After dinner, Candace arranged for Shao Yun to stay in the village chief's house.
As night fell, a serene darkness enveloped the entire Aaru Village. The desert at night was bitterly cold—like a completely different world from the scorching day.
Shao Yun lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.
Just then, the familiar sound of the system echoed in his mind.
[You can choose to help Candace patrol the village at night, or stay in bed and wait for sleep to come.]
[Help Candace: No immediate effect.]
[Go to sleep: No effect.]
Staring at the two dull options before him, Shao Yun was at a loss for words.
"You've got to be kidding me. Couldn't you at least give me an M1899 semi-automatic pistol or something powerful like that? Heck, even a LeMat revolver would do! How am I supposed to get excited about helping when I'm unarmed?"
No matter how much he complained, the system stayed silent, as unresponsive as ever.
With a long sigh, Shao Yun sat up slowly.
Though he ultimately chose the first option, he continued muttering under his breath. "Always so cryptic… I don't get it. 'No immediate effect,' huh? If you want me to help, just say so plainly…"
"Forget it, I can't sleep anyway. Might as well go see what's going on outside."
He stood up, adjusted his Legend of the East outfit, and followed the system's guidance toward the entrance of Aaru Village.
…
Under the pale glow of the moon, Shao Yun trudged down the uneven paths of the village.
Before long, he reached the entrance.
From afar, he saw Candace sitting quietly on a large rock. Beside her stood her long, radiant polearm—the Staff of the Scarlet Sands, gleaming faintly in the night.
Sensing someone's approach, Candace lifted her head slightly. When she recognized him, a hint of curiosity flickered in her eyes. "Hm? What brings you here?"
Shao Yun scratched his head, offering a casual excuse. "Couldn't sleep, so I figured I'd step out for some fresh air. What about you? Why are you still out here?"
His gaze lingered on her.
Candace smiled softly, tapping her shield with her left hand. "I'm patrolling. Checking for potential threats around the village and taking care of them to keep Aaru Village safe."
Shao Yun nodded thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. "Need an extra hand? Two people watching are better than one."
Candace blinked in mild surprise, then smiled warmly.
"I appreciate your offer, but Dehya and I can handle things just fine."
"Besides, you're still recovering. You should get some rest instead of tiring yourself out."
But Shao Yun wasn't giving up that easily. "It's fine. Consider it a small way to repay you for the medicine."
"Speaking of which, that medicine of yours worked wonders."
Candace waved her hand quickly. "Oh, you're too polite! Taking care of the sick is just my duty. There's no need for repayment."
"And you're a guest here in Aaru Village—how could I let a guest do the hard work, especially in the middle of the night?"
Seeing that she still hadn't agreed, Shao Yun remembered something Dehya had once said to him.
He thought for a moment, then spoke with a grin. "Well, I can't sleep anyway. Like Dehya said, lying in bed doing nothing is just a waste."
Candace paused briefly, then nodded. "Alright then. If you want to stretch your legs, come along with me."
"But don't push yourself. If you feel tired, rest."
With that, she swung her arm and pulled her Staff of the Scarlet Sands free from the ground, the motion smooth and practiced.
She lifted her chin toward him slightly, signaling him to follow.
Shao Yun gave a clear, sharp whistle.
Moments later, his pale-pink Andalusian horse, Carrot, galloped up and stopped beside him.
He leaped into the saddle and smiled at Candace. "Don't worry, this little sickness isn't enough to slow me down."
Seeing that he had a horse of his own, Candace looked mildly surprised but said nothing.
And so, the two of them began their patrol through Aaru Village, one leading, one following.
As they walked, Candace spoke to Shao Yun about the village's situation and daily life.
After a while, she asked with casual curiosity, "So, how did you meet Dehya?"
Riding on horseback, Shao Yun paused for a moment to recall.
"It was a few days ago, I think. The place was the Lambad Tavern in Sumeru City. Funny thing—she actually mistook me for a bandit who had kidnapped her employer's daughter."
Candace chuckled and asked instinctively, "And then? Did she pin you to the ground?"
After all, Dehya was renowned for her combat skills—a formidable fighter even among the desert mercenaries.
Naturally, Candace assumed Shao Yun didn't stand a chance against her.
