Chapter 91 Mutation
Chapter 91 Mutation
Wang Sumo could tell at a glance that something was wrong with the old man.
Normally, the old man would either have already started criticizing people, asking why they were wandering around in this run-down town, or he would have been impatient and told them to leave.
While listening quietly as before, lost in thought, Wang Sumo suddenly recalled the scene from a few days ago when the news about the Kunlun thumb ring was mentioned.
The old man was keeping something to himself...
Wang Sumo remained silent.
Jiang Yutang, standing nearby, also looked at the old man.
She came to Bazhenlou to spend some time with the old man.
Although the old man seems completely different from what his maternal grandmother described, she is still getting to know him and is gradually becoming familiar with him. Therefore, she observes and listens more, but speaks less.
For example, just now, everyone else's attention was on the town of Bewitching Souls, but she was the only one who kept an eye on the old man. So, unless Zhao Tong specifically asked her about it, she didn't say much.
Although Bai Cen was always being chased all over the mountain by the old man, Jiang Yutang could tell that, apart from Wang Sumo, Bai Cen had the closest relationship with the old man.
Right now, Bai Cen was right next to the old man, affectionately bumping his shoulder: "Hey, old man, do you think we should go around Bewitching Town? This place sounds pretty eerie!"
Rumors were one thing, but the fact that Zhao Tong and Jiang Yutang each said something didn't just add spice; it practically confirmed the supernatural nature of the story.
Bai Cen wasn't exactly timid, but he was still somewhat terrified.
"Ghosts aren't scary; they're just people pretending to be ghosts," the old man said calmly.
It was rare for Weng He to agree: "Old Qu is right!"
He had previously considered taking a detour, but after Lao Qu said that, Weng He seemed to naturally change his mind.
"Wow~ Grandpa, you don't really want to go through the Bewitching Town, do you?" Bai Cen was stunned, but he seemed to feel a little excited and thrilled.
Zhao Tong also crossed his arms and took a deep breath.
Then, everyone looked at Wang Sumo.
Wang Sumo: "..."
Bai Cen couldn't help but chuckle to himself, then whispered, "The master is willing to go through fire and water for any spectacle, let alone a mere little Bewitching Town?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than Bai Cen exclaimed, "Hey, hey, a gentleman uses words, not fists!"
The hair is tied up with a wooden hairpin and paired with two hairbands.
Wang Sumo was currently pulling on the hair ribbon hanging from his hair bun.
"Master, I was wrong~" Bai Cen switched freely between being principled and spineless.
Those around them rolled their eyes: "..."
Serves you right!
*
And so, in a daze, without knowing how, they decided to take the route through the Bewitching Town.
Wang Sumo even had a misconception that if the incident in Bewitching Town hadn't happened, they might not have left and would have preferred to walk around the lake at a slower pace.
The eaves lanterns on the Bazhenlou Pavilion were taken down, and all the mess was put away. Soon, the Bazhenlou Pavilion itself would also be taken down.
Just then, Grandpa Weng asked, "What should we do with that pig?"
Oh right, Bazhenlou has a new pig!
Wang Sumo had a headache.
Go to Liu Village and bring back a pig.
Looking across the entire martial arts world, probably only Bai Cen could do something like this.
“Brother Zhao, what do you think?” Wang Sumo looked at Zhao Tong.
After all, slaughtering a pig takes time.
Moreover, Zhao Tong is the only one here who can slaughter pigs, but Bai Cen must be the one who instigated and bought the pigs!
Zhao Tong, unusually, clenched his fist and smiled, neither confirming nor denying.
After a long pause, he said gently, "I'll listen to the master."
Hmm, it seems that after taking a pig walk with Bai Cen, their relationship has become quite harmonious.
This pig is an important bridge.
Wang Sumo suddenly felt that it would be a pity to kill him.
But if we don't kill them, how can we leave?
Should we take it with us all the way?
Just then, Bai Cen smiled and said to her, "Boss, such a big pig can't be eaten in a short time. It will spoil on the way if we kill it. Why don't we wait until we pass the Bewitching Town?"
Wang Sumo looked at him.
