Chapter 33

When Lin Xun arrived at Fuyun Village with the little girl on his back, he saw a group of people standing at the village entrance, all looking surprised and uncertain.

Seeing Lin Xun return, they all showed signs of joy and came forward to greet him.

From the village chief Xiao Tianren, Lin Xun learned that a battle had just taken place several dozen miles away. The battle was so intense, like a mountain collapse or a sea tsunami, that it had alarmed all the villagers of Fuyun Village.

Fortunately, the distance was far enough that it did not affect Fuyun Village.

“What happened there?” Xiao Tianren asked worriedly.

“Beast chaos,” Lin Xun thought for a moment and did not tell the truth. The confrontation between two Linghai Realm experts was too terrifying, and it was better not to let the villagers know about it.

Thinking of this, Lin Xun's heart stirred, and he quickly said, “Village Chief, on my way back, I saw many beasts in the forest had already been killed. This is a rare and unexpected harvest.”

Xiao Tianren's eyes lit up; this was good news! If they could gather enough beast meat, the villagers would have a feast.

If they could collect some fur and bones from fierce beasts, they could even exchange them for a considerable fortune!

Without hesitation, Xiao Tianren hurriedly gathered over a dozen strong villagers and set off in a hurry.

Amidst the hustle and bustle, everyone forgot to ask where the little girl on Lin Xun's back came from...

Back home, Lin Xun placed the little girl on his bed, covered her with a blanket, and took a hot towel to wipe the dust off her face.

When he saw the little girl's skin, as smooth as white jade, and her face, clear and beautiful with a tranquil aura, Lin Xun was momentarily stunned.

This appearance... is too beautiful!

She is only five or six years old, yet the beauty of her features is like a lotus in the misty rain, exuding a charm that makes all things in the world pale in comparison.

Even with Lin Xun's intelligence, he was greatly amazed, and after a while, he murmured, “If she is this beautiful as a child, how beautiful will she be when she grows up? She will likely be a beauty of the highest caliber, capable of bringing disaster to a nation...”

The little girl's origin is very mysterious, not resembling the residents of the Ziyao Empire.

This can be seen from the obscure and difficult words she spoke and the animal skin skirt she wore.

Most importantly, despite being only five or six years old, the little girl's small and delicate body harbors an extremely powerful force.

Lin Xun would not forget that in the forest, he did not even have time to react before the little girl picked him up like a chick.

How could an ordinary little girl do this?

Moreover, although the battle just now was sudden, Lin Xun vaguely felt that the "Wuman Lishi" was not trying to kill him but the little girl!

Why would a Linghai Realm expert target such a little girl?

This was another mystery that puzzled Lin Xun.

In short, in Lin Xun's eyes, this little girl, now asleep, must be hiding many secrets!

“Never mind, why think so much? It has nothing to do with me.”

Lin Xun shook his head, turned around, and walked out of the room, heading into the kitchen.

...

The little girl had a dream.

In the dream, she was running frantically, with the sound of intense fighting behind her, and occasional cries of pain.

She was filled with sorrow, helplessness, and confusion.

She did not know where to run, but she knew that if she stopped, she might be taken by death.

After running for a long time, the little girl seemed to sense something and suddenly turned her head. She then saw a scene that almost made her collapse.

A black bear, several dozen feet tall, fell to the ground and did not rise again. Opposite it stood a mighty man, his body radiating a golden glow...

Why?

Why is this happening?

The little girl felt an indescribable pain in her heart and could not help but cry out in sorrow.

At that moment, she felt a hand wiping away her tears. The warmth of the palm was like her mother's embrace, calming her frightened and sorrowful heart.

She wanted to turn her head to see who it was.

Just then, she woke up.

The little girl opened her eyes and saw a clear and handsome face, with a pair of clear black eyes showing a hint of pity and warmth.

She remembered this face and the scent of this person, a scent that made her soul feel joy and comfort.

After the "Molten Slag Giant Wolf" was killed, she had actually smelled this scent, though not as clearly as now.

“You’re awake.”

Lin Xun smiled as he saw the little girl wake up, picked up the bowl of spirit grain porridge he had cooked, and said, “Have some food first.”

The little girl looked at Lin Xun and then at the steaming bowl of porridge in his hand. Suddenly, she realized she was indeed hungry.

She sat up, grabbed the bowl, and started gulping it down, finishing it in no time.

The little girl looked up, her clear, black eyes gazing at Lin Xun.

“More?”

Lin Xun was taken aback and served her another bowl.

