Immortality Path: From the Blind Man at the Pharmacy-Chapter 38 - . Ding Sigu
Chapter 38: 38. Ding Sigu
Chapter 38: 38. Ding Sigu
The gray mist surged quietly, originating from the boundless wilderness, emerging from the unnamed deep earth, as if a world-ending flood had been slowed down to a ‘remarkably slow pace’ by a heavenly god…
It moved slowly, gradually approaching from all directions, first submerging the northern grasslands.
The grasslands were a paradise for Barbarians and Demon Beasts, a barbaric land labeled “uncivilized” by the singing and dancing Dashang Dynasty of the Central Earth.
Demon Beasts enjoyed the vast spaces and preferred to hunt in the lush grasslands, disliking the town’s pavilions and towers. Consequently, in past years, the Barbarians would only come during the autumn harvest to raid the grass grains and then return.
But now, the beasts stampeded!
The Barbarian People fled!
Behind them lay no fearsome enemy, only the gray mist.
What hid within the mist, no one knew… The Demon Beasts instinctively fled, and many Barbarians were frantically heading south.
Faced with the mist’s unknown threat, they preferred to assault the Six Towns situated in the north.
Solely because they truly did not know.
They only knew that once they entered the gray mist, they could disappear at any moment.
How did they disappear?
Unknown.
Alive or dead?
Unknown.
Even the strongest warriors went to investigate, yet never returned.
Not only did they not return, not even a trace of news came back.
The mystery, the unknown horror, compelled the Barbarians to decide on a swift migration.
Even though they actually preferred the grasslands, they had no choice but to head south.
The north no longer suited their survival!
The fierce winds, the resilient grass…
A giant man, straddling a two-headed black giant wolf, wearing mottled tiger skin around his body, bare-chested, led merely thousands of tribesmen southward…
But, this giant man’s tribe was just a small clan, knowing little about the Dashang Dynasty to the south.
The tribe concluded to first raid the grass grains, capture a few Central Plain People to serve as guides, and then consider further actions.
The Barbarians, always quick-tempered, fought based on instinct, dismissing strategic and tactical discipline. Among themselves, they opposed each other independently, each fending for themselves. Even in heading south, they swept only their own doorsteps.
The giant man turned his head to glance at the distant gray sky behind him, filled with lingering fear, while pondering where to capture people.
Perhaps many Barbarians were troubled by similar concerns.
Suddenly, a “clamatous shouting” sound emerged from afar.
The giant man’s expression became solemn immediately.
Central Plain People?
Had the Central Plain People come to ambush them?
His eyes turned blood red.
Kill first, capture later!
…
…
“Please spare me, great hero, please spare me.”
On the grasslands, a thin, dark-skinned youth pleaded.
Yet another slender young boy, still looking like an oversized child, appeared cold and filled with a violent resentment. “Second Brother, if you beg for mercy, will they spare us?”
“Heh, you wicked brats, don’t put on such a defiant face.” The swordsman stared at the two coldly, “Uncle Wang took you in, but what did you do? You harassed that village girl and even did such vile things in the dead of night. If you don’t deserve death, who does?!”
That lean boy laughed maniacally as if possessed, “Deserve death? Deserve death?
Us taking over virtuous families is called committing wicked deeds. The gentlemen didn’t call, the gentlemen were all willing maidens.
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If they were bored and killed, that was disdain for the little the gentlemen gave, greedily thinking they deserved their fine ends.
In this world, how many people force the good into becoming prostitutes, and how many oppress and bully?
Under the guise of official robes, they are unrestrained;
With blood-stained gold and silver in hand, becoming unrighteous wealth.
By covering their eyes with their hands, they eliminate evil from the world; instead, it is those who point out evil who have hearts worthy of condemnation.
Hmph, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha…
You?
Just a fame-seeking opportunist.
You dare not defend true justice, but you chase us penniless and weaponless people that cannot see tomorrow for hundreds of miles.
Let me ask you, you said Uncle Wang took us in.
Was Uncle Wang’s daughter beautiful?
Did my Second Brother and I harass her?
No!
We’d rather run far away to harass other girls, leaving Uncle Wang’s daughter untouched!
This is knowing gratitude and returning favors.”
The swordsman listened to this sophistry, fuming with rage, knowing that this brash boy with glib talk, had some education and did not want to bandy words further, and so decisively drew his sword.
The thin youth trembled in fright.
Yet that young boy suddenly stood firm, mustered his strength, and crashed forward with ferocity, pushing the swordsman back by a few inches.
“Second Brother, run!”
The thin youth, scared out of his wits, hearing “run,” hastily picked himself up, wildly flailing his arms, running away like a lunatic.
The swordsman hurled his long sword, which shot towards the fleeing thin youth’s back, piercing through. However, perhaps due to strong winds or a long distance, it only cut across his arm without striking a vital part.
The youth screamed, running even faster.
The swordsman then struck the young boy in the abdomen with a punch, knocking him back with blood pouring out.
The swordsman then pursued the youth.
