After ignoring this unexpected episode, the situation seemed to be getting better during the rest of the journey; there were no traces of the invading army ahead, and there were no signs of pursuers coming from the rear; we even found a place that had not been robbed. villages and roadside inns.
So in this big inn called "Horse Shoe and Herring", in the best single room on the top half floor, Jiang Tian was able to soak his feet in hot water, and with the smell of transpiration, he squinted comfortably and comfortably. Eyes opened. And through the leaky window, you can also see the movement below.
It was filled with accompanying soldiers who occupied every corner of the main building of the large inn made of earth and wood, such as the stables, woodsheds, kitchens, etc.; outside a few tents set up in the center, there were also people who had piled up bonfire grills as usual. , but they were getting pigs and sheep from nearby villages.
The smell of burnt fur permeates the air; as the innkeeper, his family, waiters, and temporary helpers from nearby villages, they are running around and busy at home and abroad, preparing for these Soldiers crowded the hotel, delivering hot water and other items.
Of course, what is rippling on their faces at this moment is not the fear of being coerced, intimidated or driven by swords and guns, but more the excitement and motivation mobilized by money. Obviously, in this difficult world, customers who are willing to pay the price are as rare as real money.
But this time, they apparently met an adult who was so generous that he was willing to pay for his soldiers. Therefore, the shop owner not only used up all the bacon, blood sausage, chicken, and cheese hidden in the cellar, but also managed to find several skinny pigs and sheep from nearby villages.
When they were busy until dark, most of the soldiers were finally fed hot stewed food and light beer, wort, and bean soup. They each held lanterns and returned to the village half a mile away to stay, leaving this temporarily ownerless hotel to outsiders.
So as the shop owner and others left, the large stew pot on the bonfire was scraped clean, and the scattered bones were chewed to pieces, and the empty wine cans in the corner were piled up; the first floor was also used for daily dining In the hall of Datongpu, the news of the washerwomen doing business also began to spread.
Among them, the sound made by the suspected bald man Bodos was the loudest; like the breathing of a bull in a fighting arena, it almost penetrated the barriers of layers of floors and door panels, and could not wait to pour into everyone's ears. among. And Jiang Tian could only laugh it off.
Because he has no reason to stop and restrain them. In particular, I have witnessed many times the tragedies caused by the melee between various warlord forces and tribal armed forces on the black continent where the wounds continued to bleed. However, it was deliberately isolated and ignored by the mainstream public opinion dominated by Europe and the United States.
Jiang Tian understood that there was only one people's army in the world. The rest of the time it's a toss-up between blue and not-so-bad; so in this medieval era. After killing and escaping, it is better to relax and vent properly than to let things go.
Therefore, he just announced that he would personally lead the vigil so that others could relax and take a rest. Therefore, for a time, the building was filled with cheers and praises of both men and women; it was as if they had been following him for a long time.
Just after Jiang Tian soaked his feet and wiped his body with another bucket of hot water, the announcement from the recorder/trainee Andrew came from outside the door again. However, he stopped outside the door and chatted briefly with the attendant Xiao Juyin before entering with a large wooden tray.
But it was a dinner specially prepared according to his personal habits and preferences. Among them are slices of thick-cut tender meat that are roasted to perfection and pink and caramel; there are thick egg cakes fried with eggs, chopped cabbage, and diced carrots in coarse butter; and baked rolls filled with hare meat.
Roasted pork rinds are boiled together with lamb tail, chickpeas, broad beans and peas to create a milky white soup; finally, there is even a small jar of prepared grape juice as a drink; and a piece of cake donated by the owner, with Honeycomb of beeswax and dried pupae; as an after-meal snack.
Well, although this medieval era cannot compare with the richness of seasonings and ingredients in the previous Tang Dynasty time and space, it can also be seen that these subordinates have carefully prepared the results. Therefore, I am tired of eating dried meat and crumbled black bread on the road. It was quickly wiped out.
Then, he broke off another piece of beeswax with pupae, chewed it in his mouth and slowly tasted the sun-dried insect protein and the sweetness squeezed out of the beeswax; then he broke the remaining piece in half and handed it to Andrew said: "It's for you and Xiao Juyin! By the way, what were you arguing about before?"
"Sir, actually we are not arguing." Andrew, who has thick eyebrows and big eyes and looks a little premature, hesitated and said: "It's just that Xiao Juyin was entrusted by someone and there is something he wants to report. Sir, it's just that it's inconvenient for you, so I'll ask him to wait for a while."
