Locust Zai happily reminisced with Zhao Lan, but with one sentence he was so angry that he left without saying a word.
Zhao Lan hated others talking about his sacred artifact.
He shook his head arrogantly and walked away.
The locust cub scratched his head. He was caring, so why did he still snort at him?
At this time, Shen Yan also stabilized his body.
He finally knew why Zhao Kuo gave him a dagger this morning. This city was really full of unknown dangers.
But Zhao Kuo didn't want to stab him with a dagger when he was in danger, right?
He probably had to mentally build himself up for a long time before he could make that stab.
Fortunately, he has Liu Changyi.
After calming down my mind, I walked out of the city with a few children among the more and more people coming to watch the excitement.
Shen Yan: "Are there many cases like this? Are they all caused by pollutants?"
Locust cub: "There are a few crawling out of the sewer every once in a while."
Then he scratched his head: "Monsters infected by pollutants are much more powerful than corpses crawling out of sewers."
"The corpse just now was at most a deformed body."
From the intermittent answers of the locust cub, Shen Yan knew one more thing. The thing just now was the lowest level. When people or other species die, dark emotions such as fear, unwillingness, distortion, etc. will remove the thin pollution in the air. The elements are concentrated together, causing the corpse to deform.
In fact, not only corpses, but also living people. Too many negative emotions will continue to absorb the pollution elements floating around and attach to the spirit. If they accumulate too much, they will reach the level of mental infection. That's why the songs of wandering poets are needed. Soothes the soul.
Shen Yan thought to himself that in a difficult living environment, it would be difficult to maintain a good attitude. In other words, there would be many people who suddenly turned into monsters, maybe just any ordinary person among the crowd.
Locust Cub: "When encountering extraordinary events, the more fearful you are, the easier it is to be infected."
"People who are infected start by joining in the fun."
Like a disease, the closer you are to these things, the easier it is to assimilate.
Shen Yan: "..."
Why does he feel that he is a high-risk group?
The fear in his heart just now could not be suppressed, but deep down in his heart there was an inexplicable desire to explore.
Curiosity killed the cat, which is probably what happened to him.
If you want to avoid being infected, in addition to having a strong heart and remaining calm in all situations, it is also necessary to stay away from these extraordinary events.
As he spoke, he arrived at the noodle stall outside the city.
Zhao Lan, who originally left the scene, actually sat at their noodle stall.
The locust cub's eyes lit up and he ran over quickly: "Zhao Lan, have a bowl of noodles. Our noodles are very delicious."
Why so positive?
When they followed the commander and left the Iron-Blooded Mercenary Group, those people said that they were going to starve to death, which was scary.
As a result, there is no difference between Shangcheng District and Xiacheng District. They all eat wheat cakes every day.
Humph, they still have noodles to eat now, and those in the Iron-Blooded Mercenary Group can't even eat them if they want.
They were living so well. After Zhao Lan ate their noodles, word spread that he might return to the Iron-Blooded Mercenary Group to talk a few words. When he thought of those people's expressions when they knew they were living so well, Locust Cub was happy.
At first, those people said that they were sinners in the mercenary city. When they left, the seven children hugged each other and secretly cried.
Thinking about it now, it's just shameful.
As if to prove something, Locust Cub kept selling to Zhao Lan: "Eight copper doves per bowl."
"The commander said that except for those of us in the Tiger and Leopard Mercenary Group, we have to pay for noodles."
Zhao Lan looked around absentmindedly, as if looking for someone, and let out a "hmm" on his nose, feeling a little disappointed because he didn't see the person he wanted to see.
When a large bowl of pickled cabbage noodles was served, Locust Zai and several other children also started chattering with the noodles, peeking at Zhao Lan while eating.
Humph, why don't you praise them for how well they are doing now.
Zhao Lan absentmindedly fed the noodles into his mouth and was immediately stunned. He didn't come here to eat any noodles, but the taste of this noodles...
Locust Cub: "Is it delicious? You can't even eat it in the Jagged Mercenary Group."
After they go back, they must let those who drove them away know about it.
Zhao Lan was stunned and said, "One more bowl."
The locust cub's face lit up with joy: "It tastes better if you mix it with sauerkraut."
Another 8 bronze doves.
