Chapter 61

As night fell, it was already past eight o'clock, or the hour of the Dog. Although the sky was dotted with stars, they were faintly visible. For the ancient people who suffered from night blindness, it was already time to rest. However, tonight, the village of Xishan was lit up with many torches, making the entire village bright. Many people sat at their doorsteps, chatting about something, creating a lively atmosphere.

There was a reason why the people of Xishan were not sleeping. A few days ago, Mr. Bian announced that there was a great demon dragon in Fushan. Since then, this demon dragon had been the focus of the villagers' discussions. Today, the news reached its peak because Mr. Bian led a group to Fushan to meet the demon dragon. Among them were some village gentry and their managers, preparing to discuss a deal with the demon dragon.

Although the people of Xishan had been discussing this for over ten days, and Mr. Bian, a scholar, and several hunters had spoken confidently, the villagers were still skeptical. After all, it was a demon, a legendary creature with great powers and a penchant for eating people, which the villagers found hard to accept.

However, tonight, everything would be settled. Whether the demon was real or not would be clear once those people returned. If the demon dragon was indeed benevolent and willing to trade with humans, and if the gentry dared to do so, the common people would naturally follow. The idea of trading with a demon dragon was thrilling to the people of Xishan.

Anping, along with his subordinates, stood by the wooden gate, climbed onto a platform, and looked toward Fushan. Anping was the chief of Xishan, a prominent figure in a place without any noble families. Despite his power, Anping was relatively fair and respected by the villagers.

"Why haven't they returned yet?" Anping was somewhat anxious. He always found the story of the demon dragon unreliable, but Mr. Bian was a person of great reputation, and even Anping dared not question him.

"Don't worry, Chief. Mr. Bian said they would return today. Just wait a bit longer, and you'll see them," a man beside him said softly.

One person with keen eyesight saw the torchlight in the distance and quickly shouted, "Chief, they're back!"

This news quickly spread back to Xishan, and soon everyone in the village knew. By the time the torches were near, the wooden gate was already crowded with people, forming a tight circle. This was a big event for Xishan, and no one was indifferent.

Mr. Bian arrived at the wooden gate, which was already open. The first thing he saw was Anping's face. Anping stepped forward, "Mr. Bian, you're finally back."

Mr. Bian smiled, "Thank you for waiting so long."

The crowd behind him called out, "Iron Two, you're back?"

"Old Zhang, did you see the demon dragon?"

"Li Bo, what does the demon dragon look like? Is it a hundred feet long with a huge mouth? Did it eat anyone?"

Mr. Bian frowned slightly but then relaxed. "Alright, there's no need for me to announce it specifically. Just by word of mouth, the news of the demon dragon will spread throughout Xishan by tomorrow." He approached Anping, "Chief Anping, I have something to discuss with you."

"Ah, then please come to my house. I'll have my wife prepare some wine and food, and we can talk in detail," Anping understood the implications.

Mr. Bian looked back at Cui Lan and nodded. Cui Lan bowed, remembering what Mr. Bian had told her on the way. Mr. Bian then went with Anping.

After these two left, the place became even more lively. Since they were all from the same village, they knew each other well and spoke without reservation. The twenty or so people who went to see the demon dragon recounted their experiences. Some exaggerated, while others were more realistic. Regardless, with so many people speaking, the villagers believed the story. Once they believed it, they asked about what they were most concerned about.

"Is it true that the demon dragon wants to collect locusts? One dou of locusts for a wild chicken or a rabbit?"

"Is that possible? Aren't locusts everywhere? My child can catch three or five of them."

"It's true. A dou can only hold about twenty locusts. If your child catches a few more, they can exchange for a rabbit."

"Twenty locusts for a wild chicken or a rabbit? Could we get eight or ten rabbits every day?"

"Absolutely, could the demon dragon be fake? The demon dragon even treated us to deer meat, which even the nobles in Luoyang might not get to eat."

"Cui Lan is even more impressive now. The demon dragon said that Cui Lan would be responsible for collecting the locusts we catch. Cui Lan will hand them directly to the demon dragon, and it seems the demon dragon trusts Cui Lan a lot."

"Cui Lan?"

"Yes."

The way the villagers looked at Cui Lan changed. This was related to their interests. One dou of locusts for a wild chicken or a rabbit was a windfall they had never encountered before. Cui Lan now seemed to have become the demon dragon, their provider. At this moment, who could treat Cui Lan with a normal heart? Immediately, a crowd gathered around Cui Lan, each trying to say something nice. Some invited Cui Lan to their homes the next day, while others suggested going to the market with their wives. They were extremely热情.

Cui Lan's face was stiff from smiling. There were fewer people at Longtan, but here there were too many. Even if Cui Lan agreed to each one, she couldn't possibly keep up. Finally, she had a sudden idea and said she needed to prepare for the demon dragon's affairs and had to return early. The villagers then let Cui Lan go. As she left, she faintly heard the villagers' comments.

"Cui Lan's luck has finally turned."

"I've always said this girl has good fortune, but you didn't listen. Look, now even the demon dragon has noticed her."

"Unfortunately, my son is already engaged."

"Does Cui Lan even care about your son now?"

Cui Lan smiled bitterly, but she felt extremely pleased. Her thoughts were now different.

Outside the village of Xishan, about five li away, a person was walking stealthily. If you looked closely, you could see that this person had also gone to Longtan today.

This person reached a field, whistled a few times, and soon received a response. He breathed a sigh of relief and quickly walked toward the source of the whistle. As he approached, someone laughed and asked, "Wang Wu, why are you being so careful? Ha ha."

A look of annoyance flashed across Wang Wu's face, but he quickly lowered his head and said in a fawning manner, "Brother Zhang Liujie."

Several people emerged from the grass. One of them demanded, "Wang Wu, did you see the demon snake today?"

The person who had spoken earlier was Zhang Liujie. Hearing his companion, he laughed, "There's no such thing as a demon snake. It's just the talk of ignorant people."

"Wang Wu, what do you say?"

Wang Wu bowed, "Brother Cheng, we did see the demon snake today."

"Really?" Zhang Liujie was greatly surprised.

Wang Wu felt a surge of satisfaction but didn't show it. He said honestly, "It's true. The demon snake is in Fushan, and we all saw it."

"Is there really a demon snake? It seems Brother Xu was right. Wang Wu, tell us everything you saw and heard, without leaving out any details."

Wang Wu recounted everything he had seen and heard at Longtan. The more he spoke, the more surprised the others became. The demon snake was indeed as it had been described, able to speak and understand human affairs.

"Does the demon snake have any magical powers?"

"Not that I saw."

"You said Mr. Bian will go to the demon snake tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"Alright, keep a close eye on Mr. Bian. When the time comes, Brother Xu won't forget your help. We need to return quickly and inform Brother Xu."

The group turned and left. Wang Wu waited until they were far away, then spat, "Do you really think you can kill the demon dragon? You're just dreaming. The demon dragon will eat you all. But that's fine, it will save me from my gambling debts."

Thinking about this, Wang Wu happily returned to Xishan.

PS: Thank you to Feathered Snake for the generous tip again, and to Brother Lost Bun for your kindness. Thank you. Also, please recommend and follow the story.