37. The Ghost Village Worships Gods (3)

Are you cursed by the mountain god?

This was the first time the little mute boy had ever eaten bread.

It's fluffy, sweet, and has delicious nut bits.

He ate very seriously and carefully. Any bits of nuts or breadcrumbs that accidentally fell off would be picked up and carefully put into his mouth.

In the previous instance, Xie Yunhuai ate very politely, but in this instance, the little mute boy, who has never received any education or upbringing, eats like a little hamster. He doesn't wolf down his food, but instead stuffs his cheeks full and chews slowly. When he's enjoying his food, he'll secretly crinkle his eyes, and then he'll eat even slower...

When only one small piece remained, the little mute hesitated and stole a glance at Qin Fu'an.

Qin Fu'an could tell at a glance what he was up to.

I was afraid there wouldn't be any to eat tomorrow, and I wanted to taste this flavor again tomorrow, so I couldn't bear to finish it and wanted to hide this small piece to eat tomorrow.

Qin Fu'an sat quietly against the wall in the haystack, letting the little mute boy secretly observe him.

You could tell the little mute was really conflicted. He held that small piece of bread and thought about it for several seconds before reluctantly lowering his head to eat it.

Watching the child obediently curl up in his sleeping bag after finishing his bread, Qin Fu'an smiled. He spread the windbreaker he had taken out earlier on the hay, lay down himself, and quickly fell asleep.

But he fell asleep, while the little mute boy sleeping next to him couldn't sleep.

Listening to the gradually calming breathing beside him, the little mute turned his head very quietly to look at the stranger sleeping in his spot.

It was pitch black at night, and the little mute girl couldn't really see what the person looked like, but he performed magic tricks for her, gave her delicious food, and even gave her his sleeping bag, so he probably wasn't a bad person, right?

His stomach felt comfortably full, a rare treat, and he also felt comfortable sleeping in the warm and safe sleeping bag. This was the first time in his memory that he had felt "secure" at night.

Thinking of this, the little mute girl gently curved her eyes, looking at the silhouette of Qin Fu'an lying on the haystack in the darkness, and closed her eyes to try to fall asleep.

-

A peaceful night.

Just as dawn broke, Qin Fu'an keenly sensed a rustling sound beside him.

He opened his eyes. The light in the small room was dim, but that didn't stop him from watching a young boy sneakily and cautiously making his way out.

Just as the little mute was struggling to loosen the latch on the fence and was about to step out of the hut, a sudden question from behind made him freeze in place.

"Where are you going so early?"

The little mute boy: "..."

For the first time in my life, I secretly rejoiced that I was a mute who couldn't speak.

But he was caught red-handed while trying to escape... He was still a little guilty, so much so that he didn't dare to turn around and face the people behind him.

Qin Fu'an, however, was not the passive type. Seeing the thin figure standing motionless at the door, Qin Fu'an simply got up, walked over, and brought the bewildered little mute boy back.

The sleeping bag that had been given to the little mute boy had been carefully folded up and placed aside. Qin Fu'an was too lazy to unfold it again, so he simply picked up the little mute boy and stuffed him into the hay nest where he had slept for the night. He forcefully wrapped his windbreaker around the boy's body and frowned, saying, "It's not dawn yet, sleep a little longer."

Getting up so early, sleeping so late, not eating enough, not sleeping well—no wonder malnutrition is written all over your body.

In the more than a thousand years of Qin Fu'an's history, no child had ever been raised to be so thin.

It's so uncomfortable to hold in your arms.

The little mute boy: "..."

Suddenly I was pulled back, suddenly I was wrapped up, suddenly I was... held in someone's arms.

It wasn't until Qin Fu'an held him and closed his eyes to sleep again that the little mute boy came to his senses. He tried to struggle to get up, but as soon as he moved, he saw Qin Fu'an's brow furrow, and then he felt himself being held even tighter.

So he dared not move again, stiffly wrapped in the warm, thick down jacket, held by Qin Fu'an, carefully controlling his breathing, afraid of disturbing the other.

