novelraw Chapter 22: May We Travel Together?
Chapter 22: May We Travel Together?
Leaving the post station, they followed Wen Gu's planned route for a day before being forced to stop.
It was going to rain.
Daoist Master Qingyi could read the weather and predicted a storm was coming. They could either speed up and reach the next shelter, or stay put and wait for the rain to pass before setting off.
Although Little Liu wasn't as accurate as the Daoist Master, he had experience hunting in the mountains and could give a general prediction based on the sky.
Whenever their small team faced a choice about where to go or what to do, it was always Wen Gu who made the decision.
This time was no different. After receiving Liu's prediction, which matched the Daoist Master's, they looked to Wen Gu.
Wen Gu, looking at the map in his hand, said, "Then we'll wait for this rain to pass."
They were currently in a teahouse at the foot of a mountain.
It was a simple two-story wooden building. Previously, there were some stalls made of wood around it, but they were now abandoned.
Only this teahouse remained somewhat intact.Wen Gu looked out the window at the mountainside.
According to County Lieutenant Zhou, this place was also a tourist attraction. The mountain wasn't very tall.
A long time ago, a famous person from outside the county had planted a grove of crabapple trees here. Every year when the flowers bloomed, scholars and poets from the county would gather to climb the mountain and admire the flowers, and wealthy families from nearby would also hold banquets there.
From here, they could see pavilions on the mountain. It seemed that the foot of the mountain was merely a service point, and there should be more complete buildings on the mountain.
Unfortunately, the current situation made it inconvenient to go and see. Wen Gu thought to himself that he would have to visit this place after the chaos ended, if he got the chance.
Perhaps there were still inscriptions left by visiting scholars or stone tablets on the mountain. Thinking this, Wen Gu made a note in another notebook.
The teahouse was much smaller than the post station and had been neglected for a long time. The second floor was even more dilapidated, and they definitely couldn't stay there when it rained.
They gathered some firewood from around the area and piled it in a corner, so they wouldn't have to search for dry firewood when the rain started. They moved the tea stove used for brewing to a spot indoors where it wouldn't get wet.
Previously, they had used stream water flowing down from the nearby mountain. They used the teahouse's stove and teapot to boil some water for cleaning and drinking.
This time, they couldn't bring the mule inside, so they used some rough cloth, bamboo poles, ropes, and stones found in the teahouse to set up a temporary rain shelter in a spot sheltered from the wind, right next to the teahouse.
The wind outside began to pick up, tearing dead leaves from the branches.
The doors and windows of the teahouse were closed. Wen Gu and the others could hear the howling wind and the sound of dead branches and leaves being blown against the building.
The sky grew dark, and the rain began to fall, drop by drop.
Ma Tuaner rested upstairs.
While the second floor was uninhabitable, it was suitable for a falcon to rest, and it could also keep watch over the surroundings from a high vantage point. Suddenly, there were two calls from upstairs, alerting them to the approach of unidentified individuals.
It wasn't monsters, but people. However, with Ma Tuaner's intelligence, it couldn't convey precise information.
It was good enough to provide a warning.
After preparing for defense, they soon heard the sound of hooves on the road outside.
Peeking through the gaps in the wooden walls of the teahouse, they saw a mule cart approaching rapidly. The person driving the cart was wearing a straw cloak and a bamboo hat, and holding a large saber.
"Huh? That saber looks a bit familiar!" Little Liu exclaimed.
Daoist Master Qingyi raised an eyebrow and glanced at Wen Gu.
As expected, the "dog scholar" didn't seem surprised, and the corners of his mouth curved upwards. They had seen this saber just a day before.
It belonged to the County Lieutenant surnamed Zhou. However, Wen Gu's smile quickly faded as he looked at the cart.
It seemed too light. He recalled County Lieutenant Zhou mentioning his family at the post station.
There should have been at least three adults surviving, plus children and essential supplies… There was no way it would weigh so little. No one else was visible behind the mule cart, and Ma Tuaner upstairs had stopped giving warnings.
Lost in thought, Wen Gu instructed Tietou, "Open the door."
By then, the mule cart had arrived at the entrance of the teahouse.
The driver, County Lieutenant Zhou, jumped off the cart. He slightly lifted his hat, revealing his somber eyes.
He held his saber, warily glancing at the mule cart under the awning in front of them. The mule cart was familiar, but the people inside might not be.
Just then, the door of the teahouse opened. Seeing Wen Gu and the others, County Lieutenant Zhou visibly relaxed.
"We meet again."
"Come in and take shelter from the rain," Wen Gu said gently.
County Lieutenant Zhou didn't delay.
