Chapter 177: Village

Chapter 177 The Village

Bai Lingmiao followed close beside Li Huowang, silently traveling the road, occasionally pulling out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from herself and Li Huowang.

Now the dog days of summer were drawing nearer, the weather turning dry and hot, even traveling in the morning when the sun was not strong, one would sweat incessantly.

After wiping away sweat once more, Bai Lingmiao thought for a moment, and spoke to Li Huowang with a suggestion: "Senior Brother Li, it is too hot this afternoon, why don't we rest this afternoon and rise early tomorrow?"

"Mm." Li Huowang pulled a map from the carriage and began looking at it again.

They were still within the borders of the Four Qi Kingdom, fortunately the old map had not been thrown away, it was still usable.

"We won't eat at noon today, save time, there is a village ahead, we will spend the night there today."

Upon hearing there was a bed to sleep in, everyone instantly perked up, their footsteps beneath them quickening.

After walking for another shichen, when everyone was parched and dry-mouthed, finally by the roadside they saw patches of cultivated fields.

Behind the fields, there was a large expanse of black-tiled houses connected together, the village had arrived.

"Look, there are flowers by the field edge, these flowers are blooming truly red enough."

Bai Lingmiao, joy in her eyes, was just about to go over and pick them, when she was grabbed by Li Huowang in one pull.

"Do not go, those flowers are not right."

Li Huowang watched vigilantly those large flowers that unrolled and spread out, their edges slightly wrinkled and shrunk.

"These are Red Spider Lilies."

Although he did not know who he had heard it from, in Li Huowang's memory, these flowers seemed somewhat sinister.

Once Li Huowang spoke these words, the atmosphere instantly grew cold, everyone wore a blank expression, not knowing what the other meant.

"Haha, you are not even as capable as me, you recognized them wrong,"

A clear child's voice rang out from the side.

Everyone looked toward the sound, and saw a barefoot boy carrying a bamboo basket taller than himself there laughing, looking to be estimated at only seven or eight years old.

"This is not a Red Spider Lily, let me tell you, this is called a Crab Flower, my mother said, this kind of flower cannot be fed to pigs, pigs eating it will get stomach aches, easily losing weight."

The boy reached into the basket behind his back and pulled out a sickle, casually cutting down several Crab Flowers.

Seeing his dismissive appearance, clearly he saw them often, estimated to be someone living in this village.

Li Huowang pondered for a moment then walked over, "Child, what have you gone to do?"

"Cutting pig grass, my family has two pigs! Every day they must eat the pig grass I cut, how many does your family have?"

Upon learning Li Huowang's family did not have a single pig, he laughed so hard his mouth could not close. "Haha! Your family is truly poor, actually not even as rich as ours."

"Yes, my family is very poor, does your family live here? Can you take us to have a look?"

"Sure!" This child completely without any scheming led Li Huowang and the others toward the village walking.

"By the way, are they still fighting wars now?"

"Fighting wars? No fighting wars, before conscripted to be soldiers Third Uncle has all come back."

"Oh, that is good news, not fighting wars is good."

Such a simple child, everything he knew was quickly by Li Huowang coaxed out seven or eighty percent.

This village was called Qian Family Village, altogether several hundred mouths, not big not small.

The people in the village all summer plowed fields, winter went to the nearby forest to hunt mountain goods to maintain livelihood.

In Four Qi, there were many such mountain villages, nothing particularly special

Such villages were generally quite exclusive, but under the assault of copper coins, Li Huowang ultimately temporarily stayed at that child's home.

Inside an old guest room, two heavy swords placed on the table, Li Huowang instantly felt relaxed quite a bit.

Just using hands preparing to unload the Record of the Great Thousand at the waist, but touched emptiness.

Li Huowang only then reacted, his own Record of the Great Thousand in previous combat had already been used up.

"Sigh." To speak truthfully, Li Huowang still had some regret.

Although the Record of the Great Thousand cost was great, but it did not require practice or cultivation.

As long as one could pay the corresponding price, one could obtain the corresponding ability.

Without it, oneself dealing with trouble, now could only rely on the swords given by the Abbess.

"Right, there is also this thing." Li Huowang pulled out the Fire Robe True Sutra wrapped in white wax, carefully studying it.

Gain must come with loss, this thing was still very unfamiliar, still required much practice to succeed.

Once practiced out, in hand there would be one more life-saving method.

Bai Lingmiao entering carrying a plate of roasted sweet potatoes, saw that focused back, lightly stepped and retreated out.

At the door she holding this plate of roasted sweet potatoes thought for a moment, face revealed a trace of secret joy, walked toward herself and Xiao Man's room.

"Sister Xiao Man, just roasted sweet potatoes want to eat?"

However Bai Lingmiao just entered the room, and saw Chun Xiaoman, holding her stomach vomiting into a spittoon.

She instantly greatly shocked face changed, put down sweet potatoes, walked over lightly patted her back.

Patted for quite a while, Chun Xiaoman only then recovered strength, soul not yet settled, sat by bed edge holding neck gasping.

"Sister Xiao Man? Did you eat something wrong? It cannot be, everyone ate from the same pot, why are you sick, others fine?"

Xiao Man shook her head. "Nothing, I reckon I kicked off the quilt sleeping last night, caught a heat wind cold."

"But when I slept with you, you had no habit of kicking off the quilt."

Seeing the doubt in Bai Lingmiao's eyes, Chun Xiaoman hurriedly spoke: "Sister, go to the kitchen and boil some ginger soup for me. I beg you, truly unbearably uncomfortable."

"That... okay."

When seeing Bai Lingmiao leave looking back every step, Chun Xiaoman only then breathed a sigh of relief.

Subsequently she lifted the quilt on the bed, a blood-red bamboo slip instantly appeared before her.

Record of the Great Thousand, this was what Chun Xiaoman found in that hole, and secretly hid away.

Having seen Senior Brother Li use it multiple times, Chun Xiaoman already clearly understood what this represented.

But she had obviously overestimated her own bearing capacity, thinking of those bloody terrifying rituals recorded. "Ugh~!"

This moment, she finally understood what Senior Brother Li had paid before, how much he had paid.

However after vomiting, Chun Xiaoman again gritted her teeth and continued looking down.

Compared to these tortures, Chun Xiaoman cared more about owing others favors.

She was unwilling, every time a problem appeared, it was Senior Brother Li stepping up, making herself appear very useless.

Since killing her own father, Chun Xiaoman had determined in her mind, absolutely not to be waste.

"Senior Brother Li holds on, I can hold on too!" Chun Xiaoman pulled the Record of the Great Thousand with both hands, gritting her teeth began to read.

And at this time in the kitchen boiling ginger tea Bai Lingmiao, looking at the firewood inside the stove, face full of worry.

"Vomited all like that, and recently also acting strange, could it not really be she is with child?"

"It cannot be Senior Brother Li; I sleep beside him every single night."

"Then whose could it be? Gou Wa's? Gao Zhijian's? Or perhaps Sun Baolu? But when did Sister Xiaoman ever..."

Bai Lingmiao pressed her knees together, a blush rising faintly upon her cheeks.

Yet after the fleeting shame passed, Bai Lingmiao felt deeply worried for her sister's plight.

With such a long journey ahead, if she truly was with child, traveling would prove difficult indeed.

Just as she dwelled in worry, she suddenly sensed someone standing behind her.

Catching the body fragrance identical to her own, Bai Lingmiao furrowed her delicate brows. "What is it?"

Behind her, the Er Shen's red veil trembled slightly. "Bring the drum; there is work to be done in the village."