Knife splashing

Chapter 384: Bright Moon Mid-Autumn Night

The name of Baokang County originated from the "Baokang Army" in the Yongxi period of the Northern Song Dynasty, which means "protecting the people and making them healthy". Baokang County was established after the establishment of the Daxuan Dynasty.

Although Baokang County was built only a hundred years ago, people have lived in this area for a long time, even dating back to the first king of Chu, Xiong Yi.

Many years of war have never affected these places.

The reason is very simple. Baokang County is full of overlapping mountains, crisscrossing gullies, undulating terrain, and countless mountain gullies and rivers.

Strictly speaking, this is also considered the Jingchu mountainous forest area. Some villages are closed all year round and self-sufficient, making it difficult for the government to collect grain taxes.

In troubled times, it is like a paradise.

But now, the shadow of war also hangs over this place.

"Wow! Wow!"

Under the bright moonlight, crows gather and disperse.

The deep canyon and mountain roads were filled with corpses, including those of both Tiansheng believers and imperial soldiers. Body parts were scattered all over the ground, and broken flags and weapons were crisscrossed.

The surrounding mountains and forests were filled with thick smoke and fire.

If someone were to observe from a high place, they would see that there were more than ten ruined battlefields of various sizes in Baokang County.

This is the current battlefield situation.

In Ezhou, the imperial court lacked soldiers and horses, so they were all transferred from other places. The Tiansheng Army and the Longxiang Army grew up in the mountains and forests, were good at fighting in the mountains and forests, and occupied the power of the terrain.

They broke up into small groups, roaming around and launching surprise attacks, causing considerable trouble to the imperial army.

Even if the Zhenwu Palace mobilized its troops, sometimes it could only destroy one or two enemy teams and was unable to decide the outcome of the battle.

Therefore, the current strategy of the imperial court is to take advantage of its military strength, advance steadily, and continuously shrink the territory of the Tiansheng Sect.

Fortunately, there was no urging in the court.

Firstly, there has been a bumper harvest of grain in the past two years and the treasury is full, so there is enough time to completely eliminate the hidden dangers in the heart of China.

Secondly, the imperial court also used this opportunity to train troops and experiment with new firearms and tactics.

The battle in the Jingchu Mountains has reached its final moment. Both the Longxiang Army and the Tiansheng Army have lost hope of winning.

It was so vigorous back then, but now it is just barely surviving...

…………

"Ah~"

On the mountain road in the distance, Wang Daoxuan sighed and retracted his gaze, "If those battlefields are not cleaned up soon, I don't know how many lonely ghosts and evil spirits will appear."

"There is no time at all."

Gong Xun replied: "The Tiansheng Cult has created a demon army, all of which have mastered evil magic and used new firearms. They hide in the mountains and forests and engage in guerrilla warfare."

"Especially around the battlefield, the Taoist priests of Zhenwu Palace are often ambushed when they are performing rituals. They are specially shot from behind and then run away. It is still a headache."

"The Marshal has issued an order that we are not allowed to leave the team without permission. We must return to the barracks after nightfall. We can only clean up after the battle."

"Let's go early."

Li Yan looked up at the overgrown mountain path ahead and wondered, "Does anyone really live in this place?"

"Have!"

Gong Xun said, "There is a Longtan Village in the mountains ahead. It is located in a remote area and the entrance and exit are very steep. It has not been affected by the war."

"There is an ancient mountain road behind Longtan Village. It is said that it was built by the ancestors of the Chu State. From there, we can avoid the Tiansheng Army and enter Shennongjia."

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

"Okay, let's go early. I'm starving!"

Sharifei grumbled and complained.

Along the way, they defeated several enemy attacks in succession. Although the results were brilliant, they were under great pressure day and night. They had no time to make a fire and had eaten up all their dry food.

In the past two days, we have been avoiding the main battlefield, crossing mountains and rivers. In order to hide our tracks, we could only eat wild fruits to fill our stomachs, which was really unbearable.

Gong Xun himself was also exhausted, so he said no more and led everyone through the dense forest and mountain trails.

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

The surrounding area is lush with green grass, but this place is full of rugged rocks and no grass grows, like the exposed skeleton of a giant beast, slanting up to the top of the mountain.

"right here."

Gong Qun raised his head and said, "Other places have either too dense forests or steep cliffs, making it difficult to pass. Only from here, crossing the mountain is the most convenient."

Looking at this strange terrain, Wang Daoxuan couldn't help but take out the compass from his arms. After checking it out, he frowned and said, "There is no grass growing here, the ground is shady and messy, there is no water in front, and there is no support on the left and right. It is a dangerous place. Has nothing happened here?"