The distance between the two quickly closed.
At that moment, the ground suddenly shook.
Wolf Mounts and Barbarians akin to a terrifying tide of steel and flesh surged from afar.
The giant leader wielded a massive curved blade, eyes bloodthirsty, and upon closing in on the boy looking wild and crazed, slashed, cleaving the boy in two. Then, moving to the swordsman wielding a weapon, he delivered another sideways slash with the blade.
The swordsman parried with his sword.
Crack!
The sword snapped!
The swordsman’s head was severed, with blood gushing all over from the neck.
The giant leader only then realized it may not have been an ambush… since there were too few people.
He looked left, looked right, glanced at his tribesmen, embarrassment flashing across his face. Suddenly, he jumped off the two-headed giant wolf, ran to the young boy spitting blood on the ground, and, speaking in Barbarian tongue, asked, “Who are you? Why are you here?”
The young boy’s eyes remained dazed.
His Second Brother appeared split into two in his eyes.
His eyes were red.
But soon, they snapped back to clarity.
He suddenly opened his mouth and spoke in a rough but still comprehensible Barbarian language, “Ding Sigu, a nearby villager, pursued by malefactors.”
The Barbarian leader was delighted beyond expectation that this young boy could speak Barbarian, lifting the boy and exclaiming, “Wonderful!”
Then, turning his head, he asked, “Were both malefactors?”
Ding Sigu stated, “One was; the other was also fleeing.”
The Barbarian leader asked, “Are you familiar with him?”
Ding Sigu gazed at his Second Brother, Ding Siyan, whom was cleaved in two.
Last winter, he had brought bandits to the village, seeing his elder brother’s tragic death, hardly believing it. Later, after interrogating those village members punished at The place where those dishonest lovers were punished, he learned… the killer was a blind man, Blind Song!
Afterward, a ghostly calamity befell Tang River Village, and with his cunning, he escaped wildly with his Second Brother, eventually ending up around the Six Towns. Being young and adept at acting pitiful, they were taken in by a local Elder Wang of the Wang family.
However, the nature was unchanging, soon they and Ding Siyan targeted a girl within a local town, creeping in at late hours to defile her, only to hit a hard place, pursued all the way to here.
Throughout the journey, he and his Second Brother relied on each other for survival.
Several thoughts flashed through, Ding Sigu came to and glanced at his kin cut in half, shaking his head, spoke calmly, “Not familiar.”
His eyes reddened, staring at the Barbarian leader, saying, “Chief, I wish to follow you.”
The Barbarian leader queried again, “Then why are you crying?”
Ding Sigu’s tears couldn’t stop falling, yet he smiled and said, “Seeing the Chief, excited.”
The Barbarian leader burst into hearty laughter, then turned and declared, “Found an interesting child! He… can become our guide!”
The Barbarian tribesmen followed with roars.
Ding Sigu, wiping his tears vigorously, raised his voice, imitating the Barbarians’ manner, and joined the roar.
…
…
Awooo~~~
Awooo~~~~
The howling of wolves echoed continuously.
Miss An slightly lifted the carriage curtain, surveying the sluggish forest and murky fog outside the bullock cart, her almond eyes beneath the white veil filled with contemplation.
Out of the ten cartloads of grain, half should have been sold by now, yet only two were gone; the reason being that many frontier villages fled in distress, while others seemed to be in circumstances similar to Tang River Village.
She had assigned people to monitor Tang River Village, not just waiting for Guan Xi, but also observing.
She had even personally gone to see the scene.
Therefore, An Chenyu knew a lot about the characteristics and manifestations of the ghostly calamity.
In the trade, one must also consider timing.
To trade when there are no calamities is called timing.
Trading in regions with convenient transportation is called geographic advantage.
Understanding people’s needs, their purchasing ability, and providing accordingly is called harmony.
The times were changing, and An Chenyu was constantly understanding the new era.
Her eyes firmly fixed on the gray mist billowing in the distant forest, she suddenly declared, “Uncle Wang, don’t go right ahead.”
Wang Tianchuan came over on horseback, stunned, and remarked, “Miss, if we don’t go right, where will we sell this grain?”
An Chenyu said, “Turn left, go through Northern Water County, and head home.”
Hearing this, everyone accompanying her was stunned.
Wang Tianma, one of the Wang family brothers, said, “Miss, this… this… we haven’t sold all our goods yet, how can we go back now?”
An Chenyu pointed to the distance, stating, “That mist is the same as the one that appeared at Tang River Village. It’s chaotic here, not suitable for trading. Best to return home quickly.”
Many people in the caravan dismissed it, thinking “it’s just a bit of fog,” what’s the big deal? Yet, Miss’s prestige carried weight, so all still followed her words, preparing for an early return.
The bullock cart jingled as it moved…
Miss’s aloof face bore an introspective expression.
She seemed to contemplate many people and many matters before, finally, in the dim carriage cabin, she pinched an imaginary chess piece, subtly saying, beyond hearing, “Song, don’t let me down.”
