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Lin Zhuang exuded the aura of a tiger or a wolf, and even though he was injured and his strength affected to some extent, he was still confident he could handle the crowd before him.

Even though he lacked an invincible talent, he held an unshakable faith.

"We are just passing by and do not covet the Treasured Bone of the Beastly Serpent," said the man with the broadsword on his back, revealing a helpless wry smile.

They had faced this serpent before, which was awesomely terrifying and even possessed a slaughtering Treasured Technique, with unpredictably mysterious attack methods. He'd only dare confront it with a few treasure tools passed down in his village, but victory was almost impossible.

Who could resist such coveted treasures?

But the fierce people in front of him could slay the Beastly Serpent just with their physical bodies, and he dared not take any real action despite his desires.

"Are you expecting us to believe your every word? You seem to take us for fools." Lin Chen stepped forward, his aura also intimidating.

He and Lin Zhuang were both robust, standing like iron towers. Even the man with his broadsword stood shorter than these two warriors, and his aura paled in comparison.

"We actually met once before," the man with the broadsword hurriedly explained again.

"Met? Why can't I recall it?" Lin Zhuang and Lin Chen both frowned, unable to recall their encounter with the broadsword man.

"It was about six or seven years ago when you teamed up with a Black Python to kill a Ferocious Ape. We just happened to pass by here and saw your might. But you all were in a rush and we didn't have the chance to socialize," he explained.

"You know about that?" Lin Zhuang raised one of his eyebrows, somewhat reassured by the broadsword man's story.

"Since you've seen us before, why did you sneak around today?" Lin Zhuang asked, confused.

"That's a long story. The kids in our village are about to have their Medicine bath, so we went out specifically to hunt down some beasts.

We ran into a Unicorn a few days ago. It's an exceptional beast that can cover ten thousand miles a day and it turns especially vicious when provoked. We actually ended up here by accident, chasing after it, and just ran into you all, battling the Beastly Serpent. We were worried about startling you and causing a misunderstanding!" the man with the broadsword explained, laughing wryly.

"That's a plausible explanation!" Those from the Lin Family were straightforward, greatly easing their suspicions immediately.

"You mean the mutated Scaly Horse, all over with shiny silver scales and a crystal-clear horn on its forehead?" Tu Dequan, also known as Tu Wa Zi, showed interest in this Unicorn.

He had overheard the old man describing the fun facts of the Wilderness and he liked the Unicorn story.

What man didn't dream of riding such a majestic horse?

Lin Chen, too, showed an avid interest.

He was over thirty now, but sometimes he would behave like a child, naturally interested in new and intriguing things.

"Uncle, do you remember which way the Unicorn went?" Tu Dequan asked eagerly, hoping to bring it back to the village.

"Unfortunately, we lost its trail as it ran too fast, so we have no idea which way it went."

The broadsword man furrowed his eyebrows, raised his hand, and refrained from taking offense at being called an uncle by a boy who seemed barely eight or nine years old.

He had clearly seen that the small boy, skinny as he looked, was terrifiying in combat. He fought like the offspring of some Ancient different species, his fist blows peeled off several pieces of Scale Armor from the Beastly Serpent. Such fearsome strength wasn't even something he could match.

"Forgot to ask you all, which village do you all hail from?" The broadsword man asked, changing the subject.

He had always been puzzled by the fact that they had lived here for generations, only ever encountering people from the nearby Wolf Village and no one else.

"I am Lin Zhuang from Liu Village!" Lin Zhuang declared loudly, pride evident in his countenance. "And you brothers? Which village are you from?"

"Ah, we all come from Stone Village, I am the leader of our village hunting squad, Shi Lin Hu!" the Broadswords Man replied.

"Stone Village? Is that far from here?"

"It's nearby. If you gentlemen don't mind, you could rest there for a while. Our sweet milk soup and roasted meats are quite good."

The Broadswords Man laughed and extended the invitation, but in his mind, he ransacked his memory and found no recollection of Liu Village.

"Would that be proper?" Lin Zhuang scratched his head.

"What's wrong with that? Once beaten twice shy, maybe our villages will become brother villages in the future!" the Broadswords Man immediately replied.

He was sincerely inviting Lin Zhuang and the others.

Within the Wilderness, apart from a few tribal villages, the majority are extremely hospitable. After all, in the barbaric wilderness filled with ferocious birds and beasts, every good connection made is a connection worth having, which could prove useful at crucial moments.

Upon hearing about food, Tu Dequan on the side immediately began to drool.

With his Body of Thick Earth, he was most suited for practicing bold, head-on techniques, but as a result, he also loved to eat. Apart from what he couldn't eat, there was practically nothing he didn't like.

"Brother Zhuang, it wouldn't matter if we rest for a night before heading back. Besides, you've been injured."

Tu Dequan quickly spoke up.

Lin Xin Tong was also tempted. She wasn't interested in roasted meat, but she really liked sweet milk soup.

Within the Wilderness, both salt and sugar cubes are relatively rare, especially sugar. It is said to be made from the root and stem of a certain sweet vegetable and tastes sweet and delicious, even more tasty than meat soup.

However, in Liu Village, sugar is a luxury. Usually, only during festivals and celebrations would each person receive a small piece, which was hardly satiating.

All three looked to Lin Zhuang. Lin Zhuang was the eldest in the family, and they needed him to make the decision.

"Alright, then we'll rely on our brother's hospitality." Feeling the fervent gazes from all around, Lin Zhuang nodded.

He wasn't concerned that these people would trick him.

Not to boast, but even without using any Treasured Techniques, his current physical strength alone was enough to massacre all of them.

At noon.

Under the leadership of the Broadswords Man, everyone arrived at an open field of flat terrain.

Row upon row of stone houses were neatly arranged, with wisp of smoke from cooking slowly rising into the sky.

At the entrance of the village, there was a massive stone altar built across the path. It was expansive, with visibile traces of fresh red blood stains from the Beast Blood…

But what was most singular was the half-cut willow tree next to the altar, which was over a man's height. Its body was pitch black, seeming to have been struck by lightning, becoming a lightning-struck wood, cutting off all signs of life. However, at the top of the stump was a tenacious new green sprout, swaying in the wind.

"This is our Stone Village's Deity of Worship, we usually refer to it as the Willow God!" From far away, the Broadswords Man grinned and explained..