After learning about the small strongholds of the Red Whale Gang and the structural characteristics of the members of the gang from the old man, Lu Sheng left the cemetery.
On the second day, Lu Sheng came out for a stroll early in the morning, intending to check out the location of the Red Whale Gang.
When passing by a bustling street, a big store in the city is holding a promotional activity. The promotional activity here is not called a discount, but a uniform gift.
A large group of children gathered at the entrance of the store, where a wooden platform was built, and someone was talking loudly on it, which attracted many passers-by to watch.
Lu Sheng originally just glanced at it, and planned to leave quickly.
But when passing the high platform, I noticed that there were many people in the crowd who were in ragged clothes, yellow and emaciated.
"People in Yanshan City have always lived a good life. I have never seen so many refugees-like people walking on the street before. Why are there so many more all of a sudden?"
Lu Sheng ignored the shopkeepers who were talking loudly on the wooden platform. Instead, carefully observe these refugee-like people.
They looked miserable, and each of them had no hope in their eyes. They just stood by the wooden platform, hoping that the shop would distribute something to satisfy their hunger.
Lu Sheng walked forward for a further distance, and then heard another group of people gathering on the right side in front of him, and the people gathered were chatting and discussing from time to time.
He approached and looked apart from the crowd.
A starving couple with scantily clad clothes was hugging a little girl who was only three or four years old, kneeling on the ground, with a piece of tree bark hanging around their necks, on which a simple pattern was drawn with crooked gray charcoal, It looked like a bunch of big money.
"Everyone, please do me a favor. My daughter is only three years old this year. She is obedient and sensible. She has good facial features. I beg kind people to show mercy... Give me a meal..." the kneeling woman wailed.
The girl standing beside her was still confused, as if she didn't know anything.
Lu Sheng frowned, squeezed out of the crowd, walked a little further, and saw someone selling his daughter and son again. All very young children.
"Where are there so many refugees in this city?" Lu Sheng couldn't help muttering.
On the way of wandering, he saw no less than five houses selling children and girls along the way. This made his heart sink slightly, and his heart became more and more suspicious.
After all, before he came to this world, he had never seen such a tragedy. For a family to sell their sons and daughters, how difficult would it have to be to have to make such a choice
When the time was almost up, Lu Sheng returned to the small building where his house was, and there was actually a young woman at the door of the winery on the first floor, kneeling on the ground and selling herself. He spoke with a foreign accent, and couldn't hear clearly when he spoke.
Lu Sheng took a look and saw that the waiter from the wine shop was also watching the fun, so he walked a few steps closer and asked a question.
"Why have so many refugees come in this city recently? Is there any disaster outside?"
When the waiter saw that it was Lu Sheng, he also knew that this nobleman lived upstairs in his winery, so he nodded and bowed in reply.
"Master Hui, isn't this a severe drought in Yunzhou? I don't know how many people ran around without food, and the number of people who starved to death in the middle was enough for one-tenth of the population of Yanshan City. It was miserable along the way..." Xiao Er shook his head and sighed, "At the beginning, I heard that our city didn't allow these refugees to come in, but later I saw that it was too miserable, and the master of the yamen couldn't bear it, so he ordered the passage to let the few refugees into the city. Actually Our city is alright, but in the direction of the Central Plains, many cities have been crowded by refugees, causing food prices to skyrocket."
"Yunzhou..." Lu Sheng knew that this place was in the west of the Central Plains, and it was a collective name for an area, but he didn't expect the severe drought in that place to be so severe. For these ordinary people, if they want to come here from such a far away place, it is unknown how many people will be killed or injured on the way.
"Yes. I heard..." Xiaoer looked around and lowered his voice, "I heard that Yunzhou was plagued by demons. You said that in this weather, there will be ten days of hailstorms first, and then a few more A severe drought?"
"Hail for ten days? Drought for several months?" Lu Sheng asked suspiciously.
"It is said that the hailstone was as big as an egg, and then there was a severe drought for eight or nine months without a drop of rain... Tsk tsk, it's too miserable. I heard that people cannibalize people." Xiao Xiao The second is also a chatterbox, and he couldn't help but tell a series of things he knew as soon as he opened his mouth.
"Hail the size of an egg, a severe drought for eight or nine months..." Lu Sheng was also shocked. You must know that in his understanding, if there is no rain for three consecutive months, it is considered a drought. There was a severe drought, no wonder the entire Yunzhou collapsed. The crops are probably dead, and there may not even be water to drink.
"I've heard rumors that whenever it's about to rain, there are even black clouds, but strange things happen immediately, such as cloud vortices, thunder, etc., and then the black clouds that just emerged immediately It's gone." Xiao Er whispered again.
After inquiring about the news, Lu Sheng returned home feeling a little surprised.
This kind of unreasonable weather, first ten days of hail, followed by a direct drought, is completely inconsistent with the laws of nature.
He has been in this world for so long, and he has roughly understood that this place is not much different from ancient China, except for some differences in customs and customs, the laws of nature are the same.
Only there are more supernatural phenomena such as demons and ghosts.
"This kind of weather that doesn't conform to the laws of nature must be caused by external forces." Lu Sheng guessed in his heart, and his intuition told him that the drought was probably related to ghosts and ghosts.
Back home, Xiaoqiao was mending something, when she saw the door on the road, she got up quickly.
