ficcloud.com [https://ficcloud.com/images/ficcloud.jpg]
Upon seeing the old woman, Mengdie quickly wiped away her tears and approached with her hands clasped in respect, "Madam, hello. My name is Mengdie, I am a... martial artist. These three are my companions, the swordsman Edward, the mage Xiu, and Nia. We come from Luweil City."
The old woman initially recoiled in fear as Mengdie approached, fixating on her ears and tail. However, after seeing Mengdie's extraordinary beauty and the tears still on her cheeks, the old woman's concern seemed to dissipate, and she coughed twice.
"Are you alright, ma'am?"
"Yes, yes, I'm fine. Sorry, young lady. Seeing your tail, we... whenever we see someone with a tail, we think of those brutal wolves... Oh, no, it's alright now. Everyone! Don't worry! This young lady and her companions have come from the royal city! They are soldiers sent to resolve our wolf troubles!"
Mengdie was taken aback. How had she suddenly become a wolf-slaying soldier? But before she could clarify, the doors of the surrounding houses opened and many villagers emerged, surrounding Mengdie and her group.
"Soldiers?! Has His Majesty finally sent the army?! Thank the Emperor! Long live the Luweil Empire!"
"Wait, wait, don't get too excited. Can this really work? A team of only four people, and half of them are women?"
"Damn! What is this? Why did His Majesty send a team with women and children? Are there no more proper soldiers? Has His Majesty given up on us?!"
"Hey! Old Granny Gluma, you said His Majesty wouldn't abandon us, but why did he only send such a team? Tell us! Tell us—!!!"
"I knew it! How can we believe the words of a plague-ridden family? Stupid old woman, I was so hopeful because of you! How will you compensate me?!"
In just a moment, the villagers turned their anger and frustration towards the old woman who had spoken to Mengdie. Granny Gluma stood trembling, supported by her cane, shrinking amidst the villagers' anger and disappointment.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Confused by the situation but unable to bear seeing the old woman face the villagers' wrath alone, Mengdie quickly pushed through the crowd to stand in front of her, arms spread wide.
"Everyone! Please calm your anger! This isn't the old lady's fault!"
Mengdie's intervention only inflamed the villagers' emotions further.
"Woman! This is our village's affair! Don't think you can do whatever you want just because you're pretty!"
"Yeah, yeah! It's all this stinky old hag's fault! The plague started from her house before, and now she has brought these wolves upon us! She must be a witch!"
The accusations grew harsher, their fingers pointing accusingly at the old woman, their eyes filled with malice not directed at a fellow villager, but rather at the source of a disease, the root of evil.
The blaming voices grew louder, and Granny Gluma, standing behind Mengdie, leaned on her cane, her frail body growing more hunched. Edward, Xiu, and Nia squeezed in to protect the old woman, but no matter what they said or how they tried to intervene, the villagers' accusations didn’t subside. Eventually, someone picked up a stone from the ground and threw it at Granny Gluma!
Mengdie's quick reflexes caught the stone flying towards Granny Gluma. With a slight squeeze, the hard stone turned to dust in her strong grip. Seeing this, the crowd finally quieted down.
"Everyone! Why are you tormenting an old woman?!"
"Fox woman! Then we ask you, what are you doing in our village? Are you here to hunt wolves?!"
Mengdie lowered her head, pondering deeply. Finally, she shook her head gently, "Sorry, we're not here to hunt wolves. We're here to find something..."
"Not here to hunt wolves, then why come to our village? Do you want to boast about being able to kill the wolves, eat and drink in our village, and then get completely wiped out by the 'Blue Demon,' just like last time?! We don't trust you, our village doesn't trust you!!!"
The villagers echoed in unison. Tormented by the fear of wolf attacks for so long, they had completely lost their sanity. They were frantic, irritable, and filled with despair. The daily torment of death had frayed their nerves, leaving them wondering who would be the next to be devoured and torn to pieces by the wolves.
Finally, the crowd, tormented by the hellish nights, began to riot. They picked up stones from the ground and threw them at Mengdie and her companions. Despite Mengdie clenching her fists, Xiu raising his staff, and Edward wielding his giant sword, they couldn't dodge all the incoming stones. Just as they were about to be hit...
"Everyone, please... wait a moment."
A stone was about to hit Mengdie, who was already in a defensive stance, when suddenly, a gentle voice came from afar. A yellow light flashed, and the stones flying in the air seemed to be stuck in the air, suspended motionless. Mengdie, having spent a few days with Sasa, immediately recognized that it was not something else, but—
"Divine power! And... such strong power!"
The stones hanging in the air brought a mysterious sense of oppression to the uninformed villagers. The crowd parted to reveal an elderly priest, about seventy years old, looking wan and standing on the outskirts of the crowd. Under his feet, a bright shield-shaped magic circle glowed.
"The wise man?"
"The Great Wise Man—Cotton!"
"Cotton, why are you here? Please rest well!"
Read more at: fⅰÇçlоūd▪çōm
ficcloud.com [https://ficcloud.com/images/ficcloud.jpg]