"Thank you!" he said, but he didn't enter immediately. Instead, he led the mule cart under the eaves, opened the cart door, and held up an oiled paper umbrella to shield them from the wind and rain before saying to the people inside, "Hurry into the house."
He exuded a faint smell of alcohol.
Clearly, he had been using alcohol to ward off evil creatures on his journey. From the mule cart, three people emerged: one older and two younger.
They were children. The eldest looked about twelve or thirteen years old, while the two younger ones were only about five or six.
They were all extremely thin, with deep fear in their eyes, as if they had suffered a great shock. There was no one else besides these three children.
County Lieutenant Zhou led the mule cart to the temporary rain shelter and adjusted it, reinforcing it. During this process, he kept an eye on the three children inside.
After dealing with everything outside, he took off his straw cloak and left it outside before entering the house. The cloak had gotten quite wet and muddy during the journey.
Having heard Wen Gu's advice at the post station last time, and combining it with his own experiences, he decided not to wear it again as a precaution.
County Lieutenant Zhou introduced the three children to Wen Gu and the others.
The eldest was his nephew (his wife's nephew), and the two younger ones were his son and daughter. After this, there was no more, and his eyes were bloodshot, as if weighed down by heavy emotions.
He hadn't slept.
Wen Gu didn't ask further questions, only saying, "Quickly, come and drink some hot water to warm yourselves up."
He took out the rough porcelain cups they had found in the teahouse and poured hot water into them. Wen Gu added, "We've already scalded them with hot water."
County Lieutenant Zhou thanked him and took the cups to the children.
As they drank the hot water, County Lieutenant Zhou's tense nerves finally began to relax slightly.
After leaving the post station, he had rushed home. Thinking he should bring back some food, he had stopped by a village he passed on the way.
He didn't see any villagers, but he encountered bandits who had recently passed through. He had killed the bandits, and taken their mule cart and supplies.
However, when he returned home, only the three children hiding in the cellar were alive. Afterward, he took the three children, had them rub themselves with alcohol to create a scent, and drove the mule cart back to the post station, intending to get a few more jars of wine.
It was at the post station that he saw the text reminders and drawings left by Wen Gu. The idea he had been hesitant about finally solidified.
He didn't linger at the post station for long. Relying on his familiarity with the terrain and the tracks and signs left on the ground, he drove his cart to catch up.
And now, they had finally met at the teahouse. After a bowl of hot water helped to calm his emotions, County Lieutenant Zhou briefly told Wen Gu and the others that his family had suffered a disaster, and only these three children remained.
It was a brief statement, but every word was filled with hatred. He paused, then said to Wen Gu with a serious expression, "I also need to take them north to seek refuge.
I wonder… if we could travel together?" Although he had just been betrayed by his close friend, he was reluctant to trust others again. But at this moment, could he protect these three youngsters alone? They were his last remaining relatives in this world.
He had always thought that if he had been accompanied by a learned person, or someone with mystical abilities like the Daoist Master, his family would not have been driven to such desperate straits. Now, with only him and the three children, they couldn't survive this ordeal if they stayed in their small area.
The mule cart carried several jars of wine, which they could use to rub on themselves daily to ward off evil, but the wine would eventually run out. Food would be consumed, and firewood would be burned.
He had to find a way to survive, for himself and his last remaining relatives. He knew that while some scholars, who studied the same classics, had treacherous and malicious minds, there were also those who were benevolent and righteous.
If he had to make a choice, he felt the scholar he had met only once, the one who left them written hints and drawings at the post station, was more trustworthy. And the Daoist priest, who had been hit by that smoking rattan ball, must also possess mystical abilities.
Furthermore, from their conversation at the post station, he learned that Wen Gu, the scholar, not only had extensive knowledge but also connections in the northern lands. After analyzing the pros and cons, he made this decision, fearing that Wen Gu and his companions might consider the three children a burden.
He stared at Wen Gu. Fortunately, Wen Gu immediately replied, "Of course, we can! The more people, the more strength we have! We have four more helpers now!" Four helpers… County Lieutenant Zhou repeated the words in his mind.
No one else would likely consider them four helpers. Only this overly benevolent scholar would think so.
County Lieutenant Zhou looked at the Daoist Master beside him. The Daoist Master showed no expression, making it impossible to tell if he agreed or disagreed.
Tietou appeared indifferent, while Little Liu, who carried a bow, couldn't help but glance at the three children earlier, but he didn't object. County Lieutenant Zhou looked at Wen Gu again.
Wen Gu nodded slightly, signaling County Lieutenant Zhou to rest assured. County Lieutenant Zhou cupped his hands and said no more.
