Chapter 105: Waking up in a carriage, is this human food?

“Creak, creak, creak—”

The grating squeal of turning wagon wheels echoed endlessly in Shu Li’s ears, making his head feel as if it might split open. Worse still, his entire body was being jolted from side to side, backward and forward, and up and down, churning the acid in his stomach.

“Mm?” Unable to bear it any longer, Shu Li surfaced from sleep and opened his eyes groggily. As his senses gradually sharpened, an indescribable odor assailed his nose.

It smelled like...horse manure?

“Ugh—”

Shu Li rolled over and sat up, covering his mouth as he dry-heaved.

“Careful.” Ilio steadied him and held an uncapped waterskin to his lips.

Shu Li lowered his hand, grabbed the waterskin, and took a huge gulp, forcing his roiling stomach to settle.

“Cough, cough, cough—”

He drank too quickly and choked.

“Slow down. No one’s going to take it from you.” Ilio patted the young Fairy on the back and spoke lazily.

Shu Li lowered the waterskin and looked around in confusion. He discovered that he and Ilio were inside a crude wagon. It was crammed with goods, leaving only half of the interior free for them to sit or lie down.

“Il...Brother Al, why are we in a wagon?” he asked in bewilderment.

Crossing the mountains had consumed so much physical and mental energy that he had fallen asleep the instant he climbed onto Ilio’s back. Yet when he awoke, he somehow found himself inside a strange wagon.

The air inside was terrible. The smell made him want to vomit again.

Ilio put away the waterskin and handed him two small wild fruits. “Eat these for now.”

They had picked the fruits in passing while climbing the mountain and stored them in the backpack as provisions.

Shu Li had been hungry enough to feel faint for quite some time. The moment he saw the fruits, he unceremoniously shoved them into his mouth and swallowed them whole without even tasting them.

The wild fruits were sour and astringent, with an unimpressive texture. They were also only the size of cherries. For Shu Li as he was now, they were not even enough to fill the gaps between his teeth. Eating two felt exactly the same as eating nothing.

“Are there any more?” he asked pitifully.

“Leader Ximu will call us down for breakfast soon.” Ilio patted him reassuringly. Seeing the confusion in his eyes, he curled his lips into a smile. “You really are a little pig! You’ve been asleep since yesterday evening. Good thing you were with me, or you wouldn’t even notice if someone sold you.”

Shu Li glared at him.

Would he have collapsed from exhaustion in the first place if not for Ilio?

Besides, he had only dared to sleep so soundly because Ilio was with him.

Ilio crooked a finger and lightly tapped his forehead before explaining, “I carried you along the road yesterday. We were lucky enough to encounter a traveling song-and-dance troupe. Their leader, Ximu, took pity on us and warmly invited us to travel with them.”

So that was what had happened!

Clutching his little stomach as it growled, Shu Li endured the pungent stench of horse manure, crawled over to the window, lifted the curtain, and peered outside.

The first light of dawn had appeared, turning the horizon pale. Dense woods lined both sides of the road beneath a thin layer of mist. Five wagons traveled in a line, accompanied by four burly men on horseback.

This was the first time Shu Li had seen humans outside the forest, and he studied them curiously.

The four men were entirely different from the adventurers who had intruded into the forest. They were powerfully built but shabbily dressed, with tattered cloaks draped around their shoulders, large sabers hanging from their waists, and mud-caked leather boots on their feet. They looked thoroughly worn from travel.

One of the bearded men seemed to sense someone watching and suddenly turned his head, fixing the wagon with a sharp gaze.

When he saw the young face peeking through the window, the man visibly froze. He subdued his imposing air, then bared his teeth in a friendly smile.

After transmigrating to the other world, this was Shu Li’s first time formally meeting an ordinary human’s eyes. He instinctively ducked back inside.

The man’s smile stiffened. He stroked his wild, tangled beard.

Was he that frightening? Had he scared the child?

