Chapter 191: Chapter 191: Moving into the Guardian’s Home Chapter 191: Chapter 191: Moving into the Guardian’s Home [I think I’ve seen the story about Ginseng Village online before, it’s true!]
[I’m from a nearby town, and I can confirm, it’s a true story!]
[The showrunners previously clarified that there’s no script, so it must be true.]
[It really sounds like the Mountain Deity is angry, I’ve heard elders say before that mountains that can nurture medicinal plants have spirits. Maybe there truly is a Mountain Deity.]
[With the country’s development over the years, many forests have been heavily exploited. It wouldn’t be impossible for the Mountain Deity to send a warning.]
[Oh my, if it’s true, will the guests be safe?]
[Don’t worry, our kind Mountain Deity uses gentle methods for warnings. At least, as of now, no one has heard of any casualties.]
[Causing chaos in the countryside, uprooting newly grown ginseng and discarding it carelessly, you call that gentle? This is all money! The investors are going to suffer, aren’t they?]
[Uh-huh, I’m confident in my senior brother and my girl.]
[Hey, hey, are you looking down on our Amber? Why leave him out?]
[Hey, hey, hey, are you looking down on our Scarlett and Ariel? Why leave them out?]
[Everyone knows that in terms of this mysticism, the other three are just amateurs; they’re there to be beautiful.]
While the viewers in the livestream were having a lively debate about this theme, the show’s vehicle had already taken the six guests to a village at the foot of the mountain.
Though it was called a village, what met their eyes were buildings with at least two stories.
This was due to the region’s fame for ginseng collection, and with the village’s ginseng cultivation and collection techniques, along with the proceeds from selling ginseng, nearly every family lived well.
At first glance, there seemed to be no particularly impoverished homes.
“This village looks pretty wealthy, nothing like those rural areas we see on TV.”
Ariel Zimmerman couldn’t help but express this sentiment first, while Amber Livingston, ever the opportunist for camera time, explained,
“After all, it’s the famous Ginseng Village. Those especially backward villages you see on TV are closer to the deep mountains where development is slower. Currently, most rural areas in our country are developing well, with self-built houses more luxurious than some villas.”
As he spoke, he pointed to the stone archway they had just passed,
“The stone archway we passed when entering the village would generally only be built by wealthier villages. It’s the façade of the village, with different standards indicating varying levels of prosperity.
Like the one we just saw, with the eaves and carvings of auspicious clouds beneath them, and a pair of drumstones in front, symbolizing good fortune and protection against evil.”
One must admit, after these two episodes, Amber had begun to find his place in this show.
Although he outwardly claimed to be serving an out-of-body fairy, only he knew he had no real abilities, especially when compared to Evander Simpson and Scarlett Jennings. The more he tried to show off, the more he came off as pretentious.
After the back-to-back setbacks of the first two episodes, Amber was genuinely scared.
Therefore, he seriously reviewed his previous performances and re-oriented himself, finally finding his niche in the show.
That was to explain some folklore and mystical knowledge.
While Evander and Scarlett had also done this kind of thing before, these two were clearly not the talkative types, and with Ariel handling the show’s atmosphere, Amber naturally shouldered other responsibilities.
Thankfully, having accumulated quite a bit of knowledge as a mysticism streamer over the years and done his homework beforehand, he naturally explained things now with ease.
All the guests listened intently.
Except for William Zeller.
He always felt like his lines were being taken.
As the host, introducing and explaining was originally his job.
The last time he had felt this way was when Amber replaced him in hosting a livestream interaction segment.
And Amber’s current performance seemed as if he were addicted to hosting.
Was he trying to take his job?
A small sense of urgency emerged in William’s heart, so he immediately picked up where Amber left off and began warmly introducing the details about the village.
Since the village had developed fairly well, it had more young people than villages where only the elderly remained.
Some had followed the livestream online or liked certain celebrities, so they were incredibly excited about the show’s arrival.
Unlike the low-key arrivals of the past two times, the show’s arrival this time was met with a warm welcome from the village.
After William Zeller and the group of guests and crew got out of the car, they were immediately surrounded by villagers led by the village chief.
The village chief first shook hands with William as a form of welcome, then briefly shared the village’s situation,
“The homes we’ve prepared for you have already been cleared, and I’ve had people clean them thoroughly. The families where the guests will be staying have been briefed and will take good care of you.”
William first expressed his thanks and then explained to the six guests,
“Based on communication between the show crew and the village chief, the guests will be divided into pairs, staying with different villagers. These three households, I hear, were the ones previously harassed.
After moving in, you’ll need to investigate and uncover the truth behind the villagers and guardians being harassed and teased. Tomorrow, the crew will organize a trip into the mountains to check the vandalized ginseng fields.”
Pairing them up was also intended to prevent any unexpected situations during their stay.
Since they formed their own group for lodging this time, Scarlett Jennings and Ariel Zimmerman were undeniably paired together.
Ariel immediately hugged Scarlett excitedly.
“Finally, in the third episode, I’m paired up with Scarlett for action! We’re finally more than just sleeping buddies.”
Ariel’s words, laden with deliberate innuendo, quickly amused both the other show guests and viewers in the livestream.
She then smugly glanced at the remaining two team pairs,
“You’re all bound to lose this round!”
After the first two episodes, even the netizens had gradually reached a consensus that Scarlett Jennings was the key to victory.
Some even summarized: to win, you need Scarlett.
Scarlett was already growing accustomed to Ariel’s exuberance and antics, simply smiling and letting her hug him.
Afterward, the three pairs of guests drew lots and each, with their luggage, found the families they would be staying with.
Because it was also a segment of the show, and with prior instruction from the village chief for villagers not to deliberately disturb the filming, they split up according to signposts and inquiries to find their “homes.”
The house designated for Scarlett and Ariel happened to be the home of a guardian who had been frequently harassed in the past. The owner was the second son of the family, who, out of fear of the Mountain Deity, had moved back home.
Upon learning he was a guardian, Ariel became curious, “Scarlett, do you think there really could be a Mountain Deity?”
Scarlett shook her head without answering but, upon entering the home, sharply sensed a peculiar aura.
Her step paused slightly.
Her gaze shifted, the clear almond eyes rested accurately on a middle-aged man in his forties from the family.
This man was the second son of the house, the guardian.