Chapter 160: Everything will be fine

The relationship between Niumu and Hegu Town is very special.

The latter, situated near the Mist Forest, is a major hub for adventurers where the Adventurer Association is stationed; every year, it contributes a massive amount of tax revenue to the province and the kingdom, and produces countless monster materials.

Furthermore, because a large number of adventurers possessing transcendental power gather in the town year-round, related industries are incredibly developed, far exceeding what its own scale should support.

As for the former, being the largest city in the nearby region, its decent geographical location and official development strategies that align with the characteristics of a city make its commerce prosperous, attracting a large number of ordinary residents and upper-class nobles.

Hegu Town supplies Niumu with a series of specialties from the Mist Forest, including monster furs and timber; Niumu, based on its own massive scale, provides Hegu Town with a steady stream of human resources, steel, food supplies, and other resources.

To a certain extent, a large portion of the adventurers who die in the forest during the Hunting Day and become nutrients to nourish the soil come from the slums of Niumu Cheng.

"Adventurer," this high-risk profession where risks and rewards are proportional, is often the last choice in life for those poor souls whose reality is already too miserable to endure.

Under these circumstances, the large population in the town coming from neighboring Niumu also influences the fashion trends of Hegu Town.

Regarding this point, the small street vendors who make a living by reselling goods are particularly sensitive.

Even a goose-down cloak that only gained fame at a noble banquet last month has already been placed on the shelves of a clothing store in Hegu Town this month.

You must know, this interval even includes a journey of nearly twenty days.

The owner of "Fairy Wind," Fali Lue, did not lie to Xia Nan; recently, the 【Sheep-Deer Statue】 is indeed very popular in the noble circles of Niumu Cheng.

And it is far more popular than what Fali Lue introduced at the beginning.

The vast distance between the two cities causes the dissemination of information to lose its timeliness.

Just like a cockroach that suddenly pops out in a room; when you stomp it to death with one foot, thinking it's just this one, the dirty corners of the house shrouded in shadows are very likely already crawling with its brothers and sisters.

When the 【Sheep-Deer Statue】 arrived in Hegu Town from Niumu after more than twenty days of transport and transfer, and was placed on the shelves as "a new trendy item from the big city."

Its influence in Niumu Cheng had long since expanded from the original noble circles, and even ordinary commoners had heard of it.

"What's wrong?"

Jamie adjusted the glasses on the bridge of his nose, his face showing confusion.

The guest dressed as an adventurer before him is the benefactor who saved his father's life; his good upbringing made him not dare to be negligent.

Bending down, under Xia Nan's gaze, he just used one hand to pick up the 【Sheep-Deer Statue】 that had fallen to the floor.

Facing the front of the wood carving toward Xia Nan, he explained:

"I happen to be participating in a history project regarding the 'evolution of carving styles in the Servia Kingdom' recently."

"This wood carving is what my mentor asked me to bring back to refer to for completing my assignment."

"Is there... any problem with it?"

"Don't! Put it down first, don't face it toward me like that!" Seeing the other party holding the wood carving in his hand and facing the front toward himself.

Subconsciously recalling the eerie experience in the general store, Xia Nan averted his gaze and let the other party put the wood carving back into the bag.

Across the dining table, Jeff, who had driven for many years and was experienced, also vaguely saw something through the conversation and expressions of the two.

The relaxed expression on his face suddenly sank, and he said seriously, almost like an order:

"Jamie, do as Mr. Xia Nan says!"

Apparently, he had quite a lot of authority in the family.

As soon as the words fell, Jamie, who was originally planning to go upstairs to his room but was suddenly stopped by Xia Nan, looked blank.

Without a word of nonsense, he neatly stuffed the wood carving back into the cloth bag, tied it tight, placed it on the ground, and sat back down at the dining table alone.

Feeling the atmosphere in the room suddenly become somewhat tense, along with the suspicious and uneasy gazes from Jeff and the others around him.

Xia Nan did not speak, pondering carefully in his heart.

First, it can be confirmed.

The statue lying quietly on the floor in the cloth bag in front is not the 【Sheep-Deer Statue】 he saw at "Fairy Wind" back then.

This is a feeling from his body's instinct.

Second, although it was just a fleeting glance just now.

