"Oh~"
Miao Qi and Miao Ke, the two sisters, drew out their "ohs" in unison.
However, their faces were still filled with confusion.
"Still don't understand. It's normal for a bottle to inflate when blown into, but Master isn't a bottle, how can he inflate?"
Miao Ke asked with a puzzled expression.
"That's right. Even if Master were a bottle, where is its opening? Is it his mouth? Should we blow air into his mouth? Are you sure he'll be happy this way?!"
Miao Qi retorted, acting like a genius.
"This... I don't quite understand either. Anyway, that sister back then taught me this!"
"She said that by learning this skill, I could be bullied less by those bad men and also make the person I like happy!"
Miao Yin didn't understand either, she just parroted what others had said and relayed it truthfully.
"Tch, so you don't understand either, yet you're teaching us!"
Miao Qi pouted.
But... she thought about it again. What if this skill was actually useful?!
When Master was unhappy, she could indeed try it.
However, she would have to find Master's inflation point first, then she could properly cheer him up!
The group followed Zhang Chen, chatting and laughing, and unknowingly arrived at a small village.
On both sides of the roads were harvested farmlands, and in the distance, an orchard was laden with fruits. The farmers' faces were filled with the joy of a bountiful harvest.
The entire small village was also much grander and more luxurious than other villages, with most households being courtyards with three-story structures.
Each household also had high-level energy beasts guarding their homes, indicating that this was no ordinary village.
Ordinary people could not afford to raise energy beasts; their mere food consumption would bankrupt an ordinary family.
"Something's not right, this village is a bit off..."
Zhang Chen narrowed his eyes and said.
This was a necessary stop on the pink crystal's movement path.
Zhang Chen had teleported here, preparing to get the crystal by lying in wait.
But he hadn't expected this village to be so unusual.
"What's wrong, Master? This place is peaceful, serene, and very nice, like a paradise!"
Miao Ke quickly asked.
"It's not autumn, yet the farmlands are already mature, and the fruits in the orchard are ripe."
"Moreover, can they be this wealthy just by selling fruits and grains?"
"Apart from some guard energy beasts, I haven't sensed any powerful cultivators in the entire village."
"A village this prosperous, aren't they worried about being attacked?"
Zhang Chen analyzed seriously.
"Now that you mention it... it is indeed a bit strange. This place is on the border, with frequent warfare... armies from both the Empire and other countries could appear. Moreover, it borders the demon beast forest. Wouldn't the demon beasts be attracted by the food here?"
Miao Ke nodded and chimed in.
"In any case, let's be careful. There's definitely something strange about this place!"
Zhang Chen instructed.
"Yes, Master!"
Miao Ke nodded earnestly.
But behind them, Miao Yin and Miao Ke were still arguing heatedly about how to blow air.
"Roar... Woo woo..."
Suddenly, a fierce bear-like energy beast leaped out from a nearby yard.
It had sensed a strange scent and rushed out of the yard.
But the moment its gaze met Zhang Chen's, its entire aura deflated instantly. It whined and fled back into the yard as if it had been severely beaten.
"Who is it? Who's here?!"
As he spoke, an old man, hunched over, slowly emerged.
Upon seeing Zhang Chen and the three girls behind him, he couldn't help but be startled.
"You are... outsiders?"
"Yes, we are just stopping here for a moment and will leave tomorrow!"
Zhang Chen replied.
"Oh dear, no outsiders have visited our village for over a decade. It's truly rare to meet distinguished guests like you today. Come, please come inside!"
"I live alone in this house, and it's usually very quiet. There are plenty of empty rooms, so you can stay for the night."
The old man invited them warmly with a smile.
"Then we gratefully accept your kind offer!"
Zhang Chen nodded and led the three girls into the courtyard.
"Hmm? Strange... why is Hei Zi so well-behaved today? He didn't even bark!"
The old man said curiously as he led the way.
The Hei Zi he referred to was likely the bear-like energy beast that had just appeared. It was now curled up in its den, trembling.
"I am the village chief, my surname is Hu, and my name is Hu Qingzhu. May I know your names?"
The village chief, trembling, led the four into the main hall and sat down.
Immediately, two maids, with their heads bowed, took turns serving tea.
"My surname is Zhang, and my name is Zhang Chen. These are my sisters!"
Zhang Chen said, putting his arms around the waists of the three sisters.
It was indeed miraculous. Although there were three of them, their bodies were exceptionally soft. With a slight force, he managed to embrace all three sisters together.
It was as if they were all liquid, able to adjust the positions of their bones and muscles at any time.
"Oh oh, Brother Zhang Chen, are these three sisters triplets? They look almost identical!"
The village chief didn't believe that these three young and beautiful girls were Zhang Chen's sisters, as they didn't look alike at all.
Moreover, judging by their behavior, the three girls' demeanor towards Zhang Chen was not like that of sisters towards a brother, but rather like a master and his concubines, or a husband and his three consorts.
"Yes, your maids are also unusual. Are they elves?"
Zhang Chen did not hide his inner curiosity and asked directly.
Because he saw that these maids had pointed ears, which peeked out from beneath their hair.
Also, elven girls had very fair skin and were quite beautiful, making them easily distinguishable from humans.
"Elves? So, in your hometown, you call them elves?"
"We call them wood pets here. They are nurtured from plants in the forest, like pets. They don't speak, but they have a certain level of intelligence, and they can only do the work of servants."
"If Brother Zhang Chen likes them, you can have these two serve you tonight. Our village is very hospitable, please don't be polite!"
"Although they are wood pets, their physical structure is quite similar to women!"
The village chief said with a smile, showing off his "enthusiastic hospitality."
"No need for that, we're only staying one night."
Zhang Chen directly refused.
"That's fine... but I wonder where young brother comes from, and where are you heading tomorrow?"
The village chief asked solicitously.
"I come from a very distant place. I'm handling some business nearby. After finishing, I'll be returning tomorrow. I won't be much of a bother!"
Zhang Chen couldn't explain the matter of the teleportation gate to the village chief.
Even Hua Ling Realm cultivators like Miao Ke, who had some knowledge, had never seen a teleportation gate, let alone a village chief who had lived in the mountains for a long time.