vrcanaries 002 The Overlord and the Corpse-Devouring Python
002 The Overlord and the Corpse-Devouring Python
Chenwangli has a total of more than 200 households and over 1,000 people, making it a prosperous area.
During the late Han Dynasty, a time marked by frequent natural disasters and rampant banditry, the people of the village were able to maintain a semblance of peace thanks to their martial prowess and the hunting and fishing activities in the mountains.
But after the "supernatural being descended from the sky," wild beasts ran rampant, and ghosts appeared, and the peace of the past was never restored.
Not long ago, the county issued a decree ordering all townships, villages, and villages to build high walls and dig deep moats in preparation for unforeseen events.
Chen Chong, the village head of Chenwang Village, did not take it seriously at first.
But after dealing with more than a dozen unpleasant incidents of "strange people sneaking over the wall at night to steal things and food," Chen Lizheng hired over a hundred strong and healthy players with a daily stipend of "three wheat cakes." It took fifteen days to dig a deep ditch that circled the village.
Next, they took soil from the ditch, made bricks, and built a wall more than ten feet high.
Finally, water from the Nanhe River was diverted and poured into the ditch, making it a true "village-protecting river".
They drew a line on the ground and guarded it, using a suspension bridge to connect the inside and outside only during the day.
From then on, no matter how much the players protested, these natives kept both the danger and the players out.
"Brother Wang, I'll take over."
As dusk fell, Li Yu arrived at the riverbank protecting the village and gently greeted a local man who was dozing off by the suspension bridge.
The man rubbed his sleepy eyes, straightened up, saw that it was Li Yu, gave a brief handover, and then returned to the village.
Li Yu takes the night shift, which runs from 5 PM to 7 AM.
As dusk fell, small groups of indigenous people, carrying hoes and spades, returned to their village from the fields. When they passed Li Yu, they, like Wang Erge, paid him little attention.
Li Yu was already used to it.
A moment later, no one returned.
Li Yu returned to the village.
The village gate has been renovated, and a tower has been added on top to facilitate the raising and lowering of the suspension bridge.
Li Yu went upstairs.
"Brother Yu has arrived." An indigenous person was already waiting on the tower and greeted Li Yu warmly.
This man was about the same age as Li Yu, in his early twenties, 1.85 meters tall, with thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a broad back.
Anyone who sees him can't help but praise him as a "good man".
"Good evening, Mr. Zai Sheng," Li Yu replied with a smile.
This mild-mannered aboriginal man's surname is Xiong, given name is Ba, and courtesy name is Zaisheng.
It was he who once spoke out in defense of Li Yu, and later, seeing that Li Yu was in dire straits, he recommended him to be the gatekeeper.
The name "Xiong Ba" caused quite a stir when it was first revealed to players.
In the 1990s, there was a wildly popular Hong Kong comic called "Storm Riders." It tells the story of the two main characters, Nie Feng and Bu Jingyun, in the martial arts world.
"A golden carp is no ordinary fish; it will transform into a dragon once it encounters wind and clouds."
"Success and failure both depend on favorable circumstances."
Cloud-Dispelling Palm, Qilin Arm, Peerless Sword, Snow Drinking Saber, Ten Thousand Swords Return to Origin, Maha Boundless.
These many things can be considered the memories of a generation, or even several generations.
Xiong Ba is the main villain in "Storm Riders 1". He is the master of the two main characters, Bu Jingyun and Nie Feng, and a powerful figure who stirs up the world.
It enjoys considerable popularity due to the influence of TV dramas and movies.
Therefore, in this world, after the name "Xiong Ba" spread, many players went to inquire about his background.
After some trouble, it was discovered that this "Xiongba" was not the same as the "Xiongba" in the story.
There is no father named the Purple-Clad Old Man, nor a master named the Three Wonders Old Man. There is a brother who was killed by bandits, but his name is Xiong Hu, not Xiong Wu. There is no organization called "Tianxia Hui" in Moshang Township.
He was just a country bumpkin.
Besides that, the origin of the name is quite interesting.
Xiong Ba's father was named Xiong Shan, but he was not Xiong Ba's biological father.
Xiong Shan was not a native of Gansu. In the fourth year of the Yanxi era, which is 161 AD, Yanzhou was plagued by war and natural disasters. Countless people suffered and fled to the countryside, and the Xiong family was one of them.
The Xiong family fled from Shanyang County to Jizhou. On the way, they found a baby boy abandoned among the weeds and bones, narrowly escaping being eaten by wild dogs. Xiong's wife, with a soft heart, took him in and raised him. She did not expect him to live, but hoped that he could endure a few more days, see the scenery, and meet people, so that his life would not have been in vain.
To the surprise of the Xiong couple, who had only fed the baby crumbs and water along the way, the baby boy survived after wandering to Chenwangli.
After everything was settled, Xiong Shan adopted the baby boy as his second son. The family was overjoyed to have a new member in the Xiong family, but they were troubled when it came to naming the child.
The eldest son's name is Xiong Hu, what is the name of the second son?
Bear Dragon? Bear Leopard? Bear Leopard? Bear Wolf? Bear Bear? None of them seem quite right!
Xiong Shan pondered for three days, then suddenly recalled a sentence he had memorized in the village school when he was a child: "There are also men of fierce courage and loyal ministers."
Overjoyed, he named his second son "Xiongpi" and then hosted a banquet for the village head, elders, and acquaintances from the village.
Amidst the clinking of glasses and the warm glow of wine, Xiong Shan, quite pleased with himself, revealed his second son's name to the public, only to make a huge fool of himself.