He did indeed lock eyes with the wood carving.

Yet there was no such horrific feeling as in the general store where his mind was captured and his consciousness sank.

Perhaps... there are differences between the statues.

Or is it that some action of his at that time had an effect similar to activation or catalysis on that wood carving?

As his thoughts flowed, he had already organized his language in his heart and asked:

"So, this wood carving belongs to your mentor?"

Jamie, who was sitting at the table with his back straight and his hands nervously on his knees, as if waiting for judgment, nodded quickly and replied when Xia Nan asked this:

"Yes, wood carvings of this style have been very popular among the professors at the academy recently, and even my mentor himself bought it from a noble who was in urgent need of money through connections."

"Today, it was only because I needed to complete my assignment that he lent it to me for one night; I have to return it tomorrow morning."

"According to what you mean, the number of wood carvings is not very large in the city?" Sensing the hidden information in the other party's words, Xia Nan asked further.

"That's right, they are basically circulating in the hands of nobles and those wealthy merchants; ordinary people like us generally don't see them."

"I heard from others that the statue came from a certain carving master." Xia Nan recalled the information Fali Lue had introduced to him before, "In this way, this master's output is not high, right?"

Regarding this, Jamie only reached out and scratched his head, his expression becoming increasingly confused.

"Master... there shouldn't be one."

"At least no one knows who made this kind of wood carving right now."

"A while ago, when my mentor was lecturing, he even complained to us, saying that the number of statues was too small, and before when they were cheap, they only cost the price of a meal, but now the price is being hyped to the sky, and so on."

Hearing this, Xia Nan couldn't help but be stunned.

Pondering for a moment in his heart, he realized.

He realized that Fali Lue's rhetoric back then was half-true and half-false.

It is a fact that the wood carving is popular in Niumu, but the so-called "coming from a certain carving master" in the other party's mouth is most likely a beautified lie fabricated for the convenience of selling.

Suddenly, as if thinking of something else.

His brows furrowed, and the expression on his face couldn't help but become more solemn.

As if to confirm a certain conjecture in his heart, he asked Jamie in front of him:

"Since no one knows the specific source of the statue, can it also be considered that..."

"The wood carving appeared out of thin air in Niumu Cheng."

Not knowing why this gentleman in front of him asked this, Jamie just pondered for a moment according to the other party's thoughts, combined with the information he knew.

Then he nodded slowly.

"Yes."

Tsk.

Hearing the other party's answer, Xia Nan's heart couldn't help but tighten, only feeling that things were developing in a direction beyond his control.

What emerged in his mind was the attribute panel that woke him back to reality from his trance state that day.

Recalling the information on the panel at that time, fragmented clues were vaguely connected together in his mind.

"Source unknown," "appeared out of thin air," "distinct style"...

It gave him an unusually familiar sense of déjà vu.

Just like the 【Gravity Core】 that helped him obtain his professional level, just like the Underdark Snake Cave that allowed him to obtain 【Copper Sinew and Iron Bone】.

He remembered that during the journey deep into the forest with the half-elves and others, he encountered many classical buildings with Eastern styles that also seemed to appear out of thin air.

Even if those "buildings" were replaced with "wood carvings" right now, the essence of the way they appeared was exactly the same.

Could it be that...

Xia Nan suddenly turned his head, looked at Jeff, who had been listening intently to the conversation between the two since just now, and asked:

"Recently in Niumu Cheng, or the surrounding areas, have there been any strange things happening?"

"For example... strange buildings that suddenly stood up overnight, or corpses of unknown monsters that appeared out of thin air."

Jeff recalled carefully, recalling everything in his mind, even including the rumors he heard in the tavern, before slowly shaking his head again:

"Strange things happening in the surrounding area... if I have to say, the explosion in Kalanfur should count as one, but you should have been in Hegu Town at that time, and you must know it too."

"Besides that, there was only the 'sewage' incident last year."

Jeff at that time had not yet retired and was earning money outside with the caravan, so he didn't know much about the detailed process of the incident.

Speaking of this, he paused slightly.

His wife, Doris, who was sitting beside him, understood and took over the topic quite tacitly.

"I remember, at that time, the water sources of several streets in the Lower City District were polluted, many people died, and there were guards coming and going on the road."

