Chapter 698: There is a Problem Here

"Young Master Shen, the village only has coarse tea and simple meals, please do not take offense, Young Master Shen!"

After bringing Shen Yu back to the village, they prepared a table full of dishes. This place was cut off from the outside world, with only their own crudely made liquor, which they were usually reluctant to drink even on ordinary days.

The old village chief, along with several village elders, entertained Shen Yu with extreme enthusiasm; as the group toasted and drank, they appeared to be in high spirits.

Yet the very next moment, Shen Yu slumped heavily onto the table, looking as if he had fainted from an inability to hold his liquor.

Seeing this, the villagers were all bewildered; he hadn't looked drunk just a moment ago, so how could he have collapsed? Besides, with the liquor they made themselves, who could possibly get drunk on it?

"Quick, quick, get some rope and tie him up." Upon seeing Shen Yu faint, the old village chief stood up immediately and signaled for people to tie Shen Yu up.

Throughout the entire process, Shen Yu did not resist, and it was only after they had bound him tightly with layer upon layer of rope that the old village chief finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Village Chief, this is, this..."

"I drugged him; it's just to make him sleep for a while, he'll be fine!"

"But Village Chief, the man came from afar, and we drugged him—isn't that bad?"

"What do you know? One must always be on guard; these outsiders don't have the same mindset as our own people—they are very wicked."

Recalling the time he went out in his youth, he had first been tricked into repairing river embankments for no apparent reason and nearly didn't make it back.

Then, after finally escaping from the river embankment work, he was nearly sold off by someone else. If he hadn't been tricked once before and kept his guard up, he might have been sold off to who knows where long ago.

When he spoke to the villagers about his life wandering the outside world in those years, he naturally described it as full of ups and downs, where he had fought his way through everything.

But in reality, it was truly filled with tears and snot, the bitterness of which could not be told to outsiders.

This also allowed him to see the true faces of people outside; it could not be denied that there were good people, but there were also plenty of bad ones.

With the people in the village who had never seen the world and didn't know how to be on guard, they might even help count the money for someone who sold them; how difficult it was to be this village chief.

"Quick, search his body and see if he has anything on him!"

"This, Village Chief, we've already tied him up; robbing him of his things doesn't seem right."

"You are all so thick-headed! Don't you think about it? We are surrounded by steep mountains and ridges here; if anyone wants to walk out, they'd lose half their life."

"Look at this young man—there isn't a speck of dirt on him; how did he even get here?"

"I fear he has ulterior motives and has set his sights on us. If we don't check what proof of identity he has on him, how can we be sure who this person is!"

As he spoke, the old village chief personally began searching Shen Yu. Seeing this, two people nearby also came up to help.

The old village chief had already made up his mind: if this young man was someone who could not be offended, then he would naturally untie the ropes immediately and provide him with the best food and drink.

If such a person went missing, it would cause a huge uproar, and countless people would inevitably come searching. Their village's location would still be exposed, which would be even more troublesome, and perhaps the whole village would be in danger.

He had seen how ruthless people outside could be; they wouldn't reason with a group of villagers like them.

If his status was ordinary and he had no power, then naturally no one would come looking for him with great fanfare, and if he were lost, then he was lost—who would care?

If that were the case, then he was sorry, but since he had entered their place, he shouldn't think about leaving.

Although life here wasn't as luxurious as it was outside, they still had food and drink.

Plus, this kid didn't look bad; among the village's young women and wives who saw him, which one wasn't drooling with envy?

Find him a wife, let him have a child, and tie him down here.

He had seen villages outside, and those living in misery were everywhere. They had no harsh taxes or corvée labor here; it was much better than the villages outside, he didn't know how many times over.

【Author's Note: Gu Kui】

How could such a peaceful life be broken by an outsider? Doing these things was a last resort.

Being searched by the villagers here, Shen Yu, who was feigning sleep, could barely keep it up; searching was one thing, but why were they taking things out?

The reason he pretended to be drugged wasn't just for these villagers to see, but because he was afraid there might be something else hidden here.

If there were only ordinary villagers here, that would naturally be best; if there was something else, his disguise could still serve some purpose.

"Village Chief, look at what this is?" After searching Shen Yu for a while, a villager suddenly touched a hard little plate and took it out to see—it was actually gleaming gold.

"Gold?" Upon seeing this plate, the old village chief's heart trembled; he had been outside and naturally knew what a Golden Medal made of gold signified.

Either wealthy or noble—not someone to be trifled with!

When he saw the characters on it clearly, the old village chief was so scared he shuddered. As one of the few people in the village who knew how to write, he naturally knew what the text on this Golden Medal was.

This Golden Medal was given when Shen Yu was still a Patrol Censor, representing the imperial court. Although the imperial court outside was now weak and many people no longer held the government in high regard.

But for these ordinary villagers, even in a mountain village isolated from the world in the deep gullies, the majesty of the government was still deeply rooted in their hearts.

"Quick, quick, untie him!" He hurriedly had the person untied and then had Shen Yu carried to the bed, after which the old village chief issued a gag order to everyone around him, telling them to act as if nothing had happened.

It was fortunate that he was smart enough, otherwise he would have caused a great disaster.

After quite a long time, Shen Yu felt he had feigned enough, and only then did he slowly open his eyes.

He hadn't been idle just now; he had quietly used his Super Perception to investigate the surroundings while forcibly activating the Soul Bead in his hand, hoping it could accurately point out the location.

It was a pity, however, that the Bead in his hand could only confirm that the target it was looking for was within this mountain village; as for where exactly, it still couldn't be pinpointed. It seemed he would have to find it slowly himself.

"Young Master, you're awake!"

When Shen Yu woke up, someone nearby immediately stepped forward to hand him a bowl of water, while giving him a shy smile.

This was the prettiest girl in their place, brought by the old village chief to serve his needs.

However, in Shen Yu's eyes, she was just so-so; a village beauty, yes, and she looked alright, but compared to those delicate and charming beauties outside, she was lacking by more than just a little bit.

"Earlier, Young Master, you were drunk, so the village chief let you stay in his house; this is the best house we have here, and I hope you won't mind."

"That won't do; I am a guest, how could I occupy the host's house!"

"The village chief said you are an honored guest and must be treated with the highest hospitality, otherwise Grandpa Village Chief will be unhappy."

"Well, then, alright!"

"Young Master, you can rest easy living here!" Seeing Shen Yu no longer refusing, the young girl added, "By the way, Young Master, the mountain behind us is not safe, you must not step into it."

"Also, go to sleep early at night; in these deep mountains and forests, there are sometimes wild beasts, so you need to keep the doors and windows tightly closed and do not come out."

"Alright, I understand!"

Nodding at the other party, while the sky had not yet turned completely dark, Shen Yu took a stroll around the village and sat down at every household.

Although it was a bit strange that this young lad liked to wander around for no reason, and often left after just a short stroll, they still received him warmly.

It was just that Shen Yu did not find what he wanted; all the places looked completely normal, so normal that he even wondered if the things Mu Zishan left behind were just playing a trick on him.

Furthermore, after sunset, everyone began to bolt their doors and would not come out again. Shen Yu also returned to the house the village head had prepared for him, lay on the bed, closed his eyes, and pretended to be asleep.

When the night was deep and quiet, Shen Yu suddenly opened his eyes. He seemed to feel his life force draining away; this was clearly someone absorbing his power.

This village, as expected, had a problem.