Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 385 The crowd is excited

"What? Did I hear that right?!"

"Your Excellency Druid, are you abandoning us?"

"No! I won't accept it! We absolutely cannot accept it!"

"Betrayal! This is a shameful betrayal! It must be that damned mage who bewitched Lady Jady!"

The crowd was outraged; some were incredulous, some were panicked, and some were indignant.

What Jadi found most unacceptable was that some of the villagers who used to be so respectful and almost obedient to her had changed their tune, speaking vehemently as if she had committed some unforgivable sin.

Zhang Yuan, who is regarded as the mastermind behind the instigation, goes without saying. It's a bit much to be condemned by everyone, but if looks could be used as knives, Master Zhang would have been riddled with holes long ago.

Unlike Jady, whose grievances were tinged with a hint of helplessness, the mage had foreseen this situation.

The idea that "a small favor is appreciated, but a large one is resented" is beyond the comprehension of women living in the countryside, but it is commonplace for Zhang Yuan, who has experienced the tide of information from his previous life.

"A debt of gratitude turned into enmity!"

Master Zhang shook his head repeatedly, adopting the air of someone who had been through it all, and began to instruct Jie Di:
"Not everyone knows how to repay kindness. For some people, the longer others give, the more they take it for granted, even considering it their due. But if you are short of or cut off their supply one day, they will immediately become angry and accuse you of being heartless, unfaithful, and untrustworthy."

After a moment of silence, the woman of virtue spoke again with some difficulty:
"That's spot on. That's exactly how it is right now. Have you experienced this before?"

"No."

The monk chuckled:
"After all, I'm not some great philanthropist. Anyone who thinks they can get something out of me for nothing is dreaming."

These somewhat vulgar words amused Jie Wudi, who had been feeling down, to burst out laughing. She blushed slightly at her lapse in composure, then put on a serious face again.

However, the surrounding villagers became increasingly agitated. Although they were wary of the mage and druid's extraordinary power and did not dare to use physical persuasion, a few self-proclaimed representatives of the people's will became more and more high-profile, speaking eloquently as if they were playing the role of martyrs.

The seemingly kind but actually ruthless Mr. Zhang wasn't buying it and immediately brought out the little Samsung to set the tone.

As the saying goes, it is a white jade pillar reaching the sky and a purple gold beam spanning the sea. Regardless of its combat power, its appearance and small size alone make it one of the most intimidating in Dota heroes.

As for the dragon and demon pieces, those are rather sensitive topics and it's best not to show them at this time, lest rumors circulate about evil mages feeding dragons with civilians or sacrificing demons.

But even this mountain giant far exceeded the villagers' meager imagination. Its small body, over ten meters tall, stretched out like undulating mountains, blocking out the morning light and leaving only a dim shadow cast on the villagers' eyes, which were almost popping out of their sockets.

At this moment, no matter how excited or thrilled the guy was, he stopped talking.

They didn't close their mouths; on the contrary, their gaping mouths almost touched the ground. The trembling that arose from the depths of mortals at the sight of this colossal being at the pinnacle of power was like an instinct ingrained in their blood, uncontrollable.

The monk's words reached their ears, carried by the winter wind, and entered their hearts.

"That's very well said. But it's no wonder. When someone you've always relied on and trusted is about to leave, it's hard not to feel agitated and resentful. It's not surprising that you might even end up in a hysterical state."

"But I just don't understand, can any of you tell me when Jady became your subordinate? Could it be that she survived only because of your charity, huh?"

"Constantly accusing others of betrayal and abandonment, always portraying themselves as victims—it's bizarre, what audacity! Listen to me!"

The monk's gaze swept around, his eyes like cold, sharp blades, causing the onlookers to involuntarily move back. Of course, Xiao Xiao's sudden, coordinated lunge was also a contributing factor.

"Don't fucking take other people's kindness for granted. Jady has already accepted my invitation, that's an indisputable fact. If anyone objects, I'm a democratic person, you can bring it up to my face."

As he spoke, Master Zhang put on a forced smile, and Xiao Xiao tried her best to force a smile as well. Unfortunately, because the stone face was too stiff, it looked even more terrifying than a ferocious grin in the eyes of the villagers.

"The conditions I promised you were only because of Jady. If you refuse this favor, the only thing you will lose is your own future."

Compared to the defense of female virtues, the monk's speech was much more forceful. He had no interest whatsoever in the constant pleading, complaining, or even moral blackmail that some people talked about.

The cold, blunt words were like a bucket of cold water poured over their heads, a straightforward and almost cruel reminder to those still indulging in self-pity what kind of being they were, and what kind of attitude they should show in the face of such a being.

The mage's words were unpleasant to hear, and could even be described as sarcastic. However, compared to the previous argument with the female druid, no one present dared to step forward and uphold the spirit of democracy, or to have a proper conversation with Master Zhang.

There's no way around it; what Jady is showing is her patience in reasoning with idiots, while what Master Zhang is showing is his fists that make them obediently listen to his reasoning.

Jadi, standing to the side, felt both helpless and admiring. This guy was indeed shameless. He clearly wanted to take the other party into his possession, but he acted as if it was just a casual thing to do. On the other hand, his words not only made some of the villagers' arguments untenable, but even she felt a sense of enlightenment.

Yes, she didn't owe them anything. It was just human nature, so why bother herself? Jady was actually quite glad that she had accepted the monk's invitation.

Then the female druid stepped forward to reiterate her decision, this time speaking much more bluntly: those willing to go to the Northland were welcome; those whose hearts remained hardened were free to do as they pleased.

No matter how loudly they shouted before, when it came to voting with their feet, their actions betrayed them all. In this large village of over a hundred people, not a single one stubbornly stayed...

"I didn't expect their reaction to be so intense. I thought we could have a proper talk like before."

Once the dust settled and everything was settled, the villagers dispersed, whispering and muttering in twos and threes. Occasionally, they would cast cautious glances in the direction of the sorcerer, but before the sorcerer could turn his gaze back, they would shrink back as if burned by fire.

Thank you Tianni~ for the monthly ticket support, thank you!

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(End of this chapter)