon a meadow.

Seeing this bizarre sight, Xia Nan became even more certain of his earlier suspicion—

These buildings definitely did not belong to this world!

"Huh?"

Larry's startled voice sounded by his ear.

Following his gaze, Xia Nan saw him standing before an artificial rockery, his slightly plump face filled with astonishment.

Following Larry's line of sight, Xia Nan's expression also turned strange.

"Clipping?"

On the upper left side of the rockery, its jagged pale stones had bizarrely fused with the branches of a nearby Oak Tree.

Rough grey stone interwove with emerald leaves and branches, piled together in stark contrast yet perfect harmony, as though they had been born that way.

It was like a bug caused by colliding models in one of those shoddily made games from his Previous Life.

Except in the real world, it looked even more natural.

As though something from another world had been forcibly transplanted into this space without a care, creating this peculiar spectacle.

Meanwhile, the Half-Elf and Wood on the other side paid no attention to any of this.

They were making one final confirmation regarding the objective of this mission.

"Young master..."

Wood withdrew his gaze from the architectural carvings he had compared time and again, then slowly shook his head at the Half-Elf beside him.

"It's confirmed. This is not the style of the Matriarch's tribe."

Because of differences in habitat, subspecies, habits, and many other factors, every major elven clan had its own distinctive style.

Yet one trait remained universally constant—

Integration with nature.

Whether green leaves and Thorns, or glowing algae, fungi, and mushrooms, elven architecture was often closely intertwined with the natural environment around it.

Though the buildings before them had likewise made masterful use of all kinds of wood, bricks, and tiles,

their style was fundamentally different from that of the elves.

At his words, disappointment clearly appeared on Hai An's face.

But that was all.

He had long prepared himself for this possibility.

After receiving confirmation from Wood, the Half-Elf seemed to shed the burden in his heart and let out a relieved breath.

He called Xia Nan, Larry, and the others over, then said earnestly:

"The mission is over."

"I have my answer."

"We've been in the forest for many days. If no one objects, we can head back now."

Larry and Doris had grown up in town. Though they had not exactly been pampered, neither had they endured much hardship.

After spending so many days in the Thin Mist Forest, seeing adventurers and encountering magical beasts, the two were already satisfied.

Naturally, they had no reason to object to Hai An's suggestion of returning.

Only Xia Nan did not answer immediately, looking somewhat hesitant.

The payment Hai An offered was only a secondary reason he had joined the team. More importantly, he wanted to uncover the origins of the wooden token in the Half-Elf's possession.

Now that familiar buildings had begun appearing as they ventured deeper, the truth seemed almost within reach.

To turn back now...

Noticing Xia Nan's hesitation, Hai An mistook it for concern over the payment and quickly added:

"Don't worry. Although the mission's outcome differs from what I expected before setting out, you will definitely receive your 100 gold."

As soon as he finished speaking, Larry slapped his chest with a generous expression.

"I'll pay the reward!"

"If it hadn't been for you, I'd probably have died in the mouths of those Rust Monsters last night."

"What's 100 gold? I'd be willing to pay even 500!"

This involved Xia Nan's greatest secret—his transmigration—so he could not explain too much.

He glanced toward the depths of the forest beyond the courtyard.

He pondered silently:

They were still on the outskirts of the Thin Mist Forest, but they were already approaching its boundary.

If they went any deeper, even with a Professional in the party, their safety would be difficult to guarantee.

And judging by the pattern of buildings along the way, if he wanted to uncover the origin of the wooden token, he would have to venture deep into the Thin Mist Forest.

With his current strength, that was far too dangerous.

Perhaps I can come back later?

The thought lasted only an instant.

Faced with everyone's enthusiasm, Xia Nan no longer hesitated. He nodded to Hai An, Larry, and the others, agreeing to return.

Like tourists at scenic sites in his Previous Life, even if they had no interest in the attractions around them, they would often buy local souvenirs to prove they had been there.

At the very least, they would take a few photographs.

Having experienced what might be their one and only "Thin Mist Forest trip" in this lifetime, Larry and Doris naturally would not return empty-handed.

With their return decided, they instinctively began searching the area for portable souvenirs.

"Oh! This stone statue is pretty well made—far more detailed than the work of craftsmen in town!"

Larry looked delighted as he dug a Stone Statue of a Venomous Snake out from some unknown corner.

It was as thick as an arm, every scale carved with incredible detail. Its body coiled, its fangs slightly exposed, it looked ready to strike.

It was lifelike.

But Xia Nan could not help frowning.

This stone statue did not resemble the style of Eastern civilization he remembered.

"Hey! Come over, everyone!"

"There's a Rust Monster statue here too! It looks exactly like the ones we met yesterday!"

Hearing this, Wood seemed to think of something.

His expression darkened suddenly as he stood behind Hai An.

His figure blurred, and in the next instant, he was already shielding the Half-Elf behind him.

He growled:

"Stay alert!!!"