Twilight Boundary

Hu Ma's heart was not as big as that of Fairy Miaoshan. It seemed that she didn't care about the lobby officer outside at all, and she only wanted to make her Lantern Festival a lively event.

Now he only felt heavy in his heart, and he vaguely felt that things in Shima Town were already a little out of control.

Although Yiqianjiao originally wanted to organize this lantern blessing event and had already released the news, and the great virtuous master did have corresponding principles, everyone knows that the current situation is serious and the so-called lantern blessing event is no longer that important. It's important.

Your life is almost gone, why do you still want to pretend to be a ghost?

Moreover, after sealing off the town, it was easy to fool people. After all, most of the people in this town were churchgoers and merchants and would not take it so seriously. But now that so many people have come in all at once, what can we do?

It's easy to be confused when there are few people, but there are so many people all of a sudden. Just these densely packed heads, it's hard to imagine how heavy the cause and effect it represents...

Furthermore, these people came at a strange time. Didn't they realize how dangerous this town was now? Didn't they notice the ghostly fog blocking the road when they came?

Or maybe it was the lobby official and the Meng family outside who let him in on purpose?

No, even if we just let them in, there shouldn't be so many people coming here. We are in the mountains now, and the mountain roads are difficult to travel. Even if we are lucky, how many people can come? Why do we look at it now, as if it is within a hundred miles? All the people rushed over?

The more she thought about these problems, the heavier Hu Ma's mood became.

Thinking in his mind, he walked out of the door and came to the now bustling town. His eyes also glanced at the faces full of joy and sorrow.

Most of the people who came to Shima Town were ragged and disheveled people. Even looking at it, many of them just came to this town with only one breath left and struggled to hold on.

Shima Town already had a large population, and as soon as the people who came from within a hundred miles arrived, it became even more bustling and lively, as if the pressure brought by the old-year-old lobby official outside the town had become insignificant.

Hu Ma took Xiao Hongtang with him and walked among the crowd, also wanting to see if there was any sinister means hidden in it, but the result actually surprised him. In the town now, it is true that everyone is... People came from all over.

He turned around, but all he saw was poverty all over the place, as if someone had specially gathered all the people from within a few hundred miles here.

"Don't be anxious, don't be anxious, the Lantern Festival starts at night, and the Immortal Official will bless you."

In the streets and alleys, there are already Yiqian sect members wearing white paper clothes, greeting the people who come from all over the place, standing guard in front of the big pot, burning the paper charms in their hands and throwing them into the pot, and then throwing them towards the pot. Those common people shouted: "But we will give you this talisman water that can cure all diseases now."

With yellow and thin faces, they desperately held the bowls, waiting for a bowl of talisman water that could cure all diseases. They did not dislike the black talisman ashes at all, as if they truly believed that it was a life-saving elixir...

...I would believe it even if it was changed to flax. After all, there is a large oil flower floating on the talisman water, and there are bones with meat in it. It bubbles and bubbles from time to time. It looks very magical.

When he saw the hungry faces, he knew that these were not the work of others. They were actually people who came to seek relief from their suffering. Otherwise, they would not be so eager for this talisman water. .

The thin, dark child nestled in the adult's arms almost had his little head stuck into the cauldron...

"But it's also strange..."

Standing among the bustling people, Hu Ma frowned slightly and said to himself: "I haven't heard of any major drought or flood disasters around. This place belongs to the boundary of Gunzhou. Previously, the five evil spirits caused disasters in Mingzhou. , and it has not affected this place..."

"...Why are there so many destitute people here, as if they have suffered a disaster?"

"..."

"There are so many people who have suffered disasters, it's just ordinary people..."

While she was thinking intently, a feeble voice rang out from beside her. Huma turned her head in surprise and saw the resentful face of Old Abacus. Beside him, there were also a resentful donkey and a disdainful horse.

Old Abacus also held a bowl in his hand and was waiting in the crowd to receive the talisman water. The way he was dressed was actually similar to that of the disaster victims around him, so he couldn't see it if he wasn't paying attention.

"There are still many people behind, so I'm afraid the magic power of this talisman is not enough..."

He queued up to receive a bowl of talisman water, squatted next to Hu Ma, and sipped it. He didn't forget to suggest to the Yiqian Cult members beside the pot: "...Throw away the half piece of sheep in the back as well." Come in and cook!"

Hu Ma was not surprised that this old guy would show up, but directly said with doubts in his heart: "Even if the weather is not smooth in this area of ​​Gongzhou, it is almost the same. The tax officials still collect it, but because of their low profile, they dare not bully too much. Can’t you live a better life?”

