"Hehe... little one, you... cough, cough... you still speak just as charmingly as you did in your childhood, cough, cough..." Within the tent, the ancient voice bore a hint of amusement, as if its owner were reminiscing about Desair's youthful days.
Amidst a series of intermittent coughs, Mother Kolzong slowly remarked, "In that case, let... cough, cough... let us invite our guests in, so I may... cough, cough... see what the matter is, and determine if I can indeed assist our esteemed human friends, as you have suggested."
Outside the tent, upon hearing Mother Kolzong's words, Desair turned to Xiao Mu Yu and the others, saying, "Please follow me. However, Mother Kolzong is quite elderly and dislikes harsh sounds, so... um, I hope that once we enter the tent, everyone will refrain from making too much noise."
As he spoke, the Tauren cast a concerned glance at the two little ones.
Noticing Desair's concern, Riven promptly gave Teemo a playful pat on the head, causing him to stumble slightly. With a mischievous grin, Riven chuckled, "No need to worry, Mr. Desair; I assure you that there will be no excessive noise once we are inside. Hahaha..."
Seeing Riven's hearty laughter, the two little ones shivered involuntarily, recalling the "fond memories" brought about by the wickedly grinning beauty during their occasional heated disputes on their journey.
Though Riven's assurance seemed strong, Desair remained somewhat apprehensive. Nevertheless, he finally approached the wooden door of the tent and respectfully opened it.
From behind, observing the Tauren's actions, Xiao Mu Yu's pupils narrowed sharply. The man's cold gaze lingered on the wooden door for a few seconds before he slightly bowed his head, lost in thought.
Once the door was opened, Desair, leading the way, bowed respectfully to the shadowy interior of the tent, which was dimly lit, before allowing everyone to enter.
The light inside the tent was exceedingly dim; unlike most Tauren tents, this one lacked a skylight, and due to insufficient lighting, the entire space was enveloped in a gentle twilight.
The group could only vaguely discern a large bed in the dark corner, upon which sat a figure that appeared to have been bedridden for many years.
"Good morning, Mother Kolzong. My name is Riven," the silver-haired woman said as she entered the tent, her mischievous smile fading as she bowed respectfully to the shadow.
"Greetings, traveler. May the Earth Mother bless you," the aged figure nodded, speaking with a kind and gentle tone.
After Riven introduced herself, the two little ones quickly chimed in.
"Good morning, Mother Kolzong. My name is Annie." Releasing Xiao Mu Yu from her embrace, the little girl tugged at her dress and curtsied gracefully, reminiscent of a princess at a ball, exuding an air of elegance despite being merely eight years old.
"Ah, so you are the renowned Mother Kolzong, the all-knowing? Good morning! I am the illustrious Captain Teemo, and I trust you have heard of my name, for someone as famous as I... Ouch! Riven, why did you hit me?"
Withdrawing her fist, Riven smiled sheepishly at Mother Kolzong, saying, "Cough, cough... please disregard him, Mother Kolzong; this little one's intellect is somewhat... well, you know how Yordles can be."
"Hehe... no worries, no worries. It has been quite some time since I encountered such spirited young individuals. Captain Teemo, you say? Hehe... I shall remember that name. I believe it will one day resonate throughout the entire continent of Valoran," Mother Kolzong replied with a warm smile.
Upon hearing Mother Kolzong's words, Teemo, who had been sulking with his hands on his head, immediately brightened. With his chubby hands clasped behind his back, he nodded solemnly, "I have no doubt about your final statement. Clearly, you are a true sage. As for wise elders, we Yordles hold them in the highest regard. Mother Kolzong, it is a pleasure to meet you, and I believe your wisdom could illuminate the night sky of Valoran."
"Oh, you little kitty, how shamelessly you boast," the little girl giggled, covering her mouth.
"Hehe..." With a gentle gaze sweeping over the group, Mother Kolzong's attention finally settled on the silent, cold man, and she kindly inquired, "Child, what is your name? Might you share it with this old woman?"
