Tian Shichang dragged his exhausted body and casually placed his spear in the corner. Just as he was about to relieve himself, he saw an old soldier passing by carrying a large bundle of firewood.
"What's for dinner tonight?" Tian Shichang asked casually.
The veteran soldier, who had missing teeth in his mouth, said with a smile: "I found a snake nest outside the dock wall two days ago and made a trap. I went to see it today and sure enough I caught a fat and big snake. Wait.
I boiled water and made a pot of snake soup for everyone to warm themselves up."
Tian Shichang reluctantly forced a smile. This old soldier was a local citizen. It was said that decades ago, the Jiuli barbarians brought countless big snakes to harm the people, causing many deaths and injuries.
Even though the imperial court later asked immortals to get rid of the big snakes, the local people hated snakes and insects deeply. If they encountered snakes and insects, just killing them was not enough, and they had to cook them to express their deep hatred.
Over time, there has been a tradition of cooking snake soup in the area around Jianjiaguan. As for the taste, Tian Shichang really cannot praise it.
After arriving at the toilet, Shi Chang was about to lift up his belt when he lowered his head and saw a large centipede with a black back and red legs in the pit. He jumped up in fright and rushed back to the Fire Castle.
When Tian Shichang came to the toilet with a spear and two fusillade soldiers, he teased for a long time, but he didn't find any big centipedes.
"Sir, did you see it wrong?" asked a soldier.
"That's right!" Tian Shichang was still frightened, and he gestured with his hands: "That big centipede is at least four or five feet long, and its head is about the same size as my fist! If I get up slower, the roots of my descendants will be bitten by it.
!”
"Our Sui Fort is facing the mountain, maybe it ran out of the mountain."
Tian Shichang said: "I'm afraid such a big centipede is unusual. It may become a spirit and cause mischief. You two, go get a few buckets of water and clean out the latrine. If you see a big centipede, kill it immediately!"
The Sui soldiers had reluctance written all over their faces. When Tian Shichang saw them like this, he had no choice but to say: "There is snake stew tonight, please eat more."
"Oh, who asked us to be sent to this remote fire fort!" The soldier pinched his nose and shook his head and sighed.
"Okay, don't complain so much." Tian Shichang said: "Have you been short of food and salary in the past few months? Once the work is done, I will add one more item to the daily work book. I can't say that Zhao Changshi
I have chosen you to be an athlete, and you will get twice as much as you do now!"
Although Tian Shichang said this, he also knew that Zhao Changshi was a busy man and might not have time to pay attention to such a remote fire fort.
After a few more words of comfort, Tian Shichang returned to the fortress, where another soldier was sharpening his sword. Seeing this, Tian Shichang asked: "Where is the bow I asked you to repair before?"
"Forget it, it's been raining every day these days, and the bowstring broke as soon as I put it on. I don't have any extra bowstrings at the moment, so I have to get them from above."
Chief Tian was a little helpless and could only write down one item in the book with crooked handwriting. The soldiers stationed in the Suibao were not allowed to leave without permission. If there was any need, they could only wait for the military officials to report at this time.
"It's not just the bowstring." The soldier pointed to the upper floor and said, "The two people on the watchtower have rotten crotch disease, and they bleed from scratching at night. Do you think we should send them back?"
"Rotten crotch disease?" Tian Shichang had goosebumps all over his body: "It's okay. I have been attending classes with Zhao Changshi for a few days. This rotten crotch disease is caused by miasma. It will kill you. Apply some yellow tar oil and get more sun.
The sun will be better. I heard that the immortal of Jinding Division has refined several jars. I'll see if I can get some in the next two days."
Tian Shichang was selected as the Shichang because he knew a few words, and was assigned to Suibao to take charge of a dozen people. Although it was not a high-ranking and important position, he was still troubled by many things.
In such a fire fort, in addition to waiting for beacon fires and alerting the enemy on a daily basis, there are also various handymen, ranging from repairing the walls of the fire fort and weapons and armor, to collecting firewood, reeds and grass for cooking during beacon fires.
Military officials dispatched from Jiangjia Pass will come to Fengsui every three to five days to inspect whether all military affairs are in order. As the commander of Fengsui, Tian Shichang is also responsible for counting inventory and recording the daily affairs of soldiers. If there are any weapons or armors that are missing,
, the fusilier died for no reason without reporting it, and if he was discovered by the patrolling military officials, he would probably be punished by military law.
And daily cooking is another major item. Most of the millet shipped from above has not been shelled, so the soldiers need to pound it by their own hands. In order not to have to eat coarse bran beans and rice with salty soy sauce every day, a vegetable garden must be set up in the fire fort to grow rice.
Vegetables and melons.
As for meat, Chief Tian hoped that it would no longer be a big snake or centipede, but a rabbit would be killed in front of the Suibao Gate. If there was a wild boar to satisfy everyone's appetite, Chief Tian said he would not give it to Chief Zhao.
A tablet of immortality was set up and people knelt down day and night.
"Wild boar! There is a wild boar!"