Shen Yan also noticed it. Aunt Dong who was cooking the noodles also knew Zhao Lan and looked at him from time to time.
But he didn't take the initiative to have a conversation. His attitude was a bit hard to understand and more complicated.
Shen Yan thought for a while and sat over. He didn't eat noodles. After what happened just now, the picture still appeared in his mind from time to time, and he really had no appetite.
Shen Yan asked: "I just heard from Locust Cubs that you have a sacred artifact that has been unable to perform the "Lin Yuan Ritual" for many years. Do you want me to help you take a look?"
The reason why Shen Yan said this was because the monster just now was killed by Zhao Lan's heroic spirit.
It can be considered as helping him resolve the crisis.
Shen Yan is a person who loves others in return.
Zhao Lan was stunned for a moment. Do you know how valuable his sacred weapon is? How can you let people look at it casually?
That sacred weapon had been activated by the ancestors of the Iron-Blooded Mercenary Group before. It must be a true sacred weapon. It can summon extremely powerful heroic spirits and is a priceless treasure.
Zhao Lan paid no attention to anyone and buried himself in eating noodles.
Shen Yan thought to himself that it was indeed inappropriate.
He vaguely noticed that the historical story of the sacred artifact seemed to be closely related to the "Lin Yuan Ritual".
Before researching it clearly, it is better to be cautious.
He came to this world and told stories about cultural relics only a few times, such as the red-painted grasshopper gourd of Locust Cubs.
But the locust cub has been wearing a red painted grasshopper gourd for several years. It is very confusing whether the "Lin Yuan Ritual" was triggered because of his storytelling or just the opportunity.
The rest is to tell Zhao Kuo the stories of several cultural relics.
If the person most likely to discover the connection is Zhao Kuo.
Shen Yan used to talk about the history of cultural relics very casually because no one told him that sacred objects need to be worn for a long time to trigger the "Lin Yuan Ceremony". This wearing time is very long, some are several years, some are more than ten years. Some even for a lifetime.
He didn't know the key to this, so naturally he couldn't be wary of this kind of thing. He thought he was doing science popularization like when he was engaged in academics before.
When he discovered the doubts, he told Zhao Kuo several times.
Shen Yan pondered, and it seemed that he had to explore the key.
After Zhao Lan finished eating the noodles, he started looking around again without leaving.
Shen Yan couldn't help but ask: "Are you looking for Zhao Kuo?"
What was originally a very ordinary sentence, Zhao Lan suddenly became angry and said: "Nonsense."
"Who said that I came to find... to find him? The Mercenary City is so big that I can't just walk around the city?"
His face turned red with anger, and he turned around and left angrily.
Shen Yan sighed: "There are no three hundred taels of silver here, tsk tsk, I'm still angry after being told the truth."
…
The noodle stall doesn't need so many people guarding it, it's too small.
After a while, the locust cub came over with a wooden bucket: "Shen Yan, let's go deliver noodle soup to the other coal diggers. They don't have water to drink."
Ten miles outside the Mercenary City, there is a mountain with many gold and stones, and a large amount of coal buried at the bottom of the mountain. This mountain is owned by a huge mercenary group in the Mercenary City.
When the members of the Haw Par Mercenary Group are not on missions, they will go there to help others dig coal and earn some subsidies.
Shen Yan nodded, since he had nothing to do anyway, his task was to take the baby away, and he didn't waste time delivering noodles and soup.
However, after leaving the city and walking on the road, Shen Yan realized what the chaos in the city meant.
Not far away, there were mercenaries with fierce faces, staring at their barrels with undisguised good intentions.
The locust cub didn't take it seriously, and lowered the barrel to show others: "It's all water, nothing."
It seems that this kind of thing happened not once or twice.
Dogs will not care about people who have no supplies on them.
In fact, mercenaries will not cause trouble for themselves, especially children. If you touch the children of other people's mercenary groups, it will be an undying hatred. This is the bottom line. If you touch other people's children, others will also find ways to touch your children. Once this precedent is set, the entire mercenary city will be in chaos.
Therefore, this is one of the basic rules of the mercenary city, and it also explains clearly that in such a chaotic mercenary city, a string of children with the least fighting ability are wandering around on the streets all day long like no one else.