Gong Qian was stunned for a moment. "I have been to Longtan Village several times. There are farmlands and a large pond in the village. There are also many hunters. People live in peace and stability, and nothing has happened."

"Oh?"

Wang Daoxuan looked at the top of the mountain again. "This is a bit strange. Is there any temple or talisman in the village?"

Gong Xun quickly replied, "There is a ancestral temple on the hillside. It is very old and has a lot of incense."

"It's no wonder."

Wang Daoxuan suddenly realized, "It turns out that a master has already made arrangements."

In the Zushi Temple, Laozi is worshipped.

If the incense is strong, it will surely protect the area.

Just as Gong Qun said, this rocky hillside looked scary and even more bizarre under the bright moonlight, but it was not dangerous.

Not even a single wild animal was to be seen.

Soon, everyone climbed up the mountain.

Sure enough, on the hillside not far away, there stood an ancient temple. It was not built in a magnificent manner, and its outer walls were made of large and small rocks mixed with mud.

The gate was locked and it was pitch black inside.

"Wang! Wang Wang!"

There was a dog tied in the old temple. It sensed their presence and immediately started barking wildly.

squeak~
The temple door opened immediately, and three drunken men, armed with swords and bows, rushed out in panic.

"who?!"

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

"Chen Ergouzi, it's me!"

Gong Xun quickly spoke up to stop him.

"Yes, Lord Gong?"

One of the skinny men quickly held his companion's bow and arrow, "Don't move, this is Lord Gong, who helped our village in the past."

"Sir, why did you go into the mountains in the middle of the night?"

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

"He went into the mountains to collect herbs and hasn't come back for several days. You want to go to Zhou Lizheng's house? I'll lead the way for you."

"No need. Things are not peaceful recently. You should keep calm. How dare you drink while guarding the village? That's just outrageous!"

"My Lord, who would be willing to come to this remote and poor place..."

After some greetings, Gong Xun led everyone on their way.

Li Yan turned his head to take a look, frowning slightly.

He didn't know if it was an illusion, but he actually heard an old sigh from the ancestral temple.

Could it be the secular god inside?
Although it was strange, Li Yan did not investigate.

They had other important matters to attend to and had been delayed on the road for a long time, so there was no need to create unnecessary trouble here.

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

I saw mountains surrounding the area 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 were lit with candles.

Wang Daoxuan looked at the moon in the sky, and suddenly slapped his forehead and said with a smile: "I have been in such a hurry these days that I almost forgot that today is August 15, the night of the full moon on Mid-Autumn Festival."

Going down the hillside, you will see terraced fields along the way.

"There's a thief!" Lu San suddenly spoke, pointing forward.

Under the Mingyue melon field, I saw several dark shadows busying around, sneaking out a few large melons.

Sharifi was amused. "Well, on this Mid-Autumn Festival night, instead of reuniting with your family, you come out to steal. I've never seen anything like this."

"You all misunderstood."

Gong Xun burst out laughing and quickly explained, "This is our Ezhou custom, called 'Mo Qiu Sending a Child'."

"On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, when the moon rises, if you go to someone else's house to steal melons, you have to make a noise so that the owner will come out and yell at you. The harsher the yelling, the better..."

"After stealing the melon, they dress up as children, dig a hole in it, and put red peppers in it. Then they beat gongs and drums and send it to childless families, wishing them to have a son soon."

"That night, women had to put the baby to bed. To be honest, that's how my mother got pregnant with me."

"Look, the boss is probably going to come out soon..."

Before he could finish his words, he saw the wooden door of a farmyard not far away suddenly open, and a fierce woman jumped out, stomping her feet on the ground, pointing at them and cursing.

Those curse words are so ugly to hear.

This tough woman gathered all her strength, her eyes and ears were red, and saliva was flying, obviously taking the opportunity to satisfy her craving for food.

Even Li Yan and others felt uncomfortable after hearing this.

Those "melon thieves" were in even greater panic. They ran out of the melon field, holding a dozen large melons and running away.

These "melon thieves" were all teenagers. Perhaps due to the excitement, one of them tripped over the garlic and fell to the ground, dropping the melon in his hand.

"Stupid!"

When the leading young man saw this, he became very anxious.

There are some rules for this practice of stealing melons in autumn. If the stolen melons are broken or cracked, it is considered unlucky and cannot be given to anyone. If the father finds out, he will definitely scold you.

He was holding two winter melons in his hands and had no hands free to take them, so he had to bend his body and move his tail like a scorpion, clamping one of the melons between his hind legs.

Look at his skills and reactions, he is clearly a martial artist.

But the other teenagers were unable to react in time.

call!
At this moment, the young men heard the sound of whistling wind, and suddenly a man appeared in front of them. He reached out and gently grabbed another melon in his hand.

