Chapter 344: I Like Him
"No!" Nannan was frantic, trying to hug Xiao Ye again. "You can't go!"
"You entered our village, so you have to stay. Otherwise... otherwise, you'll die!"
"Our village can never let an outsider leave. Now that you're here, you're one of us!"
With that, Nannan grabbed Xiao Ye's hand and placed it directly on her chest.
He immediately felt the soft touch.
"Be with me, and we'll live together!"
Xiao Ye quickly pulled his arm back. "Don't mess around, girl!"
He picked up her clothes and draped them over her. "Go on, get out. I'm not going to do anything with you."
"Besides... I have to leave tomorrow. Your village can't stop me."
Nannan looked at Xiao Ye and bit her lip. 'She didn't think so.' "The men in our village are all hunters. They're very strong."
"You can't beat them. You should just stay. Otherwise, you'll really die!"
Xiao Ye didn't say another word. Instead, he stood up and pushed Nannan out. "You're still young. Get some rest."
'What a joke. He would never make a move on a teenage girl!'
'Looks like I'll have to find a way to lead this village out of here. If things go on like this, aren't they just harming people?'
'Even if it's their custom, I have to step in!'
Nannan stared at the closed door, stomped her foot in anger, and hurried back to her room. "Mom, what do I do? He refused, and he said he's leaving tomorrow!"
"But the Village Chief and the others will definitely kill him!"
"Mom, I don't want him to die... I... I like him!"
The first time she saw Xiao Ye, she had wondered how such a handsome man could exist. She liked men like him!
Otherwise, she wouldn't have been so willing to give her first time to Xiao Ye.
As the prettiest girl in the village, she could have chosen any of the other men, or even the most strapping hunter in the village!
The woman's expression was grim. "It doesn't matter how much you like him if he's not willing."
"Alright, you go to sleep for now. Don't overthink it. When the Village Chief and the others stop him tomorrow, he'll realize he can't escape and give up."
She stroked Nannan's face. "Besides, my Nannan is so beautiful. How could anyone not like you!"
Hearing this, Nannan finally relaxed. She was already tired today, so she quickly fell asleep.
Once the woman was sure she was asleep, she quietly left and went to the Village Chief's house.
"Village Chief, that young man... he's unwilling. He even said he already has a wife. It seems he really plans to leave."
The Village Chief's face was dark. "If that's the case, we'll just have to stop him tomorrow."
"Don't harm him yet. My Nannan likes him a lot. Why don't we lock him up first? Post guards at the exit. Once he's had time to think it over, he'll be willing to stay."
The Village Chief nodded. "Fine, I understand. Having a child with an outsider is a good thing, too. Maybe the baby will be healthier."
「The next morning.」
The sky had just begun to lighten.
Xiao Ye got up, packed his things, and prepared to leave.
He hadn't gotten far before several burly men blocked his path.
The other villagers were also starting to get up, one after another.
In this mountain village, there was no cell signal, no phones, and not a single form of entertainment. Naturally, everyone went to bed early and woke up early.
"Young man, you can't leave."
Xiao Ye looked at the men before him and asked calmly, "Why?"
"There is no 'why'. You entered the village, so you can't leave."
Xiao Ye looked towards an old man walking over from a short distance away. He could tell this was the one in charge.
"Village Chief, you're here."
The old man grunted in acknowledgment and looked at Xiao Ye. "Young man, don't blame us for being cruel. This is for the good of the village."
"I know what you did for Nannan, and we don't want to repay kindness with malice, but for the sake of everyone in the village, we have to make you stay."
"If you go back now, we won't lay a hand on you. But if you insist on leaving, then we can't guarantee that."
Xiao Ye looked at the other villagers. They all seemed to agree.
He asked, confused, "Village Chief, why can't I leave? Will my departure bring some kind of disaster to the village?"
The man kept repeating it was 'for the village.' 'There must be more to this story,' Xiao Ye thought.
The Village Chief sighed deeply. "Since you're from the outside, don't you understand?"
"It's chaos out there, with wars breaking out constantly. If you go out and lead others here, our village will be doomed."
"That's why you must stay!"
Xiao Ye was taken aback. "Wars breaking out constantly? Who told you that?"
After listening to the Village Chief's explanation, Xiao Ye finally understood what was going on.
These people had come here about ninety-some years ago. At that time, the Dragon Country was indeed not stable.
Their ancestors had brought them into Cyan Dragon Mountain to hide from the turmoil.
Before they came, they had encountered a military troop whose leader said the war would likely last for a hundred years.
The village's ancestors took this to heart and decided to hide here for a century before going back out.
Now, with less than ten years left to reach that century mark, they were naturally unwilling to let their long period of hiding be for nothing.
Xiao Ye smiled. "Village Chief, there are no wars outside. There's no chaos. Everything is fine, and in fact, it's developing very quickly."
But the Village Chief looked at him with distrust. "That's impossible. Our ancestors wouldn't lie."
Xiao Ye knew it would be difficult to persuade them, so he changed his approach. "I've noticed there are no elderly people in the village. Even you, Village Chief, who seems to be the oldest, look to be only in your forties."
"You may know about herbal medicine, but illness is unavoidable, right?"
"And that's not even mentioning the fact that Cyan Dragon Mountain itself is fraught with danger!"
When this village was first established, there were nearly six hundred people.
But after a hundred years of development, with generation after generation of children being born, the population hasn't grown. Instead, it has dwindled to just over two hundred people.
The first reason is the lack of proper medical care. Relying on just a few herbs is useless.
An illness that could be easily cured in the outside world could be a slow, agonizing death sentence here.
The second reason is the environment of Cyan Dragon Mountain itself. There are many wild beasts and poisonous insects. A simple snakebite could be fatal.
Xiao Ye continued, "Village Chief, as an outsider, I might be the very hope your village needs to survive."
"You don't want the village's population to shrink any further, do you?"
"If you believe me, then come out and take a look. It's just a look. If there's danger, you can always run back."
The Village Chief hesitated. It wasn't because he believed Xiao Ye's words, but because of the feeling Xiao Ye gave him.
Who was Xiao Ye?
The disciple of the Lingxiao Daoist!
And now, the Patriarch of the Xiao Family, a reclusive and powerful clan!
His innate aura was just that powerful. Even his casual words carried a sense of conviction that made people want to believe him.
Xiao Ye took out his phone. "You can take a look at this."