Chapter 8

Seeing that his physical condition was still poor, Wang Qilin and Xu Da did not mention the abnormal qi-eating ghost from last night, as it had already been dealt with.

Du Cao went back to rest.

Wang Qilin, as a wandering star, recorded the case of killing the qi-eating ghost last night.

Hu Pi continued to jump through windows.

Xu Da continued to practice lifting stone locks.

At noon, they still had braised mutton, which Du Cao gave them as a reward for completing their tasks alone.

The braised mutton in Fulong Township was quite famous in Jixiang County. Large pieces of mutton were stewed in a grinding stone pot until they were extremely tender, the meat juice mixed with the broth, and a layer of oil floated on top. Just looking at it made one's mouth water.

Sprinkled with fennel, wild scallions, and pepper, each bite was filled with a glutinous and fragrant juice, the soft meat blocks easily crumbled in the mouth, and eating it made one feel comfortable all over.

A large bowl of mutton cost twenty copper coins, which could buy four pounds of high-quality white rice.

Xu Da restrained himself and ate four bowls.

Wang Qilin scolded him: "You're a glutton!"

Xu Da knew he had eaten a lot and couldn't argue, so he could only smile awkwardly and look at Wang Qilin, only to see that he had five bowls in front of him!

This made him furious: "You ate more than me?"

Wang Qilin loosened his belt: "Old man, one more bowl."

Xu Da was exasperated: "You can still eat?"

Wang Qilin said: "I'm full, I'll take this bowl home for dinner."

Xu Da: "You can do that?"

Wang Qilin was taking this bowl back for Du Cao. After eating this bowl of meat, his energy improved significantly in the afternoon, his face no longer looked sallow, and he regained some color.

Another day passed, it was the 14th of March.

The old almanac said that today was suitable for sacrifices, blessings, prayers, fasting, and coming-of-age ceremonies, but it was inauspicious for consecration, marriage, well-digging, burial, and visiting.

Wang Qilin thought about it and decided that their visit to Xiamaling today also had the meaning of visiting, so he erased the last two characters with a brush.

Xu Da saw this and asked: "What are you doing?"

Wang Qilin said: "In life, one must control their own destiny, because only oneself is reliable."

Xu Da was stunned: "If that's the case, isn't my fate doomed?"

He was worried and, seeing a vendor selling stir-fried chestnuts, he took out six copper coins to buy a pack to comfort himself.

Xiamaling was a small hill with steep terrain, but the land at the foot of the hill was very fertile, so several villages had once lived in that area, each village with a different surname.

Time flies, and after several generations of the Zhong family's efforts, they drove away the other families that had settled at the foot of the hill and completely occupied the place.

Du Cao commented: "The Zhong family is very powerful. Although they live in the countryside, they have strong cohesion and produce many talents. They were originally outsiders, with only a dozen households fleeing to Xiamaling, but after several generations, only the Zhong family remained in Xiamaling."

Xiamaling was more than twenty miles from the town, and it would take a good few hours to walk there, so Xu Da hired a carriage.

After a bumpy ride, a mountain range finally appeared on the plain, which was Xiamaling. It wasn't very tall but was indeed steep, with some peaks almost vertical.

At the foot of the mountain, the fields were scattered like stars, and some houses were scattered on the rocks higher up, which were the residences of the Zhong family.

Entering the Zhong family village, Xu Da explained: "The Zhong family's residences are divided by height. The lower part is called the lower residence, where tenant farmers, shepherds, and pig herders, who have no status, live. The upper part is called the upper residence, where the family members with status live."

After the Qingming Festival, the rain was abundant, and there was a lot of work in the fields during the spring plowing season. The people in the lower residence were all working in the fields, and only a few old men could be seen leaning against the walls in the upper residence, watching the children.

There was a checkpoint between the upper and lower residences. A middle-aged man in a long robe called out from above: "Stop! Who are you?"

Several children followed, shouting: "Who are you? What is the big black guy eating?"

Xu Da's face darkened, and he shouted: "Silence! Can't you see the black brocade robe on me? We are from the Heavenly Listener Bureau, let your head come out!"

The black brocade short robe was exclusive to the Heavenly Listener Bureau, even more impressive than the armor of soldiers.

The children were scared away, and the middle-aged man, seeing their clothing, hurriedly ran down and bowed repeatedly: "Gentlemen, I apologize, my eyes are blind..."

"Let Zhong Youfu come out," Du Cao said solemnly.

The middle-aged man looked troubled: "Our, our former head, has passed away. Otherwise, I would go and ask our current head to meet you, gentlemen."

"When did he pass away?"

"About four or five days ago."

Du Cao asked again: "Who is your current head?"

The middle-aged man's expression was somewhat strange: "It's Zhong Youshou."

"Take us to see him," Du Cao said calmly.

The middle-aged man bowed again: "How dare I trouble the gentlemen? I will go and call him out."

Zhong Youshou was a hunchbacked old man with sparse hair and a yellowish complexion. The middle-aged man quickly went to fetch him.

The old man's legs were not very good, and he limped on the mountain path, accompanied by a large yellow dog that also limped.

At first, the three thought the dog had a lame leg, but when the middle-aged man waved and scolded it, the dog suddenly ran normally towards them.

Xu Da found it interesting and asked Zhong Youshou: "Old man, is your dog fierce? Will it bite me if I touch it?"

Zhong Youshou grinned: "My dog is very gentle, it won't bite. You can touch it however you like."

Xu Da, reassured, reached out to pet the dog's head, but the big yellow dog suddenly opened its mouth and bit down.

The *Taiyin Soul-Cutting Saber* emphasized speed, and Wang Qilin flicked his wrist, pushing the scabbard into the dog's mouth, giving it a deep throat.

Xu Da escaped, and he glared at Zhong Youshou, shouting: "Didn't you say your dog doesn't bite?"

Zhong Youshou shrank back and said: "But this dog isn't mine."

Du Cao turned to look down the mountain, a smile on his lips.

Wang Qilin laughed without restraint.

Xu Da said resentfully: "Is this old man a bit off in the head?"

The middle-aged man stammered: "I'm really sorry, sir, our new head, he, he..."

He hesitated and looked at Zhong Youshou, but ultimately didn't say anything more after the 'he'.

However, a bold child ran up and said with a smile: "Grandpa Shou is a fool. If you don't believe me, give me a few chestnuts, and I'll prove it to you."

Xu Da grabbed five or six sugar chestnuts and gave them to the child. The child held one in his left hand and two in his right, showing them to Zhong Youshou: "Grandpa Shou, which one do you want?"

Zhong Youshou reached out and took the two chestnuts in the child's right hand.

The child smiled at Xu Da: "Did you see that?"

Xu Da was puzzled: "See what? Did he choose the wrong one?"

The child widened his eyes: "Of course, let me choose."

Xu Da was confused and also held one chestnut in each hand: "Which one do you choose?"

The child took all three chestnuts: "I want them all."

Xu Da was stunned: "Damn!"

The child comforted him: "You're not a fool, Grandpa Shou used to be a fool. He always chose one chestnut. Ha, we always tease him like this."

Wang Qilin looked at the smiling Zhong Youshou and instinctively felt that the old man might not be a fool.

Could a fool be the head of the family?

Who are you kidding!

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