Wang Xu was walking forward when the sound of gongs and drums suddenly came from the entrance of the town.
A large group of people gathered together, carrying two stretchers covered with straw mats, and hurried to the ancestral hall.
"What happened?" A man passing by walked up and asked.
"What a disaster, the blood demon started to appear again, and killed the Fan brothers." The person who was questioned answered casually, and followed the others running towards the ancestral temple in the town.
"Blood demon!"
Wang Xu narrowed his eyes slightly. Liyang County is a large county with a population of over one million. It is such a big place that it is impossible for everything to be peaceful.
The blood demon is active around Liyang County and is the most egregious monster.
Every few years, the blood demon will appear. If ordinary people encounter it in the wild, they will most likely lose their lives.
The imperial court conducted several encirclement and suppression campaigns, and once even the county magistrates took action, but in the end nothing was found.
Later, I saw that the blood demon would not attack villages and towns, but would only attack passers-by who stayed in the wild at night, so I left it alone.
"It's such an eventful time!" Wang Xu followed calmly and followed everyone towards the ancestral temple.
The ancestral temple in Jiuquan Town was built by the three major families in the town, and contains many ancestral tablets.
When Wang Xu and his group arrived, the three elders in the town had been invited over to discuss countermeasures with many highly respected people. Wang Xu's father in this life was also here.
"Third elders, look, these are the Fan brothers who were killed by the blood demon. The Fan brothers were proficient in rock climbing. They had been collecting medicines in the mountains for a living. When they were discovered this time, they died on the mountains outside the town.
It’s less than ten miles away from the town.”
The person who spoke was Boss Wei from the town's cloth shop, and he was a prominent figure in Jiuquan Town.
"Shili, this is too close. Isn't it right under our noses? What should we do?" Boss Jiang, who runs the grocery store, also said with a sad look on his face.
"Yes, the blood demon is not scary. In the past, the blood demon appeared and committed crimes in other places. No matter how many people died, it was none of our business. If they died, they would be dead. But now, the blood demon appears around the town. This is terrible.
It's a huge disaster." Mr. Zhou, who ran the oil mill, was smoking a dry cigarette.
"It's a bit tricky!" Listening to what everyone said, Mr. Wang also looked embarrassed, and even Wang Xu, who was hiding in the crowd and eavesdropping, couldn't pay attention.
"quiet!"
In front of the three-foot-high ancestral temple, there are three Taishi chairs, on which sit three highly respected elders.
These three elders are the longest-lived and most majestic ancestors of the three major families in Jiuquan Town: Zhang, Wang, and Zhao. They are also the three elders in charge of ancestral temples and ceremonies in the era when imperial power did not go to the countryside.
Zuo Zhuan said: The most important thing in the country is to sacrifice and fight.
The three elders are not officials and have no rank, but they are in charge of the power of sacrifice, and their words have greater weight than Li Zheng.
Everyone present is the descendant of the three elders. In the Confucian world where filial piety is the first priority, if it is time to worship ancestors during the New Year and the three elders speak on behalf of the ancestors, no one present can stand and listen.
.
"The blood demon has been rampant in the countryside for so many years, but it has never attacked the towns. There should be no worries if it hides in the towns. However, no one knows what the blood demon thinks. I can guarantee that it will never attack the towns, so
Have to guard against it.
Let's do this. We will inform you that from now on, the villagers will not go out unless they have something to do. In addition, people from each family will take turns guarding the intersections entering the town. Also, the villages below are not aware of this matter. Send people down and be sure to hurry up before dawn.
Let everyone know before it gets dark."
The person who spoke was the Wang family's grandfather among the three elders. According to his seniority, Wang Xu also had to call him the third grandfather.
"It's not enough to inform the people below. We should also send people to the county to report the matter to the county boss. It would be best if the county boss sends someone to take charge. This is the best solution."
The Zhang family's grandfather also spoke. The Zhang family is a local wealthy family that is not weaker than the Wang family. Although few are engaged in business, there are many who serve as minor officials. Even Li Zheng in Jiuquan Town is a member of the Zhang family.
"Sealing down villages and towns can prevent deaths, but now the autumn harvest is about to begin, and people can't get out. What will happen to the fields outside? I think the county boss may not be reliable. It's best to allocate some money from the field sacrifices and go to the county's fields.
Academies, Taoist temples, and temples, please invite some experts to come over, so that the autumn harvest cannot be delayed."
