A drizzle as thick as cow hair floated in the sky, creating countless tiny ripples in the waterlogged mud puddles.
The rain here seems to never stop, and light rain is considered quite good weather.
Shortly after the sun rose, it was covered by dark clouds, and a layer of mist filled the village.
The air became cold and damp, making people feel indescribably uncomfortable all over their body.
Of course, this discomfort is nothing compared to the physical pain.
"Drive!"
The little white-haired girl held two bunches of messy hair in her hands and sat on her broad shoulders, bouncing back and forth.
Very happy.
"well."
The young man looked complicated and stretched out his hand to rub his temples.
He always felt that Hu Xiaobei's personality had changed to a certain extent after he became a young girl.
Becoming more arrogant.
The only good thing is...she only did this in front of Wang Jin, and no other casualties were caused.
Wang Jin ignored the girl's urging and walked slowly on the dirt road.
The ground here is sprinkled with a layer of cinders, so it won't become muddy even if it rains all year round.
Occasionally, villagers who got up early to fetch water would pass by Wang Jin carrying a bucket, and would smile reluctantly after being stopped.
Everything is so calm and peaceful.
"We'll make more noise when we go home."
Wang Jin moved his sore cervical vertebrae and reached out to pull down the baby Hu Xiaobei.
The latter puffed up her cheeks and transformed back into a fox-eared girl.
"Have you figured out the situation in the ancestral hall?"
Wang Jin adjusted his backpack and asked.
After Song He woke up, he asked Hu Xiaobei to go out and investigate.
"Um."
The girl nodded and became professional and calm again.
Detection is not a difficult problem for a flying fox.
What's more, this fox is a real tuner.
"The ancestral hall is normal and there is no smell of pollution."
"The well is in the backyard. If you want to get water, you can only go around the memorial tablet."
Hu Xiaobei crossed his arms and tapped his fingers lightly on the white windbreaker made of special material.
"There is something worth noting."
"The villagers not only collect water during this period, but also worship at the memorial tablets."
"Everyone is like that..."
The girl paused and repeated again.
"I have carefully observed it, and it is indeed everyone."
"oh?"
Wang Jin raised his eyebrows and looked into Hu Xiaobei's eyes.
Perhaps because of the inexplicable tacit understanding, he understood the other party's meaning almost instantly.
The Mud Dragon King will appear every year during the rainy season.
If Wang Jin hadn't stopped the Mud Dragon King last night, today next year would also be Song He's memorial day.
The dead also have family members, and it is normal for them to be worshiped on memorial days.
The only problem is... "everyone" burns incense sticks before fetching water.
There are dozens of households in the village, and it has been less than twenty years since the appearance of the Mud Dragon King.
It is impossible for every household to have a death.
Then we can only make another guess.
The villagers went to burn incense to express their gratitude.
But this thing itself doesn't make sense.
All the capable leaders died out in the first few years.
Repeated failures have caused considerable changes in the attitude of the villagers.
From resistance at the beginning, to escape later, and now... numbness.
They chose to coexist with the Mud Dragon King.
Each year, one person is chosen to live in the row house, and the rest live as usual.
If the "chosen person" is unwilling, the villagers will directly beat him up and throw him into the house, or even vent his emotions before the other person dies.
This kind of thing obviously happens often. Hu Xiaobei has seen more than one rotten human body part in the cellar of the row house.
But Wang Jin was not surprised.
After all, you can beat a fool to death just for a rumor, so it's not surprising that he would do such a thing.
Wang Jin knew it very well.
It is impossible for these villagers to feel grateful to those who sacrificed their lives.
Asking them to offer incense to the dead would be as difficult as going to heaven.
So what is this meaningless “worship” actually about?
"Go take a look, but you have to wait until the matter over there is resolved."
Wang Jin looked at Hu Xiaobei's confused eyes and pointed in the distance.
Xiao Hua was crying and running towards this side. The washed white cloth was covered with mud.
Apparently, I had fallen down several times on the road.
"etc…"
Hu Xiaobei was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at Wang Jin.
The word "bad" is written all over his face.
She suddenly discovered a problem.
