After learning from the old man about several small strongholds of the Red Whale Gang and the structural characteristics of the gang's members, Lu Sheng left from the cemetery.
The next day, Lu Sheng went out for a stroll early in the morning, intending to explore the Red Whale Gang's locations.
When passing by a busy street, a large store in the city was holding a discount event. The discount event here is not called a discount, but a gift.
A large group of children gathered at the door of the store, where a wooden platform was set up. Someone was talking loudly on it, attracting many passers-by to watch.
Lu Sheng originally just glanced at it and planned to leave quickly.
But when passing by the high platform, I noticed on the way that among the people watching, there were many ragged people with yellow faces and thin muscles.
"People in Yanshan City have always lived a good life. I have never seen so many refugee-like people walking on the streets before. Why are there so many people all of a sudden?"
Lu Sheng ignored the shop owners who were talking loudly on the wooden platform. Instead, he carefully observed these refugee-like people.
They looked miserable, and there was no hope in their eyes. They just stood by the wooden platform, hoping that the shop would give them something to satisfy their hunger.
Lu Sheng walked forward for a while and heard another group of people gathering on the right side in front of him. The people gathered were whispering to each other and talking about each other from time to time.
He walked closer and took a look apart from the crowd.
A skinny and hungry couple, barely clothed, were holding a little girl of three or four years old, kneeling on the ground, with a piece of tree bark hanging around their necks, with a simple pattern drawn on it with crooked gray charcoal.
It looks like a bunch of money.
"Everyone, please be kind to me. My daughter is only three years old this year. She is obedient and sensible, with good facial features. Please show mercy to some kindhearted people... and enjoy the food..." the woman kneeling on the ground cried out.
The girl standing next to her still looked confused and didn't know anything.
Lu Sheng frowned, squeezed out of the crowd, walked a little further, and unexpectedly saw someone selling his daughter and son again. They were all very young children.
"Where did so many refugees come from in this city?" Lu Sheng couldn't help but murmured.
While wandering around, he saw no fewer than five families selling their children and daughters. This made his heart sink slightly and he became more and more doubtful.
After all, before he came to this world, he had never seen such a tragedy. For a family to sell its sons and daughters, how difficult must it be to have to make such a choice?
When the time was almost up, Lu Sheng returned to the small building where he lived. There was actually a young woman at the door of the wine shop on the first floor, kneeling on the ground selling herself. She spoke with a foreign accent, and she couldn't hear clearly what she was saying.
Lu Sheng took a look and saw that the waiter from the wine shop was watching the excitement, so he took a few steps closer and asked.
"Why are there so many refugees coming into this city recently? Is there any disaster happening outside?"
When the waiter saw it was Lu Sheng and knew that this nobleman lived upstairs in his winery, he quickly nodded and bowed and replied.
"Back to the young master, isn't this a severe drought in Yunzhou? I don't know how many people have no food and are running around everywhere. The number of people who starve to death in the middle is enough for one-tenth of the population of the city along the mountain. It was so miserable along the way...
.." The waiter shook his head and sighed, "At first, I heard that our city would not allow these refugees to enter. Later, when we saw that it was so miserable, the yamen master couldn't bear it, so he ordered the passage to be opened to allow the few refugees to enter.
City. In fact, our city is not bad. In the direction of the Central Plains, many cities are crowded by refugees and food prices have skyrocketed."
"Yunzhou..." Lu Sheng knew that this place was to the west of the Central Plains and was the collective name for an area. He didn't expect that the drought in that place was so serious. How could such ordinary people come from such a far away place?
I don’t know how many people were killed or injured on the way here.
"Yeah... I heard..." The waiter looked around and lowered his voice, "I heard that Yunzhou was plagued by demons. You said that the weather was like this, and it rained hail for ten days first.
Are there going to be severe droughts in the next few months?”
"Ten days of hail? How many months of drought?" Lu Sheng asked doubtfully.
"It is said that the hailstones were as big as eggs, and then there was a severe drought for eight or nine months, without a drop of rain falling... Tsk, tsk, it was so miserable. I heard that cannibalism happened."
The second one is also a talkative person, and he can't help but tell a series of things he knows as soon as he opens his mouth.
"Hail as big as an egg, eight or nine months of severe drought..." Lu Sheng was also startled. You must know that in his mind, if it doesn't rain for three consecutive months, it is considered a drought. Eight or nine months of drought...
There is a severe drought. No wonder the entire Yunzhou collapsed. The crops are probably dead, and there may not even be water to drink.
"I heard from people that whenever it is about to rain, there are even black clouds, but then strange things happen immediately, such as cloud vortex, thunder, etc., and then the black clouds that have just appeared suddenly appear.
It’s gone.” The waiter whispered again.
After hearing the news, Lu Sheng returned home, feeling a little amazed in his heart.
This kind of unnatural weather, with hail falling for ten days and then drought, is completely inconsistent with the laws of nature.
He has been in this world for so long, and he has roughly understood that it is not much different from ancient China. Apart from some differences in customs and customs, the laws of nature are also the same.
Only there are more supernatural phenomena such as demons and ghosts.
"This kind of weather that is completely inconsistent with the laws of nature must be caused by external forces." Lu Sheng guessed in his mind. His intuition told him that the drought was most likely related to monsters and monsters.
