Persuading the Villagers

Chapter 23: 22 the Villagers

With carts, Yuan Chen and the others no longer had to travel through the wilderness. Instead, they sat in the carts and advanced with the main group.

Yuan Chen was quite accustomed to this scene. It wasn't that he was used to it or anything, but in Ionia, Vastaya were not uncommon.

Although they often lived in seclusion in the mountains, farming and growing their own crops in settlements, in the heartlands of Ionia like Prestation, it wasn't strange to see Vastaya. In fact, demons in disguise could even be found in the marketplaces, hunting for prey.

In the past, Yuan Chen would hide whenever he noticed these demons, avoiding trouble. But now...

When he returned, it would probably be the demons who had to hide.

After all, demons could increase their strength by devouring each other. As a subordinate of the Nascent Demon Oshirresh, Yuan Chen held a very high seniority among demons—though demons didn't really care about such things.

As for Nedeli, it was even less ideal. Although the Cougar carried Nedeli, meaning she didn't have to walk, the feline skeleton wasn't built for carrying people.

Even with padding made of animal hides and dry grass on the stretcher to increase cushioning, the effect could only be described as negligible.

But now, putting aside other things, these Fleshfang Beasts had installed a large number of shock-absorbing springs specifically to prevent war equipment like ballistae from being damaged by the jolting of the carts.

Lying on it, despite his extremely poor impression of Fleshfang Beasts, Nedeli still comfortably narrowed his eyes.

Compared to the calm Yuan Chen and Nedeli, who was focused on recovering from his injuries, Milio seemed much more curious.

He didn't sit in the beast-drawn cart like Yuan Chen. Instead, he ran around the convoy, curiously observing these unheard-of Fleshfang Hunters.

Everything in this world was mysterious and interesting to Milio. Especially during his time with Yuan Chen, he had seen his sister transform into a Big Cat, and now he saw a group of Big Cats holding knives!

His eyes filled with the unique, vibrant curiosity of youth, Milio couldn't help but ask them about the outside world.

The Fleshfang Beasts were also very gentle with the child. Especially Naduo, the Fleshfang Hunter skilled with hand axes, who enthusiastically shared his trophies with Milio.

A necklace—a necklace made of the teeth of different prey. This was popular in the Fleshfang Beast Tribe. Because experienced hunters could tell at a glance which fierce beast a tooth came from, it was also a symbol of status.

After all, you couldn't carry large specimens around all the time to display your abilities, but carrying a lot of teeth was no problem.

"You're amazing! You've killed so many beasts! I want to be a great hero like you too!"

"Haha! Hero... I'm still a long way from that~"

Hearing Milio's praise, Naduo chuckled, rubbing his nose. Although he said he was far from it, his expression clearly showed he was pleased.

"What about this tooth?" Milio pointed to another necklace on Naduo's neck and asked—it was also a tooth necklace, but Naduo had hidden it in the lining of his leather armor, with only a small corner showing.

Upon hearing Milio's question, Naduo froze. A flicker of sadness crossed his eyes, and then he laughed heartily, saying, "It's nothing! Just a small collectible... Forget about that, let me show you my other treasures, haha!"

Saying that, Naduo took out other collectibles from his backpack and shared them with Milio.

Seeing their harmonious interaction, Yuan Chen didn't pay attention to the small necklace. He indifferently said to Mordas beside him, "I wouldn't have thought you Fleshfang Beasts were so good at coaxing children?"

"What are you talking about?" Mordas said speechlessly upon hearing this.

"We Meat-toothed Beasts are also born of parents, alright? What do you mean we know how to coax children... But this is indeed a good thing. Isn't there a saying? Communication is the first step in building civilization."

"Heh, why didn't I see you guys communicating before?" Nedeli, lying on the cart, scoffed with a hum.

"Your blades sure swung fast enough!"

"Uh... that was indeed our fault..."

Mordas rubbed his head, feeling a headache coming on. Although Mordas didn't say it, Yuan Chen could vaguely guess that it was probably the young hunters under Mordas who acted on their own initiative, wanting to prove themselves...

It was just that they not only failed to prove themselves but were also flipped over by Nedeli alone, forcing their thirty-odd hunters to dejectedly leave the most suitable campsite grassland and instead choose a relatively flat wooded area to set up camp.

