Although it is impossible to visit every corner of the island, Jiao Mo still knows a little bit about the general spiritual lineage of the southern country. According to legend, the giant dragon hiding under the archipelago will change the direction and orientation of the island, but the layout of the island cannot be touched. Many spiritual veins transformed by evil gods in the past have gradually formed stable and fixed pathways under the correction of the years. These ten years have just been a blink of an eye, and not much has changed.
Generally speaking, it would take a long time to walk from Shiwue Mountain to the location of the accident. But Jiao Mo used his memory to lead the two of them to find many spiritual veins. By passing through them, they could continue to skip long or difficult parts. Along the way, the young man was a little reluctant. Asking Ying half-reprimanded and half-joking, he asked him if he would abandon two weak women and let them go to danger alone. The young man smiled and replied that if he were an ordinary human being, he might have fallen under her charm. Even so, he followed all the way.
By the time we got really close to the scene of the incident, it was already the Youshi hour, which was the time when we encountered the devil. The smoke has faded a lot, but there are other noises coming. They were much milder than the previous loud noises. Although it is a swamp, there are many trees with complex root systems growing here. Perhaps it is because they have strong and dense root networks that they can take root firmly in such soft and moist soil. Unfortunately, they were cut down mercilessly one by one with sharp axes and saws. Even low, porous broadleaf plants and ferns with slender leaves are not immune. They were built to withstand the lash of frequent rains, but now they lay permanently in the puddles, soon to rot away.
As for who was doing these things, this young man really figured it out.
"Are those really people from the Wuyong clan?" Wenying, who was hiding behind the boulder, whispered.
"They don't have family crests, so it's really hard to be sure." Jiao Mo said.
The young man didn't take it seriously. He spread his hands and said: "Because they are not people from the Wuyong family, but people hired by the Wuyong family. Look carefully, do they look similar to the people here? These are all wearing uniform coarse clothes. They are just coolies who come from the north to work."
Jiao Mo frowned and said: "This is really strange. It stands to reason that there are more people from the South who secretly go to the north to look for work...how come today, there are more people from the north to the south."
"Because of money, money." The young man said, circling his index finger and thumb like a copper plate. "They recruit people quite openly. You should have seen many notices recruiting labor in the streets, right? Those who pay well , it just means that the content that will be spread all over the world is published by the Wuyong family. However, they will not declare their identities, and they will only know when the workers come to ask. But at that time, they will also be easily fooled by their clever tongue. Persuade me to stay and work. Alas, I don’t know what to do in a place like this.”
"Based on this, we can say that they were hired by Wuyongshi..."
There is also some insufficient evidence. Jiao Mo quietly pointed to a place and said to Wenying and the young man: "There, going deeper, there used to be a weird temple. The buildings in that area were all made of rocks, without bricks and tiles, but now I'm afraid they will be destroyed. It's covered in moss. But it looks like there are a lot of people moving around here..."
"The temple of the python god?" the young man asked.
"You know that?"
"I've heard a little bit about it... If the Wuyong clan sets this as a stronghold in the southern country, it is indeed hidden enough. Most people would not want to come to this swamp, because it is said that there is some curse passed down from ancient times in this area." The young man thought about it. , "It's... uh, what's going on?"
"I know this." Jiao Mo said, while quietly looking around, "It is said that it is because of the remaining power of the python god... After all, it was entrenched here for a long time and set up a confusing magic circle. Its remains Should he still stay near the temple, right? However, even for the so-called evil god, his body should have rotted and died after so many years. If you enter the swamp directly without taking your spiritual veins, you will enter a mist and lose your direction. That is very likely It is the aura formed by the decay of the dead body of the python god. Some people can come back, but they are a little crazy when they come back, and more people can't come back... But it is just a legend after all. I don't live in the south, so I can't verify it. But think about it carefully. Maybe it’s not the role of the python god, but the Wuyong clan uses this legend to deceive others. After all, they are also very good at the art of enchantment..."
"Jiao, Jiaomofu, madam——"
Wenying's tone was unusual and her speech was choppy. Was she frightened? Jiao Mo was puzzled. But after all, he had been talking to himself for a long time, and even Jiao Mo was unaware of what he said.
However, when she turned around, she felt a tingling sensation on her scalp.
That's... slander!
The evil messenger of lies stood silently beside them. When did he show up? Even Wenying's alert ears didn't hear any sound. Jiao Mo immediately looked around and found that the young man had disappeared for some time. Either he had noticed something a long time ago and ran away without any sense of loyalty, or he was simply a member of the Wuyong clan! But Jiao Mo didn't intend to ask, maybe they would find out soon.
"You're right. If you continue to talk, I'm afraid you will figure out the coffin."
