Bearing the blue sky

Zhu Ge felt like she was seeing stars and was dizzy.

Blindness and deafness struck almost simultaneously, but only for a moment, and then the senses returned to normal.

What an overbearing personality… Zhu Ge felt a surge of anger, but she could only suppress it.

Judging from the accent of this official, he didn't seem to be a local; rather, he sounded like an official parachuted in from out of town.

After all, although the Great Sheng Dynasty existed in name only, it at least existed in name only.

Some officials also circulated it around.

However, Zhu Ge did not expect that this fisherman in the straw raincoat would be so domineering that he would not allow others to speak.

Rank and status... Zhu Ge pondered Yu Xiucai's words and seemed to be able to discern something from them.

"Singing and dancing?" Yu Xiucai's voice came: "My Jianshan Village is located in a remote area, and there really is no one there who knows how to sing and dance..."

"It's alright." The fisherman in the straw raincoat waved his hand to interrupt the scholar Yu: "My lineage is fishing, and I'm most skilled at fishermen's songs. As soon as the 'Straw Raincoat Song' begins, the woman can dance to my rhythm."

Scholar Yu hesitated.

There was only one woman in the village, and what the fisherman in the straw raincoat was talking about was clearly asking Sui Niang to dance.

"I'll go take a look around first. You all prepare for the dinner." Without saying another word, the fisherman in the straw raincoat strode forward and disappeared from Yu Xiucai and Zhu Ge's sight in a few seconds.

"Zhu Ge, are you alright?" Scholar Yu went to help Zhu Ge up.

Zhu Ge shook his head and wiped the blood from his face: "It's alright, but Hua Xiaomei isn't responding."

At this moment, the character "囍" in his mind was dim and lifeless, and no matter how Zhu Ge called it in his mind, there was no response.

"I guess we'll have to rest for a few days," Yu Xiucai sighed. "This time, the Jingzhe official came with great force. It seems that Yuanyang City is indeed in a state of emergency due to the plague."

"I just didn't expect..." Zhu Ge looked at the bloodstains on her palms from wiping her face, and frowned slightly. "Our human race is already facing many difficulties, why is it like this now..."

Scholar Yu didn't answer Zhu Ge, but patted Zhu Ge on the shoulder:

"I'll go and accompany the fisherman in the straw raincoat on his tour first, otherwise, if things go wrong, Tiger God and Mr. Insect will probably be in trouble."

"Hurry up and tell Big-bellied Dog and the others to prepare a meal. Bring out plenty of sausages and cured meat, and also go to the woods to pick a few baskets of mushrooms. We need to make this dinner a success, or I'm afraid this matter will not end well."

"Okay." Zhu Ge understood that what needed to be done now was not impotent rage.

The fisherman in the straw raincoat only needed to howl to seriously injure Hua Liusha and put him into a deep sleep. If he were to get serious, even with Tiger God and Mr. Insect by his side, they wouldn't be enough to defeat him.

Fishing route!

This is clearly a cultivation method similar to Taoism or Confucianism.

In Taoism, immortals are generally called "True Persons," while in Confucianism and Taoism they are called "Masters."

This fishing route is called "Fisherman's Route".

However, it sounds like fishing is not as popular as Taoism or Confucianism.

Of course, no matter which path they choose, beings in the three realms are beyond their power to defeat.

Including Tiger God and the others.

The fisherman in the straw raincoat wants to wander around, and Scholar Yu should accompany him; in fact, he must accompany him.

Otherwise, it would be troublesome if that fisherman in the straw raincoat tried to kill Tiger God and Mr. Insect.

It's worth noting that the area around Jianshan Village is currently where Tiger God and Mr. Insect can communicate relatively well.

However, if it were a malicious entity like a fungal god, then communication might not be so easy.

Therefore, maintaining the status quo is the most appropriate choice before having the strong ability to change it.

But the worst-case scenario is that this fisherman in the straw raincoat is mentally ill and will kill anyone he sees who is different from him at the slightest provocation.

If that happens, and Tiger God and Mr. Insect kill each other because they don't like them, other alien species outside will probably take the opportunity to occupy their territory, and then Jianshan Village will never have peace again.

Judging from what he just said, this fisherman in the straw raincoat is very likely to be mentally ill.

