She Is Not a Witch

In the Tisilan Mountain Range, amidst the clusters of mountains, the lush green forests remained so tranquil. Red maple leaves drifted from the tall tree canopies in the gentle breeze, swirling through the air before landing on the water’s surface. The clear stream was tinted red by the mountain of fallen leaves.

Inside the maple leaf courtyard, patches of stone slabs were already covered with half-meter-high weeds, lush and verdant. Unfortunately, there were no herbivores kept here, so the weeds grew unchecked.

Should I keep an animal? The girl thought. With another gentle breeze, Loranhil descended once again into this long-abandoned courtyard. Her light-colored ankle boots stepped on the stone slabs, with the grass beside her brushing against her calves, creating a slightly ticklish sensation.

The stone slabs bore the marks of rain, with a thin layer of silt leaving wave-like patterns after drying in the sun.

Walking past these stone slabs, Loranhil arrived at the door of her house.

It was still the same as before, a dome-shaped wooden cabin built from maple, just like the dwelling of a witch in a fairy tale, giving off quite a magical and mysterious feeling.

Unlocking the latch on the door, Loranhil entered, then went into her bedroom and pushed open the long-sealed window to let the room air out.

The girl took a small wooden bucket and filled it with water from the stream. The water was clear and a bit chilly. Back at the wooden cabin, she used small whirlwinds to lift the clean water and wash every corner of the house.

After cleaning everything, she used gentle breezes to circulate and dry the moisture inside. A fresh scent permeated the air, occasionally mixed with the fragrance of wood. The house and furniture were made of rare silver-grade red maple wood, probably a luxury only afforded by great nobles.

With a faint sound, the long-dormant fireplace was lit with dry grass and twigs. Then the girl added a few logs. Watching the orange-red flames rise, she placed a clay kettle on the fire and began to prepare dinner herself.

In the courtyard, the golden maple rice she had once planted had long since grown in abundance. After harvesting, it was stored in clean clay jars in the storage room inside the house.

Loranhil entered this room, scooped out a large bowl of rice, washed it, and prepared to steam it into fragrant rice.

Looking at the rice grains and white water between her fingers, she suddenly recalled something she had seen as a child. Inside a wooden circular box was a hand-cranked large fan. The wind it generated could separate the rice grains poured into it. The lighter chaff would be blown to the front and fall into a funnel at the front before flowing out of the box. Slightly heavier broken rice grains or impurities would also be blown to the middle and fall down. Only the plumper rice grains would fall along a predetermined path in the airflow, then flow through the funnel into the woven basket outside.

As a child, she always thought this device was amazing but didn’t know what it was called. It wasn’t until later when she looked it up online that she learned its proper name was a winnowing fan.

Sitting on a small chair by the fireplace, Loranhil slowly turned the roasting fish in her hand. The palm-sized fish, after removing its scales and innards and washing it clean, was rubbed with salt grains, then skewered with a thick wooden stick for continuous roasting.

As the flames burned quietly, the fish gradually turned golden brown. Loranhil sprinkled some Sichuan peppercorns and chili powder on it. The aroma of food filled the air, and at this time, the wooden lid of the clay pot kept flipping, with bursts of white steam rising from it. The rice was almost done.

[Grilled Fish with Orange Rice] (Rare Silver grade): High-quality supernatural rice and oranges, paired with freshly grilled premium fish, perfectly cooked with just the right seasoning. Extremely delicious, can replenish nutrients, improve constitution, and accelerate cultivation. Recommended to eat immediately, as its quality will deteriorate if left sitting.

Seeing this information pop up in the system, Loranhil’s eyelid twitched. Was this system trying to entice her to cook?

But thinking about it carefully, it didn’t seem like a bad idea. If she could eat food made from supernatural ingredients every day back in Hopland, her cultivation speed would probably increase significantly. She would have been able to advance faster, and there wouldn’t have been so many critical moments.

Although her Demon Sequence didn’t rely on external things, she felt that her own accumulation was somewhat slow (actually, it was already quite fast compared to her peers). As a great person once said, ten thousand years is too long, seize the day. Life is about blooming with infinite brilliance in limited time, so there are no regrets or regrets left behind.

She picked up the white, delicate fish meat and paired it with the fluffy rice. The slightly spicy and numbing sensation of the fish mixed with the faint sweetness of the rice, filling her mouth.

It’s so delicious, Loranhil thought, a sense of satisfaction and happiness welling up in her heart.

After dinner, she returned to her room, lit an orange fruit night light, and began to write down some insights and reflections from her recent southern journey.

In the night, yellow light spilled from the cabin’s windows, making the starlit courtyard especially warm and soft.

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After Cransia defeated the Western Wind royal family and captured Solande, they finally gained a foothold on the continent. Although many areas within the country were still not pacified, other countries in the international community began to take this rising nation seriously, focusing on and concerning themselves with the country’s history, origins, and demands.

The brave performance of the rabbit-eared tribe from the Tisilan Mountain Range on the battlefield instantly shattered the outdated impressions people had held of them for thousands of years. Although many people abroad still didn’t quite believe it without seeing it with their own eyes, within Cransia, many citizens had developed a fondness for them.

Regardless of the era, fighting side by side and sharing life and death experiences always quickly bring people closer emotionally. The rabbit-eared tribe, with their fearless charges and valiant fighting, gained the recognition of the country’s people. In the coming new era, they finally had their place.

This branch of beast-folk, which had rarely appeared in public before, began to frequently show up in various cities of Cransia. They brought abundant food and various fruits, selling them at fair prices everywhere, greatly alleviating the famine after the war and calming people’s hearts.

People no longer looked down on or detested these beast-folk who were somewhat different from themselves. The rabbit-eared tribe could now walk on the streets like normal people, buy things, eat in restaurants, drink in bars, without being thrown out like before.

All men are created equal, but some are more equal than others.

Thanks to the abundant food provided by these rabbit-eared tribe members, their safety while conducting business was also closely watched by the country’s security teams. If they suddenly disappeared or were injured, people would investigate and search for them. This treatment was something other beast-folk didn’t have at all, even the fox-eared tribe who once lived privileged lives in Western Wind didn’t receive such preferential treatment.

This respect and favoritism made other beast-folk extremely envious. While most beast-folk could only sell their physical labor for menial jobs, this group of rabbit-eared tribe members could easily enter upper-class society and be respected. They could choose from a wider range of professions, such as accountants in merchant associations, clerical officers in the military, opening their own shops, working as medical personnel, and even serving as nuns in temples.

These things they once didn’t dare to hope for had finally come true. A sense of happiness and pride rising from the bottom of their hearts began to overflow in every member of this tribe.