Courtyard House: My Long and Hard Body Makes Me Play with All the Women in the Courtyard

“I come from a small town on the east coast.”

"Why are you here?"

Su Ting was silent for a moment, then said, "I'm looking for something."

"What is that?"

"One answer."

Lin Jian didn't press further, simply nodding. Both understood that at times like these, everyone had secrets they didn't want to share.

After resting for about half an hour, the group set off again. The path through the forest became increasingly difficult, but the people's pace quickened, because everyone could sense that dawn was approaching.

Finally, as the eastern sky began to lighten, they saw the edge of the forest and the outline of Qing Shi Village in the distance.

"We've arrived," the hunter said, a weary smile on his face.

People cheered, but quickly fell silent, for everyone knew this safety was only temporary. The monsters, the conquered city, and their lost homes would forever remain a haunting shadow.

Su Ting stood at the back of the group, looking back at the path they had come from. The forest appeared serene and beautiful in the morning light, as if the terror of the previous night had never occurred. But he knew this was merely the calm before the storm.

"What are you thinking about?" Lin Jian walked up to him and asked.

“I think,” Su Ting said softly, “this is just the beginning.”

Qingshi Village was larger than expected. Although not exactly prosperous, the houses were neat and orderly, and the streets were very clean. The villagers were initially surprised and wary of the large influx of refugees, but after learning the situation, they quickly organized themselves to provide assistance.

The village chief was an elderly man in his sixties named Chen Mu. He arranged for people to temporarily settle in empty houses and granaries in the village and organized the villagers to provide food and water for the refugees.

“Our village is small and our resources are limited, but we will do our best to help everyone,” Chen Mu said to Su Ting. “However, you cannot stay here for long.”

Su Ting nodded: "I understand. Those monsters might come after us, and we don't want to cause trouble for the village."

“Not only that,” Chen Mu sighed, “our food reserves are limited, and with so many more people, we can’t last long.”

“We will leave as soon as possible,” Su Ting assured, “We only need to rest for a day or two to allow the elderly and children to recover their strength.”

Chen Mu agreed to the arrangement and assigned several young men to take Su Ting and Lin Jian to a small house on the west side of the village.

“It’s empty there, you can stay there temporarily.”

The cabin was simple but clean and tidy, with two beds, a table, and several chairs. Su Ting and Lin Jian put down their luggage and finally had a chance to rest.

"What are you planning to do next?" Lin Jian asked, checking his bow. The bowstring was a little loose and needed to be readjusted.

“I was originally going north,” Su Ting replied, “where I find what I’m looking for. But now…”

"Now you're in charge of these refugees?"

Su Ting shook his head: "Not entirely. I just feel that this incident might be related to what I'm looking for."

Lin Jian raised an eyebrow: "What do you mean?"

"Those monsters, they're not ordinary beasts. Did you notice what they looked like? That thing wriggling under their skin?"

Chapter 828 A Safe Place

Chapter 828 A Safe Place

“I noticed,” Lin Jian frowned. “It’s really strange. Do you think it’s related to what you’re looking for?”

Instead of answering directly, Su Ting asked, "Have you heard of the Shadow Seed?"

Lin Jian stopped, a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes: "That's just a legend."

“There’s some truth behind every legend.” Su Ting walked to the window and looked out at the distant forest. “I believe those monsters are creatures infected by the Shadow Seeds.”

“If that’s true, then we’re in big trouble.” Lin Jian put down his bow. “Legend has it that creatures infected by the Shadow Seed will mutate and become stronger, and they will spread the infection.”

"That's why we must find the source and stop it from spreading further."

Lin Jian was silent for a moment, then said, "You know much more than you show, right?"

Su Ting turned around, a wry smile on his face: "Everyone has their own secrets, Lin Jian. Sometimes, the less you know, the safer you are."

“In this case, I’m not sure if ignorance is really a blessing.”

Their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. Outside stood a girl of about sixteen or seventeen, carrying a tray with two steaming bowls of soup and some bread.

"The village chief asked me to bring you some food," the girl said, her voice clear and melodious.

"Thank you." Su Ting took the tray. "What's your name?"

"My name is Xiaohe," the girl replied, curiously looking at the two of them. "You're from the city, right? Was it really attacked by monsters there?"

“Unfortunately, yes,” Lin Jian said.

Xiaohe's eyes lit up: "Then you must be the heroic archer everyone's been talking about! I heard you single-handedly held off several monsters, giving everyone time to escape."

Lin Jian shook his head somewhat awkwardly: "I just did what I was supposed to do."

“Anyway, you are really brave,” Xiaohe said sincerely, then turned to Su Ting, “You are too. The village chief said you helped fix the mechanism of the city gate and saved many people.”

