"Have a bowl of wontons, boss. Judging from your face, something seems to have happened?"
Pei Mengqing found a table close to the noodle pot and sat down, chatting with the boss.
The boss’s real name was Zhang Baicheng, a native of Xieliang County, Hedong County. When the tragedy in Xieliang County occurred, Zhang Baicheng happened to be collecting eggs in the countryside outside the county with his distant nephew and escaped the disaster.
After the incident happened, Zhang Baicheng took the risk and went into the county, brought out a donkey cart and a man to eat. From then on, he took his nephew while traveling and set up a breakfast stall, barely making ends meet.
Zhang Baicheng asked his nephew to cook wontons, then he pulled up a chair and sat down opposite Pei Mengqing.
"Isn't that right? Over on Lianggu Road, I heard that mutated tigers appeared again and ate a lot of merchants. Even the grain transport team sent out by the Liangzhou County Government was completely eaten."
The Grain Valley Road was once an important grain transportation road for the former Wei State before the Zhou Dynasty unified the thirteen states of China.
On both sides of the road are low valleys with lush trees and wild animals, hence the name Lianggu Road.
After the Zhou Dynasty unified the Thirteen Prefectures, this grain transportation road was gradually replaced by another official road. The local convoys that delivered grain no longer passed here, and it gradually fell into disuse. Only people traveling to and from Liangzhou County still used it. .
Without the sergeants and troops passing by, the wild beasts became more and more bold, and there were often reports of wild beasts injuring people on Lianggu Road.
Liangzhou County, which lost its status as a grain transportation transfer station, also declined as a result, losing its previous status in Chenliu County.
With the status no longer in place, the county's resources are naturally much less skewed. The county's funds can only barely support it every year. Applications to the higher authorities to clear away the wild beasts in the forest and to send out capable people and strangers have been repeatedly rejected.
The county boss had no choice but to ignore public feedback and muddle along with his one-third of an acre, waiting for the family to clear up the relationship and change the official location.
"Mutant tiger? What's it like?"
Lianggu Road is still an important road for people traveling to and from Liangzhou County. Pei Mengqing might also take that road to leave Liangzhou County in the future, so he couldn't help but become curious after hearing the news.
"Who knows, the rumors are very evil. What has a human face, five legs, and a foul smell all over its body? Who can say for sure?"
"If it's true, then if you want to leave Liangzhou County, you probably have to take Yingchuan Road to Yingchuan County." Pei Mengqing tried hard to recall the original owner's geographical knowledge, but fortunately, she still knew the situation around Liangzhou County quite clearly.
"Yes, Fengzhang Road was blocked by a mudslide six months ago, and a road for people to pass has not yet been cleared. Yuanshan Road was washed away by Fengshui three months ago. It is still muddy and difficult to pass. Now it is even difficult to pass. Mutated beasts also appear on Lianggu Road and hurt people, who says there isn't something else behind this."
Zhang Baicheng said half as a reminder and half with emotion.
Hearing this, Pei Mengqing was shocked.
Liangzhou County is located at the southern end of Chenliu County, with Yingchuan County to the southwest and Liang County to the southeast. There are only four main roads leading to other counties, and the rest are mountain trails. They are deserted and difficult to walk. Wild beasts are often found. Only the brave Orion dares to leave.
Now two of the four main roads have been abolished, Lianggu Road has become dangerous, and only one Yingchuan Road remains.
If the Yingchuan Road is also cut off, wouldn't it mean that Liangzhou County would be trapped in this corner, unable to communicate with the outside world?
"If even Yingchuan Road...if all this is not a coincidence, I'm afraid something big will happen in Liangzhou County." Pei Mengqing murmured.
Liangzhou County has a population of 30,000 households. There is no accurate figure for the specific number. I am afraid that at least 70,000 to 80,000 people live here.
To trap so many people in one county, what kind of arrangement of people is there and what is their purpose? Just thinking about it makes my back feel cold.
"Yes, so, I have thought about it and plan to leave Liangzhou County in the next two days and go from Yingchuan Road to Xiangcheng County, Yingchuan County." At this point, Zhang Baicheng glanced at Pei Mengqing again, "Brother Pei, I There’s something I’m saying, but I don’t know whether I should say it or not?”
"But it doesn't matter." Pei Mengqing guessed that the other party wanted to persuade her to leave Liangzhou County together.
As expected, Zhang Baicheng said:
"As far as I know, the last county where roads were cut off was my hometown, Xieliang County, Hedong County. That place... is still in ruins. To put it bluntly, Liangzhou County may have to make the same mistake again, even if such a terrible thing doesn't happen. Judging from the current situation in the county, with several turmoils, food shortages, and so many moths organizing activities, I’m afraid it won’t last long, so it’s better to leave as soon as possible.”
At this time, the wontons were cooked. Zhang Ning, Zhang Baicheng's nephew, brought the wontons to the table and said, "Please use it slowly."
Pei Mengqing said thank you politely, while thinking about Zhang Baicheng's words in her heart.
The task given to me by the cultivation system is to cut off the suction channel of Ernst & Young Pawn Shop. When the time comes, I should find a way to destroy something like the blood donation vehicle to complete the task. It is very likely to be discovered by then.
That Dark Night Chaos organization can even detach the concept of "precious things", and its methods are probably beyond my imagination. It's unknown what kind of masters it has. If it is caught, it is probably difficult to escape death.
It would be better to make an appointment with Zhang Baicheng in advance and ask him to pick him up at the streets around Ernst & Young's Pawn Shop. Once he destroys the extraction channel, get into the donkey cart and follow him out of Liangzhou County, killing two birds with one stone.
"I am also..."
Pei Mengqing was halfway through her words. Just as he was about to say that he had exactly what he wanted to say and wanted to make an appointment, the system suddenly appeared.
[Four roads in Liangzhou County are cut off and three roads are cut off. Things are complicated and strange. It is not a coincidence. The tragedy in Jieliang County is about to happen again. 】
[Ask the host to investigate the source of the mutated tiger on Lianggu Road. 】
[Task reward: Concealment symbol*3]
[Task time limit: one day]
[Failure penalty: None. 】
[Special reminder: In view of the current situation, if the investigation fails, it is recommended that the host immediately abandons the task of 'cutting off the suction pipe' and leaves Liangzhou County immediately]
Special reminder, the system uses blood red fonts, which shows the seriousness of the situation. Pei Mengqing frowned and began to estimate the size of the situation.
He had heard about the massacre in Xieliang County. It was said that the 45,000 households in the county were basically wiped out, with less than fifty people escaping because they were traveling.
According to the investigation of Da Zhouwei, all the houses and buildings in Xieliang County were destroyed, as if they had experienced an earthquake. The bodies of all the people in the county had no wounds, as if they had fallen asleep, and were even breathing. They just screamed no matter how they called. Unconscious, rumors say that their souls were taken away, leaving only their bodies...
I'm afraid he won't be able to resist this kind of thing at all, so he'd better not get involved.
"That's what I have in mind, but I still have some small things to do. If I have to leave, it will only be in the next two days. I wonder if Brother Zhang will always stay here?"
"When the time comes, just come here and find me. I see you are also a sword-bearing person. Although your body... eh? Brother Pei's body is actually much better than yesterday!"
Zhang Baicheng suddenly said in shock.
"I have completely given up drinking. I still have the foundation of being a martial artist. I will recover quickly after practicing for a while."
Pei Mengqing said this casually, but Zhang Baicheng could see the changes in his body at a glance, and he seemed very human.
However, Pei Mengqing could not see the movement of "qi" in Zhang Baicheng.