Tian Shichang was still imagining there when he heard the fusilier who was responsible for watching over the enemy upstairs shouting.
"What wild boar? Is there really a wild boar?!" Tian Shichang was almost crazy with greed. He ran up to the lookout, followed the point of the fusilier, and saw a fat and strong wild boar cluttering in the grass in the distance.
"What is it doing?" Suizhu whispered.
"Should we eat?"
"What, do you want to do it?"
"What?" Tian Shichang was stunned.
"Wild boar! Kill it and eat its meat!"
Chief Tian was hesitant, and the Sui soldiers repeatedly urged him: "What are you afraid of? The superiors just sent someone here yesterday, and there won't be anyone patrolling today."
"Wild boar is not easy to kill. It's difficult for three or five people to kill it," Tian Shichang said.
"Call everyone together and leave one or two people to keep an eye on it in the fire castle! I used to hunt with the adults and I know how to round up wild boars!"
"Let's do it! Before the wild boar gets far!"
Facing the eager gazes of the fusillade soldiers, Tian Shichang nodded heavily: "Then do it!"
With the support of Chief Tian, the fusilier soldiers immediately became excited and left behind the old soldiers who were in charge of cooking. Without wearing any armor, they took their spears, bows and arrows and left the fusillade fort. They divided into two columns, left and right, and surrounded the wild boar.
The wild boar didn't know what it was looking for. It kept scratching the ground with its front hooves, almost its entire head was stuffed into the pit, and it had no idea what was going on outside.
Tian Shichang clenched the spear in his hand and carefully pushed aside the branches in front of him, fearing to make any noise under his feet. He raised his eyes to look at the fusilier on the opposite side, indicated one or two with his eyes, checked the distance, and stabbed down with three spears!
But there was a dull popping sound, and the three spears seemed to have pierced the iron and wood chopping board, unable to penetrate at all. The wild boar suddenly swung its buttocks and pulled its head out of the pit, revealing a ferocious face.
His mane stood up, and his eyes glowed strangely red.
Tian Shichang was the first to notice that something was wrong, but before he could say anything, the wild boar flew out like lightning and crashed directly into his arms. A pair of fangs penetrated his chest, his ribs were broken, and his internal organs were shattered.
Suddenly frightened, the other fusilier soldiers were frightened and scrambled. Some turned around and tried to escape, but were passed by by a swift figure of unknown origin. Immediately, there was a huge wound in the throat, and a large amount of blood splattered out.
"enemy--"
Some of the fusiliers reacted quickly and were about to shout a warning when a cold light flashed behind them and a sharp blade invisible to the naked eye cut off their heads. Before the heads fell to the ground, the cold light danced around, trapping the fusiliers in a net of knives and killing them in the blink of an eye.
.
In the rain of blood mixed with broken limbs, a tall and thin figure stood up slowly, holding two knives. The figure was slightly stooped, and his leg and tibia joints were bent inhumanly. Under the torn cloak, a wolf dog's head was exposed.
At this time, there were several other wolf-headed monsters with similar looks. They couldn't wait to lie on the corpse, tear open the belly, and chew the internal organs until their faces were covered with blood.
"Tsk, it's true that a dog can't change its habit of eating shit."
A female voice came from the side, her tone not concealing contempt: "There are still soldiers in the Fire Castle. If you don't deal with them, you will eat meat and drink blood here."
The nose of the wolf-headed monster holding two swords twitched slightly, and the woman's voice came again: "Humph! I have released the iron-backed centipede a long time ago. Do you need someone to remind you to understand it? What if the people in the fire castle notice something strange?
If you just light a beacon fire, how can you launch a surprise attack?"
The wolf-headed monster turned his head and looked away, and growled: "Miaosaluo, don't hide!"
At this time, I saw swaying grass and trees not far away, and a scorpion as big as a millstone slowly walked out. On its back sat a charming woman, wearing a colorful skirt, nonchalantly revealing the snow under her neck and her smooth feet. She was slender.
There are venomous snakes coiled around the jade-like legs. The snake hesitates, and a colorful butterfly falls on the fingertips. It flaps its wings and flies up, throwing up large amounts of light and dust, making the surrounding scenery blurry and distorted.
The wolf-headed monster's keen sense of smell smelled a faint fragrance, and the muscles and bones all over his body seemed to be sinking into the warm spring, making people relax unconsciously.
Shocked by his own changes, the wolf-headed monster jumped away, tightly wrapping his cloak to cover his mouth and nose: "That's enough! This is a battlefield, where can anyone poison their comrades?"
Miao Saluo smiled contemptuously: "Mengqu, after taking those Danglu Zhuanggu Pills, you turned into this half-human, half-wolf ghost, and even your brain became stupid? You are not worthy of me using Gu.
.It took me many years to refine the fragrance of flowers. If you can smell even a little bit of it, you are considered lucky in this life."
"The two countries are at war. If you don't take the enemy seriously and waste your time on these things, it's no wonder that your Baihua Valley is not the best!" Meng Qu said with malice on his face: "I would like to know what you, the Gu Lady, want to do in order to protect Baihua Valley.
