Chapter 187: Return

Niumu, the post station.

The holiday of the Moon Feast had not yet ended, but the place was already packed with busy, bustling crowds.

A long-bearded dwarf, draped in bear fur and looking like an upright bear cub, swung his horsewhip and cursed the pedestrians blocking his path with foul language.

A shirtless half-orc, his sturdy, lean muscles bulging and rippling beneath sweat-slicked pale green skin, his face contorted from the strain of exertion, heaved heavy sacks off a carriage.

While the Moon Feast was certainly worth celebrating, for many poor residents in the slums who struggled just to fill their bellies, it meant at most a relatively hearty dinner on the day of the festival.

"Holidays" and "rest" were luxuries only those "city folk" with steady jobs and regular incomes could afford.

In their situation, missing a day of work meant going hungry for another day.

No one was willing to give up a chance to earn money for the sake of some ethereal festival custom.

"Extra! Extra!"

"Moon Goddess Church attacked, suspected evil entities spreading in the city!"

"..."

The newsboy's cries echoed through the crowded street, reaching his ears.

It caught Xia Nan's attention.

Looking over, he saw a familiar, thin, small figure standing high on the saddle of a nearby carriage, waving a newspaper vigorously and pushing the day's news to passersby.

He had a vague impression of him; it seemed to be the same person he had encountered when he first arrived in Niumu.

He had intended to buy a paper back then, but couldn't because the guards of his caravan had shooed the boy away.

Today, he had run into him again.

He felt it was quite a coincidence.

Xia Nan stepped forward, took two copper coins from his pouch, and handed them to the boy.

"Give me one."

"Coming right up, sir."

A major event suddenly occurring in the city might be a dangerous incident that kept some people awake all night.

But for these newsboys who relied on newspaper sales to make a living, it was a great time to earn money.

As long as it didn't affect them personally, they would wish for a few big news stories every day, even if it meant a new city lord every day.

The sensational news headline kept Xiao Biti so busy that he didn't recognize the adventurer he had seen once through a carriage window.

He smiled as he took the two copper coins from Xia Nan and handed over a copy of the paper from his stack.

Xia Nan didn't mind this.

With one hand resting lightly on his pouch, Xia Nan squeezed through the crowd, found an empty corner, and began to flip through the paper.

The first thing that caught his eye was naturally the front-page headline the newsboy had been shouting—

"Moon Goddess Church Suspected of Being Attacked by Cultists, City Guard Suffers Heavy Losses"

The followers of the 【Moon Maiden】 Selene were widespread, and her clergy had always upheld her teachings, navigating and guiding the lost, and providing help to those mired in suffering.

The Moon Goddess Church held high prestige not only in the West District where it was located but even in the slums far away from it.

Being attacked on the night of the Moon Feast had effectively overshadowed the recent high-level turmoil in Niumu, becoming the hottest topic of discussion among the vast majority of residents over the past two days.

In taverns large and small throughout the city, all sorts of bizarre conjectures were being made about the incident.

Some said a devil from Hell had bewitched a nun in the church whose faith was not firm enough, causing her to betray the Goddess and stir up trouble.

Others suspected whether the event itself was related to the city lord's position, which had been shrouded in gloom recently, believing that the church's head priest, Isidore, was in league with some great noble.

Still others felt it had to do with the adventurers returning to Niumu Cheng after the Hunting Day, believing that these dangerous people, fresh from slaughter, had brought evil forces back from Hegu Town and the Mist Forest.

Of course, regarding this last point, most people just laughed it off as the ramblings of fantasists.

Then there was the headline also on the front page, right below the church attack incident:

"Emergency Recall! Taboo Statues Circulating in the City; If Found, Please Contact Nearby Sheriffs. Private Possession May Be Punished as 'Blasphemy'."

The report linked the statues to the attackers of the Moon Goddess Church, claiming it was a conspiracy plotted by cultists, and demanded that residents possessing such wood carvings turn them in immediately, or risk bringing danger to their own lives.

There was even a helpful image of the front of the statue attached for citizens to identify it.

Looking at the pattern of the 【Sheep-Deer Statue】 on the newspaper in his hand.

Xia Nan felt a bit subtle.

After returning later, he had naturally reviewed everything that happened that night.

