Yamafu Military Affairs

Chapter 297 The Lamb Returns

Time quietly turned into night, and the bright silver moon was covered by dark clouds, making Wenyan, which looked a little gray during the day, seem even more gloomy and eerie.

The ruffians holding broadswords and carrying dry food on their shoulders sighed and looked at the eight or nine-year-old children behind them who were trudging through the mud, their faces full of impatience: "Hurry up, hurry up! It's raining heavily at night. If you don't find a place to rest and change clothes in time, are you going to die?"

In the area of ​​Wenyan Qujiang, which covers a radius of 100 miles, only the hills around Yanling Mountain are numerous and difficult to walk on. Other places are flat plains suitable for farming and there are no dangerous places.

Since there are not many dangerous mountains and old forests, there is no need to worry about being harmed by evil spirits and wild ghosts. After this group of ruffians brought the children down from Yanling Mountain, they walked slowly for half a day before they arrived at a dilapidated and dusty Dragon King Temple that was covered with spider webs.

"Children, rest here tonight. When we reach Lijiadu tomorrow, I will give you a donkey cart for transportation."

A man with a hideous scar on his right eye kicked open the rotten gate of the Dragon King Temple and waved to the soaked children.

Behind him, a child with delicate features who couldn't tell whether it was a boy or a girl, bravely said, "Grandpa, you see my brothers and sisters have been walking for half a day and haven't eaten a grain of rice. We are so hungry that we don't have much strength. I wonder if you could be kind enough to give us a few bowls of soup or porridge? Even if they can't fill their stomachs, it would be good to warm them up."

"San'er, light the fire and set up the pot to cook some meat porridge for them."

A hanger-on beside the big man responded immediately without saying anything. He quickly picked up a few wooden boards from the temple, lit a bonfire, took off the iron pot on his back and placed it on the fire to preheat it.

Add rice, pour water, tear a half-foot long piece of salted meat into small pieces and mix them in. Soon, a pot of steaming meat porridge was made by this helper who has some cooking skills.

"Each person has a small bowl. If it's not enough, scoop it out yourself. If you have any other questions, tell me all of them. Don't disturb Grandpa while he's drinking later."

Seeing that the kids were stammering and dared not say a word, the idle man took out two stacks of pottery bowls and placed them on the ground, indicating that they had to fend for themselves. Then he picked up a wine gourd and a few oil-paper bags, turned around and started drinking with the remaining ruffians.

The bad wine tasted bitter, and the fat chicken was greasy. Just as the idlers were eating various side dishes and getting drunk.

Suddenly, a sharp sound of breaking through the air rang in the ears of everyone in the temple.

Phew~~!

A bright silver light flashed in the scarred man's eyes, and before he could draw his sword and react, the ruffian brother opposite him who was facing the temple gate suddenly twitched and fell over.

It was a shiny steel dart about the length of a palm, with three silver threads running through the head and tail. It pierced the idler's back and came out from his chest, taking his life in an instant.

Before these kids and scoundrels could come to their senses, something seemed to shake in the air.

The ring on the tail of the silver-chain steel dart moved slightly, and it became like a silver butterfly flying through a curtain, transforming into a stream of light and dancing in front of the scarred man.

"What a thief!"

The scarred man leaned back suddenly, and the machete in his hand narrowly knocked away the rope dart that was approaching him.

The remaining idlers and hooligans also reacted. They stood up and gathered together, holding knives in both hands and looking outside the temple as if facing a great enemy.

"I just want a few dolls. If you know what's good for you, and offer them to me in person, you might be able to save your life!"

A middle-aged man wearing coarse cloth and a black veil, with a slightly plump figure, walked out.

It was Zhao Ji, the "Rat Thief" who had seen the fierce fight and fled in a hurry in "Mu Tian Xia" yesterday. He was a cautious person. He had seen Qin Huai and Ge Laodao were very powerful and they were people he could not afford to offend, so he had already given up the idea of ​​buying the child-raised ginseng.

But after thinking about it carefully, he was unwilling to give up, so he found out where the group of children were this morning, and wanted to use his guarding skills to steal sheep. But he didn't expect that the [White Tiger Guards] would follow him everywhere, so he had no chance to do anything. He had no choice but to follow them silently until Qin Huai and others left, leaving only this group of hooligans who were guarding the Fuchun Market and had few skills.

Looking at those lazy and sloppy rascals, Zhao Ji knew that the opportunity had come.

Although it would take some effort to knock down all these idlers with star power, there were some with special fates that he needed among the group of kids. Moreover, he could see clearly that those beautiful girls with small bodies but beautiful eyes and eyebrows were very young.
It's not surprising that a flower-stealing thief like Zhao Ji, who has been in the underworld for so long, would do anything.

"You killed my brother without saying a word, and you still say these high-sounding bullshit, come and die!"

Before he finished speaking, the scarred man tapped the ground with his toes and rushed towards the solitary [Fragrance Stealing Rat] like a heavy artillery.

