The weak scholar in the end of ancient times

Chapter 49 This weather is sick

The amount of information revealed by the caravan was so huge that it took the members of the team a long time to digest.

Since they knew that Wen Gu's uncle was from the Zhao family, one of the six major families in the north, and his surname was Zhao, the escorts and employers in the escort agency became more polite to Wen Gu.

While Wen Gu's uncle might not be related to the "Zhao" of the Zhao clan, what if he was? Even if they weren't directly related, just some connection would allow them to live better than others in the unfamiliar northern land!

Continue north.

Wen Gu looked at the roughly compiled map in the notebook.

The teams passing through here were generally heading towards the Dong, Zhao, and Ren factions. This meant there was a high chance of encountering people heading towards the Zhao faction as well.

We met several groups of people along the way, but unfortunately, none of them were heading to the Zhao clan.

However, Wen Gu still took out the supplies and asked people for information.

They weren't necessarily seeking information about the Zhao clan; right now, the most important thing for them was the topography and distribution of towns in their area. The more information they had, the greater their chances of survival.

A team of a hundred people has a certain level of military strength, so it is not easy to be perfunctory when gathering information, and the authenticity is also higher.

Wen Gu also learned more about the six major clans from these teams heading north.

The name "valve" actually only came into being this year.

At first, some families in the South changed the names of the six families, and then as they communicated with each other, it became the default name, which meant recognition of strength and status!

The six families in the north also claimed this title.

The northward migration from late autumn this year to next spring will continue, and the six major clans will undoubtedly continue to increase their strength.

Lin Biaotou paid special attention to the caravans heading north.

Wen Gu had told him that under the current circumstances, what those caravans were doing was similar to what their escort agency was doing.

The profits gained from a caravan trip can allow them to gain a foothold in the north. With protection, the boss behind them may even be able to get an official position.

It transcends class!

It really made Lin Biaotou and the others jealous.

It is true that wealth and honor are achieved through risk!

While others are imagining the future, reviewing the past is not easy.

Feeling the warmth in the air, he looked at the clouds in the sky.

"The weather's wrong."

Winter is approaching and the temperature should be dropping day by day, but there are signs of warming up in the past two days.

I'm worried that this wave of warm air will be too strong and continue to push north. That would be a big problem!
However, things did not develop in the direction he hoped.

The intensity of the cold air moving south is decreasing. At the same time, the strong warm air takes the opportunity to expand and advance northward.

In a remote mountain village, in the silent huts, the roofs that had not been taken care of for a long time were leaking.

A warm breeze blew in from outside.

The dark figure that was originally curled up in the corner was awakened by the warm wind. It opened its eyes, its cloudy eyeballs moved strangely, and then it stretched its limbs like an insect.

Just like wind-dried flesh, as the temperature rises, they become more resilient, making their movements more flexible.

Low mutterings rose and fell from the huts one after another, and then figures covered with purple-brown stripes walked out one after another.

Hunger urges them to look for food.

More food!
……

Xiao Liu shot and killed the evil creature not far away with one arrow.

Two escorts from the escort agency ran back with their employer. The employer originally just wanted to go to the bathroom and was almost attacked by a monster. Fortunately, he was protected by the two escorts and saved his life.

"There weren't so many monsters before!" The employer gasped, still in shock.

"The weather has suddenly turned warmer, and those monsters have become active again." said an escort.

Another person consoled him, "Winter is almost here, and winter in the north is very cold. These monsters are like grasshoppers in autumn, they won't last more than a few days."

"But I almost didn't have the chance to jump!" The employer returned to the team trembling.

He still has to be isolated for observation.

He was cursing the monsters when he heard the sound of horse hooves. He quickly shut up and looked for protection.

Where they were now, there was only a slightly flat road, which was not wide, and the team was stuck in the middle of the road.

The people coming from afar on horseback slowed down and stopped not far away.

Wen Gu observed them. There were only about ten of them, possibly messengers or some other mission.

He Da looked at the horses and the bags they were carrying, and came over to offer Wen Gu some advice: "You can do it!"

Wen Guxin said: Fuck you!

"I'm not that kind of person!"

After a pause, Wen Gu said to He Da, "Believe it or not, if you peel off their outer robes, you will see armor underneath!"

He Da: “…”

He squatted down quietly again.

There is a gap in combat effectiveness, and if we really fight, we will have to pay a heavy price.

The escort agency had the same mentality. Although they coveted the horses, armor, and supplies, these were probably elite cavalrymen raised by some powerful force, and they must have an important mission.

Unless they could do it completely covertly and without leaving any traces, there would be endless trouble. This small escort agency of theirs couldn't afford to offend.

The cavalry over there are also on guard.

At this time, Wen Gu came out to ease the atmosphere and said that he and a group of relatives and friends were going north to Xinzhou to join their relatives.

"I wonder if you guys are on the way?"

The leader was about to refuse when Wen Gu continued:
"If you are also going to Xinzhou, could you please help me take a letter? The address is..."

Observing the reactions of the cavalrymen, Wen Gu gave an address, which was an incense shop in a county town in Xinzhou.

