A Stardew Valley farmer came to Gensokyo.

"Get up."

Upon hearing this, Er Yanma Zang felt as if he had been granted a general amnesty.

She then cursed inwardly: "You little brat who doesn't know how to respect his elders."

With his palms firmly supporting his seemingly broken back, Niiwa Makoto slowly straightened up.

Meeting Xia Xun's still cold gaze, Er Yan sighed inwardly. This human boy was much more difficult to deal with and more vengeful than she had expected.

"So, regarding this farce caused by you alone," Xia Xun said calmly, "we accept your apology."

He then made a fist with his right hand and placed it in front of him, pointing each finger upward: "But this is just an apology; don't think that's the end of it."

"Next, let's talk about the property damage, personal injury, and emotional distress losses you caused to me and Miyo in this incident, as well as the punishment and compensation you should receive."

The four consecutive compensations were like four heavy punches that left Eryan Zhoucang bruised and battered.

Her tail trembled and bristled, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw Yakumo Yukari and Ibuki Suika sitting and drinking not far away. Niiwa Mamizo could only grit her teeth and swallow her anger.

Damn tengu! Aya Shameimaru! This is absolutely not over!!!

Er Yan Zhou's heart is roaring.

Now that she's calmed down and connected the dots, she finally understands what a huge blunder she's made.

What annoyed her most was that the tengu of the monster mountain hadn't planned to test her at all; it was all just wishful thinking on her part.

The only exception is that paparazzi Tengu who spread fake news!

“Yes, I will send all the compensation later.” Niiwa Makozo said with a trembling voice, but then added, “However, because of the visit of the Hakurei Shrine Maiden and the Ibuki Oni King, our Tanuki clan’s territory was severely damaged, so the monetary compensation will be very little.”

"But please rest assured." Before Xia Xun could speak, Niiwa Makozo hurriedly explained, "Although the ordinary monetary compensation will be reduced, I will choose other compensations, such as magic books and spells collected by Tanuki, as well as items and tools that are beneficial to Zashiki-warashi."

Xia Xun, who was about to change her expression, turned from anger to a smile upon hearing this.

A magic book? A spell? A baby that will benefit Miyo?

This is great! Knowledge, skills, and real treasures are far more valuable than just money!

“Okay!” Xia Xun immediately made the decision, decisively and cleanly. “I personally agree to this compensation plan.”

He turned to look at Okunoda Miyo, winked, and said, "Miyo, what do you think? Don't mention it, we deserve it."

Seeing the hint in Natsumi's eyes, Okunoda Miyo couldn't help but smile and obediently nodded: "Yes, I think that's good too."

She felt a warmth in her heart. If Xia Xun hadn't insisted, she probably would have softened and forgiven him when he apologized.

Thanks to him, I not only got justice, but also received compensation.

After this fright, Okunoda Miyo also had some thoughts about becoming stronger.

At the very least, one should have the strength to protect oneself and not be a burden to one's friends.

Upon hearing this, Niyan Mazo breathed a long sigh of relief; this matter was finally over.

Seeing that Natsumi and Okunoda Miyo's expressions had also relaxed, Niiwa Mamizo said in a soothing tone, "Thank you for your forgiveness."

"Hey~, I never thought that at my age, I would still make such a silly mistake."

After the apology was made and the compensation was agreed upon, the atmosphere was no longer so tense.

Xia Xun wasn't inherently the type to hold a grudge even when she was in the right. Since the other party had admitted defeat and made amends, and their attitude was relatively mild, she decided to back down.

Upon hearing this, he couldn't help but retort, "You really didn't get it wrong to call yourself 'old lady.' Your style of doing things perfectly matches my stereotype of stubborn old-fashioned people."

Niiwa Mazo's expression froze, as if her tail had been stepped on: "What stubborn old-fashioned thing! I am a very open-minded and modern patriarch!"

"You little human, you need to learn to respect the elderly, don't you understand?" Eryan Mazo said, unable to resist starting to nag, explaining various etiquette and rules.

Xia Xun's smile gradually disappeared, and her eyes began to glaze over.

