Chapter 49: This Weather is Sick
The amount of information revealed by the rchant caravan was too much for the team mbers to digest for a long ti.
Ever since they learned that Wen Gu's maternal uncle was from the Zhao Clan, one of the six great clans in the northern lands, and even shared the surna Zhao, the escort agency's escorts and employers treated Wen Gu even more politely.
Although Wen Gu's maternal uncle might not be related to the "Zhao" of the Zhao Clan, what if he was? Even if it wasn't a direct relative, just having so connection could allow them to fare better than others in the unfamiliar northern lands!
They continued heading north.
Wen Gu looked at the roughly drawn map on his notebook.
The caravans passing by were generally heading towards the Dong, Zhao, and Ren clans. This ant there was a high chance of encountering others also heading to the Zhao Clan.
They encountered several more groups along the way, but unfortunately, none were heading to the Zhao Clan.
However, Wen Gu still took out supplies to inquire for news from people.
It wasn't always about inquiring for information on the Zhao Clan; the most important thing for them now was the terrain and topography of their current area, as well as the distribution of towns. Mastering more information ant a greater chance of survival.
A team of a hundred people, possessing a certain combat power, would not be easily fobbed off when inquiring for news, and the authenticity of the information would be higher.
Wen Gu also learned more about the six great clans from the mouths of these northbound teams.
The term "Clan" ("阀") was actually a recent developnt.
Initially, it was a change in the appellation used by so families in the southern lands for those six families. Later, as they communicated with each other, it beca the default term, signifying recognition of their strength and status!
The six families in the northern lands also adopted this title.
The northward migration from late autumn this year to early spring next year would continue, and the six great clans would undoubtedly continue to strengthen their power.
Escort Leader Lin paid special attention to those northbound rchant caravans.
Wen Gu had told him that under the current general situation, what the rchant caravans were doing was similar to what their escort agency did.
The profits earned by a rchant caravan from a single trip could allow them to establish themselves in the northern lands, gain protection, and perhaps their backer could even obtain an official position.
A leap in social class!
It was indeed enviable for Escort Leader Lin and his n.
Indeed, fortune favors the bold!
While others were contemplating the future, Wen Gu couldn't relax.
Feeling the slight warmth in the air, he looked at the clouds in the sky.
"The weather is wrong."
It was nearly winter, and the temperature should be dropping day by day, but these past two days felt like there were signs of a warm spell.
He was afraid that this wave of warm currents would be too strong and continue to push north. That would be a big problem!
However, things did not develop in the direction he hoped.
The intensity of the cold air moving south was decreasing, and at the sa ti, the strong warm air took the opportunity to expand and push north.
In desolate mountain villages, in thatched cottages devoid of any human sound, roofs that had been neglected for a long ti were letting in the wind.
Warm breezes blew in from outside.
Dark figures that had been curled up in corners were awakened by the warm breeze, opened their eyes, their clouded pupils rolling strangely, and stretched their limbs like insects.
As if their dried flesh gained more resilience with the rising temperature, their movents also beca more agile.
Low grunts, one after another, echoed from the thatched cottages. Then, figures covered in purplish-brown patterns erged one after another.
Hunger drove them to seek food.
More food!
...
Little Liu shot dead an evil creature not far away.
Two escorts from the agency ran back to protect an employer, who had only intended to relieve himself but was almost attacked by a monster. With the protection of two escorts, he managed to save his life.
"There weren't this many monsters before!" the employer gasped, still shaken.
"The weather suddenly turned warm, and those monsters beca active again," one of the escorts said.
The other comforted him, "Winter is coming soon. The winters in the northern lands are very cold. This group of monsters is like grasshoppers after autumn; they won't last long."
"But I almost didn't get a chance to hop around!" the employer stamred as he returned to the team.
He still had to be quarantined and observed.
He was cursing the monsters verbally when he suddenly heard the sound of horse hooves and quickly shut up, seeking protection.
