Chapter 56: Arrangements!

Qingyi Daozhang's expression was unsightly as he stared fixedly at the line of people approaching from the front.

Wen Gu spoke a few words to the Daoist Priest in a low voice.

The Daoist Priest wore a hesitant look.

Wen Gu tilted his head again, signaling him to look at the people in the procession.

Everyone was stunned by the situation ahead.

If he didn't show off his skills at a time like this, once everyone came to their senses later and saw that the Daoist Priest had done nothing at the critical moment, the Daoist Priest's status in their hearts would surely decline in the days to come.

If his immortal prestige faltered, how would he get by in the future?

Weighing the pros and cons, Qingyi Daozhang finally made a decision.

He had only just dispelled the influence brought by those monks; he had to maintain his status!

Thus, as those people in front approached and the crowd behind was still stunned and dazed, Qingyi Daozhang stepped forward several paces.

With a flick of his hand, a talisman flew out, igniting a flame as green as the netherworld.

Following closely, as if he had pinched a series of hand seals, his sleeves snapped loudly, and with a "whoosh," he drew out a fire dragon of red and orange.

Firelight swirled at the scene, as if he were performing a profound Daoist Technique between the realms of yin and yang.

The suddenly rising bright flames shattered the originally cold and eerie atmosphere.

In such a situation, firelight could bring people courage and warmth.

At the same time, along with the rising firelight, a pungent smoke seemed to drift over, and the minds of the crowd behind, which had been somewhat muddled by extreme fear, were suddenly jolted and became much clearer.

Looking again at Qingyi Daozhang standing in front, their softened knees hardened once more!

That's right!

We still have Qingyi Immortal!

Never had they felt Qingyi Daozhang's figure was so imposing!

Wen Gu was also looking at Qingyi Daozhang... at the clothes on his body.

Ever since leaving Jinwu City, after the Cold Wave swept through, Qingyi Daozhang had changed into a thick Daoist Robe.

But where exactly were the materials for his techniques hidden?

He could bring them out the moment he said he would!

Carrying them on his person, ready at all times—his professional capability was formidable!

Looking back at the others in the group, sure enough, they were no longer trembling and were standing steadily, all watching the front nervously.

At this moment, the line of people walking this way under the moonlight, accompanied by the sound of bells, finally stopped.

The sound of the Copper Bell ceased, and the series of stiff, eerie figures with their hands on each other's shoulders stopped jumping as well.

The person at the very front, holding the Copper Bell and wearing a Bamboo Hat, seemed to lift their eyes to look over.

Qingyi Daozhang also watched the other party quietly.

The surroundings returned to silence.

What the others saw was a silence as cold as frost.

But to Wen Gu, there was a sense of scorching tension at this moment, as if invisible lightning and thunder were flashing and fire was scattering everywhere.

Neither side spoke, yet there was a preliminary greeting that required no words; presumably, both sides were cursing the other in their hearts—"Go to hell!"

Not knowing if a tacit understanding had been reached in the standoff ahead, Qingyi Daozhang raised his hand slightly.

Wen Gu received the signal, waved his hand at the others, and said in a low voice, "Alright, everyone go inside, don't disturb the Daoist Priest!"

He let Xiao Liu go inside as well, but kept Tietou behind.

Tietou's mind was not very sharp, but his advantage was that, whether toward Qingyi Daozhang or those Corpse Drivers, he had no strong emotional reaction, or rather, his attitude toward ghosts and gods was indifferent, lacking reverence or fear.

He was more reliable at a time like this.

These were just one aspect; on the other hand, Tietou's mind was simple, and he believed whatever he was told. It saved trouble.

Hearing Wen Gu's words, the others retreated into the courtyard hesitantly, though they were afraid, they would stretch their necks to peek outside from time to time.

It was just that they couldn't see clearly, nor could they hear the sounds from over there.

At this time, Wen Gu saw the Daoist Priest walk two steps closer to communicate, and the voices drifted over faintly.

Leaving Tietou to guard the courtyard gate, Wen Gu entered the courtyard to soothe the crowd.

As soon as he went over, someone in the group immediately asked:

"Young Master Wen, did you see this when you were on your Study Tour?"

