The clatter of horse hooves splashed dust. Zhang Yuan was riding on a road that had been in disrepair for a long time. There were many potholes on the ground. In order to avoid hurting the horse, he had to be careful to avoid these "traps". This slowed down the speed of the journey. Zhang Yuan looked at the sky. At this time, the sun was setting in the west, and it was about to fall under the distant mountains. The sunset glow in the sky was magnificent. He decided to find a place to stay overnight. Although this road was an official road, there were actually very few merchants and travelers, and there were no post houses or inns along the way. Looking far away, there was not even a village to be found!
This was actually normal. Because of the existence of strangeness, most of the villages were located near and around the city. The official roads and waterways were used as the means of transportation between the cities. Once entering the wilderness, no one could be seen. And ordinary civilians might never run more than thirty miles away in their lives. Even if they had to travel far away, they had to follow the caravan. Otherwise, safety cannot be guaranteed. Zhang Yuan's luck was pretty good. Before night fell, he found a land temple on the side of the road. The land temple enshrines the God of Fortune, also known as the God of Land in the folk. Although the god's status is not high, it is also a national worship, and can be worshipped by ordinary people to bless a region! The land temple Zhang Yuan found was not small in area, and the temple was built quite grandly. There were thatched sheds built on both sides of the temple, and some firewood and fodder were piled up. There were even stone troughs for feeding horses, cattle and sheep! Zhang Yuan got off in front of the land temple, led his mount to the thatched shed and tied it up, and took a bundle of fodder to feed it. The horse was also very tired after running all the way. Zhang Yuan took the luggage on the horse's back and entered the land temple. The temple door was wide open, and there was a kind-looking land god holding a gourd stick in the hall, and there was nothing else besides an offering table with an incense burner. Zhang Yuan walked around inside and outside, but didn't find the temple keeper or other people. But this land temple was quite tidy. Except for the traces left by the charcoal fire, the ground was clean. There were incense sticks next to the incense burner on the altar.
Zhang Yuan knew that these must be the ones left by the business travelers who came and went after staying here. He took three incense sticks and lit them, and bowed to the land god three times respectfully. Then he inserted them into the incense burner. There should be no real gods in this world. Whether it is the city god, the dragon god or the land god, in Zhang Yuan's view, they are all objects of everyone's faith. These so-called gods exist in the form of statues, absorbing and condensing people's faith and will. And then counter the weirdness! For example, the ancestral hall in the village is actually the same. And those so-called masters and Taoists are obviously extraordinary people who know how to use faith and will! Of course, the actual situation must be much more complicated. But Zhang Yuan will neither be confused by appearances nor turn a blind eye. According to the rules, offer your own faith and will. As the cost of staying overnight tonight. Because this land temple can not only shelter from wind and rain, but also resist weirdness, it is a real shelter. It was getting dark, and Zhang Yuan lit two more incense sticks. But this little light was obviously far from enough to illuminate the entire hall, so he brought firewood from outside. He set up a bonfire inside. After opening his luggage, Zhang Yuan took out a small pot, dry food and water bag to cook his own dinner. When he left Whale Castle before, he had no preparation for a long journey except for his own weapons. But Yue Wuji had already prepared mounts and supplies for the road. So even if it was a hasty trip, there was no problem. However, Zhang Yuan looked through his luggage and felt that something was still missing. So he assembled the iron bow and took the quiver out. It was not completely dark yet, the fields were lush with grass and trees, and some small animals were coming out to look for food. Soon, Zhang Yuan hunted two hares and a pheasant. The third-level God's Nest gave Zhang Yuan a very strong perception ability. Even in the dark environment, his vision, hearing and sense of smell were far superior to ordinary people. With rich hunting experience, it was really easy to get some wild game. After cleaning the prey outside the land temple, Zhang Yuan returned to the temple.
The two hares were skewered and grilled, and the pheasant was cut into pieces and put into the pot, stewed with some salt. Soon a strong smell of meat filled the temple. Zhang Yuan took the dry naan and placed it next to the campfire to heat it. Prepare to feast on it. Although the conditions were very limited, he didn't want to treat his stomach badly! What Zhang Yuan didn't expect was that when the rabbit meat was about to be roasted, there was a sudden movement outside. The sound of people shouting and horses neighing was not small! Zhang Yuan's heart moved. He disassembled the iron frame bow and put it away again, and took the goose feather knife and placed it horizontally in front of his knees. After a while, a group of people broke into the land temple. The leader was a tall and burly man with a handsome face and bright eyes, walking with his head held high and an extraordinary momentum. Seeing Zhang Yuan sitting in front of the campfire, he was obviously stunned for a moment, then bowed and said: "This friend, please, I am Lin Zhenbei, the leader of Fuyuan Escort Company. I will take my brothers to rest here tonight. Please forgive me for disturbing you!" "You are too polite, Lin Escort." Zhang Yuan stood up and said in return: "Everyone can stay here, there is no need to disturb us." This Lin Zhenbei, the head of the escort, is an old man who has traveled all over the country. His cultivation should be the third-level transformation. And the group of escorts following him are not weak either. With a large number of people and an absolute advantage, this Lin escort is still polite. Zhang Yuan naturally cannot be impolite and has to give face to the other party. They are just casual acquaintances, not mortal enemies. Maintaining basic etiquette is the way of the world. Gurgle~ At this time, a strange voice suddenly came from behind Lin Zhenbei. Then, as if it would be contagious, the same voice came one after another! It was the protest of the escorts' hungry stomachs. It was mainly the rabbit meat grilled by Zhang Yuan and the chicken stewed in the pot, which smelled very good when mixed together. It aroused everyone's appetite! Lin Zhenbei was a little embarrassed and turned his head to glare at his group of unpromising subordinates. Then he smiled bitterly at Zhang Yuan and said, "Little brother, I'm sorry to have embarrassed you." Zhang Yuan smiled and said, "There is firewood outside, you can bring it in to cook. I can't finish the two rabbits here, so I'll give you one to fill your stomach first."
"No, no, we have food!" Lin Zhenbei declined politely, but his attitude was very firm. Zhang Yuan didn't force it. This is the real old man. When you go out, you must be on guard against others. How can you eat strangers' things casually? He didn't care and continued to cook his dinner.