Chapter 384: The Ancient Path of Inside Shennongjia

The name "Baokang County" originated from the "Baokang Army" of the Yongxi era of the Northern Song Dynasty, meaning "to protect peace and comfort the people." It was only after the founding of the Great Da Xuan Dynasty that Baokang County was officially established.

Although Baokang County city has been built for less than a hundred years, people have lived in this region for a very long time, dating back even to King Xiong Yi of the early Chu State.

Years of war and chaos never reached these places.

The reason is simple: the territory of Baokang County is filled with overlapping mountains, crisscrossing ravines, and undulating terrain, with countless mountain gullies and rivers.

Strictly speaking, this place is also considered part of the Jingchu mountain forest region. Some villages have been isolated for years, self-sufficient, making it difficult even for the government to collect grain taxes.

In troubled times, it was equivalent to a Peach Blossom Spring.

But now, the dark clouds of war have shrouded this place as well.

"Caw! Caw!"

Under the bright moonlight, crows gathered and scattered.

On the deep canyon mountain path, it was densely packed with corpses, both Lord Tian Sheng Sect disciples and imperial troops. Severed limbs covered the ground, and shattered flags and weapons were strewn about in a tangled mess.

The surrounding mountain forests were emitting thick smoke and flames.

If someone were to look from a high vantage point, there are actually more than ten such ruined battlefields of various sizes within the territory of Baokang County.

This is the current situation of the battlefield.

In the land of Ezhou, the imperial troops are insufficient and have all been transferred from other places. The Lord Tian Sheng Army and the Longxiang Army, however, grew up in the mountain forests, are skilled in mountain forest warfare, and occupy the advantage of the terrain.

They broke into smaller units, with small squads roaming everywhere to launch sneak attacks, causing no small amount of trouble for the imperial army.

Even when the True Martial Palace mobilizes troops, they can sometimes only wipe out one or two small enemy squads, unable to decide the outcome of the war.

Therefore, the current strategy of the imperial court is to rely on its numerical superiority to advance steadily and continuously compress the territory of the Lord Tian Sheng Sect.

Fortunately, the imperial court has not been urging them on.

For one, there has been a bumper harvest of grain over the past two years, and the national treasury is full, providing enough time to completely clear out the hidden dangers in this heartland of the Divine Land.

Secondly, the imperial court is also using this to train troops and experiment with new types of firearm tactics.

The war situation here in the Jingchu mountain forests has reached its final moment; neither the Longxiang Army nor the Lord Tian Sheng Army has any hope of winning.

It started off with a bang, but now it is merely gasping its last breath...

…………

"Sigh~"

On a mountain path in the distance, Wang Wang Daoxuan sighed and withdrew his gaze, "If those battlefields aren't cleaned up soon, who knows how many lonely ghosts and demons will be created."

"There's simply no time."

Gong Xun replied: "The Lord Tian Sheng Sect has created a demon army, all practicing evil arts, and they have also used new types of firearms, hiding in the mountain forests to disperse and conduct Mobile Corps Commander warfare."

"Especially around the battlefields, when the Daoist priests of the True Martial Palace perform rituals, they are often ambushed by people firing black guns; they shoot and run, which is still a headache."

"The Commander has already ordered that no one is to leave the team without permission, and they must return to the military camp after nightfall; they can only wait until after the war to clean up."

"Let's go early."

Li Yan looked up at the overgrown mountain path ahead and asked suspiciously, "Does anyone really live in this place?"

"Yes!"

Gong Xun said: "Deep in the mountains ahead, there is a Longtan Village. It is located in a remote area, and the mountain paths in and out are very steep, so it has not been affected by the war."

"Behind the village, there is an ancient mountain path, rumored to have been built by the ancestors of the Chu State. From there, one can avoid the Lord Tian Sheng Army and enter the Inside Shennongjia."

"I happen to know the village head; we can rest there for one night and set off early tomorrow morning to enter Inside Shennongjia."

"Fine, let's go early, I, Old Sha, am almost starving to death!"

