Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Back on the platform at Taoxi Village, Ying Yuanxing let out a deep sigh.

This trip, though circuitous, had ultimately been fruitful. He'd sold all the fish, earning his first pot of gold. But then...

Ying Yuanxing turned to see the young man meekly trailing behind him, and a headache instantly set in.

He had initially suspected some ulterior motive, thinking he could easily deal with the guy once they reached Taoxi Village. But now, seeing how seemingly simple-minded he was, Ying Yuanxing couldn't bring himself to lay a hand on someone who might be intellectually disabled.

*Sigh*, he'd take it one step at a time.

He'd observe first. If the guy was faking it, he could still handle him. If he truly was simple, despite his slender build, he must have some strength to be a thief. Perhaps he could help with chores. Free labor was better than none.

"Follow me closely. Don't get lost." Leaving the road and entering the woods, Ying Yuanxing recalled his last return journey and turned to caution him.

It wasn't as late as before, but if fog rolled in again, it would be troublesome.

Every time Ying Yuanxing passed the village entrance these days, he noticed the woods outside—sometimes clear, sometimes foggy, with no discernible pattern. Coupled with how busy he was in the village, this was only his second time stepping foot here, aside from his very first return.

When he'd left that morning, he'd followed the village chief, so he hadn't worried about getting lost. After all, the chief had lived in Taoxi Village for who knew how long; he wouldn't lose his way. But Ying Yuanxing wasn't so confident about himself.

If they got lost, he could probably find his way back—even if visibility was poor, he had his map to guide him. But the other guy? That was another story.

Thinking of this, Ying Yuanxing suddenly realized he didn't even know the young man's name. There just hadn't been an opportunity to ask along the way.

"What's your name?" Ying Yuanxing asked bluntly, skipping any pleasantries.

"Ying…" The young man hesitated for a moment before finally uttering, "Xuan… Ying?"

The style of that name felt oddly out of place!

Ying Yuanxing couldn't help but inwardly grumble. Moreover, the way Xuan Ying hesitated, struggled, and doubted while saying his name didn't sound like he was stating it—it was more like he was making it up on the spot.

Wait… Could he really have lost his memory to the point of forgetting his own name?

Ying Yuanxing couldn't help but glance at Xuan Ying's head. His black hair was thick and dense, completely concealing any potential wounds—nothing was visible.

Noticing Ying Yuanxing's gaze, Xuan Ying looked at the little black cat held in Ying Yuanxing's left arm, then bent down, tilting his head and leaning closer to Ying Yuanxing's hand.

Ying Yuanxing was utterly bewildered. *What was this now?*

And also, this guy's flexibility was way too good.

Watching Xuan Ying twist his body into what looked like a pretzel, Ying Yuanxing took a deep breath and asked, "What do you want?"

"Didn't you want to touch my hair?" Xuan Ying leaned even closer. "But I've touched it before—it's not as soft as cat fur. You'll have to settle for this for now. Once I get something better, I'll let you touch it then."

Ying Yuanxing hadn't planned on touching it, but considering his suspicions, he hesitated before running his fingers through the hair a few times.

Xuan Ying was right—his hair felt terrible. It looked black, but touching it was like running fingers through dry grass, slightly rough. Still, Ying Yuanxing checked thoroughly and found no obvious wounds on Xuan Ying's head.

So… how had this guy suddenly become so simple?

Ying Yuanxing studied Xuan Ying with a probing gaze, but Xuan Ying seemed completely oblivious—or perhaps just unable to interpret the scrutiny.

"Let's go." Ying Yuanxing gave up on investigating. "Stay close to me. If fog rolls in, we might get separated."

"You… don't like fog?"

Hearing Xuan Ying's question, Ying Yuanxing paused mid-step and turned to look at him. Xuan Ying's face was full of seriousness, as if he genuinely cared about the answer.

"I wouldn't say I hate or like it." Ying Yuanxing turned back, deciding not to overthink it. A simple answer would do—he didn't want Xuan Ying dragging his IQ down too.

Glancing at Xuan Ying, Ying Yuanxing noticed the other man seemed hurt by the response, lowering his head dejectedly, lost in thought.

"Sometimes I like fog—like when it's misty and little droplets land on your face. It feels quite refreshing," Ying Yuanxing added casually. "But fog makes it easy to get lost. If there's a clear path, it's fine, but in the woods, fog is just annoying."

Ying Yuanxing didn't know what was wrong with his words, but Xuan Ying perked up briefly before his mood soured again.

Ying Yuanxing ignored him after that, leading the way toward the village. This time, luck was on their side—no fog appeared. Ying Yuanxing took the opportunity to glance around, checking if there was anything edible to forage in the woods.

***

The Yu Household.

Yu Fei and Yu Ye were happily devouring the fish.

They had always loved meat. The reason they enjoyed eating the hay was, first, because it tasted good, and second, because the Eerie Qi in the hay was beneficial to their bodies. The combination made even hay tolerable.

But fish was the meat they truly loved. Though the Eerie Qi in the fish was weaker compared to the hay, the fact that it was meat made up for it.

If the hay was their main meal, then these fish were like delicious snacks—naturally, the two little Eeries loved them.

While the two little Eeries ate happily, the expressions of the three Yu brothers were far from pleased. To them, the signs of addiction were obvious. This was like a quick fix with dire consequences—what would they do in the future?

"Second Brother, who should we take this hay to for inspection?" Second Brother Yu asked.

"Give me the hay first. I'll examine it myself," Elder Brother Yu said gravely. If this stuff was really as Second Brother Yu described, he wouldn't dare trust others with it. The last time a similar Eerie Food had appeared, it had caused a major scandal.

