In the future, Earth becomes a relic of the mythical era.

Chapter 197 A Rare Moment of Peace
"Who are you!?"

"That's a boat from the Grand Canal Caravan! Ah!"

A commotion erupted, interspersed with screams.

"not good!"

Fang Xiaming went out of the cabin and took a look, and found that several boats had surrounded the river at some point.

With the undercurrents surging on the water, his sharp eyesight made it easy for him to spot a considerable number of "water ghosts" lurking beneath the surface.

The river and its banks were completely surrounded by people, making it impossible for them to pass through.

They're clearly coming for them!

A fight had already broken out outside; the other side didn't say a word and just started attacking.

I just escaped from the rat demon, how long has it been?
Then someone else came looking for us.

Those who want them dead are incredibly powerful!

"Little sister, these people are definitely connected to the monsters from before. They're probably here to wipe us out completely, leaving no survivors!"

"I'll go out and distract them for a bit. You seize the opportunity and escape from here!"

Fang Zhaoshuang shook her head repeatedly: "Brother, what do you take me for? How could I abandon you and the brothers and run away by myself? At worst, I'll go out and fight them!"

"Shut up!"

Fang Xiaming angrily said, "What time is it? Do you still have the right to ramble on like this? You're not even listening to me anymore?"

"Remember! Don't come out. Seize the opportunity to escape! Only if you escape will your brother have a chance to survive!"

"Father died under mysterious circumstances, the truth remains unclear. If something happens to you or me, who will investigate Father's death? What will happen to the Canal Gang?"

"Now, all 300,000-plus members of the Cao Gang are under your command!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he leaped away.

Dozens of masked men rushed onto the deck, killing anyone they saw with deadly precision, each one wielding a sharp blade that could kill instantly.

Fang Xiaming flew like a cannon, unleashing both palms simultaneously, their shadows filling the sky and covering a large group of people.

His palm strike was astonishing and awe-inspiring, immediately drawing everyone's attention.

However, the two sides were vastly outnumbered, and these masked men were not only ruthless and dangerous, but also coordinated their actions with great skill.

The blades were drawn like a net, growing ever denser and more numerous with each strike.

Fang Xiaming quickly fell into a slump.

Although Fang Zhaoshuang was extremely anxious inside the cabin, Fang Xiaming's words prevented her from acting rashly.

Going out like this will not only fail to save anyone, but both brother and sister will die.

What is the conspiracy behind these people's desire to kill them?
What are they planning to do to the Grand Canal Gang now?
Is it related to her father's death?
She had to consider all of these things.

He had no choice but to suppress his anxiety and impulse and carefully observe the situation.

Seeing that his elder brother was leading his gang on the boat, it seemed he wanted to fight his way out.

This attracted more and more masked men from surrounding boats to join the battle, and water ghosts also surfaced in the water.

Fang Zhaoshuang knew that now was the best and only chance, so she leaped out of the cabin window and silently fell into the water.

Before they had swum very far, several streaks of cold light flashed towards them.

The long sword in his hand moved like a nimble snake in the water.

Blood gushed out of the water and merged into the river.

I don't know if it was hers or those water ghosts'.

……

Mengjin.

Qiao Village.

Xie Lingxin and her servant came to this village with Qiao Da.

A hundred or so households, not a large family.

I heard that most of the villagers are surnamed Qiao.

The Qiao family had several mud-brick and thatched houses, which, though simple, were enough to keep out the wind and rain.

A woman in her twenties or thirties was busy working on the earthen stove outside the kitchen.

Xie Lingxin stepped forward to offer her help.

"My lord, please have a seat! I dare not trouble you with these menial tasks!"

Upon seeing this, the woman fearfully tried to stop her.

"Sister-in-law Qiao, let me help you collect it."

"No, no! You are my husband's savior and a benefactor. If I let you do these menial tasks, he will blame me!"

This woman is Qiao Da's wife, Qiao Shi.

"My lord! Please sit down and relax. We are all guests, and it is not right for us to let our guests do the work."

Qiao Da carried a table out of the house, which was already full of food. His bronze face revealed two rows of white teeth.

A teenage girl followed behind him, carrying a bowl of steamed buns.

"My lord, the food is ready. Please come and eat."

Su Zhen walked over at this moment and whispered in Xie Lingxin's ear.

"Your Highness, those cakes were made from wheat that Miss Qiao borrowed from the village headman today, using wheat ground by a donkey."

“That village head was despicable, so he withheld 30% of the wheat as interest on the donkey loan. Qiao Xiaoniang even gave him one of her wooden hairpins in exchange for a few eggs.”

As Su Zhen spoke, her face scrunched up, clearly indicating that she was angry.

Xie Lingxin frowned.

Su Zhen frowned and said with a troubled expression, "Your Highness, what should we do? These things are probably the Qiao family's entire fortune, which they have brought out to entertain you."

It was just some simple food, but it felt so heavy that it was hard to bear.

At this moment, Qiao Da, holding a small jar, presented it like a treasure, saying, "My lord, this is tea that a distinguished guest bestowed upon me during my recent voyage. Since you've come, shouldn't this be given to you to drink?"

As he spoke, he boiled water, grabbed some tea leaves, and threw them in to boil.

Then he called Qiao Xiaoniang over to brew tea.

Qiao Xiaoniang frowned slightly and bit her lip.

If we took these tea leaves to the market, we could probably exchange them for a cup of grain.

"Eat without worry."

Xie Lingxin said something in a low voice.

Since it's already done, refusing again would only hurt people's feelings, so I can only try to make amends later.

