Chapter Six, A Pig Butcher

It is certainly not a bright light, but rather a gaze that is slightly brighter than black. When he looks at me, I feel as if he can see through the darkness, perceiving me clearly.

Unlike my appearance resembling a dead dog, that person came in making a great commotion, turning the entire cellar upside down

Indeed, a shaman is a shaman, and a worm-raising woman is a worm-raising woman. The legendary worm-raising woman uses many creatures such as snakes, insects, mice, and ants, which are feared and loathed by everyone, to concoct substances that are used to harm others

He did not just have one "wife"; when Lao Zhu met him, Xiao Zhu had as many as seven "wives," six of whom he took out to sell, leaving one at home to take care of the children

After killing the snake, I disregarded the foul smell and directly placed the mangled wound into my mouth, sucking in a mouthful of the cold snake blood. As the bloody scent filled my nostrils, I, who was nearly collapsing, finally regained my strength.

Because it was late at night and everyone was in a deep sleep, almost no one noticed the situation here

The person took it, sniffed it, and then began to chew it without any hesitation.

After waking up, he fidgeted for at least over an hour. When he finally stopped, feeling parched, he looked around. It was at this moment that I realized why he had seemed a bit different earlier.

Although she is not as captivating as the one who brought me in, she is still the kind that is pleasing to the eye

Unfortunately, such good days gradually disappeared with the progress of the times. Farmers slowly stopped raising pigs and went out to work for money. Meanwhile, pig farms found that Old Zhu's methods were unscientific and not as good as those of technicians who graduated from formal agricultural technical schools, leading to a gradual decline.

My hometown, Jinping, is located at the gateway of the Wanshan Mountain, at the border of Xiangxi. It is a place where many ethnic minorities gather, and there are numerous legends about ghosts, deities, and witchcraft. Tales of poison, the woman of Luohua Cave, and wild creatures like the mountain demon are widely circulated, and almost every elder can recount a wealth of stories.

He ate very quickly, finishing in no time at all. In the end, he even licked his fingers and, with a satisfied burp, remarked that it had been a long time since he had eaten anything, damn it

As I spoke, my stomach began to growl, while he, feeling extremely lethargic, fell asleep again

I had hidden that thing away, but unexpectedly, he saw right through it. After hesitating for a moment, I ultimately decided to hand over the half piece of snake meat and threw it to him

I flatteringly said a few words to this person and suddenly asked, "Brother, do you know why they brought us here?"

However, when a person is pushed to the brink, they will ultimately go mad. A couple of days ago, I was still terrified by the long snake on the wooden fence and the wall. Yet, when hunger strikes, everything evokes an involuntary desire to swallow, and the fear dissipates.

I have not eaten or drunk anything for three days, and I have actually reached the brink of collapse several times. I have extended my hand towards the edge of the rice bowl, but upon recalling the writhing worms inside, I have restrained the thoughts that were gradually overwhelming me.

He was assigned to the adjacent seat on my right

After the burly woman left, the young man next to me noticed that I had not eaten the porridge and asked me what was wrong. I did not tell him that there were worms in the porridge, but simply said I was not hungry. He immediately became excited and said, why not give it to him.

Since death is inevitable, I would rather die of hunger than die with my body infested with worms

Immediately afterwards, he began to tell me the origins of this place

In the night, I finally took action. Driven by hunger and thirst, I pulled down a long snake, as thick as my wrist, and casually smashed its head to pieces with a stone

Among them, the most widely known is the shaman in Shengmiao Village, who is capable of raising and dispelling plagues with her sorcery

I do not want to die

What exactly is the reason that has led him to become so lacking in self-esteem

Afterward, I swallowed and chewed, consuming more than half of the snake, and then hid the remainder beneath a pile of moldy straw

I said with a bitter smile: "I was enchanted by someone, and when I woke up, I found myself here. How would I know?"

Whether or not I believe it, at this very moment, squatting here, surrounded by writhing long snakes, I have no other options available to me

A person addicted to drugs cares little for self-respect, and even their life is almost of no concern; they merely exist in a state of survival, with their mind entirely preoccupied with the thought of taking a hit.

