Vol. 2 - Chapter 385 - Chief's Omen

Zhang Nu’s words were merely a tactic to lower the villagers' guard. He intended to return once their suspicions had fully subsided. As he left, Liu Hai anxiously watched him go, struggling to understand why Zhang Nu would leave so easily.

“Are you really going to let Zhang Nu leave like this?” Liu Hai pleaded with the villagers. “His story is just like mine, but at least I was fortunate enough to have you all take me in. If he leaves now, there may be no one left in the world who cares for him. He might grow to hate this world, and who knows what kind of harm that resentment could cause?”

The elder woman understood Liu Hai’s concerns; she knew the potential danger of pushing Zhang Nu away. But their village was already in a precarious situation, and she couldn’t afford to take risks.

“Liu Hai,” she began, her tone gentle but firm, “this is a hardship that everyone must face at some point. Life presents different challenges to us all, and Zhang Nu’s path is not yours. The village chief has warned us about outsiders for a reason, and it’s our duty to follow his guidance.”

Liu Hai, hearing this, realized the villagers were conflicted. They pitied Zhang Nu, but none dared defy the chief’s orders. The timing of Zhang Nu’s arrival had indeed been unfortunate; otherwise, he might not have been treated as an outcast.

But there was something that intrigued Liu Hai—the elder’s cryptic mention of the village's potential destruction. Why was their village at risk? The thought gnawed at him, making him wonder what greater danger loomed over them all.

“Granny, even if I can understand what you're saying, could you at least tell me this: Why did the village chief say that if outsiders come to our village, the village will be destroyed? Why make such an absurd statement?”

Liu Hai desperately wanted to know the reasoning behind the village chief’s ominous words. What basis did the chief have for making such claims?

The elder woman, hearing Liu Hai’s question, found herself at a loss for how to explain. The villagers had always obeyed the chief’s words without question, as doing so had protected them from many disasters in the past. Defying the chief had never ended well. In fact, there had been a time when villagers had ignored his warnings, leading to a devastating plague that wiped out half the village. Since then, everyone had obeyed the chief without fail to prevent another catastrophe.

“Liu Hai, this has always been our village's tradition. I know that there are many things you, the younger generation, don’t understand, but as long as we listen to the chief, we can avoid calamity. We may disobey our parents at times, but we must always heed the chief's words. It’s the only way for our village to continue thriving.”

Liu Hai, hearing the old woman’s explanation, couldn't help but think how absurd it all sounded. Why did everyone have to follow the village chief's every word? Why did the chief wield so much power? What had happened in the past that made the villagers so dependent on his guidance?

The more Liu Hai thought about it, the stranger it seemed. The village’s deep-rooted obedience to the chief felt unnatural, and the supposed ancient tradition that justified this power only made things more mysterious.

Soon, the crowd dispersed, and the village elder, with a face full of helplessness, said sternly to Liu Hai, "Liu Hai, Granny knows you have a kind heart, but you must not bring that person back again. If I find out that you’ve brought him back, I won’t let you stay in this village any longer."

Her tone was severe, as if the moment she found Zhang Nu in Liu Hai’s home, she would immediately expel both of them from the village. Hearing this, Liu Hai didn’t dare to act recklessly.

Reluctantly, Liu Hai began thinking of a way to meet Zhang Nu outside the village. The whole situation seemed absurd to him. When night fell, Liu Hai didn’t go to sleep; he waited patiently, knowing that Zhang Nu would return. He was certain that Zhang Nu wouldn’t leave so easily and would come back to uncover the truth behind the village’s strange behavior.

Sure enough, in the middle of the night, Liu Hai heard movement outside his house. He knew it was Zhang Nu. Liu Hai quietly opened the door for him, careful not to alert the other villagers. If they were caught, both he and Zhang Nu would be expelled from the village for sure.