Villain Path

Chapter 45. Fragile crow dolls

When they got out on the road, the rain began to pound so hard that neither their wicker hats and Mori's umbrella were completely saved from it. Slanting streams hit the face and soaked the clothes through. The cold autumn wind burned skin. Despite the fact that the cultivators could endure such inconveniences for quite a long time without significant harm to their bodies, Shen was still worried about his fragile students, and the young lady walking with them could not be subjected to such tests. Therefore, they had to return by the shortest road to the headman's house.

Two maids immediately took the young lady and Annis away to take a hot bath, while the busy aunts escorted the cultivators into the already heated chambers.

After changing into a blanket, Shen gave the troublesome aunts to dry their clothes on the stove, and he settled down to bask next to a square brazier with hot coals poured into its center. Muan followed suit, except that he had a change of clothes, while Al wrapped himself in another blanket.

Warming his hands over the brazier, Shen said:

"We must somehow get rid of the observers."

"Are we staying in the village?" Muan sighed.

"We will have to. As soon as the rain subsides, it will be necessary to slip out of here unnoticed and still try to find the person who sent the request to our league."

"He doesn't seem to be eager to meet," Muan remarked. "News that cultivators arrived in the village should have already flown around all the locals. However, no one showed a desire to talk to us."

"Perhaps they just didn't have an opportunity."

Today the cultivators were having dinner again with the headman and his family. Mori's mother sat on her husband's right hand, daughter on the left, Muan was seated next to her, Shen sat opposite him next to the lady, and Al and Annis on his right. Today's meal was much less sumptuous than yesterday's, although it could be called dignified too. Lady E poured wine, but after the first bowl, no one was in a hurry to return to him.

"Mori said that you have seen almost the entire village."

"Only the southern part," Shen objected. "The young lady also told us about the abandoned monastery on the mountain. Can you tell us more? How long has it been abandoned?"

Lady E's hand trembled slightly as she reached for a jug of wine to fill her husband's bowl.

"Oh, are you interested in this ancient story?" he grinned. "Nothing has been left of this place for a long time. I remember my grandfather told me that the monks left him during a lean year, when there was little chance of surviving the winter. Then they thought that they would return in the spring, but no one came. Since then, this place has been overgrown with moss."

"It's a pity that we did not manage to walk there."

"I assure you, there is nothing to watch."

"I like picturesque old places."

"In that case, you should have appreciated our village, right?" the headman grinned.

"Of course. Your places are incredibly picturesque, but for some reason it seems that there are not enough people."

The headman sighed sadly.

"The village is in decline, it is. I'm not sure if she can be reborn already. Many move from here to the big land, looking for a better life. But this year's harvest is quite good, there is every chance that it will get better next year."

"I heard a strange belief. That people with white hair are out of your favor."

The headman's face changed slightly when he heard this. His gaze froze, and his cheek twitched in disgust.