Zhang Heng and Wendy finally arrived at their destination two days later.
Looking at the small town in the distance, Zhang Heng said, "Did your father tell you that he came here to discuss business?"
"Yes, that's what he said before he left." Wendy nodded, then hesitated and said, "Do you think he will also lie to us about this matter?"
"It's unlikely. Didn't you send a telegram to the sheriff here before, and he said that your father has left."
"Um."
"At least it shows that he is related to this matter, just go and see."
After Zhang Heng and Wendy rode through a field, it was just that the crops in the field were not growing well, not just because of the weather or other reasons, they all looked wilted, and the strangest thing was that there was nothing There are those who cultivate.
Zhang Heng told Wendy to wait aside, while he got off his horse, walked into a room, knocked on the door, but no one answered.
So Zhang Heng drew out the revolver on his waist, pushed open the door, and at the same time quickly dodged aside.
After waiting for a few seconds, there was still no movement inside.
Zhang Heng looked up, glanced quickly, and then put away the revolver.
"How is it?" Wendy asked from behind.
"Safe, no one." Zhang Heng said, unlike the uninhabited town he experienced before the start of the dungeon, there was no sign of evacuation here. Zhang Heng even saw a half-turned book, which was turned upside down on the table .
In addition, there are wooden toys for children to play on the ground.
Wendy also got off her horse at this time and walked in, "Where did everyone go?"
"I don't know." Zhang Heng said. He simply walked around the room, but he didn't see blood or anything suspicious, so he said, "Go out."
The two then left the farmhouse and closed the door again.
Wendy glanced at the nearby fields again, and muttered, "How come it grows so badly? Is it because no one cares about it? How much harvest can we get in a year like this."
"I'm afraid not." Zhang Heng said, "Have you noticed that not only the farmland, but also other plants along our route are not growing well."
"Why is this happening?"
Hearing this, Zhang Heng turned his attention to the nearby well. He scooped up a bowl of water from the well, looked at it and found that compared with ordinary well water, his eyes were cloudy, and it also tasted astringent and salty.
Zhang Heng just took a sip and poured the rest on the ground, "The water source here is polluted, that's why those plants don't grow well."
"Is it artificial, or is it just natural?"
"It's not clear yet, but people in the town should know." Zhang Heng rode on the turnip again, "Let's go, there is smoke in the town, it should be someone's."
About a quarter of an hour later, Wendy and Zhang Heng entered the town. The town named Bliss looked no different from other western towns.
Although it was a little deserted, it was not like the farmhouse outside where no one could see it.
Zhang Heng first opened two rooms in the hotel, and put luggage and other inconvenient things there. This time, Zhang Heng didn't let Wendy go to inquire about the news alone.
The latter stood at the window, looking at the street below.
"Is it my illusion? I feel that the people we saw along the way are quite hostile to us."
"Really, I'm of the yellow race, no matter where I go, people are very hostile to me." Zhang Heng said, he counted the bullets in his bag while talking, halfway he couldn't hold back Wendy, and finally taught me Her knowledge of shooting, pistols, rifles, I have to admit that Wendy is indeed quite talented in shooting, and she learned it very quickly, at least it progressed more smoothly than Zhang Heng's riding skills.
When she stopped to rest on the road, she would ask Zhang Heng to borrow a gun to practice marksmanship, and even shot two hares for dinner.
"But I also noticed what you said."
"I don't like the look in their eyes." Wendy said, she saw the woman across the street who was putting on clothes on the balcony. The latter just glanced at her before retreating into the house and closing the doors and windows.
"Couldn't there be some deadly disease breaking out here? Chickenpox? Or something even more deadly, leprosy... When I was just born, there was a chickenpox outbreak in the town. I heard from my father that they would gather all the sick people in one room." Here, to prevent them from infecting healthy people, and then draw lots, and send a person to deliver food and water every day until..." Wendy paused, "Everyone inside is dead, it's not so much a cure, it's better to say this It's murder."
Of course, Zhang Heng has also heard of leprosy. Let alone the 19th century, even though it has been effectively controlled in modern times, people in some remote places are still dismayed by it. In this era of underdeveloped medical care, people There is almost no way to deal with leprosy other than isolation.
"Be careful, this town is really unusual."
"We left as soon as we found my dad, so where do we start next?"
"Let's go directly to the sheriff here," Zhang Heng said, "Since no one else wants to talk to us, but before that, we have to go to the grocery store to get some supplies."
...
The owner of the grocery store was cleaning the shelves. When he turned around and saw Zhang Heng and Wendy walking this way, he immediately got off the scaffolding, hung up a sign of "losed", and then hurriedly wanted to close the store.
But the next moment a hand stretched out from the crack of the door, stopping his movement.
"Sorry, sir, we are already closed." The boss said, and at the same time secretly exerted strength with his hands, but his two hands together did not give enough strength to the opposite one, and the door was slowly pushed open from the outside.
"It seems that we were lucky and caught up with the last shift." Zhang Heng brought Wendy in without waiting for the boss to explain.
The matter has come to this point, the boss can only accept the reality helplessly, and wipe the sweat from his forehead. "Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Give me four boxes, no, six boxes."
"which type?"
"Two boxes of 44-40 Winchesters, four boxes of .45 Colt longs, thank you."
"There are so many bullets, are you going hunting?" The boss reluctantly asked while taking the bullets from the shelf.
"Is there anywhere to hunt around here?"
"As far as I know, no, if you want to hunt, you have to go a little further."
"Then we won't hunt." Zhang Heng said, and then he turned his head to look at Wendy, "Would you like some licorice candy?"
"I'm not a child anymore." Wendy frowned.
"Loving candy doesn't mean you're a kid. I know a guy. I honestly don't know how old he is. He's older than anyone you'll ever meet. The guy eats sweets like a kid." It's like a bottomless pit."