If word got out this time, Elder Brother Yu didn't trust the examiners enough. It was better to check it himself first.

"Alright." Second Brother Yu nodded, emptying all the stored hay at once. A tangy, fragrant scent immediately spread through the air.

Second Brother Yu sniffed and couldn't help but swallow. When he had stored it, the hay had smelled earthy and fresh—why had the scent changed now? It smelled even more delicious than before.

Elder Brother Yu also noticed how mouthwatering the aroma was and quickly contained the area to prevent the scent from drifting out and affecting Yu Fei and Yu Ye outside. Unfortunately, this left the three of them struggling—the tantalizing smell was a huge temptation for Eeries.

But they knew they couldn't eat it.

"Put it away. Now," Elder Brother Yu said, covering his nose and mouth.

Second Brother Yu came to his senses and hurriedly gathered the hay back up, leaving only the lingering tangy fragrance in the air. They had to keep fighting back drool.

"Elder Brother, should we still inspect it?" Second Brother Yu asked.

"Yes. Just take out a small amount," Elder Brother Yu said firmly. The more dangerous it was, the more they needed to understand it—otherwise, what would they do about Yu Fei and the others?

Second Brother Yu quickly took out a small portion of hay and divided it into three, one for each of them to examine.

Elder Brother Yu inspected it meticulously—this was the first time he had ever examined an Eerie Food so thoroughly. But after careful scrutiny, he found nothing but pure Eerie Qi in the hay. There was none of the addictive compound he had imagined.

But if that was the case, why did it smell so alluring?

Second Brother Yu and Third Brother Yu also examined their portions carefully. Admittedly, they didn't know much about the hay. Though they had encountered it earlier than Elder Brother Yu, when they suspected it might be problematic, they had avoided scrutinizing it too much, afraid their nephews would become further addicted.

After their inspections, they too found no flaws in the hay. This was baffling.

They believed in their own abilities, but at this moment, they began to doubt whether their skills were insufficient, leading to their failure to detect anything.

Yu Fei had been standing aside, listening to his father and uncles' discussion, and couldn't help but voice his thoughts.

"Dad, could it be that this hay isn't addictive at all and is just really tasty?" Yu Fei said.

The room fell silent. Suddenly, Third Brother Yu swallowed a mouthful of the hay, startling Elder Brother Yu and Second Brother Yu with his action.

"Third Brother, what are you doing?" Elder Brother Yu scolded angrily.

"Elder Brother, we've been analyzing back and forth and haven't figured anything out. Why not let me take a bite first? If there's anything wrong, we'll know right away," Third Brother Yu replied.

"Even if we need to test it, couldn't you grab another Eerie to try it? Why must you test it yourself?" Second Brother Yu snapped.

Third Brother Yu froze—in his haste, he had forgotten they could find someone else to test it.

"Well... what if this hay specifically targets our clan? If we ask another clan member and the clan finds out, wouldn't that be disastrous?" Third Brother Yu mumbled.

Addictive Eerie Food was a taboo for every Eerie clan. It was far too easy to corrupt Eeries. If discovered, even if the clan didn't kill them, they would be banished.

In the current Eerie world, without the protection of a group, one could easily be preyed on by other Eeries outside, with no one to avenge them.

This silenced Elder Brother Yu and Second Brother Yu. Their reluctance to involve others stemmed from the same fear.

"So... how do you feel?" Elder Brother Yu asked.

Third Brother Yu carefully checked how he felt and said, "Elder Brother, this hay is really good. No wonder Xiao Fei and Xiao Ye love it so much."

As he spoke, he couldn't resist taking another bite. As a Great Eerie, his resistance to impurities was high, but no matter how strong his resistance, impurities were still like slow-acting poison to Eeries—especially since they couldn't purge them, making the toxicity worse day by day.

Eating other Eerie Food was like consuming a meal laced with poison. The food might taste good, but the poison made him uncomfortable.

But eating this hay was pure bliss, a pleasure he had rarely experienced. Third Brother Yu suddenly understood Yu Fei and the others. This couldn't be called addiction—it was more like it's hard to go back to scraps after a feast. Once you've tasted this hay, how could you enjoy anything else?

Yet, thinking of Yu Fei and Yu Ye, Third Brother Yu recalled the fish Elder Brother Yu had brought back. The hay was delicious, but he preferred meat.

"Elder Brother, just eating hay isn't enough to tell. Let me try the fish too," Third Brother Yu said.

Without much thought, Elder Brother Yu handed him the bag of fish.

Third Brother Yu took it and gobbled up one fish in a few bites, his eyes lighting up. No wonder his little nephews ate so eagerly—the fish was delicious too. Though the Eerie Qi was faint, like seasoning, one was a main course, the other a snack, each with its own merits.

After wolfing down seven or eight fish in one go, Third Brother Yu realized the bag wasn't particularly full—some had already been given to the three nephews, so there weren't many left.

"Elder Brother, did Boss Ying say when he'll open his stand to sell fish again?" Third Brother Yu asked eagerly, his tone toward Ying Yuanxing suddenly respectful.

"Third Brother? Are you alright?" Second Brother Yu frowned.

"Second Brother, try one," Third Brother Yu thrust a fish at Second Brother Yu.

Second Brother Yu hesitated, then nibbled cautiously. A long silence followed as he realized he might have been foolish.

Seeing Second Brother Yu at a loss for words, Elder Brother Yu got antsy. Without asking, he grabbed a fish and took a bite.

The room lapsed into an awkward silence. The three brothers looked at each other until Second Brother Yu coughed awkwardly and said, "Well... let's try another one, just to check."