Chapter 672: Avoiding Eyes
Xu Huo turned around and saw the big-braided girl's brother. The man was carrying an axe, his gaze sweeping over the stone carving at Xu Huo's feet before he said, "Xiao Yun said you wanted to buy a sculpture. Come with me."
Xu Huo didn't refuse and followed him out of the woods.
The siblings lived near the station. Leaving the woods meant crossing the street, and just like when he had arrived yesterday, many households were either openly or secretly observing the outsider.
There were also some players staying in the local guesthouses. Even though they wore the same clothes, they could be instantly distinguished from the lifeless local residents.
As they passed a house, cries for mercy and pleas for help came from inside. An old man was kicked into the yard, and through the half-closed door, a tall man could be seen pressing a young girl down onto a table.
Nearby residents quickly shut their doors. Xu Huo noticed Xiao Yun's brother tighten his grip on his axe. He stepped into the yard and released the "Swift Swallow."
The black blade, shaped like a swallow, spun into the room. A series of attacks forced the player out. The man retreated to the yard, sneered at Xu Huo, then lunged at him, a curved blade appearing in his hand as he slashed at Xu Huo's throat!
Xu Huo stood still, using "Same-Sex Repulsion" to block the man. Then he raised "Danger Makes People Blind." The player, forcibly pushed three meters away, looked up and inevitably saw his own eyes in the small mirror. His gaze immediately lost its luster.
Just as Xu Huo was about to finish him off, a rubbery prop, like a child's sticky toy, flew in from outside the yard, wrapped around the man, and yanked him out!
Xu Huo turned around to see another player he hadn't met before supporting his blinded companion, saying, "Two against one, you don't have the upper hand."
Xu Huo wasn't in great shape and didn't plan to get tangled up with them. "Bullying the old and weak, you've got some nerve. I won't argue with you. Just leave on your own, or I'll call the police."
There were no national institutions like an administrative office or police station in this county town. Besides, this was an instance. Players usually resorted to force to solve problems; calling the police would never occur to them. So when Xu Huo said this, both players looked utterly baffled.
"What are you doing!" Yi Pei walked over from not far away and quickly stood by Xu Huo's side.
The two players left in frustration. Xu Huo turned to help the old man lying on the ground. The old man flinched at his hand, then struggled to get up on his own, dryly thanking him.
Yi Pei comforted the young girl inside before coming out, sighing helplessly, "Some people are just beasts."
Whether inside or outside the game, the weak are easily bullied. It's not about gender, but women, being physically weaker, often become targets for those who bully the weak.
"With just that little skill," Xu Huo said, "they wouldn't dare pick a fight with someone stronger."
Xiao Yun's brother nearby showed a look of disgust and said bluntly, "Are you buying the stuff or not? If not, I'm leaving."
Xu Huo certainly wanted to buy. He stuffed a few hundred White Notes into the old man's hand and went with Yi Pei to Xiao Yun's house.
Xiao Yun was preparing lunch. When she saw them, she warmly greeted them and invited them to try some fresh wild fruit.
Xiao Yun's brother went back inside and brought out a basket of wooden carvings, dumping them on the ground. "Pick for yourselves."
Then he sat down in the yard, picked up his carving knife, and continued working on an unfinished piece.
The wooden carvings in the basket were very delicate. Unlike the carvings seen in other people's homes, Xiao Yun's brother made the eyes of his carvings very realistic.
This wasn't a difference in skill. It was that, aside from Xiao Yun's brother, everyone else chose to blur the eyes on their carvings.
The people in the county town were very taboo about "eyes."
"Can I use the restroom?" Xu Huo asked Xiao Yun.
Xiao Yun pointed him to the location.
He entered the restroom. It was a simple squat toilet with a small washbasin. A towel hung beside it, and a wooden shelf was nailed above the basin, holding toiletries.
Xu Huo stood in the restroom for a while, then washed his hands and walked out.
Yi Pei had already picked out the wooden carvings she wanted to buy and signaled for him to make his purchase so they could leave.
Xu Huo noticed there were also wooden handheld makeup mirrors. He opened one outward, first sticking his finger inside to touch it before flipping it open. "This craftsmanship is pretty good. I have a kid at home... Why isn't there a mirror inside?"
"My brother only does woodwork," Xiao Yun said, bringing them water. "Besides, a lot of young girls nowadays think wooden makeup mirrors aren't stylish, so hardly anyone buys them. If you want, I can give you a few."
"I'll be staying here for a few more days. How about this: I'll order a batch of wooden mirrors, and you help me install the mirror pieces?" Xu Huo suggested.
Xiao Yun looked at him with a troubled expression. "We can't get that many mirrors on short notice, and we don't plan on going out anytime soon."
Xu Huo smiled and put the wooden mirror frame down. "Then I'll order fewer. I'll install the mirrors myself, but I'll need a discount on the price."
Xiao Yun happily agreed and went to get all her stock. Xu Huo also picked out some other small trinkets. Before leaving, he asked Xiao Yun which household would go out to buy supplies.
"Others just go buy daily necessities. If you really want something, you can ask Brother Dahai at the hotel. He sometimes runs errands for the guests."
Xu Huo thanked her and left. Even after walking a long way, he could still see Xiao Yun standing at the door waving at them.
"Why do you keep asking about mirrors?" Yi Pei lowered her voice. "You went to the restroom to check if they had mirrors too, didn't you?"
"None of the households I visited today had mirrors. Don't you think that's a strange phenomenon?" Xu Huo countered.
Yi Pei touched the recording pen in her pocket. "But the hotel has mirrors."
"This instance is called 'Shared Eyes.' At the very least, it's related to eyes. The handicrafts sold in the county town are very well made, but they don't focus on the eyes. Not a single household uses mirrors. A train passes through here every day. Buying a few mirrors wouldn't be difficult, yet they keep making excuses."
"Looking at these small details, it seems the residents of the county town might be 'avoiding eyes.'"
"Avoiding eyes?" Yi Pei frowned. "But they don't seem to avoid other people's gazes. If they were so taboo that they wouldn't even use mirrors, they probably wouldn't want to look anyone in the eye either. That's a bit contradictory."
Xu Huo glanced at her. "It's just a small detail. It might be related to local customs. What did you find out?"
"Nothing particularly noteworthy. The only thing that's off is that these people don't seem to know much about their local religion. There are no sacrificial festivals, and they don't seem to worship any gods at home. They're clearly wary of outsiders, yet they really want guests to stay with them."
The two briefly exchanged information and returned to the hotel. After Tian Kunwen and the other two came back, everyone gathered in Fu Danhong's room to share what they had learned.
"They do worship a god," Tian Kunwen said. "In the bedroom."