800 Coming Home (1/2)
The maiden in the lake looked at Mo Wen as if she had been wronged. Her expression was as gloomy as it was possible for a person to be.
”Stop your nonsense. Who are you? Why have you appeared here?” Mo Wen said with a cold face.
The village his house was in was nearby and was the only settlement round here. The fact that this woman, who was clearly not a normal human, had appeared here made him cautious. Mo Wen was certain that there was no one in his village like this maiden. If there was, he would certainly have heard about such an alluring person living in the village.
Right now, Mo Wen was not interested in how enchanting this maiden was. He would get to the bottom of things and ask questions later.
”I am who I am. This is my home. Why can't I appear here? It's you who is the villain, coming out of nowhere to startle people! What are your intentions?” The maiden pouted, her expression one of complete innocence.
Mo Wen averted his gaze and intentionally did not look at the fairy. He was afraid that if he glanced at her again, he would not be able to bring himself to ask any further questions.
”You had better come clean now. Otherwise, don't blame me if I drag you out and 'interrogate' you in detail,” Mo Wen said enigmatically, specifically emphasizing the word 'interrogate'. Anyone could tell what his words meant. For a maiden, this was undoubtedly the most frightening threat.
”You are exceedingly unreasonable! In fact, you are an absolute scoundrel! You are bad, so bad…”
The maiden in the lake looked at Mo Wen. Her wronged and innocent expression disappeared completely. Instead, the gaze she gave Mo Wen had a deep sense of meaning.
”Seems that you refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit.” Mo Wen was now certain that this maiden was problematic. Without saying much, he suddenly made a grab towards the lake, his expression grim. Out of the blue, a gigantic swirl appeared in the lake. The surrounding water sank quickly with the maiden in the center of the swirl. A powerful force enveloped her, trying to pull her out of the water.
Mo Wen couldn't care less about whether his act was virtuous or acceptable. This maiden was very suspect. He was worried that she would be a danger to the village.
”Little rascal, you have not changed a bit since you were young. I will entertain you no more.”
Enigmatically, the maiden rolled her eyes at Mo Wen. Then, she disappeared from her original spot, not leaving a single trace behind.
”Huh? Where did she go?” Qin Xiaoyou rubbed her eyes. She wondered whether she was hallucinating. How could a human being disappear just like that? She searched the surrounding area carefully, yet she still could not locate the maiden.
”She's gone.” Mo Wen's expression was serious. Even he had no clue to how the maiden left. He sensed nothing as she disappeared into thin air. Even his Defied Soul Power could not pick up any trace of her.
”She… Could it be that we have encountered a ghost?” Qin Xiaoyou covered her mouth with both hands and her eyes were bewildered, as though she was going to scream at any second. It was too scary. How could a human being disappear without a trace?
”Either way, it was not something normal. Let's go. We'll go to the village immediately.”
Mo Wen's expression was serious. He moved quickly as he held onto Qin Xiaoyou's hand. Right now, he really wanted to go back to the village. Hopefully, nothing was wrong there.
”It was unusual for a ghost to be so pretty. She is most likely a vixen of the mountain, specialized in seducing men. Otherwise, why would she look so charming?”
On the way, Qin Xiaoyou slowly regained her senses. When Qin Xiaoyou was no longer under the influence of the maiden's charm, a sense of admiration and envy immediately welled up in her heart. Most likely any woman would be envious of the maiden's beauty.
Mo Wen couldn't care less what the maiden was. He would be relieved as long as the maiden did not harm others in the village. It did not seem like good fortune for them to encounter such a maiden in the barren mountain.
After the two of them left, ripples once again formed on the lake, which had previously calmed down. An alluring face rose from the water. It was none other than the charming maiden.
”This is strange. The young master is so different from before. He seems to have changed into a totally different person. What did he encounter outside? However, his resolve has improved greatly. He was actually able to stay calm in front of me. His attitude is worlds apart from his younger self, who peeked at Xiaocui next door when she was showering.” The fairy-like maiden had a big smile on her face. Even the corners of her eyes crinkled as she smiled.
”He went off to study, and he comes home with a lady! I wonder what madam's face will be like when she finds out. However, the girl is good-looking and has a good personality. The young master's taste is not bad.”
”It's time to go home. The young master has been away for so long. I have missed him badly.” Without a sound, the maiden once again disappeared in the lake.
.....
After crossing a thirty-mile-wide forest, they stood on a hill from where they could see a farm in the distance. Smoke could be seen curling up the chimneys of the farm. The village was surrounded by farmland and approximately 40 to 50 families lived there. Mo Wen's village was tiny and they were almost cut off from the world. They rarely interacted with the outside world. He was the only one in the village who went out to study. Every time he came home, the villagers would tease him and call him master scholar.
The village was very secluded and so many of the villagers knew nothing about the world outside. Their understanding of many things remained at the level of the Ming Dynasty or even earlier.
”Our village is secluded from the world. The villagers have little knowledge. However, they are simple and friendly people. You probably won't be able to treat the villagers in the way you would treat people from the outside world. Otherwise, you might have misunderstandings about some of the practices here.”
Mo Wen held hands with Qin Xiaoyou as they walked towards the village. He briefly filled her in on what to expect.
”Don't worry. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. I'm not a pampered rich girl anyway.”
Time passed as they talked and they had soon reached the village. It was noon and the sun was blazing. Almost no one was working in the farmland; everyone had gone home to make lunch. Smoke was coming out from the chimneys, and the aroma of food could be smelled from far away.