Cousin Zhu Bingyi, after much consideration, decided to take in the down-and-out individual. What this butcher of pigs never expected was that his cousin's livelihood was actually that of a cockfighter

The man was licking his fingers in the dark and, upon hearing what I said, asked in surprise, "You don't know?"

The man seemed to glance around and after a while slowly said: "There are more than ten people locked in here, all of them sleeping like pigs, and you are the only one awake. It is evident that you are a decent person. However, since you have arrived here, it is likely that you will not be able to leave. But if you do not wish to become a wronged ghost, I can tell you a thing or two."

What is a Gu Master?

In the darkness, this person's eyes seem to emit light

The power of hunger is simply immense, driving people to madness

That situation is very similar to the present

I feel a bit nauseous

The man is named Zhu Bingwen, a local resident who used to be a traveling pig butcher, specializing in castrating boars. With a pig slaughtering knife in hand and a shoulder pole on his back, he roamed the countryside, eating at countless households and living a carefree life

Indeed, when those people had all left, he woke up after a short while

In the cellar, it was pitch dark, and I had no sense of time; I could only estimate it by the number of times meals were delivered. Around the third day, a newcomer arrived, a robust man with strong limbs, who was dragged in by a few others.

I feel that he is clearly different from us, not only because of the loud commotion when he entered, but also for some other reasons

For the next two days, I still did not eat a single bowl of thin porridge, all of it was given to that young man. He was so grateful for my care that he was almost in tears, saying that if there was a chance in the future, he would take me to the best Michelin restaurant in Macau to enjoy a feast, with lobster and abalone available to order at will

Several people dragged him in, and I saw the sharp-nosed woman, the middle-aged mute who usually brings us food, and two others, both of whom were women and generally quite beautiful.

One day, he encountered a distant cousin.

This statement is derogatory; to put it simply, it refers to a pimp. My cousin Zhu Bingyi's livelihood involves specifically deceiving young girls from the neighborhood, getting them pregnant, then bringing them home to serve him well. Once they give birth, he takes them out to sell.

With this alone, Zhu Bingyi had already become a millionaire several years ago

The stout man, under the control of several women, found himself utterly helpless, and in the end, he was struck on the back of the head with a club, collapsing silently into unconsciousness

I hesitated for a moment, but after repeated urging from the other party, I still handed it over to him

What is a chicken head

Old Zhu had no other skills and was unwilling to exert himself in the fields, thus he lived in a state of destitution

I thought about drug use

The young man took the bowl, swallowed the porridge in just a few bites, and even, still wanting more, licked the entire bowl clean with his tongue before returning it to me

His cousin Zhu Bingyi is quite a remarkable person. It is said that he owns several properties in the county town and drives a car with four rings, which is rumored to be worth around five to six hundred thousand. Just looking at it makes one envious

Upon hearing this person's words, I immediately realized that he must be privy to some insider information, and thus I felt inclined to establish a connection with him

Those are all legends. After spending many years outside, I have gained more experience and thus become increasingly skeptical.

Is it possible that the worms in this porridge are the main culprits behind his transformation

At first, I was reluctant to admit it, but he insisted that I take out the snake meat hidden beneath the straw and give it to him to eat

After finishing his words, he looked at me again and said with a smile: "You are quite something, kid. They all only know to drink that worm-infested porridge, but you alone know to catch the snakes around here to eat. However, these snakes are the most venomous, known as the iron-headed ones. A single bite would lead to immediate death. How did you manage to kill them?"

I locked eyes with that person for a moment, and he suddenly asked me what I wanted to eat

In the mouth of the old man, the rumors about this poison are truly remarkable. However, in my view, while there may be some basis for its use as a poison, the claim that it can confuse people's minds is indeed somewhat exaggerated

I have already simulated these simple actions in my mind hundreds of times

Logically speaking, a person born into a wealthy family would not be reduced to such a state, even due to hunger