PCJ – Chapter 131 Chen Dianzi is a strange man

“What was that sound?” Zhang Youping and his wife, who were using a windmill to select grains, suddenly turned pale.

Zuan Shanbao’s fur stood on end as if it sensed something terrifying. It growled softly, feeling both threatened and enraged. Though it knew it wasn’t yet a match for the intruder, it would not let them off easily if they dared to enter its territory.

“A big green wolf! It must be a big green wolf! We haven’t heard their calls for years.” Zhang Youping, born in the 1960s, had heard the howls of big green wolves before. Back in the ’60s, hungry green wolves often came into the village looking for food. At that time, the village frequently lost poultry and livestock, and sometimes even children were snatched away by wolves.

“After so many years without any sighting of them, why are they appearing now? What should we do if they come into the village? What about the children?” Liu Qiaoye said anxiously.

“We must not let our little one go out alone…” Zhang Youping suddenly remembered their plan to go to Guangdong for work after the New Year.

“What should we do?” Liu Qiaoye was so worried she was on the verge of tears. If they didn’t go, they would remain poor. But if they went, they would worry about their child’s safety.

“Mom, don’t worry, what’s so scary about a big green wolf? The Shanbao can deal with it. Once I master Meishan martial arts, what’s a wolf to me? I’ll just beat it and eat it.” Zhang Jiaohua raised his small fist and jumped onto a wooden stake, assuming a stance.

Liu Qiaoye and Zhang Youping exchanged a smile, though they doubted how effective martial arts could be for such a young child against a big green wolf. These wolves were a deep-seated fear for the people of Meiziao. The current generation had forgotten the respect and fear for the creatures of Meishan since they hadn’t lived under the shadow of the wolves.

Jin Hu and his companions turned pale, feeling threatened by the presence of the wolf king’s aura from such a distance. Though ordinary people couldn’t harm them, they had their weaknesses. Those with strong yang energy or carrying malevolent or blood energy could pose a threat. Surviving in the deep mountains wasn’t easy, and such creatures, with their blood energy almost materialized, naturally posed a lethal threat to Jin Hu and his group.

The village chief, Zhang Dechun, also stepped out of his house.

“The wolf king is back! It’s telling the people of Meiziao that it has returned!” Zhang Dechun realized that the peaceful days in Meiziao might be over. With the wolf king back, the village would frequently face attacks. Not only would the poultry and livestock be in danger, but also the people, especially the children. Zhang Dechun planned to report this to the authorities at dawn, hoping to secure weapons to protect the villagers. However, he wasn’t confident they would believe him since there hadn’t been any wolf sightings in Meiziao for twenty years.

Hunter Chen Fangsong’s two usually mighty hunting dogs ran into the house and hid after hearing the wolf king’s howl, refusing to come out.

Chen Santou was extremely dissatisfied with the dogs’ behavior. “Jin Hu, Hei Hu, you two cowards, no meat for you!”

Chen Fangsong sighed as he stepped out of the house, “The wolf king is back. It’s time to settle some old scores.”

“Father, what old scores?” Chen Santou asked, confused.

“Son, some things you wouldn’t understand.” Chen Fangsong didn’t want to explain to his son and lovingly patted his head.

At that moment, a loud singing voice echoed from the mountains, reaching every corner of Meiziao. Everyone could clearly hear the lyrics.

“The shaman sings of the gods coming, the earth wall dragon and snake eyes open. Paper money burns red, butterfly ashes fly, spirits and joy cannot return. First, pray for the caterpillar to turn into water, then pray for the drought demon to die. Earnestly kneel and pray three times, fields ripe, oxen fat, diseases cease. Offer a sacrificial lamb, toast the gods, send the gods back, and receive their blessing.”

Zhang Jiaohua immediately recognized the singer as Crazy Chen.

“Crazy Chen must be out of his mind. How dare he sing to the wolf king? Does he want to marry into the wolf king’s family?” Zhang Jiaohua joked.

“Nonsense, if you don’t study hard, you’ll end up marrying the wolf king’s daughter and saving on dowry.” Liu Qiaoye laughed.

“I wouldn’t marry a wolf’s daughter. The Taoist master said that those who cultivate the Dao seek immortality, and a useless wife would only hinder my progress,” Zhang Jiaohua said seriously.

“If you can’t even get a wife, how can you cultivate anything? If you don’t find a wife, I won’t acknowledge you as my son.” Liu Qiaoye felt she had to correct her son’s misguided thoughts.

Oddly, once Crazy Chen started singing, the wolf howls, which had been echoing in response to the wolf king, suddenly ceased.

“Father, do you think Crazy Chen might get eaten by the wolves? Maybe the wolf king is full and stopped howling.” Zhang Jiaohua asked worriedly.

“Crazy Chen isn’t that easy to be eaten by wolves. He’s a remarkable figure in Meiziao. It’s a pity he went astray in his youth. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have ended up like this,” Zhang Youping sighed.

“Of course, he’s a remarkable figure—a crazy remarkable figure,” Zhang Jiaohua said, laughing.

The next day, the village was tense. Usually, the kids went to school on their own, but that day, almost every parent escorted their children to school and warned them to wait for a guardian to pick them up after school. Some parents asked Ma Lisong to ensure the children weren’t allowed to go home alone after school.

Ma Lisong didn’t take this lightly and convened an emergency meeting with the teachers. As a native of Meiziao, he understood the danger posed by the big green wolves. If a student were taken by a wolf, he would be held responsible.

“From today, students are absolutely not allowed to go home alone. Ideally, a parent should pick them up, or a neighbor can help. If no one can come, the homeroom teacher must take the child home. This matter must be taken seriously. Xiao Gong isn’t local and doesn’t understand the threat of the big green wolf. With winter coming, the wolves might get desperate and enter the village to snatch people!” Ma Lisong said sternly.