The light was much better than at night, so the little mute boy could see Qin Fu'an's features and his expression clearly.

Although this person was very good-looking, the most handsome person the little mute had ever seen, he... looked a bit fierce.

Not only did he look fierce, but when he carried me back to sleep... he was also very stern.

The little mute boy's eyelashes trembled slightly as he closed his eyes as if trying to escape, as if that would allow him to pretend that he wasn't being held while sleeping.

He had intended to sneak away, just like before, to run away and hide until dark before returning.

But this person is really fierce.

If he could do it all over again, the little mute boy felt he would never sneak out early.

But being hugged is not something that can be made to disappear just by pretending it doesn't exist.

The little mute boy was trying his best to control his breathing, but someone else couldn't. Warm breath would occasionally fall on the little mute boy's neck and earlobes, and the fine, ticklish sensation made him very uncomfortable. He couldn't move or dodge because Qin Fu'an was really holding him very tightly. With his large windbreaker wrapped around him, the little mute boy completely lost his ability to move.

I could only close my eyes and force myself not to focus on the other person's breathing, but the body is always the most sensitive and honest...

When Qin Fu'an finally loosened his grip a little, the little mute's neck, cheeks, and ears were all so red they looked like they could bleed.

The viewers in the live stream never expected to be able to eat so well so early in the morning.

[Is this the reward for waking up early? The host is so good at this and so domineering, I love it!]

[Pssst... I haven't wanted to sleep since last night. I'm naughty, I just want to see the streamer flirt with and force NPCs in the dungeon!!]

[But I was shipping Xiao Xie from the last dungeon! Has the streamer forgotten about him? Why is he seamlessly switching to this new dungeon? Ugh, what a scumbag!!]

[Do you think the streamer is pretending to be asleep? He's deliberately making that little mute girl look so pitiful and endearing!]

[No, he really is asleep...it's not like all the weird stuff you're thinking. Why don't you check his status?]

Reminded by this comment, most viewers realized they could check the streamer's current status, so they all clicked on it.

Then a long silence fell.

[Sleep status: Deep sleep for 13 minutes (Excellent)]

Ha, what a straight man!

Serves you right for running away with your wife in the last dungeon!

Qin Fu'an was completely unaware of the audience's sudden change in expression. He held the little mute boy, who was obediently using him as a pillow, and slept until dawn before opening his eyes.

The little mute boy, who had been stiff and afraid to breathe, had unknowingly snuggled into his arms after falling asleep. Half of his pale face was covered by his windbreaker, and he was sleeping soundly in his arms.

Qin Fu'an raised his eyebrows triumphantly: See? I told you I'm good at raising kids. Getting up that early is completely against the biological clock!

The little mute boy's sleeping posture was one of insecurity; he was curled up into a small ball, and since he was already thin and small, he looked even more like a child with developmental delays.

Qin Fu'an quietly got up and walked to the fence gate that had been opened earlier, intending to look for clean water to wash up in the vicinity or village.

Although he only needed to use a cleansing spell to solve the problem, he still needed to disguise himself as a human. Qin Fu'an always followed local customs, and besides, he didn't know what the situation was like in this instance, so he used his spiritual power as little as possible in case of emergency.

As soon as I stepped out the door, I noticed a gaze fixed on me from behind.

Qin Fu'an turned around and his gaze met the little mute boy's sleepy eyes.

"You're awake." Qin Fu'an stopped walking out, turned around and walked to him, ruffling the little mute's hair as he gently asked, "Are you still sleepy?"

He guessed that the noise of him walking outside had woken the other person up.

The little mute boy stared at him with wide eyes, then shook his head after a moment and nervously gestured with his hands.

His hesitant movements suggested he was afraid of being disliked or rejected by Qin Fu'an, hence his quick and chaotic actions.

Qin Fu'an read it carefully, then raised his hand and pressed down slightly on the top of his head, smiling as he said, "Alright, then I'll trouble you to take me to find a clean water source."