Seeing that his employer didn't yell at him, Bai Cen took advantage of the situation: "When we pass through Bewitching Town, let it go first. All sorts of demons and monsters will be amused when they see it, and once they're amused, they won't stay. We'll pass through quickly and safely. What do you say, employer?"
Even though I knew he was making things up, it's rare to see someone make up something with such conviction.
Wang Sumo took a deep breath, almost unable to bring herself to slap him.
"Why don't you give it a name?" Wang Sumo rarely shared his "sense of conviction" with him.
Bai Cen continued to observe Bai Cen's expression: "..."
This doesn't feel good.
This is a trap.
But Jiang Yutang, who was passing by, stepped forward and said, "Powerful."
Bai Cen/Wang Sumo: "..."
Jiang Yutang said calmly, "There's a mighty one in the building; it can be called Mighty."
Bai Cen/Wang Sumo: "..."
However, Jiang Yutang probably wasn't quite comfortable in this kind of situation either. After saying that, she lowered her head and left, leaving Bai Cen and Wang Sumo alone.
Bai Cen hadn't expected Jiang Yutang to be so helpful, and took the opportunity to sigh softly, "Master, look, they even have names now."
Wang Sumo looked at him.
Bai Cen continued, "A pig with a name is harder to kill..."
Wang Sumo leaned closer and said politely, "Then after we get past the Bewitching Town, it'll be just the right time to make New Year's sausages. Either we kill it or we kill you; you can choose one then."
Bai Cen: (⊙o⊙)…
*
Wei Meng probably never imagined that he would live to see the sun today; even more unexpectedly, as a pig, he would have to walk a long way today!
Wei Meng even thought it would be better to kill it.
If you kill it, you won't have to keep walking.
But Wei Wu was clearly very happy, because with Wei Meng around, Wei Wu was even willing to get off the carriage and stroll around.
Anyway, you can't walk fast at Bazhenlou, so you might as well walk your dog or pig together.
Bai Cen rode his horse leisurely, humming a little tune as he walked in front of the Eight Treasures Pavilion. He held the horse's reins in his left hand and two other ropes in his right, one named "Majestic" and the other "Majestic."
A man, a horse, a pig, and a dog walked together in perfect harmony.
Old Master Weng was on night duty last night and is currently taking a nap in the carriage.
Jiang Yutang also dozed off very late at night, and when sleepiness came over her, she leaned against a corner of the carriage and dozed off.
The old man was inside the carriage, picking wild vegetables he would use later while gazing absently at the scenery outside the window.
Zhao Tong drove the carriage behind the imposing and powerful Bai Cen. Wang Sumo sat with her arms crossed, leaning against the carriage, sharing the ride with Zhao Tong.
"Didn't he buy that pig in Liu Village to eat? Why is he suddenly so protective of it?" Wang Sumo isn't stupid. Bai Cen must have asked for a pig for Zhao Tong to practice on because Zhao Tong got a new set of props.
Otherwise, he would have passed through so many villages along the way. If he really liked pigs, he would have already made a fuss about buying a whole one, instead of waiting until now.
Bai Cen initially wanted to buy Weimeng, but his only thought was to use it to open Zhao Tong's knife box.
The fact that they're suddenly saying they'll stay a few more days means something must have happened on the way.
I'm a little reluctant to part with it.
Wang Sumo looked at Bai Cen's leisurely figure on the horse, feeling both stubborn and amused.
Last night, Zhao Tong overheard Bai Cen talking to the old man about his fierceness while he was in the tree.
Bai Cen said that he originally wanted to buy a pig for him to practice on.
But on the way back, I suddenly realized that the pig was somewhat intelligent, and I thought it was rare to encounter a pig that had gained sentience, so I decided not to kill it.
Wang Sumo asked curiously, "How does one awaken spiritual intelligence?"
At this point, Zhao Tong couldn't help but laugh: "Halfway there, the pig absolutely refused to go any further, and we couldn't drag it away. Bai Cen dismounted and coaxed it, saying, 'Come on, if you can get back to Bazhenlou before midnight, I'll talk to the owner and not kill you; if you arrive an hour before midnight, I'll talk to the owner and you can join Bazhenlou. Anyway, Bazhenlou has so many pets, it won't make a difference if you join; if you arrive two hours before midnight, I'll feed you well and treat you well, and we'll be together through thick and thin from now on...'"
