บท 156: Have We Met Before?

When Xie Lun claimed that he had gathered enough information from people-watching at the breakfast stall, we took a walk along the river, and I explained to him the geology of the area around us. He didn't tell me what kind of spiritual power fluctuation he was here to investigate, so I could only describe everything as detailed as possible. But somehow, I couldn't shake off the feeling that he wasn't paying as much attention as he should be, and I wondered if I was focusing on the wrong aspects of the matter.

"Do you still have any family and friends in this village?" Xie Lun asked at last when I ran out of topics.

"Not really." I shook my head. "Plagues hit this area quite often. The one that took my parents' lives five years ago wiped off over half of the village. No one I was close to survived." I paused, contemplating the reason behind his question. "If you need more up-to-date information, we can ask any villager. People here are quite friendly—"