With his lifeless eyes drooping, he looked at the Eryan Juzo in front of him, who perfectly embodied the old man's penchant for preaching, and felt as if demonic voices were being injected into his brain.

"Stop—! Halt!"

Xia Xun suddenly raised her hand to cover her ears, jumped up from the stool, and her face clearly showed that she couldn't stand it.

"I was wrong! Niiwa Yuzou, you're not old at all! You're very open-minded! I was just young and ignorant!"

After quickly uttering a few words, Xia Xun opened the shop door without looking back and plunged into the night outside.

Preaching and lecturing are terrifying.

At the counter, Miyo Okunoda watched Natsumi's disheveled escape and couldn't help but chuckle.

Niyan Mazo also stopped lecturing, stared blankly at the swaying curtain, then shook his head and chuckled, the swelling and pain on his face seeming to lessen a bit.

"This kid..."

Chapter Seventy-Seven: The Lucky Charm of the Zashiki-warashi

【Spring 3.11】

Fishing lv4→lv5, profession choice: Fisherman - fish value +25%, Angler - fewer crabs.

early morning.

The first thing Xia Xun saw when she woke up was a notification popping up on the Stardew Valley skill interface.

Faced with two career options, he chose fisherman without the slightest hesitation.

Although it's still unknown how a 25% increase in fish value would actually manifest in reality, it's still better than being a fisherman. Xia Xun really doesn't want to go to the riverbank to collect crabs every day.

With the selection complete, the fishing skill is officially upgraded to level 5.

The next moment, Xia Xun felt a chill run through her body, as if she had fallen into deep water and was sinking continuously.

All surrounding sounds became hazy, but the perception of the water element was clearer than ever before. The movement of every wisp of water vapor and the condensation of every drop of dew were as natural as breathing.

His body became supple and light in the embrace of the water, and his blood flowed as clearly and joyfully as a stream.

In the sea of ​​consciousness, a fountain symbolizing water magic gushed forth, transforming into a winding stream that nourished the newly sprouted magic tree.

The roots began to spread downwards, the branches gradually grew upwards, and the leaves shimmered with a deep blue luster.

[Blessing of Water lv4→lv5, gain passive: Water attribute magic effect +25%]

As the notification appeared, the increase in Xia Xun's magical and mental power gradually subsided.

He felt the changes within his body, looking at the simple description, but everything related to the blessing of water had increased by 25%.

"Holy crap, this is such a simple and straightforward enhancement."

Xia Xun sighed, then eagerly got out of bed and ran to the courtyard. He raised his hand and created a stream of water. Almost in the blink of an eye, a water sphere appeared, like a pool of amber floating in front of him.

Casting speed, mana consumption, control precision... all water-related magical abilities have been increased by 25%.

Adding everything together, Xia Xun felt that he was more than twice as strong.

"Wuhu, this is the rhythm of taking off!"

Xia Xun couldn't help but cheer, a series of different ideas she wanted to experiment with already forming in her mind.

The water sphere in front of him changed shape at his control, transforming into water blades, water arrows, water shields... switching freely. Finally, when he tried to transform into an animal form, he began to feel powerless.

"In future magical training, I will be able to begin shapeshifting and simultaneously train my control over magical power."

"Besides the simple changes in form, we also need to start learning about the symbolic properties of water, such as 'flow,' 'penetration,' and 'purification.'"

Looking at the water sphere that had once again turned into a round shape in her hand, Xia Xun planned her future magical training, considering both her experiences during this period and her future plans to move out of the human world.

They all need to work hard to cultivate themselves and become stronger.

He clenched his fist, and the water sphere suddenly compressed to the size of an egg, then shot out with a "whoosh," exploding in a circle of mist around the corner of the courtyard wall.

"Why hasn't Reimu arrived yet?" Xia Xun glanced at the time curiously. It was almost seven o'clock, and his bodyguard still hadn't shown up.

You don't want your wages for today, do you?

Oh, Niiwa Mako has been arrested.

Xia Xun suddenly realized that he no longer needed the protection of Hakurei Reimu.

Their protection agreement also ended.

"It's only been a few days, but I'm already getting used to that guy being around me," Xia Xun said with a helpless smile.