Wang Sumo found it both amusing and exasperating.
Someone who's really not very bright...
"And then?" But she still wanted to hear the excitement.
Zhao Tongzhen laughed: "When we got to the last point, the pig actually stood up and started walking forward. Bai Cen and I were both stunned. After a while, Bai Cen thought about chasing after the pig, otherwise it would have walked away on its own."
Wang Sumo also chuckled.
What bizarre things are these! Only Bai Cen's strange and wonderful mind could come up with such ideas.
"And then?" Wang Sumo suddenly seemed wide awake and became alert.
Zhao Tong continued, "Then Bai Cen was very nervous the whole time, looking at the pigs one minute and me the next. When he was looking at the pigs, he was very meticulous, afraid that the pigs would suddenly turn around and talk to him, or walk upright."
Wang Sumo couldn't help but laugh: "And when I look at you?"
Zhao Tong calmly said, "When he came to see me, he told me he was terrified that the pig would suddenly turn around and talk to him, or walk upright..."
Wang Sumo: ╰(*°▽°*)╯
Wang Sumo suddenly realized that Zhao Tong actually had a bit of a sense of humor.
*
There is only one road to the town of Bewitching Souls; if you want to change roads, you have to turn back the way you came.
In recent years, very few people have passed by this road.
Apart from a few nearby small villages that have been settled here for generations and have not moved away, there will not be many people passing through here in large numbers anymore.
The imperial court also regarded this place as a deserted land, and the entire town seemed to have been half forgotten, leaving only traces on the map.
Today it's Bai Cen's turn to drive the carriage.
Jiang Yutang had thought no one would help her walk the powerful motorcycle, but she volunteered.
Although Bai Cen didn't know why Jiang Yutang, who was rather aloof and didn't like to talk much, would take the initiative to take care of Wei Meng, it was clear that Jiang Yutang liked Wei Wu and Wei Meng very much.
Girls may have an innate love for small animals.
But Wei Meng isn't exactly a small animal...
Bai Cen didn't have time to think about all that. As long as someone could look imposing and the boss wouldn't be angry, that was fine.
According to the map, we were still a short distance from the town of Bewitching Souls, and the surroundings did indeed become eerie.
Although Wang Sumo didn't speak, Bai Cen could sense that she was a little nervous, otherwise she wouldn't have called Grandpa Weng out as well, and the three of them would ride together.
Once they reached the vicinity of the Bewitching Soul, Wang Sumo was still worried about Jiang Yutang riding alone, so he led Weiwu and Weimeng on horseback. However, Weimeng was too big, and putting it in the carriage would exhaust the horse, and he was also afraid of the horse smelling bad.
Zhao Tong stepped forward, and he and Jiang Yutang each rode a horse, while Wei Wu was held in Wang Sumo's arms.
This put Wang Sumo and Jiang Yutang at ease.
The old man sat alone in the carriage, at the very back, and lifted the curtain to observe what was behind him.
In a place like Bewitching Town, one should always be cautious.
It is necessary to leave someone behind the carriage.
Just then, Bai Cen suddenly hissed softly: "Grandpa Weng, boss, don't you think something's a little off?"
Grandpa Weng said calmly, "We're almost at Bewitching Town. Isn't something strange going on?"
Bai Cen: (⊙o⊙)…
Too.
Wang Sumo looked at him: "What do you want to say?"
Bai Cen sighed softly: "Logically speaking, since no one has come to Bewitching Town for so long, the surrounding trees and grass should have grown tall and dense. But look, this road clearly still retains traces of the main road, while the small paths over there have been overgrown with weeds. Why don't those weeds grow onto this road?"
However, after Bai Cen said that, Wang Sumo and Weng He couldn't help but look around.
At first, things were fine, but after observing for a while, Wang Sumo suddenly felt unusually uneasy.
"Stop, stop." Wang Sumo suddenly spoke.
Bai Cen was startled. Wang Sumo took a deep breath and said, "I'll switch with you. I'll sit in the middle and drive the carriage. You can sit on one side so we can observe the surroundings."
Wang Sumo spoke in a grand and righteous tone, and both Grandpa Weng and Bai Cen understood—someone was afraid.