He smoothed his shoulder-length hair and raised his dull eyes. Under this indifferent gaze, both of them were speechless. Zhen just looked at the two of them quietly without saying a word. But soon, the workers noticed something strange here, and one or two of them came over. Many people still have tools in their hands. In front of two "weak women", these poor people always have the illusion that they are strong and masculine - they are so bold, daring to cause trouble on the boss's territory, but they must seize the opportunity to teach these two stinky women a lesson them. Their mentality is written on their faces. In comparison, the boss who pays wages actually looks decent.
Among these rough men doing hard work, Zhen actually seemed a little thin. But both of them knew that this was just an illusion. Jiao Mo couldn't help but sweat, and quickly thought about how to get out of the situation. But no matter how little calculations are made in my heart, the current situation is an unsolvable dilemma.
"You, how did you..."
Even if you ask Yingying, you won't be able to tell. She originally thought that if she saw this villain again, she would rush up to him, strangle him by the neck, and question him about the whereabouts of Wenjiu. But when he really appeared in front of her, even though he seemed thin among everyone, the indescribable sense of oppression was still overwhelming. Even though he didn't do anything or say anything, Wenying still felt an inexplicable fear in her heart that she couldn't resist.
"Let's all continue working. Gunpowder can no longer be used, otherwise this area will collapse. The trees in this area must be cleared before dark." The one-eyed Zhen said to those people calmly. Every one of the workers was a little disappointed, probably feeling sorry for not having a good show. Zhen continued: "When you finish these things, go inside to receive the reward. The reward is not included in the wages."
Otherwise, money can make all the difference. After hearing this, the group of workers felt that they were full of strength again, waving their tools and getting back to work. The crowd dispersed, but the sense of oppression at the scene did not diminish at all. Jiao Mo quietly looked around, and it seemed that there were no more people belonging to the Wuyong clan nearby. At this time, Zhen suddenly clapped his hands, and two more people came over. They looked like adult men of medium build, with almost the same build, and the coarse cloth they wore was no different from those of the laborers. Before the two of them could react, they suddenly stepped forward and without any explanation, one of them held a girl captive. They were too strong to break free. The moment their hands came into contact with the white foam, she immediately made a judgment based on the perfect skin touch.
They are puppets.
It is not difficult to judge from what Hua Hu just said, that he seemed to want to clear a field, and there seemed to be a hole beneath the swamp. But in the final analysis, the work of cutting down trees and moving rocks is repetitive mechanical work. Why not let puppets do it? Are they afraid that they will be damaged more easily, or are there not enough dolls in the South? Jiao Mo thought hard and tried to ignore the discomfort caused by the twisted shoulders. Wenying struggled unwillingly, trying to get rid of the restraints, and the puppet's methods became more violent. Jiao Mo immediately took the opportunity to wink at her. She seemed to understand something, so she behaved better and was subdued while pretending to cooperate.
"Since you are here, I'm afraid those troublemakers are also nearby."
After saying that, Zhen moved closer. He bent down and stared at the bent Wenying with his only remaining eye. Wenying moved her eyes elsewhere, trying her best to avoid looking at him. He straightened up again and said casually:
"It doesn't matter. As long as you're here, they'll be here. It's a matter of time."
He hasn't mentioned the young man yet. Could it be that that person is really not the same as them? Jiao Mo thought over and over again, not daring to make a conclusion easily. She raised her head and looked at Huayu and said to him:
"We were just passing by and didn't stop you from doing anything, so why are you arresting us?"
"You are sneaking around in front of other people's houses, and you have the nerve to say that you are passing by. Why, the foggy magic circle is ineffective against you?" Zhen tilted his head and said, "If the sharks are as shameless as you, they won't be so shameless. You have fallen to this point. You are still alive and still speaking with this voice. I don’t know what kind of price you have paid. Or, you don’t know what fate has stolen from you? That is too dangerous. "
"W-what price?" Wenying didn't understand.
"Don't your new friend know about it?" Zhen pretended to be surprised. "Back then, I was short of funds, so how long do you plan to keep it a secret until how long do you plan to exchange the Ruyi Pearl with you for the treasure on the seabed?"
"Madam, is what he said true? Don't worry, I will never have any opinions..."
"Human beings are like this. Just talk, don't take it seriously. Once you are suspected of having contact with evil angels, the seeds of suspicion will be sown."
Jiao Mo didn't know what to say, she just closed her eyes and silently admitted to Wenying.
"Bah! Stop sowing discord! On the contrary, you are not trying to divert attention by saying such things at this time. In fact, you collusion between the government and businessmen secretly set up some iron foundry and armory here with the intention of rebelling!"
"……hehe."
Lianyu actually laughed and looked very happy.
"It would be too disrespectful to assume that. Seeing that you... and Wen Jiu were so close, I will show you."
After that, he waved his hand lightly, and the two puppets escorted the two of them forward, in the direction that Jiao Mo had just pointed to. Those workers worked very hard and turned a blind eye to a few people passing by. The sky was slightly darker, and Jiao Mo felt a bad premonition in his heart. She could clearly smell an ominous aura permeating the humid air and getting stronger.
