strictlysupreme Chapter 27 Dry Bones
Chapter 27 Dry Bones
The fields were silent, bathed in the soft moonlight.
Ruins and rubble lay scattered everywhere, with moss and weeds clinging to broken bricks and tiles, standing tall amidst the ruins. Moonlight seeped into the well hidden beneath the collapsed walls through the cracks.
The rustling sounds were incessant, followed by overturned bricks and tiles, dragged rotten wood, and torn walls.
A deep, guttural growl echoed through the village as the giant tiger, powerful enough to level the tavern, dug for something with its claws.
As the dust settled, the narrow well opening came into view.
The tomb tiger then let out a joyful roar, completely ignoring its wounds from being covered in wood chips, iron scraps, and mud, and continued digging.
Suddenly
Wearing dark black arm guards, his thin, bony hands, with skin clinging tightly to his flesh, emerged from the well.
...
Fang Hongxuan didn't go anywhere and spent the night with his black horse, Wuzhui.
His baggage contained dry food and water. However, Fang Hongxuan had no intention of eating it, let alone distributing it to the villagers.
清早
The old man then led the two to the woodshed to visit Fang Hongxuan. Fang Hongxuan had woken up early, and in front of the three of them, his stomach let out a few disapproving growls.
"Old man, the sixty-three people in this village must consume quite a bit of food every day."
"What the righteous man said is absolutely right. If we couldn't barely survive by gathering wild vegetables, we would probably be reduced to half our strength by now."
"Winter is almost here, and I'm afraid things won't be easy for these young and old people," Fang Hongxuan said casually, but his tone was extremely confident.
The old man gave a bitter smile, but wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes with his sleeve.
"If we hadn't met these righteous men, we would have had to head east to fight for our lives in two or three days. Fortunately, hope has finally arrived."
Fang Hongxuan stared at the old man with a half-smile, his tone seemingly teasing.
"Why are you so certain, sir, that I can lend you a hand? Or rather, how can you be so sure that I can solve your problems?"
"Heh... You're joking again, righteous man... How could someone who can emerge from the Bewitching Forest be an ordinary person?"
Just as Fang Hongxuan was about to ask what the Bewitching Forest was, a person rushed in through the door in a panic. Upon closer inspection, it was none other than Ge Xiong.
"Village Chief! Something terrible has happened! The area of that bewitching forest has expanded by more than two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) into the village. If this continues for some time, it's not impossible for the expansion rate to increase to three or four zhang (approximately 10-12 meters)."
"We should hurry up and arrange the relocation..."
"Village chief, that tomb tiger was still being searched in the village at dawn!"
Then, a group of people surrounded the old man's house, making a great commotion. The scene was extremely chaotic, like a pot of porridge being stewed.
"What a flustered and disorderly manner!"
The hoarse voice strained to shout, and the chaotic crowd finally quieted down.
The old man coughed a few more times. He leaned on his cane and made a move to kneel down, but Fang Hongxuan stopped him.
"Old man, what does this mean...?"
"We desperately hope that a righteous person will come to our aid and save the 63 people of Gejia Village..."
The topic was brought up again. This time, Fang Hongxuan could no longer ignore it. He helped the old man to his feet.
"Very well... I'll make my move tonight..."
The old man hesitated, but ultimately did not speak.
"Old man, my stomach is empty, and I am truly starving. If I could have some meat and wine, that mere tiger would be nothing more than a house cat to me."
The old man looked displeased and became even more rude.
"Has the righteous man lost his mind? Last night, I provided you with the only food the entire village had left. How come you've come to me today begging for food and drink?"
Fang Hongxuan laughed heartily upon hearing this, completely ignoring it.
"But sir, I smelled meat somewhere. The aroma is so enticing, it's irresistible!"
"They say the finest delicacies in the world are dragon meat in heaven and donkey meat on earth. But in my opinion, the aroma permeating this place far surpasses them!"
a moment
Everyone present turned pale.
Even the usually amiable old man turned somber, and everyone's faces turned fierce, their eyes filled with murderous intent, as if possessed by evil spirits.
Fang Hongxuan's tone gradually changed, and he steered the conversation to something else.
"Old man, please fetch me a bowl of well water first. The weather is cool and warm, a perfect time for a nap. You can come looking for me again when night falls."
The scene instantly became bustling again, and the atmosphere, which had dropped to freezing point, warmed up in an instant.
"Hehe, no problem, no problem..."
The noisy crowd gradually dispersed, leaving only Fang Hongxuan lying on his side on the haystack in the woodshed.
...
"The drug's effects should have reached their peak by now..."
There were whispers in the corner of the woodshed, and others were wielding knives, axes, sickles, hoes, and rakes... just waiting for a command to rush into the woodshed and hack the ungrateful Fang Hongxuan to death.
"Are you sure everything's alright?"
"Of course. When we first met, I sensed that this person was injured. If he truly possessed the ability to subdue tigers, how could he have ended up here?"
"Besides, he's already noticed something amiss; otherwise, would he want us to be harmed?"
"I think the village chief has lost his mind!"
The one who spoke was naturally Ge Xiong. He held a large bow and locked his gaze on Fang Hongxuan's head through the window. If Fang Hongxuan made the slightest move, he would be shot with an arrow.
"Keep them alive, and first give them several bowls of human blood to make soup. Then start feeding them from their limbs. As for the fine black horse, save it for last."
If this continues, it will take at least three to five days, and at most seven or eight days, to avoid drawing lots..."
"Excellent, excellent..."
The crowd chimed in agreement. Without exception, all of them had fierce glints in their eyes, saliva dripping from their mouths, and rumbling sounds coming from their stomachs.
Fang Hongxuan was completely unaware of what was happening. Even though he was bound hand and foot and had his flesh cut and blood drained, he showed no improvement whatsoever. If it weren't for his even breathing, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he was dead.
The three bowls, brimming with fresh blood, were steaming hot.
The blood faintly emitted a putrid stench, yet no one paid it any heed...
Everyone present unconsciously swallowed, but their stomachs were rumbling even more.
"Make a few bowls of soup for the brothers to eat first. Tomorrow we'll drink wine from large bowls and eat meat in large chunks..."
Compared to their previous stealth, their current practice of closing the door seemed rather unrestrained. A tremendous roar echoed around, and dust even fell from the eaves of the thatched hut.
The cacophony of light returned to silence and darkness.
Fang Hongxuan opened his eyes, his deep crimson gaze piercing. He easily tore through the thick ropes binding him.
The black horse beside him was quiet and still. But its dark eyes reflected Fang Hongxuan's bewitching, blood-red eyes.
...
Smoke curls upwards, and steam rises.
The remaining 62 people of Gejia Village sat around a huddle, waiting for the blood in the pot to boil. As for Ge Qifeng, his face was bitter, and he sat alone in a corner.
Even at the very beginning of the cannibalism, Ge Qifeng was determined to never associate with the villagers, even when the old man was on the verge of starvation.
The villagers, led by Ge Xiong, refused to comply. Two men held down the old man's hands and feet, one knelt on his head, one held his mouth open, and one fed him. After several attempts to force him, the old man had no choice but to drink the meat soup, and only then did the villagers stop.
"That person is not simple, why won't he trust me one more time..." The old man's face was filled with sorrow, and his hands and feet trembled uncontrollably.
In fact, the old man really wanted to place all his hopes on Fang Hongxuan. But the villagers had different ideas.
It's better to end up in the mouths of the crowd than to be eaten by the tiger.
The children and women were given a bowl first, and the remaining half pot was divided among the able-bodied young men. The old man, however, showed no interest in eating; he simply sat on the stone bench, lost in thought...