Chapter 45: Making Trouble

In Luhua Lane of Bai Lu County Town, many poor commoners lived, who previously relied on manual labor and crafts to make a living.

As the world fell into chaos, many surviving commoners were reduced to laborers, but Luhua Lane produced a few capable individuals.

Yan Hu, a former local militiaman, and his band of brothers gathered many young and strong men, forming a force that could not be ignored, and established a firm foothold in this Bai Lu County Town where power was constantly shifting. Whenever others mentioned Luhua Lane, they would mention Yan Laoda.

It was just that not long ago, Yan Laoda took people out to search for supplies and met with an accident; Luhua Lane fell silent, and it also attracted covetous eyes from all sides.

Early this morning, Yan Laoda's widow and Lin Laoer took a few brothers out of the city to pay their respects, only returning in the evening.

Some people saw them, but didn't take it to heart, thinking that the hearts of the people in Luhua Lane were about to scatter, and wondering if they could go and plot some benefits.

The carriage drove into the lane and stopped at a courtyard.

Lady Liang returned to her room and wiped a long horse-lance there.

The iron shaft was a weapon used in military formations; in the past, it was not something ordinary commoners could possess.

This was her father's weapon, which he had once used to achieve illustrious military exploits. Later, her father was implicated in a major imperial case, and the whole family met with disaster.

She took this horse-lance left by her father and lived under an assumed name. Only Yan Laoda and Lin Laoer knew her identity.

Later, when the world fell into chaos, her identity as the daughter of a disgraced official was no longer important. This horse-lance finally saw the light of day again and was given to Yan Laoda to use.

The iron shaft was something an average person could not wield even if they could lift it, and even if they could wield it, they would easily become exhausted.

But Yan Laoda and Lin Laoer were quite renowned among the local militiamen back then precisely because of their bravery and strength.

Facing the current chaotic world of the Evil Plague, and facing those monsters filled with Evil Qi, it was actually more suitable to use such a long weapon.

Not long ago, Yan Laoda encountered a mishap, and this horse-lance was brought back by Lin Er.

She took out a considerable amount of supplies to pay someone to clean the horse-lance, drive away the Evil Qi, and keep it at home.

The candlelight flickered, casting shadows.

An old woman walked into the room carrying a food box, looked around the room, and asked suspiciously, "Why don't I see Xiao Xuan?"

She was asking about Yan Xuan, the son of Yan Laoda and Lady Liang.

Lady Liang moved her gaze away from the horse-lance, her voice calm, yet seemingly hiding endless emotions:

"I asked the second sister-in-law to help look after him for a while; I have... some things to handle here."

The old woman opened the food box to set out the bowls and asked, "You went out of the city to pay respects today, why did you return so late?"

Lady Liang's voice was deep: "I thought about some things while I was there."

The old woman was full of concern: "You must also take care of yourself; if Da Hu were still here, he certainly wouldn't want you to be sad and distressed."

Yan Laoda, Yan Hu; those close to him would also call him Da Hu.

Lady Liang did not look at the food on the table, the candlelight reflecting in her eyes flickering:

"These days I have been thinking, Da Hu and the others brought incense and Medicinal Herb, why did they still encounter so many evil things? Outsiders all say they were unlucky, heh."

Lady Liang's smile carried a chill as she looked over.

"Da Hu was a person who was attentive to detail despite his rough appearance; he might not care about some small matters, but when it came to important things concerning his own life and the lives of his brothers, he was quite cautious. I have thought it over and over, the only people who could have tampered with things, and the only ones who could have done it, are the few closest to him."

The old woman, who was busy arranging the food box, paused in her movements and set the box down with dissatisfaction: "Are you suspecting me?!"

Lady Liang ignored her and continued: "Da Hu always said that Auntie was a person of bitter fate, having fled here due to floods in your hometown, with no one to rely on, so he always took care of you when arranging work. Over these years, he had already treated you as one of his own family, and even said he would provide for your old age."

The old woman at the table lowered her eyes: "Da Hu did indeed have grace toward me..."

"But some people, do, not, remember, grace!"

Lady Liang's gaze was like lightning: "Recently, a new face appeared beside the third brother, and when viewed from the side, it actually looks somewhat similar to you!"

The old woman's eyes were startled: "This..."

Lady Liang said in a low voice: "How about I send him to keep you company?"