The place where they were currently located only had a passable road, and it wasn't wide. The caravan was blocking the middle of the road.
People riding horses coming from a distance saw this, slowed down, and stopped not far away.
Wen Gu observed them. There were only about ten of them, possibly ssengers or on so other mission.
He Da looked at their horses and the bags they were carrying and ca over to offer Wen Gu advice: "We can raid them!"
Wen Gu thought to himself: Raid your head!
"I'm not that kind of person!"
After a pause, Wen Gu said to He Da, "Do you believe that if we stripped their outer robes, they'd be wearing armor underneath!"
He Da: "..."
He dejectedly squatted back down.
There was a gap in combat power, and a real fight would co at a great cost.
The escort agency had the sa mindset. Although they were tempted by the horses, armor, and supplies, these might be elite cavalry raised by so major power, and they were likely on an important mission.
Unless they could do it without leaving a trace, completely covertly, the consequences would be endless. Their small escort agency couldn't afford to offend them.
The cavalry on the other side was also on guard.
At this mont, Wen Gu stepped forward to ease the atmosphere, stating that he and his relatives were heading north to join relatives in Xin Prefecture.
"May I ask if you are going our way?"
The leader of the other party was about to refuse when he heard Wen Gu continue:
"If you are also heading to Xin Prefecture, could you help carry a letter? The address is..."
Observing the reactions of the cavalryn, Wen Gu gave an address: a shop selling incense in a county town in Xin Prefecture.
The other party remained silent. They neither refused nor agreed.
But this was already an attitude.
The other cavalryn, who had been warily looking elsewhere, also glanced at Wen Gu.
Wen Gu showed a friendly smile. He felt a little happier.
"If you can help carry the letter, there will be a reward!"
The leader of the cavalry squad sized up Wen Gu carefully and finally spoke, "Where is the letter?"
"Thank you! I'll go write it now, it will be quick!"
Wen Gu asked his companions to make so space so that the cavalry on the other side could see him return to the carriage to get paper and write the letter.
It seed like nothing, but Cheng Zhi, who was responsible for cutting the paper, told Wen Gu in a low voice, while with his back to the cavalry, about their reactions.
Initially, Wen Gu was just probing and putting on a show. Now, it seed he had indeed probed important information.
After briefly writing the letter, he took out a token left by his family and drew a picture of the object on the paper.
He sealed it in an envelope, writing the recipient's address and na on the cover, not the full na, just the surnas of his maternal uncle and aunt.
He also drew a picture of the token on the envelope.
When Wen Gu handed the letter to the leader of the cavalry squad, he specifically showed them the actual token, comparing it with the drawing on the envelope to prove that it was not fake.
As a reward for carrying the letter, Wen Gu "coaxed" five pills from the Daoist Master and a packet of processed grain powder with added salt and sugar.
It could be said he invested heavily!
Since they might be people from his side, Wen Gu hoped that as many people as possible in this cavalry squad would live to reach Xin Prefecture and deliver the letter intact!
Every ti they ate grain and took dicine, they should rember this letter. Please don't forget!
The cavalry team's attitude improved significantly after seeing the drawing and text on the letter's envelope, and the sense of distance in their eyes reduced sowhat. However, they did not reveal any more information.
"We will do our best to deliver the letter," the other party said.
"Thank you!" Wen Gu bowed to them with a scholarly air.
He had his team make a narrow path through the road.
Soone from the cavalry squad looked at Wen Gu again, seemingly thinking: This scholar trusts people too easily!
The squad leader, however, maintained his expression. He looked at the sky and suddenly spoke, reminding them:
"The weather is warming up, pay close attention! If it continues to warm for several consecutive days, beware of mass outbreaks of evil creatures!"
After saying this, he cupped his hands in farewell and rode away.
Wen Gu watched their receding backs and silently said to his deceased father, "Father, your information is outdated. My maternal uncle's abilities might be quite significant!"