He also realized that the reason the strange-acting blonde elf had gone deep into the slums to find him was, in all likelihood, to make him recite the so-called "True Name" in the notes.

And the reason he had caught the other party's attention must have stemmed from his first encounter with the 【Sheep-Deer Statue】 at Fairy Wind.

This wood carving was the origin of everything.

It was only because he was relatively calm and his luck was decent enough that he found the key to escaping the Secret Realm constructed primarily from his own memories.

And by relying on his own tenacious will, he had forcibly endured the mental shock from the faceless carver.

A blessing in disguise, he had gained a feat and attributes.

Otherwise...

Recalling the strange environment of the Secret Realm and the unspeakable, unbearable encounter in the attic.

Xia Nan felt incredibly fortunate.

His gaze continued downward, automatically skipping over promotional and recruitment information like "Elf Leaf Bakery's New Goods Out of the Oven, Crowded," and "Fireplace Inn Urgently Hiring Front Desk Receptionist."

The only thing that could catch his slight attention was news he might have had contact with, such as: "Large Grey-skinned Rat Pack Confirmed in West District Sewers, Causing Some Casualties; Niumu Cheng Hall Reminds Nearby Residents Not to Approach Unless Necessary!"

Suddenly, he remembered the scene of encountering Ba Ke in the sewers that night.

So much time had passed; the corpses of those Grey Badger Gang members had probably been gnawed clean by the Grey-skinned Rats.

On the contrary, that lucky thug leader "Tie Tou" had survived because of him.

He wondered what he was doing now.

Shaking his head, Xia Nan stopped thinking about it.

Whether it was the rat pack or the Grey Badger Gang.

For him now, thinking about it too much made no sense.

Because he was about to leave Niumu and return to Hegu Town.

The blonde elf officially labeled a "cultist," the quietly circulating and urgently recalled Sheep-Deer Statue, and even the chaos among the city's upper echelons, were like a deep shadow hanging over Niumu, making it impossible to see the truth.

The water was too deep!

Xia Nan was just a novice professional who had only recently obtained a professional level; naturally, he couldn't actively get involved in such events that might involve high-level powers.

Now that Ba Ke was dead, the mission was over.

Naturally, he didn't want to stay in the city any longer and was already prepared for the return journey.

"Xia Nan, over here!"

His gaze followed the direction of the voice.

In the crowd, Jeff was stepping on his prosthetic limb from the Rock Hammer blacksmith shop, waving to Xia Nan.

Behind him stood several younger men dressed as carriage drivers.

It was just after the Moon Feast, and the countless crowds who had rushed back from various surrounding towns for the festival were also ready to leave.

This made the post station exceptionally busy these days; without a prior reservation, it was basically impossible to grab a spot.

But having followed the caravan for so many years, Jeff had quite a few connections at the post station.

Learning that Xia Nan intended to return to Hegu Town, he had taken the initiative to contact his acquaintances and found an empty spot in a caravan heading to Hegu Town.

"Really not staying a few more days? There are many places in Niumu Cheng you haven't visited yet, right?"

Jeff looked at Xia Nan, who was approaching, and tried to persuade him with a sincere tone.

"No," Xia Nan politely declined with a smile. "I have to return to the Association to turn in the mission. I don't know if it counts as completed; otherwise, I might have to make another trip out of town."

"You're already a professional; there's no need to work so hard."

Jeff patted Xia Nan on the shoulder and advised.

"You're so young; when you have time, you can give yourself a few days off, or find a suitable woman to settle down with."

Xia Nan didn't speak, just shook his head.

Regarding the gaps between missions, although he spent a lot of time training combat techniques every day, he actually recovered quite well both physically and mentally.

If he really felt the pressure was too great, taking a proper two-day rest wouldn't cause him any guilt.

As for starting a family...

Long before he had obtained a professional level, he had already thought about it very deeply.

Before he possessed a certain level of strength and could provide a sufficiently safe environment for those he valued, he wouldn't consider it.

Gazing at the simple-looking middle-aged man before him, Xia Nan reminded him with a serious expression:

"Although I've already said it, I must remind you again."

"Regarding that strange style of statue, definitely do not touch it again; stay far away from it."

