Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 130 Border Village

"...Where is this...Gachal?" Old Xu closed his eyes in disbelief, but when he opened them, all he saw was vast expanses of green.

Jiachar Village is located near the Gobi Desert. Previously, the entire village relied on hunting and a spring in the village center for sustenance, exchanging food for supplies by trekking dozens of kilometers to a town. It was because of this water source that it appeared on Xu Laoda's route, but he didn't always pass through. Although near the Silk Road, it was nestled in a mountain valley, requiring a crossing of a mountain to reach, so most caravans wouldn't bother. However, this was Jinlun's destination, and Xu Laoda dared not separate from him, secretly considering the possibility of abducting him to a border town.

So when Xu Laoda first approached this small village he hadn't seen for two years, he was shocked. He had never seen such a large area of ​​greenery near the Gobi Desert! But Lord Jinlun seemed very calm, or rather, he was never calm at all. He didn't rush into the village, but instead turned into the vast expanse of greenery.

What could Old Master Xu do? He could only stop the caravan and follow closely behind. As the people squatted down to observe the plant, he said, "This is red willow, a kind of grass that can grow in salt flats. If you process it, you can even make hemp rope."

"Yes, I know. Its scientific name is Apocynum venetum. It can be used to spin cloth and is also a medicine." Jinlun casually mentioned the information about this plant, plucked a few tender leaves and flower buds to examine them, then popped them into his mouth and chewed them, nodding as if quite satisfied. Then he touched the sandy soil on the ground, almost lying down on the ground.

Old Master Xu really couldn't understand what he was doing, but since it was Lord Jinlun, there must be a reason. As a complete novice with only a superficial understanding, it was best for him to say nothing and just follow quietly.

However, a field also means that someone must be guarding it. The village has even upgraded its security. People who used to be able to be seen only when you walked to the village gate can now suddenly appear from several miles away.

Three men, carrying standard-issue longswords, two in front and one behind, suddenly emerged from the greenery. They asked warily but politely, "Where did you come from, caravan?"

Old Xu quickly crawled out from the roadside and said, "I came from the Bird Country. I was just passing by and wanted to ask for a drink of water."

Do you have any customs clearance documents?

"Yes, yes." Old Xu pulled out the document, but was also complaining inwardly. Ordinary villages wouldn't be this wary of foreign caravans, nor would they have standard weapons. Besides, could these two locals, who looked like desert dwellers, even read?

"Xu Dahai?"

"Hey." Huh? You actually know how to read?

"The document says you're a team of seven, how come there are eight?" The leader narrowed his eyes, his gaze naturally falling on the roadside. That patch of white was too conspicuous for him to miss. "Could you ask your friends to leave the field? This patch of wild hemp was planted by us. If you cause any damage, you will need to compensate us."

Old Xu didn't know which question to answer first, but luckily the person on the ground seemed to have finished reading what he wanted to see and straightened up to climb back up.

"Sorry, I've gotten used to seeing herbs." Jinlun smiled apologetically, though only his crescent-shaped eyes were visible. He pulled out a book from his robes, which looked neither like it was from the Bird Country nor the Earth Country.

Both groups were very curious about the book, but unfortunately only the local man from Gachar could see it. He flipped through the book in a businesslike manner and glanced at it a few times, then suddenly his eyes narrowed and he looked up sharply, staring at Jinlun with disbelief.

Jinlun remained calm and let him watch until the young man's face turned red.

"Bo Feng... Jin Lun?" The young man's voice trembled slightly as he pronounced the name. After he finished, his two companions' eyes widened. They forgot about maintaining their formation and both of them leaned in to peek at the document.

"Mm," Jinlun nodded in response.

One of the three young men let out an indescribable scream, another lunged forward, and only the one holding the document managed to remain somewhat calm, but only because he was afraid of dropping it.

"Lord Jinlun! The living Lord Jinlun!" The young man rushed forward and grabbed Jinlun's hand, his whole body seemingly expressing his excitement.

"Lord Jinlun, please put away your documents." The young man in the lead held the documents forward with both hands. Only after the hot potato was taken away did he accurately pick up his companion's little pigtail and pull him aside.

"Mind your manners! Hawole. Your teacher has wasted all his time teaching you!"

Seeing the pouting, aggrieved young man, Jinlun was both amused and exasperated. "It's okay. Um..."

"Of course it's related! Lord Jinlun! I absolutely will not allow my hometown to leave even the slightest bad impression on you!" The leader spoke with righteous indignation, and immediately called for his last teammates. However, after calling twice and receiving no response, he realized that he had fainted from excessive excitement!

"...I was just about to remind you." Jinlun's smile widened.

The leader dejectedly covered his face and pinched Dia's philtrum repeatedly until he finally woke up. Even so, he still stubbornly grabbed his incompetent teammates, trying to complete the planned welcoming ceremony.

However, even more incompetent teammates arrived. Some carried knives, some hoes, and some even held fire pokers; they were clearly not there for the welcoming ceremony.

It was all Dia's fault for shouting, which made the villagers think they were under attack and they ran over to help from afar.

"Folks, stop! It's not an enemy attack!" The leader looked like he was about to cry, but he still had to explain the situation earnestly, "It's just that Dia fainted from joy when he saw Lord Golden Wheel!"

Oh, it wasn't a fight.

The group put down their weapons with little interest, and suddenly realized that the name sounded so familiar.

Golden Wheel... Damn! Lord Golden Wheel!

By the time they finally entered the village, it was already dusk. What should have been a two-mile journey felt like a dozen miles. It was only after Jinlun said it was almost lunchtime and he didn't want to delay everyone's meal that the group hurriedly surrounded him and headed back into the village, each wanting to be the first to bring Lord Jinlun home for dinner.

However, Jinlun didn't choose any of the inns. Instead, he followed the rules and stayed at the inn that was reserved for guests to rest. He even insisted on paying for the room and meals, otherwise he wouldn't have stayed there.

Xu Laoda and his group followed behind, completely bewildered, yet they somehow managed to snag a rather lavish dinner. The young man who led the group personally served the dishes, and upon inquiring, they learned that neither the village chief nor the scribe was present; only he, the newly appointed clerk, remained in the village. These were titles they had never heard before, yet Jinlun chatted with him amiably, without a hint of distrust.

At this moment, Old Xu finally realized that he might have encountered a truly extraordinary person. This person did not belong to the Land of Earth, yet the villages of the Land of Earth trusted him so much.

What does this mean?