Thanks to: Jiulonglu, zhongxingqiu, Book Friends 2599126, and Dengfeng Qingzhu for their monthly ticket support!
…………
"The ancestral hall is on fire——"
The screams in the middle of the night woke up the sleeping people. The quiet mountain village suddenly became agitated.
One after another, figures rushed out of the house, carrying buckets or brooms, and ran in a panic towards the ancestral hall in Yujiacun.
The ancestral hall caught fire?
What kind of place is an ancestral hall? It enshrines the spiritual tablets of ancestors. Once it catches fire, it will be very serious.
While everyone was busy putting out the fire, Yu Ergou breathed a long sigh of relief. He ran around the village and shouted. Seeing that his uncles and brothers in the village were already running towards the ancestral hall, he ran after them.
Before he reached the door of the ancestral hall, he slowed down again.
Yu Ye's disappearance, the native dog's murder, and then his encounter with two strange figures really frightened him. He wanted to return to the ancestral hall to tell Yu Baoshan, but he was afraid that he would be isolated and helpless if he encountered danger. And in the middle of the night, it was difficult to recruit people. In order to warn him in time, he lied and claimed that there was a fire in the ancestral hall. This trick was indeed effective, and it seemed that the third grandfather in the village was also alerted by his shouts. And if he saw it wrong or guessed wrongly, wouldn't it mean that he had deceived the whole village, and his father would definitely not be able to spare him.
Yu Ergou became more and more frightened as he thought about it, so he turned around and avoided the gate of the ancestral hall. There is a gap in the backyard wall. He slipped to the wall, moved a stone to step on, climbed up quietly, and stuck his head out to look around.
Under the weak moonlight, the backyard of the ancestral hall was crowded with people, twenty or thirty of them, all uncles and brothers from the village. The leaders should be Yu Youcai and his father Yu Shitou, each carrying a bucket and a pole. Both of them were stunned.
In the middle of the small courtyard, there were two other men standing. One had a raised chin and looked familiar, while the other was a strange, strong man with a beard, holding a sharp sword in his hand. And there was another person kneeling under his sharp sword.
Yu Baoshan?
It was Yu Baoshan who was beaten unexpectedly. His face was bleeding and one arm was hanging down. It was obvious that he was seriously injured. But what was surprising wasn't just that, it was the man who looked familiar.
"I don't know, even if you beat me to death you won't know..."
"boom--"
Before Yu Baoshan could curse, he was kicked to the ground by the man holding the sword.
"Don't hit anyone——"
"Let Baoshan go——"
"stop--"
Everyone has recovered from the shock.
Yu Youcai raised the pole in his hand and said angrily: "Chenqi, you are an expert in Taoism. Why did you break into my village at night and commit murder and hurt people in my ancestral hall?"
That man with an arrogant expression was indeed Bai Zhi's senior brother, Chen Qi. There had been a conflict in Lingjiao Valley a few days ago, and the hunters in Yujia Village still remembered him.
Chenqi put his hands behind his back and remained silent. The companion next to him stepped on Baoshan's back, raised the sharp sword in his hand, and said fiercely: "Tell me where you are hiding in the wilderness, or I will kill you!"
"You dare to kill me, oh..."
Yu Baoshan was caught and beaten in his sleep, and he was so angry that he couldn't stop cursing. Unable to restrain himself, unable to break free, and suffering from pain on his back, he couldn't help but scream: "He urinated in the wild and didn't come back. The devil knows where he went..."
Everyone suddenly realized and looked at the side room in the backyard.
The dust rises and comes for Yu Ye. In other words, the dispute in Lingjiao Valley has not stopped. Yu Ye was supposed to be lying in a side room to recuperate, but now that he couldn't see anyone, he arrested Yu Baoshan.
"hehe!"
Chen Qi suddenly sneered and said: "Yu Ye was injured by me and is like a dead man. And a dead man, how can he get up and go out at night?" He looked at everyone and said again: "I have searched the village and can't find that boy. . If you dare to deceive me, don’t blame me for being ruthless!"
At this time, the crowd parted, the torches were lit, and several young people emerged surrounded by an old man.
"Third Grandpa!"
"Third uncle!"