The last one to speak was Mr. Zhao. The Zhao family owns the most land in Jiuquan Town and is the most dependent on the weather among the three.
If the autumn harvest is delayed, the loss will be huge. After all, food is the most important thing for people. If they don’t have enough to eat, it’s useless to say anything.
"Six years ago, there was a blood demon attack in Dahong Town. We spent hundreds of taels of silver to invite three scholars to sit in the town. Even three scholars died at the hands of the blood demon. If we invite people again, I'm afraid the scholars will not dare to come.
, I can only ask the master to raise people, this cost"
The Zhang family's grandfather hesitated to speak and looked at the Zhao family's grandfather who was sitting beside him.
Scholars are not valuable. Two hundred taels of silver is enough to invite a scholar to sit in charge.
Juren is different. In the entire Liyang County, there are no more than ten people with the title of Juren, and each of them is a rich man.
To hire a scholar, two hundred taels is enough; to hire a scholar, at least one thousand taels is enough.
Among the three major families, only the Zhao family relies purely on land for its livelihood, so it would be unsatisfactory if it were shared equally.
"The sacrificial fields and ancestral property in the town were jointly purchased by our three major families, and each of them contributed one-third. Well, this time my Zhao family will contribute half, and your Zhang and Wang families will contribute half. Now it's okay.
Bar?"
After the Zhao family finished speaking, without waiting for the other two elders to speak, he added: "You Zhang and Wang families don't have as much land as our Zhao family, but the autumn harvest is not my family's business. If the autumn harvest is delayed, the price of grain will rise."
It will be unstable and the whole body will be affected by a single move. Now is not the time to shirk."
The Wang family's grandfather and the Zhang family's grandfather looked at each other, nodded and said: "It should be so."
The three clan elders discussed countermeasures and issued the order.
Zhang Lizheng rushed to the county town with three tribesmen, while others provided help and money. The entire Jiuquan Town became operational due to the appearance of the blood demon.
The Wang family where Wang Xu belongs is one of the three major families, not counting the main family. It is only because of the appearance of Mr. Wang in the past few decades that it has become prosperous in the town.
The Wang family was also assigned the task of sending out thirty people to guard the two paths leading to the north, and also sent people to notify twelve villages in the north.
"Liu Quan, you choose thirty tenant farmers to guard the two exits in the north. In addition, send twenty-four guys in pairs to visit twelve villages in the north to report the appearance of the blood demon.
Tell everyone."
Mr. Wang called the housekeeper and issued the task.
After saying this, he noticed that the crowd dispersed. Instead of going home, Wang Xu walked towards the two corpses placed at the entrance of the ancestral temple.
"Xu'er?"
Seeing Wang Xu walking towards the corpse, Mr. Wang quickly came over and covered Wang Xu's eyes: "You can't look at it, you'll have nightmares."
"Father, I'm fine."
Wang Xu pushed away Mr. Wang's hand and continued to look at the two corpses on the ground.
Both bodies were covered with straw mats, with only one arm exposed.
Because there was something blocking them, Wang Xu couldn't see how miserable their deaths were. He could only speculate from the bloodless arm and the conversation with everyone that the two people died after their blood was sucked out of their bodies.
Blood demon, a blood demon that sucks blood, what kind of monster is this, a zombie?
It shouldn't be a zombie. Although the blood demon mostly comes out to harm people at night, it's not like he has never been active during the day.
Zombies don't like the sun, and even advanced zombies who are not afraid of the sun will never come out during the day. He is very curious about what the blood demon is.
"Father, has anyone seen the blood demon?" Wang Xu asked without understanding.
Mr. Wang shook his head slightly, waving Liu Quan to hurry up and reply: "No one has seen the blood demon, and those who have seen it are all dead. Even the name of the blood demon was given because it can suck blood.
"
Wang Xu wanted to ask again, but before he could continue, four young men took away the body on the ground.
He looked up and saw that a burning platform had been set up not far away. A family of young people were burning paper in front of the burning platform. They cried even more when they saw the bodies being carried over. Not surprisingly, they must be the family members of the Fan brothers.
Everything else has nothing to do with Wang Xu.
He is only an eight-year-old child now. He is not good at literature or martial arts, so he can only be a spectator.
No matter how much trouble the blood demon makes, there is always a tall man to support it. However, the blood demon has caused trouble and sealed off the villages and towns. The search for the falcon has to be postponed. This kind of change is not what Wang Xu likes.