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墨書 Inktalez
At sunrise, people work, and at sunset, they rest. For thousands of years, rural life has maintained this way of living. Therefore, as night fell, Luo Family Village quieted down, with only the occasional distant barking of dogs.
The Ancient Sorcerer and Luo Tieniu walked towards the ancestral hall located behind the village in the darkness.
"Brother Tian, it seems this matter is quite significant."
Luo Tieniu's massive figure moved silently through the dark like a spirit cat. The Ancient Sorcerer nodded secretly; he was an expert among experts and could tell at a glance that Luo Tieniu's skills had improved significantly over the years.
"By the way, how did you leave the army?"
"Hmph, our new captain is just a rookie with poor military skills. I couldn't stand it and sparred with him a few times, ended up breaking a few of his ribs, and then I was kicked out of the army."
Hearing this, the Ancient Sorcerer felt both amused and exasperated. "I remember you participated in your military district's grand competition last year, right? You took first place? Isn't fighting someone like you akin to seeking death?"
"He was too weak. Brother Tian, I just can't beat you."
As the Ancient Sorcerer and Luo Tieniu chatted, they soon arrived at the ancestral hall.
The ancestral hall of Luo Family Village was situated on a small hill behind the village. It was a large house with red walls and green tiles, exuding an ancient charm. The wooden windows emitted white light, faintly revealing some silhouettes inside.
Inside the ancestral hall was a spacious square hall facing south. At the northern end were statues of deities and ancestral tablets along with incense burners.
On both sides of the hall were three chairs each, already occupied by people. Sitting at the head of the eastern side was Jiu Ye, who was currently the patriarch of Luo Family Village. The remaining five individuals were elders of the clan.
"Jiu Ye, uncles."
The Ancient Sorcerer greeted each one; these were respected elders in the village, and he naturally had to observe proper etiquette.
"Ancient Sorcerer and Tie Niu are here; let's begin."
Jiu Ye straightened his back and glanced at everyone before continuing: "Behind our village is nearly a thousand acres of mountainous area that has been allocated to each household for thirty years. Now someone wants to contract this entire mountainous area. Some are willing while others are not. We won't discuss those who are willing; those who are unwilling have recently received threats. The purpose of gathering everyone here tonight is to discuss this matter."
"As for Ancient Sorcerer and Luo Tieniu, they are among the most outstanding of the younger generation and have been working outside for some time, so I called them back to participate in this clan meeting."
Ancient Sorcerer stood quietly, his eyes scanning the faces of everyone present. From the moment he entered the ancestral hall, he sensed that something was off about the atmosphere.
Behind Luo Family Village, to be precise, not far behind the ancestral hall, there were several small hills. The hills were mostly rocky with no soil, making it impossible to grow anything. Yet now, someone had contracted the land?
What was it contracted for?
Ancient Sorcerer realized that this matter was not as simple as it seemed—someone was contracting land in a place where nothing could grow; it would be strange if there were no issues involved.
The ancestral hall fell silent, no one spoke. Ancient Sorcerer could even hear the wind howling outside, producing a "woo-woo" sound that made one feel increasingly irritable.
“Luo Ning, you are the village chief, and it was you who brought everyone here. Why don’t you say something first?”
Seeing that no one was speaking, Jiu Ye directly called out a name; sitting in silence wasn’t a solution.
“Well… I’ll say a few words then.”
Luo Ning tapped his smoking pot against the ground and continued slowly, “Three days ago, Six Ghosts came to me saying someone wanted to contract the piece of Mountainous Area behind our village. I think this is a good thing, but Six Ghosts also mentioned that it would either be a non-contract or a full contract. Therefore, I believe the village should handle this uniformly; if we divide it among households, we can just reclaim it later. The contracting fees can then be distributed among the households.”
“Hmph! I disagree. I still want to be buried there after I die.”
Luo Ning looked at Luo Rong, who was sitting opposite him, and said, “Old Rong, what do you mean by that?! Just because your family doesn’t want to contract doesn’t mean the whole village can’t!”
“I simply don’t want to; what’s wrong with that? Besides, if you want to keep things secret, you must not do anything yourself. Anyone who has done something secretly knows in their heart.”
Now Luo Ning couldn’t sit still anymore; he suddenly stood up and pointed at Luo Rong, saying, “Luo Rong, what do you mean by that? You need to clarify your words!”
Glancing at Luo Ning, Luo Rong turned to Jiu Ye and said, “Jiu Ye, since the Mountainous Area has already been divided among households, it’s each household's business. My ancestors have been buried in that piece of land for three generations; I absolutely do not agree with this matter.”
……
Ancient Sorcerer’s brows gradually furrowed. The people in the ancestral hall had basically split into two factions: one supporting and one opposing the idea. There were all sorts of reasons being thrown around; although they were all elderly people in their sixties or seventies, they argued passionately with flushed faces and refused to back down.
“Brother Tian, what is going on?”
Luo Tieniu was not afraid of fighting, but he felt as if millions of bees were buzzing in his ears, making him dizzy.
Shaking his head, the Ancient Sorcerer signaled to Luo Tieniu not to speak. No matter what was said in this situation, it would offend the other party. Moreover, since he was not very familiar with the circumstances, the best approach was to remain silent.
