Looking at the woman leaning crookedly against the doorframe, barely able to stand.
Jiang Yan's expression remained calm. He cupped his hands and bowed to her. "All those measures were merely for my own protection. I hope you won't take offense, miss."
"I'm Jiang Yan. May I ask your name?"
The woman managed a shallow curtsy and returned his bow. "I'm Ou Yanling. A pleasure to meet you, Brother Jiang."
Jiang Yan nodded. "I'm afraid you'll have to put up with us for a few days. Your companion is hostile toward us, so I hope you can bear with us here for now."
"In a few days, if he doesn't come and cause trouble, I'll make sure you can leave. I'll also offer you compensation."
Ou Yanling didn't look surprised in the least. She spoke quickly. "So I'll have to keep taking this Mind-numbing Powder for a few more days?"
"Yes, but the dosage will be smaller. As I said, I... am only protecting myself!"
Jiang Yan showed no guilt as he spoke softly.
Ou Yanling said nothing. She knew what Xia Fengshe was like. That guy probably wouldn't come. If she stayed here for a few days and put Jiang Yan and the others at ease, they would naturally let her go.
Of course, she wasn't afraid Jiang Yan and the others might have ulterior motives. She had a trump card, so she could remain calm.
"That's fine. I understand."
But I won't just sit here and let others keep me under their thumb, she silently told herself.
Within her, strands of vivid red blood, unlike ordinary blood, flowed slowly, absorbing some substance inside her body.
Her body was recovering rapidly.
"Thank you!"
Jiang Yan cupped his hands again. "You're free to move around the courtyard."
She had just taken the Mind-numbing Powder, and her limbs were weak. She couldn't run away.
If she left the courtyard, someone would spot her.
The Patrol Team and the villagers of Yuyang Village were all keeping watch.
Ou Yanling gave a slight nod as she watched Jiang Yan enter the house.
When they first met, she had thought he was a ruthless man. He had nearly split her in two with a single blow, and while he confronted Xia Fengshe, she had noticed how wary he was of her.
But after spending more time with him, she realized he was reasonable after all. He hadn't made any unreasonable demands of her.
She shook her head and slowly paced into the courtyard. Beside the well stood a large wooden tub, with several pears floating inside.
She took one and brought it to her lips.
With a splat, pear juice sprayed out. "Mmph... these old pears are so sour."
Her face twitched, but her eyes gleamed with delight. She loved... sour things.
At last, Ou Yanling straightened her body. A series of sharp pops rang out as the spirit blood completely purged the drug from her body, restoring her fully.
Then she hunched over again.
She would have to keep up the act for the next few days. Guihua City was quite far from here, and she'd have a hard time reaching it on her own.
She didn't want to take any risks, so she could only wait for another opportunity.
At noon, Jiang Yan, who had been resting all morning, suddenly woke up.
As soon as he stepped out of the house, he saw Ou Yanling sitting by the well, eyes half closed as she basked in the sun.
Jiang Yan had sharp eyes and a good memory.
If he remembered right, the large tub beside her had held eight or nine pears. Now it was empty, with nothing but clear water left.
"Miss Ou," Jiang Yan greeted her. "If you like pears, I can bring you some when I get back from my night shift."
"Mhm, thank you. I want sour ones."
Ou Yanling made no effort to be polite.
Jiang Yan nodded. "Please wait a moment. I'll make lunch."
Today, he'd decided not to go to the square and mooch off the communal meal. Instead, he'd cook for himself for once, as a way of celebrating his housewarming.
He caught a rooster without the slightest effort, clamped its neck in his left hand, and gripped a kitchen knife in his right, slashing hard.
The rooster let out a shrill cry, then went limp.
He boiled water, plucked the feathers, removed the innards, and chopped it into pieces...
Half an hour later, the rich smell of meat filled the air.
He set out the table, bowls, and chopsticks...
"Miss Ou, please." Jiang Yan served her a bowl of chicken and invited her to try it.
"Thank you."
Ou Yanling thanked him but didn't touch her chopsticks. She waited until Jiang Yan had eaten a few bites before she started.
She picked up a piece of chicken and tasted it. The meat was fragrant, and Jiang Yan was a good cook.
"Very good."
"I like it a lot."
Ou Yanling didn't hold back her praise.
"Of course. I honed this cooking skill during the twenty-five years I spent single in my previous life."
Jiang Yan silently told himself.
"By the way, I need to go out this afternoon. Miss Ou, you can move around as you please." Jiang Yan offered a pointed suggestion. "You're feeling weak, so you could get some rest."
He was hinting at her.
His meaning was clear: don't wander off; stay put and behave.
"Do you have a daytime shift this afternoon, Brother Jiang?" Ou Yanling knew Jiang Yan was a member of the Patrol Team.
"No."
Jiang Yan shook his head. "I'm on the night shift today, so I'm free this afternoon. Maybe I'll go kill a few monsters?"
"Kill monsters?"
Monsters didn't follow any set pattern when they entered a village. Some villages could go several days without a monster attack.
Why did he make it sound as if he could just step outside and find a monster?
She silently continued eating, keeping the thought to herself.
They were still practically strangers. Asking more would be getting too personal.
But she still asked, "Could I come with you and take a look?"
"Suit yourself."
Jiang Yan didn't mind. What he was doing wasn't dangerous anyway.
This was only a test—an experiment in farming monsters.
During his trip to Qingshan Village, Jiang Yan had figured out a way to quickly gain Weird Value.
The first was to follow a sect expert and effortlessly gain a large amount of Weird Value while they killed monsters. It was easy and risk-free.
The only problem was that he didn't know any big shots from the sects.
The second was to find some low-level monsters he could handle for certain. Killing them would also earn him Weird Value. The reward was smaller, but the danger was low, and the method was reliable.
He was trying the second method now.
The empire had a book called the Monster Compendium. It recorded many common monsters, including information such as their habits, weaknesses, and ranks.
For example, Submerged Grass monsters liked water and light, had fiery tempers, and had sharp leaves that could shoot out strands of grass...
After lunch, Jiang Yan spent a while getting ready. He picked up a back basket, slung it over his shoulder, and walked out the front gate.
Ou Yanling watched the basket, her eyes glinting.
She closed the door and followed him step by step, acting out the movements of a martial artist who had taken Mind-numbing Powder.
At the Village Boundary stood a large pond.
Just yesterday, Jiang Yan had killed a Submerged Grass monster here and earned a little Weird Value.
Now that he was back, he once again found himself looking at the surface of the pond.
A gentle breeze swept by, sending faint ripples across the water.
"No monster."
He sighed, though he wasn't particularly disappointed. If there was another Submerged Grass monster there, it would mean the Rune Soldiers' ability to defend the area had weakened, which wouldn't be a good sign.
Standing on the bank of the ditch, he swung the basket in his hand hard and threw it across the ditch.
Jiang Yan looked up. With nothing blocking his view, he could see far into the distance. He reached out and touched the air ahead.
He touched nothing, but he knew there should be a Rune Soldier defensive barrier in the middle of the ditch.
The Monster Compendium recorded the preferences of some common monsters. The basket he carried was filled with things monsters liked.
For example: ancient pottery, rust-covered metal, and the sharp horns of cattle and sheep.
What he was doing could be summed up in two words:
Luring monsters!
Before you continue