Chapter 41: Entering an Ominous Village
Cao Tai POV
"It's ok, Violet. I knew you were going to make a mistake eventually, after all, everyone does," I say, unsure whether I should help her or if I should put my hands in my pockets and only verbally comfort her.
After a brief pause, I walk over and put an arm around her waist, "It's ok, Violet," I repeat, this time a little softer, hopefully being more comforting for her.
*
Once her hysteria ebbs away a little, we begin walking into one of the two villages in this crater, "I can't see a thing! Are you sure we aren't lost?" Sasha asks, looking up and down, "What did you expect!? I believe the Foxen did this on purpose, predicting that something will begin hunting people like them, also, their way of life would also be... shunned by the rest of the world, probably," I rant.
"Why?" Lantla now asks, "You'll see for yourself in about 500 meters," I say. Did I take a wrong turn? I really hope not, since then we would be really lost, and then we'd have to fly, I feel a roll of chill down my spine.
We walk for roughly five minutes before the foliage abruptly stops, suddenly there were only tree trunks, and then further down there it was just a plain field. How did they do this?
As we continue walking a little longer, we see a large wall, I'm not sure what its made from but the foundations seem to be made of stone? Sure its an abundant resource, but I think that they would have to lug it across this dense forest.
Above the foundation was 4 meters of this white material, certainly not paper, or it wouldn't be a good wall, maybe whitewash? "Hey Cao Tai, why do you think we didn't see this wall earlier when we entered the crater? We were at an elevation where we would be able to see such walls easily,"
Lantla asks, I shrug, I really don't know, 'Hey System, do you know why? I'm willing to pay 3 Tokens for this information.'
<Spent 2 Tokens, Opening Improved Penny for Thoughts... Ding! I already told you that Foxen are specialists in illusion didn't I?>
I repeat Systems, but in a nicer fashion.
"Where do you think the gate is?" I ask, Violet quickly fly's up and points North, I think?
We follow that direction
*
As we arrive at the entrance of the gate it was already 14:30 (2:30 PM) the gate was a little underwhelming compared to the walls, just a spruce looking entrance with two towers on either side to guard the people entering, nobody was there, odd... Sasha takes initiative and walks up and cocks her fist to pound on the gate with much force, only to fall through, "Sasha?" I ask, "This is not the time for pranks!" I say, Sasha then walks through the gate again.
"Well... it seems like the gates invisible... you try to walk through!" Sasha says.
I started marching forward, then start running, and once I was infront of it, I shut my eyes by instinct and brace for me hitting the hard wood, "THUD"
Odd, it doesn't feel like a hit hard wood, more like a hitting mattress, not as painful as it should be, but still painful.
I look up to see 5 guardsmen looking at me funny, I quickly get up and dust myself off, "Uhh... Hello, nice way to make an entrance," I fake a laugh, trying to make the mood better. One smiles but the rest still keep their neutral expression, I then see Violet walk through, much calmer than me.
"Master, why did you charge in like that? It was pretty clear it was fake," Violet says, what does she mean it looked, 'Fake'? It looked pretty real to me, maybe its cause she has a Cultivation Rank of 13.
Looking at the other guardsmen they were now looking in shock, I guess it isn't every day that someone recognizes their illusions, actually, they probably don't have visitors every day, but thats not the point.
Lantla and Sasha then walk through together, since from Lantla's expression, closed eyes and an extremely tense stance, she didn't really want to.
"Wow, sister, you've gotten quite a big group don't you?" One of the guards women ask, odd, usually I'm the one asked, but its pretty obviously not to me, maybe Sasha or Violet?
'Just roll along with it, guys' Which Sasha says with confidence oozing out of her, "Of course, they were just too pretty for me to resist~" She says, they nod in approval, "So that way my mistress doesn't have to be ashamed of not knowing, how do we get to the village from here?" I ask in the shyest voice I could make.
They point in a direction, the path was really well paved, compared to the path we walked, considering the fact that I doubt we could sprain an ankle here, while we already tripped several times on the previous path.
*
As we arrive at the village we peer to see several houses, purely made of wood, as in the walls were made of this thick looking paper, maybe they have super thick and durable [I swear if you take that the wrong way...]
The rest of the houses, was made out of wood a wood, the same that was used on the gates, but I bet that unlike the previous gate, its probably made of real wood, and if you look closely you would notice that the buildings didn't have any nails, and roofs that were made so curved that if anyone tried to walk on the roof tiles (Which are also spruce wood looking) they'd lose traction and fall.
"Wow these building must be difficult to make,' I mutter, Sasha laughs, "What? No, these are quite easy to make, we don't really need nails... Oh, you're thinking we're using complex wood carvings to keep them together? Well I can't really tell you, its a secret," Sasha sticks her tongue out.
As we venture deeper into the villages we see more and more houses made in the same fashion but in different shapes and sizes, most of them were either squares with large whitewash walls sorrounding them, or longhouses. But there were some outliers that looked... peculiar. [You better believe it.]
As we passed by men looked at me leading with indifference, while the women looked at me with disdain, "Hey mistress, it may be better if you lead," I say aloud, its not good to break every custom as soon as you arrive, give it a little time though.
Before I continue I get a notification from my system.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
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