Chapter 4 I am allergic to lamb

Yu Ziqing paused and, to be honest, he truly did not expect to see such a scene here

At this moment, an elderly man leaning on a cane was slowly walking towards Yu Ziqing from behind

Black Boy, you little rascal, don't run away!

The prolonged sound of a call suddenly drowned out all other noises

Frozen with fear, starved with hunger

Unfortunately, that dark-faced man has already disappeared into a hole in the ground. The old man cursed a few times but had no intention of continuing the chase. The people who followed behind seemed to find nothing strange about it, and some even laughed and cursed a few times.

Those who seemed to be going to work turned around in unison, quickened their pace, and rushed towards Yu Ziqing with cheers

What left Yu Ziqing feeling somewhat bewildered was that behind him, there were people carrying wooden sticks and others holding hemp ropes. Upon arriving at the location, they immediately and skillfully set up a framework.

Yu Ziqing slowed his pace, gazing into the distance, and once again made up his mind that no matter what, he must go

Sir, do you mean that I should not go? Or should I be more cautious and investigate first?

Suspended, skinned, the skinless sheep transformed into human form, having endured the agony of being skinned, was carried away by someone

"Sir, I always feel that something is not right. They dare to let me stay without asking anything."

Those who survived being skinned were met with cheers from some, while others fought over them. The dead were discarded to the side, and even a few genuine goats mixed in among them, after being skinned and killed, saw some people immediately starting a bonfire and setting up a large pot suitable for bathing.

This also allows for a conjecture that, in the past two to three months, a significant upheaval occurred in this area, resulting in a severe difficulty in achieving self-sufficiency, and the most basic food supplies are certainly in short supply

In just a breath or two, he had already skinned the goat, and with a flick of his wrist, the short dagger returned to its sheath at his waist

First, establish a foothold in the mine; if the Jinlan Mine is of great importance to certain influential figures, there will undoubtedly be individuals braving the cold winds to come here

Everything is proceeding in an orderly manner

As for those true goats, apart from the very first one, all the rest were separated and carried by people to the high slope on the side, where the cold wind blew fiercely. The meat from these goats would be dried by the wind in just a few days, making it difficult to spoil.

Yu Ziqing came to his senses and suddenly felt that the current appearance of this place was different from what he had imagined; instead, it seemed quite normal.

Hey, little brother, come have some soup

However, what lies before me is completely different

Here comes a newcomer

The expression of the old farmer, who seemed ready to plow the fields, was one of surprise upon seeing his beloved grandson, whom he had not seen for several years. His joy was so overwhelming that he could hardly contain it; before his mind could fully comprehend the situation, his body was already moving with light steps, fearing that if he delayed even a moment, his most cherished grandson would disappear.

The people here are just like ordinary individuals, resembling an average village

Reflecting on the experiences of that female ghost, showing weakness is tantamount to delivering oneself to the slaughter

However, Yu Ziqing feels that it resembles a well-organized assembly line, efficient and smooth

After comprehensive consideration, Yu Ziqing still intends to walk in openly and confidently, regardless of the circumstances, he must first pretend to be self-assured

The man left with the bowl in both hands and approached the old man with a hostile gaze

It is simply a matter of bad luck

Upon hearing these words, the old man was slightly taken aback, and the people behind him also paused for a moment, all turning their gaze towards Yu Ziqing

Yu Ziqing understood Old Yang's concerns; it was impossible not to go. Having come this far, there was nowhere else to go. The idea of investigating was sheer nonsense. He was all alone, a person without the strength to even bind a chicken, half-starved and frozen, a weakling.

The land appears somewhat desolate, with sparse patches of dry grass dotting the surface. In slightly elevated areas, there are numerous openings in the ground, through which people are entering and exiting.

The old sheep showed no response. Yu Ziqing lowered his head to take a look, and the old sheep had already fallen into a deep sleep

With resources depleted and cannibals emerging, although shocked internally, one can still find the phrase "In times of great famine, people resort to cannibalism" to be fitting.

The man was also continuously swallowing, his gaze seemingly locked onto the wooden bowl in his hand

The shepherd has arrived, but this time it seems a bit sparse

"Sir, I am not currently trapped in an illusion, am I?"