The person who came was Li Yan.

"ghost!"

Several teenagers were startled.

"What the hell?"

The leading boy scolded, then his whole body tensed up, 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 came over quickly and said in a deep voice, "This is a distinguished guest. We have something to ask your father."

"Ah, Brother Gong..."

The young man in the lead had thick eyebrows and big eyes, and was sturdy. When he saw Gong Qun, his face immediately lit up with joy, "My father is here, come with me!"

"Hold on, doggie, don't drop it again!"

After saying that, he bounced his calf and the winter melon fell into the hands of the young man behind him. Li Yan also smiled slightly and handed the winter melon to the other party.

The young man named Zhou Huzi led the way in front, while the other young men kept secretly looking at Li Yan and his group.

There's no way, they're just too conspicuous.

Whether it was the human-like monster Wu Ba, or the little white fox Chu Qi jumping behind Lu San, or the falcon in the cloth pocket on his chest, they all made them very curious.

Seeing this, Gong Xun was afraid that Li Yan and the others would be unhappy, so he quickly changed the subject and asked, "Huzi, why did you get so many melons this year?"

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

"No one in the village has had a baby for two years, and I don't know what's going on. Oh, Taoist Master Yun on the mountain said he was going into the mountains to collect herbs specifically for having babies, but he hasn't come out in a few days..."

"No doll?"

Gong Xun was also stunned for a moment and frowned slightly.

Not having a baby is a big deal. If it goes on for a long time, rumors will definitely spread in the village, and maybe something bad will happen.

But he had other important things to do and couldn't care less about these.

As they were talking, they had already arrived at the center of the village.

This place is close to the lake and, like other places in Ezhou, is centered around the ancestral hall, the only difference is that the ancestral hall is close to the lake.

The village was poor, and even the richest headman was just a hunter. His yard was a little spacious, but it was far less than that of the local tycoons in other places.

At this moment, the gate of the courtyard was wide open. An old woman was already waiting at the door. When she saw Zhou Huzi, she complained, "Why are you taking so much effort, kid? Hurry up, don't miss the time..."

As he was talking, he saw Gong Qun and his group, and he quickly shouted inside: "Master, come out quickly, Master Gong is here."

A man immediately ran out of the yard. He was tall, with a full beard, wearing a brand new cloth robe. He also had thick eyebrows and big eyes, and was somewhat similar to Zhou Huzi.

"Master Gong!"

The man looked surprised, then looked at Li Yan and others, "Who are these people..."

"These are all distinguished guests, let's go in and talk!"

Gong Xun was obviously very familiar with Zhou Lizheng. He didn't waste any time talking and directly led a few people into the courtyard.

A square table had already been set up in the yard.

A wooden shelf was built on the square table, which was filled with various offerings, as well as moon cakes, incense, candles and the five offerings.

This is called "Gongyue Tower" and is used for worshiping the moon.

"Everyone please!"

Zhou Lizheng was feeling nervous and entered the room with a few people.

After his son Zhou Huzi gave the winter melon to his mother to make a doll, he became curious and pretended to have nothing to do, so he walked to the door of the main hall and eavesdropped.

"Oh, you guys want to go to Shennongjia?"

"It just so happens that I will also go into the mountains tomorrow and help you lead the way..."

"What is Zhou Lizheng doing in the mountains?"

"Alas~ Master Yun hasn't come out for a few days, I'm afraid..."

Squeak!

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

Zhou Huzi shuddered and walked away quickly.

"You bastard..."

Sharifei laughed and closed the door again.

Everyone discussed inside for a while, and Zhou Lizheng immediately went out to arrange accommodation and food for Li Yan and the others.

Li Yan and others also arrived at the right time.

It happened to be the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, and Zhou Li was the best hunter in the village. He caught a deer and a lot of river fish. Although they were just country dishes and not very particular, they were delicious.

After drinking the wine and eating the meat, all the fatigue from the past few days was swept away.

The Zhou family is also busy.

The stolen winter melons were soon dressed up by the women as fat dolls. The villagers who came to help beat gongs and drums and delivered the winter melon dolls to every household.

In the yard, Zhou Lizheng led his family to burn incense and hold a moon-worshiping ceremony.

“Another year has passed…”

Wang Daoxuan looked at the bright moon in the sky, then looked towards Guanzhong, a trace of sadness flashed in his eyes, "Brother Sha, follow me to the lakeside later, set up an altar, and offer sacrifices to our brothers and relatives."

"Row!"

Sharifei nodded seriously, then glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw Li Yan frowning, as if listening attentively.

"Brother Yan, what's wrong?"

"Shh, don't talk, I hear a woman crying..."

(End of this chapter)