CHAPTER 60 - A STRANGE CLOUD APPEARS
Translated by Luxican
Unknowingly, Yun Sheng and Yun Canghai had entered the central region of the Great Zhou Empire. Here there was only a broad and soft sandstone plain.
There were less plants than in Jiao Ye Village, more wind and less rain, and the weather was very dry. The sand and stone made crunching noises under the carriages wheel.
On this day, Yun Canghai halted the horses, looked up at the sky, and frowned.
Yun Sheng noticed that the carriage had stopped and lifted the curtain.
Somehow, the sunlight in this area felt very dim and weak. After looking at the sky, it was dim, like the smog in the city where Yun Sheng had lived in her past life. It was difficult to see the color of the sky clearly.
"Father?" Yun Sheng noticed the solemn expression on Yun Canghai's face.
In the wilderness ahead, there was a small group of people winding forward like a Centipede.
"Father, who are they?" Yun Sheng's eyesight was excellent. She even saw the true appearance of the "centipede" earlier than Yun Canghai. It was a group of refugees with old and weak woman and children in ragged clothes.
"Refugees," Yun Canghai also saw the appearance of the group.
Yun Canghai had visited the central area of the Great Zhou Empire in his earlier years. In his memory, this had not been such a desolate place. Why did such a large number of refugees suddenly appear?
The group of refugees had reached the carriage.
"Sister, do you have water?" A four- or five-year-old came over and plucked the wagon's tarp pitifully. His lips were cracked like old bark.
The Yun father and daughter had some water and dry food rations, but if they took it out rashly it would only lead to robbery.
The few men in the group showed a fierce expression and sprang out like wild dogs, their intention was to snatch the luggage of Yun Sheng and Yun Canghai.
Almost at the same time, a fire wall rose, and shot fierce flames.
The few men who intended to commit crime were scared. The were just insignificant existences before a magician.
"Master Magician!" The few men thumped on their knees and fell to the ground, " Master Honorable Magician, save us!"
The magic scepter in Yun Canghai's hands was hidden under his clothes. With a vigilant look on his face, he was not a good man, for him, the safety of his daughter was the most important.
The fire wall was so hot that the surrounding temperature rose a lot.
Seeing Yun Canghai indifferent, the men stood up in disappointment. They pulled the begging child away, helped a dying old man, and moved forward slowly.
They had long been accustomed to the indifference of the passer-by. They had asked countless passer-by this way.
"Wait," Yun Canghai said suddenly. He had glimpsed a family crest embroidered on the luggage of an old man in the front of the group.
The refugees had some doubts about Yun Canghai.
Yun Canghai withdrew the fire wall. At this moment, in the back of the group, a weak child could no longer bear the accumulated fatigue, and passed out, no matter how his loved ones beside him shouted, there was no response.
Upon seeing this, Yun Sheng quickly stepped forward. "Father, he has a heat-stroke. If he is not treated on time he will die," Yun Sheng said, ordering several men to move the children into the carriage.
It was all barren around them, only the carriage could temporarily serve as shade.
Yun Sheng immediately untied a bag of water, sprinkled some salt into the water, and fed the child sip after sip.
Heat strokes could be light and severe, but if not treated in time, it would kill people, especially frail children and elderly.
Yun Sheng took out the bone needles, pricked a few into the child's forehead, some black blood dropped out, and the child's complexion improved slightly.
***
While Yun Sheng rescued the child, Yun Canghai had chatted with an elder of the group.
"If I remember correctly, this is the territory of General Wu Sheng. You should be someone from the General's Mansion. It's a crime to leave the territory without authorization. Why would you leave the territory for no reason?"
The land given was the territory, and the people living for generations in the territory were equivalent to the lord's private property. Without the lord's order, they could not leave or move with their families.
"This honorable Master Magician, it's not that we are fleeing, but we want to return home. There were more than two thousand people in our village. But, since the strange cloud appeared only the few of us are left," the elder was the village chief.
He sighed and told Yun Canghai that he was indeed a civilian belonging to General Wu Sheng. Their village had been living well in their territory. Until, about a month ago, a red cloud floated above the village.
At first the villagers didn't pay much attention to it, only after a few days something strange happened.
"First, the animals in our village died after one another, then wells dried up, and finally the crops planted in our village also died. The most terrible thing is that the cloud in the sky had been steadily growing. At this moment, the whole village was enveloped by the cloud. Every once in a while, a strange wind would roll up and draw dozens of villagers into the cloud."
A strange cloud that can suck people in?
Yun Canghai had a grave expression on his face: "What happened then? You didn't report to the General?"
The territory was equivalent to the lord's personal property, so any incidents had to be reported to the lord.
The lord would then send people to come inspect.
"It was sent, it was sent ten days ago. But the villagers who sent the letter have not returned yet. Seeing that there were fewer and fewer villagers every day, I could only commit this crime and move the villagers to another nearby village," Tears welled up in the village chief's eyes and he wept bitterly.
"Sheng'er, you stay here with the villagers first, I'll go ahead and take a look," Yun Canghai told Yun Sheng to stay in place.
He left the carriage to Yun Sheng and went to the village in front to explore.
General Wu Sheng? Yun Sheng couldn't help but glance at the villagers.
Yun Sheng realized that these people were probably the people of the Yun Family. No wonder her father would be uncharacteristically involved in this matter.
A strange cloud that could suck in people? Is it a monster or an unknown demon beast?
What kind of monster is that? Worries grew in her heart and she wanted to follow her father.
There was the neighing of a horse, and the sound of a woman crying.
Everyone looked back and saw a moon-white wagon being dragged by two beautiful unusual horses, with high necks, and thick and white hair.
The drivers were two twin boys, in gorgeous magic robes, looking like powdered jade, very exquisite, and obviously extraordinary since birth.
A female villager was shocked and fell in front of the carriage.
T/N:
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