"I’m afraid that won’t work; I suspect the blizzard has sealed off even the nearby sea."
Feng Yuan thought for a moment before speaking. As the storm’s fury intensified, Feng Yuan couldn’t believe the nearby seas would be spared. Seeing that Dou Yanlan and the others seemed skeptical, he added,
"Alright then, when we reach their village, I’ll go check the seaside. If it is icebound, we’ll have to think of another plan."
After a long trek through the blizzard, they saw the little girl who had summoned them shivering from the cold. Feng Yuan couldn’t help but smile as he took off his cloak and draped it over her, asking,
("Aren’t you wearing enough clothes to stay warm?")
The girl glanced at Feng Yuan, attempting to take off the cloak to return it, but he simply patted her head with a smile and ran off to talk with his companion up ahead, sneaking glances at another little girl who was following closely behind Teacher Yan, her head down as if lost in thought.
Glancing at the mysterious doll beside her, the little girl tugged at the Wolf God’s Robe she was wearing, deep in contemplation.
"Phew, I thought we got lost."
Relief washed over Feng Yuan as he looked ahead to see the smoke rising from a small village. Qi Chen curiously examined the houses made of logs and dyed linen patterns that, while similar to log cabins, had many walls adorned with the dyed patterns.
"They believe that cloth blessed by the nameless gods can ward off misfortune, so most buildings in the Mordan region are , heavily using this special linen to shield their homes."
Gladys spoke dismissively, and Feng Yuan looked at her with curiosity, asking,
"You’re from Mordan, too. How can you say such things?"
"Heh, I’m just speaking my mind; to avoid seeming different, I don’t admit to believing in the efficacy of these things, even though I might act devout on the surface."
With a look of contempt, Gladys glanced at the Mordan people hugging their family members. They all knew of their return and came forward to greet them, but upon seeing Feng Yuan’s party, they weren’t sure how to react. Should they embrace them warmly or greet them with polite hellos? The Mordan people were in a quandary.
Noticing the little girl just following behind him, not speaking with the Mordan people nor receiving any hugs, Teacher Yan seemed to understand something. He crouched down and mimicked the Mordan gesture, hugging the little girl and whispering with a smile,
The little girl, puzzled, looked at Teacher Yan. Although she did not understand his words, she could feel his kindness and smiled happily, embracing Teacher Yan as if trying to communicate something.
"Welcome home... Thank the White God..."
Watching this scene, Gladys murmured to herself. The little girl who had summoned them was now hugging a middle-aged man as if saying something to him. After a while, an elderly woman approached Feng Yuan’s group, smiling and saying,
"Sorry, the people from the Alliance seem not to like our welcoming customs, so we refrained from doing so."
"It’s alright; we’re not very accustomed to your rituals anyway."
Feng Yuan scratched his head and said, and Dou Yanlan looked at him before saying,
"I’ll start by helping them construct a greenhouse. You go check the seaside."
The elderly woman looked puzzled, and sensing her confusion, Feng Yuan asked in a low voice, apprehensive,
"You’re not saying the Alliance hasn’t sent aid, are you?"
"Aid supplies? Yes, there have been some... just not much."
"After all, the war has just ended and everyone is short on supplies. The food that can be sent to aid us also won’t be plentiful."
Exclaiming as something clicked, Feng Yuan realized he had nearly forgotten that just over two decades had passed since the end of the Guard Wars. Most regions were still recovering, but even so, if each region contributed a bit, it seemed that the Mordan Tribe could survive this harsh winter.
"Yes, the war only just ended recently; getting assistance from the Alliance is a bit difficult."
The elderly woman expressed her regret. While the Alliance would send people to check and even escort some supplies, there was more than just their tribe in Mordan. Although many tribes did not agree with the Alliance, numerous others had contributed significantly during the Guard Wars, and the Alliance couldn’t forsake them to help just one place.