The little mute boy's hands, which were still trying to repeat the action, suddenly froze.

He suddenly looked up, his round eyes filled with astonishment, as if he couldn't believe it, and Qin Fu'an's figure was clearly reflected in his clear pupils.

This time, he didn't need to use sign language anymore. Qin Fu'an seemed to be able to see what he wanted to ask from his face. He raised an eyebrow, leaned close to his ear, and whispered mysteriously, "Actually, I am a very powerful god, so I can conjure up delicious food for you and hear your thoughts without you having to speak. Do you believe me?"

The audience: "..."

Are you kidding me?

Who would believe the nonsense you spout?

The mockery had barely begun when they saw the little mute, after a moment of stunned silence, nod without hesitation.

He, the little mute, nodded!

Nod!

audience:"……"

You're mute, not stupid! Can't you believe in science and stop blindly following superstition?!

Qin Fu'an chuckled and glanced provocatively at the comments section, then patted the little mute's hair as a reward and said with a smile, "I'm not lying to you. You can try thinking of a sentence in your mind and see if I can really hear it."

Speaking a truthful lie with an honest expression.

The little mute boy also felt he could give it a try. He nodded upon hearing this, and even closed his eyes to carefully consider what he wanted to say.

Soon, he opened his eyes, his bright eyes looking at Qin Fu'an with anticipation.

He just spoke in his mind. Can the god before him really hear him?

Under his expectant yet somewhat apprehensive gaze, Qin Fu'an stared into his seemingly expressive eyes and said softly, "You just asked me in your heart why I'm here, didn't you?"

The little mute was completely stunned.

When he came to his senses, he hurriedly got up and knelt down to kowtow to Qin Fu'an.

He knew all this; when the villagers went to worship the mountain god, they would kneel on the ground and kowtow, asking the mountain god to bless them with many things.

The little mute had never worshipped the mountain god, but he had secretly watched many times and knew that this was how one should respectfully kneel and worship deities.

But before he could even bend his knees, Qin Fu'an reached out and pulled him into a tight embrace.

The little mute boy was anxiously using sign language, trying to express his thoughts.

You should kneel and worship the gods!

The deity pinched his thin, pale cheek and said helplessly, "Are you stupid? Others worship a clay figure, do you want me to become a clay figure that can't speak or laugh?"

The little mute boy froze in his anxious movements.

He... didn't want to.

Although he wanted to refute that the mountain god's statue was not made of mud and wanted Qin Fu'an not to say such things in the village, Qin Fu'an was a wicked man. He clearly heard the tentacles whispering anxiously, but he pretended not to hear them and insisted on asking the little mute if he wanted him to turn into mud.

They bullied the little mute boy because he couldn't speak.

They bullied the little mute boy, thinking he wouldn't actually nod and would turn him into a clay statue.

Only after the little mute boy shook his head repeatedly, expressing his desire not to turn him into a clay statue, did Qin Fu'an finally let him go.

As for the question that the little mute girl had asked in her heart, Qin Fu'an did not answer it, and the little mute girl did not ask it again.

As they walked out to find clean water, Qin Fu'an asked the little mute boy who was walking ahead and tapping the roadside grass with his hiking stick, "How many years have you lived here? Do you have a name?"

The little mute boy glanced back at him, shook his head, and then turned and continued walking forward.

He had gradually gotten used to answering Qin Fu'an's questions in his mind, and he was very obedient, answering almost everything Qin Fu'an asked.

He didn't remember how many years he had lived in the haunted village. He didn't have a name either. Everyone called him Little Mute, and some people called him Bastard or Broom Star.

"Why are you called a jinx? Who's calling you that?" Qin Fu'an's voice was very calm.

The little mute didn't notice the hidden emotions in his words and earnestly answered in his mind: Because he wasn't born in the haunted village, but was a child cursed by the mountain god, so from childhood to adulthood, the villagers didn't want to talk to him, and would chase him away with stones and sticks while loudly cursing him.

