Chapter 26 - Let’s Make a Deal
With Benton’s proximity to the village’s wooden walls, he noticed that they showed no signs of the scarring he’d have expected from repeated beast attacks, a discordant fact when compared to everything else he’d observed. Of course, the wall’s material resonated with his spiritual sense to an absurd degree, which obviously had something to do with the lack of damage.
Su’s memories boggled at the expense to construct a wall around a village in the middle of nowhere out of wood possessing such spiritual properties. That impression gave Benton pause. Only a powerful sect could afford to expend so many resources.
Made from the same material, the gate was about fifteen feet tall, roughly the same height as the walls on either side of it, and if it weren’t in place, Benton judged that the gap would let in two wagons side by side.
It slowly slid open, stopping at the width of a single person.
A guard appeared. “Esteemed Master Cultivators, welcome to the Prosperous Gray Forest Village.”
Having the gate open even that little bit obviously made the guard anxious, so Benton led his disciples inside so it could be shut. The man cupped his hands and bowed thankfully.
Inside, the village looked run down. Not that it was overgrown with weeds or anything, just that it had a somewhat neglected look. A wagon missing a wheel sat outside a house. One window had a pane of glass broken, and it had been covered with rice paper. Additionally, not a single structure appeared to have been painted in the last decade. In fact, many of the residences had a look of abandonment to them.
Prosperous would not be an adjective Benton would use to describe the place.
Another thing that stood out was that every house, even the ones that looked empty, had a garden. Crops grew everywhere there was space.
Other than the guard, there were a few people milling about, some tending the gardens. All of them, even the guard, looked gaunt. They weren’t to the point that Benton would call them emaciated, but they definitely did not look like they were getting enough food.
Everything Benton saw tracked with the story he was building in his head of a village that had been isolated for a long time, unable to leave the walls or even receive traveling merchants, due to the spirit beast situation.
“The Esteemed Honorable Mayor has been notified, Esteemed Master Cultivators, and will be here shortly.”