They all knew that Wen Gu had gone on a Study Tour in the past and was well-informed.

"Those should be Corpse Drivers," Wen Gu said.

"Corpse... Corpse Drivers?"

The crowd only felt a chill rise up around them again.

Sure enough, the Ghost Qi that had rushed toward them just now was no illusion; those jumping things were not living people!

"No need to fear, it should be that someone entrusted them to bring the remains of relatives who died away from home back to their homeland," Wen Gu said.

In this world, countless people die away from home, but not everyone has the means to transport remains. Especially in the current state of the world, one could easily contract Epidemic Qi if not careful.

If they didn't dare to do it themselves, they would entrust it to professionals.

With this understanding, the crowd was not as afraid as they were initially, but at the thought of the scene they had just witnessed, they still cowered.

They classified those Corpse Drivers as "extraordinary people," and only someone like Qingyi Immortal could face them; they, as mortals, had better not get involved.

A moment later, the communication outside concluded, and Qingyi Daozhang walked into the courtyard, telling everyone:

Those Corpse Drivers were only performing a ritual outside the courtyard and would leave in a moment. During this time, the living should avoid them.

"Avoid them! We will certainly avoid them! But... those people won't come in, will they?" a team member asked cautiously.

"They won't," Wen Gu said.

He was also worried that the things being "herded" outside might come in and spread the Epidemic Poison.

The Corpse Drivers are skilled in their trade and well-prepared, having experience in guarding against Epidemic Poison. The others do not.

It is best for everyone to maintain a safe distance.

Letting the Daoist Priest run outside to be that "eye-catching target" is actually just casting bait to see if anything else can be reeled in.

For instance, are there other survivors nearby who are paying attention?

Even without night blindness, the light is dim at night and it is hard to see from a distance, but the flashy "ultimate move" the Daoist Priest set off outside should be visible, right?

Thinking this, Wen Gu called the Daoist Priest to the side to ask about the information he had gathered.

Qingyi Daozhang was still wondering how he should brush it off if Wen Gu asked about the secret techniques of "corpse herding."

Although he and the Corpse Drivers are competitors in some business, competition is competition; some "special skills" are understood without being spoken of, otherwise, if the other party decides to throw caution to the wind, it could easily lead to mutual destruction.

Some rules cannot be broken, and he would not say them out loud.

However, when he looked at Wen Gu, he discovered that this Gou Shusheng did not look surprised at all; when passing the courtyard gate, he only looked with slight interest at certain key points of the Corpse Drivers' work.

Qingyi Daozhang's eyelid twitched.

No way?

You can even tell this?!

Where exactly did you go on your Study Tour?!

This Gou Shusheng is truly impossible to fool!

Wen Gu indeed did not ask the Daoist Priest about the secret techniques of "corpse herding"; what he wanted to know was whose request these Corpse Drivers had accepted—did they herd the corpses from far away, or was it a local matter?

"It was requested by people from the nearby Shiqiao Village," Qingyi Daozhang said. "The same people who repaired this courtyard; it's a distance away from here."

He had gathered some information from those Corpse Drivers.

A few days ago, someone from Shiqiao Village was attacked while out gathering firewood and died away from home.

Also, those Corpse Drivers came from the south.

Now, in the Dry Season, many streams in this area have dried up; they traveled north from the south and met the people from Shiqiao Village here, then went to the village to replenish water and rest for several days.

"The dry rations they brought were finished, and everything was provided by Shiqiao Village."

The village is also having a hard time now, with food in short supply, so these few Corpse Drivers can only drink a little thin porridge every day.

Even with these conditions, they have no choice now; in exchange, they must take the remains of the villager who was attacked while out and bury them in the village cemetery.

"Along the way from south to north, they have been trading corpse herding for food, water, and a place to rest," the Daoist Priest said.

Listening to this, Wen Gu thought: To be able to handle such dangerous business at a time like this and still make it here alive, they are all talented people!

Arrange it!

"What is the situation in Shiqiao Village?" Wen Gu asked.

"Shiqiao Village has a geographical advantage, and there were many people in the village to begin with; from the chaotic times until now, there are still nearly two hundred people alive," the Daoist Priest said.

