Chapter 267: Pi County

Chapter 267 Pixin County

After Bai Lingmiao sent those two bowls of rice over, Li Huowang saw the two wheat harvesters trembling with excitement, constantly bowing thanks to Bai Lingmiao while saying something.

Compared to Li Huowang's party needing wild vegetable soup to cut the grease, the two harvesters had no such trouble, using expressions nearly pious, holding bowls with both hands, eating the cured meat rice bite by bite.

The rice in the bowls was quickly eaten clean by them, but the cured meat inside was picked out directly by the two, carefully wrapped in cloth, looking as if they planned to save this meat for later.

The old harvester ran to the stream by the field, washed the two bowls until spotless, then revealed teeth missing several gaps, smiling as he brought the bowls to Li Huowang.

The old harvester seemed to want to say something, but his clumsy tongue couldn't speak, so ultimately Li Huowang opened his mouth first.

"Old sir, Daliang has so many fields and such good harvests, you are already so old, why do you still come out to work in the fields?"

"That... that all belongs to the landlords, no matter how good the harvest, it has nothing to do with us, I won't even eat half a grain of rice."

After the old harvester finished speaking, as if breaking the barrier between the two, he smiled at Li Huowang again.

"Taoist master, thank you for your grain, the oil is too rich. One meal tops three meals."

"Don't mention it, just one meal, old sir, do you always chase wheat fields around here? Have you been to Pixin County?" Li Huowang finally revealed his purpose.

"How could I not go? Plenty of times! Eh—those grain fields in Pixin County, over these years, I've chased them all!"

Once talking about a familiar topic, the harvester's confidence returned instantly, his two hands full of calluses gesturing in the air.

"Let me tell you, harvesting wheat is a technical skill, those young greenhorns without tricks can't even beat me! Just take holding the sickle handle, too high won't do, too low won't do, must~ be exactly right........"

Li Huowang looked up and interrupted the other person's words, "Old sir, have you been to Pixin County recently?"

"Been there! Went before, I came back to pick up my nephew, otherwise the grain fields in Pixin County before, I would have harvested them all myself! Just speak of harvesting wheat, it requires technique---"

"Really went there? Didn't you notice anything different about the people there?"

Li Huowang wasn't worried about problems there now, but feared the problems weren't big enough.

If the problem wasn't big enough, it wouldn't attract the Sky Monitoring Bureau, then he would have run in vain.

And time also needed to be clarified, if the Sky Monitoring Bureau people had already come, then he would also have made a trip in vain.

Seeing Li Huowang's expression become serious, the old harvester grew nervous, he scratched the back of his head, timidly saying: "Those people aren't different, pay settled in full, food wasn't treated badly. But, they like staying in rooms, don't come out often, money and food placed outside the door, let us take it ourselves."

Nervous, poor complexion, and liking to stay in rooms? Li Huowang silently analyzed these three strange pieces of information in his heart.

Regardless, it seems the Sky Monitoring Bureau hasn't come to solve the problem yet.

Li Huowang recalled everything encountered before, adding to this question again.

"What else? Their... appearance, is there any change compared to ordinary families?"

"No change, what difference can there be between people? Isn't it, one nose two holes."

Li Huowang of course knew people are all the same, but now he suspected those living in Pixin County might not be human.

"No matter what happened there, the matter must be big enough." Li Huowang thought secretly.

Seeing the other party didn't respond, the old harvester thought for a moment, turned around and walked towards his nephew.

But just halfway there, the old harvester turned back, "Oh right, there's one more thing not said, that in Pixin County, they beat children terribly, very terrible!"

"When I just got paid, passing under a window, the child inside crying oh~ tsk tsk tsk, couldn't bear to hear it~"

Li Huowang stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Is this really beating children? Or are they using children to do something else?"

In his mind, he couldn't help but recall the method water bandits used boys and girls to summon the River Lord, for this thoroughly mad world, Li Huowang always planned for the worst direction.

And after listening to the other say this, Li Huowang had a new layer of worry in his heart.

He hoped the matter in Pixin County was big enough to attract the Sky Monitoring Bureau. But he didn't hope, this matter was big enough to put them in danger.

When Li Huowang regained his senses again, the old harvester had already left, and the sky had also darkened.

Li Huowang shook his head, stood up to wash at the stream by the field. "The more I think the more chaotic, forget it, first go to that place, see the actual situation then make plans."

Those two harvesters parted ways the next day, after all Pixin County's wheat was all harvested, not on the way, they had to chase wheat fields in other places.

Time passed day by day, on the road they met some other fellow travelers, Li Huowang would always find ways to probe from their mouths, information about Pixin County.

Unfortunately, these people either didn't know, or said Pixin County had an epidemic, persuading Li Huowang and others not to go, getting no useful information.

To say the only comfort on this road was, on the road didn't meet a single horse bandit or robber, don't know if Daliang suppressed bandits diligently.

Finally, in Li Huowang's somewhat uneasy mood, they finally arrived at Pixin County.

"Is this Pixin County?" Li Huowang stood on a hillside, using his completely healed new eyes, looking down at the square county town below

Today was cloudy, the whole sky grayish, under this sky color's contrast, the whole Pixin County appeared extra gloomy.

Seeing the look of this county town, Li Huowang finally knew why this county town was called Pixin County.

Because the general shape of this county town was a Pi character, so called Pixin County.

"This place looks unsettled at a glance, all stay alert." Li Huowang finished speaking to others, then lifted his foot walking towards this so-called Pixin County.

Just entering the county, Li Huowang clearly felt something wrong, compared to the last county town, there were too few people here.

The road empty and desolate, appearing extra cold, occasionally some people walked past them, also hurried in manner.

Li Huowang felt many lines of sight looking at himself, these sights shot from behind windows, looking around once, he could already imagine many people sticking their rumps out, peeking at them outsiders.

Just then, a woman wearing a hemp skirt with hair coiled up carrying a child, face very haggard, walked towards him.

Just approaching, she was obviously scared by Li Huowang and others, biting lower lip tightly holding the crying child in hand, hurriedly walked along the roadside eaves.

Just when that woman was closest to him, Li Huowang eyes slightly closed inexplicably sniffed his nose.

"Ao wu...." Mantou sitting on the ground sticking out red tongue, used two front white paws scratching Li Huowang's hem.

Li Huowang used hand patting on Mantou's dog head.

"Did you smell it too? Yes, she smells of blood and rust."

(End of Chapter)