Villain Path

Chapter 44. Puppet Fuss

Although the sun was in the zenith, Shen found himself feeling an otherworldly chill. Maybe they misunderstood something? These dolls are not used for curses, but, let say... to scare away wild animals?

He didn't believe it himself.

The gloomy cultivators reached the village in silence.

At the first house they met a man. The house was shabby, with a sagging roof. The yard in front of the house was empty and clean. An old man was waving a broom outside the outbuilding.

"Excuse me, sir," Shen addressed the man, clearing his throat and coming to a low fence.

The old man turned and stared at the newcomers. He was especially struck by the bright scarlet attire of the man who spoke to him.

"Can you tell us where the headman lives?"

After overcoming his shock, the old man realized who was in front of him.

"You must be, cultivators? Follow me, honorable sirs, I will escort you. I've only seen cultivators once before, back when I was a kid! He looked just as great, though memories of him have faded over the years."

While saying all this, he went out the gate and waved to them to follow him.

"We came here by request of your headman. Do you know anything about the rampage of the evil spirit in this area?" Shen asked.

"Yeah... It's hard to tell," the old man mumbled confused.

"Nothing?" Shen was surprised. "But your village is not so large that the rumor from one part of it does not reach the other"

After a pause the old man said:

"I'm an old man, I don't need any extra worries in my life."

"Then maybe you know what it is?" Shen took the doll out of his pocket and showed it to the old man.

The man turned pale when he saw the straw doll in his hands.

"N-no," he muttered, but his voice betrayed him somewhat, "I've never seen anything like this before."

"Haven't seen the doll?" Shen asked in surprise.

"I... I mean, I haven't seen this particular doll..."

"You seem upset. Is there something in my question that is bothering you?"

The old man grunted annoyed.

""That's the headman's house, over there. I'm sorry, I still have too much to do around the house, I have to go."

After saying that, he quickly walked away down the street. It was obvious that it was hard for him to walk at such a pace, but he didn't slow down, trying to escape as quickly as possible.

"I'm starting to dislike this even more..." Shen said, watching him go.

The headman's house was much bigger and richer than the old man's. The courtyard was hidden behind a high fence, cultivators stopped in front of a massive gate under a roof with upturned corners, which repelled evil spirits.

Muan knocked on the gate. As they waited for the door to be opened, the sky became clouded and a light rain began to fall.

When the headman heard that famous cultivators were waiting at the door, he ordered them to be let in immediately and hurried out.

"Welcome to our humble village!" he exclaimed, bowing to the guests.

Cultivators bowed politely in return and introduced themselves. When the formalities were over, the headman spoke as he walked them into the house: