Chapter 24: The Welcoming Party
After a flash of white light, Chu Feng landed outside Crescent Village.
“Look, he’s here!” Gray said excitedly.
Just as Chu Feng landed, he heard surprised exclamations behind him.
Gray pointed at him, surrounded by five children who had come to greet him. Aside from the familiar Gray and Duoduo, there were three others.
One was a child with wolf ears and a wolf tail—likely a wolf-tribe beastkin. Another had horns growing from his head, standing at the edge of the group; he resembled the demonkin Illya had mentioned and was probably a half-demon.
The last child had delicate features and bore a resemblance to Gray and Illya—likely a half-elf. Chu Feng mused to himself: Elves really are beautiful! No wonder human nobles are obsessed with keeping them. With a face like that, this kid would be a child star on Earth for sure.
Duoduo was chatting with the wolf-tribe kid, which Chu Feng found curious—he was usually terrified of wolves, but not of this little werewolf.
Looking at Gray, Chu Feng smiled and said, “Waiting for me, huh?”
Gray nodded obediently. “Yep. Big brother brought back the salt, so everyone wants to properly thank you.”
Chu Feng nodded. “I see.”
Gray’s eyes lit up as he noticed the suitcases Chu Feng had brought. “Are these your things? I’ll help you carry them!”
Chu Feng: … Gray had suddenly become so well-behaved—it was hard to believe.
The other children also stepped forward to help with the luggage.
Seeing their eager attitude, Chu Feng couldn’t help but suspect they weren’t trying to help but planning to rob him.
Walking beside them, Chu Feng felt a little embarrassed.
He was a grown man walking empty-handed while a group of kids carried his luggage. It felt a bit… off.
The suitcase Illya had brought back a few days earlier had stirred up immense curiosity in the village.
Illya’s home had practically been trampled by the villagers, all coming to see the suitcase. The kids had already played with it, so they knew how to handle it. The village roads were uneven, and to avoid damaging the wheels, the kids had simply lifted the suitcases altogether.
As they walked, the kids played with the luggage. Chu Feng figured they were treating it like a toy, so he didn’t stop them.
They also kept sneaking glances at Chu Feng and whispering among themselves.
“This suitcase looks really cool!”
“What’s inside, I wonder?”
The wolf-eared boy sniffed the air and said, “I think there’s candy.”
“Really? You didn’t smell it wrong?”
He sniffed again to confirm. “Pretty sure it’s candy.”
Chu Feng could understand most of what the kids were saying. He thought: He really did pack a whole suitcase of candy, but everything was sealed. How could they even smell it?
Illya came out to greet him. “You’re back?”
Chu Feng nodded. “Yeah. Where am I staying?”
Illya hesitated for a moment before saying, “You can stay with me for now.”
Chu Feng nodded. “Sure. Still living in a tree?”
Illya shook her head. “Not this time.”
Chu Feng let out a sigh of relief—his treehouse was built really high up, and honestly, he was a little afraid of heights.
*
Following Illya into the village, Chu Feng noticed quite a few villagers around. Many of them were secretly watching him, but whenever he met their gaze, they quickly looked away.
Many villagers in Crescent Village had been hurt by the outside world and were not welcoming toward humans.
Illya had gone to great lengths to persuade them to let Chu Feng stay. Although he’d been allowed in, that didn’t mean they welcomed him.
Knowing Illya had brought in those strange items from the outside, the villagers were curious about him and had decided to observe from a distance.
If Chu Feng knew what they were thinking, he’d probably say the people of Crescent Village were just putting on airs while secretly interested.
“You guys farm to make a living here?” Chu Feng asked.
As he walked through the village, he felt like the whole place resembled an ancient settlement.
Illya nodded. “Yeah. Most people here grow vegetables and rice. The shaman has enhanced the seeds, so the crops grow much better.”
“How much better?”
Illya thought for a moment. “If a normal vegetable would grow to this size, the enhanced one can grow twice as big.”
Chu Feng thought: Twice the size? That’s insane. If this person were on Earth, they’d be a world-class agricultural expert—famous and adored. So this so-called shaman is actually an agricultural tycoon! With skills like this, they could revolutionize farming and become the Yuan Longping of another world. It’s a pity such talent is hidden away in a tiny village like this.
“You grow the crops just for your own use?” Chu Feng asked.
Illya shook his head. “The villagers use the crops to barter. Sometimes they ask the nearby dwarves to make tools. Occasionally, they trade with nearby tribes. There are quite a few around here, but our Crescent Village is the best at farming.”
Chu Feng nodded. “I see.”
They arrived at Illya’s home. Chu Feng turned to the kids and said, “Just leave the luggage here.”
The kids reluctantly set down the suitcases.
Chu Feng opened one of the outer compartments and grabbed two handfuls of candy, handing them to the kids. “Here, take some.”
The kids gleefully accepted the candy and ran off, grinning from ear to ear.