At that moment, a sound came from outside

In just a short while, the scene became bustling and lively, reminiscent of a rural market

But recalling the female ghost I encountered before, as well as the man-eating forest, none of those individuals ever mentioned a word about it. Given their nature, it is likely that they could not have escaped that abyss of despair

In other words, those strong individuals should not have encountered this change during their last visit, as it has only emerged in the past two months

Still the same saying, a person should at least not be starved to death

Seeing the goat no longer struggle, the black-faced man moved even faster, forcefully tearing the skin off the goat. He picked up the bloody goat skin, shook it vigorously, and finally, the last bit of skin still clinging to the head completely fell away

On the contrary, when Yu Ziqing is different from everyone else, it is he who is the abnormal one

Except for Yu Ziqing

Taking those few invulnerable evil path powerhouses as a reference, their strength can only allow them to act as henchmen in such remote wilderness. The one from the south, mentioned many times by the old gentleman, in the so-called Great Qian Divine Dynasty, must be even stronger to come here

Yu Ziqing unconsciously extended his arm, tightly holding the old sheep to prevent it from escaping, thus also ensuring that the old sheep would not be taken away to be skinned.

Instead, it is the goat that has bad luck

It should be

The earth pits on the leeward hillside each have a space of about one zhang in size, with poor lighting and ventilation, and the space is cramped. It is difficult for taller individuals to stand up straight, but none of this is a concern. They can shelter from the wind and cold, and with the addition of dry grass for warmth, it is already quite satisfactory

Watching the sheep being slaughtered one after another, the dark magic was dispelled, and more than half of the survivors remained, while the deceased were carried away one by one.

Yu Ziqing shook his head

The flock of sheep that followed behind also rushed out at this moment, vying for the remaining dry grass on the ground

Yu Ziqing stood still for just a few breaths when someone in the distance noticed him

From behind came the sound of angry curses; an elderly man, carrying a pickaxe, was so furious that he was blowing his beard and glaring.

The old man did not ask how the shepherd died, nor did he pay any attention to the old sheep that Yu Ziqing was holding onto, and simply had someone arrange a pit in the ground.

In that illusion, the other individuals that appeared had a distinct cannibalistic appearance, yet there were no discernible traits of practicing dark arts.

While Yu Ziqing was still pondering, the old sheep bit the hem of Yu Ziqing's cloak, glanced at the road ahead, and shook its head at him

Under the disaster, the struggle and fighting for survival seemed quite normal to Yu Ziqing

The old sheep shook its head, and casually raised its front hoof to stomp heavily on Yu Ziqing's foot.

To be honest, Yu Ziqing once speculated that there would be a way to unravel the evil methods here, but he never expected it to be so simple and crude

Even if I were to be hacked to death by chaotic blades or devoured by demons, it would still be better than dying of cold or starvation in the desolate wilderness.

The old man's eyes were cloudy, squinting as he leaned his neck forward, seemingly struggling to see the visitor clearly.

In the blink of an eye, Yu Ziqing felt that responding to the other party's probing with honesty was the best approach, as it would save trouble and prevent being exposed later on

Stepping out of the narrow valley, Yu Ziqing gazed into the mist ahead, understanding in his heart that this Jinlan Mine was likely no longer as he had previously known it.

Nestled in the burrow, the old sheep lay on the hay, drooping its eyelids, utterly exhausted, while Yu Ziqing still forced himself to hold on without resting

Oh, what a pity. The man looked regretful, having upset his stomach; he might die here.

He smelled the scent of burning flames, as well as the aroma of steaming food. He also saw someone carrying a pickaxe, heading deeper into the area, and heard people speaking in various accents, calling out something.

To wish to hide one's traces and explore the unknown ahead is utterly futile. If there are still living people inside, being exposed would be tantamount to harboring ulterior motives and showing weakness.

This is the new recent plan, and at present, it is about how to establish a foothold in the mining site

Yu Ziqing held onto the old sheep, standing there with an expressionless face... No, it was more like he was shocked to the point of numbness, watching this scene as if he were seeing the real world for the first time.

The goat let out a mournful cry, its head tilted to one side, and then it fell silent.

Those people do not display ferocity on their faces, nor do they show malice in their eyes. Ignoring the goats, this is a scene of simple rural life celebrating a grand festival.

In just a short while, the goats that died from being skinned were all of considerable age

He lowered his head to look at the old sheep beside him

Yu Ziqing let out a light sigh, took out a few dirty long robes from the looted belongings, and covered the old sheep with them

I am a chef who has been kidnapped. They won't survive outside for many days, so I brought them all in. I also need to rest here for a few months and will leave when spring arrives. Is that acceptable?