The old woman walked over in a panic: "Furen, listen to me..."

As she spoke, a sharp silver glint appeared in her sleeve, but it failed to be drawn.

A short blade was faster, sinking into her chest.

The old woman's eyes were full of shock.

Usually, she only knew that this Furen was always a bit melancholy, but she was not petty, and when Yan Laoda gained power, she did not make things difficult for people.

No one knew that she actually possessed such skills!

At this moment, several more figures stepped into the room.

The old woman looked at Lin Erdangjia and the several guards entering the door, and in an instant, she understood that the matter had been exposed! She was terrified and wanted to plead for mercy, but there was no longer any chance.

Lin Erdangjia looked at the fallen old woman, and at the dagger in her sleeve that she hadn't managed to draw.

This was a self-defense weapon that Yan Laoda had distributed to those familiar to him, and now it was actually used by this old woman to deal with the eldest sister-in-law!

She deserved to die!

Lady Liang did not look at the person on the ground again, but said to Lin Er, who had entered:

"The third brother has long had ulterior motives. Your eldest brother once said he would give the third brother a chance, but ended up paying with his own life, and seven brothers were dragged down with him."

Lady Liang picked up the horse-lance with both hands and handed it to Lin Er, her eyes overflowing with tears and hatred:

"Execute the traitor! Comfort the spirits of your eldest brother and the brothers who died in vain! And for everyone, fight for a future!"

After nightfall, the drawbridge of Bai Lu County Town was raised, and the city gates were closed.

Those who went out to chop wood and do labor all returned home to rest; they had the whole night to recover their strength, and then wait for the next day when the sky just brightened to carry out another day of toil.

In the past, after nightfall, everywhere would be deathly silent, but on this day, residents near Luhua Lane heard many chaotic sounds.

It seemed like a fight had broken out over in Luhua Lane, with bursts of clamor.

The nearby residents all kept their doors and windows tightly shut.

It must be that someone in Luhua Lane had become possessed by evil!

But as they waited and waited, from night until dawn, and from morning until noon, the most intense moments had already passed, and they never heard the roars of monsters, but instead heard human shouts and screams from time to time.

Still, no one dared to go and check.

Even if they were curious, those who had survived until now possessed at least some self-control.

Luhua Lane, which had been in turmoil for a day and a night, fell silent.

Inside the house, Lady Liang took out a wooden seal.

This was a seal Yan Laoda had carved for his son himself; it was a tiger's head, neither exquisite nor particularly vivid in its pattern, yet at this moment, it carried an extraordinary significance.

Holding this seal, Lady Liang stamped tiger patterns onto piece after piece of plain cloth.

When Yan Laoda first met with his misfortune, she had suspected the third brother and others in the city who had meddled. Originally, to survive, one could only endure, but now there was another choice.

A choice that might change everyone's life.

Then there was no need to endure any longer!

The half-palm-sized seal, coated in ink paste, was pressed heavily onto yet another piece of plain cloth.

The next day, at the first light of dawn.

Bai Lu County seemed to be the same as usual.

The surviving townspeople numbly repeated the things they had done the day before.

Everything seemed unchanged.

It was just that in the inconspicuous Luhua Lane, people were coming out of the houses in twos and threes.

The leader of each household took a stick of incense, lit it, bowed to the deity statue, and then inserted it into a large Incense Burner.

They silently performed the agreed-upon ritual.

The Incense Burner, which originally only contained ash, was soon filled with sticks of incense.

Subsequently, Lin Erdangjia took out three large-sized offering incense sticks, the kind that could burn for three or four hours each. They had found these in a temple before.

Lady Liang took one, lit it, bowed to the deity statue, and inserted it into the Incense Burner. She then had her young son do the same, holding his small palm to insert a stick of incense.

Lin Erdangjia lit the last stick and inserted it.

Two burly, powerful men lifted the large Incense Burner and walked in front.

The ash in the Incense Burner had been mixed with medicinal herbs, and combined with the smoke from the burning incense, these would protect them and reduce the chance of evil things finding them.

It didn't matter if a few evil things approached occasionally; the temperature was low now, and they could easily deal with them.

Behind the Incense Burner, Lin Erdangjia and Lady Liang followed.

On their sides and behind them stood many martial men, in a posture of guarding and following.

Further behind, those following were all familiar people from Luhua Lane; they were all their own people.

