"How was your night?" Kaila asked with a smile as she invited Ed into her house. She wore a beautiful blue gown with a golden necklace and light makeup, looking absolutely stunning, a vision hard to ignore. If not for the fact that Ed was observing a period of restraint, he would have gladly shown her just how his night had been.

"It was okay, but seeing your beautiful appearance today, I'm now regretting my decision to refuse your request to stay with you last night," Ed said with a feigned sad expression as he moved closer to Kaila. He sniffed the pleasant perfume near her neck, causing her breathing to instantly grow heavy and her ears to turn red as the space between them shrank.

"That is indeed sad. Then you shouldn't decline my request tonight, right?" She asked in a low voice, looking into Ed's eyes while biting her lower lip. Looking at his young face, she suddenly felt embarrassed talking about such things, but there was no helping it, the other party had truly raised her favorability enough, at least enough to share a bed for a few months.

"Maybe... maybe not. Who knows? Let's talk about it tonight," Ed didn't promise her, offering only a playful wink that left her disappointed.

After a little teasing, Ed enjoyed a wonderful breakfast in the company of a beautiful lady, whom he found far too fun to tease, and after spending some time with her, he bid Kaila farewell and strolled toward the city gates like a tourist. Along the way, he passed streets where many people in clown costumes juggled and performed, entertaining the crowds.

"Should I perform on the street, too?" Ed mused while rubbing his chin. He gave a quick glance at his money in his Inventory and fell into deep thought.

[ Money: Silver Snake x 12, 1 Gold Leaf, 1 Gold Sail. ]

When he reached the city gate, the security seemed much more relaxed than before. Although wanted posters still hung nearby, the guards clearly didn't care about them anymore, barely glancing at passersby. They weren't even stopping people for questioning unless someone looked exactly like the portraits, too obvious to ignore. Otherwise, they didn't give a damn.

Seeing the guards taking their duty so "seriously," Ed felt a weight lift from his shoulders and breathed a sigh of relief.

Straightening his collar and puffing out his chest, he confidently approached the gate with a walking stick in hand. Like many curious passersby, he glanced at the portraits on the wanted posters. Most were familiar to him, but there were also a few minor figures he hadn't seen before. Fortunately, his face wasn't among them.

Satisfied, he slipped past the guards with his head held high and easily exited the city, after which he quickened his pace toward the location marked on his map.

Ed made his way down Garden Avenue and into the countryside. Oddly, the villagers he encountered seemed to avoid him, deliberately steering clear. Even when passing close by, they kept their heads down, avoiding eye contact as if fearing he might recognize them and come to greet them. Seeing this, Ed picked up his pace, eager to leave their suspicious stares behind. God knows if some idiot might report him and mess everything up.

After a long walk, he finally arrived at his destination, a small valley on the island. The valley was flanked by low peaks, with a serene forest nestled between them. It felt like a hidden paradise.

Ed surveyed the muddy path beneath his feet and noticed a few wooden stakes in the distance. It was clear people still visited the area from time to time. The treasure site, marked as No. 5 on his map, was located right before him, its position signaled by a white glowing spot.

Eager to explore, Ed entered the woods. The subtle chirping of insects filled the air, a sound that grew louder as he ventured deeper. He scanned the trees and grass around him. There were far more insects here than outside. Some even zipped past him, buzzing loudly.

This made Ed very anxious and irritated. Right now, his heart was beating at maximum speed. This was definitely a hell for him; if he had a choice he would never set foot in such a creepy place full of insects. But sadly, he had no choice.

"People really will do anything for money. No wonder they say birds die for food and humans for their greed. After finding the location of the treasure, I'll definitely ask for extra money from the captain," Ed cursed with a bitter expression on his face as he walked quickly through the woods with his head down, looking around with full vigilance, or more specifically, nervousness, fearing something might fall on him from a tree at any moment.

He lowered his head slightly, stepping around a spider's thread that stretched across the path, and continued walking along the winding trail, deeper into the area.

As Ed ventured further, more and more wooden stakes appeared, clearly man-made.

Ed noticed several villagers near the stakes as well, seemingly engaged in some kind of prayer ceremony. Thankfully there wasn't anything weird about them; otherwise, Ed would definitely have wondered if they were a group of evil cultists performing dark rituals in the forest.

