Chapter 3: Offering at the Village Entrance (Thanks to Bingxia Slime for the Silver Tier Support)

On the other side, Xiao Liu Liehu, having returned from delivering the meal, had already arrived at the Village Chief's house to report the situation there.

"Brother Wen Er is fine, his complexion is much better, but he is weak from long-term illness and finds even standing a struggle. Scholars, tsk tsk! But I reckon he should be able to get up and walk around in another two days."

Xiao Liu Liehu said, "We should still send over more things to help him build up his strength so he can draw the diagrams faster. When I went over just now, he had already drawn quite a few!"

The Village Chief could not help but show joy: "Really? That's great!"

Hearing the wailing from that direction today, he had also been filled with anxiety; compared to the grain given away, he naturally valued the Wubao more.

Scholars have much knowledge and broad experience; if not for Wen Gu, how would these villagers know how to build a Wubao?

It is true that food is precious, and even more so in chaotic times. Now that the Evil Plague is raging outside, the fields are abandoned, and no one dares to go out to farm; the stockpiled supplies are dwindling with every use.

However, the surrounding villages and towns are basically empty, and those "people" who have been possessed by "evil spirits" and turned into monsters do not eat grain. As long as the grain the villagers searched for and brought back in the early days is stored properly, they should be worry-free for a year or two, even without any income.

The supplies are managed jointly by the Village Chief and several other elders of higher seniority and greater fairness.

But compared to food supplies, they currently value the Wubao more. The Wubao is needed for defense; it is built to save lives!

If one's life is gone, what use is more grain? If people die and the grain isn't finished, how can one be content?!

Xiao Liu Liehu thought of another matter: "Oh right, Village Chief, should we move another desk over? The blueprints Brother Wen Er has drawn are almost out of space, and they still need to use the table for meals, which isn't good. Moving a small desk will do; a large one wouldn't fit anyway."

The Village Chief nodded in agreement: "I'll look for a suitable one later and have it carried over."

Previously, "Wen Gu" mostly lay on his sickbed and had very little time to draw, so no matter how many tables there were, they were of no use. Now that he is visibly recovering and his spirits are lifting, the time spent drawing will surely increase, so it is necessary to make improvements.

The Village Chief's focus remained on the Wubao blueprints, and he asked again: "You saw the blueprints, how are they drawn?"

Xiao Liu Liehu was full of admiration: "Drawn really well!"

The Village Chief: "…I am asking what things he drew! You've seen them, tell me about it."

Xiao Liu Liehu thought carefully: "Just this, like this, and that style."

He gestured for a long time and concluded: "It looks very impressive!"

The Village Chief: "..."

You could at least explain clearly just how impressive it is!

Not counting on this blockhead, the Village Chief looked at his grandson who was organizing Medicinal Herbs nearby: "Doumiao, you go deliver the meal next time, and while you're at it, see if that Wen Er has recovered. Hmm… you should also scrape together more Medicinal Herbs to help him build up his body."

Doumiao had been an apprentice at a pharmacy in town, had gained experience, and was more reliable in his work.

Nowadays, Medicinal Herbs have become even more precious, and if it were anyone else, the Village Chief would not be willing to spare more herbs. But in order to build the Wubao as soon as possible, these things must be sacrificed!

Urge him again; he hopes Wen Gu can finish drawing before winter. Once the temperature drops, the evil things outside will be restricted by the low temperature, and the threat will be greatly reduced; that is when they will start construction on the ramparts.

Just as they were talking, they suddenly heard a few whistles from outside, coming from those responsible for keeping watch.

Different whistle sounds represent different meanings; the sound just now was to tell the villagers that the team that went out to dig for Medicinal Herbs had returned.

The village burns Medicinal Herbs, using the scent to try to avoid outside dangers; several types of herbs are bundled together and lit to fumigate, which can ward off evil.

This is thanks to the guidance of Qingyi Daozhang.

A few days ago, before the Daoist Priest went into seclusion, he told them which types needed to be picked and harvested, and that they could not be collected once this season passed.

The Daoist Priest gave instructions, and they naturally kept every word in their hearts, not daring to forget. Thus, Liu Liehu took a few people from the village to go out and collect herbs.

Xiao Liu Liehu, who had been sitting in the house feeling bored, stood up quickly upon hearing the commotion and ran out to see if his father had returned safely.

At the village entrance, the tall fence was moved aside to let the returning team bring their things in.

Those entering the village did not dare to go straight home, but instead came to a shed to take off the Leather Armor they were wearing and untie the face masks.

Inside the shed was a bundle of processed, sun-dried herbs; the leader, Liu Liehu, lit the herbs and fumigated the room with smoke.

The Daoist Priest said this step is to remove Evil Qi to prevent them from bringing in evil spirits.

The smoke is not thick and people can endure it, but if one is possessed by an evil spirit, they will show obvious discomfort.

They will stay in this shed until tomorrow; if they are safe and sound, they can return to their respective homes. Conversely, if they show discomfort, it means they have contracted the Evil Plague and have been possessed by an evil spirit.

Before long, a villager sent over food.

