I created the myth of the Great Old Ones.

Lu Ban spoke loudly again, while banging on the door even harder.

There has still been no response.

“These people probably don’t want to see us. We can get to Kushui Town by following the road signs. There’s no need to bother them…”

Drizzt hadn't finished speaking.

He then saw Lu Ban pick up the crowbar in his hand and skillfully pry open the door of the house.

"There really is someone there!"

Lu Ban exclaimed excitedly.

Chapter 066 I Did Not Threaten Them

After prying open the door, Lu Ban saw two people standing inside, a man and a woman, dressed in plain clothes with blank expressions. From the moment Lu Ban entered, their eyes were fixed on him warily.

"Hello, could you please tell me how to get to Kushui Town?"

Lu Ban glanced around the house. Although it was the largest house in the village, it still felt cramped and narrow. Apart from a wooden bed, a table, two chairs, a kitchen counter, and a cabinet, there was nothing else of value.

“Kushui Town…over there, just follow the road straight.”

The man answered with a gloomy expression, looking both fearful and angry, and pointed to the road.

"You don't seem very welcoming to us. Is it because we're going to Drywater Town?"

Lu Ban pressed for more information, while simultaneously approaching the kitchen counter to examine the items on it.

Dried fish, flour, rice, etc.

"Dry Water Town, bad luck..."

The man hesitated before speaking, then saw Lu Ban pick up the salted fish hanging in front of the kitchen counter.

"I'm a little hungry now. Can I have some of your salted dried fish? I see you have a lot hanging here. This kind of dried fish can't be kept for too long. If you don't eat it now, it might spoil and cause an upset stomach. Well then, I've come here, so it's fate that we've met. How about I take some salted dried fish for you? It'll be a good deed."

As he spoke, Lu Ban took down three of the salted fish and casually stuffed them into his bag.

"..."

The man glanced at the crowbar in Lu Ban's hand, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something.

"These garlic sprouted even if you don't eat them, the scallions won't last long, and the salt got damp from the recent fog. For your health, I've taken care of them."

Lu Ban also grabbed some garlic, scallions, seaweed, a handful of salt, and finally some rice.

"By the way, do you know about the Black Queen Mother?"

He skillfully packed the ingredients into his bag, then casually asked a question.

Upon hearing this word, the expressions on the men's and women's faces finally changed, their numb and indifferent expressions suddenly turning into panic, fear, and awe.

"I dare not know, I dare not know..."

The man muttered to himself and took a few steps back.

"You dare not know? Does that mean you know?"

Lu Ban took two steps forward.

"I don't know, I don't know..."

The woman covered her ears, as if just hearing the word would hurt her.

"Do you know anything about the Hai family? I heard that strange noises are heard coming from their courtyard at night?"

Lu Ban pressed closer and closer.

"The Hai family are... the Hai family are messengers of the gods... I dare not know, I dare not know..."

The man said with awe.

"It certainly seems to have had a profound impact."

Lu Ban muttered to himself.

Since he had already taken the salted fish, he didn't make things difficult for the man anymore. He walked out of the house and thoughtfully closed the door behind him.

"Did you find anything?"

Drizzt, unaware of what was happening inside the room, asked a question.

"The salted fish is of good quality."

Lu Ban put the three dried salted fish on the carriage and climbed on.

"You stole them from someone else's house?"

Trist glanced at Lu Ban's three dried salted fish.

"No, I took it. I didn't threaten them. You can ask them if you don't believe me."

Lu Ban explained.

"...Are you really going to eat all of this?"

"Let the carriage start," Trist asked, puzzled.

In quiet places, he generally tries to avoid eating local food, partly to prevent any unpleasant substances from being found in it, and partly because most local food tastes rather awful.

"Yeah, otherwise what would I do with all this? You have really strange problems."

Lu Ban answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and then glanced at the village receding into the distance behind him.

"The people here must know about the Black Queen Mother. The Hai family probably does have some strange aspects, but they dare not say it, probably because the Hai family controls this area."

