Chapter 384: The Baokang County

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

Although Baokang County seat has been built for less than a hundred years, people have lived in this area for a very long time, dating back even to the time of Xiong Yi, the first king of Chu.

Years of war and chaos have never reached these places.

The reason is very simple: within the borders of Baokang County, mountains overlap, gullies crisscross, the terrain is undulating and varied, and there are countless mountain streams and rivers.

Strictly speaking, this area can also be considered part of the Jingchu mountain forest region. Some villages are closed off year-round, self-sufficient, and even the government finds it difficult to collect grain taxes.

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

But today, the dark clouds of war have also shrouded this place.

"Caw! Caw!"

Under the bright moonlight, crows gather and disperse from time to time.

On the deep canyon mountain path, it is densely packed with corpses, both Lord Lord Tian Sheng Sect followers and imperial troops. Severed limbs are everywhere, and broken flags and weapons are crisscrossed.

The surrounding mountain forests are even emitting thick smoke and firelight.

If someone were to look from a high vantage point, there are actually more than ten such dilapidated battlefields, large and small, within the borders of Baokang County.

This is the current battlefield situation.

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

They have broken into small units, wandering around and launching sneak attacks, causing no small amount of trouble for the imperial army.

Even when the True Martial Palace mobilizes troops, sometimes they can only wipe out one or two small enemy units and cannot decide the outcome of the war.

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

Fortunately, the imperial court has not urged them.

For one thing, there has been a bumper harvest of grain in the past two years, the national treasury is full, and there is enough time to completely eliminate the hidden dangers in this hinterland of the Divine Land.

For another, the imperial court is also using this to train troops and experiment with new firearm tactics.

The war situation here in the Jingchu mountain forests has reached its final moment; whether it is the Longxiang Army or the Lord Lord Tian Sheng Army, both have lost hope of victory.

It was vigorous and lively at the beginning, but now it is just lingering on...

…………

"Sigh~"

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

"There is simply no time."

Gong Xun replied, "The Lord Lord Tian Sheng Sect has created an army of demons, all of whom practice evil arts and use new firearms, hiding in the mountains and forests to disperse and conduct Mobile Corps Commander warfare."

"Especially around the battlefield, when the Daoist priests of the True Martial Palace perform rituals, they are often ambushed. They specialize in shooting black guns, and they run after shooting, which is still a headache."

"The Commander has already ordered that no one is allowed to leave the team privately, 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 raised his head, looked at the overgrown mountain path ahead, and asked suspiciously, "Does anyone really live in this place?"

"Yes!"

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

"Behind the back mountain of Longtan 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 Lord Tian Sheng Army and enter the Shennongjia."

"I happen to know the village head in the village. We will rest there for one night and set off tomorrow morning to enter the Shennongjia."

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

Sha Lifei grumbled and complained.

On their way, they broke up enemy attacks several times. Although the results were brilliant, they were also tense day and night, had no time to light a fire, and their dry rations had all been eaten.

For the past two days, they avoided the main battlefield, climbed mountains and crossed ridges, and in order to hide their tracks, they could only eat some wild fruits to satisfy their hunger, which was really hard to bear.

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

Not long after, a steep slope suddenly appeared in front of them.

The surrounding grass and trees were lush, but this place was full of jagged rocks and no grass grew, looking like the exposed bones of a giant beast, slanting towards the top of the mountain.

"Right here."

Gong Xun raised his head and said, "In other places, the forest is either too dense or it is a cliff, which is difficult to pass. Only by climbing the mountain from here is it the most convenient."

Looking at this strange terrain, Wang Daoxuan couldn't help but take out a compass from his arms. After checking it, he frowned and said, "This place is barren, the yin energy of the land is chaotic, there is no water in front, and there is no support on the left or right. It is a fierce place. 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 still stable, and nothing has happened."

"Oh?"

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

Gong Xun hurriedly replied, "There is an Ancestor Temple on the hillside. It is very old and has a prosperous incense."

"No wonder."

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

Inside the Ancestor Temple, Laozi is worshipped.

If the incense is prosperous, it will surely be able to protect one side.

Just as Gong Xun said, this jagged hillside, although it looks scary, is even more strange and bizarre under the bright moonlight, but there is no danger.

Even a wild beast is not to be seen.

Not long after, everyone climbed up the mountain.

Sure enough, not far away on the hillside, an ancient temple stood impressively. It was not magnificently built, and the outer wall was piled up with rocks of various sizes mixed with mud.

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

"Woof! Woof woof!"

A dog was tied up in the old temple, and when it sensed their breath, it barked wildly.

Creak~

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

"Who is it?!"

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

"Chen Ergouzi, 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 and arrow, "Don't move around, this is Lord Gong, who helped our village before."

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

"I was delayed on the road. Where is Daoist Yun?"

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

"No need, it's not peaceful recently. You guys should guard it steadily. How can you drink while guarding the village? It's simply messing around!"

"My Lord, as you said, in our poor and remote place, who would be willing to come..."