How many men have you spread your thighs to flatter them? If you are willing, we boys are really looking forward to having a taste of you!"
The other wolf-headed monsters around him had their faces covered in blood from their chewing. After hearing these words, they all looked towards Miaosaluo, their eyes showing the hunger of prey.
"Hey, has General Mengqu forgotten the fiasco in the Shengsi Valley?" Miao Saluo was also polite: "Who thought he could seize the Shengsi Horn and become the Lord of Destiny, but he was defeated and lost.
Kneeling in front of the high priest and licking his feet? Who dragged the tribe's children into war slaves, and his own wife and daughter were sent to be goddesses to serve them night after night in order to atone for their sins?"
Meng Qu's anger rose, and the two swords in his hands were covered with a layer of sharp light. Miao Saluo never restrained his words: "In order to be strong for a while, I took Danglu Zhuanggu Pills that others looked down upon, and asked my own tribe to give them to others.
You sacrificed your life, you Mengqu have really disgraced the face of your ancestors."
Just when Meng Qu was about to take action, a wild boar came between the two of them, twisted its body, and turned into a tall man wearing a wild boar skin, shouting: "Enough! This is not a place for bickering, you two
Hurry up and explore the road ahead. The soldiers and horses at the rear must pass through this area within today, and the scouts from Huaxu Kingdom must not be aware of it!"
Meng Qu snorted and waved, and the other wolf-headed monsters left. Miao Soluo sat on the back of the big scorpion, teasing the snakes and insects leisurely: "Hey, let's go and don't talk nonsense to these stinky men. If you are lucky enough,
Well, maybe we can actually meet Mr. Zhao. After so many years, I wonder what he has become? Don’t let my sister down."
…
"A sneeze! Ah, ah - a sneeze!"
Zhao Miao sneezed continuously, and his whole body was inexplicably trembling.
"Is Marquis Zhenming okay?"
In the main hall of the mansion, everyone looked at him, and Xu Zhouzi took the initiative to ask.
"It's okay." Zhao Shu waved his hand. He didn't know why, but he suddenly recalled a certain horrific experience in his childhood.
"Let's talk about what happened just now." Zhao Miao looked at Cao Zuo, who joined the army in the hall, and the monks from various families picked up the books and said: "Recently, many soldiers in the army have been found to have symptoms such as dysentery, high fever, itching and bleeding. And it's not just in Jianjia Pass.
Many forts, ramparts, and inns around here have similar situations."
Below there is a bookkeeper who says: "The area around Jianjia Pass has always been plagued by miasma. Fortunately, we have prepared enough medicine, so it is not expected to be a problem."
A monk from the Yunzhu Pavilion shook his head and said: "This time is unusual. We have given medicine to the soldiers in the camp, and found that the effectiveness is less than 30% of the usual. Some soldiers have persistent fevers, and it is difficult to swallow food. After drinking the medicine, they vomited in the blink of an eye. What's worse is that
Some people with itchy skin symptoms don't even stop scratching until their muscles are ulcerated. It's really... unsightly to watch."
The ordinary people present no longer dared to speak. Xu Zhouzi, as the head of Jiangzhen Pavilion and well-informed, said: "Could it be the evil spirit of the plague?"
Zhao Miao nodded: "I suspect that this is the case. Before I came here, I had sent soldiers to the mountains and forests outside the pass to check the direction of the Qi movement. Jiuli Kingdom's witchcraft indeed has the ability to worship the plague, but this kind of magic is activated.
There is no sound, and the circulation of Qi is not obvious. By the time it reacts, ordinary people have already been sick due to the plague and cannot get up."
"What a sinister means!" Xu Zhouzi frowned and shouted coldly: "To be able to display such a scale of plague evil energy, it can only be done by one of the ten witches of Fengju. I'm afraid there are more than one!"
"I have asked everyone in the Jinding Division to step up the testing of drugs. The current plan is to prepare incense and use fumigation to recuperate the sick soldiers." Zhao Shu looked at a soldier and asked: "Is the Anyang Camp properly arranged?"
"It has been basically completed. According to the instructions, it is separated from other barracks and civilian residences."
Zhao Miao nodded: "In addition, prepare more firewood. The cloth towels used by the soldiers in the camp must be boiled in boiling water. Later, when the incense is made, every tent in the camp must be thoroughly fumigated."
"Got the order!"
"Xuzhouzi's leader, the soldiers who are not sick also need to drive away the plague. I would like to ask you to cast more magic water." Zhao Shu said.
"I will take care of this matter immediately. You don't have to worry." Xu Zhouzi immediately agreed: "It's just that Jiuli Kingdom used this method against Jianjia Pass regardless of the cost. I'm afraid it has other motives."
"I have sent someone to contact General Wei and asked him to check whether there is any plague infection in the army." Zhao Shu said: "But if Jiuli Kingdom plans to attack Jianjia Pass, then please be prepared. The war is coming.