Sha Sha Li Fei grumbled and complained.

On their journey, they had dispersed several enemy attacks in a row. Although the results were brilliant, they had been tense day and night, unable to light a fire, and their dry rations had all been eaten.

For the past two days, they had been avoiding the main battlefield, climbing mountains and crossing ridges. To hide their tracks, they could only eat some wild fruits to stave off hunger, and they really couldn't hold out much longer.

Gong Xun himself was also exhausted, so he didn't say anything more and led everyone through the dense forest mountain path.

Not long after, a steep slope suddenly appeared before them.

The surrounding vegetation was lush, but this place was filled with jagged rocks and was devoid of grass, looking like the exposed skeleton of a giant beast, slanting toward the top of the mountain.

"It's right here."

Gong Xun looked up and said: "In other places, the forest is either too dense or there are cliffs and precipices that are difficult to pass. Only by crossing the mountain from here is it the most convenient."

Looking at this peculiar terrain, Wang Wang Daoxuan couldn't help but take out his Luo Pan from his bosom. After checking it, he frowned and said: "This place is devoid of grass, the yin energy of the land is chaotic, there is no water in front, and no support on the left or right. It is a place of misfortune. Has nothing happened here?"

Gong Xun was stunned for a moment, "I have been to this Longtan Village several times. There are cultivated fields in the village, and a large water pool. Plus, there are many hunters, so life is quite stable, and nothing has ever happened."

"Oh?"

Wang Wang Daoxuan looked at the top of the mountain again, "This is a bit strange. Are there any temples or town-guarding objects in the village?"

Gong Xun hurriedly replied: "There is an Ancestor Temple on the hillside. It is very ancient, and the incense is flourishing."

"No wonder."

Wang Wang Daoxuan suddenly realized, "So there was already an expert who made arrangements."

Inside the Ancestor Temple, Laozi is worshipped.

If the incense is flourishing, it will surely be able to protect the area.

Just as Gong Xun said, this jagged hillside, although it looked terrifying and was even more bizarre under the bright moonlight, was not dangerous at all.

Not even a single wild beast could be seen.

Not long after, everyone climbed up the mountain.

Sure enough, on the hillside not far away, an ancient temple stood tall. It was not built magnificently; the outer walls were made of rocks of various sizes, piled up with mud.

The courtyard gate was locked, and it was pitch black inside.

"Woof! Woof woof!"

A dog was tied up inside the old temple, and upon sensing their presence, it immediately barked wildly.

Creak~

The temple gate opened immediately, and three men reeking of alcohol, wearing swords and holding bows, rushed out in a panic.

"Who is it?!"

Before they could see clearly, they had already drawn their bows and arrows.

"Chen Ergou, it's me!"

Gong Xun hurriedly spoke to stop them.

"Is it... Lord Gong?"

One of the thin men hurriedly pressed down his companion's bow, "Don't move recklessly, this is Lord Gong, who helped our village before."

"My Lord, why did you enter the mountains in the middle of the night?"

"We were delayed on the road. Where is Daoist Priest Yun?"

"He went into the mountains to collect herbs and hasn't returned for several days. You must be going to Village Head Zhou's house, right? I'll lead the way for you."

"No need. It hasn't been peaceful lately, you all keep a steady watch. How can you drink while guarding the village? It's simply reckless!"

"My Lord, as you said, we are in such a remote place, who would be willing to come here..."

After some pleasantries, Gong Xun led everyone to continue forward.

Li Yan turned his head and glanced back, his brows slightly furrowed.

He didn't know if it was an illusion, but he actually heard an old sigh from the Ancestor Temple.

Could it be a folk god inside?

Although it was strange, Li Yan didn't investigate.

They had other important matters, and they had already been delayed for a long time on the road, so there was no need to create extra trouble here.

Looking down from the mountain, Longtan Village was clearly visible.

He saw that it was surrounded by mountains, forming a small basin, with a lake in the center, and a village by the lake with about a Company Commander.

Under the moonlight, many houses had candles lit.