They had only just settled down when Yuan Chen cajoled them into moving collectively. One could only imagine how much unspoken frustration had accumulated in the hearts of the working Meat-toothed Beasts.

As he was thinking, Naduo, who had been bragging with Milio by the side of the caravan, suddenly stopped. He then furrowed his brow and sniffed the air around him.

Seeing this, Mordas's expression changed. He placed his hand on the hunting saber at his waist and asked vigilantly, "What's wrong? Naduo, did you find something?"

Not just Mordas, but everyone in the caravan, including Yuan Chen, except for Milio, that ignorant little brat, and even Nedeli, whose arms were fractured, forced themselves to lift their heads and look around vigilantly.

Reacting, Naduo blinked, then took a handaxe from his waist and swung it at a nearby tree trunk.

With a crack, a large swarm of bees poured out.

Seeing this, Yuan Chen immediately sent a wave of water at them, drenching the bees and causing them to fall to the ground, unable to fly. As the bees disappeared, a rich honey fragrance followed.

He extended a finger, not bothering with the remaining bees—

Meat-toothed Beasts were the least afraid of such small insects. Not only did Meat-toothed Beasts possess natural poison resistance superior to humans, but their thick manes alone were not something bees could pierce.

With a finger full of Tree Heart Honey, Naduo stuffed it into his mouth and revealed a blissful smile.

"Haha! I knew it! My nose is the best!"

As he spoke, Naduo cut another slice from the honeycomb with his knife and handed a piece to Milio, whose face was full of curiosity. "Try some! Human kid, the elders in our tribe say this Tree Heart Honey is the best!"

Hearing this, Milio excitedly took it and took a bite, savoring the sweetness. The other Meat-toothed Beasts nearby saw this and walked forward, each cutting a piece of honeycomb and putting it into their mouths to enjoy.

Yuan Chen was unfazed by this—

Tree Heart Honey, he recalled, also existed in the primeval forests near the border regions of his homeland in his previous life. Bees would build their nests in the hollows of ancient trees. The honey there was highly concentrated, tasted good, and had a faint medicinal aroma. In short, it was very valuable.

Ixialia's Dense Forest was rarely visited by humans, so it was normal for this Tree Heart Honey to be found here.

Seeing that it was just honey, Nedeli also relaxed. She then gestured towards the honeycomb with her chin and said to Yuan Chen, "Get me some... This is a good medicinal ingredient. It might be useful during hunts."

"Okay."

Nodding, Yuan Chen controlled the two Dancer Blades and approached to cut the honey under Mordas' surprised gaze.

If it were in the past, both the Meat-toothed Beast, Yuan Chen, and Nedeli would have left some honey for long-term collection. However, considering the difficulty and danger of hunting dragons, everyone collected it all without holding back—

While collecting honey, Yuan Chen also remembered that Nedeli's Herbalism was at LV6. He should ask for her advice when he had time—

In the future, he would travel all over Runeterra. Even if he couldn't learn to make medicine, he should at least learn how to identify poisonous plants, so he wouldn't die from eating wild vegetables when he was starving one day...

"Speaking of which, why is there honey inside the big tree?"

After finishing the honey in his hand, Milio still wanted more, but seeing Yuan Chen's actions, he guessed that the honey might be useful later, so he didn't ask for more. Instead, he asked curiously:

"Don't they all build nests on branches? You know, the big, swarming ones..."

"Uh... I'm not too sure about that either."

Hearing this, Naduo scratched his head from the side—

He knew how to eat and how to collect, but asking him to specifically research why bees build nests inside trees was a bit beyond his scope.

"It was put there by the bee mother," Yuan Chen said with a chuckle, teasingly:

"When some little bees leave the hive, the bee mother, afraid they'll go hungry, will secretly stuff honey into the heart of the tree. When the children can't find food and get hungry, it will flow out on its own."

"Really?" Milio looked surprised, innocent, and curious.

"Really?" Naduo looked foolish, illiterate, and ignorant.

"Of course, it's true. Would I lie to you?" Yuan Chen said with a smile, still finding it amusing:

"In my hometown, Ionia, there's even a regional dialect that praises this kind of motherly love, called 'Sumi-ma-sai'~"

"Oh, oh! So that's how it is!" Milio nodded with a look of sudden realization.