Moreover, it wasn’t certain that the Alliance could withstand the force of Veludante reaching deep into Mordan.
"Is this your home..."
Qi Chen looked at the wooden house with some surprise. Unlike the other houses, this one was considerably larger than most of the Mordan people’s houses. The only thing was that the places covered with linen were left with a large gap. Although the house looked exquisite, it was covered with traces left by time.
The little girl seemed a bit embarrassed as she glanced at Qi Chen and smiled before whispering,
"Do you usually live here?"
The little girl didn’t understand what Qi Chen was saying. She turned around and carefully opened the door to welcome Qi Chen inside, while Gladys stood at a distance with an enigmatic expression, watching the somewhat old wooden house. Chen Xin walked up to Gladys with a puzzled look and asked,
"What’s wrong? Aren’t you going to find a place to stay?"
Gladys smiled and replied,
"No need, I know where I should stay."
Chen Xin looked at Gladys with some confusion, not quite understanding what she meant.
("What are you going to do?")
Feng Yuan looked at the little girl, wrapped in thick clothes, with some doubt. After returning to the village, she had returned Feng Yuan’s Wolf God’s Robe to him.
The little girl straightened the tools hanging on her body and looked at Feng Yuan with determination. She knew Feng Yuan couldn’t understand her words, so she simply showed him through her actions, leaning on the White Wolf. Feng Yuan, with his hands crossed in front of him, said somewhat speechlessly,
("You want to go to the seaside with me?")
The little girl nodded, and the mysterious doll sitting on her head curiously sized up Feng Yuan. Feng Yuan, holding his forehead, said somewhat helplessly,
("Fine, get on, you sit in front.")
As he spoke, Feng Yuan looked at the little girl struggling to climb onto the White Wolf and picked her up. The White Wolf rose to its feet and dashed into the blizzard, eliciting a soft exclamation from the little girl. Agunas perched atop the White Wolf’s head to guide Feng Yuan while Xiao Ji flew above, vigilantly scanning the surroundings. Although the blizzard obscured its vision, it could still warn the passing Ice Snow Giants by releasing rings of flame at intervals.
"You’ve come at just the right time, help look after her for a while."
Qi Chen said in a low voice as he saw Gladys enter, glancing at the little girl holding on to the corner of his clothing, looking warily at her. Gladys revealed a charming smile and said,
"Me? It’s not suitable for me to stay here."
Qi Chen had already arranged with an elderly woman to stay temporarily at an old Mordan man’s house. Gladys stepped in front of Qi Chen, who was about to leave, and pointed at the little girl with a grievance-ridden face, saying,
"Don’t you think this is cruel to her?"
Turning to look at the little girl, Qi Chen remained silent for a moment before looking at Gladys and asked,
"Does she... have no one at home?"
Gladys scanned the rundown house and said absently. Shaking his head, Qi Chen gently pushed past Gladys and said,
"No, it’s good that you look after her."
"What are you afraid of? Who would talk about you? If you’re really worried about those rumors, why don’t I stay with you?"
Gladys grabbed Qi Chen, sounding rather displeased. Qi Chen, looking at Gladys with some discontent, said,
"Don’t be ridiculous. How would it look for a grown man like me to stay here?"
Seeing the little girl’s sad gaze fixed on Qi Chen, Gladys, slightly annoyed, brushed back her hair and gave Qi Chen a shove, saying,
"Have you thought about her feelings? Finally, someone cares for her, but then in the blink of an eye, she’s abandoned again. Have you thought about how she feels?!"
A light blue Spiritual Body leaped out from behind Qi Chen, holding an antique Dreamland Bell. The Spiritual Body, landing in front of the little girl, made a funny face, then turned to look at Qi Chen with the same expression as the little girl. Seeing the Dreamland Bell and the girl’s abandoned little stray cat appearance, Qi Chen struggled internally for a long while before sighing with resignation and saying,
"Alright, you have a point."