Wang Wang Daoxuan looked at the moon in the sky, suddenly slapped his forehead, and laughed: "We've been rushing on the road for the past few days, I almost forgot, today is the fifteenth of the eighth lunar month, the night of the Mid-Autumn full moon."

Following the hillside downward, terraced fields were layered along the way.

"There are thieves!" Lu San suddenly spoke, pointing ahead.

He saw that under the bright moon in the melon field, several black shadows were busy, acting sneakily, stealing a few large melons.

Sha Sha Li Fei was amused, "Good heavens, on this Mid-Autumn full moon night, instead of reuniting with their families, they are out acting like thieves. I've never seen anything like this."

"You all misunderstood."

Gong Xun laughed dumbly and hurriedly explained: "This is a custom in our Ezhou, called 'Touching the Autumn to Send Children'."

"On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, when the moon rises, people go to steal melons from other people's houses. They must make noise so that the owners come out and scold them; the uglier the scolding, the better..."

"After stealing the melon, they dress it up like a child, dig a hole, and put red chili peppers in it. Then, beating gongs and drums, they send it to a family without children, wishing them an early birth of a noble son."

"That night, the woman has to put the 'melon baby' on the bed to sleep. To tell you the truth, my mother conceived me this way."

"Look, I guess the owner is about to come out..."

Before he finished speaking, he saw a wooden door in a nearby farmhouse courtyard suddenly open, and a fierce-looking woman rushed out, jumping and stomping her feet, pointing at the few people and cursing loudly.

The words she used to curse were as ugly as they could be.

!.

This fierce woman exerted all her strength, her face red and ears hot, spitting everywhere, clearly taking the opportunity to enjoy the scolding.

Even Li Yan and the others felt uncomfortable listening to it.

Those few "melon thieves" were even more flustered, running out of the melon field, holding a dozen large melons, and running away as fast as they could.

These "melon thieves" were all half-grown teenagers. Perhaps due to the excitement, one of the teenagers tripped and fell to the ground, and the melon in his hand was thrown out.

"Idiot!"

The leading teenager was very anxious when he saw this.

This "Touching the Autumn to Send Children" also has its rules. If the stolen melon is broken or cracked, it is inauspicious and cannot be sent to anyone. If his father finds out, he will definitely be scolded.

He was holding two winter melons in his arms and couldn't free his hands to catch it, so he bent his body, performed a "scorpion tail swing," and clamped one melon between his hind legs.

Looking at this skill and reaction, he was clearly a trained person.

But the other teenagers couldn't react in time.

Whoosh!

Just at this moment, the teenagers only heard the sound of wind whistling, and a man suddenly appeared before them, reaching out and gently scooping up the other melon in his hand.

The person who came was none other than Li Yan.

"Ghost!"

Several teenagers were startled.

"Ghost what ghost?"

The leading teenager scolded, then his whole body tensed up, and the hair on the back of his neck stood up, "Who are you? What are you doing in our village?"

"Zhou Zhou Huzi, don't be rude!"

Gong Xun hurriedly walked over and said in a deep voice: "This is a distinguished guest, we have something to ask your father."

"Ah, Brother Gong..."

This leading teenager had thick eyebrows and big eyes, and a sturdy build. Seeing Gong Xun, he was immediately full of joy, "My father is here, follow me quickly!"

"Gouzi, catch it, don't drop it again!"

After saying that, he flicked his lower leg, and the winter melon landed in the hands of the teenager behind him. Li Yan also smiled slightly and handed the winter melon to the other party.

The teenager named Zhou Zhou Huzi led the way in front, while the other teenagers kept secretly sizing up Li Yan and his group.

They couldn't help it; they were simply too eye-catching.

Whether it was the man-demon Wu Ba, the little white fox Chuyi jumping and bouncing behind Lu San, or the falcon in the cloth bag on his chest, they were all very curious.

Seeing this, Gong Xun was afraid that Li Yan and the others would be unhappy, so he hurriedly changed the subject and asked: "Zhou Huzi, why did you steal so many melons this year?"