"Congratulations to myself for regaining the freedom of living alone."

Facing the rising sun on the horizon, Xia Xun stretched her body vigorously: "Alright, time to get to work."

“Sadness and melancholy are not suitable for an adult.”

Stepping out of the room, Xia Xun walked briskly towards the direction of the Ni Tun Pavilion.

Today, the Reitaisai (Grand Festival) of Gensokyo has officially begun.

Colorful lanterns and paper banners hang on both sides of the street. The streets are already bustling with people in the early morning. People greet each other warmly, and novel little stalls are appearing one after another.

This scene reminded Xia Xun of the times she went to the market in town with her grandfather when she was a child, and she missed it very much.

He couldn't help but slow down, looking curiously at the various novel items on each stall.

Many things I'd never seen before: hand-woven lacewings, painted monster masks, glowing fluorite pendants...

Xia Xun wanted to buy them to keep as a souvenir, or as a gift for her friends at the festival today.

However, feeling her empty pockets, Xia Xun reluctantly withdrew her attention and went to Nituntei to get the money from yesterday's fishing catch from Okunoda Miyo.

He still owes Reimu Hakurei her wages for the previous two days.

Fortunately, the two were already friends, otherwise Xia Xun would probably be nagged by that greedy witch until next year.

As Natsumi quickened her pace to reach the Minato-tei shop, she could see Okunoda Miyo busy in front of the store from afar.

"Good morning, Meixiao."

Xia Xun waved and greeted the other person, then curiously walked over to their side.

I then discovered that Miyo Okunoda was actually assembling a small wooden car. At that moment, she was standing on tiptoe, trying to hang the Minato-tei signboard in her hand on the roof of the car.

Seeing this, Xia Xun quickly stepped forward and took the cloth sign printed with a cute whale from the girl's hand, and easily hung it up.

"Xia Xun, thank you."

Raising her head, Miyo Okunoda met Natsumi's gaze, thanking her with a sweet smile.

"You're welcome."

Xia Xun replied with a smile, then carefully examined the cart, which resembled the snack carts she had seen before, small but complete with all the essentials.

"This must be the cart you'll be using for your food stall at Hakurei Shrine tonight, Misaki." Natsumi sincerely wished you well: "I'll definitely come and patronize it. With Misaki's skills, this stall will absolutely be the most dazzling one at the banquet!"

"Oh~!" Okunoda Miyo raised her slender right arm, making an energetic cheering gesture: "I will definitely do my best for Minato-tei."

After saying this with a smile, Okunoda Miyo raised her hands to her chest, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Natsumi.

Seeing this, Xia Xun instantly understood what the girl meant and reached out his hand as well.

"Hey~, keep it up!" x2

The two of them lightly tapped their palms together, producing a crisp sound.

They exchanged a smile, then Miyo Okunoda turned and ran back into the store, returning shortly with a small purse.

"Here, this is the money for yesterday's fish." She handed the money bag to Xia Xun, her tone full of gratitude. "Thanks to Xia Xun's help, I was able to gather all the ingredients needed for the festival."

"52 silver starfish, 20 crucian carp, 9 carp, 3 grass carp, 8 smallmouth bass, 6 largemouth bass, and 6 eels."

"The price of eel is the same as that of bigmouth bass, totaling 5754 coins."

"Xia Xun is really amazing! She caught so many rare fish in just one day yesterday." Miyo Okunoda praised with stars in her eyes.

Hearing the girl's heartfelt praise, Xia Xun couldn't help but smile.

"And then, this one."

Immediately afterward, Okunoda Miyo took out a small amulet embroidered with an exquisite whale pattern from her bosom and handed it to her with a touch of shyness: "This is a festival gift for Natsumi. I made it myself; it might bring a little extra luck!"

[Ding! Obtained the Zashiki-warashi's Lucky Charm]

Effect: Luck +2

As soon as he received it, a notification popped up in front of Xia Xun's eyes. This was the first time he had received an item that had been certified by the system.

But at this moment, for Xia Xun, the system's authentication was merely a formality, a step towards his own advancement.