He couldn't help but think: the one in charge of this fleeing group was actually Wen Gu, this frail scholar! But wasn't he too benevolent? How had they survived? Luck? Or was there a way to escape in books? Or did he have another side to him that was unknown? Regardless, now that he was joining this fleeing group with his relatives, if they encountered wicked people, and if this scholar was too soft-hearted to kill them, he would take care of things behind the scenes. In this world, some people were like evil creatures that needed to be thoroughly eliminated! Daoist Master Qingyi glanced in that direction and shook his head almost imperceptibly.
Sigh, dog scholar! So hypocritical! So hypocritical! He wondered how many more people would fall into this dog scholar's trap in the future. Wen Gu then inquired about County Lieutenant Zhou's injuries.
"It's fine. It's been four or five days, and I'm much better," said County Lieutenant Zhou.
Despite his words, Wen Gu asked the Daoist Master to give him two pills, signaling him: "They're one of us now, you can afford to be generous!" The Daoist Master poured two pills from the medicine bottle. Wen Gu explained that these were medicinal pills refined by the Daoist Master from plants, which were beneficial for internal injuries.
He didn't rush County Lieutenant Zhou to take them immediately. As a new member, County Lieutenant Zhou was still a bit wary.
There was no hurry; once they got to know each other better, they would naturally become familiar. As for the three children County Lieutenant Zhou brought, the eldest could be considered half a laborer, and although they ate a lot, County Lieutenant Zhou had brought supplies! They were all in the mule cart.
The two young children were indeed a burden in the eyes of some in these chaotic times. But would someone join your team without bringing a burden? Although this place was poor and remote, he was still a county lieutenant of a county, possessed combat power, and was familiar with the local area.
He could even find other survivors and form his own team. Some people saw children as a burden, while others saw them as a weakness.
It was good that he cared about them! If he had no one left to care about, who knew what he would turn into when he went mad. The rain stopped around midnight.
The next day was cloudy, and the ground was still wet. They decided to wait another day before setting off.
During their free time, County Lieutenant Zhou chatted with Little Liu and learned about what Wen Gu had said at the post station that day. The doubts he harbored about Wen Gu faded considerably.
His decision was not wrong! County Lieutenant Zhou didn't tell Wen Gu and the others much about his family's affairs. When the children were resting, he would take out a whetstone and sharpen his saber.
He couldn't stop thinking about the scene he saw when he returned home: several figures hanging from the rafters. The purplish-brown evil spots on their hanging arms, and several suicide notes left on the table next to them.
Because he hadn't returned, the others who had gone out had not returned either. In such cases, it was generally assumed they wouldn't be coming back.
So, the adults hiding in the cellar went out together to find firewood and food. All the food they found was left for the three children because the adults who went out had been possessed by evil spirits.
County Lieutenant Zhou couldn't sleep at night, and every time he closed his eyes, he saw the tragic scene he witnessed when he opened the door. He couldn't help but think over and over again that if those "good" brothers had brought the food back in time, they could have saved at least one or two more… Before leaving home, County Lieutenant Zhou had deliberately packed a whetstone from his house.
Now that he had free time, he might as well sharpen his saber. He stared at the blade, watching it become sharper.
*Scrape—* *Scrape—* With each sound, his gaze was chilling… In a farmhouse at the border between Tang County and another county. The original residents were no longer there.
Now, a small group, taking shelter from the rain, was staying there. A young man in his early twenties was lying on a simple wooden plank bed, his face flushed with illness.
He had caught a cold.
"Sanlang, drink your medicine."
A young woman brought him a bowl of medicinal soup. The young man drank the medicine.
They had managed to find it in a town they passed earlier. The medicinal herbs were precious, and at this time, they were reluctant to use them, so the medicinal taste was rather weak.
Being sick, he couldn't help but think of many past events, and also of County Lieutenant Zhou, whom they had abandoned. They used to consider County Lieutenant Zhou their big brother.
This big brother was indeed loyal and very capable. Now, abandoning their big brother was also due to the pressures of survival.
County Lieutenant Zhou was injured at the time, hindering his actions, and they needed someone to cover their retreat. Besides, they had privately discussed their plan to leave the town.
Since things had developed to this point, they might as well go with the flow. They had hesitated too.
County Lieutenant Zhou's combat power could indeed provide an extra layer of security for everyone, but his family was also a burden. He cared too much about his wife and children! Big brother, it's a chaotic world now! If they're gone, we can find someone else and start over! This County Lieutenant big brother always clung to old ideas, always saying he did his duty, managing this and that.
The county yamen is empty! Who can control you?! The few of us together can be the bosses in this area! Once we find supplies and a stable place, we can claim kingship! Why do you always hold everyone back, not letting them do this or that? Look, the once majestic big brother is now abandoned by his brothers? After abandoning County Lieutenant Zhou, they didn't return. The town was already dangerous, and there was no food.
