Chapter 48: Identity Proof of A Ru Cun

When Dixiya and Kantisi found Luo De again.

They happened to see him teaching Ke Lai how to hoe the field.

Different from the farming method of A Ru Cun.

Luo De's plot, because it used grass slime and grass grid and other special arrangements.

Therefore, there are very special requirements for how deep to dig the pits, where to dig, and how to dig.

And during the process of teaching Ke Lai, the thing Luo De said the most was.

That is.

"You should be lucky that when you dug my land you didn't hit those grass slimes."

"Otherwise, no matter how you act pitiful, I'll beat you badly and then hang you on the Seven Statues."

This could be considered a blessing in misfortune.

When stealing vegetables, Ke Lai was already hungry to the point of dizziness, her vision filled only with those green leaves, and she had no intention of raising grass slimes at all.

As for the reason she pulled grass grids after stealing vegetables,

It was simply because the desert nights were too cold.

Seeing that those grass grids were made of tied dry hay, she pulled some, took them to the cave she had previously found, and lit a fire to keep warm.

But how easy it was to pull them.

Now how difficult it is to restore them.

I just said that.

Luo De's plot is very particular, even the depth of digging a pit has strict requirements.

For Ke Lai, who suffers from Magic Scale Disease, plowing the land here is nothing short of a painful torment.

The biggest problem with Magic Scale Disease.

Is that the hand occasionally won't obey, unable to do overly delicate work.

But what Luo De now has her do are these.

Whether digging pits or tying grass grids, all are troublesome tasks with high demands.

This really has Ke Lai suffering enough.

She now seriously suspects.

That Luo De is taking the opportunity to retaliate for her stealing vegetables and destroying the land.

Fortunately.

After Ke Lai laboriously finished tying the second grass grid, Luo De called a halt, using as excuse that her clumsy hands had tied the grass grids all crooked, and had her go prepare feed for the grass slimes.

This is a relatively easy task, only needing to chop various fruits and vegetables into a uniform mixture.

Ke Lai finally let out a rare sigh of relief.

Taking the opportunity when she stepped aside, Kantisi, who had been observing nearby for half a day, asked: "You invited Saino here, just for this child?"

Yesterday Luo De had already told her he would invite Saino over.

But at that time Luo De was busy changing Ke Lai's clothes and bathing her, and Kantisi didn't have time to wait here for him to explain, so she simply waited until today to come ask together.

"Hmm."

Luo De nodded.

Then he also explained to Kantisi and Dixiya everything Ke Lai had instructed this morning.

"She just wants to hide here from pursuers; it's not a big deal."

"Just leave her with me; you don't need to worry."

"But Ke Lai's body has been injected with a large amount of Archon residue; if not sealed, it will become a big trouble later."

"Also."

"That hospital that specializes in scamming must also be uprooted; otherwise, who knows how many more people will be deceived into going there."

Having said that.

Seeing Kantisi still looking doubtful, Luo De pursed his lips toward Ke Lai, who was chopping fruits and vegetables for feed with a kitchen knife, and said: "She's fourteen; can you tell she's that old?"

Ke Lai is fourteen?

Upon hearing this, Dixiya and Kantisi both looked over in surprise.

Luo De didn't say, but they really couldn't tell.

Ke Lai is slender and short, her face still shows some childishness, giving the impression she's at most around ten years old.

This figure, this appearance.

She's actually fourteen!?

"Sigh——"

Luo De let out a light sigh: "So you know how much torment she's endured, right?"

Although this morning when he interrogated Ke Lai his tone was not unusually harsh.

But that was unavoidable.

Ke Lai's vigilance is very high.

Her childhood experiences.

Resulting in her distrust of outsiders being extremely strong.

If communicating with her using normal methods, without a period of interaction, it's basically impossible to achieve mutual trust.

Even to say.

Once she discovers that Luo De is also using her affairs to achieve some purpose.

This little girl will definitely run away without asking why.

Luo De was quite clear.

Ke Lai wasn't the type to burst into tears of gratitude the moment someone showed concern.

Therefore, to quickly gain her trust and stop her from obsessing over destruction and running away.

That's how it had to be, just like now.

Both spoke frankly, maintaining their thin trust through an arrangement akin to a contract.

As they spoke.

Luo De suddenly glared and shouted at Ke Lai, "No stealing food!"

That shout.

It startled Ke Lai, who had been sneaking bits of sunset fruit into her mouth, making her jerk.

She turned her head slightly.

Seeing Luo De still glaring at her, she hastily shrank her neck and kept chopping the vegetables before her.

"See?"

"I clearly said that's feed for the grass slime, yet she still steals it."

Luo De said helplessly.

He actually understood Ke Lai's behavior.

He too had wandered the desert.

Back then, he wouldn't even have bothered with such sweet sunset fruit—he'd dug up and chewed on buried grass roots.

"Do I need to get her an A Ru Cun residency permit so she can live in the village?"

Kantisi had previously doubted Ke Lai's identity, but now her eyes held a touch of pity.

The A Ru Cun residency permit.

That's a valuable thing.

Although anyone in A Ru Cun enjoys its protection, it's still less convenient than holding the status of an A Ru Cun villager.

After all.

In a sense.

A Ru Cun villagers are practically half rainforest folk, enjoying privileges other desert dwellers lack.

Dixiya chimed in: "That's a good idea."

But Luo De held a different view.

"No rush."

"She and I weren't alike back then; she might not want to stay in the village."

"Besides,"

Luo De hesitated, then shook his head: "Forget it—I won't tell you. Just know Ke Lai isn't suited to settle directly in the village for now; if a chance arises later, you can issue her the residency permit then."

The reason Luo De gave for why Ke Lai isn't suited to join A Ru Cun.

Actually.

He also wasn't entirely sure about it.

Luo De merely sensed vaguely that Ke Lai harbored an intense animosity toward the gods.

Under the dual influence of that animosity and the Archon's resentment.

She likewise held deep hostility toward the faithful who enjoyed blessed lives.

That's certainly not a good thing.

Fortunately, she's now in the desert region.

Here the people are heavily oppressed by the rainforest zone, their gods long dead, and most lives are as hard as Ke Lai's.

Therefore.

Ke Lai has yet to experience the good life that mortals ought to enjoy under divine protection.

Her latent antisocial urge has not yet surfaced.

But if she followed Kantisi's advice and had extensive contact with the comparatively comfortable A Ru Cun,

under a strong contrast,

the injustice of fate, combined with the Archon's tempting resentment, could drive her to impulsive acts.

"At the very least."

"We must wait for Cyno to seal the Archon remnants for her, then let her interact with the A Ru Cun people for a while, confirm she won't endanger the village, and only then grant her A Ru Cun residency."

After careful thought, Luo De said as follows.

(End of chapter)