Food gives me an entry, I will be invincible if I stay alive

Chapter 216 The Wind Blows Through the Treetops, Strange Scenes Among the Villagers
Chen Xu used the Jade Cicada Robe for divination, and this time he got the answer very quickly.

Perhaps because his question was specific and unlike the last one, which concerned his life or death, this divination only consumed most of his true energy.

"Go five li north, then twenty li west, then take the second path to the east at the fork in the road..."

Chen Xu wrote down the answer, put away the Jade Cicada Robe, and felt somewhat relieved.

He took a step and walked away, with a gentle breeze accompanying him all around. As the innate Qi in his dantian circulated, the true Qi that had been consumed earlier flowed back like living water, recovering on its own.

In May these days, the sun rises early and is scorching hot.

Under such a sun, a cool sensation naturally arose around Chen Xu.

He could take a full ten feet in one stride, which is still the wonderful effect of the poem "Ode to a Knight-Errant".

Chen Xu was contemplating the various changes in the practical application of poetry, and in less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, he had walked five miles.

Going west again, it's another twenty li.

At first, Chen Xu was worried that he would miss the hedgehog's tracks if he walked too fast, but later he became more and more anxious and his walking speed unconsciously increased.

He traveled swiftly, covering twenty miles in less than a quarter of an hour, and then he saw the fork in the road indicated by the Jade Cicada Robe.

Just then, Chen Xu suddenly sensed that the smell was off.

He paused slightly, his five senses darting around, and sniffed carefully.

It's the smell of blood!

Chen Xu's heart sank slightly. He looked up and observed his surroundings. He saw a steep slope under his feet and a mountain shadow in the distance.

Nearby, down the slope, there are a total of five branching paths, two to the east and three to the west.

The view ahead opened up, and in the shadow of the distant mountains, one could see crisscrossing paths and farmland everywhere.

The village houses are scattered among the trees, and a wide river winds through the valleys and fields, rushing eastward with a rushing sound.

The water was surging, and even though they were separated by an unknown distance, Chen Xu, standing on the hillside, could still hear the roar of the great river.

This scene can actually be described as magnificent.

When villages suddenly appear between mountains, they easily evoke a sense of surprise and delight, like discovering a hidden gem after a long and winding road.

But for some reason, upon seeing the distant mountains and rivers, Chen Xu did not feel relaxed; instead, he felt an indescribable heaviness.

Following the guidance of the Jade Cicada Robe, he chose the second fork in the road on the east side below the slope. After walking about several dozen steps, a very faint trembling sound suddenly came from the bushes ahead.

Just as a gentle breeze rustled through the leaves, Chen Xu immediately became alert, his gaze suddenly flashing like lightning.

"Who is it? Come out!"

There was no response from the bushes, and all around was quiet. Even the chirping of insects seemed to have fallen silent. Only the gentle breeze whispered, like the sobbing of the mountains.

Chen Xu began to walk slowly forward. His steps were strange, as if each step was on the lingering sound of the wind.

As you walk, an indescribable momentum gradually forms within this small space.

Suddenly, the sound of a child crying in fright came from behind the bushes.

The next moment, a child's figure, about four feet tall, stumbled out from behind.

He seemed to be frightened by Chen Xu and was trying to run away in a panic, but his short legs just wouldn't obey him, and he fell down after taking a few steps.

The child could only fall to the ground in panic, wailing, "No! Don't take Ah Sheng! Ah Sheng, please be good, don't take Ah Sheng to be a sacrifice! Ah Sheng doesn't eat, Ah Sheng will work!"

His face was deathly pale, and he was crying and panicking. He sat on the ground like a poor little bird that had been bullied.

It was a little bird with broken wings—

His left arm was only the upper half.

The lower half of the forearm was empty, nowhere to be seen.

His appearance, his words and actions, everything about him revealed how pitiful he was at that moment.

Even with a heart of stone, Chen Xu had to stop and ask him, "What sacrifice are you talking about? Who wants to use you as a sacrifice?"

The child just stared at him blankly, then after a moment, as if he had thought of something, he suddenly became delighted:

"You...you're not from the village? That's right, there's no one like you in the village!"
You're from outside, you wouldn't use me as a sacrifice, right?

Big brother, please save me! They're going to sacrifice me to the river god...

He spoke and cried, wiping away his tears with his good right hand. Just as he was about to say something more, he suddenly heard faint shouts coming from down the hillside:
"Quick! That little brat must have run up the mountain, chase after him this way!"

The child hurriedly got up and rushed to Chen Xu to grab his wrist.

Chen Xu gave a slight shrug, and the child only managed to grab one of his sleeves.

"Big brother, hurry up! We need to hide quickly. We can't let the villagers see any strangers, or they'll arrest you too."

The child tugged at Chen Xu's sleeve and ran. This time, Chen Xu did not resist. Instead, he followed the child's lead and strode with him toward the grove of trees on the side of the steep slope.

Unbeknownst to anyone, Chen Xu had silently released his puppet soldiers at the same time.

The foot-tall Taoist soldier was like a shadow of him, and as soon as it appeared at his feet, it used its stealth ability.

The puppet soldiers, concealed from view, wielded long spears and leaped lightly, quickly landing on the side path that Chen Xu was originally going to take.

At the end of the road, a group of villagers carrying hoes, sickles, and other tools rushed over noisily.

They shouted, "Search separately, hurry! We can't let that little brat get away! If we anger the River God again, we'll all suffer..."

The child clinging to Chen Xu's sleeve was trembling with fear, and stumbled and fell down while walking ahead.

Chen Xu then grabbed the child by the collar from behind, and with a light touch of his toes, he carried him up to the treetops ahead like a gentle breeze.

Several birds flapped their wings and took flight in a flurry.

Hearing the commotion, the villagers shouted, "There's noise over there! The little rascal must have run into the woods. Let's go search this way!"

The child huddled next to Chen Xu, even more startled.

Chen Xu, standing atop the treetop and looking down at the villagers rushing about on the ground, was equally startled.

He wasn't afraid of the villagers, but rather he was startled by their appearance and demeanor at that moment.

These villagers, running at breakneck speed, were all incredibly agile, moving at a pace far exceeding that of ordinary people.

Some of them had flushed faces and were panting heavily as they ran, with puffs of smoke coming from their throats, as if a stove was emitting smoke.
There are also some people who are clearly as thin as a rake, looking like they are about to collapse at any moment, but their feet can leave sharp little pits on the ground. Their mortal bodies are like those of steel.
Some people are broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, with bellies as big as drums. When they run, their bellies bulge and sway, making them look not so much like they are simply obese, but more like they are carrying a fetus!
That's terrifying.

It should be noted that all the villagers who caught up with them were men.

(End of this chapter)