novelraw Chapter 23: Knowing you're not doing well makes me feel at ease
Chapter 23: Knowing you're not doing well makes me feel at ease
After an autumn rain, Wen Gu and the others waited another day. Only after the road surface had dried somewhat did they set off again.
The coarse cloth used to build the temporary rain shelter, having been exposed to wind and rain, was covered in many leaves, weeds, and mud splashes. They didn't know if it had been contaminated by evil energy, so they wouldn't reuse it.
Given the current special circumstances, it would require meticulous washing and drying to use it again. However, they didn't have the time or energy to waste on such matters.
Moreover, they had stocked some supplies on their carts and didn't lack this small amount of cloth.
Even so, Little Liu, who came from an ordinary farming family, couldn't help but feel it was a shame.
Such a large piece of cloth! If this were in the past, how many things could he have made with it after taking it home!
Despite his reluctance, he knew what the right choice was. At the same time, he felt a growing worry: The grain would gradually run out, and the cloth would become worn and tattered with use.
Often, it was disposable – once used, it was gone. What would they do after these items were exhausted? During their journey north, they could collect supplies along the way, but what about afterwards? The world had descended into chaos; were people still farming and weaving? If they settled in the northern lands later, what would they do without food to eat and cloth to use? Especially food!
Because this worry lingered in his heart, Little Liu would focus on searching for edible items every time they reached a resting point.
Stocking up more would bring him some peace of mind.As they set off again, the group had grown to eight people.
They had one donkey cart and one mule cart. Since they were carrying quite a lot of supplies, and besides the three children who stayed in the carts, the other five took turns resting.
They would only rest in the carts when they were tired from walking.
County Lieutenant Zhou, despite his strong constitution, was still recovering from his injuries and spent more time resting in the cart.
Another person who spent more time in the cart was Wen Gu. He was universally recognized within this small team as the physically weak type, and no one objected.
If Wen Gu hadn't voluntarily offered to walk more to build up his strength, people wouldn't have complained even if he spent more time in the donkey cart. Scholars were like that, after all.
Only Daoist Master Qingyi secretly curled his lips. He didn't actually care whether Wen Gu walked or rode.
What he cared about was others' attitudes towards Wen Gu, which reflected a recognition and compromise of status. In the hearts of these people, Wen Gu's importance surpassed his own as a Daoist Master.
Daoist Master Qingyi secretly harbored resentment: "When we reach the northern lands…"
Wen Gu had an inkling of Daoist Master Qingyi's feelings. The Daoist Master was a pure individual; his journey north was solely for fame and fortune! "That's good; he's talented and ambitious! People like that are very efficient at work!"
Wen Gu looked at the map in his notebook and asked Zhou Shan, "County Lieutenant Zhou, do you know where we can find armor? A blacksmith would also work."
Speaking of armor, Zhou Shan was also troubled.
Armor was primarily manufactured and distributed by the government, with unified allocation. For years, there had been no wars in their region, and the Imperial court strictly controlled iron armor.
In the past, the number of people who could be equipped with armor in the county yamen could be counted on one hand. These pieces of equipment had been used for many years, with no new ones to replace them.
As the world descended into chaos, wear and tear intensified, and they could only patch them up themselves, resulting in the armor they wore now being a patchwork. Their shoddy craftsmanship made it look unsightly.
County Lieutenant Zhou said bitterly, "I'm afraid I will have to disappoint you. Our remote and desolate place… Wait!" He suddenly thought of a place.
"To the northwest of our Tang County is a small town. It's surrounded by mountains on three sides and faces a river on the fourth. The riverbank is wide there, and there's a natural ferry crossing where ships frequently stop for supplies."
The trade was active, the personnel coming and going were complex, and there were usually many incidents.
In the past, County Lieutenant Zhou often led people there. Yes, the hospitality from the rich households there was also quite good.
"Actually, the town isn't very large, but its location is advantageous, and the townspeople are relatively wealthy. Several warehouses have been built near the ferry crossing."
Wen Gu understood immediately.
That small town was a mid-route supply station for river transport. He asked, "It's by the river, and the townspeople have frequent contact with the river water.
Is the possibility of them being possessed by evil spirits also higher?"
County Lieutenant Zhou replied, "The possibility of those who remained there being possessed by evil spirits is higher. However, before our region fell into chaos, there were already rumors from the ferry crossing that the world was about to descend into chaos.