"Oh, oh! So that's how it is!" Naduo looked foolish, illiterate, and ignorant.

Listening to Yuan Chen's nonsense and feeling Milio's innocent foolishness, Nedeli, who was familiar with this wilderness, could only look up at the sky speechlessly—

If her arm wasn't broken now, she would have rubbed her temples and covered her face. But on second thought, her broken arm was actually caused by Yuan Chen, and he could heal it, so she should thank him...

In an instant, her already unpleasant mood became a mix of emotions.

Who understands this kind of situation, family...

With a bit of banter, the convoy moved slowly along the road. They had started packing and setting off when the sun just rose, and by the time the moon was hanging in the sky, the group finally saw the village under the night sky.

The villagers had been waiting for a long time.

The village gates were wide open. Inside, blacksmiths, stonemasons, fishermen, and farmers gathered in a crowd, guarding the entrance. They clutched farming tools, strengthened by the Yuan Chu Axiom, and stared nervously at Yuan Chen and his group.

Standing at the forefront was the village's strongest individual, and quite possibly the strongest human in the surrounding area: the former Yuentar elder, Lupe.

Clad in a Vydalian Robe, Lupe gazed at Yuan Chen with a heavy expression. He angrily accused, "What are you doing, Yuan Chen? Why have you brought them back after going to drive away these beasts!"

Although his voice was filled with anger and accusation, Lupe subtly signaled to Yuan Chen that he was not an enemy, but rather had to consider the villagers' feelings.

As a ruling class of Yuentar, they were aware that numerous civilizations, possibly even on par with Ixialia, existed in the outside world.

Under these circumstances, Lupe was surprised by the arrival of these Meat-toothed Beasts, but not overly anxious.

It was the villagers, however, who, due to Ixialia's long-standing information blockade, viewed the Meat-toothed Beasts as mere wild animals and believed they would bring chaos and misfortune.

Nodding subtly at Lupe, Yuan Chen raised his hand and said, "Everyone! Don't worry! I've already spoken with them, and after our discussion, I've secured a precious opportunity for all of you!"

"A precious opportunity?"

Upon hearing Yuan Chen's words, the blacksmith, who had been smiling at Yuan Chen just a few days prior, let out a cold snort. Gripping his hammer, which was glowing red from residual heat, he spoke warily, "A precious opportunity is bringing these beasts into our village? You scoundrel, to think I trusted you so much! I even forged those strange weapons for you! They're the ones who took our cattle and sheep! What's so good about negotiating with beasts like these!"

Before Yuan Chen could respond, Mordas stepped forward to explain.

"Apologies, everyone in the village. We did not intend to take your cattle and sheep. It was an emergency hunt out of necessity due to a lack of food. To gain your understanding, we are willing to help the village with hunting, free of charge!"

As he spoke, Mordas cast a glance at Naduo beside him.

Seeing this, Naduo nodded, then gestured to the hunters behind him. They carried large quantities of animal hides from a flatbed cart.

Dragon Lizards and Drake Hounds from the Eastern Jungle, Juvask Boars and Thunderhorn Beasts from Freljord, and even Hairy Tail Beasts native to Ixialia, and more.

Mordas had clearly prepared in advance, and soon the open space in front of the village was piled high with animal hides.

Even in a place like Ixialia, such valuable tanned hides were worth a considerable amount. Especially when reasonably processed, leather armor made from top-grade hides had always been a sought-after item among the native inhabitants of Ixialia.

"We are willing to compensate for the losses incurred by the village, and we only hope that everyone in the village can forgive our past transgressions..."

Mordas's humble attitude was remarkably effective. The old blacksmith, who had been full of displeasure, showed a surprised expression upon seeing the animal hides. After personally inspecting the quality of the hides, he couldn't help but let out a couple of grunts:

"Tch, their attitude is quite good..."

The villagers, seeing the tangible compensation, had their hostility significantly reduced. Seeing this, Lupe seized the moment and said, "Their attitude is acceptable... but Yuan Chen, your trial wasn't just about bringing them back, was it?

What is this so-called opportunity you mentioned? If you can't gain our approval, we won't accept them so easily!"

Hearing this, Yuan Chen revealed a gentle smile.

"What if I told you this opportunity could allow everyone in the village to become respectable individuals in the county?"