Everyone calls him that, the only difference is that some people will shout it to his face to drive him away, while others will curse him behind his back with extreme disgust.

"Why do you say you're cursed by the mountain god?" Qin Fu'an followed the little mute's footsteps, but the little mute froze on the spot the moment he heard the question.

She turned her back to him, unwilling to turn around or answer any more questions.

Qin Fu'an couldn't pry open the seashell that was tightly sealed inside the heart, and even the tentacles that would normally complain in a wronged manner obediently shut up.

They are the soul of the subject, carrying the memories that the subject has temporarily forgotten, but they can never betray their subject.

Seeing the little mute boy's evasive attitude, Qin Fu'an didn't press him further.

His silent indulgence allowed the little mute boy to secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

However, she secretly resolved in her heart that she must not let Qin Fu'an know the reason.

As they spoke, they arrived at a water source. The water was indeed clean, and Qin Fu'an wasn't picky. However, he stopped the little mute boy when he saw him pick up the water and prepare to drink.

"This water needs to be boiled before drinking, otherwise it will cause a stomachache." Qin Fu'an realized once again how little common sense the little mute boy lacked.

As soon as he finished explaining the science, he made another hand seal and, in front of the little mute boy and countless spectators, rolled up the ball of water that the little mute boy was holding in his palm.

A moment later, the originally clear stream water became even cleaner and clearer to the naked eye. With Qin Fu'an's tacit approval, the little mute tentatively lowered his head and took a sip, his beautiful eyes unconsciously brightening even more.

Sweet.

It has a slightly sweet taste, which is very delicious.

He used to always taste an earthy flavor when he drank this water, but this time there was no strange taste at all.

As the little mute boy drank with gusto, the audience was already making a ruckus in the live chat.

Speculation abounds about whether Qin Fu'an is human or a charlatan, condemning him for being a hypocrite, and accusing him of disrupting the game's balance.

Unfortunately, they never actually punished Qin Fu'an even once.

After washing up, Qin Fu'an finally met the players who had come to the ghost village with him the night before on his way back.

"So you're here. We couldn't find you this morning, so we just went to the village to gather information." Zhong Hao shared his morning itinerary with Qin Fu'an in a friendly manner, implying a desire to make friends, so he didn't deliberately hide anything.

However, Liu Yu, who was standing next to him, frowned for a moment upon hearing this, but because of the glimpse of Qin Fu'an's behavior last night, he was wary and didn't say anything more.

"This is...?" Li Fubiao looked at the boy standing obediently next to Qin Fu'an and asked in confusion, "Is this the little mute that the village chief mentioned last night? Is he a special NPC?"

This is why they came looking for us at this time.

They had walked through the village and naturally tried to find out more about the little mute boy. However, to their dismay and slight surprise, almost everyone in the village turned pale at the mention of him. They either refused to cooperate or simply chased him away with a stern face. Occasionally, one of the villagers would be easy to talk to and advise them not to get too close to the little mute boy.

The villagers' attitude largely illustrates the special nature of this little mute boy.

The players weren't fools, and Zhong Hao was even less of a fool for repeatedly stepping forward to organize their actions.

Therefore, no one objected to his sharing and goodwill gestures.

The ultimate goal was to befriend Qin Fu'an and, incidentally, obtain more information about the little mute from him.

Of course, they didn't think that one night would be enough for Qin Fu'an to learn much crucial information.

So they still plan to try communicating with the little mute boy themselves.

The group's discussion about the game's NPCs automatically ignored the little mute, so he only noticed the strange looks they were giving him, which made him subconsciously move behind Qin Fu'an.

"Hello, have you had breakfast yet? I've saved some for you." Zhong Hao greeted you with a friendly smile. He was also very thoughtful, noticing the little mute's situation and knowing that the little mute's life was probably very difficult.

Therefore, he started the conversation with a breakfast that, while not lavish, was certainly very tempting.