"father……"
The old man is the elder of the village, the third grandfather in the mouth of the younger generation. Although his beard and hair are gray and his appearance is old, he has a straight waist and steady steps. He, Yu Youcai and others nodded slightly, seeming to have understood the whole story. They raised their hands towards Chenqi and said loudly: "People in the mountains don't know etiquette. Don't blame the two masters. Can you let my grandson go?" Let me apologize!"
Chen Qi did not answer, and his companion rushed to say: "Old man, please go out into the wild, otherwise..."
"What else?"
The Third Grandpa became anxious and said: "This master is so overbearing and domineering, so he is not afraid of ridicule by his colleagues? What's more, his whereabouts in Yuye are unknown..."
The old man loved his grandson and was eager to save people. Unexpectedly, before he finished speaking, he saw a flash of blood and something rolled in front of him. It turned out to be a head, Yu Baoshan's head. Yu Baoshan, who was still struggling just now, has become a headless corpse, and his blood is sprayed all over the ground.
Third Grandpa could not help but swayed, his beard trembled, and he lost his voice: "Baoshan..."
Everyone in Yujiacun was shocked.
If you don't agree with each other, you want to kill someone? Moreover, he killed Yu Baoshan in front of everyone in his family's ancestral hall.
Chen Qi also seemed a little surprised, frowning and said: "Brother Gu..."
The man known as Brother Gu said nonchalantly: "You are a mean man in the mountains, and it is not a pity to die. If you are not found in the wild today, I will massacre the village!"
Yu Youcai witnessed the tragic situation in Yu Baoshan, and his old father, whose eyes were cracked in grief, could not help but rush over with a pole.
"Give back my son's life——"
Yu Shitou and others were also angry and rushed over with buckets, torches and fists waving.
The hunters in Yujia Village are from humble backgrounds and have good natures, but they cannot be bullied. Once their bloody nature is aroused, they will fight for their lives.
Chen Qi took two steps back, looking hesitant.
The man he called Brother Gu said: "These people know you. If the news leaks out, the consequences will be unpredictable!"
Chen Qi nodded silently, a stern look flashed in his eyes.
His companion laughed ferociously and charged towards the crowd with his sword. In the backyard of the small ancestral hall, screams broke out and flesh and blood flew everywhere...
…
Inside the cave.
Yu Ye was lying on the ground, huddled up, his eyes slightly closed, looking haggard.
Maybe there was another heavy snowfall, and the thick ice and snow blocked the entrance of the cave. The change of day and night could only be distinguished from the changes in the skylight outside the cave.
How many days have passed?
I remember that after Qiub left, he was tired and depressed and fell asleep. Unexpectedly, I didn't sleep for long, and I felt cramps in my stomach. He took out a small bottle, poured out an elixir and stuffed it into his mouth. After the pain subsided, he fell asleep, but his sleep was not sound. He kept thinking of what happened in Lingjiao Valley and the obscure words that Qiu Bo said. . A few hours later, the abdominal pain hit him again, like a bone-eroding torment, making him roll, struggle, and moan. He had no choice but to find the elixir again, and finally managed to hold on.
Yu Ye opened his eyes and stretched out his palms.
The vial in his hand was empty. Whenever pain strikes, swallow a pill. Now that the elixir is gone, all we can do is wait for death?
Qiu Bo once said that there is no antidote for Jiao poison. This bottle of elixir that strengthens the body and strengthens the body can only relieve the pain.
However, every time after swallowing the elixir, a layer of sweat breaks out on the body, and the intervals between pains become longer and longer. It lasted for a few hours at first, and then he had to be tortured. Now more than ten hours have passed, and the poison has not yet taken effect.
If you find enough elixirs, can you prolong your death?
Well, at least alive for now.
I have been hiding in the mountains for many days, wondering what is going on in the village. His survival this time was all thanks to the rescue efforts of his third uncle, fifth uncle and others. Even the disgusting Yu Baoshan stood up for him. After returning to the village, you should visit everyone to thank them.
Yu Ye stuffed the small bottle into his arms.
The broken bones in the shoulder blade and right wrist have healed. It's just that his limbs are weak and his mind is a little wandering.