However, the Ancient Sorcerer's plan quickly fell apart because Jiu Ye spoke up.
"Ancient Sorcerer, what do you think about this matter?"
Before the Ancient Sorcerer could respond, Luo Ning coldly interjected, "This is a major issue for the village. What opinions can someone who hasn't even grown hair have?"
"I already mentioned that the Ancient Sorcerer and Tie Niu are the most outstanding among the younger generation in our village. After we are gone, the village will be handed over to them, so they certainly have the right to express their opinions."
Jiu Ye did not even raise an eyebrow, but his voice was as cold as ice. Luo Ning was taken aback and found himself unable to speak further.
The Ancient Sorcerer initially did not want to say anything, but now he realized he had to speak up; otherwise, it would not only be a loss of face for himself but also for Jiu Ye. So he stepped forward and said:
"First, we need to investigate why the other party wants to contract our village's Mountainous Area."
Luo Ning scoffed and said, "What treasures could our village possibly have?"
Internally fuming, although Luo Ning was his elder and he had not provoked him, Luo Ning seemed to target him at every turn. The Ancient Sorcerer decided not to hold back and replied, "Oh? Then I wonder what price they are willing to pay to contract the Mountainous Area in our village?"
"Fifty dollars per acre for a thirty-year contract."
The Ancient Sorcerer stared at Luo Ning and suddenly smiled, saying:
"I wonder how many acres you have?"
"Um... I have ten acres."
Under the gaze of the Ancient Sorcerer, Luo Ning shifted uncomfortably and began speaking hesitantly.
"Then how about contracting it to me?"
One acre costs 50 yuan a year, so ten acres a year is 500 yuan, and over thirty years that amounts to only 15,000 yuan. When I cured Lu Tongfang, I charged 1 million, and selling ginseng brought in another 8 million. How could 15,000 yuan catch the Ancient Sorcerer's eye?
"You... what if I don't contract it to you?"
The Ancient Sorcerer smiled slightly; at this point, the other party was already a bit embarrassed and angry.
Not looking at Luo Ning anymore, the Ancient Sorcerer directly said:
"My opinion is simple: offering unsolicited favors is either deceitful or suspicious. Our Luo Family Village has inconvenient transportation; it doesn't make sense for someone to come all this way to contract our village's land. So let's investigate the other party's intentions first."
"Yes, I think that's a good approach."
The speaker was Luo Fang, who was only slightly younger than Jiu Ye and held considerable prestige in the village.
"But... the person wanting to contract is pushing very urgently..."
As soon as Luo Ning heard this, he immediately stood up, his face filled with anxiety. Last night, Six Ghosts mentioned that if this matter went through, he would give him an additional 50,000 yuan as a bonus. He didn't want to let a cooked duck fly away.
"Let's take a couple of days; we need to check things out first. After all, it's over a thousand acres in the Mountainous Area for thirty years."
"That still needs to be quick; otherwise, I'm afraid that person won't wait."
Despite his reluctance, seeing Jiu Ye make a decision, Luo Ning knew there was no point in saying more.
...
As night deepened, in a small room behind the ancestral hall, the Ancient Sorcerer and Jiu Ye sat facing each other across a small table. On the table was a red clay stove and a set of black tea utensils.
After the previous clan meeting, Jiu Ye had asked the Ancient Sorcerer to stay behind while Luo Tieniu was sent to guard the entrance of the ancestral hall to prevent anyone from entering.
"Ancient Sorcerer, what do you think about this matter?"
Jiu Ye slowly tossed a piece of charcoal into the stove and then picked up a fan to gently fan it. The kettle on the stove began to bubble and emit white steam.
"Six Ghosts must have promised Luo Ning some benefits, which is why he is acting so proactively. However, Six Ghosts is not a good person; there must be a reason he has his eyes on the land in our village. I still hold my previous opinion that this matter needs to be investigated!"
After the meeting in the ancestral hall, Jiu Ye stayed behind, knowing that Ancient Sorcerer wanted to hear his thoughts privately.
"Yes, Six Ghosts is a scoundrel; he won't act without profit. The villagers have been constantly threatened these past few days, and I believe he is definitely involved in this matter."
Jiu Ye put down the fan in his hand, his brow furrowing.
Six Ghosts, whose real name is Xie Guoxian, has six fingers on his right hand and looks emaciated and unhuman-like. Gradually, he earned the nickname "Six Ghosts." He was one of the earliest troublemakers in Wuan County, with over a hundred followers. He is someone who dares to indulge in all sorts of vices, making this situation much more complicated with his involvement.
Ancient Sorcerer reached for the kettle on the Stove, pouring scalding water into the teapot that already had tea leaves prepared, filling the air with a wild tea fragrance.
"Jiu Ye, our Luo Family Village has never feared anyone."
Noticing the cold glint that flashed in Ancient Sorcerer's eyes, Jiu Ye nodded. He was also someone who had emerged from a sea of corpses and blood, understanding that this was a sign of killing intent and proof of a man's capabilities.
"Then it's settled. You investigate this matter and find out what exactly is going on."
"Understood."
Ancient Sorcerer nodded and placed the brewed tea in front of Jiu Ye...
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