He went to investigate the well, and Wang Jin took the little black mirror ghost to save people.
This shows that no one is watching Song He's house.
And the person who always wanted to kill Song He was in the village.
Hongshan.
He originally had a grudge against the Song family, but was shot twice by Wang Jinbeng.
It is impossible for a rural gangster not to take this opportunity to take revenge.
Even if he just smashes the Mud Dragon King, Song He's short lifespan will be wiped out.
Judging from Xiaohua's current appearance, those scum indeed have this idea.
And according to the way of thinking of those villagers, they might actually get involved.
"No wonder the expressions of the villagers I met along the way were all wrong... Silly boy, didn't you think of this?"
Hu Xiaobei blinked and looked at the young man aside.
She also felt a little unsure.
There were too many things that Wang Jin needed to consider during this period, and he couldn't help but convey negative emotions to him.
A wise man will always make mistakes. If Wang Jin remembered this, he probably wouldn't have let Xiao Hua run home on her own.
Things are in trouble.
"Woooo..."
Xiaohua cried and ran to Wang Jin and gestured, mumbling something vaguely.
Looks quite anxious.
"That's it."
Wang Jin smiled, reached out to pick up Xiaohua, and put it on his shoulders.
Then he turned to look at Hu Xiaobei.
"Someone is rushing to the door of Song He's house."
"Not only Hongshan, but also other villagers."
"Dare to walk back and forth where I've been... so brave."
——
"Boss, just let her run away like this?"
As they approached Song He's house, Hong Shan's younger brother leaned down and spoke to the middle-aged man in the wheelchair.
He clearly wanted to kick the little girl down just now, but Hong Shan didn't let him do it.
"Tsk...you are so stupid."
Hong Shan curled his lips.
For some reason, his current condition is much better than before his legs were crippled by Wang Jin.
His originally pale face gained color, and his eyes regained their sparkle.
Although he still wasn't healthy, at first glance he looked at least not that weak.
Hong Shan sighed, raised his hand and patted the younger brother on the head.
"The one who wants to attack Xiaohua is that stupid Sun Tiezui. What's the use of catching Xiaohua?"
"Letting him go would make him feel uncomfortable."
When he thought of Sun Tiezui, Hong Shan clenched his fists involuntarily.
"Then Wang Jin's side..."
The little brother who was slapped let out an ouch and asked again.
The mentally ill man who is full of firepower is in the same group as Song He, and he will definitely not let it go if he knows that he has come to find trouble.
If we really pursue the case, our own group of people won't be enough to blow it up.
"You."
Hong Shan shook his head.
"Sun Tiezui ran away in the middle of the night yesterday. No matter how fast Wang Jin was, it was impossible to find him in such a short time."
"Even if he finds it, Sun Tiezui can hold on for a long time. Didn't he resist several shotgun blasts yesterday?"
"While they are dog-eat-dog, I can just kill Song He. Maybe I can blame the villagers and cause Wang Jin to have a conflict with the village."
Hong Shan grinned, showing a somewhat forced smile.
Last year, he escaped from the Mud Dragon King by sacrificing his daughter.
But only Hongshan himself knew that there was still a dragon haunting him under his clothes.
That was a sign of being targeted by the Mud Dragon King.
The Tangled Dragon climbs a little higher every day, especially in the past few days.
It was as if the Mud Dragon King had discovered Hongshan, a fish that had slipped through the net, and wanted to take him away with Song He.
Hongshan was very scared.
He didn't dare to come back, but he had to come back because of the curse that "if you leave the village, you will die".
Therefore, Hongshan is frightened every spring.
He couldn't find a solution.
Sun Tiezui had already run away, and it was difficult for him to have another child because he was haunted by a dragon.
He wanted Song He to die quickly and let the damn haunted dragon crawl slowly.
"Boss, it's right in front."
The boy who was helping Hong Shan push the wheelchair pointed forward and spoke as a reminder.
"I grew up here, what the fuck are you telling me?"
Hong Shan glared, making the younger brother tremble with fright.
The villagers following him were whispering to each other and discussing something.
"Just be quiet, just be quiet."
Hong Shan turned his head and spit, then stretched out his hands to rub his face, trying to make his expression less vicious.