Yu Ye stood up and walked to the entrance of the cave, stretching out his hands to pull at the blocked ice and snow. After working hard for half an hour, I finally walked out of the cave out of breath.
The sky outside the cave is dazzling and the snow is white and dazzling.
Yu Ye couldn't help but cover his forehead with his hands and squinted his eyes slightly.
It should be afternoon and the sky is clear. Far and near, there is a vast expanse. There are spectacular scenes inside and outside the valley.
A gust of cold wind blew by, and flying snowflakes hit my face.
Yu Ye couldn't help but wrap up his robe tightly. The strange thing was that he didn't feel cold, but he didn't eat for many days and was a little uncomfortable with hunger.
In addition, perhaps due to sweating, his body was sticky, as if coated with a layer of dirt, making his whole body dirty.
The road down the mountain was covered with thick snow.
Yu Ye moved his steps, one step at a time. When he staggered to a cliff, blocked by pines and cypresses, he could vaguely see the path he had taken. As he walked around the bushes, he glanced down and reached out to pick up something from the bushes.
It is a bamboo pole more than five feet long. It is used as a walking stick, which is convenient for walking in the snow.
If you read it correctly, this is Qiub’s bamboo staff!
In addition to the cliffs, there was snow in front of me, and not a single person could be seen in front, back, left, or right.
After Qiub left, he never returned. He left his bamboo stick here. Where did he go?
Yu Ye was surprised, but found no trace of the old man. He had no choice but to walk down the mountain holding a bamboo stick. I fell down a few times on the way, and finally made it to the bottom of the mountain. Then we crossed the frozen stream, passed through the woods, and climbed up a hillside. We could see a row of low thatched houses and a few crooked old trees in the distance.
Yu Ye waded through the snow and moved forward with difficulty.
At this time, his face was dirty, his lips were chapped, and his expression was weak. Only his eyes were shining, as if there was a burning flame guiding the direction of his feet.
And when he stopped, his shining eyes dimmed.
The thatched cottage was right in front of us, but half of it collapsed. Even the door was in pieces. Coupled with the snow covering it, it looked dilapidated and desolate.
This is his home.
Although the thatched house is low and simple, it is his only shelter. Remember that it was still intact when you left. But just a few days later, his home was beyond recognition.
What happened?
There were a few messy lines of footprints on the snow around the thatched cottage.
Yu Ye slowly walked into the house with surprise and doubts. His family was originally poor, but now he had nothing decent. He found a piece of rice cake from the broken earthen pot, then turned back to the old tree, then waded through the knee-deep snow to a snow hill twenty or thirty feet away.
They are said to be snow hills, but they are just grave mounds covered with snow.
Mother's grave.
His mother's name was Ying'e, and she fell ill and died shortly after giving birth to him. Unexpectedly, fifteen years later, my father would be buried in Lingjiao Valley again.
Now, my home is gone.
Yu Ye couldn't help but his eyes turned red and tears came out of his eyes. He wanted to cry loudly and complain about the unfairness of his fate, but he wiped away his tears, raised the rice cake and took a silent bite.
Live, even if your time is short, you must live well.
After he died, he was buried here to accompany his mother.
Conveniently at this moment, someone cried——
"Yu Ye, pay with your life..."
"You are causing trouble to the whole village..."
"Yu Ye, you deserve death..."
It turned out that several women from the village were crying and cursing in front of the collapsed thatched huts. Another young man ran over from a distance to stop him. He also looked extremely angry, but he waved his hands repeatedly in this direction.
That was Yu Ergou, he let himself leave?
Yu Ye didn't know why he was scolded or why he left. He stood in front of his mother's grave and stared at everything.
But Yu Ergou ran over and shouted: "Go away!"
"Why did you drive me away?"
"You've been gone for ten days, why come back?"
"What happened?"
"Hmph, you still dare to ask me? Come with me -"
Yu Ye was grabbed by Yu Ergou and ran towards the west end of the village. He didn't dare to break away, and he didn't know what was happening, but he couldn't help but panic.
After a while, the two brothers came to the foot of the hillside at the west end of the village.
Yu Ergou pushed Yu Ye away, stretched out his hand and said angrily: "You can see for yourself——"