When I got home, Xiaoqiao was sewing something. When she saw the door on the way, she quickly got up.
"Sir, are you back? Do you want to take a bath? Xiaoqiao will go to the hot water."
"No need. How much money do you have at home?" Lu Sheng asked casually.
"About twenty-one taels." Xiaoqiao quickly answered with a helpless number.
Lu Sheng was speechless. He even wanted to borrow it from Song Zhenguo and Chen Jiorong, or sell the white jade unicorn given by Chen Jiorong. It was worth ten thousand gold and extremely expensive. And the purple jade hairpin, Yin
Although the energy has been absorbed, the material itself is purple jade and the price is extremely expensive.
"These are just temporary measures. We should follow my previous method. Maybe we can also lay the foundation of my Lu family in this mountain city." Lu Sheng thought about it in his mind and began to eat the food Xiaoqiao served.
The food was all bought from a nearby restaurant and tasted good. Xiaoqiao stood aside and poured wine for Lu Sheng, saying a few words to him from time to time.
"How long will it take for the results to be released?" Lu Sheng asked casually.
"In about a month, there will be a notice from the college. Qiao'er will pay attention to it." Xiaoqiao quickly replied.
"Just don't forget. I may have to do some work during this period. You are at home alone, so be careful. When refugees enter the city, it is inevitable that there will be people with evil intentions."
After dinner, Lu Sheng went out again. He had figured out several points about the Red Whale Gang in the morning.
Went there at noon just to see how to join in.
Lu Sheng walked slowly and leisurely, got on a carriage, and slowly arrived in front of a casino.
Golden seal casino.
The name of this place is very tacky, but it is also very appropriate. The entire casino door looks like a golden seal, square and eye-catching.
Lu Sheng got out of the car, took out a fake gold-threaded folding fan, opened it with a swish, and slowly squeezed in and out of the crowd into the casino.
As soon as we entered the venue, we were immediately greeted by the chaotic noise and the sound of gambling money. Gambling tables of various sizes were placed in the hall, and each gaming table was surrounded by groups of gamblers, all of them shouting loudly with red eyes.
Drinking, it seems like you can win money if you make loud enough noise.
Lu Sheng was not interested in gambling, but he glanced around and immediately saw a red-faced middle-aged man standing at the back of the Golden Seal Casino.
This man stood quietly at a gambling table in the innermost part of the casino, looking at the lively scene in the casino. His face was expressionless, and he was dressed just like the surrounding casino guards.
But Lu Sheng knows that this is actually the red-faced Zhao Jie, the little boss of the Golden Seal Casino. He is also the usual caretaker of this place. If you want to join the Red Whale Gang, it is easiest to find him.
He slowly walked straight towards the red-faced Zhao Jie.
The other party quickly noticed his approach and looked over in surprise.
"Brother, if you don't want to be happy, what are you doing here in this corner?" Zhao Jie asked casually. Although he was leaning against a gambling table, there was no gambling here, it was just used as an ordinary table.
"The student is a student of Dongshan College. He wants to join the Red Whale Gang. Can you recommend someone?" Lu Sheng pointed out his purpose directly and said with a smile.
"Student of Dongshan College?" Zhao Jie was stunned.
In all the years he has been in the gang, this is the first time he has seen an academy student take the initiative to join the Red Whale Gang.
Although the Red Whale Gang he belongs to is the largest gang, the students in the college have always regarded themselves as aloof. Except for those who join through connections with some big bosses in the upper echelons, or who are forced to join through some special events, I have never seen anyone take the initiative.
Scholars who want to join the gang.
After all, the ambitions of these scholars cannot be restricted by a gang; they want to be officials.
After being stunned for a moment, Zhao Jie looked up and down at Lu Sheng.
"Your Excellency said that you are a student of the academy, do you have proof?"
Lu Sheng smiled and took out the nameplate of his college, which had his last name and the name of the college on it.
There is a huge word "东" with a small word "road" underneath. The nameplate is made of brass, has some weight, and is covered with exquisite patterns, making it difficult to fake.
Zhao Jie believed it when he saw the nameplate. This nameplate cannot be obtained by ordinary people, and even if you want to forge it, it is difficult. All the craftsmen in the city do not accept private work, and if the craftsmen of some families make this thing privately, it is
A serious crime may result in beheading.
"Why do you want to join us?" Zhao Jie asked again. Usually, those who want to join the gang are mostly Kuhaha from the bottom of society, either businessmen or skilled craftsmen. Like the one in front of you, at first glance
There is really no need for a college scholar and young man to join a gang when he has a good family.
"I heard that the Red Whale Gang is the largest gang in the North. There are many masters in the gang and their skills are powerful. I want to practice the best skills, so I hope to join." Lu Sheng stated his purpose directly.
When he said it, he didn't bother to mince words and just kept it straightforward.
"Martial arts..." Zhao Jie felt relieved now. The Red Whale Gang's martial arts are indeed the strongest in the North, and none of the other sects can compare.
"Okay, please go and register your name, age, and skills." He directly pointed to Lu Sheng a small door on the right side.
"A reminder in advance, if the disciples in our gang want to practice martial arts, they will all learn it from Xuanwu Pavilion. To enter Xuanwu Pavilion, you need to evaluate your strength level and the degree of contribution you have made to the gang."