He looked around and carefully considered what to say using his elementary school education level.
"Folks... maybe you don't know what happened."
"but I know."
Hong Shan sighed and pointed to the row house not far away.
"If you take a look inside, you can see that the Mud Dragon King is covered with talismans."
"If it weren't for these talismans, the Mud Dragon King should have entered the house directly last night."
"My master said this is a life-extending move."
"Song He was supposed to die today, but Wang Jin used magic to save his life, allowing this kid to live two more years..."
Before Hong Shan finished speaking, he was interrupted by the villagers.
"Really? That little immortal master is so powerful?"
"That's great. Let him help me when it's my turn. Even if I live one more day, it will be good."
"Shit, what can a young boy like him do that even the big guys can't do?"
"Eh...that's true when you say that."
"Everyone! Be quiet!"
Hong Shan squinted his eyes, and the sunken cheeks looked a bit tragic in the shadows.
"You also know that my father had a relationship with a platoon leader back then."
"He told me that it wasn't that he couldn't do what he did back then, but that he didn't want to do it."
"call…"
Hong Shan took a breath, his voice trembling.
"The Mud Dragon King has not received anyone... More men will be sent to check the situation in the evening."
"The whole village will be in danger by then, just to delay life for a few days."
"This is too much trouble for the folks."
Hong Shan shook his head, looking sincere.
"But Wang Jin doesn't think about this. After all, he is an outsider and only gets paid to do things."
"I argued with him today, and he immediately broke both of my legs."
Hong Shan pointed to his legs wrapped in thick gauze.
The situation was so urgent that he didn't even have time to bandage it.
What's more, Wang Jin's shotgun is terrifyingly powerful.
According to the worst-case scenario...the legs may not be saved.
"call…"
Hong Shan took a deep breath, and the pain in his eyes was incredibly real.
"Folks... At this point, we have no choice but to take action ourselves."
"If you want to survive, you have to let Song He be taken away at a normal time."
"Smash the Mud Dragon King."
Hong Shan turned his head and looked at the villagers one after another.
He has lived here for decades and knows very well how these people think.
If you just talk about right and wrong, almost no one is willing to listen.
But once the Mud Dragon King is involved, then whether he can survive...
These people will become fanatical in an instant and are willing to listen to whatever you say.
Seeing that the villagers' emotions began to rise, Hong Shan waved his hand and shouted loudly.
"Folks, take action!"
"Smash the Mud Dragon King, or kill Song He directly."
"I still have one year to live, so I can't let him get involved."
The villagers did not hesitate and raised their sickles and harpoons.
They actually wanted to do this yesterday, but Wang Jin stopped them and failed.
And now, Wang Jin won't be able to come back for a while.
Song He, who was possessed by the dragon, was almost a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.
"rush!"
The boy pushing the wheelchair shouted loudly and pushed Hong Shan forward.
But he was slapped loudly on the ear by the latter.
"Are you fucking crazy?"
Hong Shan stared at him, wishing he could eat this little brother alive.
"I put so much effort into letting the villagers take the lead, why the hell are you leading me forward?"
"Boss, why..."
The younger brother blinked and asked again.
But this time, midway through his words, he was interrupted by a huge explosion.
boom--
Earth and rocks flew everywhere, covering his body with mud.
"Because of this thing."
Hong Shan shrank his neck, but a look of pride flashed across his face.
He has no culture, but is full of bad ideas.
Otherwise, we wouldn’t have sent people to secretly remove the Songhe cellar vent.
I don't know if it's a talent, but he can easily identify similar people among the crowd.
For example, Wang Jin.
Therefore, Hongshan subconsciously became more defensive, and then he tried his best to ask the villagers to find the way for him.
——
"Well, it exploded."
Listening to the explosion not far away, Wang Jin nodded slowly, seeming quite satisfied.
"...Did you plant a shock bomb this morning?"
Hu Xiaobei was stunned for a moment and began to recall.
Wang Jin was so angry at the time that it was impossible for him to think so carefully.
"No."
The young man shook his head slowly and shook the remote control in his hand.
"I brought it for today last night. I just asked Mirror Ghost and Xiaohua to activate it."