"And the blonde elf in the newspaper—if you see them, run directly; don't hesitate."

"Business or whatever can be done anytime, but you only have one life."

"If you really encounter any problem that is truly difficult to handle, you can go to the City Lord's Mansion and find a man named 'Wood'; mention my name, and perhaps he can give you some help."

Mrs. Daisy, who had superb culinary skills and whose cream mushroom soup was a specialty; Lilina, who seemed shy on the surface but was actually lively after contact; Jamie, who was studying at the academy and was very polite when occasionally returning home...

Although they hadn't spent much time together, the entire Jeff family had left a very good impression on Xia Nan.

Even though it was their first meeting, they had treated him like family, taking care of him and caring about every aspect of his life in the city.

Therefore, as they were about to part ways, Xia Nan couldn't help but say a few extra words.

Always reliable, Jeff listened carefully to Xia Nan, nodded seriously and earnestly, indicating he had remembered it all.

Then a smile appeared on his face again, and he stepped aside, clearing a path in the crowd.

"It's getting late; hurry and set off."

"If you come to Niumu again in the future, be sure to find me; the guest room at home will always be reserved for you."

Waving his hand, Xia Nan walked into the carriage.

The wheels creaked as they turned.

Outside the window, Jeff stood where he was, watching him leave.

Resupplying along the way, camping to rest.

Traveling and stopping along the way, more than half a month passed quietly.

They didn't encounter any dangers like bandits or magic beasts; the caravan leader was just startled by a pack of wolves passing by the camp one night. Other than that, the only thing that felt tiresome was the unchanging wilderness outside the window and the bumpy carriage.

Finally, on a sunny morning.

The caravan returned to Hegu Town.

In his ears was the familiar clamor; even the foul language mixed within it sounded so pleasant at this moment.

Pushing open the carriage door, his leather boots landed firmly on the stone-paved ground.

What met his eyes were no longer the ordinary citizens of Niumu Cheng, either ragged or bright and clean.

Replacing them was the blinding cold light refracted by blades in the sunlight, and the crisp sound of metal armor colliding and rubbing against sword scabbards.

Even in the air, there was a bit more of the familiar faint scent of blood.

"Grey Sword, you're back?"

Someone who recognized him scanned the decapitation longsword behind him and greeted him from afar.

He nodded in acknowledgment.

Xia Nan stepped forward and walked along the street toward the center of the town.

After the mission was over, it was naturally time for the classic loot processing segment.

On this "adventure," although he didn't have biological materials like goblin ears or Rust Monster poison glands, he had obtained a few small, glittering stones from the Grey Badger Gang.

Going to Fairy Wind should be enough to exchange for a few bags of gold coins.

On the way to Niumu, he had helped the caravan deal with attacking bandits.

As for the horses and equipment that were loot, calculating the time, they should have already been exchanged for gold coins according to the agreement and deposited at the White Tit Tavern, waiting for him to collect.

He hadn't suffered any injuries, but the two pieces of armor on his body had already melted into molten iron under the strange power of the blonde elf and were completely ruined.

He needed to go to Rock Hammer to select two more sets.

Of course, he wouldn't forget.

Before leaving Hegu Town for Niumu.

He had spent a full 500 gold coins to commission Ba'en at the Rock Hammer blacksmith shop to craft a piece of defensive magic equipment for him.

Calculating the time, nearly two months had passed; it must have been completed.

He wondered what specific type it was.

If it happened to be a type of armor, it would save him some money.

He couldn't help but feel some anticipation.

Of course, before all of this.

Xia Nan had to go to the Adventurer Association first to turn in his promotion mission.

If it counted as completed, then accordingly, he would gain the qualification to go to the second floor of the Association, enjoy the relevant benefits provided by the Association to professionals, and perhaps even obtain some advanced knowledge regarding leveling up and changing classes.

If it wasn't completed... then at least he had to register the mission he had on hand before he could accept a new promotion mission.

If possible, based on the mission information, he would make corresponding resupplies.

The items to be processed flashed through his mind one by one; the familiar streets he had walked countless times retreated on both sides of his body without needing to identify the direction.

When Xia Nan looked up again.

Before him was a wooden building as towering and natural as a treehouse.

He had arrived at the door of the Adventurer Association.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 188 =====