“What’s wrong?” Ilio asked. Shu Li had been brimming with curiosity a moment ago, but now he was as quiet as a shy kitten.

Shu Li sat cross-legged, his gray-blue eyes altered by the disguise potion shining with wonder.

“B-Brother Al, we’ve really entered the Human World!”

Amused by his foolishly excited expression, Ilio took advantage of the Elven King’s absence and pinched Shu Li’s cheek.

“When we get out of the wagon, don’t look at them like that. And stop constantly talking about ‘humans.’”

Shu Li swiftly slapped away his wicked hand. “I know, I know.”

He was not that stupid.

Grrrrowl—

His stomach growled again.

Clutching his empty belly, he asked plaintively, “When are we having breakfast? Can I eat some fruit first?”

Before leaving, he had filled his storage ring with plenty of fruit and dried provisions for emergencies.

However, while they were crossing the mountains, Ilio had imposed several rules on him. One was that after entering the Human World, he had to live like a human as much as possible.

Unless it was absolutely necessary, he must never eat fruit brought from the Faerie Forest.

Such fruit existed only in the Faerie Forest and was exceedingly rare in the outside world. If anyone discovered it, it could invite all sorts of unnecessary trouble.

Shu Li sighed inwardly.

Who would have thought that after once being human, he would arrive in another world and have to learn how to be an ordinary human all over again?

“Soon,” Ilio said. “Put on your boots.”

“Oh.” Only then did Shu Li realize that he was not wearing his leather boots. Even more surprisingly, the blisters on the soles of his feet were gone. No wonder he had not felt any pain after waking.

He looked up at Ilio. “Did you heal them for me?”

The wagon suddenly stopped just as he finished asking.

Ilio nodded, raised a finger, and said in the Continental Common Language, “Be patient a little longer, Amo. We’ll be having breakfast very soon.”

Shu Li’s keen ears caught the sound of footsteps. The next moment, someone knocked on the rear door of the wagon.

“Al, is your brother awake?”

A mature woman’s voice came from outside.

“He is.” Ilio opened the wagon door and smiled warmly at the glamorous woman standing outside. “Good morning, Leader Ximu.”

The woman addressed as Leader Ximu wore a tight, dark red dress that boldly displayed her voluptuous figure. A shawl was casually draped around her shoulders, offering tantalizing glimpses of her flawless collarbones. Her long, wavy brown hair cascaded freely down her back, and a flower-shaped clip adorned one temple.

Her beautiful brown eyes studied the handsome black-haired man with interest. Parting her crimson lips, she said, “Good morning, young traveler. You can call me Ximu.”

“All right, Leader Ximu.” Ilio jumped lightly out of the wagon.

Shu Li hurriedly pulled on his leather boots, then froze when he discovered that a layer of soft padding had been added inside them.

“Oh? Is the little brother waiting for his big brother to carry him down?” Ximu suddenly leaned closer and asked with a smile.

Startled, Shu Li quickly jumped out of the wagon and hid behind Ilio, as bashful as a young girl.

“Ohohohoho—” Ximu laughed in delight and cast Ilio a seductive glance. “Breakfast is about to be served. Come and eat with us.”

Ilio replied with perfect courtesy, “Thank you for your hospitality, Leader Ximu.”

Ximu coquettishly swept back a lock of curly hair. “What can I say? I’m the kind of troupe leader who judges people by their looks.”

She had only allowed the brothers to ride in the wagon because one was handsome and the other adorable. If they had been ugly, she would not even have spared them a glance!

Ilio appeared not to notice the flirtation in her eyes. Without changing his expression, he said, “It is my honor to receive your assistance.”

Defeated by his obliviousness, Ximu pursed her lips in disappointment, turned around, and headed toward the rest of the troupe.

Ilio slung the backpack over his shoulder, took Shu Li by the hand, and shamelessly followed her.