There was no response from the other party. No rejection, no agreement.

But this is already an attitude.

Several other cavalrymen who had been looking elsewhere vigilantly also glanced towards Wen Gu.

Wen Gu smiled friendly, feeling even happier.

"If you can help deliver the message, you will be rewarded!"

The leader of the cavalry squad looked at Wen Gu carefully and finally said, "Where's the letter?"

"Thank you! I'll write it right away. It'll be quick!"

Wen Gu asked everyone to make some space so that the cavalry over there could see that he had indeed returned to the carriage to get paper to write a letter.

It seemed like nothing, but Cheng Zhi, who was in charge of cutting paper, turned his back to the cavalry and whispered to Wen Gu about their reactions.

Originally, the review was just a test, just for show, but now it seems that important information has been found out.

After briefly writing the letter, he took out the keepsake left at home and drew a picture of the real thing on paper.

It was put in an envelope with the address and recipient written on the cover, but not the full name, only the surnames of my uncle and aunt.

There is also a picture of a keepsake on the cover.

When Wen Gu gave the letter to the leader of the cavalry squad, he also showed the actual letter and compared it with the picture on the cover to prove that it was not a forgery.

As a reward for delivering the letter, Wen Gu also pried five pills and a bag of grain powder that had been processed twice with salt and sugar added from the Taoist priest.

It can be said that it is a huge investment!
Since it is possible that they are one of his own, Wen Gu hopes that as many people as possible from this cavalry squad can survive and reach Xinzhou and bring the letter over intact!
Every time you take your food or medicine, remember this letter. Don't forget it!
After seeing the pictures and text on the envelope, the cavalrymen's attitude improved considerably, and the alienation in their eyes became less pronounced. However, they didn't reveal any further information.

"We will try our best to deliver the letter," the other party said.

"Thank you!" Wen Gu bowed to the other party in a scholarly manner.

Let the team make way for a narrow path.

Someone from the cavalry squad looked at Wen Gu again, as if thinking: This scholar is too trusting!

The team leader's expression remained unchanged. He looked at the sky and suddenly reminded:
"The weather is getting warmer, so be careful! If it warms up for several consecutive days, be wary of evil spirits gathering!"

After saying this, he bowed and said goodbye, then rode away.

Wen Gu watched their receding backs and said to his late father in his heart: Dad, your information is delayed. My uncle might be really capable!
In fact, it’s not Father Wen’s fault. Transportation is inconvenient and information is not available these days. Many people leave home and have no news for decades.

My aunt, who had married and moved to the north, and my biological mother, who had "wengu", were so far apart. Twenty years ago, conditions in the north were limited, and we would only exchange letters for very important or memorable events. After twenty years, conditions on my aunt and uncle's side had improved significantly, and the correspondence gradually became more frequent.

Even so, there may only be one or two letters throughout the year, and what can be said is limited.

Wen Gu only thought briefly about his aunt and uncle's affairs, and then focused all his thoughts on the difficult problems he was facing.

The weather has indeed changed.

And it is still changing in a direction they did not expect.

The larger the team, the stronger the ability to resist risks, but I'm not talking about resisting this kind of risk!!
County Captain Zhou and Head of the Escort Lin in the team were still thinking of asking Wen Gu about his uncle Zhao, but when Wen Gu turned around, his face was extremely serious.

"Everyone, the biggest crisis is coming!"

He called several important members of the team for an emergency meeting. Even Mrs. Liang, who had been staying in the carriage, was invited out.

Spreading out a piece of paper, Wen Gu quickly drew a simple map on it, marking his own position and the surrounding counties.

The benefits of collecting map information are highlighted at this time, so that when encountering crises or changes, you know how to make choices.

"The temperature is rising again, which is not a good thing."

The evil spirits have been more active these past two days, and everyone can feel it.

But the information revealed to Wen Gu by the cavalry leader just now made Wen Gu take it very seriously.

He asked the Taoist priest, "How long will this temperature rise last? If it's just one or two days, and then the temperature drops quickly, then it's fine. But if it continues for three or five days in a row, then it's troublesome!"

Taoist Qingyi didn't want to argue anymore and just said, "This time the change in the sky won't last too long."

Who would have thought that just as winter was about to arrive, the weather would suddenly take a turn for the worse!
Seeing that others did not realize the seriousness of the situation, Wen Gu combined the words of the cavalry leader just now and the information he had obtained from various parties, summarized and analyzed it for everyone.

Basically, it means: those evil creatures that have experienced the transition from cold to warm may gather in groups if the warming lasts for a long time!
Lin Biaotou and his men had been in Bailu County before, and had heard about it from people passing by in the south.

"I heard that a lot of monsters gathered together and attacked everything they passed through. Many towns in the south were destroyed!"

There are just a lot of rumors and different versions of the story, and some county residents think they are spreading rumors.

In the words of literati, it is alarmist!

Bailu County has also suffered small-scale attacks by evil creatures, but it is not as exaggerated as those people in the south say.

Wen Gu looked at Taoist Qingyi: "What do you think, Taoist?"

