Swallow Back

But looking at it like this, it is clear that the old guy Saito Asanobu will obviously not speak again.

If Fei pulled and let the other party continue to talk, it seemed very unpretentious and demeanor, not Liu Yun's behavior style.

So he just nodded reservedly and said calmly, "Okay, I'll talk to you when I have time in the future."

Then he went to sleep in his room.

Chapter 78 People and monsters in the wilderness

Sure enough, as Saito Asanobu said, on the morning of the third day, he left this town called "Yuzawacho", and further south, he slowly felt like he was out of the border.

First and foremost, the overall terrain transitions from a plain to a mountain, the ground is gradually undulating, and the route begins to meander and rugged, often requiring a large circle or climbing up and down in order to pass.

Then the flow of people on the street suddenly decreased, and there were basically no pedestrians, let alone caravans.And the streets themselves were overgrown and badly damaged due to lack of maintenance.

There are many ruins of buildings and abandoned fields along the road.

There were even corpses lying on the side of the road, exposed to the wind and rain, rotting and smelling, and most of them were eaten away by wild animals, revealing the bones.

The first time I saw it, Liu Yun couldn't see it, so he pulled some weeds nearby, built a fire, and burned the bones.

At this time, "Echigo Zhongkui" Saito Asanobu just watched quietly and thoughtfully beside him.

The second time is still the same.

But the third and fourth time I met it, I didn't care anymore.

In just over an hour, I saw four untreated corpses. People in troubled times may have become accustomed to it, but Liu Yun's mood was still quite low because of this.

Corresponding to the deserted state of the countryside, there are many cities in this mountainous area.

Basically, you can see one in the distance after walking for a quarter or two.

However, it is said that it is a city, in fact, strictly speaking, it can only be regarded as a cottage. It is similar in size to the so-called "Sasaki Pavilion" in Liu Yun's house, which is only a soil enclosure with a radius of less than [-] steps.

Only in the vicinity of these Tuweizi, can you see the dry fields where grains such as millet and barley are grown.

It is estimated that there is not enough water in the mountains, and they can only rely on these drought-tolerant crops as food to make a living.

In the dry fields, some farmers are working or passing by, and they finally have a little bit of life.

But both men and women, young and old, seem to be full of vigilance.

Every time Liu Yun and Saito Asanobu approached, the peasants threw away their chores and stayed away, trying their best to avoid any contact.

I don't understand Liu Yun very well.

And Saito Chaoxin said calmly: "In the past 20 years, almost all the foreigners who came to Ueno have sent troops to attack, not for business or...cough cough...or visiting relatives and friends, so the farmers' reactions , comes from a long-term habit.”

Hearing this, Liu Yun's heart became even heavier.

Once again, I felt that the unification of the world was beneficial to the people at the bottom.

……

In such a desolate and backward place, it is not surprising that no commercial towns have been seen all day.

Liu Yun even suspected that the entire Ueno country might not have a place called "machi".

Saito Asanobu told him that within the sphere of influence of the Takeda family to the west, there was a castle town in Minwa Castle with about thirty or forty shops.Then, within the sphere of influence of the Hojo family in the southeast, the economy is not bad due to its proximity to the Kanto Plain.Elsewhere, there really isn't.

Then the question comes-

Since there are no towns and towns, and the people here are very wary, where should they go to stay?

The answer is: ask a monk for help.

After a day of tortuous, up-and-down trekking, Saito Ashin brought Liu Yun to a small rural temple at sunset.

The place is a good place. There are bamboo forests, small ponds, cliffs and waterfalls next to it. With blue sky and white clouds, mountains and green plants, there are no outsiders to disturb them.

It's just that the small temple is a bit too dilapidated.

The walls are covered with green moss, the copper cladding on the door is rusted, and the corners of the roof are damaged and leaking and no one has repaired it.

It was even more desolate than the one Liu Yun lived in Aoyu with Senior Uncle Xinghe and Junior Brother Suifeng.

Generally speaking, monks have a very high status in Fusang and are deeply respected by the people. How could they be so miserable?

Liu Yun asked this question.

Saito Chaoxin's explanation is: "The monks with knowledge and talents all try to find a way to go to the temple outside to place orders, and they are willing to stay...ahem...they are willing to stay, all of them are dull and honest monks who recite sutras. I am so-so, and I am not good at praying for the people at ordinary times.”

Liu Yun suddenly said: "It seems that the monks and businessmen are the same, they will run to the rich places."

After saying this, Saito Asanobu had a strange look on his scarred face. He seemed to want to refute, but he didn't say anything. He coughed twice before knocking on the door.

After a while, two poor and sour monks came out, and they only charged ten cents for sesame oil, so they provided accommodation and took care of meals.

Saito Asano seemed to have a little friendship with the monks in the temple, and offered to help repair the roof.

This changed Liu Yun's impression of him slightly.

I just don't understand, when did a serious samurai learn the craft of construction?

Unexpectedly, Saito Asanobu's method of repairing the roof is very unique - he took out a small porcelain bottle from his arms, released some kind of little monster from the bottle, and then ordered the little monster to work, while he was watching as a supervisor.

