Chapter 27: Aesthetics

The formation of culture is an exceedingly long and complex process. Historical background, social environment, and even geographical location—under the influence of various factors, every civilization, in every one of its eras, possesses its own unique display of cultural aesthetics.

Elaborate, opulent, and vibrant color palettes, lace-trimmed cuffs, high-waisted pleated skirts, and court balls accompanied by soothing strings—this is the Victorian style of nineteenth-century Europe.

Rugged, wild, simple, and direct natural essence, canine-tooth necklaces, animal-skin aprons, and campfire parties beneath the baobab tree—this is the tribal style from the African savannah.

As a native of Central Province, Xia Nan grew up in his previous life pasting spring couplets and listening to the sound of firecrackers. From the upturned eaves of old buildings by the roadside and the black-and-white ink paintings hanging on company walls, to the blue-and-white patterns printed on the bottom of rice bowls—as an ordinary person born under the weight of his family's expectations, constantly hustling for his future and livelihood, he had never actively paid attention to these scattered remnants.

Yet, over thirty-two years, that culture and aesthetic, born from a long and distant historical legacy and filling every corner of his vision, had quietly seeped into the depths of his blood and merged with his soul. Therefore, even with just a distant glance, Xia Nan keenly sensed that the ink-black token in Haian’s hand possessed a unique style, vastly different from this fantasy world.

"That piece of wood in your hand, could I take a look at it?" he asked with hesitation, calling out to the half-elf, who looked somewhat surprised.

"Here!" Seeing a potential turning point and hoping to recruit Xia Nan into the party, Haian did not hesitate for a moment. No sooner had the words left his mouth than he tossed the token over.

*Clack.*

Xia Nan caught it gently with both hands. The fingertips felt the unique texture of the wooden material—hard yet supple. The surface, however, was not rough; it felt exceptionally smooth and warm to the touch. He scrutinized the palm-sized piece of wood. It was rectangular, narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, about half an inch thick, with a hollowed-out base. The edges were carved with a sophisticated and fluid cloud pattern in a grand, minimalist style.

"Hiss... it resembles it. It really does."

His DNA was triggered. Whether in style or form, this wooden plaque perfectly matched the exhibits he had seen in museums during his previous life. But... there was one thing. That one crucial point. It made him unable to determine whether this token in his hand, like himself, had come from another world—the writing.

Xia Nan could clearly see, in the center of the rectangular wooden block, a square character neatly drawn in a slightly faded brownish-gold pigment. It was that traditional, fluid brushstroke he had written countless times in his past life.

But... he couldn't read it! The characters before him were by no means the pictographic symbols he had learned or seen in his previous life. It was clearly so familiar, yet upon closer inspection, it felt strange. It was uncannily similar, yet not the same. It was precisely because of this that he could not make up his mind.

"I recall that this world also has professions like 'monks'; perhaps it possesses a civilization similar to the Central Province of my past life?" Thoughts surged, and Xia Nan merely speculated wildly in his heart. Under the agitation of his emotions, his initially tense expression could not help but show a ripple.

On the other side, Haian, who was keeping a constant eye on him, naturally noticed the complex look on his face. Connecting the dots, he knew it had to do with the token he had just thrown. He seized the moment, adding, "The goal of our party's mission is actually to investigate the origin of this wood. According to the information we currently have, we have roughly narrowed down the location where it was discovered, and we can arrive by tomorrow. If you are interested, you might as well join us, and I can share some related information with you."

Xia Nan was tempted. In the end, joining the party was merely a matter of weighing pros and cons. The 100-gold offer the other party had shouted earlier was completely insufficient compared to the potential risks, which was why he had flatly refused. But now, with the addition of "having a chance to figure out the origin of the token in hand" to the scales, the situation had changed.

If one had to say, the four-person party in front of him wasn't so ridiculous as to be just sending themselves to their deaths. While the fat man and the blonde girl behind him didn't look very reliable, the half-elf and Wood, the "suspected professional" by his side, seemed quite competent. Plus, as the other party had revealed, the mission destination was only on the outskirts of the Mist Forest, which lowered the risk a bit.

Besides... well, he was just making excuses for his decision. "I really do care too much about this, don't I?"

In an otherworldly fantasy setting, a mysterious token with the aesthetics of his previous life—if he didn't seize this opportunity to find out its source and missed the chance due to excessive caution, he felt he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.

Therefore... "I'll join." Withdrawing his gaze from the wooden token, Xia Nan looked up and said to the half-elf.

...

One's perspective is shaped by one's position. Previously, Xia Nan had been somewhat dismissive of the half-elf's party due to their poor composition and the unprofessional performance of certain individuals. But once he actually became a member, he found the atmosphere within the team wasn't as bad as he had imagined.

They looked like wealthy city youths on a countryside excursion, yet they maintained a fairly disciplined formation along the way. They didn't deliberately make noise, and necessary conversations were kept as quiet as possible. Xia Nan even saw that when insects suddenly flew out from the roadside bushes, startling the blonde girl so much she nearly lost her soul, she still managed to keep her mouth tightly covered, not daring to make a sound.

Wood also displayed high professional standards. Wandering at the front of the team, he would sometimes suddenly crouch down, pinch a bit of soil, and sniff it to determine if they were in the territory of some monster, signaling the team to detour. Or, he would suddenly sweep a branch he had picked up at a seemingly unremarkable, dense patch of grass, startling out a dangerous, mottled-patterned venomous snake. He seemed more like an experienced adventurer than a mere bodyguard. It was just a pity he didn't say a word and, except for Haian, didn't respond to anyone in the team. Otherwise, Xia Nan might have asked him for some adventuring tips.

The most surprising one was Haian, the silver-haired half-elf. Even though he was vaguely the core of the entire team and acted as an archer with a longbow as his primary weapon, he walked in front of Xia Nan the entire way, intentionally exposing his back to him without reservation to put him at ease. Xia Nan could feel the half-elf's friendliness and sincerity. Of course, that was assuming one ignored the wary glances Wood shot back from the front of the line from time to time.