A Stardew Valley farmer came to Gensokyo.

"Um... I guess, more or less?" Reimu Hakurei was a little unsure when he asked her that question.

She hadn't seen many immortals, and most of them lived in the Celestial Realm, rarely appearing in Gensokyo.

Upon hearing this, Xia Xun became even more excited and almost impatiently asked, "Lingmeng! Can you introduce me to that immortal? Please!"

This is an immortal! A living, breathing immortal!

Reimu Hakurei's shoulders were gripped tightly by him, and she could feel the warmth emanating from his body constantly penetrating her, causing her face to involuntarily flush.

She quickly reached out and nudged Xia Xun, who was overly excited, turning her face to the side, her voice slightly flustered: "Wait, when she comes to the shrine next time, I can mention you to her."

"However, I can't guarantee whether Ichika Sen is willing to see you."

"Thank you, Reimu!" ​​Xia Xun said happily, letting go of her hand and turning to continue walking.

His steps were cheerful, and he even hummed an unknown tune.

Under the starlight and moonlight, Reimu Hakurei looked at the cheerful figure in front of her and couldn't help but purse her lips.

What's there to care about immortals?

However, next time Ibaraki-sensei comes, I'll still recommend this guy.

Even under the cover of night, the situation remains extremely dangerous.

But because the shrine maiden Reimu Hakurei was by his side, he felt completely safe.

The journey was uneventful; the few monsters that attacked were easily killed by Reimu Hakurei before they could even get angry.

Xia Xun even took the time to try to find Fujiwara no Mokou's whereabouts, but unfortunately he only saw the distant firelight in the dark night.

But Xia Xun didn't know that after they walked away, Fujiwara no Mokou was watching them from a large tree.

Soon, the two successfully returned to the west gate of the Human Village.

The soldiers guarding the gate were the same ones from a few nights ago.

When the guards saw the two figures emerge from the night, they tensed up instantly and gripped their weapons tightly. But when they saw that the two were Xia Xun and Bo Li Ling Meng, they were all stunned.

Why is it this guy again?

The guard captain rubbed his temples and waved for his men to come forward for a routine check. After confirming his identity, he looked at Xia Xun with a hint of helplessness: "Mr. Xia Xun, I remember we met like this just two nights ago, didn't we?"

Faced with the captain of the guard's glare, Xia Xun could only manage an awkward smile: "Well, it was an accident, purely an accident."

“And this time is different. I have Reimu’s protection, which is why I dare to stay outside so late,” he quickly added, pointing to the red and white shrine maiden beside him.

"Greetings, Miss Shrine Maiden." The captain of the guard bowed respectfully to Reimu Hakurei first, then turned to Natsumi and waved his hand. "Alright, alright, with Miss Shrine Maiden accompanying you this time, there's naturally no problem. Hurry up and go back."

"Thank you, Captain! Thank you all!" Xia Xun hurriedly nodded his thanks, and at the same time reached into the wooden box and pulled out two large, lively carp, stuffing them into the guard captain's hand without saying a word. "These are for the brothers to cook some fish soup tonight to warm them up. Thank you all for protecting the village's safety."

After saying that, without waiting for the other party to refuse, he grabbed Reimu Hakurei and ran into the village in a flash, their figures quickly disappearing into the shadows of the street.

The captain of the guard looked in the direction where Xia Xun disappeared and couldn't help but smile: "That kid, he's quite good at handling things. No wonder he's from the outside world."

"However, it's truly fortunate that the guard from the Hakurei Shrine was brought back. This time, the Hakurei Shrine Maiden herself was able to protect him."

"Xiao Liu!" he called out, turning around. "Take these two fish and cook them for a midnight snack. Everyone should have some hot soup tonight."

"Alright, Captain!" A young guard with a somewhat childish face jogged over and took the two heavy carp.

At the same time, he secretly slipped a newspaper into the captain's arms with his other hand.

"Captain, look at this! That Mr. Xia Xun is no ordinary man! No wonder he can trigger the witch's berserk transformation!" Xiao Liu said in a low voice, his tone filled with excitement.

The guard captain looked down with a puzzled expression, glancing at the sensational headline and large photograph on the newspaper in his arms.

After quickly glancing at the contents, he couldn't help but laugh. He raised his hand and gave Xiao Liu a hard slap on the back of the head: "Silly boy! You actually believe the entertainment newspapers that Tian Gou and his gang produce? You'd be lucky if half a sentence out of ten is true!"

"Captain! I have a witness!" Xiao Liu rubbed the back of his head, protesting defiantly, and pulled Hattori over from the side. "Hattori, didn't you see it with your own eyes today?"

