Chapter 530 Chaos Is Brewing
People in the village often work at sunrise and rest at sunset.
Dusk is the boundary, where life and death are orderly. Before dusk, there is the world of the living. When night falls, it is the world of the dead. This boundary has long been chaotic outside. Living people who are capable can do whatever they want at night. What.
There are also many bold evil spirits who dare to harm people after the rooster crows, and even in the bright sun, but in this village, this rule is still followed.
But that day, I couldn't care less about it. From the afternoon, a lively banquet was set up and people were invited to eat.
Not only to save the poor people of Shixiazi Village, old and young, but also to relax a little under the oppression of the past ten years.
In addition, the Mang Village, represented by the old man Yangpi, was really grateful and envious of Dayangzhai for producing talented people like Hu Ma, so he led sheep and killed chickens, causing a lot of battles, including other villages that had the trust. , also come to celebrate.
Of course, they not only had a banquet, but also burned incense, not only in the old fire pond, but also in Shixiazi Village, which has now returned to normal. They also prayed to the gods all over the mountain, thanking the gods for their blessings, and the good news. The evil spirits in Shixiazi Village.
Hu Ma could actually go over and argue at this time, saying that he had to solve this problem himself. What does it have to do with the gods all over the mountain?
But the old people in the village don't care about this, no matter who solves the problem, there is nothing wrong with worshiping the gods.
But looking at the bustle of people in the village and the smell of smoke outside the village, Hu Ma thought of the tiger who had been busy with the Hu family.
Thinking that such a majestic god had not been worshiped in a serious way for many years, he smiled and said to the second master: "When Datong and I come back this year to celebrate the New Year and worship our ancestors, we will also sacrifice to him." A sacrifice to the mountain?"
"Ah yo..."
The second master was obviously taken aback after hearing what Hu Ma said. He lowered his voice and said, "Don't be ridiculous. The second master knows that you are promising and even went to the Blood Food Mine to take care of things. But you, kid, are a little worried." ah!"
"Can anyone sacrifice on this mountain?"
"You have to have an official position and a famous name to bring the whole clan, old and young, to kowtow and burn incense to the mountain god!"
"When it comes to offering sacrifices to the mountain, our village is more anxious. After all, the higher the status of the master who enjoys our incense, the higher the blessing he will give to our village. If the master of the mountain god accepts our sacrifice, even the people in the village will be affected in the future. You don’t have to carry Tang Hui with you when you go out.”
"But this matter can't be rushed. At least it must be done after you young ones really have a big future and become famous outside."
"..."
It seems that Tiger Senior will have to wait for a while if he wants to eat this meal...
Hu Ma thought in her mind, then smiled and said: "Do you want to make a name for yourself? That would actually be quite fast. Maybe after a few months of waiting, you will have enough confidence..."
"this……"
The second master listened to what he said, but refused to believe it. He just shook his head and said, "People say that when one's ability is great, one's tone becomes too small."
"You're the opposite. As you become more capable, your tone becomes louder. How many months?"
"Why, just a few months before the Chinese New Year, can you still become a general?"
"..."
Hu Ma didn't know how to explain it in front of the second master. After all, the second master also had his own vision.
For example, he felt that his greatest achievement was in the Blood Food Society, where he became the steward of the Blood Food Gang. Even if he had the ability to solve the evil spirits in Shixiazi Village, he could not compare to this stewardship.
But little did he know that the means to deal with the evil spirits in Shixiazi Village were actually a bit earth-shattering if they were put outside. It would be enough to ask the Red Lantern Lady to come over and make the bed.
But it was easy for the second master to be so happy. Of course he couldn't talk back, so he just smiled and said, "What if?"
Whether it can be done depends on what the Shangai Shinrikyo religion does...
…
…
After obtaining the Hu family's token, before the Second Master and the others came in, Hu Ma had already briefly spoken to Senior Tiger, knowing that the Truth Cult outside the mountain had forced the Mingzhou government office to come and sacrifice the mountain. It was clear that, We need to flex our muscles to collect taxes.
They didn't care whether the tiger accepted their sacrifice or not. After saying hello, they were no longer polite.
However, it can be seen with the naked eye that the harvest is not going smoothly.
After all, in this capital city of Mingzhou, there has been no grain harvest for twenty years. The people in the countryside are digging in the soil for food and cultivating the land owned by the landlord. It is only natural and right for them to hand over grain to the landlord.
But since we have already handed it over this time, why should we hand it over again?
Besides, now that food prices are high and the harvest is mediocre, if I leave it to you, what will we have to eat?
As for the landlord, he will definitely not pay it. A conscientious person will ask how much he should pay. We will share it equally. There are a hundred households in this village. I will pay my own household, regardless of what we have in hand. How many fields can only be handed over to one household? Why should you come to us to ask for more?
Those unscrupulous people, there is obviously food in the urn, you take it away...
