*
Su Cheng helped Hao Ruoxue back to her room to rest. With Su Cheng by her side, Hao Ruoxue was able to rest a little more peacefully in the latter half of the night.
As dawn broke and the rooster crowed, the night finally came to an end.
Su Cheng glanced at the water vat; the water inside was still full even after a night.
The lotus seed's facial features had disappeared, no longer resembling a small human head. Its color had also changed from bluish-white to pinkish-white, giving it the appearance a seed should have.
Top-grade lotus varieties develop in a human-like shape, while ordinary lotus varieties develop in a normal direction.
Given the water absorption rate of ordinary lotus seeds, Su Cheng estimated that she wouldn't need to water them anymore once they bloomed.
After eating some breakfast bread, Su Cheng woke up Hao Ruoxue, who was fast asleep.
Hao Ruoxue, sporting dark circles under her eyes, got out of bed and went back to her room. She didn't even have time to eat breakfast, and instead carried a bucket back and forth to fetch water.
When the lotus seed, now covered in flesh and blood, entered the house, it looked exactly like a single human head floating on the water, and what's more, this human head had a face similar to hers.
Hao Ruoxue couldn't bear to look and quickly filled the water tank.
After she finished her work, Li Ren and Aunt Jin also carried their buckets out of the house.
The two took turns drawing water from the well and pouring buckets of water into a large vat.
Just as they were busy, Village Chief Bai and his sons came to their door again with fish soup.
Good morning, guests!
After the lotus-seed demon incident last night, this cheerful voice only made everyone feel extremely disgusted.
But there are two exceptions.
Wei Guhua and Yao Yue, like hungry cats drawn by the aroma, sat bolt upright in bed, ignoring why the door was wide open, and strode out to greet Village Chief Bai, "Good morning, Village Chief Bai!"
"You brought fish soup again?" They sniffed and licked their pale lips. "It's so wonderful to have something delicious to eat so early in the morning."
"Yes, I made this fish soup especially early for the guests; it's fresh, delicious, and a great tonic!"
"Thank you so much! I don't know if I'll ever have the chance to taste such delicious fish soup again after leaving the village." Wei Guhua and Yao Yue smelled the aroma in the air, their mouths watering, and quickly sat down at the dining table in the main hall.
Village Chief Bai's smile deepened. He told his two sons to knock on the closed door, while gesturing to Li Ren and Aunt Jin, who were fetching water, "Come and have some fish soup!"
He lifted the lid of the wooden barrel, and a rich aroma immediately filled every corner of the yard.
Li Ren's stomach rumbled, and his eyes involuntarily drifted towards the fragrant aroma. The fish soup smelled so good; he wished he could have a taste.
"Donglong"
The wooden bucket in his hand fell to the ground. Li Ren came to his senses, bit his tongue, and the pain brought him back to his senses.
He was never one to indulge in gluttony, so how could he possibly have the urge to eat the fish soup when he knew it was strange!
"It smells so good..." Aunt Jin dropped the wooden bucket in her hand, sniffed it lightly, and walked towards the dining table.
" Aunt Jin? What are you doing!" Li Ren frowned and stepped forward to grab her arm.
"How could you stop the other guests from drinking the soup?" Village Chief Bai's eyes suddenly sharpened.
Li Ren's heart skipped a beat. Remembering the red line rule Su Cheng had mentioned, he released his grip. "I didn't stop her; I just wanted to remind her that her bucket had fallen."
After losing her grip, Aunt Jin walked towards the dining table with shining eyes.
Village Chief Bai smiled and offered her a bowl of soup.
After drinking the soup, Aunt Jin sighed with satisfaction, a blush rising on her cheeks, adding a touch of color to her pale face.
Li Ren didn't look any further. Seeing that the village chief's two sons had been knocking on the door repeatedly but no one came out, he thought for a moment, ignored the village chief's call, and went into the house.
Village Chief Bai sighed with some disappointment, "Aren't you hungry? What a shame, you three will have to share it."
Inside the room, Su Cheng ignored the knocking and tied Hao Ruoxue to the bedpost.
After Village Chief Bai appeared, Hao Ruoxue, who was eating breakfast, suddenly threw down her food as if possessed, stood up and walked outside.
Fortunately, Su Cheng reacted quickly; this wasn't the first time she'd encountered such a situation. She swiftly tied Hao Ruoxue to the bed.
Listening to the conversation between Li Ren and Village Chief Bai in the courtyard, Su Cheng guessed that the appeal of the fish soup this morning depended on how much the lotus seeds had sucked blood last night.
Village Chief Bai was noticeably less forceful than last time. People like Su Cheng, Wang Zhichao, and Yaya showed no interest in the fish soup and simply hid in their rooms pretending to be asleep and keeping quiet.
Aunt Jin was most deeply drained of blood by the lotus seed last night, so she was the most confused.
Hao Ruoxue is in the middle, while Li Ren is the shallowest.
The former can slowly recover their will under suppression, while the latter can remain conscious on their own.
Only after the courtyard had completely quieted down did Su Cheng feel relieved enough to Hao Ruoxue.
