A Divine Farmer

Chapter 203 - Looking for the Vixen

Lee Xiulian did as instructed and brought everyone together. Zhang Xiaolong delivered an inspiring talk, but his main goal was to discreetly assess the health of the people at the market.

“How did it go? Notice anything?” Lee Xiulian inquired as soon as she got back to the office.

“It's odd. There's definitely some sickness going around, and it's quite widespread, though the symptoms aren't clear yet. I suspect people haven't even noticed they're unwell,” Zhang Xiaolong said, furrowing his brow. “What's more peculiar is that all the sick women are married. The young unmarried girls at the market seem fine, but at the orchard, it doesn't matter if the men are married or not—they all seem affected.”

“Ah?” Lee Xiulian gasped, “I'm not showing any symptoms, am I?”

“If you were, it would actually be helpful. I could examine you for clues. Not all married women are affected, just a majority,” Zhang Xiaolong reassured her with a smile.

“So, what's our next step? If this turns out to be a plague, our village is in for some tough times,” Lee Xiulian expressed her concern.

“Let's not panic yet. This disease is unusual. Has anything significant happened in the village lately that I might not be aware of?” Zhang Xiaolong inquired.

Usually, it was hard to keep major events in Clear River Village a secret. But with Zhang Xiaolong's frequent trips to Qingyang City, it wasn't surprising that he might be out of the loop.

“Nothing much,” Lee Xiulian pondered, “The only thing you might not know is that Xiaohong left Fugui's house. They only have themselves to blame. She was such a good wife, and they drove her away. He deserves to remain a bachelor for life.”

Zhang Xiaolong didn't see a connection between that situation and the illness, so he didn't dwell on it. His priority was to identify the source of the sickness as quickly as possible.

He refrained from conducting an overt investigation to avoid inciting panic. If word got out that many were ill, it could deter people from coming to work.

With this in mind, Zhang Xiaolong resolved to continue his discreet observations. Identifying a problem with the market or orchard early on would allow for a timely resolution.

Even if the issue didn't originate from the market or the orchard, pinpointing the root cause would be crucial to nip the problem in the bud before it escalated.

At the moment, Zhang Xiaolong moved with such agility that tracking someone without being detected came naturally to him.

Two days into his investigation, he began piecing together some clues. The women from the market had all returned home, but the men from the orchard were a different story. They were frequently found drinking and playing cards in groups.

This behavior wasn't particularly surprising. With a lack of entertainment options in the countryside, it was quite normal for the men to congregate and enjoy a few drinks—nothing out of the ordinary.

Yet, Zhang Xiaolong noticed a peculiar pattern. Each day, there were individuals who abstained from the drinking sessions. Most of these men would stealthily make their way toward Nest Mountain, their purpose there unknown.

After observing seven or eight men heading in that direction, Zhang Xiaolong sensed that the problem might be connected to this activity.

Nest Mountain had always been a common destination, but who would venture there at night? The area was known to be home to wolves!

Upon closer examination, he discovered that it wasn't only the orchard workers who were drawn to the mountain. Many men from the village also made their way there covertly.

Should two men inadvertently encounter each other, they'd often share an awkward moment before making up excuses to part ways. Yet, if they were alone, they'd race up the mountain with haste.

What was it about this place that lured these men? Could there really be a seductive spirit, like a vixen, in the mountains?

Previously, Zhang Xiaolong would have dismissed such notions. But since acquiring Shennong's divine powers and witnessing the miraculous, the existence of a vixen wasn't entirely unfathomable.

Regardless of the nature of this entity, allowing it to endanger the residents of Clear River Village was out of the question. As long as Zhang Xiaolong was around, he wouldn't permit such a threat to materialize.

Resolved, Zhang Xiaolong chose a quiet afternoon, when he was unlikely to encounter anyone, and stealthily approached Nest Mountain. He was determined to uncover whether a deity or a demon was the source of the mystery.

Although he knew the area well, as he neared the entrance to the mountain, he stumbled upon something that decidedly did not belong.

There used to be a cave in the mountain, but now it was sealed off with wooden planks, fashioned into a makeshift door.

If there was a door, someone must be living there. Could it be the home of some mountain spirit?

Zhang Xiaolong approached and knocked. An irritated voice answered from within, “Why the knocking? Isn't it time for me to be asleep? Haven't I spent enough time waiting on you at night? Who asked you to come by during the day?”

Zhang Xiaolong was taken aback by the voice, but he could tell it belonged to a human, not a mountain spirit or a fox spirit.

“Who's in there?” he inquired.

The woman inside seemed taken aback, seemingly not expecting anyone to pose such a question.

After a few minutes, the door creaked open, and a slender woman emerged.

Her face was veiled with black gauze, but Zhang Xiaolong recognized her immediately.

“Zheng Hong? I thought you had left?” he said, surprised.

Lee Xiulian had told him that Zheng Hong had quarreled with Wang Fugui and stormed off in a huff. Yet here she was—could it be anyone else but Zheng Hong?

“Mr. Xiaolong…” Upon seeing him, Zheng Hong seemed to shrink a little in embarrassment, lowering her head. “Why have you come here? Did someone say something to you?”

Zhang Xiaolong shook his head and pressed on, “No one's said a thing to me. I just happened to be passing through the mountain and wanted to check in. You haven't told me why you're living in a cave instead of at Fugui's house, especially since you haven't left.”

“I have no connection to Wang Fugui now, and I certainly won't be living in his house,” Zheng Hong replied with a smile. “Mr. Xiaolong, if you're looking for a woman to enjoy yourself with, you can come to me. But if you're here to convince me to move back, then save your breath. I'm not going back. I'm doing very well here, much happier than I ever was at Fugui's house.”

“What are you saying?” Zhang Xiaolong couldn't trust his ears.

He remembered Zheng Hong as not being particularly demure, but she was certainly not promiscuous. Yet now, her words seemed completely out of character.

Zheng Hong turned her head away, seemingly unable to bear Zhang Xiaolong's piercing gaze. “Wasn't I clear enough? Stop acting like you're clueless. You're right; the men from the village came to me for a good time. By now, I've been with nearly a hundred men here in Clear River Village, each one more robust than Wang Fugui…”

?With a resounding smack, Zhang Xiaolong's hand connected with her face. He was utterly baffled by how this woman could be so devoid of shame. She was degrading herself and, worse, bringing ruin upon the good people of Clear River Village!

The force of the slap left Zheng Hong's cheek searing with pain, yet a part of her reveled in it. Zhang Xiaolong was indeed a man of integrity; otherwise, he would have succumbed to her charms and not been so infuriated.

?Lost in her thoughts, Zheng Hong failed to notice Zhang Xiaolong's shock. Her face bore several deep gashes, still looking fierce and ghastly.