Chapter 6: Hungry Ghosts, Black Goat
Moments later, the black goat's face contorted, displaying a disgusting expression as if it had just consumed something repulsive. With a retching sound, it spat the crushed bones onto the ground, and wisps of scorching breath fleetingly passed over the bones.
However, the hungry ghost that was gradually accelerating towards him seemed to sense a deadly crisis. Its body, as if flying close to the stone wall, suddenly halted. An invisible and terrifying pressure pinned its limbs and torso against the stone wall, forcibly imprinting a human shape onto it. In its terror, it found itself unable to escape, and even calling out was beyond its capability.
"Insects!" Er Han exclaimed, his figure swept up by the fierce wind, resembling a powerful arrow as he sped away, and in an instant, he was engaged in battle with the giant insect
No, it is not an ordinary hungry ghost, but a hungry spirit
The old man has a good heart, which is why he allows them to be gluttons; at least when they die, it can be considered a form of relief.
Although I will never starve to death again, I can no longer eat anything and can only endure the hunger, going mad from hunger yet unable to die.
Yu Ziqing smacked his lips and said, Ha, is this an ordinary person
On the distant stone wall, a figure with dry skin, sparse hair, and a sunken, emaciated belly, resembling a desiccated corpse as if all its internal organs had vanished, lay quietly there, its entire body a deep shade of black
Er Han licked his lips, and when it came to food, his eyes sparkled with excitement
After circling the village, I arrived at the entrance of a cave that was at least 30 feet high. There, I saw a short yet sturdy woman carrying a wooden post that was 1 foot in diameter and about 20 feet long, emerging from the cave.
Oh, they are the exception. Grandfather said that dying of starvation is the most tragic way to die. Although they stole and ate white meat, committing a grave mistake, it was because they were too hungry. Even in death, they should be allowed to die with a full stomach, for those who die of starvation will become hungry ghosts
Such intense and pure aura of the blazing sun absolutely does not belong to the people of the Dagan Langya Courtyard; they look down upon those brash individuals whose blood is as fierce as a dragon and whose temperament is as scorching as the sun. With the great changes in the wilderness, the ones who come must be led by cultivators themselves, and there will be no such brash individuals.
Only a hungry ghost can, without the notice of the two fools, evoke a response from him first
After a brief pause, a wooden stump in the forest suddenly collapsed, and a writhing dark red giant beast fell to the ground from the umbrella-like canopy above. This beast was thicker than a human waist and at least six or seven zhang long, resembling a giant python coiled in rings, yet its head clearly bore the mouthparts of an insect.
A black goat, standing as tall as a person and with limbs made entirely of muscle, was cursing in human language while chewing on the remnants of the bones left by the shepherds.
Yu Ziqing was taken aback; he had just heard Er Han mention that there were starving ghosts in the vicinity, and he did not expect to encounter one so soon
"Er Han, you go ahead, I will wait here..."
If there were no reason, it would have been impossible to hold on until now; this is truly not easy. Why suddenly give up and turn to the path of harming others
Unfortunately, he is a wretched hungry ghost; if not necessary, he truly does not wish to eliminate the other party. During the initial period of arriving in this world, he had interactions with hungry ghosts, and surviving the first month in this world was greatly related to the hungry ghosts.
They happen to possess a rare resource in abundance, with an astonishingly high proportion
He seemed to merge with the surrounding stone walls. Upon noticing Yu Ziqing's gaze, he slightly raised his head and slowly revealed a mouthful of sharp teeth, his form resembling that of a gecko as he adhered to the stone wall and gradually approached.
"It would be one thing if others came to bully me, but you, a mere glutton, dare to trouble me. Are you out of your mind?"
Only after the other party emerged from the pit did Yu Ziqing see that the other end of the wooden stake was clustered with large, mushroom-like formations.
Yu Ziqing estimated that this should be the main food in the village, after all, he had not seen any staple crops being cultivated here, nor had he seen anyone growing vegetables
Moreover, surprisingly, no one has come to seize this place and take away the mine
The hungry ghost appeared dazed, remaining in place for several breaths, as if suddenly awakening. A hint of complexity flickered in its pitch-black eyes, only to vanish into the darkness in an instant.
The remnants of the bonfire have been scattered by the wind, and with the heavy snowfall in recent days, almost all traces of what once occurred here are no longer visible. Only a few fragments of the shepherds' bones, which have not yet turned to ash, remain buried beneath the deep snow
After taking another glance at the distance, entangled with the insects, with only the flesh of the foolish creature in sight, Yu Ziqing suddenly understood that it was that giant insect that had discovered this starving ghost, and it was disturbed that it suddenly fell down.
There used to be a river here, where one could catch quite a few fish and dig up plenty of worms by the riverbank. Unfortunately, it is no longer accessible, and I have not eaten worms for a long time
However, at the moment the thought turned, Yu Ziqing looked again and immediately made a denial
At this point, Er Han seemed to recall something, quickly walking out of the earthen kiln. He pointed to a large opening on the hillside to the northwest, which was surrounded by a fence and covered with a net woven from vines.
I do not wish to kill you, do not seek death
That place is off-limits, as there are many starving ghosts inside, and those starving ghosts are quite different from those encountered before; they are particularly fierce
"That is not just any kind of preciousness." Er Han instantly became interested, licking his lips: "Only during the annual exchange of ores with outsiders can everyone receive a little bit."
