We agreed to seek enlightenment together, but how did you end up seeking enlightenment for my mother

As soon as the group stepped into the village, two large gray dogs wagged their tails and came forward, barking softly.

The middle-aged man at the front waved his hand and shouted a few harsh words. Only then did the dog tuck its tail between its legs and whimper as it retreated, hiding behind the house and secretly observing the two strangers.

As the village chief led the way, he pointed to the surrounding houses and introduced the village's layout and population composition to Xu Zhou.

He knew exactly who lived in each room and what their professions were.

"The man in that house over there is the best weapon maker in our village. If you need any equipment made or repaired, you can go and talk to him. He usually stays in the forge with the armorer."

After turning the corner, the village chief pointed to a slightly larger long wooden house, from which the aroma of food could be smelled from a distance.

"This is our banquet hall, which is actually where we eat. Everyone gathers here to eat at mealtimes, and we also occasionally hold celebrations here."

The group continued forward, passing a wooden rack where animal hides were drying. Suddenly, the village chief stopped and pointed into the distance.

"Look, that wooden cabin in the distance is where you'll stay tonight. A couple used to live there, but unfortunately they were infected by zombies a few days ago, and the pastor personally took them away... I hope you don't mind."

"Please accept my condolences," Xu Zhou sighed.

Along the way, Xu Zhou saw farmland and orchards, windmills and mills, and stone houses with chimneys.

The village is not large, but it has all the necessary functions and is fully equipped.

What struck him as the most novel thing was the waist-high wooden stakes that could be seen everywhere along the roadside. Each stake had a lantern-like device embedded at the top, with a dim candle flame flickering gently inside the semi-transparent cover, burning stubbornly even in the daytime.

Xu Zhou guessed that these were probably streetlights used for lighting at night.

After silently memorizing the layout of the village, he finally couldn't hold back any longer and voiced the question that had been weighing on his mind for a long time.

"Did you migrate from somewhere else?"

"Oh, young man, you have a keen eye."

The old village chief's face was wrinkled and he chuckled:

"We were originally free people from the castle town on the plains. We came to this remote area to develop villages on the orders of the city lord."

"Why did you travel all this way here?" Xu Zhou asked, puzzled.

"Because everyone needs us, and God of Creation above, if we continue to cower in a corner, the land available for us to live in will only become smaller and smaller in the future." The village chief's tone was calm, but it revealed a firm determination.

I learned from the old village chief that there are many kinds of environments and ecosystems in this world, of which only plains, forests, wetlands and mountains are suitable for human habitation.

Corruption, sanctification, crimson, and arid lands, for example, are not only rife with crises but also spread endlessly outwards. Only traces of human life and creation can slow their erosion of other lands.

"It's clear that you've come from a very far place. It's just a pity that we ordinary people don't have much ability. The farthest we've ever gone in our lives is only about a hundred miles away from the castle."

The village chief couldn't help but sigh, his tone carrying a hint of longing for the distant horizon.

Xu Zhou nodded and memorized the information.

Turning to look at Wu Lulu, I saw the wolf cub and Xiao Mei huddled together, chatting happily, completely oblivious to the information around them.

He was just like a primary school student on a spring outing, only concerned with having fun and not paying any attention to anything important.

What will I do without this family?

As the group approached the empty wooden house, the middle-aged man exchanged a few pleasantries with the village chief before turning and leaving. Qiu Xun and Xiao Mei each received a handful of fruit that Wu Lulu had picked on her way there, and the two of them happily skipped and jumped away.

Just as Xu Zhou was about to push the door open and enter, he caught a glimpse of the village chief standing there, looking as if he wanted to say something but hesitated. So he stepped back and gave a kind smile.

"Village Chief, please speak frankly. As my companion said earlier, we are grateful for your village's generous assistance, and as adventurers, we will do our best to repay you."

"Haha, since you've figured it out, I won't beat around the bush with you two."

The old village chief gave an awkward smile, rubbed his withered hands together, and a look of worry immediately appeared on his face.

"To be honest, the only autonomous puppet in the village has malfunctioned for some reason. And these past few nights, monsters have been causing trouble frequently. Without this safety net, everyone is somewhat panicked."

After saying that, the old village chief raised his hand and pointed to the door of an empty house to the side. Xu Zhou looked in the direction he indicated and immediately realized that the door had been added later.

"A few days ago, zombies broke down the door, killing two villagers. If it weren't for the fact that those monsters would be scorched by the sun during the day, this place would probably be a deserted village by now," the village chief said with a shake of his head and a sigh.

"Fortunately, the worst didn't happen. It seems we arrived just in time," Wu Lulu said, patting her chest in relief.

However, if there were no living people here, Wu Lulu probably wouldn't have followed the scent to find her.

"Yes, thank the gods, and thank you all even more." The village chief removed his hat and bowed again.

"Let's not delay, let's go check on that puppet first."

Although Xu Zhou was exhausted and longed to wash himself, eat something hot, and then have a good sleep on a soft bed, he knew what was important and what was urgent. Repairing the village's armed forces was the priority right now.

The group then turned around and headed to the other side of the village.

On the way, the village chief introduced Xu Zhou and his companion to the villagers who had gathered around. Everyone raised their hands to welcome them warmly, their faces beaming with joy.

"We've arrived, this is the place."

The village chief stopped and showed the group the giant humanoid metal puppet slumped on the ground next to the well.

From a distance, Xu Zhou could see the steampunk-style robot, but its structure was much simpler. Huge gears served as the core transmission structure, connecting the limbs and the massive body. Its overall posture was bulky and clumsy, making it hard to imagine what it would look like when it moved.

At this moment, the metal creation, which was a full ten feet tall, was sleeping peacefully. Its outer shell was covered with cracks, many joints were rusted, and bloodstains were congealed on its fists and soles, demonstrating its undeniable battle record.

"Oh, it really is broken," Wu Lulu suddenly said.

Xu Zhou raised an eyebrow and turned to look at the other person.

"Can you understand it?"

"It's written on the item information."

Wu Lulu casually replied with a nonsensical remark, then seemed to realize something, her expression suddenly froze, and she awkwardly turned her head away.

Seeing this, Xu Zhou became even more puzzled.

The village chief clearly saw the problem and said with a smile:

"Oh! Sir adventurer, it seems you haven't yet received the blessing of the God of Creation, and therefore cannot observe this world through the eyes of the gods... This is quite common for adventurers from distant lands!"

"The Eye of God? What does that mean?"

The old village chief grinned sheepishly, then moved aside and pointed to the road leading to the center of the village.

"Young man, come with me, you will soon understand."

Xu Zhou was puzzled and kept glancing at Wu Lulu, but the latter pretended to look at the scenery while resting her head on her hand, deliberately avoiding his gaze.

The group quickly arrived at the center of the village, where a human-shaped stone sculpture immediately came into view.

Rather than a statue, it's more like a blocky figure randomly pieced together from several hexagonal stone blocks. To put it nicely, it has a rough style; to put it bluntly, it's a half-finished product.

"Sir, this is our God of Creation—Shim!" The village chief opened his arms and introduced the god with a devout expression.

Xu Zhou looked at the blocky figure in front of him and fell silent.

The gods of this world seem a little too square-shaped?