A group of people walked out of Luhua Lane and headed toward the city gate.

Nearby, people who had come out early in the morning to chop wood saw this and were so startled that the feet they had just stepped out of their homes with shrank back. After a while, they poked their heads out again.

Are there really that many people over at Luhua Lane?

What are they going to do?

At the city gate.

The guards stomped their somewhat numb feet.

Looking at the cloth shoes on their feet, they pondered when they could save up for a pair of thicker cloth boots.

Today, they had to fleece more from the woodcutters and those searching for food outside.

The higher-ups said to collect half, but as for how much was actually collected, wasn't that up to them, the gatekeepers?

They didn't dare to make a move against those in the city with backgrounds and influence, but those scattered townspeople were all targets for them to line their pockets.

What, not satisfied?

If you're not satisfied, go report me!

See if those masters above care about you!

The temperature in the late autumn morning was low; they moved their hands and feet, brandished their knives and spears, and chatted idly.

Although it was cold, the thought that the monsters outside posed no threat in this temperature, and the chance of being possessed was greatly reduced, made their moods a bit lighter. It would be even better if they could line their pockets more today.

"The higher-ups said that group from Luhua Lane is going out to pay respects today," one guard said.

"Going out again? Didn't they just go out?" another said, dissatisfied.

"Sigh, who knows, they just have so much business! Anyway, the higher-ups sent word to let us make it convenient for them."

That meant don't block them and demand things.

With no profit to be made, they were naturally unhappy.

At the thought of the horses and carriages that left the city that day, sourness and jealousy surged in their hearts.

In terms of background, those people in Luhua Lane were even worse off than them, yet they were actually able to ride horses and sit in carriages!

A bunch of lowly people, do they deserve it?!

Just watch, Yan Laoda met with misfortune, and Luhua Lane fought again yesterday; who knows how chaotic it is. Perhaps it will soon be carved up by other forces in the city.

"In our Bai Lu County, it's not their turn to be arrogant!"

In this Bai Lu County, in terms of power, if you rank them, besides the County Lieutenant, there are several other families; it would never be the turn of the lowly people from Luhua Lane.

"Making it convenient is one thing, but picking a few people to block them and demand some things is fine, right?"

"Then we'll play it by ear; if it's three or five people, letting them go is fine, but if there are too many of them, we can't just let them pass like that, don't you think...?"

The guard who was speaking widened his eyes, so shocked he almost bit his tongue.

The other guards followed his gaze, and their breathing involuntarily hitched.

Behind the drifting smoke of the Incense Burner, how many people were there?

One hundred?

Two hundred?

Or even more?

No one was riding horses, no one was riding in carriages. They gathered together and came on foot.

Lin Erdangjia was clearly not riding on horseback today, nor did he have a condescending view from above; he only held a long weapon, walking at the front of the procession at a steady, unhurried pace.

Yet the pressure brought upon the guards was magnified several times, even dozens of times over!

As long as one raised their gaze slightly, they could see the group of people following behind Lin Erdangjia.

There were young and strong men, as well as the old, the weak, women, and children, all with a strip of plain cloth tied around their arms, imprinted with some kind of pattern.

Their eyes were not vacant; it was as if clusters of silent fire were burning within them. Gathered together, there was a weight that made one unable to catch their breath.

Heavy, solemn, silent power.

A strong sense of oppression, rushing toward them, drawing ever closer!

The words the guards had originally intended to say could not be uttered at this moment no matter what.

It was as if a large hand were pressing down on their shoulders, and they simply did not dare to make a sound.

He even took a step back, clearing the way.

Once there was a first to retreat, there was a second, and a third.

Those in the procession who had originally felt some trepidation in their hearts saw this scene, and the light in their eyes seemed to brighten by several degrees.

When meeting on a narrow path, momentum is always a zero-sum game. When one side appears weak, the other will only become more resolute and more aggressive.

By the time the people from Luhua Lane reached the city gate, those guards who had originally been standing at the gate had already retreated to the sides.

The scattered townspeople watching nearby saw this scene, and all sorts of thoughts arose in their hearts.

The people who had come from other factions in the city to investigate also had their composure collapse at this moment.

"What are they trying to do?!"

"Quick... quickly go report to the master! Something has happened! Those people from Luhua Lane are doing something big!"

(End of this chapter)