This has become a rule that everyone must abide by, otherwise there will be no place for them in the mercenary city, and the victims will not even need to take action, and they will be annihilated.
Of course, this premise is that these children have no supplies on them, otherwise they will still be robbed, and at most their lives will not be harmed.
Locust Cub: "We are the little mercenaries of the Tiger and Leopard Mercenary Group."
Those eager eyes tightened for a moment, and then they looked away.
Shen Yan's palms broke into a cold sweat. He still had to adapt to many things.
By the time we reached the top of the mountain, the noodle soup had gone cold.
The person who led the team to dig coal was Dong Da, the son of Mr. Dong, a smart and capable young man who was in his prime.
Shen Yan already knew everyone in the Tiger and Leopard Mercenary Group by name, but he was not very familiar with Dong Da. Why?
Dong Da leaves early every day and comes home late every day, sleeping on the bed. He is so tired from digging coal that he has no time to communicate.
Let someone bring the message and let Dong Da lead the people out of the mine.
When several people came out, their bodies looked as if they had been under a pot. They were pitch black. Coupled with the hot weather, the sweat washed the black color into strange patterns and stuck to their bodies.
Even the locust cubs took a long time to recognize the person.
Dong Da and others filled up the noodle soup in the bucket with bowls and poured it into their mouths.
Although they usually don't have the habit of drinking water, they were really thirsty after staying in the mine for a long time, but they usually just tolerated it and passed it.
"call!"
After drinking a bowl of noodle soup, I felt so comfortable that I exhaled.
It was lunch time now. Dong Da and others took out the wheat cakes they brought and ate them with noodle soup.
"Have you eaten?"
Locust Cub: "We ate noodles at the noodle stall before coming here."
Shen Yan also chatted familiarly: "How much does it cost to dig coal here for a day?"
Dong Da: "8 bronze doves, there used to be 10. Alas, there have been fewer recently."
Shen Yan was stunned, 8 bronze doves? After working hard all day, it only cost me a bowl of noodles.
Dong Da: "Normally the mercenary group doesn't come here when they are on missions. Isn't that okay? I can earn a bronze dove."
Their idea is very simple. If they don't come here, they will have no income at all, and they can only go in and out. Although it is a blessing to come here, they can always make up for it.
Shen Yan's heart was shocked, it reminded him of a dark era in history.
During the Victorian Industrial Age, the development of industry should have required more labor, but in order to reduce expenditures, capitalists recruited a large number of female workers and children.
This has resulted in unimaginably low wages, and a full day's hard work cannot be exchanged for even the worst meal of food. On the contrary, the real labor force is unable to support the family's food and clothing because of unemployment.
All profits were earned with blood. The sadness and misery of that era was like thick smoke filling the sky.
As for the subsequent work of five days a week, working hours, etc., it was a compromise made by capital in order to compete for supporters a long, long time later. The so-called compromise was just so that they could become the biggest beneficiaries, which is quite ironic.
In China, there was a very long era like this in ancient times, with the bonded labor system. Once someone sold himself as a servant, he was really like a cow, horse, pig, or dog, without any dignity and no assets of his own.
Dong Da and the others were eating wheat cakes. At this time, a shout came from inside the mine: "What's taking so long? It's time to start work."
The locust cub kept muttering: "I haven't finished one wheat cake yet."
Dong Da shrugged, drank up the noodle soup, and then led others to eat wheat cakes while walking towards the mine: "Be careful on the way back. If you encounter an accident, report the name of the commander..."
Maybe this is how they survive.
But Shen Yan couldn't calm down.
He walks around with his baby in the city every day. How can I put it, although he feels that the environment and other conditions are a bit worse, he can live leisurely and leisurely.
But at this moment, he realized that the task assigned to him by Zhao Kuo was probably to take care of him to the best of his ability.
Shen Yan took a deep breath, life was harder than imagined.
The locust cub packed up the barrel and bowl: "Going back?"
Shen Yan nodded and asked several children to pick up a stone from the roadside before walking back.
As an archaeologist, he also has a certain understanding of geology. When he came here just now, he noticed these stones on the roadside.
Among them is the alkali mine where baking soda is extracted.
This is a good thing. If it is used well, Dong Da and others will not use it to dig coal.
