The two, now wearing masks, walked with considerable swagger, unafraid of arousing suspicion. After all, when they had first entered this world, as long as they didn't ask how to escape, others wouldn't suspect them. Now, with their masks on, villagers they passed in the villages greeted them with immense warmth. Some even offered fruits for Jiang Fan and Zhou Niannian to taste, but they dared not try them. It wasn't that they feared the villagers had ill intentions; it was simply too difficult to eat the fruit from their mouths. Directly reaching into the mouths of these ox-headed and horse-headed beings would be unnatural if they didn't suspect something.
Jiang Fan arrived at a village, intending to use his mask to inquire about the route to the palace. To his surprise, everyone in this village was either an ox or a horse. Seeing them wearing the same ox-head and horse-head masks as him, Jiang Fan felt extremely awkward. Fortunately, the props Jiang Fan had prepared were quite realistic, so they didn't recognize him at first.
Seeing two new faces in their village, these ox-heads and horse-heads were very hospitable. "These two must be newcomers to our Huakaluo world. We haven't seen you before."
Hearing this, Jiang Fan chuckled awkwardly. "That's right, we just arrived. We don't know what happened, but our faces turned into this."
Upon hearing this, the ox-head before him seemed surprised. After a moment's thought, it reasoned that Jiang Fan might have fainted during the face-changing process, and therefore, didn't suspect anything further. "It's normal. Perhaps you were a bit nervous during the procedure and fainted, which is why you didn't realize your face had changed. But don't worry, even with that appearance, you're still undeniably handsome."
This ox-head was quite eloquent, and its words were pleasing to Jiang Fan's ears. However, Jiang Fan still didn't understand what this procedure was about. "What procedure? Are you all like us, having undergone this surgery to enter?"
The ox-head immediately replied, "Of course! Most people here are those who have been abandoned by life. If it weren't for Doctor Huakaluo's treatment, we would have died long ago."
Jiang Fan found this rather unbelievable. Who was this Doctor Huakaluo? Could he really bring people back from the brink of death? Jiang Fan pondered this, but knew he couldn't ask any more questions. If he continued, they might become suspicious of him as well.
After staying in the village for a short while, Jiang Fan decided to leave. Although the villagers were very enthusiastic and friendly, they didn't detain the two. "What is going on in this world? Everyone seems very friendly, yet they also seem very afraid of outsiders."
"Do you think it's because of the procedure?"
"They seem no different from normal people. Why do they panic when they realize we are normal?"
Jiang Fan was very curious, but he couldn't explain their mindset at the moment. The people in this world seemed to be shrouded in a veil. Although they had survived and appeared friendly on the surface, they were not as they seemed. Furthermore, when Jiang Fan had first entered this world and asked how to leave, the inhabitants had looked at him strangely and even wanted to kill him, a stark contrast to their current friendly demeanor.
"Forget it, let's not worry about it for now. We probably won't be able to find the palace by asking them. Let's head in the direction of the city and ask again when we reach the town we came from. It's likely closer to the palace. Once we find their king, we'll ask how we can leave and how to obtain the core of this world." Although this prospect seemed uncertain, it was all they could do. Even Jiang Fan didn't know what else to do, but if they didn't, they would all perish.
Zhou Niannian appeared to be relaxed, but Jiang Fan was extremely tense.
Meanwhile, Yao and Dai Xiaomei remained in their original location, waiting for the child and the adult to return. After a day, they found no clues. "Do you think we should go out and do something? If we just wait here, and those two don't come back, won't we starve to death?"
"Look at how hungry Gun Gun is. He's already starting to gnaw on the floor." Indeed, Gun Gun's stomach rumbled continuously, and he gnawed on the floor with his teeth, clearly demonstrating his hunger. Seeing this, Yao felt heartbroken. Gun Gun normally had a huge appetite, and the fact that he wasn't crying or making noise, but merely grinding his teeth on the floor, proved his obedience.
"Alright, with Gun Gun protecting you, you should be fine. I'll go out and find something to eat."
Upon hearing this, Dai Xiaomei immediately grabbed Yao's hand. "Is that a good idea? It's too dangerous outside. Perhaps we should just wait here for those two to return. I'm worried that if we go out, we'll be discovered by the enemy."
Yao slowly shook his head. "It's alright. If I act alone, they won't find me. You know my skills; I can walk on rooftops with ease. It's virtually impossible for them to find me on the rooftops." After saying this, Dai Xiaomei finally felt relieved, as Yao's strength was indeed not to be underestimated.