"Both the Hakurei Shrine Maiden and the Kirisame family's daughter were seen strolling around the village today with their bellies showing! Many people saw them and are saying that the next Hakurei Shrine Maiden might be pregnant soon!"

Under the captain's sharp gaze, the guard named Hattori quickly nodded in confirmation: "It's true, Captain! Not just me, many people in the South and West districts saw it!"

"Snapped!"

Another powerful punch landed on the back of Hattori's head.

The guard captain chuckled and scolded, "Two rookies! How long has Mr. Natsuki been in Gensokyo? Not many days at most. How could he possibly have gotten the Hakurei Shrine Maiden and the Kirisame family's daughter pregnant?"

He looked at his two subordinates' bewildered yet slightly aggrieved expressions, feeling both amused and exasperated: "Fine, it just so happens that you're both of age."

"Next time you're on break, I'll take you guys out to see the world, have some fun, and you'll understand when you become real men!"

After a pause, the captain of the guards became slightly more serious. He turned back to look in the direction Xia Xun had left and said in a low voice, "However, in the future, when you see Mr. Xia Xun, be more respectful."

"Having only been in Gensokyo for such a short time, this person has already managed to get the head of the Hieda family to speak on their behalf, and is also getting so close to the Hakurei Shrine Maiden and the Kirisame Mage. This person is no ordinary individual."

He recalled Xia Xun returning home late at night two days ago.

Logically speaking, if ordinary villagers did this, they would inevitably have to come to the guard team the next day to admit their mistake, pay the fine, and write a guarantee.

However, the punishment for Xia Xun was stopped by the young head of the Hieda family.

Thinking of this, the captain of the guard couldn't help but look down at the copy of "Wenwen News" in his hand again, and his heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Perhaps, this time, the newspaper about the Tengu wasn't entirely made up?

Ouch—No!

He suddenly realized that he needed to keep his precious daughter away from Xia Xun.

The people around this person are too complex and sophisticated to be involved with; they are not people from ordinary families like theirs.

Xia Xun was unaware that she was becoming famous in the human world in a strange way.

He took Hakurei back to his little house in a dream.

"Reimu, I have to go out for a bit later. How about I give you some money for your late-night snack so you can eat it yourself?"

After placing the wooden box, Natsumi remembered her promise to Hieda Akyuu and spoke to Hakurei Reimu.

"Give me money? Okay, okay!" Upon hearing the word "money," Reimu Hakurei's eyes lit up, and she nodded quickly.

But she paused abruptly, looking at Xia Xun with a puzzled expression: "What else do you need so late?"

“Ah Qiu invited me over, wanting to hear some stories about the outside world,” Xia Xun replied without changing his expression.

Upon hearing this, Reimu Hakurei's expression visibly relaxed, and she returned to her lazy demeanor.

"Akyu really loves all kinds of stories. Every time a new outsider comes to Gensokyo, he can't wait to know the new story."

"Give me the money for my midnight snack. I need to go back to the shrine to sleep after I finish eating." She stretched her hand out in front of Xia Xun, speaking with a straight face. "Also, settle my wages for today."

Xia Xun, who was about to take out his money, hesitated and looked up at her: "Wait, what happened to the promised close protection? Are you going back already?"

Upon hearing this, Reimu Hakurei rolled her eyes at Natsumi: "What are you thinking! I'm a proper shrine maiden serving the gods, how could I possibly spend the night in a single man's house?"

"But don't worry," she patted her chest and assured them, "I will set up a powerful barrier for you. With my barrier, that tanuki demon will absolutely not be able to kidnap you silently."

Xia Xun thought about it and felt that this reason was indeed very valid.

"Alright." He nodded, counted out 240 coins and handed them to Lingmeng. "Here, 240 coins. Remember to make sure the barrier is secure!"

"Also, don't forget to come to work at six o'clock tomorrow morning. No lateness allowed."

"Huh?! Six o'clock?!" Reimu Hakurei, who had just received the money and was full of excitement, froze instantly, staring in disbelief at Natsumi, who was already walking towards the door.

"Hmph, Miss Reimu," Xia Xun turned around and waved at her triumphantly, "Do you know there's a wise saying in the outside world?"

"Money is hard to earn, shit is hard to eat, and work is shit."

"Damn it! You heartless employer!" Reimu Hakurei gritted her teeth as she looked at Natsumi's retreating figure.

Even after Xia Xun walked away, she still dutifully got to work.

With a gentle wave of her hand, several high-level talismans radiating spiritual light flew out from her sleeve and shot into the air around the hut.

