This is Tanghuan County.
After drifting on the river for five days, they finally got off the boat. In the past, the distance traveled by land took at least eight or nine days, and it was at least six or seven cities away from where they set out. Of course, the cities and villages are not so densely distributed, and there are many landscapes. But along the way, no one except Zhou Pan had the intention to appreciate it.
After getting off the boat, in addition to having to adapt to the shaking feeling that my body had become accustomed to, something even more dizzy happened - a large number of locals rushed up from nowhere, clamoring to show them where to stay. Shan Hai was simply dizzy. Although he had seen this kind of scene many times, this was indeed the first time he had encountered such a chatty and coherent solicitation style. Those enthusiasms were real, but when he saw the group of people wearing tattered clothes, he really doubted the so-called comfort of the guest rooms... After all, these people didn't look like they could wear warm clothes themselves.
Zhou Pan calmly pushed away the swarming crowd and walked forward slowly. This kind of courtesy is really unimaginable. It was such a noble man who broke the necks of those evil people.
As he walked forward, he looked back and said, "Watch your pocketbooks."
The next moment, Mu Wan happened to grab a thin hand. A short, dark, bald guy touched the green purse around her waist, but she caught him red-handed. If Zhou Dan hadn't mentioned it, she wouldn't have noticed this little thief. Before she could let go of his wrist, she was suddenly bitten, and he took the opportunity to struggle and run away. The bite was not harsh, but it did scare Mu Wan. There was still the brat's saliva on her arm, which made her feel nauseous.
At that time, Mu Wan learned about Zhou Pan. Although he agreed, he felt reluctant. She was willing to come with them purely because Shanhai and the others were willing to help her find Yun Waijing.
It wasn't until other ships came from behind that most people rushed over. They walked inside and looked. Most of the street wall roof tiles are somewhat damaged and appear to be in disrepair. The people here seem dull and don't react much to outsiders. Maybe they are used to it because they see them often. Zhou Pan said that if someone comes to you in a particularly enthusiastic manner, you must be careful with your wallet. Many local businessmen like to make fake goods to deceive tourists. In terms of scenery alone, there really isn't much to see here, but once you know what kind of business it has behind the scenes, it's another story.
Indeed, after walking a few steps, someone else quickly gathered around him, holding all kinds of gadgets. There is nothing unique about the things here compared to other places, but it is worth noting that the vendors in Tanghuan County have a few more things in their hands - wooden lumps that look like different shapes. If I had to guess, it would be an amulet.
"etc."
Shan Hai said this, and everyone in front stopped and looked back at him. Vendors who sell things say that this is a symbol of peace, and it has various uses, including peach blossoms and seeking wealth. The most talked about issue is money.
"There's going to be another fight in the dog park soon. Put on my charm and I'm sure you'll make a fortune!"
Is it no wonder that there are so many boats on the river, all coming to watch "dog fighting"? Seeing that Shanhai was paying attention, they all became more enthusiastic, and each one of them promoted their own things eloquently. Shan Hai looked at it for a long time, and for some reason suddenly fell in love with a string of beads. His wood looks messy and cheap at first glance. The vendor was a little reluctant and wanted to recommend something else, but he refused. Despite this, the other party still proposed an unpleasant price, and Shanhai happily agreed without negotiating.
"It's too expensive!" Dai Luan shouted.
"This is the Golden Bell Bodhi!" The vendor refused to admit defeat.
After all, it was Shanhai's money that others paid, and it was hard for others to say anything. It was just that Dai Luan had the feeling of complaining about profiteers getting off with pocket money. While walking on the road, Mu Wan also complained: "Isn't it just stringing wooden beads? Show me. The color and workmanship... are not very good, it looks like it was strung together with scraps. Look, it's a little deformed here. "
Dai Luan echoed: "I really admire you. Why do you always spend money to buy these messy things? A Taoist priest, what kind of Buddhist beads are you buying? I have seen the Golden Bell Bodhi. This is obviously fake."
"Let me have a look... Well, there are a few real beads mixed in. But compared to the price, the beads are small. Hahaha, since the Taoist priest likes it, just buy it as he pleases."
Shan Hai smiled and said nothing more. He took the thing into his arms and didn't put it on.
They randomly found a noodle restaurant to eat. Anyway, everything in this place looks equally dirty. Zhou Pan only ordered a bottle of wine and ate nothing. Dai Luan was a little curious.
"You monsters, are you full by absorbing the essence of heaven and earth?"
Zhou Pan burst into laughter.
"Tsk... There is nothing wrong with your statement. However, monsters that live only on the aura of heaven and earth are either very weak and do not need to draw more power; or they have practiced for a long time and no longer need food to maintain their movements. Besides, monsters are also Human-eating... For ordinary monsters, although humans have little spiritual power, cannibalism can awaken more powerful monster power."
"Have you ever eaten anyone?" Dai Luan asked calmly as she pulled the noodles.
"you guess?"
"No guessing. I hate it when others ask me to guess."
