Chapter 6

The scholar said, "Headman, I believe we need to be cautious. We had better..."

Before the scholar could finish his sentence, a loud and frantic cry came from outside the courtyard, "Headman, Headman, something terrible has happened!"

Everyone turned to look in the direction of the voice and saw a man who looked like a peasant running over. Everyone knew him; he was a long-term laborer in the Headman's household, skilled at farming, and known for his honesty and never lying.

"Shouting like this, what kind of decorum is this? Can't you see I'm in a meeting?" The Headman's face darkened as he scolded.

The laborer's face was pale, his expression filled with fear, and he didn't even hear the Headman's rebuke. He pointed behind him, "Headman, there's a monster! There's a monster!"

Everyone was startled and stood up in shock. The shrewd man was the first to react, "Don't panic, speak slowly. What exactly happened?"

The laborer continued to babble, "There's a monster! There's a monster!"

The Headman, growing impatient, took a few steps forward and slapped the laborer across the face.

The laborer, feeling the pain, finally regained his composure. He held his cheek and recounted the events.

The Headman's household raised a flock of sheep. In the past, someone had to take them out to graze every day, but after some people fleeing from famine stole a few sheep, the Headman stopped letting them graze and instead had people cut grass outside and bring it back to feed the sheep.

The laborer was responsible for this task. Today, as usual, he hitched up a cart and went to the banks of the Xun River to cut grass. When he arrived, he noticed something unusual. In the cornfields by the river, many young corn plants were flattened, as if something had trampled through them.

At first, the laborer didn't pay much attention and continued to cut grass by the river. When he reached a patch of grass that was more than half a person's height, he suddenly saw a large snake, as thick as a water bucket and two or three zhang long, coiled up like a small mountain.

The laborer was terrified and ran back immediately.

Upon hearing this, the Headman and the others were all shocked. They had lived by the Xun River for generations and had never heard of such a large snake in the river. Could this be the river monster the old Taoist mentioned?

The Headman, sitting in his chair, turned pale. He had gathered everyone here partly because he still had some doubts about the old Taoist, but now, with his own laborer confirming the presence of a large snake in the river, how could he not be afraid?

As the Headman, he was responsible for protecting the villagers. Even if he set aside his duties, his family had lived here for generations, with a large number of wives and children. If anyone were to be swallowed by the snake while walking by the river, who would he turn to for justice?

Even if the snake didn't eat people, according to the old Taoist, if it stayed in the river for too long, the drought that had spread to neighboring states would also affect their area. They would have to abandon their homes and flee.

"Everyone, I think we shouldn't discuss this further. We should quickly prepare the young boys and girls," an elderly villager said.

The scholar said, "I think we should first verify whether what the laborer said is true. Headman, I humbly request that you personally go to the river to check."

The shrewd man spat, "Scholar, don't you know there's a river monster? Why don't you go yourself?"

The Headman swallowed hard, "We are about to face a great disaster. Let's not argue. We should follow the elder's advice and quickly discuss how to prepare the young boys and girls to remove the river monster."

Everyone fell silent again. They didn't understand the ritual to remove the monster, but they had heard of the ceremony to worship the river god, and some had even experienced it. Regardless of the process, the result was always the same: the children chosen as sacrifices would die.

If the old Taoist only needed one or two young boys and girls, the town could manage. But he asked for sixty-three, and the town had only about 1,500 people. This would mean taking all the young boys and girls from the town, cutting off the future of the entire village. Even the Headman wouldn't dare to oppose the entire town.

Seeing that no one was willing to speak, the Headman said, "I know everyone has concerns, but for the future of our town, we must do something. The old Taoist has given us only three days. If we don't find the children by then, he will leave, and we won't know where to find him.

Moreover, things might not be as severe as we think. The old Taoist promised that after he performs his ritual, he will choose the best from the sixty-three young boys and girls to be his disciples. This is a rare opportunity to become immortal."

The scholar's eyes flickered, "Headman, everyone, I have an idea. Our town is surrounded by people fleeing from famine, some of whom have children. We could gather these children and see if we can find sixty-three young boys and girls."

The Headman was surprised, "Would that work?"

The scholar snorted, "These refugees are gathered around our town, seeking our protection. They should contribute something."

The Headman pondered, not immediately agreeing to the scholar's suggestion, "Everyone, more and more refugees are gathering around our town. If we're not careful, they could turn into a mob. With only 1,500 people in our town, we can't suppress them. We must be cautious."

The shrewd man said, "The Headman's concerns are valid. However, the scholar's method can be implemented. We can buy the children from the refugees under the pretense of purchasing slaves, then offer them to the old Taoist for his ritual."

The Headman nodded, "That's a good idea. But the money to buy these young boys and girls..."

"Money? For each young boy or girl, give their families half a bag of bran. That should be enough," the shrewd man said with a cold laugh.

***

The town of Junbao had only about 1,000 people, not a large town, but it had all the necessary facilities, including inns, taverns, and teahouses. However, being a small place, there was no specialized fur shop, and no one specifically collected furs.

Li Wenjun first went to the pawnshop. The offer was very low. Li Wenjun rolled up the wolf skin, and the pawnshop manager, with his triangular eyes, grabbed the wolf skin, about to threaten Li Wenjun to sell it at a low price.

Li Wenjun pulled out the hatchet from his waist, his eyes fierce, and glared at the manager, "This wolf was killed by me. I can kill wolves, and I can kill people."

The manager's heart trembled. Although he wanted to keep the wolf skin, he valued his life more. He had a family and a comfortable life, and there was no need to offend Li Wenjun over a wolf skin.

The manager's face darkened, and he let go.

The manager didn't know Li Wenjun, but he could tell that he was likely one of the refugees. Thousands of refugees were gathered outside the town, a powder keg ready to explode. If the refugees revolted, his comfortable life and even his family's safety would be at risk.

The manager didn't want to lose everything, so he decided not to be the spark. He also gave up the idea of settling the score with Li Wenjun later.

Of course, someone who worked in a pawnshop was not known for kindness. If there was an opportunity to get back at Li Wenjun without implicating himself, the manager would not hesitate.

Li Wenjun took the opportunity to roll up the wolf skin and left the pawnshop. He asked around and learned that, besides the pawnshop, the only other place in Junbao that might buy wolf skins was the general store at the end of the street. He carried the wolf skin and headed there.

Before he reached the end of the street, Li Wenjun heard a clanging sound. He walked a few more steps and saw a simple blacksmith's shop made of branches and thatch, with a hoe hanging at the entrance as a sign.

Li Wenjun's heart stirred. He remembered the struggle to kill the wolf. If he had a proper weapon, he might not have won so narrowly. With refugees everywhere and the situation chaotic, he needed a means to defend himself.

With this in mind, Li Wenjun entered the blacksmith's shop.

The blacksmith was a robust man in his forties, bare-chested. He was repairing a hoe for someone. He looked up at Li Wenjun and said coldly, "I don't take apprentices here."

Li Wenjun smiled, "I'm here to buy something."

Hearing this, the blacksmith's face lit up. Business was slow, and he mainly repaired tools for the villagers, like hoes.