Linda looked completely unsurprised: "By the way, Miss. Are we really going to find the Light Priest? But there aren't any Light Priests left!"
"Speaking of which, what exactly is this 'Light Priest'?" Stone was speechless at the mention of this. In her mind, doctors and pharmacists were common professions, but they usually treated commoners. Noble families, on the other hand, would seek help from water mages and light mages.
For example, if someone from the Huo family were injured, they would normally turn to the Shui family for help. Because while the Shui family might lack other things, they have an abundance of water-based mages.
"Miss, are you pretending to be stupid? Or do you really...really not know?" Linda swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue. She almost choked on them.
Stone rolled his eyes at her: "I'm really stupid! Is that enough?"
"Hehe, Miss, actually it's probably because you didn't receive a systematic education when you were young, right? Although my family isn't a big family, my father still sent me to the town school when I was young. My first teacher taught me a lot of things!"
Stone wanted to roll her eyes again. It wasn't that she hadn't received a systematic education; she hadn't received any education at all! Back in the Dwarf Kingdom, she only studied for a few days, and later, although she spent a few years at the Imperial Academy in the capital, the problem was that Teacher Dio hadn't taught her any theoretical knowledge whatsoever!
Seeing that Shi Tou remained silent, Linda dared not tease her any further and pondered for a moment before speaking: "Actually, I don't know much about Light Priests either. I only remember that a teacher once told me that a long time ago, water and light magicians were very rare. When people were injured or sick, they would go to doctors and pharmacists. However, doctors and pharmacists couldn't treat every kind of injury or illness. Back then, people had to go to Light Priests."
"But what exactly is a Light Priest? Is it similar to a light-elemental mage?"
"It shouldn't be. The Light Priests seem to be people from the church. They treat illnesses and injuries for free, but those who are healed have to work in the church. And the length of time they work is determined by the severity of their injuries."
“That’s not bad either. At least the poor won’t die from injuries or illnesses.” Stone blinked. In her eyes, who had experienced hospitals being like slaughterhouses, this rule was really well-established.
“But it takes a long time!” Linda said with a frown, looking very distressed. “I remember our teacher once told us a story about a man who was about to die, but was saved by a priest of light, who then made him work for the church for a full hundred years!”
puff!
This is so tragic!
Stone stared at Linda in horror. Although she knew that people in this world generally lived long lives, and that 200-year-olds were quite common, the thought of working in one place for a hundred years without pay was enough to make anyone want to die.
"That's just how the Light Priests are! And they don't care who you are at all. Even if you're a nobleman, or even a princess or prince, they don't care."
"So their numbers are decreasing?" Stone raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "But surely not? Given their treatment level and the rules they've established, their numbers should be increasing, right?"
“Yes! But it’s because of the Eastern family!” Linda’s expression suddenly changed: “Um, because of Princess Irene, the Goddess of Magic…”
When the name Irene was mentioned, Linda noticeably lowered her voice and glanced furtively at Xue'er, who was walking at the front: "Miss, let me tell you, because Her Highness Irene improved water and light magic, the number of water and light magicians has increased dramatically. Especially water magicians, there were none before, but now almost half of the new students admitted to the Imperial Academy every year are water magicians."
"It's Irene again..." Stone's face darkened, and he didn't know what to say. "Actually, when you think about it, the reason why the Strange Town was formed seems to be because of her, right?"
Last night, Liu Liu's mom briefly recounted the history of the Stranger Town. The Stranger Town was formed approximately six or seven hundred years ago. Initially, it was because the beautiful elves were popular with humans, and some humans, driven by greed, came to the Moon Goddess's Forest to capture them. Besides humans, another type of person appeared—orcs.
Orcs not only have a long-standing feud with humans, but also an irreconcilable hatred with elves. Because elves only eat fruit and dew from a young age, their flesh is delicious, making it the orcs' favorite food.
However, some beastman races that resemble humans, such as the ape race, discovered that selling elves to human kingdoms could bring them a large fortune, which they could then use to acquire many elves rejected by humans. Thus, they began this risk-free business.
First, they captured beautiful elves in the Moon Goddess's Forest, then sold them to humans at high prices. Next, they used the money from the humans to buy a large number of ugly elves…
Of course, their business didn't last long. First, the elves discovered that their people were dwindling, and then the humans discovered that the elves, who were supposed to return to their lands to reproduce, had mysteriously disappeared. These two developments immediately raised suspicions, and the orcs who were running a risk-free business were exposed.
