The village was mostly devoid of people, with those remaining primarily being the elderly; young faces were almost nowhere to be seen.
As they passed through the village, the two of them encountered only three to five people.
This village was already in ruins, probably only the dock at the water's edge at the village entrance held any value—serving as a stopover for passing boats transporting goods.
Other than that, the village was like a person who was rigid and near death.
The road into the mountains was difficult to travel.
This was purely a path "trampled by humans" because it hadn't been paved or constructed properly. The trails left by predecessors were not only slippery, but in this lush mountain area, a rainstorm could cause the surrounding undergrowth to quickly obscure the original path.
Stones hurt the feet, and the mud was slippery.