Xiao Liu Liehu chatted with his father through the door and window for a few sentences and also mentioned Wen Gu's situation today.

Liu Liehu was a steady person and could sit still while chatting about other things, but upon hearing that Wen Gu had recovered and was drawing Wubao blueprints, he could not help but show joy.

"We dug up several types of Medicinal Herbs this time; I reckon there are the tonics for building up the body that Doumiao mentioned. You have Doumiao go check later; we shouldn't have dug the wrong ones."

On the other side, Wen Gu was exercising his legs and feet appropriately in the room and could not hear how everyone was discussing him. However, he could guess a little.

He had also heard the whistle just now; it should be the returning team. There was no major commotion in the village, so presumably, this trip out went smoothly and everyone returned.

Hmm, the new Medicinal Herbs have arrived; that Daoist Priest who is in seclusion for Alchemy should be coming out soon too.

Wen Gu walked to the window and looked outside.

The village was dyed with a layer of red by the afterglow of the setting sun.

The house closest to them was occupied by a carpenter; that family usually didn't go out much, and one could only hear the sound of him hammering wood in his backyard from time to time. He didn't know if he was making Arrows or doing other manual labor.

At this moment, there was an additional revolving lantern under the eaves of that house, the kind of lantern that rotates after the candle is lit.

The heat from the candle flame drives the wind wheel to rotate.

Wen Gu sat in front of the window and could vaguely see the rotating fan blades inside the lantern.

It was as if the humming of a turbine was ringing in his ears again.

As if in a past life.

Oh, no, it is already a past life.

Wen Gu sighed softly and turned his gaze to the circle of talismans pasted on the outside of the lantern.

It is said that those were talismans the carpenter specifically requested from the Daoist Priest to paste on the lantern, saying they could ward off ghosts and evil spirits!

Whether it is useful for Exorcism, he doesn't know, but there is definitely psychological comfort.

From a bystander's perspective, there are no supernatural powers in this world.

It was already evening, and every household in the village had closed their doors and windows.

At night, some light-seeking flying insects and small animals might follow the candlelight into the house, bringing more potential danger.

Wen Gu also closed the window.

Rest at sunset, follow the customs of the village.

A good night's sleep.

The next day, it was another sunny day.

There was a bit more laughter in the Village; it seemed those who returned from the outside yesterday were all safe.

Two meals a day, and the one delivering the morning meal was still Xiao Liu Liehu.

Doumiao, who had originally been arranged by the Village Chief to deliver the food, was busy processing the medicinal herbs brought back by the scouting party, so the task of delivering meals was snatched up by Xiao Liu Liehu again.

Today, this young hunter was a bit more lighthearted, and his smile was even brighter. His father had returned safely, so of course he was happy.

Besides the food box he carried in his hand, he also brought a bow; he would go on patrol after delivering the meal, and once he finished today's patrol duty, he would bring a desk over for Wen Gu.

After a few sporadic bursts of noise in the Village, it returned to silence.

Even though most of the houses were occupied, there was no sound overall, as if they were worried that making too much noise would attract the attention of evil spirits.

There was a kind of absurd desolation.

The feeling that the whole world was heading toward its end.

If one passed by those open windows, one would see sorrowful, silent faces inside.

Even so, compared to those in the chaotic world who were numbly waiting for death, this village had not yet given up hope; at the very least, they still had the courage to struggle and could see more opportunities to live.

Actually, the evil things outside had average sound discrimination; they relied more on their sense of smell. Therefore, if no evil things were seen in the area visible to the naked eye, normal vocal communication would not attract them over.

It was just that, nowadays, everyone's hearts were shrouded in shadows; they had no desire for communication and were also on guard against each other.

Two more days passed, and with the improved diet and the supply of nourishing medicinal soups, Wen Gu visibly improved and the signs of illness dissipated.

Although he still looked thin, the villagers believed that was just the scholarly air of a bookish person, not a sickly weakness.

This day, early in the morning, the Village was clearly more restless than usual.

Wen Gu knew the reason; the person who delivered the food had said that the Daoist Priest who had been in seclusion for many days was coming out to perform a Dharma Assembly.

When this Daoist Priest first arrived in the Village, he gave the villagers some talisman paper. The talismans on the paper were complex and inscribed with the character for "Zhan."

The Daoist Priest said: When a person dies, they become a ghost; when a ghost dies, it becomes a Zhan.

People fear ghosts, and ghosts fear Zhan.

In this current chaotic world, ghosts and evil spirits were causing the Evil Plague, and this talisman could make the ghosts and evil spirits fear them.

It was just that the Daoist Priest said his magic power was damaged, so the effect of the talisman paper was limited and needed to be reinforced with spells every so often.

The people in the Village believed it deeply.

Now it was time again, and the Daoist Priest was coming out of seclusion, and he could also check if the herbs dug up were the ones he needed.

The miraculous deeds of that Qingyi Daozhang, as spoken of by the villagers, made Wen Gu take note.

A Daoist priest, huh...

At first, Wen Gu still felt a lack of confidence as an outsider.

But soon, his mindset adjusted again.

