The two of them walked for about a quarter of an hour before arriving at the entrance of the village.
This village is not big, with about dozens of households. There are several men standing guard outside the village.
When he saw the two of them coming, he shouted loudly from a distance: "What do you do?"
Li Yunze cupped his hands and asked politely: "Uncle, my brother and I are from Anyang County. We were passing by here and came to inquire about the way out."
"Where are you going? What are you looking for?"
"Uncle, it's like this. Last year our second uncle came to the northwest mountains to look for medicinal materials, but he didn't go back for so long. The family was very worried, so he asked my brother and I to come over and look for it."
The men felt better when they heard that they were here to find someone, not to beg for food.
“We have so many mountains here, where are you going to find them?”
"When my second uncle went out, he said that that medicinal material can only be found in Lingnan Mountain. We don't know where Lingnan Mountain is. I wonder if uncle has ever heard of this mountain?"
The leading man asked in surprise: "Your second uncle went to Lingnan Mountain?"
Ye Mingxuan said: "Yes, when I went out, I said I came to Lingnan Mountain to look for medicine, but it has been more than a year, but there is no news at all."
The men who were guarding the village looked at each other and didn't have the heart to tell them that there was no news for so long, so it was probably the worst possible outcome.
But I was afraid that these two young children would lose their lives if they entered the mountain, so I kindly told them a few words about the situation in Lingnan Mountain.
"Do you know how big Lingnan Mountain is? It connects several states. I heard there are many large beasts in it.
The hunters here mostly hang around the outside, but never dare to go inside. "
Li Yunze said gratefully: "Thank you for the uncle's advice, but we two brothers have some skills, and the family is really worried about my second uncle.
So we wanted to go into the mountain to have a look, and we wanted some uncles to show us the way up the mountain. "
Ye Mingxuan smiled and gave the leading man the broken silver his sister gave him, "A few uncles will take it to get some wine."
"Oh, I can't, I can't, it's just a few words, how can I ask for your money?" The leading man waved his hand and refused.
Ye Mingxuan put the money into his hand and said sincerely: "This is not a matter of a few words. If it weren't for uncle's guidance, we wouldn't have known that Lingnan Mountain is so dangerous."
Several men were a little embarrassed. They just told the truth. They didn't expect the two young men to be so polite and even thank them with money.
The man standing at the back with a scar on his face said: "If you really want to go, just go northwest from the path in front. It's about half a day's journey. There is a path into Lingnan Mountain. You can go from there. Go up, but the path is not easy to walk.”
Seeing that the two of them were listening attentively, he continued: "There is another way to Lingnan Mountain, which is Guyuan Town in the west. That way into the mountain is a little easier."
Li Yunze asked: "This uncle, if he goes to Guyuan Town, will he have to take the official route?"
The scar-faced man nodded and said, "That's right."
Seeing their young age, he reminded them again: "Yesterday I heard that King Liang was resettling the victims. If you take the official route, you may be resettled."
The two of them hugged him gratefully. It was a risk to be able to say this to them.
Li Yunze asked carefully: "Uncle, where exactly is the trail into the mountain you mentioned? Are there any obvious signs nearby?"
The man shook his head and said: "There are no obvious signs. The path is relatively hidden and there are few people walking there.
There used to be a crooked-neck tree nearby, but I don't know if it's still there. I haven't been there for several years. "
After the two thanked each other again, they prepared to leave.
Several villagers accepted their money and felt a little sorry that they had not helped much.
Let the scar-faced man take them to the path and tell them how to get there.
Li Yunze smiled and asked, "I wonder what I call this uncle?"
"My name is Huang Erguang. The person you asked me to send you off to is my eldest brother and the leader of our village."
"Uncle Huang, I think the drought here is not too serious. I wonder how the taxes will be paid this year?"
Speaking of taxes, Huang Erguang sighed, "Although the drought here is not serious, the food production has been reduced a lot compared to before, but the taxes are 20% heavier than in previous years.
After paying the taxes, there is not much food left. Now I make a living by digging some wild vegetables and picking some wild fruits in the mountains. "
Li Yunze remained silent and did not speak.
Ye Mingxuan asked: "Uncle Huang, I see that other places are recruiting troops. I wonder if it is the same here?"
"That's not true, but my elder brother said that if this continues, it will definitely be inevitable in the future."
Huang Erguang looked at the majestic mountains not far away and said thoughtfully: "In today's world, it might be a good thing to hide in the mountains. It's just that the humidity in the mountains is too heavy, and it's very cold in winter, and the snow on it lasts for a long time." Not even changed."
Li Yunze and Ye Mingxuan looked at each other after hearing his words. Thinking of the kind reminders given by several villagers just now.
Ye Mingxuan revealed: "Yeah, how can people live in such troubled times? On the way we came, there were disaster victims everywhere.
In order to have a bite to eat, they would do anything. Some were so ruthless that they even killed people and ate their meat. "
He looked at Huang Erguang and said cautiously: "Uncle Huang, your village should also take more precautions."
Huang Erguang was shocked when he heard this. Is it already so serious outside that people cannibalize people?
Seeing that he was on guard, Li Yunze smiled and said, "Uncle Huang, don't be so nervous. You are close to the mountain and you are familiar with the nearby mountains. At worst, you can find a mountaintop to stay for a few years and come out again when there is peace."
Huang Erguang's heart moved after hearing his words.
The food grown now is not enough to pay the taxes. I work hard all year round but I can’t eat more than a few bites.
It would be better to go to live in the mountains, dig wild vegetables, hunt, and plant some crops, and then live like a human being than now.
Thinking of this, my heart suddenly became enlightened, and I discussed it with my elder brother when I was ready to go back.
Before leaving, he warned the two of them: "You two must be careful, Lingnan Mountain connects several states, and you won't be able to reach it for several months.
It is easy for people to get lost inside, not to mention there are many large beasts. If you are not a strong martial artist, it is best not to go in. "
Afraid that they would not listen to his advice, he patted the two of them on the shoulders and said heavily:
"As for your second uncle, let me tell you something taboo. If he really enters Lingnan Mountain and has not been heard from for so long, he is probably in danger."
The two of them hugged him and said sincerely, "Thank you, Uncle Huang."
Huang Erguang nodded and hurried back to the village.
Li Yunze and Ye Mingxuan walked around the neighborhood and took a look at the path. The road was very narrow, only big enough for a cart to pass.
"Brother, let's go back first. We can't stay here any longer. We have to go into the mountains immediately."
Ye Mingxuan also saw the current situation and nodded, "Okay, let's go back to pick up my mother and the others now."