He walked over, sat down at the table, and picked up the tea leaves to examine them. The tea leaves were delicate, purplish in color, and shaped like bamboo shoots.

Surprised: "Purple Bamboo Shoot Tea?"

Qiao's eyes lit up: "Yes, yes, yes! That's what that important person said! It's called something like bamboo shoot tea!"

"I knew you were a distinguished person, sir, and you would surely recognize me. It's fortunate you came, otherwise this tea would have been mistreated if it had been in my hands."

Xie Lingxin thought, "This tea, was it a gift from some noble person? Do you know who he is?"

Qiao Da scratched his head, embarrassed, and said, "I dare not lie to you, sir, this tea was actually leftovers from that nobleman's drink on the boat. He didn't take it with him when he disembarked, saying it was a gift for us."

"We each took a little, but we never expected to be attacked by a demon when we got back. Luckily, we met my husband, otherwise we would have lost our lives. Now we've even managed to save the tea leaves!"

He clearly cherished this tea, always keeping it close to his heart and carrying it with him.

Otherwise, the tea leaves wouldn't have been preserved even though the ship was lost after encountering the rat demon.

Xie Lingxin remained silent.

Although Li Ruishi never had a good life, he saw a lot of things.

This tea is called Guzhu Zisun, and it was a tribute tea for the imperial family!

It's not something that ordinary people can drink, and it's not something that ordinary people can even see.

"Oh, right, that VIP was quite generous. He was a grown man, but he spoke in a soft, gentle voice. I even heard him making some strange noises."

At this moment, Qiao Da spoke again.

A man who speaks in a soft, gentle voice?
Could he be a eunuch?
A eunuch left the palace? Went to Hebei? What for?
Still taking a boat from the canal gangs?

Adding to the encounters of the two rat demons and the Fang siblings, Xie Lingxin instinctively felt that something strange was going on.

He is now very sensitive to eunuchs.

After all, his predicament was caused by the death of the eunuch.

"My lord, have some tea."

Qiao Xiaoniang brewed the tea, poured a bowl, and gently presented it to her.

Xie Lingxin casually took it and said with a smile, "My surname is Xie, you can call me Brother Xie."

Qiao Xiaoniang lowered her head, her pretty face slightly flushed.

Qiao Dadao: "Whatever my lord says goes!"

Qiao Xiaoniang then said in a voice barely above a whisper, "Thank you, Brother."

"Here, you've worked the hardest today, have an egg."

Xie Lingxin picked up an egg, peeled it, and stuffed it directly into the egg.

The only meat dish here is the four eggs.

Qiao Da hurriedly said, "Young master, this is..."

Xie Lingxin interrupted him before he could finish, saying, "What? You think I can't even decide what you're treating me to?"

Qiao Da felt that this young man's glare was more imposing and awe-inspiring than the nobleman he had met on the ship.

She stammered, "I can make the decision, I can make the decision, my lord, you can certainly make the decision!"

She glanced at Qiao Xiaoniang and said, "Since it's your husband who told you to eat, then eat it."

Qiao Xiaoniang's eyes lit up. She picked up the egg and carefully began to gnaw on it.

Its cautious manner resembled that of a little rabbit, as if it were savoring some exquisite delicacy.

Xie Lingxin smiled and started eating as well.

If he doesn't eat, Mr. and Mrs. Qiao won't touch their chopsticks.

While eating, I wanted to ask Qiao Da about the man who seemed to be a eunuch.

He was just a porter on a boat, all he knew was how to work, and he knew nothing else. He was completely clueless when asked questions.

Seeing that he couldn't get any information out of him, he had no choice but to give up.

After a simple meal, we sat in the courtyard under a bright moon and sparse stars, with a gentle evening breeze.

Looking out, one sees fields stretching endlessly, and in the distance, the sound of flowing water can be heard.

The mulberry and willow trees sway gently in the water, their branches touching the embankment; the evening breeze and clear skies are perfect for plowing.

It has a unique sense of tranquility and freedom.

He felt an unprecedented tranquility in his mind, and he seemed to have gained a different understanding of the Divine Emperor's Diagram.

Sexual function increased slightly.

[Sex: 241.87/1000 (↑3.45)]

This rural village, with its fields and gentle breeze, could actually benefit this painting of the Divine Emperor?

My mind is calm, as if I have merged with the vast world, the countryside, and the everyday life of people.

Living like this doesn't seem so bad; it's peaceful and carefree, and I can even cultivate myself.

It's completely different from when I was in the Federation.

In the Federation, one has no worries about food and clothing, and resources are abundant.

But it always felt like something was chasing after him, leaving him no moment to rest.

Having gained this understanding, Xie Lingxin was no longer in a hurry.

It seems they've truly settled down in Qiao Family Village.

During the day, he took Suzhen to Mengjin to stroll around, wait for Cui Hong, and inquire about some news. In the evening, they returned to Qiaojia Village.

They lived a simple life, yet they were content.

But it seems even the heavens are jealous of him and don't want to see him enjoying life like this.

"Young master, your arrival in Qiao Family Village is just in time! Today is our local festival, and there will be a folk performance tonight. Everyone in the village will go, it will be very lively!"

That day, Qiao Da returned excitedly after a day's work at Mengjin Ferry.

Shehuo?

After asking around, I learned that the people here worship the land god and the fire god every year.

The earth gave birth to all things, and fire brought cooked food and warmth.

This reflects the most basic food philosophy of the local people.

If you receive a favor, you should give thanks and offer sacrifices.

Xie Lingxin naturally had no reason to refuse.

However, he did not see the Shehuo performance.

It was only evening when a group of fierce soldiers broke into Qiaojia Village.

(End of this chapter)