The lower boundary of Dongliu Island, the third yuan limit, the mountainous area near the junction of Zhou Gaocheng and Lanhu City jurisdictions.

A group of fifteen or sixteen merchants drove four or five ox carts and walked on a relatively flat path between two mountains. This group of merchants were all in their twenties and thirties, and they seemed to be acquaintances from the same place. They were in twos and threes.

They gathered together and chatted cheerfully and familiarly about the gossip behind the houses in the village.

Among this group of people, there were two people who looked quite strange: one was an old man in his fifties, with hair that had just begun to turn gray but not yet very old, and eyes that were strong and powerful; the other was a childish person about ten years old.

The child was hiding behind the old man with some fear, but his ears were pointed and he listened with concern to the conversation of the merchants next to him.

"Alas..." The old man sighed, took out the pipe tied to his belt and lit it. He took a heavy puff and then exhaled a thick puff of smoke, covering his worried eyes behind him.

A young merchant who was nearest saw this and laughed: "Old man, we have walked this road several times, and we have never seen any dragons. Once we pass this section of the road, we can reach the main road before noon, and then

It’s almost time to get to Zhougaocheng - don’t worry, I won’t miss my baby’s...examination!"

"…I hope so."

The old man thanked him and turned to look at the surrounding terrain and sky, but the sadness in his eyes did not dissipate. The child behind the old man heard the old man sighing, timidly pulled the old man's clothes and whispered: "

Grandpa Village Chief, why don't you go back first? I will arrive soon after following these uncles. If you have been out for so long, what if the bandits come again..."

"Ye - Xiaoye, don't be afraid, there will be no bandits anymore, and there won't be any in the future." The old man put down his pipe, turned around and touched the child's head, "It's okay if I go with you.

, if you win the favor of an immortal, even if you don’t have the talent for cultivation in the future, you will at least be a high-ranking official in the town!"

"But..." When this topic was mentioned, the child named Xiaoye was still a little hesitant, "Can a child like me really be an official?"

"It's really, really, truer than gold!" This time, another merchant next to him took over the topic, "The city lord of Zhou Gaocheng, Immortal, loves to raise little babies! At the beginning of the new year, several towns in Zhou Gaocheng

Many officials were dismissed and all were replaced by eleven or twelve-year-old children! At that time, many people were still unconvinced, and some even secretly tried to use some tricks to make the children suffer. Guess what happened next? Hey..."

Xing Shang started talking in a lively manner, and when he talked about how to make hand and foot gestures on the ground, it was somewhat vivid. After Xing Shang told the anecdote that he didn't know whether it was true or false, he still said with unfinished content: "...and ah, this

It’s been less than a year since I helped Xiaowa follow the city lord! For example, the new steward from Fushui Town, Sanwazi from Xiaohe Village at the bottom of our village, is still related to my uncle’s family - before the disaster in Xiaohe Village the year before last year, I went to him

I have hugged him! That’s why I said, little brother, we will have to ask you to take care of us if we don’t know in the future!”

Xiaoye blushed and muttered a few words in a low voice that he could not hear clearly, which made all the merchants laugh. The atmosphere of joy suddenly rose in the valley, and the merchants themselves began to joke with each other.

"Speaking of Sun Shan, why don't you try it yourself? Isn't the Zhougao City Lord's Mansion also openly recruiting people from outside?"

"Hey, me? No, no, no, no, I can't understand those questions..."

"Then why don't you listen to the public announcement made by the City Lord's Mansion?"

"I feel dizzy after hearing that..."

"Hahahahaha

Hahaha……"

"Speaking of which..." Another merchant put down the paper with something unknown in his hand and said with some fascination, "Last time you went to drink flower wine, I went to listen to it, and I felt that I really understood it...

"

"Pfft, just blow it!"

"Okay, okay!" The man who seemed to be the leader of this group of merchants said, "Being an official has nothing to do with us. Running away the goods is just business! Zhou Gaocheng has developed too fast this year, and this opportunity is only

Here we are, even though it is a small business that the Wei family doesn’t like, but one round trip between these two sides is enough for us to dig in the ground for more than half a year. Let’s go back to talk, don’t slow down - we got out of the ditch before noon.

I’ll treat everyone to spicy pot helmets at the same place!”

"Oh oh oh!"

As if recalling the taste of that spicy pot helmet, the merchants' mood suddenly became high, and they drove the bullock cart a little faster. The old man looked at this group of high-spirited young people, and seemed to think of the young people in his own village.

, patted Xiaoye beside him, and a soft smile appeared on his face.

At this moment, a faint vibration and some kind of ominous sound suddenly came from the valley. The old man's expression suddenly changed, and he shouted "Quiet!" in a loud voice that was completely inconsistent with his age!

"After that, he turned his head and looked at the mountain pass in the distance, paying full attention to detect the faint movement.

"...Old man? What's wrong?"

After being stunned for a while, someone from the businessmen asked, but the old man didn't even turn his head. He just raised his palms to signal them to be quiet: "Wait, I'm... bad!"

The old man suddenly turned his head and shouted forcefully: "Go quickly! Go to the mountain on the right!"
Chapter completed!