Wen Gu's spirits lifted.

Two hundred people!

Even if they could only win over one hundred people, their group would be at the level of nearly two hundred.

One hundred versus two hundred—under the current predicament, there is still a difference in the eyes of the Zhao Family relatives!

Arrange it all!

Those Corpse Drivers outside the courtyard—people who roam the world have sharp eyes.

Being able to rest peacefully in this Shiqiao Village for a few days and still accept these jobs without slipping away shows that the villagers of Shiqiao Village are not wicked or evil people.

Suitable for gathering.

After inquiring about the general location of Shiqiao Village, as well as the nearby terrain and water sources, Wen Gu felt confident.

It just so happens that they can stop near Shiqiao Village tomorrow at noon.

"Xiao Liu, come here, I have a task for you," Wen Gu summoned with a smile.

Xiao Liu was feeling annoyed about his performance tonight; hearing Wen Gu call him, he immediately went over.

Afterward, He Da and Yu Er were also called over to be given tasks.

After giving the orders, Wen Gu looked at the moon in the sky.

The moonlight is truly beautiful tonight!

Outside the courtyard, after the Corpse Drivers who had stopped briefly finished their ritual, they continued on their journey to herd the corpses to the Shiqiao Village cemetery.

At the same moment, not far away, several figures were quietly watching all of this.

Once the Corpse Drivers set off again, they also left quickly, running back toward the village.

It was still long before dawn, and while the Corpse Drivers were still moving slowly on the road, these few figures had already run back to the village.

Shiqiao Village.

The Clan Leader did not sleep peacefully that night.

He did not fully trust the Corpse Drivers to transport the remains, so he sent people to follow them.

Those few lads have the best eyesight; while others can't see anything at night, they can manage to do quite a lot while feeling their way through the dark.

Originally, they wanted to wait another day or two, when the moon was roundest, as the moonlight would be brighter and they could see more clearly.

But those Corpse Drivers said there were taboos, that they only set off after sunset and it could not be a full moon night. They also told them not to disturb them, saying it was easy to attract evil spirits or something of the sort.

But, having survived until now in chaotic times, how could one not be a bit more cautious and suspicious?

So, they still sent people to follow and keep watch along the way.

With the recent Cold Wave in the north, the temperature at night is low, so there is no need to worry too much about those evil things. The few villagers sent out have lived in this area since they were small; they know exactly where the pits are and where the trees are, so as long as they eat a bit more, they can run back and forth very quickly.

They had expected those lads to return at dawn, but they didn't expect them to rush back to the village ahead of time, and they even brought big news!

"There are many people at the small courtyard by the earthen slope, and they look like they came from the south!" one of them said, panting.

Another person added: "There is a Daoist with profound magic power in their group!"

"Yes, yes, whoosh, flames just came out!"

They couldn't see clearly from far away, but when that Daoist summoned the flames, even if only for a brief moment, it left them greatly shocked, and they could tell that it was a Daoist.

Their focus was on the Daoist, but the Clan Leader placed more importance on that group.

"If they are going to Xinzhou, they might pass near our Village," the Clan Leader said.

"Uh... what does that have to do with us? Could it be that you have finally thought it through, Clan Leader, and we..."

The person speaking made a throat-slitting gesture.

The Clan Leader slapped him.

"Always thinking about such things, could you even win!"

The Clan Leader ordered with a dark face: "Get ready, take a few people tomorrow to trade for supplies."

"This... what are we going to use to trade?" someone asked.

They didn't even have enough food or supplies for themselves, there wasn't even a tree around, let alone thinking about taking their own precious firewood to trade.

The Clan Leader glared at them: "Well water!"

If it were the spring or summer season, there might still be some streams in this area, but now in the Dry Season, where else would travelers find water to replenish?

Those people aren't cavalry, their speed is limited, and coming from so far away, they will surely be short on water.

The Clan Leader pondered and pointed out a few people.

"This... Clan Leader, you also said it yourself, those who can walk here from the south are all a bunch of ruthless people, please add a few more helpers for me."

The person speaking was cowering.

"What are you afraid of? They aren't going to sell you off!"

(End of this chapter)