Su Ting smiled and said, "That was just good luck. By the way, do you know if there's a blacksmith in the village? We need some weapons and tools."

“Yes, it’s in the center of the village. My father is a blacksmith, I can take you there.”

"That's great. We'll go after we finish eating."

Xiaohe nodded and turned to leave.

Su Ting and Lin Jian wolfed down their food, then followed Xiao He to the blacksmith's shop. The blacksmith, a sturdy middle-aged man named Tie Zhu, was forging a farm tool.

“Father, these two are guests from the city. They need some weapons and tools,” Xiaohe explained.

Tie Zhu put down the hammer and wiped the sweat from his forehead: "What kind of weapon?"

“Arrows, the more the better,” Lin Jian said. “Also, if possible, I need a new bow. Mine was damaged in battle.”

Tie Zhu inspected Lin Jian's bow: "This is excellent material, what a pity. I can try to repair it, but it will take some time. As for the arrowhead, no problem, I have some ready-made here."

"Thank you," Lin Jian said gratefully.

"And you?" Tie Zhu turned to Su Ting.

"I need some simple tools, like a hammer and nails. Also, if possible, I'd like to see a map of your village."

"A map?" Tie Zhu asked, somewhat puzzled. "Where do you want to go?"

“The North,” Su Ting replied, “but first I need to ensure these refugees have a safe place to go.”

Chapter 829 Helping to Maintain Order

Chapter 829 Helping to Maintain Order

Tie Zhu nodded: "I'll have to ask the village chief about the map. As for the tools, you can choose whatever you like."

Su Ting selected some basic tools, while Lin Jian stayed behind to discuss bows and arrows with Tie Zhu. Su Ting bid farewell to the two and wandered around the village alone, wanting to familiarize himself with the surroundings.

The village was small, and they walked through it quickly. Most of the refugees were housed in several large granaries on the east side of the village, while some stayed in villagers' homes. Su Ting noticed that although the villagers appeared hospitable, their eyes betrayed their worry. They were concerned about food shortages, but even more so about the monsters pursuing them.

Just as Su Ting was about to return, he noticed an ancient stone tower on a small hill to the north of the village. The tower was not tall, only three or four stories high, but it looked very old and its style was quite different from the other buildings in the village.

Out of curiosity, Su Ting decided to take a look. Climbing up the hill and observing the stone tower up close, he discovered some strange runes carved on the tower, some of which had been eroded by wind and rain and were no longer recognizable.

"That's the watchtower."

Su Ting turned around and saw Chen Mu standing behind him. The old man had caught up at some point and was staring at him with deep eyes.

"Watchtower?"

"It's said to have been built hundreds of years ago to monitor activity in the forest," Chen Mu said, walking up to Su Ting. "However, nobody uses it anymore."

"What do these runes mean?" Su Ting asked, pointing to the markings on the tower.

Chen Mu's expression turned serious: "That's a warning."

"What's the warning?"

“Warning people not to awaken the sleeping darkness.” Chen Mu sighed. “Young man, I know you’re not an ordinary refugee. Your eyes tell me you know something we don’t.”

Su Ting was silent for a moment, then said, "I'm looking for something called the Shadow Seed. I believe it's related to the monsters that attacked the city."

“The Seed of Shadows…” A hint of fear flashed in Chen Mu’s eyes. “That’s an ominous name. Legend has it that it can corrupt all life and turn them into slaves of darkness.”

"You know anything about it?"

"It's just some ancient legend. It's said that long ago, someone tried to use its power, which resulted in a disaster. In the end, several powerful mages joined forces to seal it away somewhere in the north."

"The North..." Su Ting mused, "Do you know the exact location?"

Chen Mu shook his head: "That's just a legend, no one knows the exact location. But if you really want to find it, I suggest you visit Old Xiao on the other side of the mountain first. He's a learned man who has collected many ancient books, and he might be able to tell you more."

“Thank you for your suggestion,” Su Ting said sincerely. “There’s one more thing… these refugees…”

“I’ve already discussed it with the other villagers,” Chen Mu said. “We’ve decided to help them get to the big city to the west. There are plenty of resources and defenses there. I’ll send a few young men who know the way to guide them.”

"That's great." Su Ting breathed a sigh of relief. "That's exactly what I was worried about."

"However, we need a few days to prepare food and water. In the meantime, we hope you can help maintain order."

"Of course, that's what we should do."

The two came down from the mountain and returned to the village. On the way, Chen Mu told Su Ting that Lao Xiao lived alone in a small wooden house on the west side of the village and rarely interacted with others.