I Can Devour Spirits

Chapter 136: The Grain-Filling Festival

Sun Huang led the Second Escort Team’s escort masters to the nameless inn where the escort team frequently stayed.

This inn was located in a small alley, without even a signboard. It was quite secluded, and the decor was rundown, with tables in the lobby covered in grease.

There was no other choice. The prices in the Prefecture City were much higher than in the towns; even slightly decent restaurants had ridiculously high prices. Even though Sun Huang’s income was decent, he still felt a pinch.

Duan Rong looked at the rundown inn in front of him and immediately understood the escort masters’ situation. Their income wasn’t actually high. Although they could support their families, they couldn’t afford lavish spending.

Liu Ao had been an escort master for more than ten years, and Duan Rong only found two hundred silver notes on him. It was the most meager gain he had ever had from searching a body.

Though the place was shabby, the food was hearty. Sun Huang ordered charcoal-grilled veal leg. Two large tables were pushed together, with more than ten people sitting around them, and a row of wine jars lined up.

Sun Huang personally opened a jar of wine, filled everyone’s cup, then held up his own bowl and laughed, "Come! Brothers, this bowl is to toast our own heads, celebrating that they are still securely on our necks! Come, let’s drink!"

As he spoke, Sun Huang drained a large bowl of strong wine in one go.

The escort masters were also bold, each gulping down a large bowl of wine themselves...

At first, it wasn’t clear, but after ten bowls, who could hold their liquor and who couldn’t became apparent.

Sun Huang surprisingly had the poorest tolerance, already too drunk to wake up, slumped over the table...

Yao Liangrong and Zeng Xiangui went over to toast him, but Sun Huang just waved them off, unable to even speak...

Xiao Yu, however, had the best tolerance. After more than ten bowls, his eyes grew brighter. Duan Rong, who prided himself on never getting drunk after a thousand cups, felt a bit guilty in front of Xiao Yu. Such strong wine, and in these big bowls, he was starting to feel overwhelmed...

Lu Feng’s face was flushed red, his eyes like a rabbit’s, as he sat there dumbfounded, not speaking, occasionally cutting some beef to chew on...

Tang Dejin and Ren Tiewa were also drunk; Tang Dejin’s face was pale while Ren Tiewa held his hand, sobbing and speaking about something...

Wang Ziming, Shao Yongping, and Luo Fanglong leaned against each other, pounding the table and singing. As they sang, tears rolled down the corners of their eyes...

"A knife in hand, a head on the line, grievances in Jianghu, when will they end?"

"Do you not see? In the fields, white bones left unclaimed, three thousand desolate graves overrun with wild grasses..."

They sang with hoarse voices, terribly out of tune, but Duan Rong, watching these people, felt an indescribable emotion rise in his heart.

Duan Rong heard in their poor singing a harshness of the Jianghu!

These iron-willed men, who kept their heads on their necks, lived lives of licking blood off the blade. Only in moments like this could they relieve the pressure on their hearts and release the accumulated emotions of their lives, though in an embarrassing manner, it was deeply moving...

Duan Rong poured the half-bowl of strong wine in his hand down his throat; the spicy wine stung his mouth and esophagus. At that moment, he finally understood why strong wine existed.

Because strong wine, like the Jianghu, is fierce!

After a night of drinking, they rested in the inn. The next morning, they set off to return.

Though the Prefecture City was bustling, what did it have to do with them?

In these times, making a living was truly not easy!

On the return journey, traveling light with less pressure, their speed increased by at least half.

About seven or eight days later, the escort team entered Wancheng County again, staying at the same inn.

Once settled, Sun Huang gathered everyone together.

It had been more than twenty days, but there was still no word from Liu Ao, who had separated from the escort team.

And this Wancheng County was where Liu Ao had left the team. With no pressure of delivering the goods, Sun Huang sent everyone out to gather news...

Sun Huang himself went directly to the local county government office.

Sun Huang slipped some silver to the constable on duty, and reviewed the forensic examination reports of the few murder cases recorded by the county government in the past twenty days.

Sun Huang could confirm that Liu Ao was not among them.

Sun Huang also inquired with the constable about the skinny monk Duan Rong had mentioned, but found no information as well.

Walking out of the Wancheng County Government Office, Sun Huang’s expression was uncertain. "Liu Ao! Are you dead or alive? If you’re still alive, why did you leave the escort team without a word?"

By evening, everyone who had gone out to gather information returned, and after comparing notes, they had nothing to show for their efforts.

They said it had been more than twenty days since he disappeared; where would they search now? Duan Rong had spent half a day wandering the streets, eating all the street food Wancheng County had to offer...

With no leads, they had no choice; the escort team left Wancheng County the next morning...

Three days after leaving Wancheng County, they reached the borders of Xianggu County.

By noon, they were already outside the East Suburb of Xianggu County, just ten miles away from Xianggu County Town, likely to arrive there by afternoon.

There’s a saying: at home, everything is fine; leaving home, everything is difficult.

Xianggu County, though secluded and rundown, was their hometown. All the neighbors and villagers were acquaintances, making things more convenient.

As the escort team reached the East Suburb, they saw many paper offerings discarded by the roadside and a massive dragon-shaped paper lantern hanging in the woods of a distant village...

Duan Rong’s heart skipped a beat. He wasn’t very familiar with the customs of the Nine Provinces World, but as he searched his predecessor’s memories, he understood.

The Nine Provinces World was also in the Year of Jiachen, and just yesterday was the 13th of the fourth lunar month, the Xiaoman solar term in the Nine Provinces World.

Xiaoman refers to when the wheat grains are filling out but not yet mature, corresponding roughly to the late milk ripeness stage, hence called Xiaoman.

The Nine Provinces is an agrarian society, and Xiaoman is a major festival, involving dragon lantern making, dragon god worship, and prayers for a year of good weather and abundant harvest.

Duan Rong sighed softly in his heart. This was his first Xiaoman Festival since crossing souls, and he had missed it entirely, not even getting to experience the festival’s grandness in this world.

Looking at the ground covered with offerings at the village entrance, yesterday must have been quite lively.

Seeing that they would soon enter the city, the escort team’s pace quickened significantly, soon reaching the East City Gate of Xianggu County Town.

The government constables guarding the gate saw it was the Yuan Shun Escort Agency’s escort team, with empty escort vehicles, and after checking each of their waist badges, they let them pass.

After only a little more than a month, upon seeing the familiar streets and pedestrians, everyone felt a warmth in their hearts.

After entering the city, the escort team leisurely turned onto West Main Street, heading towards the Yuan Shun Escort Agency.

At the escort agency, they first returned the horses and escort vehicles, the horses to the Horse Stable, and the escort vehicles to the Car Workshop. While returning the horses, Duan Rong saw Old Man Sun from the Horse Stable, but now, Duan Rong was wearing the attire of an escort master, and their statuses were entirely different.

Old Man Sun took the horses from Duan Rong’s hands, respectfully addressing him as Escort Master Duan. Duan Rong merely murmured in acknowledgement and walked away.

After returning the horses and escort vehicles, Sun Huang led everyone to the backyard. As they passed through the Martial Arts Arena in the mid-courtyard, they found it entirely deserted.

Everyone felt something was wrong.

This time of afternoon was the prime time for practice; how could the Martial Arts Arena be empty?

Sun Huang’s expression was serious, thinking to himself: could there be an issue at the escort agency?