Unfortunately, when faced with the eggs, milk, and bread he offered, the little mute boy's first reaction was to frown and back away.

“…This isn’t something we took from the village, it’s something we brought ourselves. You can eat it, it’s fine.” Li Fubiao thought the child disliked the villagers’ food, so he made an effort to explain.

Little did they know that if they hadn't explained, things would have been fine; the moment they did, the little mute boy's gaze towards them turned hostile.

The next second, the little mute boy grabbed Qin Fu'an and tried to walk back to avoid them.

"...?" Several players looked at each other in bewilderment at his behavior, which was as if he were avoiding a snake or scorpion.

What happened?

It's just breakfast, right? If you don't want it, just wave it off. Why are you running away? It's like we poisoned your breakfast!

"Why are you running?" someone voiced their unspoken question.

And then he grabbed the little mute girl who was trying to run back.

Several players stared blankly as Qin Fu'an effortlessly subdued the little mute, finally realizing that the little mute seemed to be applying double standards to the players.

We're both players, so why is Qin Fu'an able to hold him back? We're bringing him breakfast, and you're still running away.

Just because he's handsome, did he stay at your house for one night?

If they had known that staying one night would get them special treatment from the NPC, they definitely would have tried their best to get it last night!

While the players were silently complaining and regretting, Qin Fu'an was listening to the little mute's anxious and wary inner thoughts.

"They're from the village, don't talk to them."

"They must be bad people, don't listen to them."

"I can find food myself, I don't need their food, they must have some other bad intentions!"

"..."

The tentacles relayed a series of "no"s quickly and urgently, showing just how much the little mute boy resisted contact with the players.

But... looking at the little mute's anxious appearance, a strange guess flashed through Qin Fu'an's mind.

I always felt that the child wasn't hostile towards the players or the villagers, but rather... afraid that he might overhear something they said.

So his hostility towards those players wasn't resistance, but rather... fear?

What are you afraid of?

Are you afraid these people will reveal "secrets" they don't want you to know?

Qin Fu'an patted the little mute boy's head calmly and said gently, "Don't worry, I also have something to discuss with them."

Upon hearing this, the little mute was stunned for a moment, then suddenly fell silent, lowering his head and letting Qin Fu'an pull him back towards the group of strangers.

"..."

As they watched them return, the players' thoughts became even more complicated.

No, it's just one night, why are you being so familiar and obedient?

"Did you get any information in the village?" Qin Fu'an broke the silence first.

Zhong Hao came to his senses and shook his head: "No, I don't know why, but their attitude is very bad. As soon as we ask about related issues, they either kick us out or close the door, and they don't give us a chance to communicate at all."

"What about the mountain god?" Qin Fu'an wasn't surprised by the answer and turned to ask about the main quest.

Regarding this, Cen Tian spoke first: "We asked separately in the village. I asked the village chief's eldest daughter-in-law first. When I stayed at their house last night, I saw that there was a shrine in their house. Before going to bed and when they got up in the morning, the whole family would respectfully offer incense and sacrifices to that shrine."

"But when I asked about the mountain god, the woman was very vague. She just said with a fanatical expression that the mountain god had protected the people of their entire village. She said that if it weren't for the mountain god, their ghost village would not exist anymore. If I wanted to ask for more details, I guess I would have to use other methods to get information out of her."

“Me too.” Li Fubiao nodded. “I talked to them a lot, but whenever it came to the mountain god or special NPCs, they would subconsciously avoid the topic… They’re probably still very wary of us.”

"How about we try to focus on winning over a single NPC?" Liang Ping asked cautiously, but the implication in his words was quite clear.

Qin Fu'an glanced at him but didn't reply.

[Author's Note]

Anzai: Don't even think about hitting on my wife.

.

Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution:

20 bottles of donuts for the Yangko dance;

Cheese is power, Starfall 5 bottles;

17. Fog lights in the mountains and fields, Collapsar., Mausoleum, Clear rain and a lonely boat 1 bottle;

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!