They were attacked simultaneously by both humans and elves, at a time when Irene's power was at its peak. Shortly after being put on the wanted list, Irene cast a spell on the elves that was more of a curse than a blessing. They simply hid outside the Moon Goddess's Forest, hoping to escape their fate.
In fact, they did succeed. However, for some reason, after arriving at the Moon Goddess Forest, the people chasing them disappeared, but they could no longer be exposed to the sunlight.
"That's strange, why is Liuliu alright?" Shitou suddenly slapped his forehead: "Hey, Luopipi, Liuliu's mom said that the strange people in Strange People Town can't be exposed to the sun. Is Liuliu alright like this?"
Luo Pipi stopped and turned around, giving Shi Tou a wide-eyed look without hesitation: "He's my nephew. Look, I'm fine, what could possibly happen to him?"
Stone pouted: "But aren't his parents from the town of the Strange People?"
“Strictly speaking, his maternal grandfather, who is my sister’s biological father, is from here. But his maternal grandmother, who is my mother, and his biological father are not native residents of the Otherworld. And, as you can see, he is exposed to the sun without any pain.”
Luo Pipi glanced sideways at Xiao Liuliu, who was fast asleep behind him, and sighed helplessly: "I think we should consider going back to humans."
"What?" Xue'er couldn't help but ask this time. Everyone was tired, so they went to rest under a big tree. "Luo Pipi, are you really going back to the human kingdom?"
Luo Pipi gently placed Liu Liu on her lap: "If there really are still Light Masters in this world, then they can only exist in the human kingdom."
“But, the Light Master…” Xue’er frowned. She didn’t understand what this meant at all, but she remembered that her mother had said that the Light Master probably no longer existed.
“I know the Light God Master may really have completely disappeared, but I have to try, right?” Luo Pipi took out his water bag and took a sip of water, but there was a faint sense of loneliness in his voice: “Maybe one day, my mother will come back, and she will bring the Light God Master with her.”
Stone couldn't help but retort, "Hey... Luo Pipi, you really know how to daydream!"
"Hmph!" Luo Pipi glared at Shi Tou: "In the end, isn't it all your fault!"
"Hmm?" Xue'er stared intently at Shi Tou. "By the way, I haven't had time to ask you. Shi Tou, how did you come to be a young lady of the Yi family?" (Welcome! Your support is my greatest motivation.)
☆, Chapter 241 The Chu Family's Secret Manual: Time Technique
"Hehehe..."
Stone was truly speechless this time. Besides a silly laugh, she couldn't think of any excuse. [~] Making excuses? What was the point? Moreover, apart from Xue'er, Luo Pipi and Linda already knew her true identity.
"Xue'er, I guess that ugly freak made a mistake?" Linda is still the better choice, after all, she signed an extremely unfair master-servant contract with Stone. If Stone is killed, she will definitely die with him.
"A mistake?" Xue'er stared intently at the stone. "But if it really is a mistake, then why would Luo Pipi blame the disappearance of the Light Master on the stone?"
In an instant, Stone glared at Luo Pipi, saying, "It's all your fault for being so talkative!"
Luo Pipi was taken aback for a moment, but her reaction was quick: "Because Shi Tou is the second young lady of the Huo family!"
"What?" Xue'er knew about the stone's identity in human society, but she had no idea what the purpose of these identities was.
"To put it simply, Princess Irene, the goddess of magic back then, had several close servants, one of whom was an ancestor of the Huo family. And Stone is a descendant of the Huo family, that is, a descendant of Princess Irene's servant." Luo Pipi said this without changing his expression, and his tone was unusually certain.
Xue'er hesitated for a moment. This relationship was a bit too distant, and Shi Tou was already her friend. If she were to take her anger out on Shi Tou because of this already distant relationship, even she felt it would be a bit excessive.
After hesitating for a while, Xue'er put the matter aside: "Forget it, since you're just a servant's descendant, I won't hold it against you."
Stone breathed a sigh of relief, but also felt boundless resentment. "You're the servant's descendant! I am the goddess of magic, Irene herself!!!"
Of course, she was just indulging in her thoughts; if she were to say it out loud... she might as well just die.
"By the way, Luo Pipi, don't be angry anymore. Anyway, she's not Yilin's descendant."
Luo Pipi never expected that Xue'er would not only forgive Shi Tou, but also try to persuade her. She was completely speechless.
"Hehe..." Shi Tou received Luo Pipi's murderous glare and broke out in a cold sweat again: "She hates me not because of Yilin, but because of the Shui family!"
