Chapter 63 - The Temptation of Returning to the Village

Lu Ran observed the four individuals up close. They all appeared to be in their early twenties, with healthy, sun-kissed skin. Regardless of their gender, height, or build, each one had a fair amount of muscle.

Even the energetic female hunter who had spoken earlier looked tough. She was the kind of person who could knock out five guys with a single punch. Facing the woman’s question, Lu Ran smiled warmly.

“Your outfits look familiar to me. My grandpa used to wear something similar. He was a hunter from Lu Village in his early years. But after a while, our family moved to the city, and we haven’t been back much since.”

Upon hearing this, the four hunters were momentarily stunned. A young man who appeared to be the buffest among them spoke up in surprise.

“You’re a fellow villager? What was your grandpa’s name?”

“My grandpa’s name was Lu Hai,” Lu Ran replied.

“Lu Hai... that name sounds familiar.”

The female hunter furrowed her brow in thought.

“There are quite a few people named Lu Hai in the village. But if you mean someone who moved away... wait, Lu Hai, the Village Chief!?” The lean male hunter suddenly exclaimed as he connected the dots.

At his words, the others quickly recalled the name. The village chief of Lu Village was always chosen based on their hunting skills. Given the village’s tough and competitive atmosphere, hunting contests were held every year, making each village chief a legend in their own right.

Kids in the village grew up hearing stories about them, and their influence far surpassed that of typical village leaders elsewhere. The name of Chief Lu Hai also wasn’t too distant a memory for these four.

Lu Village did indeed have a chief by that name. His children had apparently found great success in the city, and there had even been rumors that Chief Lu Hai’s family regularly donated funds to the village, helping build schools and clinics.

“That’s the one. He was chief for a while, but in his later years, he fell ill. The village’s medical resources weren’t up to the task, so we had to move him to a big city for treatment. Over time, our whole family ended up settling there,” Lu Ran explained.

“You’re Chief Lu Hai’s grandson!?”

The group, which had been cautious up until now, suddenly lit up with excitement. The fact that Lu Ran’s story aligned with their memories of the village immediately put them at ease. As the saying goes, when fellow villagers meet, tears flow freely.

Given that Limitless City spanned across seven provinces, the fact that they had run into someone from the same small village felt like fate, especially since Lu Ran’s family was practically famous in the village!

“A fellow villager, for real! Hahaha, sit down! Don’t be shy. Let’s eat and chat. We’ll treat you!” the buff young man said with great enthusiasm.

“Really? Well, I won’t say no to that!” Lu Ran grinned, delighted by the unexpected chance to score a free meal.

“Who would’ve thought we’d run into the grandson of Chief Lu Hai here in Limitless City.” The female hunter marveled.

“Right, let me introduce everyone. This is Lu Yi,” she said, gesturing to the burly young man.

“The four of us have formed a beastmaster team, and he’s the captain.”

Lu Yi smiled and nodded, and judging by his size, it was no surprise he was the strongest.

“And this here is Lu Dingding,” she laughed while pointing to the lean man. “Not ‘naked Dingding,’ but Lu Dingding[1].”

“Lu Bing, shut up!” the lean young man snapped, clearly annoyed by his nickname. After all, he wasn’t a kid in split pants anymore.

Lu Ran’s lips twitched as he struggled not to laugh.

That name, his parents really nailed it.

“I’m Lu Bing,” the woman continued.

“And that guy over there is Lu Wu, the fifth child in his family, so we call him Xiao Wu[2].” She pointed to the shortest of the group, a young man barely over five feet tall.

“And you? What’s your name?” she asked, turning back to Lu Ran.

“Nice to meet you all. I’m Lu Ran. I didn’t realize Lu Village had produced so many beastmasters!” Lu Ran replied.

“It’s not just us.” Xiao Wu chimed in with a grin. “Most of the younger generation in the village became beastmasters. There are dozens of us who passed the beginner trials. We’re just one of the teams.”

“Dozens!?” Lu Ran nearly choked in disbelief.

Even if an entire county had that many beastmasters, Lu Ran wouldn’t be so surprised. But Lu Village was just a small, rural village with a limited population.

It seemed their legacy as hunters had truly paid off, giving many of them the potential to become beastmasters.

“Haha, yeah, there are quite a few of us. But truth be told, we haven’t been all that lucky,” Lu Yi said with a sigh.

“What do you mean?” Lu Ran asked.

“Well, the first generation didn’t have much to go on, so they fell into a lot of traps. Our village’s first chosen beastmaster had an accident not long after starting out. He was the current village chief’s son, a great hunter.

“Then in the second generation, two more were chosen, but they both met the same fate.

“The third generation wasn’t any different. Even though everyone was better prepared, it felt like the village was cursed. Each beastmaster we sent out didn’t last long,” Lu Yi explained bitterly.

“Maybe it’s because we’re so stubborn when it comes to secret realms. We tend to form hunting teams of our own people and stick together, which doesn’t always end well.” Lu Dingding added, rubbing his nose.