He did have doubts in his heart. If it was just one or two families, they would not be able to survive, and they would not be ready to rebel. This was why he had never been able to agree with the One Money Sect's rebellion before.

In my previous life, I knew that in places where there was rebellion, the people were often in dire straits, and there was really no way to survive. If someone could have survived, but was incited to rebel, then he was really a monster, and he had to kill many people.

"But the situation just now is not limited to one family or two families..."

Old Abacus stretched his head, looked at the big pot in front of him, and whispered: "It's like this all over the world, especially in the past few years, it's become more and more obvious."

"There are fewer and fewer things growing in the fields, and there are more and more weird diseases."

"Of course, it's not obvious if you just look at each household. That is, the harvested grain is less than 10% or 20%. Occasionally, there will be one or two people in a household who fall ill. But what if all of them are like this?"

"Compared with twenty years ago, taxes have not increased, and the people above are also suppressing banditry. However, they are less than one or two cents every year. By now, a small amount adds up to a large amount. By now, there is already less food. That’s enough for one or two..."

"The fields all over the world have been harvested less than one or two cents. What do you think this is?"

"People who have money in their hands, or even more and more money, don't care about the two-for-one split. They even feel that no one is taking care of them, and they are becoming more and more relaxed..."

He spoke slowly, his eyes swept over the people on the street, and whispered: "But they can feel it..."

"The people above can fill their bellies with just a few more taels of silver, but for the people below, if only one tael is missing, countless people will starve to death..."

"..."

"One or two points?"

After hearing what the old abacus said, Hu Ma couldn't help but tremble in her heart. She inexplicably remembered what the old man with the white beard said to her: "Is this what the old man said about the world becoming lighter?"

All of a sudden, the vague information that Dahongpao had told him, about things like weighing the world, all began to come together.

The world has become lighter, so there are more disasters.

Could it be that the world is really being sold off bit by bit, and the consequences of this deal have actually already appeared?

No wonder there are so many poor people, no wonder the Yiqian Cult showed its signs and affected so many people at once...

Only in troubled times will you rebel, and only if you can't survive will you rebel. The disciples who don't eat cows teach people to rebel everywhere. They are not forcibly bewitching the people and ambitious clans everywhere. In fact, there is such an internal reason.

If you think about it carefully, there is nothing more terrifying than this. For twenty consecutive years, the food in the fields has been decreasing year by year, and there are ghosts and gods at work, natural and man-made disasters, and ordinary people can only survive. There is a ghost...

"Why do you look like this?"

Looking at Hu Ma as if he had figured something out and sighing in a low voice, Lao Abacus also seemed to be sighing a little. He slowly finished half the bowl of broth, and then gave the bowl and the remaining meat to a thin man. The little baby with a big head turned to Hu Ma and smiled:

"It's not us who can't survive, it's these poor people."

"You are a good little steward of the Blood Food Gang, so you wouldn't have listened to those monstrous words and followed the Yiqian Cult to rebel, right?"

"..."

"How can it be?"

Hu Ma smiled at him and said: "I'm not professional in this kind of thing. Besides, with my little ability, if I want to go with others, they may not be willing to accept us!"

"Don't wander around. Go back to the inn and keep an eye on our donkeys and horses. I see there are a lot of poor people in this town. If someone is too hungry to lose weight, he might eat our animals." , I really can’t find a place to cry!”

"..."

"I……"

Lao Abacus hesitated to speak. Seeing Hu Ma Zhen leaving so relieved, he could only sigh heavily. His face was full of helplessness and he could only remind: "You should also serve some snacks..."

"My life is still hanging on you..."

"..."

"knew."

Hu Ma just waved his hand and said, "Your life is very valuable to me!"

These words made Lao Abacus feel a lot better. He led the donkey to the inn and said, "I finally have some conscience..."

Hu Ma, who understood this, let out a long sigh, squeezed out of the crowd, and walked towards the Zongtan Mansion. Immortal Miaoshan did not follow her just now, but she had been waiting by the house, with Bai Fan and others beside her. They were all anxiously waiting to ask her some questions.

But when she saw Hu Ma approaching from a distance, she waved her hands to drive these people away. She waited reservedly for Hu Ma to approach, with a probing expression on her face: "Uncle Master, you think our lantern festival..."

"Everyone has already arrived and the words have been released, so what can we do?"

Hu Ma sighed softly, waved his hand, and said, "I have seen your account books. They are very well prepared, aren't they?"

Fairy Miaoshan looked happy, as if the lantern blessing ceremony had already been held as soon as Hu Ma spoke, and said hurriedly: "But the matter of blessing on the altar..."

Hu Ma calmed down and said: "All the gods on the altar are dead, right? Then I'll lend you a life to use..."