"I was wondering where all the clowns went. Turns out they were waiting for us here!" Dream Jia privately messaged in the system channel, feeling a chill down her spine, realizing they might have walked into a trap.

The servants who ran out from the village chief's house were surprised to see Little Tiger return alone. One clown, dressed as a butler, frowned and asked, "Little Tiger?! Why are you back by yourself? Where are the others?"

Little Tiger then detailed the events to everyone, explaining that he was lucky to meet Haoyun and his friends on the way back, which allowed him to escape and return safely. Haoyun and his friends, hearing Little Tiger's gratitude, felt awkwardly guilty.

After all, it was less about them helping Little Tiger return to Yinmu Village and more about them being led to the village by Little Tiger. Besides, there was no danger on their way back; it was a smooth journey. Little Tiger was clearly exaggerating their role.

However, the three assumed Little Tiger’s story might be necessary for the quest narrative, so they did not offer much explanation and modestly nodded, indicating they had just done what anyone would do and did not deserve excessive thanks.

"Oh, I see. Let's go inside and talk," said the butler tiger indifferently after hearing Little Tiger's story. He then gestured for Haoyun and his friends to follow, seeming very nonchalant.

The butler's demeanor surprised Haoyun and his friends. They could sense he was not particularly concerned about what Little Tiger had said and was completely indifferent to Haoyun and his friends’ assistance. Moreover, his expression suggested he did not fully believe Little Tiger’s account and seemed somewhat disappointed by Little Tiger’s return.

As they were led into the courtyard of the village chief's house, Haoyun noticed that aside from its large size, there was nothing particularly special about it. However, the tiger-costumed servants exuded a hostile vibe, making Haoyun feel they might attack if given the slightest provocation. Thus, while following the butler through the courtyard, Haoyun and his friends remained prepared for combat.

After passing through three corridors, they finally arrived at a tiled house in a larger courtyard. This house was in an ideal location by Elysium Lake, with a wide waterfront platform extending towards the lake, allowing residents to enjoy the beautiful view.

Haoyun and his friends were led into the main hall of the house. The hall was spacious and bright, yet simply decorated. Haoyun’s attention was immediately drawn to a peculiar hanging brazier emitting a slow stream of smoke and the elderly tiger lying beside it, staring blankly at the lake view.

"Village Chief! Little Tiger has returned!" the butler quickly reported to the elderly tiger, bowing slightly.

"Is that Little Tiger?" the village chief responded weakly and, with the butler's help, struggled to sit up.

As the village chief adjusted to face them, Haoyun and his friends felt their anger rising: It was Daddy Cat dressed as the elderly village chief!

They were furious because they recognized the elderly tiger was none other than Daddy Cat, who had now donned an additional tiger costume over his usual cow cat outfit. To enhance his disguise, Daddy Cat even replaced his black mustache with a white one, resembling Santa Claus.

"Chief, don't you recognize us?" Haoyun asked through gritted teeth, taking a step forward after confirming the village chief's identity.

The elderly village chief, Daddy Cat, looked at Dream Jia with a puzzled expression and replied, "I don't recognize you. Have we met before? I'm sorry, but my old age has caused me to forget many things."

Haoyun was about to speak again but was stopped by Dao Lao, who quickly signaled him to observe the situation. Dao Lao then bowed to the village chief and said, "Hohoho! My friend must have mistaken you for someone else. If we have offended you, please forgive us, Village Chief!"

Haoyun realized his impulsive words had made the surrounding tigers wary. They were eyeing him suspiciously, ready to draw their whips at any moment. He quickly scratched his head and awkwardly bowed to the village chief, saying, "Yes, I must have mistaken you for someone else. Please don’t be offended, Village Chief."

"Oh, it's alright. Having someone you care about is a wonderful thing. Since you remember this person so fondly, he must owe you a lot of money, right?" the village chief, played by Daddy Cat, waved his hand gently, making a nonsensical remark to show he was not offended.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"Village Chief! Please help me think of a way to save my parents and two uncles!" Little Tiger interrupted Haoyun, who was about to continue speaking, and knelt down in front of the village chief, urgently pleading. Then, at the village chief's inquiry, Little Tiger, with exaggerated expressions and overly dramatic gestures, recounted his experience in detail. Haoyun couldn't help but imagine that with an Indian soundtrack, it would turn into a Bollywood dance scene.