The little girl did not hesitate and devoured the second bowl just as quickly.

Lin Xun's eyes widened; this little girl, though small, could eat so much?

But it was good that she could eat, at least it proved that she was in good health.

Lin Xun brought the pot in and watched as the little girl ate bowl after bowl. His smile gradually froze; she could eat so much?

Before long, the pot of spirit grain porridge was completely finished. The little girl licked her lips, still not satisfied, and looked at Lin Xun, making some sounds.

Lin Xun did not understand, but he could only look at the beautiful "little foodie" and try to guess what she meant from her expression.

“Rest well, no need to thank me.”

Lin Xun cleaned up the bowls and walked out of the house, looking at the sky as dusk fell, feeling a bit worried. He wondered who the little girl's parents were and why they had left her in the deep mountains without care.

If she were to stay with him, the food at home would not be enough...

But soon, Xiao Tianren brought good news.

As night was about to fall, Xiao Tianren and his group finally returned, bringing back a pile of large and fierce beasts!

Among them were snow-spotted leopards, green vine pythons, blood-spined wild boars, and even a rare iron-beaked mountain pheasant!

There were over a dozen of them, carried into Lin Xun's courtyard by a group of strong villagers, all sweating profusely.

Xiao Tianren's excitement was evident, and without waiting for Lin Xun to ask, he waved his hand and said, “Take whatever you need. We still need to go back tonight. We didn’t expect to find so many prey this time; it’s like the heavens have opened their eyes!”

Before he finished speaking, Xiao Tianren led his group away, looking eager and ready for another hunt.

Lin Xun was speechless and hurried to the door, where he saw not only Xiao Tianren and his group but also the women and children of the village, all leaving with torches in hand, forming a grand procession out of the village.

If it were not for the little girl he had to take care of, Lin Xun would have joined them.

Back in the courtyard, looking at the dead fierce beasts that had suffered an unexpected disaster, Lin Xun was overjoyed; he no longer had to worry about food!

...

In the following days, the villagers were like celebrating a festival, shuttling between the deep mountains and Fuyun Village, bringing back one prey after another.

Most were wild beasts and fierce beasts, with fewer fierce beasts.

Even so, the bodies of the fierce beasts piled up like a mountain in Lin Xun's courtyard, a spectacular sight.

As for the wild beasts and fierce beasts, Lin Xun did not need them, and Xiao Tianren distributed them to every household in the village.

The villagers also learned about the "little girl," but they did not say much. Whenever they saw her beautiful, almost perfect face, every villager was stunned.

Even Xiao Tianren was no exception.

As for the little children, they were so captivated by the little girl that they became silly and ridiculous, and they all retreated, seemingly afraid to defile such beauty.

Lin Xun found it amusing but also a bit troubling; sometimes, being too beautiful can make it hard for others to approach.

In the end, Lin Xun asked the village's "Aunt Qiao" to help make a hooded animal skin cloak for the little girl, covering her beautiful face, which made Lin Xun feel more at ease.

The only thing that puzzled Lin Xun was that the little girl seemed very introverted, only willing to be close to him and never to others.

And Lin Xun noticed that when the little girl looked at others, her eyes were always calm but filled with indifference and distance.

Only when facing him did this indifference and distance disappear.

Why was this?

Even Lin Xun did not know.

However, after a few days of interaction, Lin Xun learned the little girl's name—

Xia Zhi.

A very special name.

Apart from this, he knew nothing about her origin. There was no way to communicate due to the language barrier.

However, what surprised Lin Xun was that in just a few days, Xia Zhi had already understood what he was saying and could even speak some simple words.

This undoubtedly proved that beneath her beautiful face, she had a wisdom and learning ability that matched her beauty!

Lin Xun, being an orphan, had already come to regard Xia Zhi, who was also alone, as a younger sister.

After another three days.

The villagers found no more prey in the deep mountains and stopped their grand "sweeping operation."

By then, the pile of fierce beast bodies in Lin Xun's courtyard had reached nearly thirty!

During these days, Lin Xun had not been idle, spending almost all his time dissecting the bodies of the fierce beasts. There was no choice; if left too long, the bodies would rot, causing significant loss.

Xia Zhi, on the other hand, sat quietly on the side, her eyes fixed on Lin Xun's busy figure, as if in her world, there was only Lin Xun.

---

PS: In a few days, I will post a thread to recruit extras. If you are interested, keep an eye out. Lin Xun will soon be heading to a real city in the Ziyao Empire, and I will need a lot of extras.