As Reimu Hakurei chanted softly, spiritual energy rippled outwards, quickly forming an invisible yet resilient spherical barrier that enveloped the cottage's emblem.

She can immediately sense any aura that carries malice or strong demonic energy once it touches the barrier.

With the barrier set up, Reimu Hakurei clapped her hands and nodded in satisfaction.

Driven by curiosity, she walked around Xia Xun's cottage with her hands behind her back, as if inspecting her territory. She even secretly pushed open the bedroom door and peeked inside a few times, satisfying her voyeuristic desires.

"Hmph~, it's quite tidy, unlike Marisa's doghouse." She muttered to herself, then contentedly pocketed her wages for the day and left humming a little tune.

Stepping outside, she looked up at the bright moon in the night sky.

It was nearly midnight, and most areas of the human world were asleep and quiet.

"Nani-tune-tei, there's actually a shop in the human village that caters to yokai late at night. Let's go check it out."

Chapter 62 Humans should not associate with monsters (Bonus Chapter 2 for average subscriptions)

The night was deep, at the street corner in front of Suzuna-an.

Xia Xun's figure appeared furtively at the street corner, looking around as if searching for something.

Just then, a small, fair hand suddenly reached out from the shadows in the corner and gently tugged at his clothes.

"Xia Xun, you're here~"

Hieda Akyuu pulled Natsumi into the corner where he was hiding. Her amethyst-like eyes were shining brightly as she looked at him, delighted by his arrival.

In that instant, Xia Xun's gaze was drawn to the girl in front of him, who was beaming with joy at his appearance under the silvery moonlight.

He was lost in thought for a moment, but was immediately interrupted by Hieda Akyuu's urgent actions.

"Natsumi, look!" Hieda Akyuu stood on tiptoe, pointing in Suzuna's direction, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement, "Lin is out!"

"Just as I guessed, she figured out the reason for the monster's mischief before, and now she probably wants to go see that monster."

"We need to catch up with Xiaoling quickly."

Natsumi looked in the direction she pointed and saw Motoori Kosuzu's petite figure tiptoeing out of the back door of Suzuna-an.

She was dressed in simple clothes that allowed her to move around easily, carrying a small lamp in her hand. After quickly walking around, she headed towards the temple school.

Seeing this, Xia Xun's expression also became serious.

Xia Xun, who had been attacked by monsters, knew very well how terrifying they were, and the memory still made him shudder.

However, Kosuka Motoori is just an ordinary human girl. If she were to be attacked by a monster, the consequences would be unimaginable.

This girl is incredibly audacious and knows how to court death.

Xia Xun silently complained to herself, then quickly exchanged a glance with Hieda Akyuu. The two of them tacitly lowered their bodies and quietly followed Motoori Kosuzu's footsteps.

As for rushing out to arrest Motoori Kosui now, that's just a temporary solution.

This time we stopped her from contacting monsters, but what about next time? And the time after that?

Xia Xun, who has also been through this age group, knows very well how stubborn teenagers can be.

They won't turn back until they hit the south wall, and sometimes they won't even turn back after hitting the south wall.

"Akyu, take this." Xia Xun took out two high-level talismans and handed one of them to Hieda Akyu.

He had consulted Lingmeng today to replenish his talisman reserves, so he was now completely unfazed.

"Thank you."

Hieda Akyuu took the talisman from Natsumi and glanced at it in the moonlight. He immediately recognized it as a high-grade talisman produced by the Hakurei Shrine.

The two continued walking through the night, keeping a distance that was neither too close nor too far behind Motoori Kosuzu.

"If Xiaoling really comes into contact with a monster later," Xia Xun lowered his voice and asked Hieda Akyuu beside him, "what are your plans?"

"Stop Rin!" Hieda Akyuu's answer was resolute: "Yokai are dangerous, and humans should not come into contact with them casually."

"Then use the talisman to drive away that monster, and notify Reimu tomorrow to handle the follow-up."

Upon hearing this, Xia Xun looked at Hieda Akyuu with some surprise.

He never expected that this girl, who compiled "The Origin of Gensokyo" and knew so much about the ecology of youkai, would hold such a clear and uncompromising attitude towards youkai.

He couldn't help but think of Okunoda Miyo, the Three Fairies of Light, Ibuki Suika, Tatara Kosuke, and even Shameimaru Aya.

Xia Xun couldn't help but speak up: "A-Qiu, you seem to have a strong aversion to yokai? Actually, there are good yokai too."

Upon hearing this, Hieda Akyuu suddenly stopped in his tracks.

She turned around and looked back at Xia Xun.