"Rest easy. Just be careful not to set this place on fire."
The old man led Chen Xu into a storehouse piled with bundles of fodder and cautioned him. "Oh, would you like my wife to alter that armor of yours? There are Nilfgaardians everywhere these days. Wearing that out could get you into trouble."
Age really did bring cunning. Everything bearing traces of Temeria had been torn off the leather armor, yet he had recognized it at a glance from the style alone.
Chen Xu could see both anxiety and eager anticipation in his expression.
He was probably about to try something.
The old man carried the armor outside. Before long, a kindly-looking, sturdy old woman brought in a bowl of soup.
"Master, this is a poor backwater. We don't have much to offer you. This soup was cooked at noon. I warmed it up for you."
Chen Xu hurriedly rose from the pile of fodder and took the bowl. "Thank you!"
The steam rising from the bowl carried an unusual fragrance, along with a hint of meat-a rare treat.
There was a trace of anticipation on the old woman's face, as though she wanted to hear his opinion of her cooking.
The villagers treated him courteously, making him feel at home.
Yet there were clearly the heavy breaths of at least ten people around the storehouse, along with the dull thuds of metal prodding the ground. None of it escaped Chen Xu's 12 points of reaction.
"Impressive. You had knockout powder for lunch?"
Gram flashed from its sheath and swept across the old woman's neck. Filthy blood gushed out.
[You killed a mortal tier lower stage farmer. EXP +2 (stage suppression: gains -75%)]
After reaching a total level of Lv.7, Chen Xu had already entered the mortal tier high stage. Killing characters who did not even qualify as cannon fodder brought little benefit anymore.
The farmers charged in, brandishing pitchforks and sickles. Some even wore armor and carried longswords. The old man had put on Chen Xu's leather armor himself.
Seeing the old woman's throat slit, the old man cried out in anguish.
"Rosa!"
Was robbing travelers how these people lived better than everyone else?
Chen Xu tried to sweep aside the farm tools coming at him with his sword, but there were too many to face head-on, so he leaped out through the window.
The farmers behind him followed suit, though they could not manage it as smoothly as Chen Xu.
One had barely squeezed his upper body through the window and thrust his long-handled pitchfork at him when Chen Xu split his skull with a backhand swing of the steel sword Gram.
"He's outside! Don't let him get away!"
The old man shouted frantically. They had robbed countless passing travelers and merchants and had plenty of experience. Sometimes, they even dared attack wounded soldiers traveling alone.
"Five hundred crowns! Catch him and the village will be saved!"
So they had seen the notice from the Nilfgaardian Chosen.
"I'm not a witcher. Witchers have cat eyes. Don't you know that?" The corner of Chen Xu's mouth twitched.
"And you bumpkins think you can rob a witcher?"
Everyone turned questioning looks on the old man, but the old bastard still refused to back down. He pointed at his wife lying in a pool of blood and stared at Chen Xu with hatred.
"You believe him? Would anyone but a mutant be this cold-blooded?"
He led the charge, leaving the other farmers no choice but to steel themselves and follow.
[Dodge], [Dodge]. Chen Xu moved like willow fluff in the wind, evading lightly.
These people had barely any training. They fought without any method, trying to put their full strength into every blow.
Often, a thrust of a pitchfork left the wielder's entire upper body exposed, making it look as though they were throwing themselves onto Chen Xu's sword.
Gram had already sliced open several people's flesh. Unfortunately, the others would not simply stand and watch. Whenever Chen Xu tried to press his advantage, three or four weapons and farm tools came at him together, forcing him to pull back and dodge.
The stalemate continued for a while, with several farmers wounded by Chen Xu. By now, their will to fight had faded and they wanted to give up. Only the old man refused to relent.
"Get him! He's alone, and one of his arms is crippled! How much strength can he have left?"
"Great target you picked! Go get him yourself." A young farmer turned and pointed his rusty sword at the old man. "Last time, you led the way in eating my wife. This time, it's Rosa's turn!"
That seemed to choke off the old man's words. He fixed Chen Xu with a sinister glare, then sank into dejected silence.
The farmers sighed in relief and shouted at Chen Xu, oblivious to their peril. "We're done fighting. Get lost! Count yourself lucky!"
"Huh? Thanks." A blast of stupidity shot straight to the top of Chen Xu's skull, so overpowering he could barely keep his eyes open. "But I don't recall saying I'd let you go."
This was the first time the villagers had hurt Chen Xu. He was allergic to stupidity.
Glaem flew from his hand and struck the nearest farmer in the face. As the man instinctively closed his eyes, Moonblade left its sheath and plunged into his throat.
[You comprehended the skill [Throw] Lv.1] [You killed a mortal tier lower stage farmer. EXP +2]
The farmers paled in shock. They had thought they were the ones sparing Chen Xu's life, never imagining he would dare provoke them instead.
"Have you lost your mind? We have a whole village of people!"
Yet the outsider turned a deaf ear. His fighting grew even craftier, thoroughly following the principle of retreating when the enemy pursued and striking when the enemy tired.
As the farmers' stamina rapidly dwindled, their movements and thoughts grew sluggish. Casualties soon followed.
One, two... In the end, only four remained, standing back-to-back, their weapon-bearing hands trembling nonstop and terror on their faces.
"You... you devil! You've killed so many of us, and you're still not satisfied?"
Chen Xu was also breathing a little heavily now. The wounds on his body that had only just healed had split open again under the strenuous exertion.
"That rotten old man lied to me and took my leather armor."
Looking at the four before him in their sea-urchin-like defensive formation, he seemed to decide to stop. "Kill him and return my armor, and we'll call it even."
"Don't listen to him..." The old man went pale. Just as he was about to argue, a rusty sword emerged from his abdomen.
The young farmer who had threatened to eat Rosa cursed through gritted teeth.
"Go to hell, you old bastard."
The sound of a blade piercing skin rang out again. Moonblade passed beneath the old man's armpit and pierced the young farmer's chest. "You ruined my leather armor."
"You..." His ruthlessness completely broke the remaining two men's nerve. They dropped their weapons and began begging for mercy. "Don't kill me! I-we were forced into this! Please..."
A girl of only about ten broke free of her mother's hand and ran out of a house. She stood in front of a farmer and pleaded, "Please, sir, don't kill my daddy!"
More women, children, and elderly people ran out of the houses. They did not dare approach, only wailing from a distance.
"Have you eaten human flesh?" Chen Xu lifted the girl's chin with his sword tip and looked straight into her eyes.
"Wh-what?" The girl's eyes were full of confusion, yet her throat bobbed involuntarily.
His grip on Moonblade tightened again and again.
Forget it. These idiots are worth barely any EXP, and now I look like the villain.
He was no judge, and he did not want to analyze or speculate about the girl's microexpressions.
Sheathing his sword, Chen Xu retrieved Gram and his now-punctured leather armor. He carried a bundle of fodder out of the storehouse and took a bucket of reddish well water, then left the village under gazes of fear and hatred.
The sight of Lizi taking big mouthfuls of fodder helped him relax a little.
Watching others eat heartily really did relieve stress. No wonder Blue Star had so many eating streams.
Never mind that Lizi was not human. Compared with those human abominations, Lizi was far more lovable.
The war needed to end.
It was not that he could not bear to see human suffering. He simply preferred a peaceful, beautiful world, of course.