99: Three-way convergence

"Village Chief, how could even you...?"

Chen Dashan deeply understood the stubbornness of Cao Shengxiang, the Village Chief of Bai Shui Village. Some time ago, the Village Chief had already prepared a coffin for himself, intending to be buried in Bai Shui Village.

How could he bear to leave now!

"Uncle Village Chief, yesterday you even said, 'Born here, grown here, not going anywhere'!"

"You foolish child, why are you spouting such blunt truths!"

"I'm not even sixty yet, this old man is still in his prime!"

Cao Shengxiang stroked his grizzled beard, his eyes wide as copper bells, making them stand out even more on his gaunt face.

"This old bag of bones can still keep going for another twenty or thirty years!"

Chen Dashan chuckled, "Then your coffin..."

"Since I'm leaving, that coffin can be left for that thing down there to use!"

"Uncle Cao, it has to be you, you're the best!"

Chen Dashan gave a thumbs-up. If it weren't for this old Village Chief leading the way, probably none of the hundred-odd people from Bai Shui Village would have been willing to follow them.

How could they have come so completely?

However, this old man was indeed shrewd; he had seen the old man's eyes secretly glance at his old mother's waterskin several times.

If his old mother was right, their Bai Shui Village was truly going to make it big in the future.

"Uncle Cao, let me ask you something, how did you know our family was going to Qingzhou?"

"What? The place you're going is Qingzhou?"

"Uncle Cao, stop playing dumb. I'm serious, how exactly did you know?"

Their family had actually planned to leave secretly.

It wasn't that Chen Dashan was narrow-minded or unwilling to help. In these times, one bore as much responsibility as one had ability.

He was just a commoner.

It was already a luxury to wish for his wife, children, and old mother to be well.

He wouldn't stop the villagers if they wanted to come along. In short, he couldn't bear such great Karma.

The old Village Chief chuckled, revealing a rather proud expression, and said, "Your Uncle Cao, I, actually don't have any special abilities. I just know a thing or two about divination..."

Chen Dashan: "..."

***

On the other side, the situations in Baixi Village and Blackwater Town were similar to Bai Shui Village.

The feeling of being ravenously hungry and severely dehydrated was too unbearable. The stomach felt like it was being repeatedly kneaded by an invisible hand, with acid constantly churning. The throat felt like it was being repeatedly rubbed with sandpaper, dry and aching.

Thoughts also became sluggish, and the scenes before their eyes gradually distorted. Everything looked like it was something else, and some people's arms were covered in self-inflicted bite marks.

Blackwater Town.

When Granny Chen arrived with the one hundred and seven people from Bai Shui Village, Blacksmith Wang had already arrived with the people from Baixi Village.

Only about thirty people from Baixi Village were willing to go to Qingzhou for refuge, and over seventy people from Blackwater Town.

When the three teams merged, the scene immediately became lively.

Blacksmith Wang, shirtless and carrying his ancestral iron hammer on his shoulder, waved to Granny Chen from afar.

"Granny, you still have a way! Is everyone from your village here?"

Before Granny Chen could answer, Village Chief Cao rushed over, leaning on his staff: "What do you, a blacksmith, know! With such a good thing, not a single person from our village will be left behind!"

Blacksmith Wang wasn't annoyed; instead, he chuckled and patted Cao Shengxiang's shoulder.

The two looked like they had a very good relationship.

"Go, go, go! It's good that everyone is going, it definitely won't disappoint anyone."

"When we get there, there will be fields to plant, water to drink. It won't even be a problem for you to dig a pond and swim in it."

Everyone immediately burst into laughter at his words.

For a time, everyone was full of anticipation for life in Qingzhou.

***

Granny Chen stood at the front of the team, her gaze sweeping over each person, carefully counting the numbers.

The movement of teams in the wilderness had strict rules and protocols; their formation absolutely could not be changed arbitrarily.

Everyone had to firmly remember their position in the team, clearly knowing who was in front, behind, left, and right.

More worrying than someone getting lost was a person suddenly appearing in the team.

In this world full of demons and ghosts, anything could happen.

Perhaps it was a monster hidden in the dark, sneaking into the team when no one was paying attention; or perhaps it was some mysterious power, causing a person who originally didn't exist to appear out of thin air.

***

Xiao Zhu Zi curiously joined the children of Baixi Village and quickly blended in.

The women from the three villages supported each other.

"I heard there are immortals in Qingzhou?"

A woman from Blackwater Town asked in a low voice.

"Indeed!"

Li Cui immediately perked up, "My mother-in-law saw it with her own eyes, a white-robed figure, able to summon heavenly thunder!"

Li Cui's skepticism about Qingzhou turned into conviction in less than half an hour. Ever since she saw the black patterns in the well, she dared not have any doubts.

"Then the water in Qingzhou..."

The woman licked her chapped lips.

"Clear spring water! Sweet clear spring water!"

No sooner had Li Cui's words fallen than Village Chief Cao's eyes lit up. He took a few steps forward, squeezed next to Granny Chen, and stared intently at the waterskin at Granny Chen's waist, "Old sister, can I have a drink?"

Granny Chen reluctantly untied the waterskin: "Drink sparingly, we don't know yet how long the road will be..."

Her words suddenly stopped.

She saw the two hundred-odd people from the three teams all staring eagerly at the waterskin, their throats unconsciously bobbing.

"Cough, cough,"

Granny Chen quickly tied the waterskin tightly, "When we reach Qingzhou, everyone can drink their fill!"

The team continued to move, majestically heading northwest.

Chen Dashan walked at the very front, clearing the way, occasionally looking back—the young adults of Bai Shui Village spontaneously guarded both sides of the team; the women and elders supported each other, walking in the middle; the children were protected in the safest positions.

As the sun set, they rested on a high slope. Granny Chen clutched the jade pendant tightly in her hand.

"Granny Chen,"

Hunter Zhang suddenly asked, "Is Qingzhou... really that good?"

The old woman fell silent for a moment, looking into the distance.

"I saw it with my own eyes, there... is hope."

Lord Chuping is hope.

Her words were interrupted by a cheer.

Xiao Zhu Zi had found some wild fruits from somewhere and was excitedly sharing them with his companions.

Although the fruits were small and sour, the children ate them with relish.

Granny Chen smiled: "Do you see?"

They had been walking for most of the day, covering nearly half the distance. The closer they got to Qingzhou, the less the influence of the Corpse Demon, and of course, the greater the probability of them encountering danger.

"Everyone, pick up the pace! There's a forest ahead, there should be a lot of these wild fruits!"

Without being taught, Granny Chen learned what it meant to 'quench one's thirst by thinking of plums'.

The team quickened their steps. Seeing that they were less than ten li from the border of Qingzhou, Granny Chen silently let out a breath.