I heard from Hemiko that in order to maintain peace, the village made an agreement with the Tonsu-dōji to offer a child to him as a sacrifice at one season every year to ensure that the Tonshu-dōji would not invade the village.
Now this agreement has lasted for more than 30 years, and the number of children who have died at the mouth of the drunken boy has reached a shocking number of more than 300, and they have committed very serious crimes.
Because of this, almost every household in the village had a hatred for the drinking boy. However, due to his lack of strength and being unable to kill the drinking boy, he had no choice but to endure it.
If Zhong Yu can avenge them, the villagers in the village will definitely be very grateful and win their respect.
If he could kill a boy who swallowed wine, Zhong Yu's reputation for martial arts would spread quickly.
After all, this is a big demon that has caused harm for decades and has a certain reputation throughout Yamamoto County. Being able to kill such a famous demon represents a kind of strength in itself, worthy of people's respect and obedience.
After looking at the forest, Zhong Yu did not go in rashly. Instead, he left the forest and walked toward the mountain village five miles away from the forest.
Such a dangerous dense forest is full of poisonous insects and beasts, and there are countless monsters in it.
If you step in without a familiar guide, you will definitely die miserably.
Therefore, it is very necessary to find a skilled mountain man in the surrounding villages and let him lead the way.
Soon, Zhong Yu arrived at the entrance of the village.
There were three or four villagers holding spears at the entrance of the village. When they saw Zhong Yu, who was dressed in gorgeous and expensive clothes, they all clenched their spears nervously and looked at Zhong Yu with a wary look.
As for the guarding warriors in the village, a total of five of them heard the news early and ran to the village gate to see this man who the villagers said was extremely noble.
Upon seeing this, they were not as ignorant as the villagers. They had seen a few warriors from the world, and they were very shocked in their hearts.
The clothes of Zhong Yu in front of him were extremely gorgeous, and the workmanship couldn't be more exquisite. Moreover, the material of the clothes was also made of unknown fabrics, which looked extremely gorgeous and soft.
If nothing else, just say that this outfit is something they have never seen before.
Even when they saw the head of the Yamamoto family from a distance on the battlefield before, the clothes they wore were not so gorgeous.
It is conceivable that the origins and identities of people who can afford to wear such clothes are not simple.
It was far beyond what the Dongping family could afford to offend as little samurai like them, or even the small family they belonged to.
When several warriors thought of this, they couldn't help but look at each other. Their eyes were full of nervousness and vigilance, and even a hint of fear. They quickly suppressed the wariness on their faces and spoke to Zhong Yu in a respectful tone.
"My dear sir, I don't know where you come from. What do I have to do with this small mountain village?"
"I am a samurai who has traveled far and wide. After I came to Izumo Country, I heard that a demon was causing trouble and harming the village next to this village, so I wanted to eradicate him. However, I don't know the roads in the mountains and forests, so I wanted to come to this village. I’m looking for a guide to help me find these monsters and kill them all to benefit the whole party.”
Zhong Yu still had a smile on his lips and said in a calm tone.
Wandering warriors slay demons.
These two words made the village guard warrior in front of him think in his mind.
Such familiar words reminded them of the legendary big families with noble origins, with noble blood flowing in their bodies, but because of the family's power struggle, they had to wander around the world and pursue other paths.
After the political failure of the children of these big families, they often became either monks or warriors.
To become a samurai, because of the noble blood flowing through them, they were often unwilling to succumb to those daimyo from powerful backgrounds. So they can only wander around, and in the process kill demons and spread the name of their bravery.
"The man in front of me should be the son of a large family that has failed politically."
Several warriors guessed this in their hearts, and couldn't help but respect the person in front of them even more. They were nobles with noble blood, and they definitely deserved their awe.
The failed children of such a big family can become the guests of famous people everywhere no matter where they go. And they have great say in the territory of the daimyo, relying on their noble surname and bloodline that have been passed down for thousands of years.
Moreover, the failure of these children in the family does not mean that the family has completely given up on them and still pays certain attention to their whereabouts.
If they are powerful in some places, these big families will definitely send people to investigate and find out the cause of death. If they are angered, then the Dongping family will most likely be destroyed.
With these considerations in mind, several warriors couldn't help but become more frightened and cautious about how to receive Zhong Yu.
After all, in the legend, these people of noble birth had deep-seated etiquette rigidity into their bones. They were required to abide by the etiquette in every move and in dealing with people and things, and no oversteps were allowed.
I, a humble country person, really don't know much about etiquette, so don't offend the nobles in some aspects.
Under their warm hospitality, Zhong Yu entered the most luxurious room in the village and settled there.
And the village held a banquet that night, gathering the most distinguished people in the village to welcome Zhong Yu's arrival.
However, when they finally revealed their goals during the banquet and hoped that they would send some villagers to help them find the demon boy who swallowed the wine, and then kill him, everyone changed their expressions.
Regardless of whether it was because he was afraid of irritating the drinking boy, he would not be able to kill him when the time came. Instead, he would become furious and start killing the village.
The person in front of them was killed by the Tonju boy, and then led the big family behind him to destroy the Tonju boy, and then angered the Dongping family and caused the Dongping family to perish. This was not what these people wanted to see.
So they couldn't help but tactfully persuade him, hoping to make the noble-born man in front of him give up his dream of a warrior who slays monsters and face reality instead.
However, their persuasion was of no use. Zhong Yu already had an idea. How could he back down in order to recover from his injuries faster
Finally, both parties reached a more satisfactory agreement.
The village promised to send people to help Zhong Yu find the drinking boy, but these people were all samurai. Among the five guardian warriors in the village, except for the leader who stayed to defend the village, the remaining four followed Zhong Yu.
With the addition of four warriors, no matter how powerful the Tonjiu boy is, he can at least ensure that Zhong Yu escapes unscathed.
Even if Zhong Yu is really powerful, it is not impossible to really kill the wine-swallowing boy.
(End of chapter)