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

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

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

Could it be a vulgar god inside?

Although it was strange, Li Yan did not investigate.

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

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

I saw that it was surrounded by mountains below, forming a small basin, with a lake in the center, and a village by the lake, with about a hundred households.

Under the moonlight, many houses had candles lit.

Wang Daoxuan looked at the moon in the sky, suddenly patted his forehead, and smiled, "I have been rushing on the road for the past few days and almost forgot that today is the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, the night of the Mid-Autumn full moon."

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

"There are thieves!" Lu San suddenly spoke and pointed forward.

I saw that under the bright moon and melon fields, several black shadows were busy, sneaking around, stealing a few large melons.

Sha Lifei was happy, "Goodness, on this Mid-Autumn full moon night, instead of reuniting with their families, they came out to be thieves. I have never seen such a thing."

"Everyone, you misunderstood."

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

"On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, when the moon rises, go to someone else's house to steal melons, and you must make a noise, let the owner come out and scold, the uglier the scolding, the better..."

"After stealing the melon, dress up as a child, dig a hole, and put red chili peppers in it. Beat gongs and drums, send it to a family without children, and wish 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 was pregnant with me like this."

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

Before the words were finished, I saw a wooden door in a nearby farmhouse courtyard suddenly open wide, and a sturdy woman rushed out, jumping and stomping her feet, pointing at the few people and cursing loudly.

The words of scolding were as ugly as they could be.

!.

This sturdy woman exerted all her strength, her eyes were red and her ears were red, and her saliva was flying, obviously taking the opportunity to satisfy her mouth.

Even Li Yan and the others felt uncomfortable listening.

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

These "melon thieves" were all half-grown teenagers. Perhaps it was the excitement and stimulation that caused one of the teenagers to trip over his feet, fall directly to the ground, and the melon in his hand was thrown out.

"Idiot!"

The leading teenager was very anxious when he saw it.

This "Touching the Autumn to Send a Child" also has its own rules. If the stolen melon is broken or cracked, it is unlucky. It cannot be sent to anyone, and if his father finds out, he will definitely scold him.

He was holding two winter melons in his hands and couldn't free his hands to catch it at all, so he had to bend his body, perform a scorpion tail swing, and clamp a melon on his hind legs.

Looking at this skill and reaction, it is clearly a practitioner.

But the other teenagers couldn't react at all.

Whoosh!

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

The person who came was Li Yan.

"Ghost!"

Several teenagers were startled.

"What ghost?"

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

"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..."

The leading teenager had thick eyebrows and big eyes, and a strong build. When he saw 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 Huzi led the way in front, while the other teenagers kept secretly looking at Li Yan and his party.

There was no way, they were simply too conspicuous.

Whether it was the human-demon Wu Ba, the little white fox Chuyi jumping behind Lu San, or the falcon in the cloth pocket 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, "Huzi, why did you steal so many melons this year?"

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

"No one in the village has given birth to a baby for two years, and I don't know what's going on. By the way, Daoist Yun on the mountain said that he wanted to go into the mountain to collect herbs, specifically to help give birth to babies, but he hasn't come out for several days..."

"No babies?"

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

Not giving birth to babies is a big deal. If it takes a long time, rumors will definitely spread in the village, and maybe some disaster will happen.

But he had other important things to do, so he couldn't care about these.

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

It is close to the lake here, just like other places in Ezhou, with the ancestral hall as the center. The difference is that the ancestral hall is close to the lake.

The village is poor, and even the richest village head is just a hunter. The courtyard is built more spaciously, far from being comparable to the local wealthy landlords in other places.

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

While talking, she saw Gong Xun and his party, 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 Huzi.

"Lord Gong!"

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

"These are all distinguished guests, let's talk inside!"

Gong Xun and this Village Head Zhou were obviously very familiar, so he didn't talk nonsense and led them directly into the courtyard.

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

On the square table, a shelf was built with wood, 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 moon sacrifice.

"Everyone, please!"

Village Head Zhou was uneasy in his heart and led them into the room.

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

"Oh, everyone wants to enter the Shennongjia?"

"Exactly, I also want to enter the mountain tomorrow to help everyone lead the way..."

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

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

Creak!

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

Zhou Huzi shivered and hurriedly walked away.

"Brat..."

Sha Lifei was happy 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 caught a good time.

It happened to be the Mid-Autumn night. Village Head Zhou was the best hunter in the village. He caught a deer and caught a lot of river fish. Although they were small rural dishes and there was nothing particular, they were also made with color, fragrance, and taste.

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

The Zhou family was also busy.

The stolen winter melons were quickly dressed up by the women into fat babies. The villagers who came to help beat gongs and drums and sent 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 Daoxuan looked at the bright moon in the sky and then looked at the direction of Guanzhong, a trace of sadness flashed in his eyes, "Brother Sha, follow me to the lake later, set up a Dharma altar, and sacrifice to the relatives of our brothers."

"Okay!"

Sha Lifei nodded solemnly, then glanced from 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)