The accumulated rainwater has not receded. The simple ditches were blocked again and again by the silt brought by the erosion.
Xu Mu stopped, wiped the long sword in his hand, and then slowly sheathed it. Going back and forth, he had already led the villagers to clean up the ditches in a small half of Dongfang.
The heavy rain that was raging all over the sky showed no sign of stopping.
"I heard that two women fell into the water on North Street of Dongfang and were washed to death within a short time." Chen Sheng, wearing a raincoat, handed over all the news he had gathered.
"After receiving the money for water control, Guanfang took a leave of absence and went to a restaurant in Xifang."
"An old temple man came in from the east gate and started collecting children, two by two."
Xu Mu remained silent, inexplicably remembering the words of Wangzhou official Tian Song.
"This world is dirty and cannot be cleaned."
Holding the sword tightly, Xu Mu suddenly gritted his teeth. At this moment, he wished he could lead the villagers to kill a wave of people, and then escape from Tangjiang City and become a bandit.
After a long time, Xu Mu spit out the blood in his mouth, then took heavy steps and walked towards the village.
…
May twenty-seven. There are still three days left before the Yuetou Liquor Market.
The rain will stop.
On the huge river, there were soaked river boats, collapsed thatched roofs, bloated domestic animals, and even dead bodies with floating hair... They all looked like they were in trouble and had gone to the next life.
Xu Mu was suddenly in a bad mood. He couldn't take a bite of the blind fish meat that he caught in his mouth.
"My boss, someone fell into the water again!"
Xu Mu hurriedly raised his head, and as far as he could see, he saw a figure rising and falling. The water surface seemed to be covered with springs. He stood on tiptoe and quickly jumped up again.
Before Xu Mu could call the monster brother over, the figure had already flitted in front of Xu Mu, standing slightly on tiptoe with one leg, stepping on a piece of driftwood as big as a palm.
The figure is not swaying and the face is cold.
Xu Mu was startled, and his expression could not hide his excitement. After four months and eight days, it was the first time for him to see such a master.
"Lend me a boat." The expert was finally a little tired, so he put his feet back and jumped onto the wooden bridge in a few steps.
"Repay it within half a day. If it is damaged, we will compensate you twice as much."
Normally, Xu Mu would have given it away generously, but not today. After eating this bowl of fish head soup, he would take Si Hu and the others to the Hemu Festival downstream to see if he could save the child.
In the current area of the river, except for Xu Mu's four-oared boat, the rest were either pushed ashore or soaked.
The master in front of me is estimated to be in his seventies or eighties. He likes to blow his beard when talking, and seems to be difficult to talk to.
"Senior, I need to use the boat later." After hesitating, Xu Mu spoke.
The old man bulged his eyes and muttered, "If you don't want to borrow it, then I'll snatch it."
Xu Mu twitched his mouth and smashed the thick bowl on the ground.
In an instant, more than a dozen big men hurriedly ran from behind. Si Hu, the leader, roared and beat his chest several times.
"A small wine shop owner knows how to raise his talents."
Before Si Hu and others came over, Xu Mu's body was empty, and he felt like he was flying all of a sudden. When he came back to his senses, he didn't know when he was grabbed by the old master and onto the boat.
Then, as if it was equipped with a motor, the four-oared boat moved forward crazily, cutting curtains of water along the way.
"Brother Mu!"
Si Hu took the lead and jumped into the river first. The dozen or so young men behind him also jumped down one after another.
The old man was a little funny and wandered around shamelessly for two times. When Si Hu and others were tired from swimming, he turned the bow of the boat and sailed steadily downstream.
"Selling wine, what do you do to support a soldier?" The old man was a little angry, raised the scabbard in his hand, and knocked three or four times on Xu Mu's head.
Yangshi, as the name suggests, is a person who nourishes the dead and protects the master.
But these villagers, no matter how dead soldiers they are, are all old friends of life and death who treat each other with sincerity.
"Just from the village?" The old man looked strangely, "Then you, my little boss, are probably a good person. Oh, then I won't hit you."
My head was so swollen.
"I asked you to borrow a boat earlier. If you had been more generous, why would you be here now?"
"To be honest, senior, I also want to use a boat." Xu Mu's face was slightly unhappy, and he finally found out that today was the day to worship the river mother downstream. If he arrived too late, it would be too late to collect the body, let alone the child.
"The flood is still there, why are you taking a boat?"
"Then why are you robbing the ship? Didn't I know you know how to do Qinggong when I saw you before?"
"The eighteen-year-old cold legs will be useless if they touch the water again." The old man rolled his eyes and looked downstream.
"I heard today that there are people from the old temple downstream performing human sacrifices. I'll go for a walk."
Take a walk? You should use Qinggong to walk——
Xu Mu suddenly paused and raised his head in surprise, "Senior also wants to save the child?"
"Isn't it possible? Could it be that I am not born like a good person?"
"Senior, that's not what you meant. I just want to take a walk downstream."
"Are you going too?"
The old man became a little amused. He smiled for a while, but a faint look of relief suddenly appeared on his wrinkled old face.
"I originally walked more water, so I pushed you into the river. You are lucky, I don't want to kill anyone today."
Xu Mu looked speechless, and he didn't know whether what the old man said was true or not, but a person who could snatch a boat and save a child would not be too bad no matter what.
"Senior is a hero?"
"Ouch! You finally asked me! With Shengxue in white, holding a sword in one hand and a flute in the other, I am naturally a hero!"
"Senior, do you have a nickname? I heard that every hero has one."
"The jade-faced young man Zhuge Fan."
"Senior's age is a bit exaggerated."
"You think I'm being exaggerated."
The four-oared river boat moved forward along the still slightly turbulent river. After more than an hour, it finally left the tributary of Tangjiang River and entered the surging Daji River.
The ship began to shake violently.
Zhuge Fan stepped on his feet, and soon the whole ship became stable again.
"You stay on the boat later, I'll go for a walk and then come back."
"Senior, do you need help?"
"Can you do Qing Gong?"
"Won't……"
Zhuge Fan rolled his eyes and said, "Then help me! Take care of the boat, or your legs will be broken."
Tsk, old enemies.
Under the sky, above Ji Shui.
Zhuge Fan, who had cold legs, was like a fluttering swallow in the blink of an eye. In a short time, he was already hundreds of steps away.
Xu Mu was left with a confused look on his face, eyes wide open. When the river was covered in mist and the figure could no longer be seen clearly, he withdrew his gaze.
Standing on the bow of the ship.
Xu Mu couldn't help but feel excited. Along the way, he had seen too much misery in the world.
Fortunately, there are still heroes in this world.
This old man who wants to save people and sacrifice their children is a hero. The same goes for the two villagers who wanted to assassinate corrupt officials at the liquor market earlier.
The way of heaven is unfair and everything is like a rotten dog. There should always be some people who dare to defy heaven and protect the last trace of clarity in this world.
"The mountains and rivers are shrouded in mist and rain, and in ten years the dynasty will be cut down with one sword."
…
