It seemed as though she had sensed Luo Taozhi’s gaze.
Yoshimura Umeko glanced back at her with a look of deep resentment.
‘Oh?’
Sensing the weight of Umeko’s stare, Luo Taozhi looked at her with surprise.
‘Did this creature develop Spirit Intelligence?’
She was actually capable of such human-like behavior? Was this really the same person who had called her a “kind person” while being hacked down?
“What do you know?” Luo Taozhi asked.
“Kind person, thank you for your contribution to the village!”
However, the moment the question left Luo Taozhi’s mouth, the resentment in Umeko’s eyes vanished without a trace. It was as if everything had been a mere trick of the light.
But despite this being a game, with Luo Taozhi’s keen eyes, how could she have possibly been mistaken?
“What do you know?”
“Kind person, thank you for your contribution to the vill—”
Umeko repeated the same line she had said before. These words happened to be overheard by Priestess Granny, who was walking over. She patted Umeko on the shoulder and looked at Luo Taozhi with a smile.
“Umeko is right. The village’s affairs shouldn’t have troubled a kind young lady like you in the first place.”
“It’s fine, Granny. I’ll definitely help out where I can. Please, don’t mention it again.”
Seeing the Priestess Granny bring this up, Luo Taozhi set the matter of Yoshimura Umeko aside. She didn’t want to get into another conversation with the old woman about whether or not she should leave. She had spent a lot of effort that afternoon convincing her, and she didn’t want it all to go to waste now.
With that, the three of them waited quietly beneath the Sacrificial Statue, no longer speaking, as they awaited the appearance of the Large Hannya.
Eventually, a system notification chimed within Luo Taozhi’s helmet.
**[Notice: There is an interfering sound source outside the player’s environment]**
**[Would you like to connect?]**
**[Yes] [No]**
‘?’
**[Yes]**
**[Connecting to sound source…]**
**[Connection successful…]**
[“Cough, cough. Hey? Luo Taozhi! Aren’t you getting up for dinner? Aren’t you hungry? It’s already 9:00 PM!”]
The voice was very familiar; it was clearly Xiao Nanchu calling her for a meal.
However, if she logged off now, what if the Large Hannya spawned while she was gone?
“Priestess Granny, what time does the Large Hannya usually appear?”
“Hmm?” The Granny hadn’t expected the question, but she thought for a moment before replying, “Let me see… Yesterday, the Large Hannya appeared around the hour of *Zishi*.”
“Are you tired? If you’re tired, go and get some rest. Umeko, you too. I’ll come and call both of you when the Large Hannya appears.”
The Priestess Granny smiled at them and pointed toward a hut close to the Sacrificial Statue, gesturing for them to go inside and rest.
‘*Zishi*…’
Hearing that it wouldn’t appear until *Zishi*, Luo Taozhi breathed a sigh of relief and walked toward the room the Priestess Granny had indicated.
Umeko, however, shook her head. With a determined look, she said to the Priestess Granny, “I’m fine, Granny. I need to wait here for the Large Hannya to appear so I can be the first to obstruct and drive it back!”
“I’ll go over there and rest for a bit then. Don’t worry, if there’s any noise, I’ll rush out immediately,” Luo Taozhi said. She needed to log out; she didn’t want to just sit here and wait like an idiot.
Once Luo Taozhi entered the room, Umeko’s expression shifted. It wasn’t a blatant change, but rather the emergence of a certain vivid, lifelike quality. It was as if she had transformed from an emotionless robot into a living, breathing person.
“Granny… she… I…”
Umeko looked at the Priestess Granny as if she wanted to say something, but the words died in her throat.
“Hmm? What is it, Umeko?”
The Priestess Granny didn’t notice anything unusual and looked at her with a kind smile.
“No, it’s nothing. With the help of this ‘kind person’ tonight, I believe we will definitely be able to drive the Large Hannya back!”
Umeko’s gaze was firm. She looked at the Granny, then at the villagers, and finally spoke those words.
“Umeko… Sigh…”
The Priestess Granny looked at the stubborn girl and let out a soft sigh.
“Umeko… even if we drive it back tonight, what about tomorrow? What about the night after that? We can’t keep driving the Large Hannya back forever…”
The Priestess Granny’s voice was very soft, as if she were speaking of something mundane. She then reached out with her calloused hand and grasped Umeko’s young, smooth hand.
“Umeko, I hope you will leave the village tomorrow with that young lady.”
“No! Granny! I’m not leaving!”
Hearing the Priestess Granny’s words, Umeko’s emotions flared instantly. However, she kept her hand obediently in the Granny’s grasp, making no attempt to pull away. Her eyes, however, were filled with absolute resolve. She would never leave this village!
“Umeko, you know that I picked you up and brought you here, right?”
“What does that have to do with anything!”
“Back then, you were just a baby in swaddling clothes. Someone had left you at the entrance of the village. I was afraid your crying would attract monsters, so I brought you back.”
“I know, but I…”
The Priestess Granny patted Umeko’s hand gently, signaling for her to listen quietly.
“You were different from the other children since you were small. You never cried or made a fuss, and you were very beautiful, just like a porcelain doll from the Great Eastern Town. It’s just a pity you were so quiet. You almost never spoke of your own accord, and you didn’t play with the children your age. Yet, seeing how beautiful you were, they all treated you like a treasure anyway, even if you didn’t speak.”
“I know. That’s why I can’t leave the village.” Umeko’s voice was soft, but it carried a finality to it.
“Umeko, you’re different,” the Priestess Granny said, shaking her head. “You have a grand future ahead of you. You don’t belong here. You shouldn’t spend the rest of your life in a village that is destined to have no hope. The Large Hannya is strong, but only to a group of Stowaways like us.”
The Priestess Granny looked toward the east and patted Umeko’s hand, speaking one word at a time.
“That girl is very much like an Immortal. Go with her to the Great Eastern Town. Your future is there. Please, I’m begging you.”
By the end of her sentence, the Priestess Granny’s wrinkled eyes were clouded with tears.
Umeko fell silent. After a long moment, she withdrew her hand from the Granny’s and gently wiped the tears from the old woman’s eyes.
“I won’t go, Granny. I will stay here with you and the village. Trust me, I have a premonition. Perhaps the reason I appeared here is for this very purpose.”
Umeko’s tone grew increasingly firm. She gave the Priestess Granny a gentle smile, then gripped the old woman’s hand tightly as she looked around at the villagers.
“Don’t worry, Granny. We won’t die. The only one who will die is the Large Hannya! Even if it doesn’t die, it will definitely be sealed away again. I promise!”
“That is the meaning of my existence, Granny.”