"And what is the Shui family?" Xue'er was completely confused by the messy relationships in the human kingdom.
After thinking for a moment, Shi Tou decided to explain her relationship with the Shui family to Xue Er in simple terms: "The Shui family, like the Huo family, are descendants of Irene's servants. However, the problem is that the Shui family specializes in producing water-based mages, and it is precisely because of the surge in water-based mages that the Light Priests have disappeared."
“But you are the second young lady of the Huo family, not the second young lady of the Shui family,” Xue’er said truthfully.
Shi Tou was once again stung by Xue'er's words. "So what if she's a young lady? Why do you keep emphasizing 'second young lady'?!"
“Because the Shui family and the Huo family are related by marriage. To put it simply, my nominal mother is a young lady from the Shui family.” When Shi Tou mentioned “related by marriage,” Xue’er looked quite bewildered. Shi Tou quickly explained, “Just think of my maternal grandparents’ family as the Shui family.”
Upon hearing this, Xue'er finally understood: "Oh, I see. To put it simply, Luo Pipi is taking his anger out on me!"
Ahem, that's definitely not true!
Luo Pipi glared at Shi Tou resentfully: "I'm rested enough, let's continue on our way!"
On the road...
Stone is in a bind again.
"Luo Pipi, are you really going to the human kingdom?" By now, they had already left the Moon Goddess's Forest. The landscaping in this world is truly impressive! As long as you're not in a town, it's all forest.
Luo Pipi sighed, "I've already promised my sister, so no matter what, I'll give it a try."
Stone said he didn't care, since Luo Pipi already had her own identity in the Luoming Empire, so she wasn't afraid of being exposed.
"Stone, you're coming back with me too!"
puff!
Shi Tou stumbled and almost fell flat on his face: "Cough cough, Luo Pipi, I was wrong, I shouldn't be the Huo family's young lady, really!"
Luo Pipi rolled her eyes at her: "I'm serious!"
"But I'm wanted by the Fallen Empire!" Stone was almost crying; she had no desire to spend the rest of her life in a Fallen Empire prison.
"Wasn't it already withdrawn? Don't try to fool me!"
Shi Tou then remembered that when the Mercenary Association discovered that her wanted notice had been withdrawn, Luo Pipi was right beside her, and she suddenly felt powerless.
Linda looked at this and then at that, and finally made up her mind: "I will follow Miss, wherever Miss goes, I will go too!"
That's true loyalty!
Stone looked at Linda with tears in his eyes: "Linda, I knew it, you love me more!"
"Well, actually I just had nowhere to go," Linda said, looking at Stone with a completely innocent expression.
Stone was speechless; she felt she had been hurt once again.
"Xue'er, do you want to come back with us?" Luo Pipi adjusted Liu Liu's sleeping position and asked in a low voice.
Xue'er hesitated for a moment: "I don't like humans."
The stone fell to the ground; the impact area was quite wide...
"It's alright, actually I don't like humans either." Luo Pipi said calmly, "Besides, the orc kingdom has been gone for so many years, and humans don't hate orcs as much as they used to. With us here, I believe you'll be fine."
Xue'er paused, "But..."
"Do you still want to look for your people? Actually, I think it's completely unnecessary. If your people were still alive, I believe they would definitely go to the Crimson Forest to find you. But so many years have passed, they are probably already..."
Xue'er stared blankly ahead, lost in thought. She had considered what Luo Pipi had said. But all along, this belief had sustained her. If her people were already gone, then what would become of her…?
"Luo Pipi, thank you for your kindness, but I still won't go to the human kingdom." In the end, Xue'er still chose to part ways with them at the crossroads: "Even if all my people are gone, I still have one last person."
"What?"
"My pet, the kitten Ming. I believe I will find it someday. Don't worry, once I find it, I will come to the human kingdom to find you!" Xue'er smiled and said goodbye to everyone.
Stone suddenly remembered something: "Oh right, if you're going back to the Crimson Forest, please help me find my pet. It's called Yarn, and it's a small ball about the size of a palm, covered in fluffy fur."
Xue'er agreed to Shi Tou's request, and soon her figure disappeared at the end of the road.
"Alright, are you relieved now? Nobody's coming after you anymore!" Luo Pipi glanced at Shi Tou and said irritably.
Stone looked utterly innocent, his face falling: "If I said I didn't know anything, would you believe me?"
"Do you think I'm as stupid as you?" Luo Pipi retorted sarcastically without hesitation.