What outsider? "Wen Gu" is Wen Gu!

"I" am me!

There is no such thing as an outsider!

Wen Gu straightened his clothes and went out with his cousin.

There were also some villagers outside moving about, all for the sake of the Daoist Priest performing the ritual today.

Seeing Wen Gu, this outsider, the villagers had no interest in communicating; they only chatted a few words with those they were familiar with and walked in a hurry.

His cousin also guarded Wen Gu's side, watching others vigilantly to prevent anyone from suddenly going crazy and hurting Wen Gu.

The location for the Daoist Priest's Dharma Assembly this time was set at the entrance of the Village. The location was never fixed; it was always decided by the Daoist Priest on the spot, and then the Village would notify each household.

The fence at the Village entrance had already been opened, and a shrine had been set up at the entrance outside.

Wen Gu had originally calculated the time to come, but by the time he arrived, almost all the villagers were already there, with several dozen to nearly a hundred people gathered around.

These were not all native-born villagers; there were also those who had come to rely on relatives or had fled here.

No matter where these people came from, they all held great enthusiasm for this matter now.

Only whenever the Daoist Priest performed a Dharma Assembly would everyone's expressions be a bit more relaxed, and they would have a greater willingness to communicate.

To facilitate fleeing and fighting, everyone wore narrow-sleeved, tight-fitting clothes to ensure convenience and flexibility when going out.

The children's clothing had some ribbons added, with cuffs and pant legs tightly bound and wrapped securely to prevent Poisonous Insects and debris contaminated with the Evil Plague from entering through collars, cuffs, or pant legs and harming their bodies.

Previously, "Wen Gu" had missed many Dharma Assemblies due to illness, and his memory of the villagers was not complete; this time, coming out, he recognized a few people and took the opportunity to observe the simple defensive works of the Village.

There were a few villagers responsible for patrol and security wearing makeshift armor. These were all scavenged from the outside.

Even if the armor looked tattered, if it were in the past, it was not something commoners like them could possess.

A small amount of simple farm tools and crude bows and arrows were fine, but if one had a suit of armor at home, that would be a big deal! If someone reported it to the authorities, it would be a serious crime!

Strong Bows, heavy crossbows, and armor were even more so; one dared not possess them without a certain status. Even if one had them, even if one knew how to make them, one could not bring them out into the open.

But now, no one cared; the officials in the city had all run away!

In order to survive, who would still care about the restrictions of the past?

Whoever could find it, it was theirs!

Whoever could make it could possess it!

No limit on quantity!

On the outskirts of the Village, besides the erected fence and a few sections of low stone and earth walls, traps were set, and some obstacles were placed, such as sharp spikes made of bamboo and wood, similar to Refusal Horses and Deer Caltrops.

Further away, large tracts of abandoned farmland were overgrown with weeds, some of which could even completely hide a person.

At this time, a simple Jutan had already been built at the entrance of the Village.

Wen Gu arrived late and did not have a good spot. The Village Chief specially saved a front-row standing spot for Wen Gu; otherwise, it would have been truly difficult to see anything.

Beside the Village Chief was a tall, sturdy man whose appearance was somewhat similar to Xiao Liu Liehu; this person was the young hunter's own father, the number one source of martial strength in the Village.

When Liu Liehu saw Wen Gu, a slight smile appeared on his stern face, and he even specially inquired about the state of his physical recovery.

Lao Liu was much more steady than his son, Xiao Liu.

The front-row spot was not bad.

During this rare time for gossip, after Wen Gu exchanged pleasantries with a few important people in the front row, he pricked up his ears to listen to the discussions of the men, women, old, and young in the Village, while also waiting for that Qingyi Daozhang to appear.

Before long, a Daoist priest with an excellent appearance... ahem, an extraordinary temperament, appeared.

Today, the Daoist Priest was not wearing the outfit he usually wore while staying at home; he had specially changed into professional equipment for going out. With his Dharma robes and Dharma Artifact, wide sleeves fluttering, and a stride like a dragon or tiger, one could tell at a glance that his immortal, transcendent dignity was quite extraordinary.

Once the posture was set, even before doing anything, he added three parts of holiness and solemnity.

Wen Gu's spirits lifted.

A live one!

A live performance!

A Daoist priest performing rites!!

In his original world, he had only heard of Daoist priests performing rites when he was a child, but had never seen it with his own eyes. As he grew older, he encountered war and only knew a little bit through limited pictures and videos.

Yet at this moment, he had the opportunity to watch it up close!

Wen Gu's gaze swept over the Daoist Priest's attire.

In such a crisis-ridden survival environment, anyone who could still wear loose robes and jump around outside must have something extraordinary about them—

Either they are idiots, or they are badasses.

The first day of opening a new book, I felt everyone's enthusiasm!

Thank you to the "Cute Lords" 【Fen Kai Mei Zhong Se Cai】, 【Mi Zhi Jiao Chuan】, and 【Mo Nian Li☆】, as well as the many new and old book friends who voted and tipped—

Thank you all!

I will work hard to update daily!

There will be another update around eight o'clock tonight.

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(End of this chapter)