Zhao Ji, the [Fragrance-stealing Rat] who just turned thirty, is in the prime of his life. Although he lacks the original foundation, he has at least cultivated star power for twenty years. His martial arts skills and combat experience are much stronger than the scarred big man who changed his martial arts skills halfway. In addition, the martial arts of the Imperial City Bureau are more effective when combined with the Liu Yi Rat Guige. He is best at moving quickly and turned around in the blink of an eye, and bumped into the big man!

puff~
Blood splattered, cold light flashed, the big man covered his throat and trachea that was cut in half by the rope dart, fell to the ground with a thud, blood gushing out.

"If you don't have the skills, don't take on the job. Do you dare to meddle in Grandpa's business? Die!"

Zhao Ji played with the rope dart in his hand, and the cold and sharp light glared at the remaining scoundrels.

"Formation!"

San'er shouted loudly, and the remaining five people thrust out their swords and instantly turned into hedgehogs.

Two more people rolled out from the formation with the ground-breaking sword technique, like sharp sword wheels, waving the long-handled machetes in their hands and chopped fiercely at Zhao Ji's legs.

This group of ruffians came from Fuchunji, the ghost market, and had star power, so they had practiced the art of combined military attack.

Although he has been weak due to years of relying on the power of others, if he can fully unleash the power of the [Minions] formation, its power will be quite impressive.

The colorful star power floated out, and was about to merge into a gorgeous evil ghost. The [Fragrance Stealing Rat] was quick-eyed and quick-handed. It leaped up into the air and spun, dodging the two swords. At the same time, its legs lashed out like steel whips, and sharp blades popped out from the soles of its boots, cutting off the heads of the two "Earth Knives" and kicking them away like a whirlwind.

The star power flowed in his body, and he stretched out his hand and shook it. The bright silver cold light in his palm shot out and went straight to San'er who was maintaining his momentum in the formation.

A cold shadow flashed out suddenly, like a flash of lightning, and it was extremely fast.

The steel darts hadn't arrived yet, but the piercing murderous intent in Zhao Ji's eyes had already made people feel painful, as if he had never intended to let these scoundrels get away alive from the beginning.

At the other end of the Dragon King Temple, the children who had already understood the world were squatting and holding their heads, staring at the bloody scene in front of them, not daring to breathe.

Bang!
The pillars of the temple roof, which had been in disrepair for many years, collapsed suddenly. A sturdy figure about ten feet tall and draped in a black robe descended from the sky, like an unparalleled warrior from a drama. He stood in the path of the rope dart, unafraid.

clang!
Even though he was just a flower thief famous for stealing jade and stealing fragrance, Zhao Ji, who came from the Imperial City Bureau, at least had the terrifying strength of a Nine-Stars Goalkeeper.

Even though at this moment the hair-breaking rope dart was blocked by a strange figure who suddenly appeared and whose background was unknown, he was shocked but remained calm.

The moment the figure raised his hand, he suddenly lowered his body and used his skill to throw out large numbers of hidden weapons, covering the man in black robe in a rain of pear blossoms.

Gold coin dart, plum blossom needle, iron lotus seed, locust stone
Ding-ding-ding-ding!

The hidden weapon enhanced by the star power cut through the black robe, revealing a dark red metallic cold light. Zhao Ji's heart trembled, and the rope dart danced around like a bee and a butterfly, trying to gather momentum for another attack.

The next moment, a gun barrel as thick as a wrist popped out from the arm armor, aimed at Zhao Ji, and a large-caliber red mercury bomb was fired immediately. Bang!
Under the spiritual lock of the Flying Yaksha, the blazing red fire stream ignored Zhao Ji's constant dodging and attempts to avoid damage, and brazenly penetrated his chest, smashing his internal organs, back muscles and spine into pieces.

The rope dart stained with blood fell weakly. The Flying Yaksha paused for a moment and probed the ground with his spiritual sense.

I saw that one end of the transparent silk rope was tied to the ring of the steel dart, and the other end was tightly held by Zhao Ji, who had fallen silent.

This rope dart soft gun is made of fine steel, with silver patterns and a golden blade. There is a nearly transparent silk rope tied to the tiger-head ring. In the hands of the inspectors working in the Imperial City Bureau, it can be transformed into a steel dart that appears and disappears at any time, just like the flying sword in the vernacular novels.

This is one of the hidden talents of Zhao Ji, the fragrant rat thief.

Zhao Ji was unlucky tonight as he encountered the Flying Yaksha who was invulnerable to swords and spears. Not only was his superb rope dart skills useless, but even the poison darts that would kill if hit or hurt if touched were also ineffective.

"My dear hero, I cannot repay you for saving my life. After we escort these children back home to find their parents, we will inform the owner of the gathering and ask for gold and silver to thank you profusely!"

"Thank you for saving my life."

"Thank you for saving my life."

The children at the other end of the temple followed suit and kept thanking the Flying Yaksha.

The Flying Yaksha said nothing. He picked up the corpse and weapon of the [Fragrance Stealing Rat] and soared into the sky from the big hole above his head, disappearing in an instant.

"My goodness, a great master in the [Heavenly Man] realm, where did this thief cause such trouble?"

"Don't look at it anymore. Collect Scar and Xiaowu's bodies first."