The villagers were a little surprised to see Ed, an outsider, coming so deep into the woods, but they quickly gathered their things, quickened their pace, and left. Judging by their expressions, they were all afraid of Ed.

Ed didn't care about those minor details, since he assumed they were just jealous of his "handsome" face. He looked at the place where the villagers had been sitting. On the wooden stakes were small clay sculptures, some made of stone. Most were insects. Some stakes were also carved with words and patterns.

He walked over and took a quick glance. Most of the carvings seemed to be prayers for blessings. From his visit to the Insect Museum the day before, he knew that these prayers corresponded to the sculptures placed above them. For example, if someone prayed for their children's health, they would place an insect that symbolized that wish.

To symbolize progress, most of the sculptures were of silkworm pupae or butterfly cocoons, representing the idea of breaking out of a shell and being reborn.

Many of these objects still looked new. It seemed the locals frequently placed their hopes and wishes here. It must be a long-standing tradition of the surrounding villagers.

At that moment, Ed looked toward a distant tree branch and noticed a figure squatting on the ground.

Out of curiosity, he walked closer. Upon a closer look, he realized it was the eccentric old man from the insect museum he had met the day before.

The old man was crouched beneath a tree stump, completely still, as though waiting or observing something. He was completely unaware of his surroundings; even when Ed stood right behind him, he didn't notice at all.

Ed found it hard to understand how a person like him had survived until this day, given the countless insects in these woods, many of them highly poisonous. Just one could be enough to send this old man to the afterlife.

Ed didn't care about the old man's life or death and had no intention of bothering him. He followed the old man's gaze to see what he was observing.

"Ants?"

The old man turned out to be watching marching ants like a curious child.

A line of ants with silver stripes on their black bodies, slightly larger than ordinary ants, marched along. They looked like a moving silver thread...

"What are they carrying?"

"Ah!"

The old man suddenly jerked his head, startled when he noticed the tip of Ed's shoe near him. He stumbled backward with a cry of shock.

Ed rolled his eyes and reached out to steady him.

The old man, still shaken, looked up and, upon recognizing Ed, let out a deep breath while holding his chest. Ed could say with confidence that if an animal had been in his place, the old man would surely have had a heart attack by now.

"So, it's you! Why would you sneak up on someone without saying anything? You scared me half to death," The old man complained angrily. If not for the fact that he wasn't familiar with Ed, he really would have wanted to slap the back of his head.

Ed smiled slightly without any shame, then helped the old man to his feet.

"What is this place? I can feel that there are many insects here, some of which are quite rare, ones I have never seen before," Ed asked instead of answering, looking around.

He knew very well that to deal with people like the old man, who were crazily obsessed with something, you simply asked about their interest, and they would easily forget everything else, happily taking the initiative to talk on that topic.

And just as he expected, the old man's anger vanished instantly upon hearing the question. He gave Ed a strange look and spoke.

"You wandered around here without even knowing where you are?"

"I saw the stakes outside and got curious. You know, after our last visit, I am now also a big fan of insects, so I came here to see them," Ed made up a random lie, which seemed to satisfy the old man greatly.

He nodded, then turned and began walking along the path.

Ed followed closely, listening as the old man spoke.

"This is Praying Insect Valley. By the way, there is a very famous legend about this place. Interested in hearing it?"

Ed nodded with a feigned eager look. "Of course, how could I refuse such a thing?" he said, showing enthusiasm like a fanboy.

The old man nodded with a smile and spoke, trying to make his voice mysterious. "Legend has it that insects are the messengers of God. They travel the world on God's behalf, observing the good and evil deeds of humans."

"This valley is said to be a gathering place for these divine beings. People place tree stumps here, carve their prayers, and leave specific insects on them, hoping these creatures will carry their prayers to God's ears."

"It's a simple but fascinating legend that has become a tradition for some on the island."

Ed nodded thoughtfully and said, "It's a rather romantic belief. Such traditions aren't a bad thing, at least for the ecosystem and rare insects."

The old man nodded in agreement, his thoughts similar to Ed's. Then, he stopped.

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