Twilight.

The sun sets.

Lin Yi and Ah Mao walked through the villages and walked faster and faster.

After arriving in Anning County, Ah Mao was familiar with the road, and led the way while introducing Lin Yi.

His village is called "Lijia Village", and it is five miles ahead.

The village originally had 500 villagers, but due to the drought, most of them were gone, and now there are only about 200 left, and most of them are old, weak, sick and disabled.

For example, Ah Mao and his grandmother.

Grandma has difficulty moving and can't leave her hometown, so she has to survive in this ghost place for a day.

Ah Mao accompanied his grandmother and refused to leave.

Although the days were hard, he could barely survive.

Along the way, Lin Yi listened to Ah Mao's eloquent conversation and observed around at the same time.

He found that there were large expanses of wasteland outside the villages, empty.

The wasteland was originally fertile farmland with crop after crop.

Because of the great drought, the crops could not grow, and naturally all the crops were deserted.

There are very few people in the village, and most of them go out to fetch water on the road, or come back from carrying water, and there is not even a chatter or chatter.

In general, the countryside is very lively.

Don't talk about people, just talk about the chickens, ducks, cows and dogs, all day long, one after another, very noisy.

The villages in Anning County are unusually quiet, without any sound, like a dead village.

It's no wonder, everyone is happy, how can they be in the mood to do anything else.

As for the livestock, they have already been slaughtered.

Of course, there are lively places too.

For example, when I arrived at Lijia Village, there were many villagers gathered in a courtyard, surrounded by three layers inside and three layers outside, and there were many people.

"Ah Mao, what are they doing?" Lin Yi asked.

Mao shook his head, also unaware.

The two of them squeezed through the crowd and found that there was an open space in the middle, and several long tables were placed, on which were all kinds of items, including offerings, incense and candles, flower paper, and so on.

It looks like a humble altar.

Standing next to the altar were three young men, dressed in identical green robes.

Seeing that they are brightly dressed, ruddy complexion, and strong body, they are incompatible with the people of Anning County, and there is a world of difference.

"Monk?"

Lin Yi frowned slightly.

He was a cultivator, and he could see at a glance that these three people were extraordinary, and they must be foreign monks.

Each of them held a long sword in his hand, and swung it around the altar as if dancing, looking very funny, and chanting words in his mouth, no different from street crooks.

The onlookers were all serious, their eyes were hopeful, and none of them dared to laugh.

In their opinion, it was a sacred ritual that they did not dare to desecrate.

"Ah Mao, you stinky boy is back," in the crowd, an old man in his sixties walked over and knocked on Ah Mao's head, "I haven't seen you for a few days, why did you go?"

Ah Mao shook his head, "Grandpa the village chief, I'm going out to eat." ”

It turned out that this old man was the village chief of Lijia Village.

"Grandpa the village chief, what are they doing, are they dancing?" asked Ah Mao, pointing to the three of them.

The old village chief's face changed, and he hurriedly covered Ah Mao's mouth, and said in horror: "Don't talk nonsense, stinky boy, these three are mages invited by our villages, and they are setting up altars, ready to ask for rain." ”

"Asking for rain?" Mao's eyes widened, not knowing why.

The old village chief nodded, "Yes, when the mages ask for rain, our villages will be saved." ”

......

After pretending to do the work, the three monks urged at the same time, and the sword in their hands flew out and was inserted diagonally into the incense burner on the altar, impartially.

Although this hand is not a great skill, any monk can do it, but in the eyes of the villagers, he is like a supernatural power, and they are all dumbfounded, and they are called "masters".

The three of them sat cross-legged in unison, and began to mumble and chant.

According to them, this is communicating with the gods in the sky to ask for rain.

In fact, what Lin Yi listened to them recite was just an ordinary Taoist scripture, deceiving laymen.

After the chanting was completed, the three of them got up and sent off the gods.

The villagers knelt down one after another, bowed sincerely and prayed for blessings.

Only Lin Yi stood in place, looking out of place and very eye-catching.

The three monks succeeded, and they were looking proud, and when they saw Lin Yi, their faces changed slightly.

They could also see that Lin Yi was a monk, and he was wearing a Taoist robe, so it was not difficult to guess that he was a cultivator.

"The people of Anning County are in dire straits, and the three of them are cheating here, aren't they afraid of God's punishment!"

Lin Yi slowly stepped onto the altar and said with a light smile.

The faces of the three of them changed completely, and they stared at Lin Yi angrily and jealously.

They were angry because of Lin Yi's words, and they were afraid that Lin Yi would expose the deceptive trick on the spot, so they didn't want to tear their faces with Lin Yi, so as not to fall short.

One of the eldest men was calmer, and said with a smile: "We are all cultivators, why bother each other, in Xiaqiu Feng, dare to ask Daoyou honorific title?"

Lin Yi still smiled lightly, "Poor road, comfortable." ”

"Feel at ease," Qiu Feng smiled very exaggeratedly, and while laughing, he came over and whispered, "It's all mixed rice, it's not easy, we will never care about the chief's affairs, please don't say much." ”

Obviously, Qiu Feng thought that Lin Yi and them were all the way, and they came here to take advantage of the fire to rob.

Lin Yi restrained his smile and looked around, seeing that the people were all bowing sincerely, their eyes were full of hope, and they all seemed to be enchanted.

There is no way, they have been suffering from drought for a long time, and they must hold on to the life-saving straw.

Lin Yi wanted to debunk the trick of the three of them, but after thinking about it, he stopped.

First, he couldn't figure out the details of Qiu Feng's three people, and he rashly made enemies, which was afraid that it would be unfavorable to him.

The second is that the people finally have hope, and they believe in the three of them very much, and they dismantle the stage without any evidence, and the people will never believe him.

In that case, do not be reckless.

"Ah Mao, let's go. Lin Yi took Amao's hand and said.

Ah Mao nodded, "Grandpa the village chief, I'll go home first." ”

"Go ahead, be careful on the road. ”

"Hmm. ”

Seeing Lin Yi leave with interest, Qiu Feng snorted coldly and said in a low voice: "Stinky Taoist, count you as acquaintances!"

"Senior brother, what is this Taoist priest doing?" the other monk asked.

Qiu Feng shook his head, "Whatever, as long as he doesn't get in the way of wealth." ”

"He's not going to tear down our platform, is he?" said the third monk.

Qiu Feng sneered, "He doesn't have that guts, unless he wants to die!"

After that, the three of them continued to pretend to make the cloth altar.

The sunset is gone.

The earth was darkened.

When it was dark, the two happened to arrive at Lijia Village.

Mao's home is the first household in the east of the village, and it is a small courtyard surrounded by earthen walls.

The earthen wall has been around for a long time, and it has been washed out by the rain and has been washed out of the ravines, which is very unstrong.

This thing, an adult will collapse with a few kicks, and it can't stop the thief at all.

Of course, no matter how stupid a thief is, he will not run to Anning County to steal.

It makes no difference whether the wall is there or not, whether the door is closed or not.

Lin Yi followed Ah Mao into the courtyard and saw a half-white old woman walking with crutches and bent over her waist.

Her legs trembled, and she stopped taking one step at a time, and she really struggled to walk.