After resting for a day at the Governor's Mansion, Qi Wenhai was anxious to catch the murderer and planned to go to Qingshan City immediately, but Long Chen had other plans.
"I want to go to Shenmu Town first."
Long Chen felt that the legend of the Martial Saint was more important than catching the desperadoes. He always felt that there was a huge conspiracy, or danger, hidden behind the legend of the Martial Saint.
"This doesn't matter. We have to pass through Shenmu Town to go to Qingshan City. We can go to Shenmu Town first and then go to Qingshan City."
In fact, Shenmu Town and Qingshan City are on different roads, so Zou Cailiang chose to take a detour so that both things would not be delayed.
Long Chen said: "This is the best, let's set off today."
Zou Cailiang immediately ordered a dozen of his capable men to prepare dry food for the war horses, and then went to Shenmu Town with Long Chen and Qi Wenhai.
The last time he came to Anmu City, Long Chen just passed by in a hurry. This time, Long Chen looked at the place carefully.
This place has many mountains and trees but little flat land. The people living here have little food harvest and live in poverty.
"The people in Anmu City are poor because there are too many mountains and too little land."
Zou Cailiang saw that Long Chen looked bad along the way, so he opened his mouth to explain.
"The people rely on agriculture as their occupation, and farming must rely on cultivated land. Anmucheng has scarce cultivated land, so it is naturally poor."
Long Chen sighed helplessly, I'm afraid this problem cannot be solved. He can't turn a hundred thousand mountains into flat ground with one sword. That is the method of the Golden Immortal.
"That's right. I have also thought of ways to open terraces on the mountain, but there are many rocks and little soil on the mountain, so there is no way. There is really no way."
Zou Cailiang was not a mediocre official. He did a lot of things in Anmucheng and thought of many ways to change the poverty situation in Anmucheng.
But there is no way, manpower is no match for location.
"Have you ever thought about planting tea trees? I think this place is quite suitable for growing tea."
Qi Wenhai said while looking at the rolling hills.
These words reminded Long Chen, he looked at this place again and found that it was indeed suitable for growing tea.
Long Chen had been thinking about how to grow grains, and his thinking was limited.
If grains are not good, then cash crops should be planted.
"Yes, this place is suitable for tea gardens. You can try it first. If the tea grown is of good quality, then let the people plant tea instead."
When Long Chen said this, Zou Cailiang also woke up: "Yes, I have always thought about growing food, but I have never thought about growing tea."
Like Long Chen, he had reached a dead end in his thinking.
Qi Wenhai smiled and said: "Whatever, I can come up with a good strategy."
Long Chen smiled and said: "It's really a good plan."
After walking for a day, we arrived at Shenmu Town in the evening.
This town is right next to the giant forest. It has a small population, only a few thousand people.
It's not so much a town as it is a larger village.
Except for the married women in the village, all have the surname Zou.
It's dark at night and you can't see clearly what the giant forest looks like, but the height of 100 meters points directly into the night sky, giving people a vast and primitive atmosphere, which is very oppressive.
Qi Wenhai looked at the giant tree in the dark night and sighed: "Compared with this tree, we are too small."
Guan Yue and the others felt very shocked.
Zou Cailiang said: "It is said that these trees were planted by Wu Sheng almost four hundred years ago."
"We follow the instructions of the Martial Saint and guard the giant forest here for generations."
"However, after such a long time, we have long forgotten what happened at the beginning and just worshiped the giant forest as a god."
Four hundred years later, they are still living here, not because of the orders of the Martial Saint, but because of family inheritance.
The giant wood forest and the legend of the giant wood forest are integrated into the Zou family's inheritance.
"You said that every year the town holds a ceremony to worship the giant forest. I want to see it."
The ceremony may interpret the story of the martial saint who defeated the demon, and may be able to see the shadow of the past.
Zou Cailiang wondered: "The sacrificial ceremony will be held after the first heavy snow. Although I am the governor and a member of the Zou family, I have no right to decide the time for the sacrificial ceremony."
Outside, Zou Cailiang was the governor and an official of the imperial court.
But back here, he is just a member of the Zou family, and what the patriarch says is more useful than him.
There are rules for the time when the sacrifice is held, and Zou Cailiang cannot break it.
Qi Wenhai asked: "Why after the first snow?"
Zou Cailiang said: "According to legend, demons will appear after heavy snowfall, so the sacrifice of the Martial Saint to slay demons is held after the first heavy snowfall."
Long Chen nodded and said: "So that's the case, then it won't be difficult. Let's all rest."
That night, Long Chen settled in the town.
When Zou Cailiang came back, the town held a celebration ceremony for him.
Long Chen did not show his identity, drank a little wine and went to bed.
When they got up the next day, Long Chen and the others walked into the giant wood forest.
Returning to his old place, Long Chen took a closer look at these giant trees planted by the Martial Saint.
Qi Wenhai looked up at the giant trees that covered the sky and the sun, and exclaimed: "If I didn't come here to see it, I wouldn't believe that there are such tall trees, they can reach the sky." Bayi Chinese website
Guan Yue drew his sword and struck the giant tree hard. The blade got stuck in the bark of the tree and it was difficult to pull it out.
"This tree is really different."
Zou Cailiang said: "The core of a giant tree that is over a hundred years old is impervious to water and fire. It is very magical."
Guan Yue said: "Such a good thing, then if I use this wooden heart as a weapon, wouldn't it be a magical weapon?"
Zou Cailiang shook his head and said: "It's just impervious to water and fire. It's still wood. It's useless if you use it to chop people."
A sword made of giant wood is still wood and has no lethality to humans.
Long Chen knew this very well because he had tried Shi Potian's wooden sword, which was harmless to humans and animals.
Qi Wenhai asked strangely: "Since it has no lethality to people, what's the use? Just keep it as firewood?"
Other general thoughts are that it cannot be used as a weapon in fighting, so what is the use of keeping it.
Zou Cailiang said very seriously: "You can't kill people, but you can kill demons!"
puff...
Guan Yue and the others laughed loudly after hearing this.
"Master Zou, you are even more funny than King Wu. King Wu said that humans were transformed from fish, but you said that this thing can kill demons."
"In broad daylight and in a clear world, where does the devil come from?"
These people laughed until their stomachs ached.
Zou Cailiang couldn't explain it, so he could only shake his head and said, "That's true. I didn't lie to you."
Everyone laughed.
Long Chen stepped on the thick fallen leaves and slowly walked towards the middle of the woods.
The last time I came here, I chased Ji Ba with Shen Wanjin and had a fierce battle in the giant wood forest.
The tree has been burned once, and the fallen leaves on the surface are intact, but the fallen leaves underneath are burned to ashes.
Strangely, the branches and leaves of the giant tree itself were not greatly affected.
When he walked to the middle, Long Chen saw a house built of bluestone.
"This is the Giant Wood Forest Temple, which we call the Demon Suppressing Tower."
"It is said that this Demon Suppressing Tower was built by the Martial Saint. At that time, a giant forest of trees was planted around it."
"Originally, the sacrificial ceremony was held in front of the temple, but later it was inconvenient, so it was held in the town."
Zou Cailiang caught up and saw that Long Chen was curious about the small house, so he explained the matter.
Long Chen asked: "Is this built by the Martial Saint?"
Zou Cailiang nodded and said, "It is said to be so."
The house built by Wu Sheng lasted four hundred years and can be regarded as a cultural relic.