"In that case, you can ask him to come in now." Hearing this, Jiang Tian waved his hand casually: then he picked up the glass of grape juice that was said to have been prepared; in the dark red and turbid juice, there were faintly visible... Some fairly fine sediment and flotsam.
But it is a certain tradition and habit of this era to add local seasonal seasonings such as sage, mint, coriander, fennel, dill, horseradish, etc. to drinks that are not easy to preserve after opening. The taste becomes indescribable and indescribable.
Jiang Tian sniffed it and put it down; he saw Xiao Juyin following Andrew and couldn't wait to walk in; Qiqi Aiai, who had a complicated expression, said: "Sir, please forgive me for the offence. I...I...actually feel sorry for the few people who have lost their lives." Poor man of daughter and wife, I seek help from you.”
"Oh!" Jiang Tian couldn't help but stand up after hearing this and said in surprise: "Could it be that some of my subordinates violated the eleven oaths they swore in public on the road and made some shameful transgressions towards the people who followed them? An act?"
"No, no... he shouldn't be one of ours." Xiao Juyin waved his hands quickly and said, "The commander ordered me to ask for news among those people before, and I also heard about some things about losing loved ones. And received its entreaties and requests for help..."
"Oh, since he is not one of ours, then who can he be?" Jiang Tian did not agree easily or was sullen, and asked thoughtfully: "If it happened a few days ago, then don't If I think too much, I won’t turn around and go back for them.”
"No... no... sir," Xiao Juyin started to panic again and stuttered: "That's what happened yesterday and today; an old gentleman's daughter, a hawker's wife and children... were looking for firewood. When he and I were getting water, they got lost one after another and could not be found."
"There is such a thing." Hearing this, Jiang Tian couldn't help but his eyes widened in anger and he stood up. However, Xiao Juyin was so shocked that he stepped back and sat down on the ground again: "Actually, you should have dealt with this matter earlier. Report it to me instead of letting them find it on their own first..."
"Sir, Xiao Juyin may not be... so sure." Andrew pleaded from the side after hearing this: "Perhaps, those people think that they can get it back by themselves, so they don't need to alert you, sir..."
"No, no, you don't understand. This matter is very important, and it may even be a dangerous sign." Jiang Tian waved his hand and interrupted: "Besides, am I the kind of person who disregards the moral principles of classical chivalry? As long as there is a little If you have some spare energy, they can do anything with a little help.”
"Women, why are they all women and children?" Then, Jiang Tian, who was frowning with thick eyebrows and full of thoughts, paced back and forth in the room several times; finally, under the gaze of the two people, he suddenly focused on that The glass of grape juice was filled with a strange smell.
Then, a sparrow caught on the way pecked a few grains in the rattan cage and soaked the grape juice; under the watchful eyes of Tiago, Madurand and other sergeants who had been summoned, it fluttered After struggling to flap its wings a few times, it fell to the side.
Late at night, the sounds of men and women making love one after another still echoed intermittently in the hall on the first floor of the hotel, but it seemed to become more and more hoarse. And the entire outside of the hotel, whether it was the stables, thatched shed, or woodshed, became increasingly quiet.
Even as the night wind slowly stopped, even the torches used only for lighting seemed to become frozen. However, in the outer campsites of the followers, there were faint lights of fire and sporadic cries; then, it died down again not long after.
"The Great Luo of All Worlds"
So, after a while, several spotted hunting dogs also appeared quietly under the low outer wall of the hotel's fence; they then scurried along the hidden gap in the spiked fence with familiarity. Entering it, it turned into faint biting and low screams.
And following these sporadic screams, many sneaky figures suddenly appeared in the darkness outside the hotel and on both sides of the road. However, the metallic luster reflected in the various knives, forks, clubs, hammers and flails in their hands made people feel chilly.
And the shopkeepers among them are no longer as diligent and humble as they were during the day. Instead, he held a long meat hook in his hand and looked at it with sullen eyes. The lights were dim and quiet, leaving only the vaguely chanting hotel building. He said respectfully to the man in a fine silk cloak standing next to him:
"My little master, it seems that the secret recipe for three-day drunkenness obtained in the monastery has been used again; but this time there are too many defeated soldiers; the next thing will be left to your servants and servants! Even if it is destroyed It doesn't matter if you leave this hotel. Please take care of yourself and don't take risks easily; otherwise, the great lord will never let us off lightly when he comes back from the royal capital..."