Hao Ruoxue gulped down several mouthfuls of water to suppress her craving, and said angrily, "That old fox, Village Chief Bai, came unexpectedly in the morning just to set this trap. How can someone be so treacherous!"
"This Village Chief Bai is indeed a tough opponent. He's adept at setting traps through both his actions and words, so it's best to avoid contact with him unless absolutely necessary."
As they talked, they opened the door and went out.
We still need to go out and search for more information today.
Su Cheng planned to visit someone first, and then go to the ancestral hall.
The way Li Ren gathered clues yesterday gave her an idea: that special villager in Red Lotus Village might bring unexpected joy.
A note from the author:
none
Chapter 114
The morning noise did not wake Wang Zhichao from his bed.
Others might be pretending to be asleep, but he was truly fast asleep.
When he got out of bed feeling refreshed, he saw the water vat by his bedside full of water and the lotus seeds that looked more and more normal, and he was in a great mood.
Fortunately, I borrowed some supernatural items before entering the dungeon.
Otherwise, he would probably have had most of his blood drained last night, just like Aunt Jin.
When he finished getting ready and went to find Su Cheng, he found her gone.
Su Cheng had already taken Hao Ruoxue out.
"Why didn't you invite me?" Wang Zhichao muttered in disappointment.
"Huh? There are still people here." Yaya rubbed her eyes as she came out of the house.
Seeing that she looked like she had just woken up, Wang Zhichao's worries about being alone vanished, and he smiled, "Looks like you just woke up too. It's just the two of us left in the yard."
"Sigh, oversleeping really makes things difficult." Yaya smoothed her slightly upturned bangs and gave an embarrassed smile.
She changed out of her flowing long dress and into fitted tank tops and shorts, her long hair tied in a low ponytail, exuding a relaxed yet energetic vibe.
Wang Zhichao's eyes brightened slightly, and he naturally extended an invitation, "Since it's just the two of us left, would you like to come out with me?"
Yaya's eyes curved into crescent moons. "Okay."
Not long after Su Cheng left, Li Ren ignored Aunt Jin, who was sitting at the dining table half asleep, put down his things and hurriedly followed her.
After leaving the courtyard, he realized that Su Cheng was heading in the direction of the riverbank she had come from.
Is Su Cheng planning to start from the direction of leaving the village?
Leaving means escaping, and in special instances, acting with the intention of retreating is not an option.
Li Ren shook his head slightly, sighing that although Su Cheng was quite strong, she still lacked experience in dungeons.
He stopped following, turned around, walked to the corner, and knocked on a door.
The door opened quickly, revealing Yulian's smiling face. "Brother Li, you've arrived! Come in and sit down."
"Uncle Li!" Heilian got off the rocking horse and happily hugged Li Ren's leg, her bright black eyes full of affection.
Li Ren held Heilian in his arms. "Was the rocking horse fun? Uncle will give you an even more fun new toy later."
"Really? Thank you, Uncle Li! I like Uncle Li the most!" Heilian laughed happily.
Looking at the two children, one big and one small, Yulian's eyes softened with tenderness, and her voice unconsciously lowered, "Brother Li, you... drink less fish soup."
Li Ren's heart skipped a beat, concealing the joy in his eyes; he had finally managed to win over this NPC's heart.
As the person who guided the "tourists" into the village and helped them settle in, Yulian must have known some inside information.
Li Ren cultivated Yulian's favor in order to obtain those hidden information.
Li Ren felt much relieved, but a look of doubt appeared on his face. "That was brought by the village chief... Why do you say that?"
Yulian nervously clenched the hem of her dress, biting her lower lip as if she were hesitant.
Li Ren knew that he would need to deliver another blow to get him to talk.
He sighed softly, put Heilian down, and then took out a toy water gun for him. "Although we've only known each other for two days, I'm so happy to have met you all. Perhaps this is fate's arrangement."
Heilian seemed to understand, but not quite, and holding her water gun, she said in a childish voice, "I'm happy too!"
"You..." Li Ren playfully pinched Heilian's nose and laughed.
Watching this harmonious and joyful scene, Yulian's heart pounded. This was the day she had always dreamed of—having someone to accompany her and Heilian.
An impulse drove her to want to save the man before her.
"Brother Li... let's come in and talk. Tell me about what happened last night, maybe I can help."
"Good."
Li Ren responded gently, secretly thinking to himself that it was a done deal.
After leaving Yulian's room, Li Ren's smile became even more genuine and relaxed, and he held a folding fan that Yulian had given him.
This is not an ordinary folding fan.
It was a supernatural prop.
"This is a family heirloom. Accept it, and you will no longer be harmed by the lotus seeds."
Yulian's words still echoed in my ears.
Originally, Li Ren only wanted to know the key information, but since the props were delivered to his door, he might as well take them.
As for Yulian's suggestive gaze, Li Ren neither responded nor rejected it. As long as it helped him complete his mission, what was so difficult about putting on an act?
Li Ren smiled, pleased with himself for making such a brilliant move; the NPC's favorability really could play an unexpected role at crucial moments.