"You're such an interesting girl. Ah, but I'm talking about higher-level monsters. Some monsters also like human food, and are even very particular about it. There are also monsters who think human food is disgusting... and some, even There is no sense of taste either. According to your words, it probably varies from person to person."
"Oh...then, which one are you?"
"Hmm...what do you think?"
"Oh! It's so annoying."
The meal ended with Zhou Pan's laughter and Dai Luan's curses. Mu Wan sometimes really felt sorry for this naughty kid. She really dared to talk to all kinds of people and monsters. But she also felt that this child was lucky and smart and would not suffer any loss. What's more, Shan Hai is watching from the side. He has acquiesced in all her actions and speeches for so long, and he knows it in his heart. She should not talk too much... She also admires herself. She doesn't know when she started to think like an old mother. of.
Zhou Pan took them to inquire about it and easily learned the location of the "dog farm". They originally thought it would be in a real underground building that was very secluded, or at least covered by some serious business - but it wasn't. It was a very straightforward facility—within high walls like a prison. At first, they were not sure what the special purpose of this strange building was. They only thought that it was very tall and very big, and it was almost not an arc when walking along the wall. The area here may be a quarter of that of Tanghuan County.
But...it does feel a bit like a prison. The door was heavily guarded inside and outside, although they looked a little lazy... There were thorny iron spines on the high wall, as well as broken tiles, pointed upwards. Shan Hai gently rubbed the wall and said:
"There are many things embedded in the wall, and the wall paint is also painted with salt to ward off ghosts and evil spirits. The layout inside should also be exquisite. It seems that the person who designed this place is knowledgeable."
"Then the monsters inside will be released to eat people..." Dai Luan shouted.
Shan Hai shook his head: "This is just the last layer of protection. It's actually quite perfunctory. It should be more sophisticated inside, but it doesn't make people see anything. This... is not good. People have no respect for monsters and gods. This is a call. I noticed that there are no temples or Taoist temples here. The only things related to them are the various ornaments."
"You're right. Master Lin, that's what I like about you. I can't even speak of awe. It's not easy for the two to be polite and courteous. Let's go and buy theater tickets."
The four people walked along the wall for a while. During this period, for some reason, Mu Wan could feel a faint burning sensation as long as his hand was close to the umbrella tube. I wonder if the talisman inside resonates with the wall or something inside it. The umbrella handle was very hot, and she almost didn't dare touch it, but she didn't say so. This anomaly was within the control of her intuition. So she just walked a little further, circling the outermost part, and sure enough, the burning sensation subsided a little.
Touching the wall, they came to the gate. The door was made of iron and painted with red paint. Before Zhou Pan even got close, he said it was laced with black dog blood. But the yang energy here is really strong - there are quite a lot of people, they all crowded in to get tickets, took them and left without staying for a while. Only outsiders would look in curiously, but they would soon be chased away by the people lining up behind them.
They waited in line until it was almost dark. It obviously felt like there weren't many people, but the team just didn't move forward. The winter sky was already dark early, and the scenery became dim before I stood there for long. Dai Luan's legs were numb from standing, and she couldn't hold back her curiosity, so she temporarily left the team and ran to the front to take a look.
It’s no wonder the queue has been so long – even though the tickets torn up in front are printed, they still have to be stamped one by one for them to count. The person who stamped it was an unshaven middle-aged man. He had a square face, wore dirty clothes, and looked slovenly. There was a porcelain cup placed next to him, and the tea stains inside showed its age - but maybe he hadn't used it for long. His clothes didn't even bother to be patched, and occasionally there would be another hole. Yes, no wonder he is so slow. While he was stamping his seal, he was whittling wood. The ground beside them was piled with tanned animal skins and sinews, and I don’t know what they were doing.
"So slow." She muttered.
"Don't rush me. If you make Longgong unhappy, you won't be able to get the tickets!" said someone from the team nearby.
"Eh--"
Another person answered: "Don't look at Lao Zhang's down-and-out appearance. He thinks people can be poisonous. Some people will not be sold to him. He thinks that people with problems will definitely get into trouble. Last time he was not here, someone When I took over from him, I immediately started to do bad things, and there were many monsters running away. His eyes are sharp and poisonous, just like his ability in archery, he can never make a mistake."
"Isn't this a legend?" the man from before asked, "I heard that he was always just a bow maker. When he got old, he found a job at the door of the dog farm."
Dai Luan listened for a while and secretly observed the long bow for a while. Sometimes he raised his eyes to look at the person and stamped them, and sometimes he lowered his head and continued to plan wood. No one dared to rush him. The sky was getting darker, torches were lit outside the wall, but it was still dark at the door. Zhang Changgong suddenly dropped the wood in his hand, took Zhang Zi and walked back to the yard. Dai Luan almost thought he quit, but the people in line didn't move at all, so she stood there for a while again. Not long after, he actually took a small lamp from the yard, put it on the small table for lighting, and continued to plan wood, seal it, and plan wood...
What a weirdo.