The wealthy households in town fled by boat first. The reason I know this is because at that time, water bandits robbed the grain stores in town, and someone reported it to the authorities.
However, the county town was also in chaos at the time, and we couldn't attend to that area."
Wen Gu understood his meaning: "So, that small town, due to its geographical location, can block a large number of external evil spirits, and the town's residents have fled in large numbers.
Is the place almost empty?"
County Lieutenant Zhou nodded.
"I don't know how many people remained there, but according to the last news I received, there certainly weren't many."
If they were merely traveling and looking for a place to rest, he wouldn't have suggested going there. But since Wen Gu had asked about armor, he thought of the warehouses in that town.
His status as county lieutenant allowed him to know that merchants transporting goods by water often secretly carried some illicit items. Iron armor and weapons were among them, not in large quantities, but the current situation was special.
If needed, they could take the risk and go take a look. However, the final decision rested with Wen Gu.
Wen Gu had already made up his mind, but he still went through the proper procedure, analyzing the situation with the team members. After everyone agreed, he said, "Then let's go and investigate!"
Little Liu wanted to see if he could find better bow and arrows, while the Daoist Master hoped to find some usable pills or consumables.
Wen Gu took out his notebook, turned to a blank page, and asked County Lieutenant Zhou to describe the route and the situation in the town. He would then draw a layout map of the town and the ferry crossing.
They temporarily changed course towards the ferry town.
Just then, Ma Tuaner, circling in the sky, let out a warning cry.
It was just a normal warning, indicating the presence of a few evil creatures ahead. Little Liu nocked an arrow and looked towards the front, where a figure was faintly appearing.
As it got closer, just as Little Liu was about to loose an arrow, County Lieutenant Zhou suddenly said, "Wait!"
Little Liu looked puzzled. County Lieutenant Zhou's voice deepened, "This… this was my 'good' brother.
I'll escort him on his final journey."
He drew his saber and quickly moved towards the figure.
As the distance closed, the opponent's form became clearer. This "good" brother was the third son in his family.
His family's conditions were poor, and he had four biological brothers. Being in the middle, he was not favored by his parents and was easily overlooked.
It was Zhou Shan who helped him secure a position, giving him some respectability. Now, times and people had changed.
The freshly sharpened saber was just right.
County Lieutenant Zhou looked at the patterns on the creature's arm.
This "good" brother had not long been transformed into a monster, meaning he had been a normal living person just a few days ago. Now, he was a monster who ate raw flesh and blood.
The smell of food mixed with the scent of alcohol. Initially, the evil creature opposite them hesitated, but as it got closer and smelled the scent of living people more clearly, its steps quickened.
The sound, which had been like a beast's growl, became sharp.
The sharp blade flashed with a cold white light as it swung, like the frost of late autumn, carrying a murderous aura.
The beast's roar abruptly ceased. Its head and body separated.
The body slowly fell.
Wen Gu, watching from not far away, gained a clearer understanding of this grassroots military official.
He had an ordinary background, lacking the heritage of aristocratic military families. His combat skills were honed more through practice.
Having experienced a year of chaos, he clearly had rich experience in killing evil creatures, striking precisely and decisively. In the strike he just delivered, Zhou Shan managed to avoid being splattered by the mutated, viscous blood.
He was spotless.
However, County Lieutenant Zhou did not return immediately.
He stood beside the corpse. He noticed another external wound on the body.
Although Zhou Shan was not a coroner, as a county lieutenant, he had handled many cases. He could tell that this inconspicuous wound on his "good" brother’s body was inflicted within the last two days.
It was a close-range, low-force injury, stained with dirty blood. Someone had deliberately caused it, wanting him dead!
"Heh."
Zhou Shan let out a sarcastic laugh. His group of "good" brothers were truly capable. Before the chaos began, it was hard to tell who was human and who was a ghost. Looking at the corpse on the ground again, he said in a chilling voice, "The dignity I gave you before, I now take back with my own hands."
"Knowing you're not doing well makes me feel at ease."
After thinking for a moment, he felt it wasn't enough to put his mind at ease. After dispatching his "good" brother, Zhou Shan ran back and asked the Daoist Master, "Is there any way to send him to the eighteenth level of hell, never to be reincarnated?" I want to ensure you don't even have the chance to be reborn as livestock!