Chapter 85: Chapter 85: First Contact with the Indigenous People
The group advanced majestically towards the village.
With a grand and open demeanor.
There was no intention to hide anything.
The arrival of the party quickly caught the attention of the patrolling soldiers outside the village.
Especially Zong Shen, riding on the Blood-toothed Wild Boar, was particularly eye-catching.
A giant wild boar, five meters long, is a presence that’s hard to provoke anywhere.
Anyone who can use such a terrifying creature as a mount is certainly no ordinary person.
Not to mention those who were riding Grassland Horses following behind; each one looked dignified and surely possessed great strength.
The patrolling soldiers were just Tier One Armed Militia of Avalon, the most ordinary professional soldiers trained from the Tier One Barracks of Avalon.
These soldiers wore light leather armor bearing the badge of Avalon’s Giant Dragon Roar, armed with longswords and donned in leather boots.
They indeed appeared more formidable than an average farmer, but for someone like Zong Shen who was accustomed to Tier Two and even Tier Three Warriors, these Tier One soldiers were nothing special.
Zong Shen casually glanced at the leading soldier.
This was a young man, about 1.8 meters tall, slightly slender, with blond hair and blue eyes.
Zong Shen took in all his attributes.
[Avalon Armed Militia: Colin]
[Faction: Avalon Kingdom]
[Current Status: Neutral]
[Level: 10]
[Strength: 16]
[Agility: 12]
[Wisdom: 7]
[Charm: 7]
[Life Value: 235]
[Slashing Damage: 36]
[Head Armor Value: 0]
[Upper Body Armor Value: 18]
[Lower Body Armor Value: 10]
[Magic Resistance: 5]
[Skills: Giant Dragon Slash lv1 (swiftly delivers three slashes, each slash dealing 1.05/1.1/1.15 multiplied slashing damage, cooling time 1h)
Passive Skill: Basic Swordsmanship lv1 (increases damage by 5% when wielding a sword)]
(A recruit of Avalon, has completed barrack training, yet still lacks combat experience)
This squad consisted of twelve armed militiamen in total.
They nervously blocked Zong Shen and his party with their weapons.
The leading soldier glanced at Pigsy’s hideous blood-red tusks, his legs slightly shaky.
"This... this lord..."
"Please state your purpose!"
He drew a short sword, held it horizontally in front of him, and asked hesitantly.
Zong Shen smiled gently at these words.
"I am a lord nearby wanting to procure some food from Sitanos Village, and I wish to speak to your village chief."
"These people are my subordinates."
Zong Shen spoke straightforwardly.
His tone was gentle, which eased the tension of the militiamen somewhat.
These indigenous people possessed their own thoughts and emotions, adhering to the world’s rules.
Zong Shen never underestimated these simple folks.
"Alright, my lord, but I fear that you and your subordinates’ mounts cannot enter the village..."
The leading soldier named Colin carefully said.
"Alright, we will leave the mounts outside the village. Please don’t worry, this chubby fellow is very obedient."
Zong Shen smiled, deftly dismounting from Pigsy’s neck.
Pigsy affectionately snorted at Zong Shen and nudged his arm with its large nose.
The group tethered their Grassland Horses to the fence outside the village, while from the watchtower nearby, sentinels holding short bows kept a wary eye on Zong Shen.
Especially eyeing that Blood-toothed Wild Boar, a beast of such size often possessed immense destructive power.
Zong Shen, appearing at ease, led his group along the main street into the village.
Behind them, the team of armed militia followed at a distance of over a hundred meters.
Watching Zong Shen and his party’s backs with a hint of fear and vigilance.
Zong Shen was unfazed by this; he felt no malevolence towards the village.
The street was bustling, with various shops lining it and vendors hawking their wares.
The main goods sold included local specialties like woven baskets, sturdy earthen jars, various cured beef and mutton, and even milk and coarse bread.
Additionally, the village had a blacksmith shop and a sewing shop selling ordinary whiteboard equipment.
The houses on both sides were stone and wood structures, the highest being only two stories, with the street paved with rough bluestone slabs.
The villagers regarded Zong Shen and his group with curious eyes.
Especially the young lads, wearing simple hemp clothing, their faces brimming with youthful vitality and curiosity about the outside world.
These villagers could easily tell they were not from around there.
The eyes of those vendors held curiosity, some greed, and even, in some, malice.
Zong Shen casually stopped a middle-aged villager carrying a basket on his back.
This villager bore the stench of cow dung, with hay in his hair, a scraggly beard covering his face, and was chewing something unknown.
Walking with his head down, he suddenly saw a hand in front blocking his path.
He raised his head, slightly annoyed, wanting to see who was obstructing his way.
Upon seeing Zong Shen fully armed, a look of surprise appeared on his face, and his impatience vanished.
Zong Shen extended a hand towards him.
He quickly spat out the thing he was chewing, like a soggy leaf.
He wiped both hands on his pants, black with grime.
Only then did he nervously extend his right hand to shake Zong Shen’s.
"Hello, my lord..."
"Is there anything I can do to be of service to you?"
Zong Shen nodded, calmly withdrawing his hand, his mouth curling into a smile.
"Do you know where the village chief is?"
This scruffy villager scratched his head and turned to point down the street.
"You need to continue forward; there’s a square down this street not too far, and the village chief is in the tavern there."
"Very well, one more thing."
"What were you chewing just now?"
Zong Shen pointed to the soggy leaf on the ground, asking out of curiosity.
"Dear lord, it’s a type of leaf called betel nut leaf; cows love to eat these, and occasionally chewing it can invigorate a person."
Upon hearing this, the smile on Zong Shen’s face widened.
"How many cows do you have?"
At this question, the scruffy villager instinctively flinched.
"Not...not many cows."
"Just five, with three being calves..."
"The one with most cows in the village would be Master Mars.
Though he’s been unlucky lately, a gang of bandits from the wilds stole his cattle last night, and the village militia couldn’t help."
The scruffy villager wisely shifted the topic, lamenting his poverty first and then providing Zong Shen with a new lead.
Zong Shen’s eyes lit up. He was originally planning to bring a batch of cattle back, and it seemed there might be hidden tasks in this matter.