"..." After a few seconds of silent exchange with the kind, elderly figure, Xiao Mu Yu finally spoke coldly, "Xiao Mu Yu."
He maintained his usual aloof demeanor, speaking sparingly.
However, Mother Kolzong did not take offense at his coldness.
In the dim light of the tent, Riven could faintly see the elderly Tauren elder wearing a benevolent smile that seemed to encompass all.
Recalling the information Desair had shared earlier, Mother Kolzong gently asked, "My dear guests, I have heard from Desair that... you appear to be troubled by an unknown curse?"
"Indeed, Mother Kolzong," Riven replied, her tone growing serious. "Initially, we felt no sense of unease, but upon waking this morning, we discovered that our powers had diminished by a tier."
"To be honest, I have endured many battles and learned numerous secrets from countless comrades and foes, yet throughout my years, I have never heard of a curse capable of significantly reducing one's strength. Might you know what could be the cause?"
As the topic arose, the two little ones perked up with concern, and even the usually indifferent Xiao Mu Yu shifted his cold gaze to Mother Kolzong, awaiting the wise elder's response.
"A significant reduction in strength?" Mother Kolzong murmured, contemplating. "Indeed, there are many malicious curses in this world that can bring one to ruin, some that temporarily seal a person's powers, and others that utterly incapacitate the afflicted. However, to my knowledge, among the myriad curses wielded by warlocks, there seems to be none that merely lowers a person's strength. But... cough, cough... have you considered the possibility that this curse may not pertain to humanity?"
"Not pertaining to humanity?" Riven asked, somewhat taken aback. "What do you mean?"
"In... cough, cough... in the Shurima Desert, there exists a beast known as the... cough, cough... Ghosthorn Lone Wolf. This creature possesses very low strength and is exceedingly rare; throughout the vast Shurima Desert, the total number of Ghosthorn Lone Wolves likely does not exceed twenty."
"Due to their scarce population and lack of individual strength, the Ghosthorn Lone Wolves have developed a peculiar ability to protect themselves. Because of this strange ability, although their strength is low and they cannot even contend with fourth-tier beasts, they are seldom attacked by other creatures. Do you know, cough, cough... why this is?" Mother Kolzong explained.
"Um? Are you suggesting that our curse is related to the Ghosthorn Lone Wolf?" Riven seemed to grasp the implication and asked softly.
"Cough, cough... yes," Mother Kolzong nodded and continued, "The Earth Mother is both merciful and just. Due to the low numbers of Ghosthorn Lone Wolves, to prevent their extinction, the goddess bestowed upon them a unique ability for self-protection—any creature that slays a Ghosthorn Lone Wolf will unknowingly incur a peculiar curse."
"Unless the perpetrator's strength reaches the saint tier, the cursed beings will gradually lose their strength over time, ultimately losing all their former power, and thereafter, they will be unable to cultivate martial or arcane arts. For the remainder of their lives, they will exist as ordinary individuals devoid of all strength."
"If I am not mistaken, my dear human friends, you... cough, cough... you must have been cursed by the Ghosthorn Lone Wolf," Mother Kolzong sighed and inquired, "Please reflect carefully... cough, cough... think back to your journey here, have you... cough, cough... encountered or slain a peculiar black-green wolf?"
"Um? A black-green wolf? Well..." After pondering for a few seconds, Riven looked up in surprise. "It seems that... during our days in the desert, we did indeed encounter such a strange wolf, which I... happened to slay."
"Yes, yes! Annie remembers too! That big wolf looked so odd; it tried to run away after glancing at us, but Riven sister cleaved it in two with a single strike!" The little girl exclaimed, raising her hand.
"Um... now that you mention it, I do have a vague recollection," Captain Teemo mused, stroking his chin and attempting to adopt a thoughtful expression.
"..." Meanwhile, Xiao Mu Yu continued to observe coldly. His icy gaze swept over the faces of the others before he slightly raised his head, his dark eyes slowly closing, remaining silent.