Lingxian Zhenjun

Chapter 306 The Man-Eating Old Man
The sand dunes are undulating, and the layers of gravel are flying away with the wind. Occasionally, oases come into view, and there are vaguely visible villages. They are also houses covered with mud, and there are fences around them. Far away, Chen Yuan and the others could also see the people behind the fence, looking and pointing.

Along with the past, the chattering voice over there also entered my ears.

"Where did they come from?"

"Looking in the direction, it's from Xiaoyi City."

"What a strange cart. Is the cart pulled by a cow? Or a big buffalo, haha, I haven't seen it for many years."

It can be heard that these words are not nonsense in the Western Regions, but Chinese, but the accent has become a little weird. As they approached, Chen Yuan got out of the car and cupped her hands at a distance of seven or eight feet.

"My fellow countrymen, how are you doing?"

The few people behind the fence knew that they were outsiders, so they didn't go out easily, so they shouted inside through the wooden fence: "Who are you, what are you doing here? It's getting late, sell goods, wait until tomorrow morning." "

An isolated village hangs over the Gobi, so it is right to be vigilant like this. Chen Yuan also lowered her posture. She will not come here just because she is a monk and knows magic. She is like an ordinary person looking for a place to stay for a night. Everyone said in harmony Talking and laughing is the way to cultivate the mind.

"I'm not a wandering peddler who sells goods." Chen Yuan saw an old man among the few people, with a much gentler expression on his face, like a gentle scholar, "The world is rich in resources and land, and I will travel to the mountains and rivers with the friends I met. When I arrived here, I didn't know the weather and time here, so I delayed my accommodation on the way. Fortunately, I saw an oasis here. I expected that there should be someone here, so I came to have a look. Jiaerlang."

This is a relatively high-level statement, which makes it difficult to refuse.

What's more, there were Taoist priests and monks on the tall bullock cart, and an old man with a strange behavior, but nothing else. Several old people in the village saw that Chen Yuan spoke softly, and he didn't seem to be lying. , looked carefully through the fence again, and let a young guy of nephew generation go out and look at the carriage.

"Oh, what a wood carving."

"Street craftsmen make a living by selling some handicrafts along the way."

Hearing this, the villagers didn't have anything to ask. The old man finally looked at Chen Yuan's heels and saw that there was no cushion, so he asked the two strong boys to open the fence gate and let the ox cart in.

"This gentleman has taken care of him, he has taken care of him. People in the village are cautious in the wilderness."

Chen Yuan helped her master get off the car, and hurriedly bowed her hands.

"Thank you old man for taking me in, and thank you all for letting me have a place to stay tonight, so I don't have to worry about the cold wind at night."

Sure enough, there is still such a human touch, if you use magic to break in, others will only be afraid of you, how can you get close to you, and travel around the world, isn't it just for the fireworks in the world.

"Apprentice, do we have a place to sleep tonight?" Seeing that Chen Yuan was still talking to the old man in the village, the crazy old man came over without a trace and said something, which startled the old man, and his reaction was quite excited. After regaining his composure, he suddenly reached out and grabbed the crazy old man's wrist. Feeling the warmth, his face burst into a smile, and he went home to meet the crazy old man.

"Brother, I will stay at my house tonight. There are still two rooms in my house, which can be used by the four of you for one night."

"Hey, good, thank you, old man!"

The fat Taoist also cupped his hands, led the old cow and followed him, and followed the old man all the way to the place where he lived in front. The surrounding villagers were still guarding the fence. After a long time, the sky gradually darkened before they were ready to disperse.

The oasis here is backed by weathered rocks. A rough scan shows that there are more than a dozen families. The oasis is small, and everyone lives in a compact place. The old man's house is just a dozen steps ahead, all of which are flat flats made of rammed soil. The roof houses are spread out in concave characters, and there is no courtyard wall.

"That Taoist priest, the bullock cart can be parked directly in the yard. There is a shed over there, and your old cow can be taken there to rest."

The old man's yard is not big, but it is exquisite. It can be seen that several people lived in it, and the furnishings inside are simple, giving the feeling of combining the Western Regions and the Central Plains.

A large square table, a few low stools, and a blanket on the floor, so you can walk on it barefoot.

"The two sides were originally prepared for the eldest son and the younger son, but unfortunately the two brats have grown up and their wings have stiffened, one ran to Xiaoyi City to do business, and the other went to other places with the caravan, and now there is no news of them. "

The old man blew on the torch and lit the oil lamp, wiped a few low stools with his sleeves, called Chen Yuan and others to come in and sit down, and talked about the situation at home.

"My surname is Zhao. My wife is in poor health. She is resting in the room. Haven't you guys eaten yet? I still have some left here, so I can make do with it for one night."

"Don't bother me, I also have some dry food on me."

With a wink, Chen Yuan told the fat Taoist to go back to the car and take a lot of naan and delicacies bought on the way, and pile them on the table, "The old man also come to eat with us?"

"The old man has eaten and eaten."

The old man who was preparing to warm the meal over there came back with a smile, and sat down on a small stool not far from Chen Yuan and the others, "Listen to the accent, aren't you from Gansha Erzhou?"

"I'm Chen Yuan, a native of Qingshan County, Canglan River."

Chen Yuan bowed her hands to the old man, and the Zhenhai monk and Sun Zhengde over there also reported their names or dharma names one by one, but they didn't say where they came from.

"So far?" The old man Zhao over there couldn't react when he heard Canglanjiang, "This... this... how many miles does it take to come so far? You are simply too bold."

"Why are you timid? Old man, you see, among my friends, there are Buddhist disciples and Taoist people, how can you be afraid? All the way, any monsters and monsters have to detour when they see us."

Chen Yuan said with a chuckle, and brought the kettle to pour a bowl of warm water for the master. The old man over there just thought it was the bragging of a young man, and shook his head with his sleeves wrapped around his sleeves.

"Young people really don't know how to walk at night, and don't make a sound at midnight. There have been many strange things in the past few years. If you didn't see that you have monks and old people today, you wouldn't dare to let the younger generations open the door to let you in."

Chen Yuan poured warm water into Zhenhai, and when he rolled the bottom of the bowl to make the sound of water, he raised his eyebrows slightly: "Oh? What happened to Xiaoyi City? I just entered the Western Regions not long ago, so I haven't heard of it. Can the old man tell me about it."

Seeing Chen Yuan's interested and curious look, the old man turned slightly in one direction with his sleeves covered, obviously displeased with Chen Yuan's attitude of running around desperately.

But he still opened his mouth, hoping to scare these young people and let them go back after dawn.

"It's not Xiaoyi's side... people have died in several places."

The old man's sallow face flickered on and off under the dim light. He turned his face slightly and said in a low voice:

"It's not that the old man is scaring you. In recent years, it has been reported that people have been eaten in many places... Last month, half of the orchids raised by a Hu merchant in the north of Xiaoyi City were eaten... Someone recalled that the At that time, I saw an old man in white wandering around."

His voice was low and hoarse.

"Travelers like you are eaten without anyone noticing."

(End of this chapter)