This appearance is indeed worthy of "Echigo Zhongkui".

Others Zhong Kui drives the little ghost, he drives the little demon, rounding up seems to be the same.

It is conceivable that the environment of this broken temple is definitely not very good.

Dinner is a porridge made of millet and barley, and a piece of pickled cucumber.

There are no wooden floors, let alone tatami mats. There are enough straws on the bumpy soil, and the straw piles are covered with burlap, which is the bed.

When Liu Yun saw it, he shook his head.

But Saito Ashin persuaded him: "Enjoy it! Tomorrow night, I may be sleeping in the open...cough...cough!"

……

On the fourth day on the road, it seems to be walking deep into the mountains, the terrain is getting steeper and more uneven, and the road is rough and narrow.

Even after walking for an hour or two, there is no such thing as a "road". It is completely a barren mountain that is inaccessible and outside the human civilization.

If it was only Liu Yun himself, it is estimated that even east, west, north and south might not be able to distinguish clearly.

I can only let Saito Asano lead the way.

Then, at noon during the day, a big wild boar appeared head-on.

That guy is fierce, fat and strong, and his fangs are nearly a foot long.

This has exceeded the level of natural growth, and it is estimated that there should be a certain demon element.

Probably there is no good prey in the mountains in winter, the wild boar was extremely hungry, and immediately roared towards Liu Yun and swooped.

The end is worthy of the word "pig protruding".

If you are an ordinary traveller, [-]% of them will be explained here.However, the average traveler probably won't be free to run to such a remote place.

Liu Yun took it lightly, he had dealt with too many monsters stronger than this wild boar.

Immediately slashed with a knife, the wild boar was turned into a dead pig.

Saito Chaoxin smiled and said: "Today there is delicious food to enjoy! Cough...cough..."

I saw this guy coughing a few times, still taking out the vial from his arms, summoning a few little monsters, ordering them to slaughter the wild boar, pick out the best and tenderest meat, bake it on a fire, and send it over to eat.

Liu Yun thought to himself that this was really useful!

When the little monsters finished their work, they picked up the rest of the meat, as well as bones and internal organs, and roasted and ate it by themselves.

The best ones are served, don't dare to mess around.

Liu Yun was unceremonious and feasted.

I took a bite of the steaming wild boar and cried out in my heart.

Although the seasoning is a little less, there is only coarse salt and brown sugar that you bring with you, but the fat-burning aroma and the tender and chewy taste are enough to awaken the desire in the heart of every foodie.

Saito said with a smile: "I used to think that the samurai in Kinki were more disciplined and would not eat meat without any scruples! I didn't expect you to follow us Echigo...cough...follow us Echigo The country folks are all the same!"

Liu Yun just didn't hear it.

Isn't it just a group of old nobles who have the habit of not eating meat, don't mind me.

……

After such a full meal, Liu Yun's mood was much better, and he didn't care so much about sleeping in the rough.

Continue to follow Saito Asanobu to climb the mountain in the wilderness.

Unexpectedly, at sunset, in the mountains and forests, I found a simple house made of thatch, with smoke from cooking!

Liu Yunjian smiled and said, "It seems that you are wrong, we don't need to sleep in the open for the time being today."

Saito Asanobu's scarred face was full of doubts, he coughed a few times, and said solemnly, "This place is not far from the 'Poison Island', how can anyone live there? Be careful, maybe It's a monster...ahem...when I came here three years ago, no one lived nearby..."

Chapter 79 The Half-Human, Half-Demon Old Woman

Saito Asanobu is indeed right.

This inaccessible wilderness has not seen any trace of human activities for most of the day. Suddenly, a house with smoke from cooking appeared in front of it, and it was cleaned up, which is indeed a bit suspicious.

But Liu Yun's reaction was: "If it's a monster, shouldn't you go and see it?"

Saito Asanobu was silent for a while, and agreed: "This old man is called 'Echigo Zhongkui' and is a professional ghost hunter. Your martial arts are more than enough to deal with most monsters...cough...we do have It is necessary to go and see, if there are evil spirits, they should be retired and treated by the way."

Liu Yun nodded, strode closer, knocked twice at the door of the house, and shouted, "Is there anyone? We are passing travelers, and we want to stay overnight!"

Saito Asanobu coughed as he silently followed behind.

After a while, someone in the house responded: "Ah! Please wait a moment, I'll be here soon!"

Then came the sound of staggering footsteps, and a moment later the door made of bamboo squeaked open.

Appearing in front of him was an old man with white hair and beard and a hunched back. He was as thin as firewood and had a vegetable face. He was only wearing old linen clothes and walking on straw sandals. He was obviously a poor and powerless commoner.

He squinted and looked outside for a long time before bowing with difficulty and saying, "Hello, guests."

Liu Yun took a closer look and found that there was no suspicious aura about this person. He was undoubtedly an ordinary human being, and he was a little surprised.

In this barren country, the old man has no legs and feet, how can he survive?What do you do for a living?

Later, Saito Asanobu was also very puzzled.