"Although we were not affected here, for the sake of safety, I had to go to the church to ask the priest to purify the water used at home in advance."

"This continued for many days before the situation slowly improved."

"Finally, I heard from others that it was an evil Druid who was doing some experiments in the Lower City District, which led to the water pollution."

"I don't know if they have been caught yet."

Hearing this, Xia Nan nodded slightly.

He was not disappointed in his heart, but there were no extra emotions either.

The explosion incident in Kalanfur was the aftermath of the battle between the Barbarian Fugang and his enemies.

The sewage incident in Niumu had also long been on the bounty board of the Adventurer Association, and it was the work of that Druid of the Spore Society.

It had no obvious connection with the signs of the appearance of a "Secret Realm" as he imagined.

He fell into deep thought, frowning for a long time without speaking.

This obviously made the parents of the children in front of him a little anxious.

Doris glanced at Jamie, who was sitting uneasily beside her, and asked with a worried expression:

"Mr. Xia Nan, may I ask if there is any problem with this wood carving, and will it have any bad influence on Jamie?"

Regarding this, Xia Nan just stared at Jamie in front of him with his eyes, his expression serious:

"When you first saw this statue, and when you touched it, did you have any strange feelings?"

"Trance, creepy, feeling attracted... anything is fine, did you?"

"No, sir." Under the gaze of everyone, Jamie, whose forehead was already sweating with a few cold drops, shook his head and replied.

"Has your mentor's personality changed significantly recently, or has he done anything strange?"

"Neither, Mr. Xia Nan."

In this way, the influence of the wood carving might only be directed at himself, or rather, it only comes from that one in "Fairy Wind."

Those circulating in Niumu Cheng right now, at least for now, do not have the ability to actually affect the human body.

Of course, the possibility of an incubation period cannot be ruled out.

Perhaps, it is just waiting for a certain opportunity in the future to erupt completely and drag the carrier into the abyss.

Thinking about it, Xia Nan told the Jeff family who received him about his encounter in Hegu Town, only omitting the information about the attribute panel.

"At least for now, Jamie is safe."

"The statue itself might not be as evil as I described."

"But..."

Tap—

Fingertips tapped the table lightly.

On the dinner plate, the iron spoon still stained with thick soup rose slowly to a distance of about a fist, hovered for half a second, and then fell naturally.

"My personal suggestion is that it is better to have less contact with this wood carving."

"Squeak!"

The chair legs rubbed against the floor, making a harsh sound.

Jeff moved very quickly.

Even before his wife Doris beside him could react, he had already stood up.

He took off his coat and wrapped the cloth bag containing the statue tightly inside the clothes.

"Jamie, your mentor's address?"

Jamie couldn't help but be stunned, only subconsciously replying:

"No. 35, Eagle Emblem Avenue."

Nodding, without further explanation, he walked toward the front door while instructing Doris in a rapid tone:

"Doris, you take the children to the Moon God Church, I will be there soon."

Having driven for many years, this experienced middle-aged man had already formulated an emergency evacuation plan in just a few seconds.

If it were really as Xia Nan said, that just visual contact could have an influence, then everyone including himself just now had already seen the wood carving with their own eyes.

Whether it is purification or expulsion, going to the church to seek help is the only choice for them as ordinary people.

And if the wood carving is really just an ordinary statue, as Xia Nan guessed, only the one in Hegu Town was cursed.

Then returning it himself would not cause the mentor, who Jamie said had gone through great hardships to get it, to vent his anger on his child because of the loss of the statue.

He could of course destroy the wood carving on the spot or take it to the church.

But who knows what kind of changes this "evil object" will undergo after being stimulated by the outside world.

There were quite a few similar tragic accidents he had heard of when he was driving with the caravan before.

Out of selfishness, he didn't want this time bomb to spend even one more second with his family.

When it comes to the safety of his loved ones, Jeff wouldn't be as kind as he usually is; at most, he would remind the mentor a few words when returning the statue.

His footsteps were rapid.

Only when he walked to the front door and held the handle in his hand.

Did Jeff think of something, turned around, and looked at the black-haired young man in the restaurant.

"Mr. Xia Nan, we will all be fine..."

"Right?"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 161 =====