Chapter 35: The First Time Things Went So Smoothly

Chen Mugen held the pottery bowl with trembling hands, unable to answer Gouzi's question, his gaze drawn uncontrollably toward the small pot.

Soon, another full bowl of dough porridge was placed into the hands of Gouzi’s parents and his siblings. Gouzi’s siblings immediately began wolfing down the food, while Chen Mugen spoke between bites.

He recounted that some time ago, a remarkable "noble" had arrived in Lengdixia Township. That very day, the man was welcomed into the home of the Zhao family, the largest local landowners. Later, this noble, accompanied by the Zhaos, gathered all the villagers of Lengdixia. He claimed to be the messenger of the "God of No-Food" in Liangzhou. He explained that he was traveling from township to township, sparing no effort to ensure that everyone in Liangzhou could feel the benevolence of the God of No-Food and thus come to worship Him.

Chen Mugen had wanted to go home right then; it was too cold outside. But then the noble promised that those who worshiped the God of No-Food were all one family, and within a family, there was no distinction—everyone could receive half a dou of grain. It was old grain, but the offer was enough to ignite the excitement of the crowd.

It was just worshiping a god; what did it matter? The grain was what mattered. Chen Mugen had gone to collect his share.

After the distribution, the noble declared that every household must send one able-bodied adult to the Zhao residence every three days for a lecture, with more grain promised as a reward. Those who caught the noble’s eye and became leaders of the "No-Food Cult" would bring home even more grain.

The entire township was abuzz with excitement. But soon, things took a strange turn. The lectures, initially scheduled for every three days, became every two days, then every day. Beyond the initial half-dou of grain, the attendees received nothing else. Instead, these impoverished people scoured their homes for every last bit of savings to give to the noble, hoping to prove their sincerity and enter the Kingdom of the God of No-Food to live a happy life thereafter.

Not long after, many of these young, able-bodied men stopped returning home altogether.

Yun-ge frowned as he listened. It was clearly a massive scam involving a charlatan and his cult.

"And then?"

Hearing Yun-ge’s inquiry, Chen Mugen immediately replied, "I don't really remember what the noble said. I've been in a daze all this time. We barely ate, mostly just drinking water, with only a bowl of rice water every two days. I was too hungry to have any strength. Today, I fainted from hunger. When I groggily came to, I saw the Zhaos kneeling there, using knives to cut their own tongues. I was so terrified I snapped out of it. I just wanted to go home, and I don't know where the strength came from, but I ran back."

Yun-ge frowned in disgust. He had inherited the memories of his past life as a college student and knew these things had happened there too. Especially in remote and backward places, charlatans would pose as prophets, claiming that one could ascend to heaven after death, inciting people to self-mutilate or commit suicide. It was despicable.

"Uncle Jiang, is there a way to solve this? Or should we go back and tell Father to send men to arrest this gang of frauds?"

Jiang Guang looked at Yun-ge and pondered. Having traveled extensively, he knew of certain hidden truths. There was a destiny of humanity that governed the world, and where there was human destiny, there were corresponding tales of ghosts and gods. But the living walked the path of humanity, and ghosts and gods had always steered clear of it. It seemed that the destiny of the Liang Kingdom was truly in decline, and with the winds of war rising, all sorts of baleful energies, death, and resentment were mingling, causing every manner of demon and monster to crawl out.

Jiang Guang gripped his broadsword and said steadily, "It’s not that simple. Yun-ge, I’ll take some men to scout the path ahead. The others will stay here to protect you; don’t wander off. If things go wrong, I’ll take you back to Long County."

"Understood," Yun-ge agreed immediately.

***

At the Zhao manor, the family members sat motionless in the smoky room, their mouths stained with blood, their eyes vacant—a truly terrifying sight. In the main hall, the noble, dressed in a wide-sleeved scholar’s robe, was reveling with a group of people.

Remnants of a decadent feast lay scattered around them. Charcoal braziers kept the room warm. The noble, having drunk for half the night, was dead drunk, slumped over a wine jar on a couch.

If a practitioner of fortune-telling were present, they would see the noble’s destiny manifesting clearly: thick, gray, vaporous energy erupting like boiling steam—a sign that his destiny was reaching its peak tonight. As his energy fully ignited, the roiling mist began to coalesce, and a giant gray rat began to scurry within the fog. Rats were always cunning and agile; as it darted through the fortune-mists, it suddenly looked in one direction and let out a piercing shriek.

At that same moment, a cold gust of wind blew open the doors, which had been shut tight. The biting wind poured in, and the noble shivered, waking up. He felt his heart pounding, gripped by a vague, palpitating sense of unease.

