Chapter 257: Big Manor

Chapter 257 The Great Village

Following the carriage, Li Huowang walked while pondering the message conveyed by that lama.

"What does 'won't happen again' mean?" In Li Huowang's mind flashed the Lion Dance Palace and the deceased Han Fu; it seemed he had only done these two things in Qingqiu.

Bai Lingmiao shook her head with an embarrassed expression, "I don't know, he just said won't happen again, he said nothing else."

As for why the other party suddenly departed, Li Huowang ultimately remained unaware of the reason.

Compared to this, he actually cared more about the other party's identity.

"Won't happen again... won't happen again... He is actually from the Qingqiu Sky Monitoring Bureau? So this is the Sky Monitoring Bureau..."

Regarding this bureau known only by reputation, Li Huowang began to form a brand new understanding. He could almost be certain that within this so-called Sky Monitoring Bureau, there must be many strange individuals like this black lama.

It was just that he temporarily did not know whether this news was good or bad for himself.

Regaining his composure, Li Huowang looked up at the sun overhead and said to the others, "Everyone rest. I will keep watch."

Hearing this, everyone took their quilts from the ox cart, threw them onto the ground, lay down directly, and began to snore.

Having fled all the way in fear and trepidation, their bodies truly could not hold out anymore.

Li Huowang was also tired, but he could only force himself to endure; although that lama said it wouldn't happen again, he simply could not trust such a person.

Feeling he truly could not hold out, he would use instruments to create some pain to stimulate himself, something Li Huowang was already well-versed in.

Everyone slept until evening; when they prepared to make dinner, Li Huowang lay upon the ox cart and closed his eyes.

Under exhaustion, Li Huowang fell asleep, but he did not sleep soundly; various disjointed dreams rose and fell continuously in his mind.

Suddenly, Li Huowang sat up sharply in his sleep, "No, the aura on that lama's body, I felt it in White Jade Capital, that White Bodhisattva was entirely filled with it! That is death qi!"

After speaking these words, Li Huowang's body went limp, and under everyone's gaze, he lay down again without further sound.

The wagon wheels rolled slowly along the dirt road; the nearby trees and farmlands proved they had completely left Qingqiu and thoroughly entered the territory of Daliang.

This improved everyone's mood significantly; at least in Daliang, there were no such strange lamas here.

Upon sensing they were about to return to their native land, the happiest one was undoubtedly Bai Lingmiao.

She circled around Li Huowang, constantly recounting stories of her hometown, from her parents to her siblings, from neighbors to the large goose that liked to lounge at the village entrance.

However, Li Huowang always appeared absent-minded; he was still contemplating that previous black-robed lama.

"There is no mistake, on him is the death qi from White Jade Capital; previously underground, using that giant cauldron to sacrifice death, that should be their sect!"

Although he did not know the name of their sect, since the other party could wield death, their strength was absolutely formidable.

Fortunately, he had not come into conflict with him in the end; otherwise, even if he could win, he might have to pay a severe price.

"Senior Brother Li, I am talking to you, what are you thinking about?" Bai Lingmiao looked at Li Huowang, who completely ignored her, with half-complaint.

"Hmm? What did you say?" Li Huowang looked at him.

"I said, we have so much silver now, we can rebuild a new house! We can live in our own place!"

"Oh, that is very good." Just as Li Huowang gave a casual response, he suddenly saw the other party's eyes were not covered with cloth strips again, immediately untying the ribbon from her hand.

After covering Bai Lingmiao's eyes, Li Huowang grasped the other party's palm with five fingers.

"How many times have I said, cover it when the sun is strong; if you keep using your eyes like this, they will not last long before going blind."

After saying this, Li Huowang turned his head to look at the others around.

From just beginning, he noticed there were not only them on the road, but also several men with emaciated bodies and dark skin, carrying quilts on one end and provisions on the other, walking together.

Obviously, these people were somewhat afraid of this group wearing black hats with unknown origins, not daring to look over here.

If it were not for the Lu Family Troupe, these people with normal appearances, they probably would have left long ago.

Li Huowang thought for a moment, walked over to Lu Zhuangyuan who was coaxing his grandson, and whispered a few words to him.

"Alright, Little Daoist Master, rest assured." Feeling useful, Lu Zhuangyuan tucked his smoking pipe under his armpit and smiled happily as he approached that group of men.

As Li Huowang pulled the wool plug out of his ear, their distant voices clearly entered his ears.

"Hehe~ Gentlemen, where are you going?"

"Going to the wheat fields."

"Oh?"

"It is almost autumn harvest, we are harvesters heading to the wheat fields."

Through their exchange, Li Huowang learned that these harvesters were tenant farmers with little land at home, taking advantage of this autumn harvest to reap for others and earn some copper coins.

Lu Zhuangyuan was indeed an old troupe leader who traveled everywhere; in three or two sentences, he extracted the information he wanted from those honest men.

"Little Daoist Master, he said, not far ahead is a great village; continuing forward along the village, there is a county town."

"I heard that county town is very large; many Qingqiu people also send sheep there to sell."

Looking at Lu Zhuangyuan's smiling face, Li Huowang nodded, "Then do they know where Ox Heart Mountain is?"

Li Huowang did not forget that one of the main reasons he came to the Liang Kingdom with great difficulty was to send Bai Lingmiao home.

"Uh, they really do not know this; hearing them say, the edge of Qingqiu is quite flat with no mountains, the further inside you go, the more mountains there are."

Regarding this, Li Huowang showed no disappointment on his face, as if the other party's words were already within his expectation.

"Since they are locals, then let us follow them, to avoid getting lost; when we reach the county town, buy a map of this Liang Kingdom, then we determine which direction to go next."

"Eh~ Alright!" Feeling he was put to use, Lu Zhuangyuan walked back smiling happily.

Walking along this muddy path until afternoon, when they emerged from a bamboo grove, the scene before their eyes suddenly opened up.

Golden rice, millet, and sorghum stretched into a single expanse, like a golden ocean stirring waves with the breeze.

Some small black dots like ants were constantly using sickles in their hands to reap this gold before their eyes in the distance.

"This Daliang land is truly fertile enough; in our hometown, we probably would not encounter such a good harvest for several years." Looking at everything before him, Lu Zhuangyuan's eyes were full of envy.

Regardless of what others thought, anyway those harvesters seeing all this, as if seeing abundant wages, went down to the fields to find the masters and discuss prices.

"A good harvest is good too, this way we can buy grain cheaper." A small whip cracked on the ox's rump, the wagon wheels rolled slowly towards this great village.

(End of Chapter)