While Haoyun and his friends watched Little Tiger's animated performance as if he were insane, the other tigers present were engrossed in the story. They whispered to each other with serious expressions, appearing to be in deep discussion about Little Tiger's account. The village chief fell into deep thought. Haoyun and his friends noticed that Daddy Cat, playing the village chief, had a cunning and cold look in his eyes, starkly different from his previously naive and goofy demeanor.

Dream Jia then said in the system channel, "It seems like the current Daddy Cat isn't the real Daddy Cat. He now seems like an NPC character assigned to this mission, and his true personality is probably sealed by some power."

"Yes, exactly. Just like the other characters here, their previous personalities have been replaced by the roles they play now. I wonder what kind of illusion the Countess used to make them puppets under her control," Dao Lao responded.

While Haoyun and his friends were speculating in the system channel about how the Countess controlled these people, the butler, after discussing with the village chief, announced, "Based on Little Tiger's explanation, we have reason to believe there has been a severe geological disaster in the nearby forest. Therefore, to rescue Little Tiger's family and investigate the forest conditions to ensure the safety of other villagers during their foraging, the village chief has decided to gather a team and set out tomorrow morning for the forest to conduct the rescue mission."

Though Haoyun and his friends were exhausted from their journey, they questioned the village chief's decision. If a geological disaster had occurred and there were already people in danger, shouldn't they head to the forest immediately to carry out the rescue?

The butler explained, "Due to the dangers of this rescue mission, the village chief will hold a ceremony later to pray to the deities residing on Elysium Island for their protection over the rescuers and the villagers involved in the foraging. Thus, the rescue operation will officially begin tomorrow."

"Other foragers? I thought we were just participating in a rescue mission tomorrow," Haoyun asked in confusion. According to Little Tiger, the forest was currently dangerous due to frequent geological disasters. Sending people in for foraging at this time not only posed risks but could also interfere with the rescue operation.

"Alas, it can't be helped! You see, our village chief is seriously ill and can only be cured by a unique herb found in that forest, used to make Yin Dan to heal him and allow him to continue leading us in safeguarding the deities on Elysium Island and receiving their blessings. Therefore, even though the forest is dangerous, we must continue to forage for the necessary herbs," the butler explained. Haoyun and his friends then understood that Little Tiger's family had encountered trouble while collecting medicinal herbs for the village chief’s treatment. They also realized Daddy Cat, playing the village chief, was vital to Yinmu Village.

Seeing that Haoyun and his friends had no further objections, the butler ordered, "Little Tiger, let these three outsiders stay at your house tonight. We will set off for the forest early tomorrow to rescue your family."

Then the butler turned to Haoyun and his friends, saying, "And you three, make sure to attend tonight’s memorial ceremony in Yinmu Village. Without receiving the blessings the village chief has prayed for, you might encounter danger during tomorrow's rescue mission."

After instructing Haoyun and his friends, the butler ignored Haoyun's attempts to ask more questions. He signaled Little Tiger to take them to rest and directed the servants to pull out musical instruments from behind their bodies. The tigers sat around the village chief and began to play chaotic music. Judging by their absorbed and ecstatic expressions, they seemed to have completely forgotten about the rescue mission scheduled for the next day.

Watching the sudden shift in the villagers’ behavior, Haoyun was at a loss for words. Seeing these tigers behaving like they had split personalities, Haoyun and his friends could only shrug helplessly, acknowledging that the Countess’s character design for these roles was both bizarre and twisted. They reminded themselves not to get too immersed in the odd plot to avoid letting it cloud their judgment.

Little Tiger led them through three more courtyards, finally arriving at a simple thatched house at the end of a secluded path. Upon seeing the house, Little Tiger sobbed, "This is my home. You can use my parents’ room. Because my parents and my uncles... they, they... Waaa!" Little Tiger started crying again.

Dream Jia, maintaining her character, gently patted Little Tiger’s large head and comforted, "Don't cry, Little Tiger. Tomorrow we will rescue your family. And you must believe that under the deities' protection, your family will escape the danger safely."

Persuaded by Dream Jia, Little Tiger finally managed to stop crying. After wiping his nose with a vigorous swipe, he said, "Yes, Rabbit Sister is right. In a few days, I will see my family again. I won't cry anymore. I believe they will all be fine. Please, come inside and rest. I'll go prepare some delicious food for you."

Once Little Tiger had settled Haoyun and his friends and left the thatched courtyard, the three immediately began searching the hut for any valuable clues. However, Little Tiger's home was indeed very impoverished. Apart from the straw mats for sleeping, the thatched hut was completely empty.