After spending a few minutes explaining the rapport system to Zhao Kai and emphasizing how to behave with the NPCs, Zhao Kai finally understood why the villagers were friendly with him.
"No wonder the villagers were willing to interact with you." Zhao Kai clasped his hands and exclaimed. "You were respectful and friendly to them."
"Not just that," Xu Feng shook his head.
"You also need to make sure to integrate yourself with them, meaning you want them to feel comfortable and take you as one of them." He corrected him.
"But how's that possible? We just entered the village and you already became one of them?" Skeptically, Zhao Kai raised his eyebrows and looked at him.
"Isn't that thanks to your outrageous behavior?" Xu Feng scoffed.
"Thanks to you, it made things easier for me to be the good guy while you are the…" He added, not bothering to finish the last word as it was pretty obvious what it was going to be.
"Tsk, so I became your stepping stone." Zhao Kai clicked his tongue, feeling displeased that he was used.
Unfortunately, he could only blame himself for it.
Who told him to act so rashly and paid no mind to the villagers from the start?
However, as he pondered further, he realized this mishap wouldn't have occurred if Xu Feng had warned him earlier?
'I've been played for a fool!' Like a thunderbolt had struck upon him, Zhao Kai realized this was Xu Feng's revenge for his earlier scheme of frustrating him on purpose.
'Damn, how petty can he be?'
Sometime later, they arrived at the blacksmith store.
"So this is the Forgefire Blacksmith Shop," Zhao Kai muttered, glancing at the exterior of the shop.
The building's exterior was marked by a large, intricately wrought iron sign that displayed an anvil and hammer, symbolizing their craft.
Thick, wooden beams reinforced the stone walls, and a wide, open doorway allowed the sounds of clanging metal and the warm glow of the forge to spill out onto the cobblestone street.
"Do you remember what to do when we entered?" Xu Feng asked, not paying much attention to the shop's details.
After all, most blacksmith shops had similar designs, especially the hammering sound. Though that didn't mean the quality was the same, given different blacksmiths could produce different products.
Some blacksmiths were proficient at weapons, while some were proficient at armor, etc.
"Rest assured, Feng. I've kept your words in mind." Patting his chest, Zhao Kai reassured Xu Feng that he wouldn't commit the same mistake twice.
Nodding, Xu Feng extended his hand as a gesture of telling him to enter first.
With an air of confidence and pride, Zhao Kai calmly entered the Forgefire Blacksmith Shop.
What greeted him immediately was a woman in the center of the forge.
Her auburn hair pulled back in a braid and green eyes focused intently on the glowing metal she hammered with precision.
She was clad in a leather apron over soot-streaked work clothes, and her muscular arms moved skillfully, as each hammer strike resonated with dedication.
Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, highlighting the intense effort required for forging.
Meanwhile, Zhao Kai began glancing around the interior for another few seconds, wanting to see if there was anyone else in the shop, only to realize it was just the woman. He turned his head to Xu Feng, seemingly trying to ask him for advice through expression.
However, Xu Feng merely shrugged his shoulders in response as he had no idea either.
He might know a bit more than the average player, but that didn't mean he knew everything.
If that was the case, then why would he even bother working hard?
Knowing that Xu Feng wasn't going to help him, Zhao Kai mustered up his courage and asked, "Hello, I'm looking for a blacksmith named Thorin—"
Before Zhao Kai could finish his question, a hammer whizzed past him, missing him by mere millimeters before crashing onto the floor with a loud clang.
He swallowed a mouthful of saliva upon realizing he had just escaped death. His body remained perfectly still, most likely stunned by the sudden action.
As for Xu Feng, he quietly took a few steps back, drawing a clear line between him and Zhao Kai.
Just from the impact of the hammer on the floor, Xu Feng was able to determine the strength of the woman and that she was not to be underestimated.
Hence, he was totally not going to get involved in it when it was Zhao Kai who provoked the latter.
'Blacksmiths are indeed temperamental people when working.' He concluded.
'You really screwed me over here, Feng!!!' Meanwhile, Zhao Kai was on the verge of tears, feeling like he had been played by Xu Feng again.
Even after a few seconds had passed, he didn't dare to move a muscle, afraid of another hammer whizzing by, and this time, on him and not just by a few millimeters.
Luckily, the hammering only lasted for a few minutes later, before the woman stopped and turned her attention to the two newcomers.
"Speak, who are you and why do you want to see my father?" She held her hammer and pointed at them, asking for their appearance.
"Not you!" The woman snorted when Zhao Kai attempted to introduce themselves.
She then pointed her hammer at Xu Feng, "You tell me and why are you here at Willowbrook Village?"
'I see… it's because we're strangers and unfamiliar people here.' Xu Feng quickly deduced, understanding the reason for her hostility.
Two unknown individuals showing up unannounced in a secluded village would naturally raise alarms. That was especially true when they were blacksmiths, with their skills and expertise probably desired by many.
"Please don't be alarmed, Miss Blacksmith. We're here to deliver a letter to Mister Thorin on behalf of someone, and hence how we were able to arrive here." Xu Feng kept a calm expression and explained.
He made sure to be careful of his demeanor, so as to not alarm the woman and cause her to attack them. 'This is unreal. A blacksmith is even deadlier than some wolves.'