The Taoist priest also traveled from south to north and knew something about the situation in the south.

Master Qingyi's face was stern, not joking at all: "It does exist!"

That being said, no one has actually seen it, so it is difficult to understand the critical situation that Wen Gu described.

"Shouldn't those monsters attack the county town where there are many living people?" He Da asked.

Wen Gu did not answer them directly, but asked them: "You have all seen locusts, right? Do you know about locust plagues?"

Xiao Liu, who originally didn't want to use his brain, looked over in horror.

Of course the locusts know!

I suddenly felt a bad sense of substitution in my heart.

He Da and the others' faces turned pale.

Wen Gu glanced at everyone present and said, "The temperature dropped recently, and the evil creatures became weaker. They mostly hid in one place and reduced their prey.

"But after the sudden warming, stimulated by hunger, they might gather together to get more food. I don't know if it will happen, but we have to prepare for the worst!"

Lin Biaotou and his men thought, if what those people in the south said was true, then what a terrible situation they would face!

"We may not... may not meet..." he stammered.

Wen Gu drew black dots around the lost counties on the spread-out paper.

"The black dots represent evil things. This is just the county seat. There are villages and towns around each county seat. I'm just making an estimate."

As more and more black spots appeared on Wen Gu's painting, the fear in the eyes of everyone present became more and more intense.

Because they found that they were almost surrounded. No matter which direction the monsters gathered, they were likely to encounter them!

If everyone had a horse, perhaps they could quickly break out of the encirclement before the monsters gathered, but the reality was cruel.

Everyone stared at the drawings blankly, and then suddenly burst into surprise.

No, there is another direction, there is a large blank space over there!
County Lieutenant Zhou raised his hand and pointed to the northwest corner of the city: "Over there..."

"Jinwu City, one of the three great cities of the Ren clan to suppress evil."

This is the information Wen Gu recently obtained.

"Then let's run to the Ren clan! Avoid this wave first, and then go to the Zhao clan!" said Lin Biaotou.

Wen Gu shook his head: "I'm afraid it can't be avoided."

"When I was studying abroad, I saw some people conducting experiments on clustering. In the wild, if animals cluster at high densities, they tend to behave in the same direction."

Wen Gu looked at the spread-out blueprint, raised his pen, and struck it softly, like a hammer:
"After gathering together, they will most likely choose the nearest place with the most food, and then rush over!"

The black line of the charcoal pencil started from the place where several black dots were densely packed, and drew an arrow towards Jinwu City.

Wen Gu and the others are now in the middle stage.

Whether you walk forward or backward, you will encounter many evil creatures running out.

"This... those evil creatures can smell the scent of people in Jinwu City from such a distance?" County Lieutenant Zhou was unwilling to believe it.

Wen Gu said, "A single, small number of evil creatures might not have this ability, but when they swarm, their bodies will change again. It's like... swarms of locusts are poisonous. I'm not sure how crazy those evil creatures will become."

He Da and the others were about to lose their minds.

"Why is God doing this? He's luring people out to be killed!"

After the fall, many teams set out to migrate north, but no one expected something like this to happen suddenly.

God’s will is unpredictable!

He Da couldn't help shivering.

"Then...what should we do? Where should we escape to?"

He tried to wrap his head around it, but couldn't.

This was far beyond his ability, and he could only watch and review.

"Wentouer, what do you say we should do?"

Wen Gu was almost interrupted by the word "Wentouer".

He picked up a pen and drew an arrow towards the city in the northwest corner of the drawing.

"Golden Crow City!"

The others were stunned again.

"But you just said that those monster clusters are most likely heading that way!"

"Yes. However, the Ren Clan must be powerful to be one of the six major forces in the north! Before today, during the season of lush vegetation, they must have suffered similar shocks, but they still survived!"

The voice of reviewing the past is soothing, allowing everyone to think calmly.

"Although the temperature is rising now, the mass attacks of autumn and winter are definitely not as strong as those of spring and summer. Since Jinwu City was able to withstand it during the most intense period, it should be able to withstand it now as well!"

Wen Gu took the charcoal pencil and drew an irregular circle in the area on the drawing where the density of black dots was the lowest.

"The direction leading to Jinwu City must be frequently traveled. The monsters along the way must have been mostly cleared out. If we go that way, we'll encounter fewer obstacles and be able to enter the city and escape before the evil creatures attack!"

Following Wen Gu's words, everyone looked towards the northwest corner.

Jinwu City.

The first shield closest to the south of the Ren family’s sphere of influence among the six major clans is also an extremely important defense checkpoint.

It will absorb teams moving from the south to the north, and is also a trump card for the Ren clan to show off its muscles and strength to the wealthy families in the south!
After two years of operation, it is still standing there safely, which shows that it is indeed strong enough!

From the perspective of their own team as a whole, escaping in that direction is their best option.

After Wen Gu finished his analysis, everyone present nodded in agreement.

That may not happen, but...

Prepare for the worst and head in the direction that's most likely to keep you alive!

"Take care of the health of the elderly, the weak, women, and children in the team, then speed up and run for your lives!"

(End of this chapter)