An ordinary villager who appears extraordinary in every way
Moreover, that sturdy brown log, which I have seen before, should have been cut down by them for use as firewood
In his pitch-black eyes, the reflection of Yu Ziqing began to emerge, the fixed, ferocious expression seemingly manifesting boundless malice at this moment, driving the speed of his intertwined limbs to increase ever more rapidly, silently approaching Yu Ziqing.
Yu Ziqing also hopes that everything can be more stable, at least allowing him to take good care of his health, with the ideal situation being that he could gain an additional twenty to thirty pounds
Once you take this step, there will be no turning back, nor will there be a day of liberation
Still battling the giant insects, with debris flying everywhere, the foolish one remains oblivious to everything.
Decisively admit defeat
Yu Ziqing tucked the short sword back into his bosom and shook his head
Is that thing very precious? Yu Ziqing couldn't help but ask.
Ah... Er Han looked confused and pointed inside: "Aren't you going to take a look with me?"
A faint orange-red glow emanated from deep within, and the heat seemed to be controlled by an invisible force. After taking a few steps forward, the temperature rose sharply. After following Er Han for just about ten steps, Yu Ziqing had already begun to sweat.
Gathering ingredients, returning to cook, if all goes well, this job will take at least three months, or even a little longer, this winter will be very long
Er Han led Yu Ziqing into the cave, descending for about the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, until they arrived at a vast underground space. There, they could see wooden stumps standing on the ground, each topped with large clusters of fungi, resembling canopies that opened up, emitting waves of the unique aroma characteristic of mushrooms.
As he observed the other person's body growing increasingly emaciated and the light in their eyes dimming, Yu Ziqing looked at his abdomen and let out a quiet sigh, sheathing the short sword in his hand. The terrifying killing intent, which only the starving ghosts could perceive, suddenly dissipated.
It was once envisioned that this place would be a sweatshop, with portly overseers wielding barbed whips, forcing the trafficked individuals to engage in perilous and arduous mining work under conditions of starvation, resulting in an excessively high mortality rate, necessitating the continuous purchase of laborers from human traffickers.
Er Han paused slightly, and a hint of terror at the thought of "unable to seek life, unable to seek death" appeared on his face
... ...
After confirming, Yu Ziqing slowly took out the rusted short sword, quietly gazing at the hungry ghost, murmuring softly.
"Starving ghost..." Yu Ziqing seemed to have thought of something, and his expression was slightly nuanced
Did they really not engage in the so-called practice?
Not far from the mountain where the Jinlan mine is located, there is a place where Yu Ziqing once destroyed evidence and erased traces.
Following Er Han, we proceeded into one of the earthen caves we had first seen. The space inside was much larger than expected and also quite empty
Yu Ziqing stood at a distance, his gaze following the sudden sensation that arose within his heart, looking deeper into the unknown
Moments later, Er Han emerged from the depths of the blazing cave, his face unflushed and his heart steady. Just by looking at his expression, it seemed as if he regretted not secretly tasting some of the fresh yellow rice cake that resembled molten lava...
Outrageous
Yu Ziqing murmured softly, yet the hungry ghost listened intently
Do you truly wish for it to be this way
Er Han was somewhat perplexed, holding the tray as he continued to walk inward. After taking about ten steps, the heat distorted the air, causing his figure to appear somewhat warped. After a few more steps, he could only see a blurred shadow of himself.
The person beside, a gaunt figure cloaked in black robes with a concealed face, let out a soft gasp upon witnessing this
Without any preparation, the rust that had formed between the sword blade and the scabbard fell away like dust, gently blown by the wind, and a trace of imperceptible dark light slowly seeped out from the crevice, resembling water overflowing.
The mouth of the black goat also showed signs of being scorched, with charred black marks appearing.
Furthermore, the people of Langya Academy would not handle matters in such a... crude manner
Having just finished the demonstration, Er Han suddenly stood up and, with vigilance, gazed deep into the mushroom forest
What is understood now is the upcoming work content for Yu Ziqing
An ordinary person like Er Han, who can laugh heartily even while grappling with giant insects, has not noticed the starving ghost, and he has even less reason and ability to discover it
Never mind, you go ahead and put your things away, I will wait for you here
Unfortunately, the outcome was completely different from what he had envisioned, and the water here is much deeper than he had anticipated
After a brief contemplation, Yu Ziqing immediately concluded the process of his intricate thoughts.
It would be one thing if the people from Langya Academy came to bully us, but now even the most insignificant individuals dare to cause us trouble
"Hungry Ghost?"
Er Han was swinging an axe to chop mushrooms nearby. The thick log appeared sturdy, but its root resembled cork, possessing very low hardness. This relieved Yu Ziqing, as he was genuinely afraid that he would not be able to manage it.
If what appeared just now had been something else, Yu Ziqing would not have even entertained the thought of showing mercy to his subordinates; he would have immediately called Er Han to save his life
Seeing that you have no internal organs and no bloodthirsty aura about you, it is certain that you have never harmed anyone nor have you been stained by blood
Before that... Yu Ziqing felt uncertain about whether this question was appropriate to ask, but he thought that gaining more understanding and accumulating more information would help ease his unease.
Forget it, it is better to honestly heed the advice of the old sheep, refrain from meddling in others' affairs, and avoid excessive curiosity. Once the body has recovered, supplement with some nourishment, and leave this place before the arrival of spring