213: Chapter 213 Entering the Village

The village fell silent for an instant.

The elders, women, and children looked toward that house, no one speaking. A few children huddled behind a wall, peeking out with half their faces visible.

They looked at Li Taiping, then their gazes landed on the two-meter-long deer behind him.

The group became even more tense.

Someone raised a wooden spear, and an old woman tucked two children behind her.

Li Taiping stood at the village entrance, hands behind his back. Behind him, the deer hung its head, its antlers still swaying.

The scene was somewhat delicate.

The long-bearded elder stared at Li Taiping.

"Who are you?"

"Just passing through."

The elder's fingers tightened around his walking stick. "Would someone just passing through follow Li Jun into the village?"

"He was being chased by a saber-toothed tiger, so I killed the tiger. Then I encountered a herd of beasts on the road, so I killed them while I was at it."

"And then, he ran back."

Li Taiping's tone was very flat.

The elders exchanged glances.

Saber-toothed tiger? A herd of beasts? Just killed them while at it?

That phrasing didn't sound very respectful to the ferocious beasts.

A middle-aged man with a severed arm walked out. He had an old scar on his face and held a stone knife in his right hand.

"You say you killed a herd of beasts?"

Li Taiping nodded.

The one-armed man sneered, "Do you take us for people who have never seen ferocious beasts?"

Li Taiping didn't explain. He set the deer behind him down on the ground.

This was no ordinary deer.

A Four-Eyed Black-Horned Deer, a good mid-stage ferocious beast. It was extremely fast, and its horns could pierce stone shields.

The village hunting team would need three or four people working together to dare to engage it.

Yet this deer had only a single wound on its body.

Killed in one blow.

The long-bearded elder's gaze toward Li Taiping changed.

It was no longer just vigilance; there was now a hint of wariness.

Inside the house, Li Jun's crying grew louder.

"Little sister's wooden puppet is still here..."

"Mom's leather clothes are here too..."

"They didn't come back..."

A woman walked over, wanting to hug him.

But Li Jun pushed her away and rushed out of the house.

He ran up to the elder and grabbed his animal-skin garment.

"Grandpa Village Chief!"

"Where is my dad?"

"Where is my mom?"

"Where is my little sister?"

The elder's lips moved.

Li Jun's eyes were red as he stared fixedly at him.

"Tell me!"

The village chief lowered his head, looking at this child covered in mud and blood.

After a long while, he sighed.

"Your dad went out with the hunting team."

"Your mom and little sister went to the riverbank with the gathering team this morning."

Li Jun's body swayed.

"The riverbank... is that the direction the herd of beasts came from?"

No one answered; silence was the answer.

Li Jun fell to his knees.

He didn't cry out loud; he just opened his mouth, his throat twitching.

Li Taiping stood to the side, feeling rather indifferent.

Given the situation, and judging by the severed limbs on the road, the outcome was likely not optimistic.

The village chief looked at Li Taiping.

"Young man, thank you for saving Li Jun."

Li Taiping waved his hand.

"No need to thank me, it was just a casual act."

The one-armed man couldn't help but glance at him.

"Just a casual act" again. This guy was really infuriating when he spoke.

The village chief walked over to the deer carcass and crouched down to examine the wound.

"A good sword."

He looked up.

"Are you a wilderness scavenger?"

Li Taiping thought about it.

He had no ship, no system account, and no food right now; he really did look like one.

"I suppose so."

The village chief nodded.

"Capable scavengers are rare; most are just people being driven along by the Great Wilderness."

Li Taiping didn't refute this.

The village chief pointed into the village.

"You saved Li Jun and brought back food. You may stay in Black Wood Village tonight."

The one-armed man spoke up immediately.

"Village Chief!"

The village chief raised his hand to stop him.

"Shi Hu, if he wanted to kill, the people at the village entrance couldn't stop him."

The one-armed man fell silent.

It was unpleasant to hear, but it was reasonable.

Li Taiping glanced at the village chief.

This old man was not confused at all.

The village chief added, "However, it is the village's rule that outsiders cannot approach the altar, enter the granary, or wander around at night."

Li Taiping nodded.

"That's fine."