Chapter 268: Pixian

After Bai Lingmiao delivered the two bowls of rice, Li Huowang saw the two wheat harvesters trembling with excitement, constantly bowing and thanking Bai Lingmiao.

Unlike Li Huowang's group, who still needed wild vegetable soup to cut through the richness, the two harvesters had no such concerns. With almost reverent expressions, they held their bowls with both hands, eating the cured meat rice bite by bite.

The rice in the bowls was quickly finished, but the cured meat was carefully picked out by both of them. They cautiously wrapped it in cloth, seemingly intending to save the meat for later.

The old harvester ran to the stream by the field. After washing the two bowls thoroughly, he revealed a few missing teeth and smiled as he presented the bowls to Li Huowang, recognizing his status among the group.

He seemed to want to say something, but he was tongue-tied. Ultimately, Li Huowang was the first to speak.

"Old man, there are so many fields in Daliang with such good harvests. You're so old, why are you still working in the fields?"

"Those... those belong to the landlord. No matter how good the harvest is, it has nothing to do with us. I won't even get half a grain of rice."

After the old harvester spoke, as if breaking the barrier between them, he smiled at Li Huowang again. "Daoist master, thank you for the grain. It's so rich! One meal is like three."

"You're too kind, it was just a meal," Li Huowang said, finally revealing his true purpose. "Old man, do you always work in the wheat fields around here? Have you ever been to Pi County?"

"Why wouldn't I have? Many times! Huh—I've worked all the grain fields in Pi County over the years!" As soon as the topic of his familiar work came up, the harvester's confidence immediately returned, and his two calloused hands gestured in the air.

"Let me tell you, harvesting wheat is a skilled job. Those young hotheads don't have the knack, they can't cut as well as me! Just take holding the sickle handle, for example. Too high won't work, too low won't work, it has to be just right..."

Li Huowang looked up and interrupted him. "Old man, have you been to Pi County recently?"

"Been there! Of course, I have. I came back to pick up my nephew; otherwise, I would have harvested all the grain fields in Pi County by myself! You see, harvesting wheat requires skill—"

"You've truly been there? Didn't you notice anything unusual about the people there?"

Li Huowang wasn't afraid there was a problem there; he was afraid the problem wasn't big enough. If it wasn't significant enough to attract the Jiantian Division, then his trip would be in vain. He also needed to clarify the timing. If the Jiantian Division had already been there, his journey would also be pointless.

Seeing Li Huowang's expression turn serious, the old harvester became a little nervous. He scratched the back of his head and hesitantly said, "The people there aren't really different. They pay well and treat us fairly. But they do prefer to stay indoors and don't come out often. They leave money and food outside the door for us to take."

*Nervous, bad complexion, and prefer to stay indoors?* Li Huowang silently analyzed these three peculiar pieces of information in his mind. Regardless, it seemed the Jiantian Division hadn't resolved the issue yet.

Li Huowang recalled everything he had encountered before and added to the question: "And what else? Do they... look any different from ordinary people?"

"No change. How different can people be from one another?"

Li Huowang, of course, knew that people were all alike, but he now suspected that those living in Pi County might not be human.

"Whatever is happening there, I hope it's significant," Li Huowang thought to himself.

Seeing that the other party had stopped talking, the old harvester thought for a moment, then turned and walked towards his nephew.

But halfway there, the old harvester turned back. "Oh, right, there's one more thing I didn't mention. In Pi County, they beat their children quite severely, very severely!"

"When I had just collected my copper coins, I passed by a window, and the sound of children crying inside... tsk tsk tsk, it was truly unbearable to hear."

Li Huowang thoughtfully stroked his chin. "Are they truly just beating children? Or are they doing something else with the children?" His mind couldn't help but recall how the river bandits had used child boys and girls to summon the River God. In this utterly insane world, Li Huowang always prepared for the worst.

After hearing what the man said, Li Huowang felt a new layer of worry. He hoped the situation in Pi County was significant enough to attract the Jiantian Division, but he also didn't want this significant event to put them in danger.

By the time Li Huowang came back to his senses, the old harvester had left, and night had fallen. Li Huowang shook his head, stood up, and went to the stream by the field to wash up. "The more I think, the more confused I get. I'll just stop thinking about it for now. I'll get there first, then decide after seeing the actual situation."

The two harvesters parted ways the next day. After all, the wheat in Pi County had been fully harvested, and they needed to go to other wheat fields.

Days passed. Whenever they met other travelers on the road, Li Huowang would try to subtly gather information about Pi County from them. Unfortunately, these people either didn't know, or they claimed Pi County was plagued by an epidemic, advising Li Huowang and his group not to go. He didn't find any useful information from them. The only consolation on their journey was that they didn't encounter any horse bandits or robbers.

Finally, with Li Huowang feeling a bit uneasy, they arrived at Pi County.

"Is this Pi County?" Li Huowang stood on a hillside, looking through his fully healed new eyes at the square-shaped county town below.

It was an overcast day. The sky was gloomy, and against this backdrop, Pi County appeared particularly eerie. Seeing the shape of the county town, Li Huowang finally understood why it was called Pi County: its general outline resembled the Chinese character 'Pi' (匹).

"This place doesn't seem peaceful at all. Stay alert, everyone." Li Huowang finished speaking, then lifted his foot and walked towards the so-called Pi County.

Immediately upon entering the county, Li Huowang distinctly felt something was off. Compared to the previous county town, there were too few people here. The streets were empty, and the few people who occasionally passed them seemed to be in a hurry. Li Huowang felt many gazes on him. These glances shot out from behind windows. He glanced around and could already imagine many people peeking out with their backs hunched, secretly watching their group of outsiders.

Just then, a woman with her hair in a bun, wearing a hemp skirt and carrying a child, approached them, her face looking very haggard. As soon as she got close, she was clearly startled by Li Huowang and his group. She bit her lower lip, clutching her crying child tightly, and hurried past them along the roadside eaves.

Just as the woman was closest to him, Li Huowang slightly closed his eyes and inexplicably sniffed.

"Woof..." Mantou, with his red tongue hanging out, sat on the ground, pawing at Li Huowang's lower garment with his two white front paws.

Li Huowang patted Mantou's dog head. "Did you smell it too? That's right, she smells of blood and rust."