"That task is a bit difficult."

Tristan thought to himself.

The mission is to survive until the end of the wedding and witness it, which means that you can't hide outside of Drywater Town until the time limit. Being inside the wedding means you'll likely be surrounded by people from Drywater Town. If anything goes wrong, you'll be outnumbered.

Aren't you going to eat?

Lu Ban pointed to the dried salted fish next to him.

"I won't eat..."

Drizzt was ashamed.

"Then I'll eat it myself."

He took out a camping barbecue grill, some charcoal, a pot, and bottled water from his bag.

The barbecue grill was designed to be suspended in the air, so it could be placed directly on the carriage. After starting the fire, Lu Ban heated the pot and poured in the oil.

Drop small pieces of dried salted fish into hot oil and fry; soon, a fragrant aroma will fill the air.

The villagers' salted fish are not completely air-dried, but still retain some freshness. As soon as they are heated at high temperatures, they immediately release that unique seafood aroma.

He then added scallions and garlic, stir-fried them until fragrant, and added water.

Finally, add the rice and sliced ​​kelp, cover the pot, and wait.

"...You seem quite skilled at this?"

Trist looked at Lu Ban with a strange expression.

If this is Lu Ban's first time in the Silent Land, that's understandable. But to be able to come to the [Erosion] difficulty level of the Otherworld, he must be a veteran who has completed at least two missions. Why didn't Lu Ban bring any survival tools, but instead had such a complete set of cooking utensils?

"So-so."

While waiting, Lu Ban noticed that the surrounding trees were becoming sparse, the night wind was picking up, the humidity in the air was increasing, and the smell of the sea was becoming stronger.

You can even faintly hear the sound of waves.

The sea breeze rustled through the leaves, creating an eerie sound that seemed strangely unsettling on the empty, quiet road.

Glug glug—

Lu Ban heard bubbling sounds coming from the pot, so he opened the lid.

The rice was cooked into porridge, and together with salted fish and kelp, it looked like food from primitive times. It didn't look very appealing, but the aroma was very strong. The salty and savory smell filled the nose, and even Trist couldn't help but swallow.

Lu Ban picked up a spoon, scooped up some porridge with salted fish and seaweed, and put it in his mouth.

The umami flavor locked in by sun-drying is brought out under high temperature. When mixed with rice, it has an extraordinary taste. The fish is delicate, the kelp is crisp, and the rice is soft and sticky. With the spicy aroma of scallions and garlic, it blends into a warm pot of porridge.

"It's quite delicious."

As long as the ingredients are good enough, even a simple stew will taste delicious.

Lu Ban gulped down his porridge and gnawed on a salted fish, while Trist watched this scene with a conflicted expression.

"You really aren't going to eat?"

Seeing his hesitation, Lu Ban took out a spare bowl.

"I'll only eat a tiny bit, just a tiny bit."

Trist felt like he was being led astray by this person.

However, when he picked up the bowl, drank the salted fish porridge, and let the taste of the sea permeate his tongue, Trist thought that eating something like this was quite nice.

He had just finished enjoying his salted fish porridge and put down his bowl when he saw a wide-open space in front of him, where the trees had disappeared and the shadows of buildings stretched across the night sky.

They arrived at Kushui Town.

Chapter 067 Paper Wedding Dress

Compared to the previous villages, Kushui Town can indeed be described as prosperous.

Although there are no city walls, the town's boundaries are fenced off and guarded by militia.

The houses in the town are built along the street, stretching all the way down, and a cluster of mansions can be vaguely seen in the center of the town, which is very conspicuous.

It was still dark before dawn, the darkest period before daybreak. There was no one on the streets, and the militiamen on guard duty were all yawning.

"We've finally arrived."

Trist breathed a sigh of relief; at least they should be able to attend the wedding smoothly now.

In the instant he relaxed, Drizzt's gaze caught sight of someone standing under a tree not far to his left.