Wang Jin pointed to the shadow under his feet.
He had calculated in advance that Hongshan would take people there, and of course it was impossible for Xiaohua to go home on her own.
If Hong Shan dares to do anything to Xiao Hua... Mirror Ghost will chop off his head immediately.
"Although the Mud Dragon King cannot be broken, I still subconsciously buried two less powerful ones."
"It's an occupational disease... I'm used to it."
Wang Jin scratched his head and smiled.
——
In front of Songhe's house.
The air is filled with the smell of blood.
The milky white fog was tinged with a layer of bright red.
Broken limbs and broken arms flew out in all directions, and the sound of wailing could be heard endlessly.
The younger brothers brought by Hongshan all looked pale and squatted on the ground, vomiting wildly.
Although most of them had chopped people with knives, they still couldn't stand it when they saw so many people being disemboweled in front of them.
"Fuck..."
Hong Shan swallowed.
He watched helplessly as the villagers lost their ability to move within seconds.
There were also one or two who were corroded by some strange red mist and fell to the ground struggling.
This is the fucking doorstep!
Hong Shan couldn't imagine how Wang Jin got in all day long.
Would normal people plant explosives in front of their homes?
Obviously impossible.
"Wang Jin is indeed a psychopath...still very experienced."
Hong Shan shrank his neck and whispered softly.
If you look closely, you will find that the villagers were only injured by the bombing, not a single one died.
He is a god in predicting things, accurate in calculation, and ruthless.
So damn skilled.
It is obviously not the first time Wang Jin has done this kind of thing.
This made Hong Shan doubt his actions for a moment.
"Thankfully we asked the villagers to step on the mine, otherwise we would be the ones lying on the ground now."
Hong Shan ignored the villagers who looked at him with malicious eyes and took a breath.
Then he turned to look at the little brother pushing his wheelchair, not knowing whether he was complaining or rejoicing.
"The boss is awesome."
"I can't understand...I apologize for my recklessness just now."
The younger brother pushing the wheelchair nodded slowly, with admiration written all over his face.
Although he was shaking all over and his face was gray, he was one of the few who could still speak.
Good courage.
"May I have your name?"
Hong Shan raised his eyebrows and looked at the younger brother pushing his wheelchair with interest.
He always felt that this kid was a bit unfamiliar and stupid.
But since he understands the truth so well, Hong Shan still plans to focus on cultivating it.
For example, take him as a godson and see if he can come to the fishing village to die on his behalf.
"Ah...me?"
The younger brother pushing the wheelchair was stunned, as if he didn't expect that the normally aloof boss would suddenly ask for his name.
This opportunity was so precious, he never thought there would be such a moment.
The younger brother grinned, a strange smile appearing on his gray face.
The next second, his face began to become distorted and blurred.
In the end, it became like Hongshan.
But his face was covered with blood holes and scales, and he looked like he was about to be tortured to death by the haunted dragon.
Extremely terrifying.
"I will be you in a few days."
Mirror Ghost's eyes widened and he stared at Hong Shan.
"ah…"
The latter's lips trembled, but he didn't say anything for a long time.
He just quietly looked at himself in front of him, who clearly had something wrong.
Watching the other person's figure blend into the shadows, it seemed as if he suddenly melted into a puddle of sand.
"ah!!!"
Hong Shan was stunned for a long time, and suddenly let out a howl like a slaughtering pig.
He found that his wheelchair was entangled in a shadow on the ground, and he was trying to rush forward uncontrollably.
"Someone! Someone come and save me!"
Hong Shan shouted loudly and desperately inserted his fingers into the wheels of the wheelchair.
Gaba.
The bones were broken, and heartbreaking pain came.
But Hongshan can't feel it for the time being.
He only knew that this little brother who always wanted to push him forward would not be able to act this time.
"Help! Help me!"
Hong Shan turned to look at the boys lying on the ground vomiting, feeling so helpless for the first time.
Fortunately, there is a figure who is not like this.
The man ran over quickly and held down the wheelchair that was about to move.
"Fuck...fuck..."
Hong Shan gasped for air and looked down at his wet lower body.