Chapter 21

As the sun set, its slanted rays fell upon the smoky North Corner Village. The autumn air grew cooler, the leaves turned yellow, but there was no wind. North Corner Village enjoyed a rare moment of tranquility. On one side of the village, by the small grove where people sought shade and coolness, a weary bird flapped back to its warm nest, accidentally knocking off a withered leaf. The leaf spiraled and gently fell onto the calm, clear Huaiyun River.

Suddenly, a drenched golden retriever puppy emerged from the water, waddled onto the shore, and shook its thin body, sending droplets of water flying everywhere.

Not long after, another figure surfaced from the water. It was a young man with a weary face but sharp, bright eyes. He trudged through the water to the riverbank, then leaned on his knees, taking deep breaths. This young man was none other than Xu Dong, who had just returned from Huaiyun Mountain.

Even with Xu Dong's physical strength, floating in the water for three to four hours was extremely exhausting. He had been overconfident and had no floating logs to help him, leading to his current state of fatigue. Despite being hungry and cold, his mood was particularly intense.

Xu Dong reviewed his gains from Huaiyun Mountain, feeling as if he had climbed a mountain and, upon looking back, saw all the smaller peaks below. The most obvious change was that after everything on Huaiyun Mountain, his courage, bravery, and combat skills had skyrocketed like a rocket.

Secondly, the proficiency of his four innate skills—Quick Steps, Powerful Strike, Devour, and Insight—had rapidly increased. The first three had already surpassed the 50-point mark, and the Insight skill had reached 67 points. This didn't even include the two Divine Power Fruits he had obtained, which might push his Insight skill to 100 points, meeting the conditions for an upgrade.

The third and most valuable gain was the two Divine Power Fruits! Countless people and animals had died over these fruits. Even Xu Dong had not expected that they would end up in his hands. Fate was indeed mysterious and beyond comprehension.

After tallying his gains, Xu Dong counted the number of mountain guard dogs he had killed. So far, over a hundred vicious dogs that had terrorized the villagers had died at his hands, including one fierce mutant dog as strong as a Yellow-striped Saber-toothed Tiger.

Recalling each battle during that time, even though his opponents were unintelligent animals, they still provided valuable experience for his growth. He was like a red-hot iron being forged in battle, gradually taking shape. If he were to fight North Corner Bear again now, Xu Dong was confident he could defeat him.

Xu Dong did not rush into the village but entered the forest, took out a bamboo tube from his backpack, and poured out a Divine Power Fruit. Only now did he have the chance to closely examine this miraculous fruit of nature. In terms of appearance and color, it didn't look much different, but the most striking feature was that the fruit had a faint, weak pulse. If not for its icy surface, Xu Dong would have felt as if he were holding a warm, beating heart.

In amazement, Xu Dong used his Insight skill, quickly obtaining the following information:

Species Name: Divine Power Fruit

Species Description: The Divine Power Fruit is the fruit of the Divine Power Tree. This is a first-stage Divine Power Fruit. Although its quality is not high, it still has remarkable effects, such as replenishing vitality, activating bodily functions, and treating various chronic diseases. Of course, the most miraculous aspect of the Divine Power Fruit is that after complete absorption, it can unlock the body's potential, break through the limits of life, and grant the power of a flesh armor. Consuming this first-stage Divine Power Fruit has a 50% chance of granting the power of a strength-type flesh armor.

Seeing the description, Xu Dong felt a chill of fear. Fortunately, he hadn't impulsively swallowed the fruit at the time, or the consequences would have been unimaginable! Noticing the last sentence, Xu Dong was surprised. The Divine Power Fruits not only had stages but also different types?

Curious, he used his Insight skill on the other Divine Power Fruit. As expected, the white Divine Power Fruit was different from the red one, with a 50% chance of granting the power of an agility-type flesh armor. Seeing the word "agility," Xu Dong was elated. Honestly, if not for the Quick Steps skill, he might not have succeeded in each ambush.

The two Divine Power Fruits indeed provided 15 points of proficiency for his Insight skill. In other words, his Insight skill proficiency had reached 97 points, just one step away from mastery.

After everything was settled, it was already dark. However, with the biggest threat removed, Xu Dong didn't feel particularly urgent and slowly walked towards North Corner Village.

