Chapter 700: Chapter 700: Refusing to Leave the Village
Scarlett Jennings and her group were taken to the spirit dium’s house.
In so villages in the south of Cathay, it’s common to have figures like spirit diums. For matters in the village, from big things like sacrifices and ons to small things like naming a newborn or the direction the stove should face, villagers would always consult them first.
The identity of the “Village Guardian” known as Baoshan was also introduced to the villagers by the spirit dium.
Now, as a group of obvious city folks suddenly appeared, claiming they were here to find Baoshan, naturally, everyone wanted to ask the spirit dium.
The spirit dium, also called Madam Hua by the villagers, was about seventy years old, slightly bent over, and appeared rather mystical. Her glance swept over Scarlett Jennings and her companions before she asked,
“Why are you looking for Baoshan?”
Stella Gibson, knowing that the villagers revered this spirit dium and acting as the diplomatic face, imdiately stepped forward,
“Granny, we want to ask him to guide us to find soone.”
She had a baby face, which naturally made her seem approachable when she spoke.
But Madam Hua didn’t look at her, carrying on with a mystic deanor, and said,
“To find soone, find the village office director. If there’s an issue, go to the governnt, young lady, don’t be superstitious.”
Stella: …
She glanced at the Eight Diagrams Mirror and the House Protection Talisman hanging inside and outside Madam Hua’s ho, thinking you’re more superstitious than I am.
In her own clan, they didn’t engage in such practices.
However, she still smiled and said,
“We’ve been unable to locate the village office director. The person who sent us here said we can only find the Village Guardian.”
Upon hearing this, Madam Hua’s deeply wrinkled face beca serious as she mumbled sothing to herself, then suddenly she sternly said,
“If the person you’re looking for isn’t a villager, Baoshan can’t help you. The Village Guardian must not leave the village; that’s the rule.”
Stella was about to say more, but Madam Hua was already sending them away, and the villagers, seeing Madam Hua wasn’t responsive, naturally tried to usher them out.
Fortunately, the village office director heard the news and promptly arrived with others, first scolding the villagers,
“What are you doing?! Haven’t they just helped the village find soone? They’re guests from afar; even if things don’t work out, be polite. Show the hospitable spirit of Blossom Village…”
The office director rattled on, leaving the villagers with headaches, prompting them to leave while warning not to target the village guardian.
The village office director then welcod the group to the village office, first expressing his apologies,
“The young ones in the village have all gone to work in big cities, leaving behind villagers with more stubborn minds. It’s not that they’re unwelcoming to outsiders, it’s just that Baoshan holds a special place here.”
Baoshan was found by the villagers in the mountains, and when found, he was ntally challenged due to his young age. At first, the villagers sent him to the town’s welfare institute.
But sohow, he returned on his own.
After several comings and goings, he inexplicably stayed in the village.
Initially, the villagers disliked the child; only a few households occasionally gave him so food, barely enough to avoid starvation.
What changed the villagers’ perspective of him was one night when Baoshan suddenly shouted and ran around the village, waking up most of them.
Many villagers were furious and ca out to catch him, and just then, the village was hit by an earthquake.
The office director said,
“Blossom Village hadn’t had an earthquake for decades, but that ti it ca unexpectedly, causing several houses to collapse.
If Baoshan hadn’t shouted and woken most people up, they would have been caught in their dreams during the earthquake, unable to escape.”
After this incident, the village spirit dium declared that Baoshan was the Village Guardian and that his presence would bring prosperity and ward off disasters for the village.
Coupled with the earthquake incident, almost everyone in the village believed in the Village Guardian’s role, and over the years, each family would offer him so good food.
Since he was carried from the mountains, he was nad Baoshan.
Even other villages, hearing about the Blossom Village guardian, began treating their own village lunatics better.
Understanding Baoshan’s background from the village office director, Scarlett Jennings and her group realized why the villagers valued Baoshan so much.
Nonetheless, just leaving wasn’t an option.
So, under the pretext of looking for soone in the village, they, with the village office director’s help, borrowed a house to stay in.
After sending off the village office director, the group exchanged looks, with Stella Gibson first turning to Scarlett Jennings,
“Scarlett, what do you think?”
Scarlett Jennings replied, “He could see Jasmine Hamilton’s true form at a glance and could sense the earthquake in advance. The Village Guardian should genuinely be the Village Guardian.”
Jasmine Hamilton, curious upon hearing this, asked,
“If the Village Guardian is real, what’s fake in the village?”
Stella imdiately said, “I know, that Madam Hua is fake!”
Though the old woman appeared mystical, Stella couldn’t sense any Spiritual Power from her.
So, she’s likely a charlatan.
Jasmine Hamilton, upon hearing this, was enlightened,
“So, she’s a fraud. I thought her Spiritual Power was so strong that I couldn’t sense it.”
After all, she’s a Half-Demon with weak demonic power, often unable to sense concealed demonic power from other demons.
Jasmine Hamilton was quite accustod to such things.
Scarlett Jennings just said,
“So spirit diums in villages do have real skills, but so simply use it as a ans to make a living. As long as they aren’t using it to amass wealth or harm people with Talisman Water, the Security Bureau doesn’t interfere much.”
After all, their existence often represents so people’s faith.
Moreover, she didn’t see any karmic debts on that person.
As for declaring Baoshan as the Village Guardian, it could have been a lucky guess or an attempt to build her reputation.
But she indirectly changed the villagers’ perception of Baoshan, allowing an imbecile to receive substantial care in the village, which by karma is positive.
Scarlett Jennings never thought you could judge good from evil solely based on identity or a single standard.
While they were talking, Grace’s Spiritual Body floated inside from outside.
Her body was damaged, so she couldn’t transform her main body temporarily and could only float with her Spiritual Body. When Scarlett Jennings and her group went to Madam Hua’s place, Grace took a look around the village.
“I couldn’t sense that person’s presence in the village; they must not be here. We still need the Village Guardian to guide us.”
“But the Village Guardian cannot leave the village.”
Jasmine Hamilton looked hesitantly at Scarlett Jennings, “If he leaves and dies, then what?”
The system turtle, listening for a while, couldn’t help but pop its head out again, grumpily chiding,
“It’s not so easy to die. How will you accomplish great things with such indecision?”
Scarlett Jennings responded by pushing it back down.
Then said,
“Since that person said the guardian could guide us, there must be a key point. I think we should ask him directly later. If he can point us in the right direction, he doesn’t necessarily have to leave the village.”
“No need to wait.”
Grace said, suddenly pointing outside,
“The guardian apparently followed back; he’s right outside.”
At this, everyone turned their heads at once, and there, outside the courtyard, stood a big man at the door, poking his head in, longingly looking at Grace, laughing with a foolish grin,
“Zoey… Zoey…”
Reviews
All reviews (0)