Starting with the flesh-based stimulant

The wild wind howled, causing the river to ripple.

The river flowed slowly, carrying moisture into Zhou He's ears.

When they arrived at the riverbank, the raft was indeed gone.

The group of red-faced men must have come to the riverbank to look for Old Man Ma first, and after finding the lone raft, they went to look for their own.

The other party was experienced in the ways of the world and did not leave any raft for me.

The only option now is to swim across the river.

Zhou He didn't think much of it.

His physical abilities are now far beyond those of ordinary people, so crossing this not-so-wide river wouldn't take long.

After crossing the river, I wrung out my coat and washed my body and face on the bank.

The bloodstains had all disappeared after he ate those people, saving Zhou a lot of trouble.

Following the path he had come from, and by the moonlight, Zhou He returned to the place where he had arranged to meet the cook, Li Ping. Zhou He frowned.

Li Ping has disappeared.

Has the Ma family found them?

Or did he regain his strength and hide away?

Or perhaps it was the Empress Dowager or the old woman who came after us?

There were no traces on the ground, and Zhou and Yi had no way to find them for a while.

After searching the surroundings thoroughly and confirming that there was no trace of Li Ping, Zhou He stopped waiting and simply changed direction, heading towards Shangtuohe Village.

At this time, all was quiet, the moon was bright and the stars were few, and occasionally a crow would fly by in the middle of the night, startling some animals hiding in the water plants.

After walking for about ten miles, we arrived at Shangtuohe Village.

There seemed to be no dogs in the village, and Zhou entered the village late at night without disturbing anyone.

Upon reaching the command platform, we indeed saw a small temple.

The temple's layout looks similar to that of Zhoujiagou, both featuring gray bricks to the top, but it's much cleaner and less overgrown with weeds.

Pushing open the temple door and entering, the temple was quiet. Zhou He carried a basket in one hand, clutched his black leather bag, and held a torch in the other, examining the statues. The statues were hazy and indistinct.

He came here to find clues about Li Ping and to ask the driver about his travel permit, but once he got to the temple, he was at a loss for what to do.

Zhou He considered lighting incense to summon Grandpa Zhang Gong, but after thinking it over, he decided against it.

I had learned about the old man from the driver, and from what he said, he didn't seem like a vicious old man.

Moreover, since they can provide travel permits, it seems that normal communication is possible.

He lit an oil lamp, took out an incense burner and lit three sticks of incense. As the smoke curled upwards, Zhou He made a gesture of kowtowing and softly murmured:

"Zhou He, a passerby, invites the porter to offer incense."

The sound echoed throughout the temple.

The oil lamp flickered for a moment, illuminating the temple as if it were daytime.

The clatter of hooves sounded like they were coming from outside the temple, yet also like they had been right behind us all along.

A young, clean-cut male voice sounded behind Zhou He:

"You rude young man, disturbing your grandfather's rest in the middle of the night."

His voice carried a hint of laughter, and it didn't sound like he was blaming anyone.

Zhou He did not turn his head, but bowed his head to the statue. After a long while, he slowly said:

"I have a favor to ask, please don't be offended, Master Tuozi."

"You've got some nerve, young man. Come sit down and talk to me."

Zhou He turned his head and saw a young man with red lips and white teeth, a reserved smile, and a noble-looking purple robe.

The man held the reins in his hand and sat on a carved saddle.

Four slender legs protrude from under the saddle, looking like they are made of wood.

The clattering of hooves just now came from there.

The young man sat very steadily, as if he were actually riding a fine horse.

On the ground between him and Zhou He, there was a rather plain-looking saddle lying on the ground, with its four thin wooden legs curled up.

It was as if they were waiting for Zhou He to sit down.

Zhou He, without revealing his expression, relaxed his brows that had been furrowed for a moment, and bowed again with his head lowered:

"Greetings, Master Tuozi."

"Young man, you're so ignorant! I told you to sit down and talk to me, why are you standing so far away? Are you afraid I'll eat you?"

Upon seeing this, Zhou He curled the corners of his mouth into a smile and, with a heavy heart, approached the saddle on the ground.

As he got closer, he could almost feel a spirited and handsome horse under the saddle, eagerly waiting to carry him.

Zhou He patted the saddle and, without further hesitation, straddled it and sat down.

The four legs under the saddle lifted Zhou He up.

The old man with the hunchback smiled broadly, and only spoke after Zhou He met his gaze:

"You are not a young man from either of my two villages."

Zhou He nodded:

"Passerby, I apologize for disturbing the peace of the porter."

After saying that, he cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.

The porter looked at him with great interest:

"Get to the point. Grandpa isn't one for excessive politeness."

Zhou He did not hesitate and began as he had prepared:

"I have a companion who is a cook. We agreed to meet on the riverbank. After I finished my work, I couldn't find him anywhere, so I came to ask my grandfather for help."

The old man carrying the horsewhip raised it and cracked it in the air.

Zhou He saw his shadow flicker for a moment, appearing somewhat illusory, but then immediately becoming real.

However, there were faint, heavy breathing sounds coming from the saddle beneath him, as if he had just traveled a considerable distance.

The horse, seemingly envious of the other, swayed its four legs restlessly as it sat on the saddle.

"The young man is clean in his work, but he's a bit too bloodthirsty."

Grandpa Tuozi still had a smiling face.

Zhou He pursed his lips and remained silent.

The porter, unperturbed, continued on his saddle:

"You ate my flesh, and now you want to come to me with questions?"

These words immediately sombered the atmosphere in the temple.

The smile on the porter's face slowly faded, and after a long while, he continued:

"The thing I sit on is my everyday vehicle. I'm a driver, and I've always been thinking about how to take good care of it."

"Although we're worlds apart, we're still in the same trade. Tell me, if we eat meat, why can't we eat more of our own flesh and blood?"

"These villages of Shangxia Tuohe are all the meat I've raised. I've raised quite a few cart drivers, just waiting for the right number so my steeds can eat them and accompany me on my journey."

"You didn't eat much, but you still ate my flesh. Young man, this matter may not be easy to resolve."

Zhou He didn't move, nor did he show any expression.

Since the other party still had something to say.

That means I am still useful to the old man who carries the load.

Even if I don't know how to use it, it's good that I have something to say about it.

He secretly lit a stick of incense and hid it in his sleeve, his smile gentle.

"Master Tuozi, this isn't my fault. After all, I didn't want to be meat either."

Suddenly, the old man carrying the load burst out laughing, released the reins, pointed at Zhou He, and laughed so hard he was doubled over, unable to stop for a long time.

"That's interesting, the Qiu God profession... Which god do they worship?"

Zhou He shook his head:

"It's probably not a good idea to tell Master Tuozi about this."

"That's true, after all, it's something we worship, so we can't just say it out loud."

The old man carrying the load suddenly turned cold, and with a flick of his whip, a sharp sound pierced the air.

The dark, whip-like image resembled a venomous snake with its eyes open, ready to devour its prey.

With a chilling killing intent.