They also had to consider their big brother, County Lieutenant. If big brother didn't return, they had nothing to worry about.
If he did, he would surely go on a killing spree, and they would have to flee even more. This County Lieutenant big brother, when he's good to you, he's truly good, but when he gets his hands on you, he's also truly ruthless! A person who can be a county lieutenant, when their heart hardens, won't listen to any pleas.
The sick young man thought this and suddenly felt a jolt in his heart. Could these brothers who abandoned the injured big brother abandon him, the sick one? Just then, another brother entered the doorway.
Noticing his worry, he comforted him, "Rest assured, all the precious medicinal herbs we found are saved for you. We were planning to rest here anyway.
It's raining outside, and we don't plan to leave for the next two days." In this season, it was rare for them to have consecutive rainy days.
This rain had come rather suddenly, but looking at the weather, clear skies would follow for several days after the rainfall. The rain would stop today, but they couldn't set off until the ground dried a bit.
The young man on the sickbed listened and felt it was true. They had to wait another day or two.
So, he closed his eyes with peace of mind. When you're sick, you need to sleep more.
You'll feel better after a good sleep. He didn't see the exchange of glances between the young woman holding the medicine bowl and the young man at the doorway.
When the sick man opened his eyes again, he didn't feel any better, but rather weaker. His throat was dry, and his body was weak.
He wanted to call out, but for a long time, he couldn't utter a sound. At this moment, he felt something was not right.
It was too quiet around him. His wife, who should have been by his bedside, was nowhere to be seen, and those few good brothers also seemed to be nowhere nearby.
He turned his head to look at the ground. Wild fruits picked from the mountains, their peels were still there.
However, judging by the dryness of the peels, nearly two days might have passed! At this moment, his mind went blank. A bad feeling.
Under the sudden intense emotional shock, he felt his vision go black. After a moment, he looked around the room again.
The bundles were gone. He looked incredulously, wanting to go out and confirm, but he had no strength and rolled off the bed.
He crawled inch by inch, reaching the nearest window. He used all his strength to support himself with a chair and stood up to open the window and look outside.
The wooden cart was gone, the yard outside was empty, not even a grain of rice left behind. He let out a hoarse, bitter laugh.
So, they had come together after all… "good" brothers!!! His body was too weak to even laugh. The people had indeed stayed for two days because of the rain, but at the same time, the "precious" medicine had made him sleep for two days, giving them enough time to internally decide to leave after the rain stopped.
Even if some had sided with him originally, others had betrayed him, and then, succumbing to the circumstances, had abandoned him again. This was retribution! His eyes were vacant, staring blankly outside.
After an unknown amount of time, the midday sun had shifted. However, at this time, due to the morning and midday sun, the temperature had risen to a warm level.
A figure agilely flipped over the courtyard wall and looked into the house. Under the young man's fearful gaze, the evil creature from outside broke through the door.
The young man's face showed terror. He scrambled from the window to the corner of the wall, covering his head, not daring to look, trembling all over.
The evil creature that broke in let out a roar like a wild beast in the mountains, its mutated claws leaving marks on the wooden walls. Then, as if unwilling, it retreated, sniffing the residual scent in the room, and ran out following the scent.
In the dilapidated farmhouse, silence returned. The young man, huddled in the corner, showed a hint of a smile of having survived, but then froze, his face turning deathly pale.
When the evil creature is right in front of you, but doesn't consider you prey, the most likely scenario is— you've already been possessed by evil, and to a certain extent. After sleeping for two days, not eating a single grain of rice, and suffering from a cold, feeling weak and powerless, he had rolled off the bed and crawled to the window after a while.
But just now, he inexplicably gained strength and quickly moved from the window to the corner. Why? Because he was turning into a monster! The exposed hands already had large, obvious evil spots, yet he couldn't see anything unusual about his hands.
And in that brief moment of consciousness, according to his past decisions, he would have committed suicide to avoid going to hell. But at this moment, he suddenly felt a sense of cowardice.
The feeling of fear, of hatred, and the increasingly strong— this feeling of recovery, of his body gaining strength, was truly wonderful. Hunger, bloodlust.
His expression was a mixture of despair, madness, hesitation, and distortion. Time passed slowly, and the expressions on his face, filled with human emotions like struggle and contradiction, were gradually replaced by calm indifference.
His heart rate decreased at a specific rate, his pupils dilated and contracted at that rate, and the area covered by evil spots grew larger. After an unknown amount of time, he let out a beast-like grunt from his throat.