Shao Yun hesitated for a second before replying calmly, "Well… actually, it was the other way around. I pinned her to the ground."
Candace blinked in surprise, her eyes widening slightly.
"You managed to subdue her even while sick? Then when you're fully recovered, your strength must be terrifying."
Shao Yun smiled faintly and explained, "Let's just say… I could probably pluck out a man's eyeball with my bare hands, or cave in a skull if I wanted to. Though I don't usually—"
He noticed Candace's calm expression and grew curious.
"You're not surprised at all, are you?" he asked softly. "Most people I've met in Sumeru City are fragile scholars. Just a few harsh words are enough to make them throw up their hands like lambs ready for slaughter."
His words carried a hint of bias, though they weren't entirely untrue.
Candace smiled lightly and replied evenly, "I've fought plenty of monsters, Treasure Hoarders, and ruthless Eremites trying to attack the village."
"In battle, I've seen blood gush and organs torn open. Such things stopped fazing me long ago."
She unconsciously clenched her fist.
"For the things I cherish, this is what it means to be a guardian."
Just then, a young boy came running toward them in a panic.
He was shouting breathlessly, "Sister Candace! Something's wrong! Something's really wrong!"
Recognizing the boy as little Isaak, Candace's expression turned serious at once.
She knelt before him and asked urgently yet gently, "What's wrong, Isak? Did something happen to your grandfather? Tell me quickly!"
At first, she thought the mad scholar Khalil had caused some trouble again.
But Isak, panting heavily, shook his head frantically.
"It's not Grandpa! The Treasure Hoarders are robbing our warehouse!"
Candace's heart skipped a beat. Trouble.
Years of experience, however, kept her calm and focused.
"They must've seen Dehya's convoy arrive and decided to target the warehouse. We have to go, now!"
The warehouse wasn't far, but it was outside the main village—meaning the villagers were still safe for the moment.
"Isak," she said firmly, "go home and hide. Don't come out until it's over. Leave this to me."
Isak nodded quickly and ran back home.
Once he was gone, Candace rose and looked to Shao Yun on horseback.
"I'm heading to the warehouse! How's your condition?"
Shao Yun gripped the reins with one hand and drew his Litchfield Repeater with the other.
"Don't worry about me. If those Treasure Hoarders want to steal, they'd better be ready to hang for it."
He nudged Carrot's side, and the horse galloped after Candace, hooves pounding against the sand, raising a trail of dust.
As they neared the warehouse, a familiar figure appeared in the moonlight—Dehya.
She had heard the news and rushed over as well.
Their eyes met, and an unspoken understanding passed between them.
Dehya smirked. "Let me guess—you two heard about the Treasure Hoarders hitting the warehouse too?"
Candace gave a brisk nod. "Exactly. Let's move!"
Soon, they arrived at Aaru Village's warehouse.
There, a muscular villager was fiercely dueling a group of Treasure Hoarders with a curved blade.
He moved with agility and precision, each strike driving his opponents backward.
Seeing this, Candace felt a wave of relief. "I see Habachi! Looks like the Treasure Hoarders haven't breached the warehouse yet."
"Who?" Shao Yun asked, blinking.
When he learned it was Habachi fighting, Shao Yun relaxed. If it weren't for Candace and Dehya, he might've just watched the show.
Treasure Hoarders vs. Sumeru's Local Legend.
And now, a critical question loomed before Shao Yun.
One Habachi against ten Treasure Hoarders—who was surrounding whom?
The answer: the Treasure Hoarders were the ones surrounded. Seven were already down, and the remaining three, trembling, were on the verge of fleeing.
At that moment, Shao Yun, Dehya, and Candace reached the warehouse.
Candace shouted, "Habachi! We're here!"
Hearing her voice, Habachi's heart surged with relief, though his gaze never left the last three enemies.
"Miss Candace! You're finally here!" he yelled, slashing his blade again. The steel flashed cold under the moonlight.
He wiped the blood from his cheek, sneered at the trembling Hoarders, and said coldly, "Hmph. Not so tough now, are you? Time to die!"
Shao Yun couldn't help but chuckle. If we'd come a minute later, those three would already be dead. And here he is talking about being outnumbered. Some 'War God of Sumeru' he is.