Turning his gaze back to the four bodies that were still warm in the temple, San'er sighed, put down his machete, and went about his business.
-
[You have completed the Yamafu incident: Save the lost lambs]

Rating: 95% (Twenty-seven young unicorns and phoenixes returned to their respective hometowns. Although a few of them caught a cold, it was not a life-threatening illness.)

When you settle the account, you will receive a rare [True Taste] medicinal recipe and a rare ingredient of legendary quality.

"Hey, Lao Qin, do you think it would be in time for the captain to ride a tiger and go upstream to adjust the boats?"

Cha Xiaodao, who was lying on a dry hammock, saw Qin Huai, who had sent the head of the guards away, coming back. He could not help but squint his eyes and raised his hand to pour out the accumulated water on the canvas above his head.

"The area of ​​Wenyan is only a hundred miles in radius. Considering the speed of the mountain lord and the time it takes for the warship to go downstream, I think it will take no more than two hours to see Dutou again."

Qin Huai held a piece of dark red chestnut soup in his mouth and raised his chin.

"Have you decided what to do for this ghost banquet?"

"Hey! Jinhai people will never lose their sanity. Tomorrow I will let these Jiang minions taste what the "Eight Great Bowls" are!"

Cha Xiaodao handed a menu to Qin Huai.

“Stir-fried green shrimp, braised shredded chicken, roasted shredded vegetables, pork ingot, family portrait, osmanthus fish bone.”

Qin Huai flipped through the menu and was a little confused: "That's not right, isn't it the Eight Great Bowls? How come there are sixteen dishes?"

"The [Eight Great Bowls] are divided into two categories, coarse and fine. I wanted to achieve perfection, so I simply made all sixteen dishes."

Cha Xiaodao pointed to the river bank and said, "We'll stay on the shore tonight. Those evildoers won't come up and drag us into the water under the cover of darkness, right?"

"That's hard to say, but I've cast a few evil-repelling talismans around the area, so ordinary ghosts can't get on the shore. You can just sleep peacefully."

Qin Huai turned over and lay down in the hammock, but saw Cha Xiaodao straighten his back and take out the bundle of [Kitchen God Incense] from his personal space.

"Is it midnight?"

"Well, it's time to light some incense. I burn one stick of incense every twelve hours. I really don't know what this incense is made of."

Cha Xiaodao's actions naturally could not be hidden from Qin Huai, who also had the [Stunning Glimpse] ability. As he was not in a hurry to sleep, he simply came down to help set up the incense burner.

Call ~
The dark red incense head emitted a bright flame in the dark night, followed by a strange fragrance that ordinary people could not see or smell, which began to slowly spread within a radius of twenty miles of the [Death Heart Vortex].

The hideous ghosts with terrifying appearances that had been dormant in the river seemed to be appeased. They all stopped their actions, stopped wandering, and began to gather towards the center of the vortex.

"Eat, eat"

"eat!"

"Smells, delicious."

The mumblings of countless ghosts interweave to create a unique prelude to a banquet under the river.

At the sharp bend of Wenyan, the Red Carp Dragon, who was leading thousands of carp soldiers in search of the evil dragon, smelled the strange fragrance, smacked his lips and teeth, and swung his body to rush downstream.

"This damn place called Wenyan actually has a chef who is hosting a banquet. This is a great fortune. I have to go and try it. I have to go and try it."

No matter how benign mountain elves, monsters, demons and ghosts appear, they are ultimately alien races, and there are always almost irreconcilable conflicts between them and humans, the most intelligent creatures on earth.

Survival threats, turf wars, cognitive biases.
It is really difficult to elaborate on all these things, so in the eyes of the humans in Kyushu, although they are all alien species, the monsters and demons with high intelligence are far inferior to the strange beasts of the mountains and seas with mysterious characteristics.

Although the blood and flesh essence of both are useful, the place where those strange beasts live is the Mountain and Sea Realm, which has nothing to do with the Jiuzhou Realm. They will neither cross the gate between the two realms to compete with humans for territory, nor will they threaten the lives and property of the lower-class people. They are much stronger than those insidious and cunning monsters.

The mountain elves, wild monsters, demons and ghosts would naturally not sit idly by and watch the human race's power grow. Despite many constraints, they also discovered many gates between the two worlds and learned the human method of utilizing the exotic beasts from the mountains and seas - cooking, and gradually caught up.

The open struggle was transferred to the world of mountains and seas, and the underlying situation between humans and non-human creatures improved, but there was not much actual improvement.

In order to further balance the forces of all parties, several immortal chefs and celestial demons jointly discussed and came up with something like [Feast] which would benefit both sides.

The Lin chef who possesses the talent of being the master of sacrifice can make many magical dishes with endless uses to cleanse demons and monsters, remove the negative power and violent emotions in their Taoism, and at the same time gather their popularity, increase their intelligence, and improve their degree of transformation.

But generally speaking, the chef who can preside over the [banquet] can only be found in the capital city.

It was the first time for a young lady to be able to smell the incense of a banquet in Wenyan, a deserted place with few people.

(End of this chapter)