It seems that no one finds anything strange about this scene

The old sheep fell silent for a moment and shook its head

The shepherds have never discussed the internal situation of the mine during their casual conversations, and with the special peril at the entrance, how could such merciless and ruthless cannibalistic evil forces possibly gain entry

Harmony resembles a dream to some extent

The weather has changed outside, it is too cold, and few living creatures can be seen. Yu Ziqing paused slightly, then continued: "All the shepherds have died, this time it is the last time."

In an instant, the skinless goat fell to the ground, transforming into a woman, emaciated and covered in blood, devoid of any clothing.

The temperature here is at least relatively much warmer, making it less likely to freeze to death

What?

Some are herding the sheep, some are sharpening knives, and some are binding the goat's limbs and hanging it on a wooden frame

Yu Ziqing led the old sheep, continuing forward with the remaining flock of sheep

Yu Ziqing did not sense any malice, yet there was always a feeling of unreality in his heart

He pulled apart the split sheepskin with both hands, tearing it forcefully to the sides, the sound of flesh and skin ripping accompanied by a surge of blood.

In the distance, one can still see the depressions that have been excavated on the hillside, with mounds of earth piled up outside, resembling a rudimentary version of earthen caves at first glance

The old man looked up and down at Yu Ziqing, and suddenly revealed a faint smile

No one thinks there is anything wrong with the brutal skinning of those "goats"; if any die, the perpetrators will merely sigh and lament their bad luck

When the time comes, we will find a way to leave the wilderness and head to the warmer south, as this is the best choice. After all, Yu Ziqing has had enough of the freezing weather that nearly leads to death every day

Yu Ziqing's expression remained unchanged as he pointed behind him

Given the current situation of the old sheep, it is feared that it cannot withstand the agony of being skinned

Those who could not endure the pain, who died on the spot, were also carried aside, piled together like garbage

The black-faced man at the forefront pounced on a gaunt goat. With one hand pressing down on the goat's head and the other lifting its hind leg, he looked down and immediately broke into a smile. With a swift motion of his right hand at his waist, a short dagger was already pressed against the goat's jaw.

Otherwise, it is unreasonable for those who have not been driven to madness by desperation, on the brink of starvation, to gather in such numbers resembling cannibals, and that female ghost would not have so decisively thrown the child in her arms off the precipice before her death

The man with a dark face burst into a hearty laugh, lifted the oblivious woman, and with a gust of wind at his feet, ran sideways.

Even though I have witnessed countless lives lost like grass in the past few months, it is nothing compared to the current upheaval of my worldview

As I stepped out of the valley before me, the temperature began to rise once more. Suddenly, a sound of clanging and jingling echoed from ahead, as if the mist had parted, revealing a burst of life in the previously silent world

No, it should be a serious shortage

With the unforeseen events occurring in the vast wilderness, regardless of what the situation was before, there will undoubtedly be those who wish to take advantage of the opportunity to target the Jinlan mine. It is certain that the number of people coming here is not limited to just one or two.

Alright, then you can stay here until spring, but we do not support idlers here

Hey... the old man was somewhat surprised and smiled broadly: "You don't eat lamb? Then just stay for now. Later, you can ask what he will do. We don't keep idle people here."

Only in this way can they maintain a seemingly harmonious and stable appearance even after several months of upheaval

Grandfather, he does not eat, saying that eating lamb will upset his stomach, what should we do

The emergence of a ruthless killer, who shows no hesitation in taking lives, is something that Yu Ziqing also considers to be a normal development

The short dagger slashed down from the jaw, and in the blink of an eye, it carved out a gash over one foot long. Scalding blood gushed forth, and the weak goat let out a terrified wail, yet it could not break free at all. The dark-faced man continued with his right hand, relentlessly tearing open the goat's belly.

Emerging from the burrow, there was a short man holding a wooden bowl, which contained more than half a bowl of thin, clear mutton soup, along with two slices of fatty mutton. The strong gamey and fragrant aromas surged wildly into Yu Ziqing's nose.

Eating lamb can upset my stomach, you all go ahead and eat, just give me some boiled water

Yu Ziqing cautiously took out the recipe from his bosom and glanced at it, confirming that he could still recognize the characters inside. He had heard that one cannot recognize characters in a dream, so it should not be a dream now. Moreover, the sudden ache in his toes from being stepped on suggested that this was indeed real.

This looks like half a foot is already in the coffin, and at first glance, it resembles a confused old man; the first sentence has already dug a pit for him

I am allergic to lamb