Of course, in the eyes of the tax collectors, you may even feel that you have taken advantage of it. The wealth of Mingzhou is unmatched by other places outside. If you collect 100,000 burdens, we can solve our urgent needs. As far as the state is concerned, it's not a big deal, so why not?
It's a pity that those who have food just refuse to pay, but those who don't have food have to bear these 100,000 loads. If they pay, they will starve to death.
It is precisely because of this that when Hu Ma first learned that the Truth Cult was measuring fields everywhere, and even ran into a farmhouse to see how much grain was in other people's jars, he knew that things would get messy, so he just said it in advance. Said hello to Yang Gong.
Even when talking to the tiger, he made such assumptions without any doubt, which surprised the tiger.
"As for what is happening outside at this time, it is exactly what you imagined."
The tiger sighed: "Those who have food will refuse to pay, and those who have no food will try their best to hold on to this small amount of food. The harder they are forced, the greater the chaos will be, which is reasonable."
"It's just that during this period of time, you have been staying in the mountains, with no communication between inside and outside. How did you predict this in advance?"
"..."
‘Isn’t this all clearly written in the books? ’
Hu Ma was a little surprised when she heard Tiger's words. A scumbag like herself could easily make judgments.
But when it comes to this world, sometimes it really does have some foresight like a master.
Could it be...
...He felt a trance in his heart, and suddenly understood: This is the content of the so-called three-volume heavenly book of the Great Sage?
…
He was not in a hurry to leave the village now, but instead stayed in the village for a few days.
He sorted out the Hu family's keepsake that he had just obtained, the information about the reincarnated person, the current situation, and even the Hu family's collateral relatives, who were eyeing the truth sect, which was already going crazy with hunger. Fan.
At the same time, he sent Xiao Hongtang to visit the tiger from time to time to understand the outside situation and priorities. He listed them all in his mind, and gradually determined his most important things at the moment.
A few days after entering the mountain, Mingzhou Mansion was already in chaos.
When the Truth believers first arrived in Mingzhou, they were very disciplined and gained a good reputation for a time. However, as the small tax collectors began to go to the countryside, some changes gradually occurred.
Mingzhou Fucheng has not attracted attention for twenty years, and there are only two or three petty tax collectors with cats and dogs. Although in the name of the government office, even the tiger can't control their tax collection, but there are Which grain is easy to harvest?
Seeing the tax collectors going to the countryside, some people with simple folk customs came to welcome them with hoes. Even some lonely families were begging and counting on their fingers the grain in the urn. It would not be enough to last until the beginning of spring. If they harvest If you leave, people will die in winter.
These petty tax collectors were unable to collect taxes at all, but the truth believers who followed them began to carry out errands.
They still abide by the rules and collect as much as they should, no more.
But not a single grain is missing.
There was a family whose fields were hit by flash floods last year. They only harvested half of the grain from previous years, but according to the farm yield, they had to hand over four loads of grain. The men in the family were afraid of trouble, so they only wanted to hand over two loads to stay safe. , but the truth believers smiled:
"No matter what happens in the world, there is no way to escape from it. Paying royal rations is a matter of course. If you haven't paid rations for twenty years, all the money will be given to your family!"
"Thirty loads of grain from you is not an exaggeration. I only want to keep you alive, so I only collect four loads. Aren't you satisfied?"
"..."
As he said that, someone came up to grab him. The man hurriedly picked up the broom and hit the truth believer on the head. The truth believer did not look back. He unsheathed the knife in his hand and then put it back into the sheath. With a sound, the man's head was snatched away. It split into two halves and died in a daze.
"Everything in the world cannot escape rationality. If you hit me, I will hit you too. God is just and fair!"
The cultist said and waved his hand: "Collect food!"
The family was frightened, the mother-in-law and the baby were crying together, and the neighbors gathered around, but they didn't dare to take action.
But it was a big landowner in this village, a kind person who is rare to find in a million and rare in a hundred. Seeing this, he came over and cried and begged: "My fellow villagers, please let this family go..."
"We still had some food in the warehouse, so we took forty loads and dedicated them to General Tianming..."
"..."
So these believers went to the landlord's house, opened the warehouse, and packed the forty loads of grain he had promised one by one.
Then, he returned to the family where the man had just died and said: "One is one, two is two, his family is willing to give 40 dan, and then he will give 40 dan every quarter, your family only accepts four dan , it is also cheaper for your family, but it is indispensable even if it is a grain of rice.”
When the villagers heard this, they were furious. They shouted and rushed forward to beat him.
The truth believer put his hand on the waist knife, as if he had been waiting for a long time, suddenly laughed loudly, like an evil ghost, and spit out a breath of yin, which blew the dozen strong men who rushed in front of him into submission. Falling to the ground, unable to move.
"Why can you have plenty of food and clothing here, but our son is so hungry that he has to share the pot with others?"
"I showed mercy to you today. Do our fellow villagers there deserve to starve to death?"
He whispered with a serious look on his face: "You can't lack even a grain of food!"