The village’s fierce, unyielding nature had its drawbacks, usually leading them into risky situations. What’s more, the third generation of beastmasters all formed teams together, so when one person had an accident, the whole group was wiped out.

“Wow...” Lu Ran hadn’t expected that.

He couldn’t help but ask, “So right now, Lu Village only has fourth-generation beastmasters?”

“That’s right.” Lu Yi nodded.

“But even though our older brothers and sisters are gone, they left behind a lot of resources for the village.

“This time, with the fourth wave of beastmasters, the villagers who were chosen received plenty of resources. Our village is bound to rise up again,” Lu Yi said confidently.

“Soon enough, the whole village will be thriving.”

“So, what’s the plan? Are people joining the government or signing up with guilds?” Lu Ran asked.

𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

“Nope.” Lu Bing crossed her legs.

“The village decided to form its own guild. With our strong traditions, it’s tough for the young people who stayed in the village to integrate into the outside world. We’d rather stick together. To be honest, hunting in the secret realms pays way better than hunting outside.

“We might be behind the big guilds for now, but Lu Village has always relied on its own strength. We’re just as capable as anyone else. Lu Ran, why don’t you join us? Since you’re Chief Lu Hai’s grandson, it should be no problem. We can get someone to help you level up,” Lu Bing suggested with a smile.

“Uh... I don’t think that’ll work. My family wants me to attend Beastmaster University first,” Lu Ran replied.

“Beastmaster University, huh?” Lu Yi said.

“That’s a solid path too. The village has always been full of hunters, but it’s rare to find someone with the talent for academics. It’s been ages since we’ve had a college student, so no worries. Since we’re all from the same village, we’ll stay in touch. If you ever need help, just let us know.”

“Thanks.” Lu Ran nodded.

“By the way, Lu Yi, could you tell me more about Lu Village? I haven’t been back since I was little, and I’ve forgotten most of it. I really want to visit someday and pay my respects to our ancestors.”

“Well, I’ll leave that to Lu Bing. She’s better at explaining this stuff,” Lu Yi said, looking a bit awkward.

Lu Bing rolled her eyes. “You guys don’t remember anything about our ancestors!”

She turned to Lu Ran and began explaining, “Lu Village has a long history, maybe going back four or five thousand years.”

“Wait, that long!?” Lu Ran exclaimed.

“Well, that’s what they say. No one really knows for sure. The village has moved several times, and parts of its history have been lost...” Lu Bing said, clearing her throat.

“Back in those days, totem culture was a big thing. Our village has its own totem which is a Divine Deer. The elders say it’s thanks to the protection of this Divine Deer that our village has lasted for so long.

“Even now, there’s still a shrine in the village where people go to worship the Divine Deer. But in the past century, the tradition has faded. Nowadays, only the elders still pay their respects, and even then, they often have to drag the younger generation along,” Lu Bing said.

“In fact, the village is called Lu Village because of the deer totem with ‘lu’ being a play on the word for deer.”

As Lu Bing spoke, Lu Ran’s heart pounded, and his legs began to tremble.

No way...

He had suspected there was a connection between the Broken Horn of the Divine Deer and Lu Village. And now, it turned out to be true.

Totem culture, huh?

Usually, ancient tribes’ totems were imaginary or symbolic, but Lu Ran had a feeling that the Divine Deer Lu Village worshiped was real.

Could the official story be true as well? Was there truly supernatural power in Blue Planet’s ancient past? And now, was the spiritual energy revival returning to the world?

“Why did our village choose the Divine Deer as its totem?” Lu Ran asked, trying to hide his shock.

“That, I don’t know.” Lu Bing shrugged.

“Maybe some of the elders in the village know more about our history, but I wouldn’t count on it. It’s been so long, after all. Just keeping the Divine Deer faith alive this long has been hard enough.”

“I see.” Lu Ran nodded.

It seemed he had no choice but to visit Lu Village. He wouldn’t be at ease until he understood the mystery behind the Divine Deer.

“Shouldn’t we be ordering some food by now?” Xiao Wu piped up, rubbing his stomach.

It was a self-service restaurant, and after sitting and chatting for so long, they still hadn’t ordered a single dish.

“Lu Ran, if you’re interested in the village’s history, you should come visit. We can introduce you to some of the most respected elders. Maybe they know something,” Lu Bing suggested.

“But let’s order first. Go ahead, Lu Ran, pick whatever you want. Don’t worry about the cost.”

“Alright.” Lu Ran smiled.

Just then, the restaurant erupted into noise. Someone was shouting something about a public secret realm, a wild boss, and scrambling for loot, using all sorts of gaming slang.

The place was suddenly buzzing with excitement, like spring had arrived.

1. In Mandarin, the character 露 (Lu) means to reveal/to exposed/is naked. Lu Dingding’s Lu is 路, which sounds the same as the revealing character Lu. The author wanted to make a Mandarin pun ☜

2. Wu is five in Mandarin ☜