"Young master, are you back? Do you want to take a bath, Xiao Qiao goes to the hot water."
"No need. How much money do you have at home?" Lu Sheng asked casually.
"About twenty one taels." Xiaoqiao quickly answered a helpless number.
Lu Sheng was speechless, he even wanted to borrow from Song Zhenguo and Chen Jiaorong, or sell the white jade unicorn that Chen Jiaorong gave, it was worth tens of thousands of gold, extremely expensive. There is also the purple jade hairpin, although the yin energy has been absorbed, but the material itself is purple jade, and the price is extremely expensive.
"These are just expedient measures. I still follow my previous methods. Maybe I can build a piece of foundation for my Lu family in this mountain city." Lu Sheng thought about it, and began to eat the food served by Xiaoqiao.
All the food was bought from a nearby restaurant, and it tasted good. Xiao Qiao stood by and poured wine for Lu Sheng, talking to him from time to time.
"How long is the release time?" Lu Sheng asked casually.
"About a month later, the college will have an announcement at that time, and Qiaoer will pay attention to it." Xiaoqiao quickly replied.
"Just don't forget. I might be busy with some things during this time. You are at home alone. Be careful. When refugees enter the city, it is inevitable that there will be people with evil intentions."
"Qiaoer knows." Xiaoqiao replied obediently.
After dinner, Lu Sheng went out again, and he figured out a few points about the Red Whale Gang in the morning.
After noon, it depends on what method is used to join in.
Lu Sheng walked slowly all the way, got into a carriage, and arrived in front of a casino slowly.
Gold Seal Casino.
The place's name is cheesy, but apt. The entire gate of the casino looks like a golden seal, square and very eye-catching.
Lu Sheng got out of the car, took out a pretense gold-threaded folding fan, opened it with a swish, and slowly squeezed into the casino among the crowd.
As soon as he entered the arena, there was a mess of noise inside, and the sound of gambling money suddenly came to his face. Large and small gaming tables are placed in the hall, and each gaming table is surrounded by groups of gamblers, shouting loudly with red eyes, as if they can win money if they are loud enough.
Lu Sheng was not interested in gambling. Instead, he glanced over and immediately saw a red-faced middle-aged man standing in the innermost part of the Golden Seal Casino.
The man stood quietly at the innermost gaming table of the casino, watching the bustling scene, with a blank expression on his face, dressed just like the surrounding casino guards.
But Lu Sheng knew that this was actually the red-faced Zhao Jie, the little boss of the Golden Seal Casino. He is also the usual caretaker of this place. If you want to join the Red Whale Gang, it's easiest to find him.
He walked slowly and straightly towards the red-faced Zhao Jie.
The other party quickly noticed his approach and looked over with surprise in his eyes.
"Brother, if you don't want to be happy, what are you doing in this corner?" Zhao Jie asked casually. Although he is also leaning against a gambling table, there is no gambling here, it is just used as an ordinary table.
"The student is a student of Dongshan College. He wants to join the Red Whale Gang. Can you recommend him or her?" Lu Sheng pointed out his purpose directly and said with a smile.
"A student from Dongshan College?" Zhao Jie was taken aback.
He has been in the gang for so many years, and this is the first time he has seen a college student actively join the Red Whale Gang.
Although the Red Whale Gang he belongs to is the largest gang, but the college students have always been self-proclaimed, except for the connections of some bigwigs in the upper echelon to join, or to use some special events to force them to join, I have never seen anyone who took the initiative Scholars who want to join the gang.
After all, the ambitions of these scholars cannot be restrained by a gang, they are people who want to be officials.
After being stunned for a moment, Zhao Jie looked Lu Sheng up and down.
"Your Excellency said that he is a college student, do you have proof?"
Lu Sheng smiled and took out the nameplate of his academy, which had his surname and the name of the academy on it.
A huge east character, below is a very small road character. The nameplate is made of brass, has some weight, and is covered with exquisite patterns, which is difficult to fake.
When Zhao Jie saw the nameplate, he believed it. This nameplate cannot be obtained by ordinary people, and even if he wanted to forge it, it would be very difficult. All the craftsmen in the city do not accept private work, and if some craftsmen in other families make this thing privately, it is a serious crime, and they may be sentenced to beheaded.
"Why do you want to join us?" Zhao Jie asked again. On weekdays, those who want to join the gang are mostly the bitter people at the bottom of the society, or businessmen, or skilled craftsmen, like the one in front of you, a college scholar who has a family background at first glance, there is really no need to join gang.
"I heard that the Red Whale Gang is the largest gang in the Northland. There are many masters in the gang, and their skills are powerful. My son, I want to practice the best skills, so I hope to join." Lu Sheng stated his purpose directly. When he said it, he didn't bother to make any twists and turns, let's be straightforward.
"Martial arts." Now Zhao Jie was relieved. The martial arts of the Red Whale Gang are indeed the strongest in the Northland, and they are incomparable in other disciplines.
"Okay, please go and register your name, age, and expertise." He directly pointed to a small door on the right side of Lu Sheng.
"A reminder in advance, if my disciples want to practice martial arts, they all learn from Xuanwu Pavilion. To enter Xuanwu Pavilion, you need to evaluate your strength level and the degree of contribution you have made to the gang."