"Never mind, let's prepare the banquet first."

Zhu Ge suppressed his anger and then went to prepare the banquet.

He can fly into a rage, he can rebel, but the outcome is unlikely to be very promising.

The most likely scenario is that he will be driven to rage in a fit of impotence and then killed.

In that case, it would have been better to have died directly under the God of Fungi's God-Snatching technique, thus saving myself from these past few days of painful struggle.

This is a world where strength reigns supreme... This phrase echoed in Zhu Ge's heart once again.

There are no laws, no iron fist to sweep away all monsters and demons, and no one to serve you.

If you have no power, you can only depend on others for food.

And it is precisely because of this that Zhu Ge's heart is filled with an even stronger desire for power.

We must become stronger!

"Big-bellied dog! Quickly call Sui Niang and the others out! The Jingzhe official is here! We need to prepare the feast immediately!"

Zhu Ge started working, cleaning and setting up the venue.

Ji Fuhui brought out cured pork, cured pig's feet, sausages, and other foods that are only eaten during the Chinese New Year.

Duan Lei went to catch hens to make soup, while Sui Niang went to steam the red rice produced in the terraced fields of Jianshan Village. Even Xian Xian went to collect firewood to cook.

The group got to work quickly, setting up the venue in the widest part of the village, the very spot where they had fought the Mushroom God during the Mushroom Festival a few days ago.

Several hours later, wisps of smoke drifted into the distance, and the area was filled with a delicious aroma.

sunset.

Zhu Ge arranged the seats, then looked at the delicacies scattered on the floor and his mouth watered.

These are all good stuff!

The pigs and chickens raised by the farmers are fed rice and pig feed, drink sweet spring water from the mountains, and the wine is brewed from fruits harvested in midsummer and early autumn.

"Glug—"

Duan Lei touched his flat stomach.

"You big-bellied dog, you can't eat until the Awakening of Insects official arrives!" Ji Fuhui teased.

"I shouldn't be called 'Big Belly Dog,' I'm so skinny!" Duan Lei pulled up his shirt, revealing his eight-pack abs: "Look! My stomach only has small pieces of fat, it's not big at all!"

Ji Fuhui also lifted his cloth robe, revealing his abs: "I only have six pieces of meat, you have eight, you're bigger than me!"

"Alright!" Zhu Ge helplessly stopped the two clowns: "Suiniang and Xianxian are watching!"

Sui Niang covered Xian Xian's eyes and spat.

Xianxian, however, wanted to pry open the fingers to see: "What meat? What meat? Xianxian has some too, Xianxian wants to see!"

"Ignore them, Xianxian." Zhu Ge smiled, bent down and patted Xianxian's head. "We'll eat here later, Xianxian, you absolutely mustn't cry or make a fuss, you have to be good, okay?"

Xianxian looked up at Zhuge, her eyes revealing her affection for him: "Mmm!"

Zhu Ge looked at Sui Niang again, hesitating, unsure how to speak.

The songs and dances that the fisherman in the straw raincoat talked about were only suitable for Sui Niang.

Although Sui Niang is already a mother, she has a good figure and features. Moreover, people in rural areas get married early, so Sui Niang is actually not even twenty years old.

That's just what she said; after all, Sui Niang was just a peasant woman who had never danced before and didn't know how to dance at all.

Moreover, Zhu Ge always felt that this behavior was no different from forcing a woman into prostitution.

"Please speak freely, young man." Sui Niang smiled gently, "You saved my and Xianxian's lives, so I will agree to whatever you say."

"No, it's alright." Zhu Ge shook her head, still intending to brush off the fisherman's supposed dancing.

Perhaps even the fisherman in the straw raincoat has forgotten about this.

Seeing that Zhu Ge didn't want to talk, Sui Niang didn't say anything. Instead, she hugged Xian Xian and teased her, making Xian Xian laugh.

Ji Fuhui and Duan Lei were also competing with each other on various trivial matters.

If you don't consider the surroundings and what happened before, Zhu Ge would think this place is beautiful, with a sense of peaceful mountain village life.

But this tranquility only gave Zhu Ge a sense of impending doom.

The thought had barely formed when a cold shout came from afar.

"You demons and monsters, how dare you call yourselves 'Mountain Lords'? Those who have no ruler or father, be executed!"