North Corner Village had long been overshadowed by the mountain guard dogs, so at night, it was usually as quiet as a ghost town, with no one wandering outside. Xu Dong walked familiarly to North Corner Bear's house and found that an oil lamp was lit inside. The light was dim, just a faint glow, like a single bean of light. In the dim light, a shadow was reflected on the window, that of a girl with braids propping her chin.

Who else could the girl in North Corner Bear's house be but Shengnan?

Seeing this, Xu Dong felt a warm feeling in his heart. Oil was precious in a village where even meat was scarce. Shengnan had lit an oil lamp to wait for him, fearing he might get lost. This sentiment was like a wife keeping the house lights on for her husband's return.

However, Xu Dong soon sighed. He had no romantic feelings for Shengnan, and North Corner Village was certainly not his final destination.

Pushing open the wooden gate, Xu Dong deliberately took heavy steps. The heavy footsteps on the stone ground made a clattering sound. The sound wasn't loud, but in the dead silence, Shengnan couldn't help but hear it. Indeed, the shadow on the window paused, as if listening, then suddenly stood up and pushed open the window.

Instantly, a soft light from the open window illuminated Xu Dong and the puppy. Xu Dong smiled and picked up the puppy, "I'm back from the mountain."

Shengnan bit her lip and rubbed her eyes, then quickly opened the door, welcoming Xu Dong into the warm house.

"Brother Xiaodong, why are your clothes soaked?" Shengnan noticed that Xu Dong was drenched like a drowned rat and asked in surprise, "Did you swim down from the Huaiyun River?"

Xu Dong smiled and nodded.

Only then did Shengnan truly notice Xu Dong's smile. She had been so focused on checking for injuries that she hadn't noticed it before. The smile was clean and sharp, giving a sense of warmth and security. Shengnan, of course, knew why he had gone up the mountain, and at this moment, she understood that he had succeeded!

Overjoyed, the little girl was almost incoherent, "Ah, you really did it?! I'll go find you some clothes. Tell me, what was it like up there?"

Xu Dong didn't hesitate, "Let's not talk about that now. I haven't eaten all day, I'm starving. Oh, and can you get something for this little one? It helped me a lot!"

Shengnan then noticed the puppy in Xu Dong's hand. The puppy was exceptionally cute and adorable, and despite being drenched, its round, bright eyes easily won Shengnan's affection. In North Corner Village, where people often killed dogs for food, the puppy's charm was evident from Shengnan's reaction.

Shengnan first found a dry set of clothes for Xu Dong to change into, then quickly heated up two pounds of yellow millet cakes and cooked a pot of fragrant dog meat soup. The yellow millet cakes were freshly made from the new harvest, baked until crispy and sweet. The outer layer was brittle, and the inner layer was soft and sweet, making the whole experience even more enjoyable when dipped in the rich dog meat soup.

After eating, Xu Dong wiped his mouth and asked curiously, "Where's Uncle Bear? Why isn't he here?"

Shengnan, who had been sweetly watching Xu Dong devour his food, was taken aback for a moment. She seemed to remember something and her expression quickly darkened. After a while, she sighed, "Grandma Zhixin passed away last night... Dad went to keep vigil for her."

What?! Xu Dong was shocked, a strange feeling of absurdity and melancholy rising in his heart. Huaihe had spent two years meticulously planning to obtain the Divine Power Fruit to treat his mother's lung disease, doing countless heinous deeds. Finally, the fruit had ripened at noon today, and he was about to see his dream come true, but Grandma Zhixin had passed away last night.

In other words, regardless of Xu Dong's involvement, Huaihe would not have been able to save his mother. Thinking about this, he realized that even if he hadn't gone up the mountain, the Divine Power Fruit would have ripened, and the shadow over North Corner Village would have eventually lifted.

With this thought, Xu Dong felt a bit disheartened.

Seeing Xu Dong dejected, Shengnan thought he was grieving over Grandma Zhixin's gift of the map and the loss of a kind soul. She didn't realize the complex thoughts swirling in his mind. She comforted him gently, "Grandma Zhixin took care of the village's women and children when she was young. Even after falling ill and growing weak, her kindness never wavered. Although she has left us, Monto will protect her."

Xu Dong could only smile bitterly. Of the three people who knew the full story, two were now gone, and the only one left was an outsider. Life was indeed full of twists and turns, unpredictable and unfathomable.

People come and go like the flickering of a lamp. What was meant to happen has happened, and those who deserved punishment have received it. Xu Dong sighed inwardly. Since that was the case, let this matter be buried in the dust.