Yangpingguan is located in the border of Shaanxi and borders Sichuan and Gansu provinces. The terrain is dangerous and complex. It has been a battleground for military strategists since ancient times.
Surrounded by mountains, it is the first gateway for Sichuan and Shaanxi to enter the border fortress.
Everyone rode their horses and stood in front of the boundary monument engraved with the three characters "Yangpingguan". In the morning light, a gorgeous morning glow reflected from the clouds on the horizon, and the earth appeared full of vitality.
The colorful glow shines on everyone's face, giving off a warm and soft atmosphere.
There was still a bit of chill in the morning breeze, but it was much better than before.
Xu Feng looked at the mountains in the distance, a smile appeared on his face, and he sighed quietly: "We have arrived at Yangping Pass, and when we get out of here, we are really outside the Great Wall." He turned around and looked at everyone, "There are already people here. , let’s go to the village ahead and ask around, maybe some villagers know about the Hell Gate!”
Lei Zhentian looked at the houses not far away, nodded and said: "Yes, we are not familiar with this place, so we had to ask around. Maybe the Hell Gate is not that far away!"
Although everyone looked a little haggard, after going through all the hardships to get here, everyone suddenly felt relieved.
Everyone whipped their horses and rushed towards the village beside the official road ahead.
This area of houses is criss-crossed and located under a small cliff. There are few trees around, but there are some messy grass growing everywhere. Outside the Great Wall, wind and sand invade all year round, the climate is dry, and there is not enough rain. Therefore, the soil here is poor and it is difficult for lush vegetation to grow. Weathered and saline land can be seen everywhere, and the exposed rocks on the hillside are bare and lifeless. Such a place is naturally not suitable for living.
Therefore, since ancient times, not many people have lived here.
It’s hard to imagine how people have been able to thrive on this desolate land from generation to generation.
A biting wind blew in the wilderness, carrying a fishy earthy smell.
Everyone turned from the official road onto a dilapidated dirt road, which windingly led to the village.
There were overgrown weeds on both sides of the dirt road, and a tall tree pole stood at the intersection. On the top of the pole hung a yellow flag with three big red characters "Yangliu Village" written on it.
When everyone looked at the flagpole, they felt it was strange. It turned out that this small village was called Yangliu Village. Such a desolate place had such a delicate and beautiful name! In the fields beside the road, poplar trees grew sparsely, but there was no willow tree. Everyone felt a little curious when they saw the name!
Everyone slowed down their horses, and they could reach the village a mile away. There were several men and women who looked like crops working hard in the vegetable field outside the house.
When they heard the sound of horse hooves, they all looked up and looked over. When they saw this group of people riding tall horses, they stared blankly with surprise on their faces.
A group of children were playing at the entrance of the village. Suddenly, they saw several strangers coming on horseback. They all stood on the spot, watching with wide eyes in confusion.
As the group of people approached, they became more and more curious, with a hint of uneasiness on their faces.
When they arrived at the entrance of the village, everyone got off their horses, held the reins in their hands, walked to some big trees by the road, and tied their horses to the trunks.
The men and women working in the fields stopped what they were doing and looked at the group of people curiously. The children looked even more timid.
Xu Feng walked to the vegetable field with a smile and greeted those people: "Excuse me, fellow, where is this place?"
A dark-faced middle-aged man in the vegetable field said slowly: "What are you doing?"
Xu Feng said hurriedly: "Fellow, we came from Guannai and passed by this place. I want to ask you where this is? Is there an inn nearby?"
The middle-aged man held the hoe in front of his chest and said doubtfully: "This is Yangliu Village." He pointed toward the back of the village and said, "Oh, there is Yangguan Town three miles ahead. There are several inns!" He looked at the group of people and saw that they were all dressed in the garb of Jianghu people and all wearing weapons. He immediately understood the identities of these people. His face was shocked, but he also looked cowardly.
The group of children did not appear to be afraid, nor did they run away. They just stood there and watched quietly and curiously.
Everyone also looked around the village. The village looked more like a courtyard house, with dozens of blue-tiled houses huddled together in a heap, with a wide courtyard in the middle. Some corn cobs were hung on the wall, and the sun was drying in the courtyard. Pieces of sorghum stalks and some agricultural equipment were piled in the corner.
As far as the eye can see, there is a peaceful and peaceful farmhouse scene.
Xu Feng seemed to see the uneasy expressions on the faces of the farmers and hurriedly smiled and said: "Folks, don't be afraid. We are just passing by and want to inquire about a place from you. Please don't take offense to the trouble!"
Everyone also smiled and nodded to several farmers to show their friendship.
The middle-aged man's face became calmer, and he frowned and asked, "I wonder where these officials are going?"
Xu Feng said with a solemn expression: "Have you ever heard of a place called Hell Gate here?"
As soon as these words came out, the faces of the farmers suddenly changed, showing a look of fear. They also gave up their hoes and sickles. The middle-aged man's voice was trembling, and he said cowardly: "Hell Gate? Why are you asking about that place? What is your relationship with Hell Gate?"
Everyone saw that he was extremely panicked, and they understood a little bit in their hearts. The reason why he looked so frightened must be because he knew the situation of the Hell Gate.
Xu Feng glanced at the three people beside him and said faintly: "We have traveled thousands of miles to come here just to find this Hell Gate! We only know that this place is outside the Great Wall, but we don't know where it is exactly. If we know about the Hell Gate Please tell me the exact location! I will be very grateful!" After that, he reached out and took out a few pieces of silver and presented it in front of his chest.
The middle-aged man calmed down, frowned, and said uneasily: "Hey, the officials don't know something. The Gate of Hell is an ominous place. It is said that there are murderous demons who live there. What are you looking for there?"
When everyone heard this, their faces were filled with joy, and they could tell from the fellow villager's words that he must know this place.
Xu Feng smiled and said: "So, my fellow villager knows this place?"
The middle-aged man sighed, and then said: "To be honest with the officials, this hell gate is in the Savage Mountain outside Yangguan Town. People here near and far know that, stop talking, those evil people are elusive and have powerful abilities. He committed murder, set fire to homes, and robbed homes. He specialized in evil deeds! In the past few years, a few people collecting medicine went to the Savage Mountain and mysteriously disappeared, never to be seen again. Later, some people said that they were killed by those evil people. And he even ripped out that man's heart and ate it!" The more he spoke, the more frightened he became, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead when he thought of the tragic incident that had been rumored.
Everyone was horrified when they heard this. Although they didn't know whether what the farmer said was true or false, killing people and eating their hearts was definitely not something ordinary people could do. If there is such a thing, then the people at Hell Gate can really be called a group of evil people!
Luo Xiangxue also had a look of horror on her face, her heart was pounding, and her stomach was churning. She imagined the heart-eating scene in her mind, which almost made her sick.
What is the difference between this and evil spirits? Those people are really crazy!