*There is no moon tonight,* the noble thought. He clearly remembered there being a full moon while they were drinking. Was it going to snow later?

He rose, feeling restless, intending to wake the others. They were letting their guard down too much; their grand plan wasn't complete yet. It would be better to wait until the Great Teacher's task was finished before indulging in such excess.

Just as he was about to call out, he saw a beautiful young woman walk in. She had been a concubine of the Zhao patriarch, but now she belonged to him. She shot him an annoyed, coquettish look and asked why he hadn't returned to their room yet.

Thinking of her warmth, the noble pushed the sense of dread to the back of his mind. He pulled her close and laughed, "I was just getting up. Let’s go, I’ll head back with you now."

Shortly after the noble left, Jiang Guang and his men arrived in the darkness. It had been easy to find; the Zhao main hall was the largest building and the only one ablaze with light. As he approached, Jiang Guang smelled the heavy stench of alcohol.

The guards at the door and the people inside showed absolutely no vigilance—they were all dead drunk! Jiang Guang was stunned. If his arrival in Lengdixia hadn't been a genuine coincidence, he would have suspected a trap. The men following him were equally bewildered; they had traveled everywhere with Master Li, but had never encountered such a situation.

They crept in cautiously, only to find the people truly asleep. Even more unexpected were two foreigners among the sleepers, with deep-set features and clad in animal skins. It seemed this involved not just a cult, but other illicit dealings as well.

The men looked to Jiang Guang for orders. Jiang Guang’s expression was calm; whatever their scheme, it wouldn't matter once they were dead. He covered a man's mouth, drew his broadsword, and slit his throat. The smell of blood began to permeate the air.

The others immediately understood.

At that moment, the noble, who had just returned to his room, suddenly woke up in a inexplicable panic again. The woman beside him scolded him, calling him crazy. This time, the noble ignored her. He scrambled out of bed, too anxious to even put on his shoes, shouting for his men while rummaging through his discarded clothes. He grasped a yellow bell and began to shake it frantically.

***

Back at Gouzi’s home, Yun-ge had been observing the movements in Lengdixia Township, feeling both curious and extremely tense. He hadn't expected to encounter a cult scam immediately upon arrival. He wondered how Uncle Jiang was faring.

Just as Yun-ge was lost in thought, a chorus of shouts erupted throughout the quiet township. In the pitch-black village, bonfires were being lit one after another. Faintly, Yun-ge heard cries of "Enemy attack!" and the sound of bows being drawn.

Le Dan immediately sensed something was wrong. These shouts and the sound of archery were no longer a simple folk sacrifice; there were soldiers among these people!

"Yun-ge, we must leave. Master Jiang is experienced and has his own methods; he will find a way to escape and find us."

Yun-ge’s heart skipped a beat. He looked around and said, "Listen to the sounds—those shouts of 'enemy attack' aren't overwhelming, and the archery is sporadic. It means there aren't many of them. Since we're here, and it’s the New Year, and I’m just a child, there’s no rush to leave."

Le Dan didn't understand the reference, but he didn't treat Yun-ge like a toddler, so he asked, "What does Yun-ge intend to do?"

"They might be bluffing, so let’s bluff back." It was Yun-ge’s first time playing an offline combat simulation. He said, "Call Lu Tou and the others. Have everyone scatter to the nearby hills and woods, light fires, and shout that the Liangzhou Governor, Lord Zhao, has sent troops to suppress bandits, and that those who surrender will be spared. Make it sound like a charge. Let’s see who is more convincing."

Yun-ge remembered the name of the Liangzhou Governor, Zhao Hong, from when Zheng Zuosheng had mentioned it.

Le Dan looked at Yun-ge and didn't comment on the plan. Confident that he could whisk Yun-ge away if things went south, he agreed immediately.

Le Dan’s efficiency was remarkable. The men set to work at once. Fortunately, it had been a sunny day, and there was plenty of dry grass and dead branches nearby. Within fifteen minutes, the hillsides near Gouzi’s house were ablaze. Le Dan took the lead, shouting, "By order of the Liangzhou Governor, we are suppressing bandits! Those who surrender will be spared!" Lu Tou and his men roared while thrashing the trees to create a rustling sound, making it seem like a large force was marching in with torches.

Meanwhile, Jiang Guang and his three or four men were being surrounded by a crowd. Though they were skilled, there were nearly a hundred people here. As the saying went, "a flurry of fists can kill a master," and they would be in trouble if the mob rushed them. They hadn't expected someone to sound the alarm, leading to this situation.

However, Jiang Guang noticed something strange: the people surrounding them seemed hesitant. Apart from a dozen men in cotton-padded armor, the rest were wearing thin, ragged clothes, their faces sallow and their bodies gaunt.