Chapter 195: Silent Village
Logically, at this time, even if there were no adults, there should still be some children playing outside. But the village ahead was eerily quiet, unusually so. Had something unexpected happened inside?
Hua Mi's eyes flickered with a fiery glint as he gazed toward the village. There were no apparent abnormal magical fluctuations, yet an eerie and desolate atmosphere shrouded the village. The spaces between houses, the roads, all seemed somewhat disordered, as if they hadn't been tended to in a long time. It was almost like an abandoned village, a far cry from the harmonious and friendly one spoken of by merchants.
"From the merchant's departure until now, there might have been a chaotic period" Hua Mi pondered.
"Have we arrived?" Xiao Bai poked its head out from under the black robe, looking ahead.
"We have, but something feels off Be prepared," Hua Mi said.
Xiao Bai flew out from under the robe, ready to switch into a combat form at any moment. Hua Mi urged his mount, the deer-like creature, slowly entering the village.
Walking among the low and simple houses, the strange feeling grew more prominent. Doors on both sides were tightly shut. Some everyday items like wooden basins and buckets were scattered around, looking somewhat disordered, though not to the extent of abandonment.
Though there were no strange magical fluctuations in the village, this actually made him more uneasy.
Hua Mi released a scouting bee and, after connecting to its senses, saw nothing suspicious yet. The scent of a meal wafted from a nearby house, and smoke billowed from its chimney, indicating someone was cooking.
Hua Mi urged his mount closer, intending to send the scouting bee in for a closer look. Just then, with a creak, the wooden door swung open outward.
An elderly woman with gray-white hair emerged, wearing a headscarf and an apron around her waist, her figure akin to a barrel. In her hands, she carried a wooden basin, splashing its contents onto the ground with a "splash."
Only after emptying the water did she notice the strangers not far away: Hua Mi in a black robe, riding a peculiar creature that resembled a deer, carrying an unconscious woman.
To the old woman, it didn't seem like anything sinister, as she curiously inquired about the girl's condition.
Picking up on her lack of hostility, Hua Mi succinctly explained, "Found her on the roadside, poisoned by something she ate."
Upon hearing this, the old woman instructed him to bring the girl inside, assuring she knew a way to awaken her.
Saying this, she entered the house ahead of him.
"A regular villager capable of waking her?" Hua Mi felt somewhat suspicious.
However, after using his "keen sight" to scrutinize her, he confirmed the old woman appeared to be just an ordinary personat least with his current visual abilities, he couldn't discern any magical deception. Moreover, if she were truly powerful enough to deceive his eyes, she probably wouldn't bother with trivialities and simply take action directly.
After a moment's thought, Hua Mi instructed Xiao Bai to stay outside as he carried the witch into the house.
The interior was cramped, cluttered with various items. A pot on the side stove was simmering.
"Come, lay her down here," the old woman gestured, indicating where to place the witch.
Hua Mi initially attempted to remove her pointed round hat, only to find it seemingly fixed onto her head. Pulling it resulted in her head and hat moving together, seemingly inseparable.
No wonder it remained stable throughout the journey; it seemed to be magically affixed to her head. He settled her onto the bed, hat and all.
The old woman fetched a glass jar from a cabinet. Its contents appeared pitch black and viscous, akin to tar, with something faintly submerged within.
"A potion?" Hua Mi queried, eyeing the jar's contents.
"Hua Mi was somewhat surprised.
In such an unremarkable village, there's actually stored magic medicine?
Indeed, things aren't as simple as they seem."
"This is" Hua Mi began, but the old woman skillfully unscrewed the lid before he could finish his sentence.
Instantly, a foul stench forcefully silenced Hua Mi's words.
He pursed his lips, raising a hand to cover his nose and mouth.
It was too foul! It was worse than even an 85-year-old stinky tofu. Even feces would respectfully call it 'elder brother.' It was practically a biochemical weapon!
The old woman extended two fingers, scooping out a lump from the bottle, and slapped it onto the witch's nasal area.
In just two seconds.
The witch's body twitched slightly, her eyes still closed, but her head tilted to the sideshe vomited.
Directly into the bucket the old woman had prepared.
She truly woke up...
A miraculous recovery indeed.
At this moment, Hua Mi also saw the handwritten label stuck on the bottle: 'Stink Egg Sauce.'
Seems like some sort of sauce, edible...
The taste is incredibly strong.
Even though the witch had been awakened by the stench, her paralyzed state hadn't fadedHua Mi initially hoped that this old woman could purify the abnormal state along with the awakening.
That was clearly impossible.
Seeing her open her mouth, this time even her voice failed to come out.
If left unattended, the situation would only worsen, leading to full-body paralysis.
With what little strength remained, the witch threw a pleading look at him for help.
Hua Mi had actually thought of a solution.
Take her to the mountain hot spring inn, soak in the hot spring.
That floral essence could heal injuries and maybe dispel the abnormal state.
Other than that, he couldn't think of anything else.
He couldn't possibly venture into the dark territories to find some cooling mushrooms.
Setting aside the danger, even if he found the antidote and escaped unscathed, there probably wouldn't be enough time.
Thinking this, Hua Mi asked the old woman for directions to the hot spring inn and if she could kindly show him the way.
He only knew the hot spring inn was in the mountains behind, but the mountains were vast, and finding it himself would take forever.
It'd be better to have a local guide.
However, the old woman replied, "With my old arms and legs, I can't guide you. You can go by yourself; you should encounter villagers up in the mountains. Just ask them."
"Villagers in the mountains?" Hua Mi found it strange.
The village was so desolate, and they all went to the mountains?
Living off the land, that made sense.
But this didn't explain the desolate atmosphere in the village.
The old woman sighed, explaining that the healing hot spring inn, while saving many people, had also caused the entire village to become what it is now, with the villagers abandoning almost all forms of production.
"How did this happen?"
The information Hua Mi obtained was that the hot spring inn's healing abilities were entirely due to the magic of the floral essence.
How could a floral essence bring disaster to the village?
Floral essences aren't demons; healing people wouldn't come with side effects.
Upon Hua Mi's inquiry, the old woman began recounting the story, starting with two traveling merchants who arrived in their village..."
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