The Martial Artist Turned Movie Mogul
Chapter 993 - 992. Local literature (first update)

Chapter 993: 992. Local literature (first update)

Wen Nuan tilted her head in a faux serious manner, pondering for a good while. Her blinking eyes made her look even more youthful and radiant, perfectly matching her vibrant outfit that screamed college student energy.

It was only then that Tang Shu realized this girl was actually only twenty-four or twenty-five years old—not much older than a university student.

"Uh... because of love?"

Wen Nuan adorably let slip those few words.

"..."

Tang Shu was disgusted beyond belief by this answer, her expression showing an undeniable look of distaste.

To hell with "adorable girl." Clearly, she was a devil incarnate!

The next moment, the devil across from her burst into hearty laughter, completely amused by Tang Shu’s expression. Her laughter was so loud it felt like it could tear through the mists within a kilometer radius.

"Being this bold, you better be careful the villagers here don’t kidnap you to become their chieftain’s wife."

"This village is matriarchal; men hold very low status. But actually, I wouldn’t mind becoming your chieftain’s wife. I’ve been curious about Tang Village for a long time."

Wen Nuan threw herself onto Tang Shu, wrapping her in an enthusiastic hug. "So, what do you say? Consider it?"

"What about your love? Giving up on that?"

"To be honest, General Tang is more tempting to me."

"..."

Let’s have a moment of silence for Xiao Xi’s dad.

"Don’t use that face to pull that expression. It’s too much for me to handle, thanks."

"Oh~~ Speaking of which, Xiao Shushu, your face-changing technique is truly remarkable, even better than our makeup skills. When will you teach me the secrets?"

Indeed, given their overwhelmingly striking features, Tang Shu had spent ages smearing and altering their looks before they set off, ensuring no trace of their true appearances remained.

To outsiders, the group of five seemed like nothing more than a bunch of clueless, lost travelers stumbling about by accident.

Tang Shu dodged the arm Wen Nuan was about to sling over her shoulder. "We’ll talk about it when we get back."

Face-changing techniques were highly sought after in Damo. If someone wanted to learn, they had to pay a price. Now, what was Tang Shu currently in need of?

Little did Wen Nuan know that her friend’s mind was already whirring with plans, the mental abacus clacking away loudly, while she herself remained happily anticipating a new set of skills.

The two, along with the other three young men and women, bantered humorously as they walked. The poisonous mists in the forest gradually thinned out. A chill, biting northern wind swept through, and Collar Village finally revealed its full appearance.

It was a small village nestled against the mountains, dotted with scattered wooden houses—around fifty or sixty in total. From their elevated vantage point, they could take in the entire layout at a glance.

"This really seems like an ideal spot to live in seclusion..."

Tang Shu had been brimming with anticipation before coming here, imagining all kinds of scenes involving Gu Insects and the old Miaojiang traditions in Damo. Now seeing it in person, she felt a sense of "just as expected."

Wen Nuan shrugged. "Maybe it’s because it’s winter now. The last time I came, the village was absolutely beautiful—way better than this."

"True. If everything goes well this time, we could come back next year."

"Exactly! Treat it like a tourist spot."

The two chatted as if they were on a casual sight-seeing trip, while the three others shot them annoyed looks, their darkened faces brimming with disbelief. They stared at the pair like they were staring at a couple of lunatics.

Do you take this place for your private backyard? Coming and going as you please? Weren’t we suspecting this might be a terrorist stronghold or something? Show some respect for the enemy, won’t you!

***

Half an hour later, the group of five finally encountered someone from the village.

It was a young girl dressed in traditional local attire, carrying a handmade woven basket on her back. She looked around seventeen or eighteen, with dimples that appeared when she smiled, making her impossibly adorable.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

"Hello, hello! We’re students from Southwest Medical College, here to gather medicinal herbs. But... it seems we got lost?"

The lone male in the group, Shang Xiaoyan, stepped forward to handle the exchange, looking entirely sincere and honest.

"My name’s Shang Xiaoyan, and these are my classmates. Um... do you live nearby?"

Wen Nuan and Tang Shu trailed behind the group. Wen Nuan leaned close to whisper in Tang Shu’s ear, "I think she’s the most adorable girl I’ve ever seen."

"I thought Xiao Xi was the most adorable in your heart."

"Of course! My daughter is the best. This girl can only be second."

Taking advantage of the fact that no one could hear them, the two shamelessly continued to chat away. By the time Shang Xiaoyan finished negotiating with the cute villager, they had already gathered quite a bit of information from her.

For example, her name was Ah Cui. She lived with her mother and grandmother. The village was called Collar Village, with a population of about two hundred. It was self-sufficient year-round, although quite a few villagers had ventured out into the world for education or work.

Overall, the village was as simple and pure as one could imagine.

Tang Shu and Wen Nuan exchanged a glance, adjusted their travel backpacks, and rejoined the main group.

Shang Xiaoyan, the natural conversationalist, used the excuse that their legs were tired and their stomachs empty after walking for three hours, and suggested they find a place to rest. Miss Ah Cui, very much obliging, invited them to her home.

"We rarely get visitors here. It’s been ages since I’ve seen anyone from outside!"

Miss Ah Cui was visibly thrilled during the journey, while Shang Xiaoyan occasionally shared stories about the outside world, eliciting constant exclamations from the young girl, who seemed filled with fascination for their experiences.

"If only I could go to your cities to study too. But I’ve always been terrible at academics. My teacher said I had no talent for it, so I could only follow my mom and learn some crafts."

"So all these accessories on you are handmade? My god, these are practically works of art! They’d sell for a fortune where we’re from!"

"If you guys like them, I can give each of you one. They’re not that valuable here."

The group followed a mountain path for another twenty minutes after escaping the mist, until they came across a stone stele inscribed with the words "Collar Village." Beneath the three Chinese characters was a line of symbols resembling writing.

"This is our local script. It’s completely normal if you don’t recognize it."

Ah Cui led them to her house. After meeting her mother, she handed each of them a cup of water.

"Go ahead and drink. Coming out of the mist around the village, your lips are already turning pink—that’s a symptom of poisoning. This water is our local remedy for the miasma."

The young girl was very hospitable, her dimples flashing with every smile.

Tang Shu smiled back and was the first to lift her cup. "Thank you, Ah Cui. After walking all day, we really needed this."

The others quickly gulped down the antidote water, noticing it had a faintly sweet taste.

"By the way, I overheard you mention you’re medical students?"