Of course, it wasn't his father's fault. In those days, transportation was inconvenient and information was not readily available. How many people left ho and had no news for decades?
His aunt, who married to the north, and "Wen Gu's" mother lived too far apart. Twenty years ago, due to the limited conditions in the northern lands, communication only occurred unless it was for very important or commorative matters.
After twenty years of developnt, his aunt and uncle's conditions had improved significantly, and communication had gradually increased.
Even so, throughout the year, there might only be one or two letters, and the content would be limited.
Wen Gu only thought briefly about his aunt and uncle's situation before focusing his thoughts on the imdiate problem.
The weather had indeed changed.
And it was changing in a direction they did not expect.
The team had grown in number, increasing their ability to withstand risks, but he wasn't talking about this kind of risk!
County Lieutenant Zhou and Escort Leader Lin in the team still wanted to ask Wen Gu more about his uncle surnad Zhao, but when Wen Gu turned around, his face was unusually serious.
"Everyone, the greatest crisis has arrived!"
He summoned several key mbers of the team for an ergency eting. Even Madam Liang, who had been staying in the carriage, was invited.
Spreading out a piece of paper, Wen Gu quickly drew a simple map, marking their current position and the surrounding county towns.
The benefits of collecting map information beca evident at this mont; when facing a crisis or unexpected events, they would know how to make choices.
"The temperature has risen again, and this is not good news."
The evil creatures had beco more active these past two days, which everyone could feel.
But the information revealed by the cavalry leader earlier made Wen Gu take it very seriously.
He asked the Daoist Master, "How many days will this temperature rise last? If it only lasts a day or two, and then the temperature drops rapidly, it will be fine. But if it continues for three to five consecutive days, it will be troubleso!"
Daoist Master Qingyi had no desire to bicker now and said directly, "This change in weather will not be too short."
Who could have imagined that with winter just around the corner, the weather would suddenly take a turn back!
Seeing that others had not yet realized the severity of the situation, Wen Gu combined the words of the cavalry leader with the information gathered from various sources and analyzed it for everyone.
In essence: the evil creatures that had gone through the cold and warm transitions might now, with this prolonged warming period, start to gather in large numbers!
Escort Leader Lin and others had heard from people passing through from the south when they were in Bai Lu County Town.
"I heard that many monsters gathered together and attacked the places they passed through. Many towns in the south were destroyed like this!"
However, there were many rumors and differing accounts, and so county residents thought they were spreading rumors.
In the words of the literati, it was alarmist!
Bai Lu County Town had also suffered small-scale attacks from evil creatures, but it was not as exaggerated as what people from the south described.
Wen Gu looked at Daoist Master Qingyi, "What do you think, Daoist Master?"
The Daoist Master had traveled from south to north and knew so things about the southern situation.
Daoist Master Qingyi's face was stern, without any hint of joking, "It does exist!"
Although they said it, no one had truly seen it, making it difficult to understand the urgency of the situation that Wen Gu described.
"Shouldn't those monsters attack the county towns with many living people?" He Da asked.
Wen Gu did not answer directly but asked them, "Have you all seen locusts? Do you know about locust plagues?"
Little Liu, who hadn't intended to think, looked over in terror.
Of course, they knew about locusts!
A bad premonition imdiately arose in their hearts.
The faces of He Da and the others turned pale.
Wen Gu swept his gaze over everyone present, "A while ago, the temperature dropped, and the evil creatures weakened, mostly hiding in one place and reducing their predation.
"But after the sudden warming, driven by hunger, they have a chance to gather in large numbers to obtain more food. I don't know if it will happen, but we must be prepared for the worst!"
Escort Leader Lin and the others thought about the terrible situation they would face if what people from the south said was true!
"We might not... might not encounter them..." he stamred.
Wen Gu drew black dots around several lost county towns on the unfolded paper.
"The black dots represent evil creatures. This is just for the county towns; each county town has nearby villages and towns. I'm just making an estimate."
