Zhang Luochen didn't expect that the answer of the farmer's elder brother was beyond their expectations. The elder brother smiled bitterly and said, "If I hadn't lived in this broken place, I wouldn't have encountered a big river that had been flooding for many years. If I were not next to this big river, I wouldn't have to ask the priest to help him invite the river god. If I don't invite the river god, I don't have to pay the annual Dragon King Festival. If I don't pay the Dragon King Festival, I won't have to build a dam, and if I don't have to build a dam, I won't have to send water."

"So, in the final analysis, I'm not in a good life."

Well, the logic of the gods, Zhang Luochen was completely impressed, but it was not difficult to hear from his words that the direct reason for the water flowing in this place was indeed because the county officials built the dam, and the county officials built the dam because they had to donate money to the Dragon King Temple every year. This is consistent with the situation that Qin Zi'ang had inquired about before.

"How much money does your Dragon King Sacrifice cost every year? It shouldn't be much if it is evenly distributed to each household, right?" Zhang Luochen asked. According to what he thought, it is a chaotic world now, and as long as the money is reasonable, it is also good to maintain the current state. After all, it will cost money to build a dam.

The old man sighed: "I can't say much, but it's not too much. For a farmer like us, if you pay the Dragon King Sacrifice, the remaining money will be enough to drink porridge."

Drinking a sip of porridge should mean that you can’t eat enough but you can’t starve to death. But if you don’t give it, you may not be able to drink this sip of porridge, so people here can only compromise and seek survival.

"If this is the case, what is the Dragon King's River God? The River God protects the safety of the people in the country, and it is not used to make money." Xue Hongling said angrily when she heard this.

This sentence scared the elder brother Zhuanghan. He hurriedly raised his hands, as if he wanted to cover Xue Hongling's mouth, but after struggling for a few times, he didn't dare to get started. He could only helplessly pounce on his arms, then clasped his hands in the sky and said, "Sir Dragon King, there are a lot of people, don't listen to her nonsense, don't blame him, don't blame him, don't blame him."

Seeing his respectful look to the Dragon King? Qin Zi'ang felt a little funny? But think about it, although the Dragon King took their money, he also made sure that they were not affected by floods. It seems that these people still love it very much? So he said to the brother: "In this way, the new county magistrate is meddling in other people's business? If he doesn't build any dams, there will be no such disaster."

I thought the farmer would agree with him? But who knew that the old man had a look of embarrassment on his face? He said helplessly: "Another... I can't say that. If he had come two years ago, he would definitely be a good official who loves the people as much as his son." After thinking about it, it seemed that it was inappropriate to say that? He simply shook his head? He pushed up the cart and said: "Oh, don't blame the Dragon King, don't blame the official, or blame our bad luck."

Watching the farmer pushing the cart forward, Xue Hongling shouted anxiously: "Brother? You haven't told us how to get to the Dragon King Temple."

This time, the old man was too lazy to persuade him anymore, and shouted without looking back: "Keep going west? You'll be there after crossing the river."

Xue Hongling looked at the brother's back and shook her head in confusion: "Is these people really strange? Either the Dragon King bullies the people, or the officials are chaotic about government and harming the people? Now why do you hear what he said, no one is wrong? Then this flood in the sky? Is it fake?"

Zhang Luochen had already had a scheming in his heart and said to Xue Hongling: "Everything is not both black and white. Sometimes it only depends on the different perspectives of things. These people cannot afford to offend the Dragon King and cannot resist the government. In the end, they can only blame themselves for their bad luck."

Qin Zi'ang nodded and said deeply: "That's right, Brother Zhang can see it thoroughly, but which one should we help?"

Zhang Luochen looked at the back of the farmer walking away slowly and thoughtfully. After many things passed, he was sometimes confused. Things seemed very simple on the surface, but they often had their own hidden feelings after exploring them. Now he couldn't judge which one is right and who is wrong. It seemed that he had to take a look again, so he pointed to the west and said, "Let's go to the Dragon King Temple to take a look first."

Several people walked west along the main road, and the road was easier to walk than before. Although the terrain became lower and the terrain became strange, the road surface was not damaged, and even the water in the fields was much smaller. When they arrived at the river beside, they could see a huge temple in front of them from afar.

