Taoyuan Village is clean and tidy, with fresh and pleasant air, and the roads are well-constructed and wide, making it a very livable place.
Along both sides of the road, every so often there is a machine that looks like a vending machine, which contains common rice, flour, oil and other daily necessities.
Most of the people coming and going were couples, seemingly inseparable. They would stand in front of the appropriate vending machines, press a few buttons, swipe their cards, and get their goods.
Xia Chuhe confirmed her guess: when these couples looked at her, their gazes or smiles became colder.
Xia Chuhe also clearly noticed the discomfort in his body.
She felt inexplicably uncomfortable being stared at by the couple who were hosting her, and she attributed this discomfort to psychological reasons.
However, now that many people have seen it, Xia Chuhe feels numbness, itching, and stinging all over his body, and the itching and pain are getting worse and worse.
Xia Chuhe couldn't help but rub his arms vigorously and frequently stroke his neck.
Lu Dangui noticed her unusual behavior: "What's wrong?"
"I don't know, it's a little itchy." Xia Chuhe touched his neck to relieve the itch.
She recalled the peach grove she had just passed through. Could it be that there was something wrong with the pollen? Was she allergic to pollen?
"Are you all alright?" Xia Chuhe asked.
"I'm fine!"
Old Qin grasped Xia Chuhe's wrist: "Let me take a look."
Xia Chuhe's health bar was still healthy, and Old Qin asked in surprise, "No problem!"
"I can still tolerate it. I'll just follow this couple around for a bit," Xia Chuhe said.
She felt that something was strange about the village. Although it was peaceful and tranquil, she always felt that something was missing.
Wang Yan suddenly asked, "Why are there no children or elderly people in the village?"
When the couple leading the way heard Wang Yan's question, they laughed and said, "There are children, but they're all at home. There aren't any elderly people; they've all been taken away by their successful children to enjoy their retirement."
Even after hearing their explanation, Xia Chuhe still felt something was off.
Five- or six-year-old children are more mischievous than monkeys; how can they stay at home obediently?
As for the elderly being taken away to enjoy their retirement, that's even stranger. Is it just a coincidence that every family in Taoyuan Village can produce successful children?
Xia Chuhe casually struck up a conversation: "The child is quite well-behaved; even a five or six-year-old doesn't make a fuss about coming out to play."
The couple seemed not to hear and did not reply.
Xia Chuhe nudged Li Yue, who immediately understood and asked the same question Xia Chuhe had just asked.
The couple then replied, "There are no five- or six-year-old children in the village."
The woman puffed out her chest, looking very proud and honored: "Once the child is weaned, we will hand him over to the gods, who will raise and educate him and raise him into a useful person."
God?
Educating children?
A useful person?
These words reminded Xia Chuhe of his experience at the Birds of Prey Academy, and both the Birds of Prey Academy and Peach Blossom Village are part of the animal world...
Xia Chuhe couldn't help but shiver, ignoring even the itch.
Probably not.
The Birds of Prey Academy only has birds, while Peach Blossom Village seems to be inhabited by people. The only bird-related creature is the rooster zodiac animal in the lucky draw wheel.
"A god? Is he really a god?" Li Yue repeated the question Xia Chuhe had whispered in her ear.
The man frowned, as if he found the question quite offensive.
But he still replied, “God is the greatest creator. He created Peach Blossom Village, provided for our lives, raised our children, provided for our descendants, and cared for our elders. God is our master and our faith.”
The man's tone was solemn and sacred, as if he were singing praises to a god.
In civilized societies, some religious hymns contain elements that suggest male voices, with believers arguing that everything they have is a gift from God.
However, in civilized society, the gifts of gods and deities are merely a representation and a symbol of reality.
But in Taoyuan Village, the "gods" are real.
The gods will truly take away the children, the elderly, and build villages...
If we think about all the actions of the gods from a different perspective, we can better understand them.
For example, replace the title "god" with "keeper".
Xia Chuhe felt a chill run down his spine.
Livestock farmers build houses for their livestock and try every means to encourage them to reproduce and raise their young.
Once the livestock have grown up, each animal has its own purpose—oxen plow the fields, horses pull carts, sheep are sheared, chickens lay eggs, dogs guard the house, and pigs produce meat…
The aging livestock were taken away and sold.
If that's the case, then the evolved beings participating in the instance are livestock in their prime, ready to reproduce. And in the village… all they encounter are couples, young or not so young.
Xia Chuhe had a bit of a headache, so she pressed her temples to suppress the thought for the time being.
This guess doesn't make sense.
If this speculation is true, then Li Yue's claim that this is a "welfare dungeon" and that you can clear it by following the dungeon's rules is invalid.
But now many evolved beings have indeed emerged safely from the dungeon.
Therefore, the guess was wrong.
Xia Chuhe felt that perhaps her way of thinking was still influenced by the Raptor Academy, which caused her to always speculate about the dungeon with a hostile attitude.
Today is her first day in the instance, and she needs more clues; she can't be prejudiced.
...
After the man finished speaking, the woman pointed to the vending machines that could be seen everywhere by the roadside and added, "These are all gifts from the gods. The gods not only raise our children, but also reward us for giving birth. The gods take away the children and give us energy points, which can be exchanged for food given to us by the gods."
Energy value?
Isn't that the currency used by bidders in Birds of Prey Academy?
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