As Wen Gu drew more and more black dots, the fear in everyone's eyes deepened.
Because they realized that their current location was almost surrounded. No matter which direction those monsters gathered, they were likely to encounter them!
If everyone had a horse, they might be able to quickly break out of this encirclent before the monsters gathered, but reality was cruel.
Everyone stared blankly at the drawing, and then suddenly burst into surprise.
No, there was still one direction, with a large blank area there!
County Lieutenant Zhou pointed to the city in the northwest corner, "Over there..."
"Jin Wu City, one of the three great cities of the Ren Clan that suppress evil."
This was the latest information Wen Gu had obtained.
"Then let's run to the Ren Clan! Avoid this wave first, and then go to the Zhao Clan!" Escort Leader Lin said.
Wen Gu shook his head, "I'm afraid we can't avoid it."
"When I was traveling for my studies, I saw soone conduct experints on mass gatherings. Wild animals, when they gather in high density, exhibit synchronized behavior."
Wen Gu looked at the unfolded map, raised his pen, and his voice, though not loud, struck like a heavy hamr:
"After gathering, they will most likely choose the nearest place with the most food, and then rush over!"
From the areas where the black dots were densely packed, black lines drawn with a charcoal pencil extended towards Jin Wu City, forming an arrow.
And Wen Gu and his group were now in the middle of it.
Whether they moved forward or backward, they would encounter nurous evil creatures rushing out.
"The evil creatures can sll the people in Jin Wu City from this far away?" County Lieutenant Zhou was unwilling to believe it.
Wen Gu said, "Individual evil creatures, or small numbers of them, may not have this ability, but after gathering, their bodies will undergo changes again. Just like... swarms of locusts are poisonous. I'm not sure how insane those evil creatures will beco."
He Da and the others felt like their minds were about to collapse.
"Why is heaven doing this? It's like luring people out to kill them!"
After autumn began, many migrating teams set off, but no one expected this sudden turn of events.
The will of heaven was unpredictable!
He Da couldn't help but shiver.
"Then... then what do we do? Which way do we escape?"
He tried to use his brain but couldn't.
This was far beyond his capabilities, so he could only look at Wen Gu expectantly.
"Boss Wen, what do we do?"
Wen Gu was almost interrupted from his thoughts by this address.
He picked up his pen and drew an arrow towards the city in the northwest corner of the map.
"Jin Wu City!"
The others were stunned again.
"But you just said that the monsters are most likely to swarm towards there too!"
"Yes. However, the Ren Clan can be one of the six major powers in the north, so they must have strength! Before today, during the season when plants were lush, they must have suffered similar impacts but still exist!"
Wen Gu's voice was soothing, urging everyone to think calmly.
"Although the temperature has risen now, the clustered attacks in autumn and winter will definitely not be as severe as in spring and sumr. Since Jin Wu City could withstand the stormiest tis, it should be able to withstand it now!"
Wen Gu took his charcoal pencil and drew an irregular circle in the area with the lowest density of black dots on the map.
"The direction leading to Jin Wu City must be frequently traveled. The monsters along the road must have been cleared out long ago. If we go that way, we will encounter less resistance and can enter the city to seek refuge before the evil creatures swarm over!"
Everyone followed Wen Gu's gaze to the northwest corner.
Jin Wu City.
The territory of the Ren Clan, one of the six great powers in the north, was the first shield closest to the south and a vital defensive pass.
It absorbed teams traveling from south to north and was also a trump card for the Ren Clan to show off its strength to the noble families and powerful households in the southern lands.
After two years of developnt, it still stood there, indicating its imnse strength!
From the perspective of their entire team, fleeing towards that direction was their best option.
After Wen Gu finished his analysis, everyone present gradually nodded in agreent.
Those things might not happen, but...
Prepare for the worst, and head in the direction where they have the best chance of survival!
"Take care of the physical condition of the elderly, weak, won, and children in the team, and then speed up. Let's escape!"
(End of Chapter)
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