Zhou Zhou Huzi hesitated for a moment and whispered: "Brother Gong, you haven't been here for the past two years, so you don't know the situation."

"No babies have been born in the village for two years, and I don't know why. By the way, Daoist Priest Yun on the mountain said he was going into the mountains to collect herbs, specifically to help people have babies, but he hasn't come out after being inside for several days..."

"No babies?"

Gong Xun was also stunned for a moment, his brows slightly furrowed.

Not having babies is a big deal. If this continues for a long time, rumors will definitely spread in the village, and who knows what kind of disaster it will cause.

But he had other important matters and couldn't care about these things.

While talking, everyone had arrived at the center of the village.

This place was close to the lake, and like other places in Ezhou, it was centered around the ancestral hall. The difference was that the ancestral hall was close to the lake.

The village was poor, and even the richest village head was just a hunter, with a courtyard built a bit more spacious, far from being comparable to the wealthy squires in other places.

At this moment, the courtyard gate was wide open, and an old woman was already waiting at the gate. Seeing Zhou Zhou Huzi, she complained: "You child, why are you so slow? Hurry up, don't miss the time..."

While speaking, she saw Gong Xun and his group and hurriedly shouted inside: "Master, come out quickly, Lord Gong is here."

A man ran out of the courtyard immediately. He was tall, with a full beard, wearing a brand-new cloth robe, also with thick eyebrows and big eyes, somewhat similar to Zhou Zhou Huzi.

"Lord Gong!"

This man was full of surprise, then looked at Li Yan and the others, "Who are these..."

"These are distinguished guests, let's go in and talk!"

Gong Xun was obviously very familiar with this Village Head Zhou, so he didn't waste any words and led them directly into the courtyard.

Inside the courtyard, a square table had already been set up.

On the square table, a wooden frame had been set up, filled with various offerings, as well as mooncakes, incense, and candles, and the five offerings were naturally indispensable.

This is called the "Moon Offering Tower," used for sacrificing to the moon.

"Please, everyone!"

Village Head Zhou was anxious and led them into the room.

His son, Zhou Zhou Huzi, handed the winter melon to his mother to make the baby, then was curious and pretended to have nothing to do, sneaking under the door of the main hall to eavesdrop.

"Oh, you all want to enter Inside Shennongjia?"

"Exactly, I'm going into the mountains tomorrow, I'll lead the way for you all..."

"What is Village Head Zhou going into the mountains for?"

"Sigh~ Daoist Priest Yun hasn't come out for several days, I'm afraid..."

Creak!

The door suddenly opened, startling Zhou Zhou Huzi, who was eavesdropping. He saw a bald man with a fierce face grinning at him.

Zhou Zhou Huzi shivered and hurriedly walked away.

"Little brat..."

Sha Sha Li Fei laughed and closed the door again.

Everyone discussed for a while inside, and Village Head Zhou immediately went out to arrange accommodation and food for Li Yan and the others.

Li Yan and the others also arrived at a good time.

It just happened to be the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Village Head Zhou was the best hunter in the village and had caught a deer and caught many river fish. Although they were rustic dishes without much refinement, they were cooked with excellent color, aroma, and taste.

With wine and meat in their stomachs, the fatigue of many days was swept away.

The Zhou family was also busy.

Those stolen winter melons were quickly dressed up by the women into fat babies, and the villagers who came to help beat gongs and drums, sending the winter melon babies to every household.

In the courtyard, Village Head Zhou led his family to burn incense and hold a moon sacrifice ceremony.

"Another year has passed..."

Wang Wang Daoxuan looked at the bright moon in the sky, then looked in the direction of Guanzhong, a trace of sadness flashing in his eyes, "Brother Sha, come with me to the lakeside later to set up a Dharma altar to sacrifice to the relatives of our brothers."

"Fine!"

Sha Sha Li Fei nodded solemnly, then glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw Li Yan frowning, seemingly listening intently.

"Little Brother Yan, what's wrong?"

"Shh, don't talk, I hear a woman crying..."

(End of chapter)