Shu Li looked up at Ilio, then at the mature woman walking ahead of them. His small face was filled with shock.

Could Ilio have sacrificed his virtue to secure them a ride in the wagon?

“Get those strange ideas out of your little head,” Ilio said, seemingly sensing his thoughts as he squeezed Shu Li’s wrist.

Shu Li lowered his head and stuck out his tongue.

The two followed Ximu to where breakfast was being served.

The members of the song-and-dance troupe had gathered in a circle. A badly worn long table stood in the middle, covered with hard, dry bread, strips of meat, thin gruel, and vegetable soup.

The bearded man held a freshly hunted rabbit in one hand and a sharp curved knife in the other. With practiced movements, he slit open its belly, skinned it, and removed its bones. The scene was extremely bloody.

Shu Li immediately turned his head away.

Although he had often seen magical beasts hunt in the Faerie Forest, he could not bear to watch a human slaughter a small animal right in front of him.

The bearded man paused in the middle of removing the rabbit’s organs and looked sternly at the little fellow beside the black-haired traveler.

The child really was afraid of him!

Tch!

Completely unaware of the turmoil his reaction had caused in the towering man’s heart, Shu Li caught the aroma of food and hungrily licked his lips.

“Are you hungry, little brother? Come and eat!” A girl from the troupe enthusiastically called out to him.

Shu Li felt too embarrassed to act without permission, so he looked up at Ilio for approval.

Ilio patted his shoulder. “Go ahead. Remember to say thank you.”

Shu Li walked over to the table, found an empty seat, and smiled adorably. In flawless Continental Common Language, he said, “Thank you, miss.”

“Oh my, you’re so adorable!” The girl cupped her round face in both hands and stared at him with shining eyes. “You have such a lovely voice. Would you like to learn how to sing?”

Shu Li froze.

He had deliberately lowered his voice and changed its tone, yet she still thought it sounded lovely?

“I-I’m not interested.” He shook his head. “But thank you for the compliment.”

Another brown-haired girl giggled. “What a polite little brother. Nothing like mine—he’s a complete brat.”

Thump!

A scrawny boy jumped over and rudely squatted on the bench, glaring at her in displeasure. “Who are you calling a brat?”

The girls only smiled without answering.

The boy snorted twice and turned a challenging stare on Shu Li. “Tch. Are you really a boy?”

Shu Li had no idea how he had offended him, but he answered good-naturedly, “Of course I’m a boy.”

“Want to fight me?” The boy planted both hands on the table and issued the challenge arrogantly.

Baffled, Shu Li leaned away from him. “Why would I fight you?”

He had come here to eat, not to fight.

Did humans in the other world all think this strangely?

The boy sneered and said contemptuously, “Coward!”

Shu Li was speechless.

Thump!

The brown-haired girl punched the boy on the head. “Boon, that was incredibly rude!”

“Ow...” The boy’s arrogance instantly deflated.

The brown-haired girl turned apologetically to Ilio, who had taken a seat beside Shu Li. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Al. I’ve spoiled my brother.”

Ilio smiled. “It’s all right. I’m sure my brother won’t hold it against him. Isn’t that right, Amo?”

Still unaccustomed to his new name, Shu Li reacted a beat too slowly. “Oh, yes. I won’t argue with a little child.”

Ten-year-old Boon’s eyes widened indignantly.

He might be thin, but he was not little!

Shu Li ignored his displeasure, his entire attention fixed on the food.

He truly was starving. His eyes were practically glowing green with hunger.

Ilio handed him a piece of bread and a bowl of gruel. “Eat.”

“Thank you.” Shu Li eagerly grabbed the bread, opened his mouth, and bit down—

Aaaaaah!

My teeth!

They’re going to break!

He stared in horror at the blackened bread in his hand, deeply distressed for the sake of his front teeth.

Was this really food?

It was as hard as a brick. Someone could use it as a murder weapon!