Qin Zi'ang pointed to the yard and said, "That location should be where the Dragon King Temple is."

Zhang Luochen did not expect that he originally thought that the Dragon King Temple was just a small temple, but he did not want a courtyard with two insides and outsides. The courtyard walls were tall and the mountain gate was majestic, just like a famous temple.

When a few people came outside the temple gate, they saw a golden plaque hanging on the gate tower, with three large characters of dragons and phoenixes dancing in the Dragon King Temple. Looking left and right, there was no trace of flooding near the Dragon King Temple, which was quite strange.

Although it is a temple, it is completely different from the temples in Zhongzhou, and it is richer in the color of a wild land. Outside the temple gate is a bracket eaves built into the shape of a cow horn. On the tall pillars like totem on both sides, many bright dragon-shaped patterns are painted.

Although there are constant floods nearby, there are still many believers entering and leaving the temple gate. Seeing the poor people in costumes and rich people with silk and satin, the scent of incense came from the temple gate, and there was also a faint sound of prayer.

Several people dismounted outside the temple gate, and some people wearing strange horned hats and strange clothes decorated with colorful feathers came to help lead the horse.

It was probably the subordinate of the Southern Barbarian Wizard.

It is said that the style of these people's clothing is quite local. This is the first time Yang Baichuan has seen such decorations. He vaguely feels that it is somewhat similar to the barbarian warrior suit he has. He couldn't help but whisper to Qin Zi'ang in surprise: "Who are they? They seem to be a little different from ordinary monks."

"Old Yang, don't you know? These people should be all the witch Zhu of the Southern Barbarians. They should be the disciples of the Southern Barbarian wizard, not a monk." Qin Zi'ang replied.

"Then what are these Southern Barbarians going to the Southern Chen Kingdom for?"

"Nanchen originally belonged to the southern barbarians. More than a thousand years ago, Nanchen, Jingchu and other places were all wilderness. Later, the princes of the Central Plains continued to move south to establish these countries and married and merged with the locals, which led to the current four southern countries. However, there are also many barbarian tribes who are unwilling to intermarry with the Central Plains people. Some continue to migrate south, while others hide in deep mountains and dense forests and defend themselves. There are 10 to 20 such tribes in the territory of Nanchen."

"These barbarian tribes lack farming culture, slash-and-burn farming, and have no harvest. They mainly rely on hunting and gathering, which is a primitive means of survival, and have a small population, so they sometimes pay tribute to King Chen, paying tribute to some fur and medicinal materials every year, and exchange some grain and cloth for some things."

It is better in the territory of Chen. If you go south, there will be miasma, sparsely populated, and monsters everywhere. In order to survive, the Southern Barbarian tribes often worship the tribe's guardian gods. Not only can they obtain protection, it is said that some people can also learn secret witchcraft from the guardian gods, which is very magical. Therefore, many people in the Southern Chen country will ask people to find the Southern Barbarian wizard to help do rituals or solve some difficult problems. For example, in this incident of inviting the River God, most of the people invited were the guardian gods of a certain tribe."

"Since the guardian god wants to protect the tribe, how can he move away?"

Qin Zi'ang guessed, "The barbarian tribes over there are as numerous as cows and fight each other. The gods believed in by the destroyed tribes will often lose their worship and become wandering gods. I think this Dragon King is a wandering god."

Zhang Luochen was a little surprised when he heard this, "Brother Qin actually knows this?"

Qin Zi'ang couldn't help but say proudly, "If you read too many books, you can always know some secret stories. This is what I saw from "The Legend of the Wildness". I will get you one day to read it."

Zhang Luochen nodded while listening, looking at the witch prayer who silently tied up horses for them, and he became a little careful. His attention had been on the Dragon King and the county magistrate before, but he forgot that the Southern Barbarian wizards also played a great role. Since they built a temple to support the Dragon King, why can't they persuade them to reconcile?

Or maybe they wanted these two sides to start fighting? Then the starting point of this Southern Barbarian wizard is worth pondering.

When I entered the temple, I saw smoke swaying and the incense was still very strong. The people around me looked peaceful and leisurely, which was a world of difference from the appearance of the refugees who had seen in the city before.
Chapter completed!