Da Zaojun

Chapter 12 Entering the City
Because County Magistrate Chen personally suppressed the rebellion, and with the help of the charity tents and the active maintenance of order by the "literary henchman" Sun Xiucai, the people felt that there was a real hope of entering the city and that it was not a deception, so they all obeyed the arrangements obediently.

When it was noon and the city gates were finally opened, there was no major chaos.

Song Wuji had been waiting for a long time. He had just received another bowl of relief porridge, but he still didn't feel full. He was very hungry, so he secretly ate a handful of soil from the city wall. The taste was not very good, but it satisfied his hunger.

It’s a pity that since ancient times, when there was a famine, the people would use "Guanyin soil" to satisfy hunger. Many people died of falling intestines or starving to death. I didn’t expect that I would do the same thing.

"Kitchen God, Kitchen God, you are in charge of people's meals. No wonder the first sentence in the Kitchen Book says: 'Food is the most important thing for the people.'"

A line of poetry came to Song Wuji's mind: "I don't know what the Lord of the Sky is doing? Most of the people who endure hunger are hardworking farmers."

Although Song Wuji ate dirt, he had the additional state of "those who eat dirt are unintentional but wise". If the common people ate dirt, they would really be left with no way out.

After eating his fill of dirt, Song Wuji saw the minister Sun Xiucai come to the city gate in person to negotiate.

After he said a few words, County Magistrate Chen let him go and asked Lu Han to hand him over.

Lu Han was the city gate officer temporarily appointed by the county magistrate Tian Chengbi. Only after he identified the true identity of the disaster victims could he enter the city.

Lu Han was on the city wall. After hearing Tian Chengbi say that Sun Xiucai was a little deliberate, he also used the art of gazing to observe him, but found nothing unusual. Now when he was in close contact with Sun Xiucai, he felt that he was no different from what he had seen before.

"The student has seen the instructor."

"You are very good." Lu Han said: "Your actions are seen by the officials."

Lu Han wanted to see his reaction.

Sun Xiucai looked flattered and said, "These are what students should do. As the saying goes, every citizen has a share of responsibility for the fate of a country. I just want to have a clear conscience."

"That's good enough," Lu Han said. "I have important matters to attend to. Once the first group of people enter the city, I'll personally introduce you."

"I thank you, Master!" He then handed the Supplementary Illustrations of Bai Ze Spirits and Monsters to the Master. "These are my collections, based on the accounts of the victims. They all contain accounts of demons and monsters."

"Now, demons have appeared in the four townships and three towns of Taichang County. Students have confirmed that there are tiger demons, snake demons, pig demons, and bat demons."

"The tiger demon is a predator. Those who work for it are no different from living people. They may have already mingled with the victims."

"Snake demons are lazy, but extremely poisonous and enormous. According to folklore, they might even be able to cause floods."

"The pig demon is violent, lustful, gluttonous, and sleepy, but he's also extremely cunning, skilled in schemes, and driven by profit. He's already set up a meat market on Wild Boar Hill."

"The bat demon hides during the day and comes out at night. It likes to suck human blood, can fly, and is suspected of spreading plague."

Sun Xiucai said solemnly: "Please submit this to the officials."

"As for entering the city, the students are willing to wait until all the disaster victims have entered the city before entering the city."

Lu Han took it solemnly, opened it and took a look. It was rich in pictures and texts, and the handwriting was very neat, but the pictures exuded a ghostly feeling, and there was a sense of foreboding.

"Okay, since you're so kind, I'll personally give it to you, but you still have to cherish your usefulness and hurry into the city to avoid any misfortune."

"The disaster victims still need students. Without them, they will feel uneasy."

Seeing him like this, Lu Han didn't force him.

"This is the register of citizens compiled by the students in advance. One is for young and strong people, and one is for various craftsmen and those who can read and write." "They are now ready to verify their identities."

Lu Han nodded: "Thank you for your hard work."

Then, Lu Han talked with Chen Xiu. A moment later, a group of people came to Song Wuji and said, "Come here in groups of five. Those whose names are called, follow me into the city."

Song Wuji's name was not at the top, so after watching Lu Han and Sun Xiucai talking smoothly for a while, he felt anxious: The city gates are wide open, can't they identify the demons and ghosts?

Just now, when he saw County Magistrate Chen bend his bow and shoot the evil spirits in a very handsome manner, Song Wuji thought he had found a solution.

However, Song Wuji hadn't been watching for long when his name was called.

But he and four other people were led to a room behind the city gate, which used to be a place where weapons or some city defense equipment were stored.

One or two have been cleaned up at this time.

A man dressed like a butcher was guarding the door, and inside were two yamen runners, holding ropes in their hands and with unfriendly looks on their faces, making people wonder if they were called here to strangle people to death and rob them of their money.

"Take off your clothes and check your identity."

"Are you going to take off your clothes again?" the person in front of Song Wuji exclaimed.

"If you don't take off your clothes, how can I tell if you have any wounds or if you've turned into a zombie? Stop talking nonsense, just take them off when I tell you to!"

Then Song Wuji saw the carpenter in front of him holding the "wooden man" turned around in panic and tried to escape.

He took off his clothes and found that his body was made of wood, with only his head and limbs spliced ​​on the wood. It looked extremely weird.

The wooden torso is carved to look lifelike, but it is made of wood.

"There's another guy who's not afraid of death and wants to sneak in!"

But the yamen runner holding the rope threw the rope, and the rope formed a loop, tightly trapping the wooden man.

Then, the butcher-like man guarding the door took a step forward without saying a word and stabbed a red-hot pig-killing knife into the wooden man's body.

The wooden ghost screamed, and immediately the head and limbs fell off the wooden trunk and landed on the ground. In just a moment, a foul smell of decay began to emit, and the flesh and blood turned into pus, leaving only bones, representing his identity as a ghost.

Song Wuji was stunned. When he entered the room again to check the identity, he was a little in awe of the man at the door. If he really wanted to fight, he would definitely not be able to beat him. Killing the minions was like killing pigs. His temperament was inexplicably similar to that of the pig demon butcher in Wild Boar Hill.

The butcher saw Song Wuji looking at him and smiled: "Don't be afraid, this knife of mine used to kill pigs, but now it kills demons and monsters!"

Song Wuji was not unusual; he was a living being, and he was not given any embarrassment. Instead, he was given a slightly cleaner set of linen clothes. "Someone will take you to the County Medical Office later. You will be there for three days of observation, and then you will be allowed to have some freedom. During these three days, there will be notices posted for various jobs. You must find a job as soon as possible and leave the County Medical Office after three days. The government won't support you in vain."

Song Wuji nodded repeatedly and waited for a group of people to gather before being taken to the county medical office. This time, Song Wuji could see clearly that there were no accomplices among his companions.

The man who led Song Wuji and the others to the County Medical Office was a middle-aged doctor with a long beard. "Let me tell you the rules in advance. The world has changed drastically now. It's no longer the same as before. You need to be more cautious, especially at night. Before leaving the County Medical Office, remember to find a place to stay. Although the city is safer at night than outside the city, there are still taboos."

"Secondly, the City God Temple is in the East City. You can go there to worship when you have time and burn a stick of incense with sincerity. It is the City God who is protecting the safety of Taichang County right now."

(End of this chapter)