The carriage suddenly stopped, and the old man in the carriage behind asked, "What's wrong?"
The old man was also nervous about this sudden turn of events.
"The master wants to drive the carriage, let's switch," Bai Cen said loudly.
Zhao Tong and Jiang Yutang had also stopped to look around, but after hearing what Bai Cen said, they turned back and continued riding their horses.
This time, Wang Sumo sat in the middle, with Bai Cen and Old Master Weng on either side. Behind them were the large wooden box and carriage from Bazhenlou, with Old Master Weng inside the carriage. In front were Zhao Tong and Jiang Yutang. Wang Sumo felt safe.
To be precise, she is now the safest person in the Eight Treasures Pavilion.
"Alright, you can continue now." This time she could listen properly, and without having to look around.
Bai Cen and Grandpa Weng couldn't help but laugh, especially Bai Cen.
Since Wang Sumo had already been frightened, they had to continue. Bai Cen deliberately moved closer and whispered, "Moreover, Master, Old Master Weng, look, the strangest thing here is not that the weeds haven't grown together, but that they haven't grown together completely, yet you can see the traces of them growing together."
"Wh-what do you mean?" Wang Sumo didn't want to think anymore.
Grandpa Weng understood: "Bai Cen means that if the grass on the road is completely covered up, it means that no one has ever been here, and the disturbance ahead can only be a ghost story; but the grass on this road looks like it is about to grow up, but it is not. This means that people have been coming and going, but they don't want others to notice at a glance, so they are just making it look like it."
Wang Sumo: "..."
Bai Cen looked at Old Master Weng and asked, "Uncle Weng, you noticed?"
Weng He hummed softly, "Looks like it's a person, not a ghost. Ghosts don't need to walk."
Wang Sumo suddenly understood: "..."
Right, ghosts don't need roads; roads are for people to walk on.
"Someone doesn't want others to go to the Bewitching Town, so they deliberately set up a maze. It seems we don't know if there are any demons or monsters in this town, but there are definitely some strange things going on," Old Master Weng said leisurely.
“Grandpa Weng,” Zhao Tong suddenly called out.
Bai Cen and Grandpa Weng followed Zhao Tong's gaze.
When Wang Sumo stretched her neck, Bai Cen reached out and blocked her eyes, while holding Weiwu in his other hand: "Don't look, boss, it's a skull."
Fortunately, she didn't look; Wang Sumo almost followed her gaze.
"Stop the car, I'll go take a look," Grandpa Weng instructed.
Wang Sumo, Zhao Tong, and Jiang Yutang all stopped.
Bai Cen also reminded the old man, "Grandpa, wait a moment, there's something ahead."
The old man understood.
Zhao Tong also dismounted and joined Old Master Weng.
Bai Cen also got off the carriage carrying Wei Wu, but Zhao Tong and Old Master Weng were heading towards the skull, while Bai Cen, carrying Wei Wu, was cautiously looking around.
However, just when Wang Sumo thought that Bai Cen was hugging Weiwu to bolster his courage, a "meow" suddenly came from somewhere, startling Wang Sumo and everyone else.
It was a black cat, appearing in front of us with its body hunched over.
When Wang Sumo suddenly encountered a black cat in this place, his heart jumped into his throat.
Apart from Wang Sumo, everyone else also became nervous.
Especially the majestic one in Bai Cen's arms, and the fierce one that Jiang Yutang was holding, suddenly became restless.
It's hard to say whether it's restlessness or fear.
Jiang Yutang was already on horseback when Wei Meng suddenly became impatient and charged forward. Even though Jiang Yutang was skilled, she couldn't support Wei Meng's weight on the horse's back.
Seeing that he was being dragged forward by Wei Meng, Old Man Weng calmly said, "Yu Tang, let go!"
Jiang Yutang suddenly realized what was happening, released the rope in her hand, and charged forward with a powerful whoosh.
This happened so fast that no one had time to react.
Wang Sumo's heart was pounding, Bai Cen frowned, and Zhao Tong took two steps forward, using his short knife to brush aside some leaves on the ground.
The leaves parted, revealing an old stone slab.
The stone slab had several large characters written on it: Bewitching Town!
[Author's Note]
There's a weekend red envelope this chapter! We'll send them out together Monday noon.
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