He thought his second son's name should be pronounced "xiong ba," so he proudly said, "I only wish my son good health, as strong as a bear." This immediately caused a burst of laughter from everyone present.
Xiong Shan had a fondness for martial arts since childhood and disliked literature. When he studied at the village school, he encountered an incompetent teacher. It was already difficult for him to remember the phrase "bear and bear warriors" from the "Announcement of King Kang" in the Book of Documents. Although he knew it was a good phrase, he mispronounced the character "罴" as "ba".
After Xiong Shan's intoxication subsided, when others brought up the matter, he vehemently denied it, insisting that his two sons' names were "Xiong Ba" (meaning "Domineering"). He said, "The leader is Xiong, the elder is Ba! I wish my sons to be leaders and elders, unparalleled in this world!"
This startled the young and old in the village.
Xiongshan was very satisfied with his quick wit and response, and he actually decided on his second son's name, which has remained unchanged to this day.
And this "Xiong Ba" lived up to his reputation, honing his skills over a decade, and now his martial prowess had reached the [Yellow Rank]. Not only in Moshang Township, but also throughout the entire Gansu Dan County, he had gained some fame.
If it weren't for the current special circumstances, he would have already resigned from his position as the village supervisor in Chenwang Village and sought positions such as patrolman or village head.
Many players were disappointed that he wasn't a "renowned martial arts master," but some people have kept thinking about him ever since.
This world is like a game.
So some people have started to wonder, what is the most important resource in "Three Kingdoms-themed games"?
It refers to "military generals," which in a broad sense includes both civil and military officials.
Suppressing bandits and rebels, eliminating traitors, conquering cities and seizing territories, and governing the people with peace and order all require military generals.
However, after searching through the Records of the Three Kingdoms and the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, there are only about a thousand people from ethnic minorities such as the Xianbei, Wuhuan, and Nanman who have names and are recorded.
Don't even mention that the billions of players within the Great Han territory aren't enough to go around; even if you threw them into the tens of thousands of players in Moshang Township, they wouldn't make a sound.
Therefore, many "inn generals" will inevitably appear, which are non-historical and "game-original" generals.
Given the nature of some games, if a "top-tier inn general" is properly trained, their strength can rival that of a first- or second-rate general.
Many players speculate that Xiong Ba belongs to this category. Therefore, many people secretly want to "befriend" him.
However, things didn't go as planned. More than twenty days later, the person with the best relationship with Xiong Ba was still Li Yu, who was regarded as the "unlucky guy" by everyone.
On top of the tower, Li Yu and his companion raised the drawbridge.
When Xiong Ba pulled the iron chain, he used his left hand instead of his right-handed one. He also had a faint smell of blood on him.
Li Yu found it strange and asked what had happened.
"The day after tomorrow is the first day of the fourth lunar month. According to tradition, we should offer blood sacrifices to the Corpse-Eating Python. So I led more than ten young men to hunt in the back mountains. The journey there went smoothly, but on the way back we encountered a group of wild boars. Each one was huge and fat, over ten feet long, with two-foot tusks as sharp as swords. We were no match for them and had to return in a panic," Xiong Ba said with a wry smile.
A herd of wild boars?
When this thing gets angry, it charges around recklessly, even a tiger would have a hard time stopping it. It was indeed dangerous for Xiong Ba and his group to encounter it.
"Is your arm injury serious?" Li Yu asked with concern.
"It's alright, it's just that I can't use my right arm. The doctor in the county said I need to rest for a month or so." After Xiong Ba finished speaking, he sighed again, "What a pity for those prey, they were ruined by the wild boar herd."
As a [Yellow Rank] general with a strength of 67, Xiong Ba could easily defend himself even against a raging herd of wild boars. However, protecting the villagers would be a challenge. Snatching the prey from the boars' mouths would be even more impossible.
Li Yu had heard Xiong Ba mention the "corpse-devouring python" and the "offering of blood sacrifices" before.
The Corpse-Swallowing Python refers to a giant python, about ten zhang long, that hides in a damp, deep cave on the northern hillside of Chenwangli. It has a fondness for devouring corpses.
This python has lived in this area for a hundred years, and its daily food supply comes from the hunting of able-bodied men in Moshang Township. Otherwise, it will come out of its burrow to disturb the people, and even eat them.
In previous years, things would have been fine; a few raids in the mountains and fields, killing some deer, roe deer, foxes, and wolves would have been enough. But now, with the "Imperial Dew" flowing, all the plants, trees, birds, and beasts have changed, and countless dangers have appeared in the mountains and forests.
Just like the wild boar herds today.
As night fell, the two men patrolled the streets with lanterns. For a long time, Xiong Ba was still sighing.
When the wild boars raid the village, the villagers have to slaughter their own pigs and sheep to make up for the blood offerings needed for the sacrifices.
Losing big!
Xiong Ba was feeling depressed. He turned his head and saw Li Yu with a deep frown, as if he was hesitating about something.
It's not easy to fight Xiong Ba.
As dusk fell and the sounds of people and insects gradually subsided, Li Yu still did not speak.
Seeing his conflicted expression, Xiong Ba couldn't help but ask him.
But then a faint, distant yet incredibly clear voice suddenly rang in my ears.
"System Announcement: The total number of player territories worldwide has exceeded one hundred. The [Territory Ranking] is now open."
"System Announcement: The total number of player territories worldwide has exceeded one hundred. The [Territory Ranking] is now open."
"System Announcement: The global player territory rankings... [Territory Ranking] are now open."
He heard it three times in a row, which startled Xiong Ba.
territory?
Territory Ranking?
What are they?
Xiong Ba was puzzled. He looked at Li Yu and saw that the other party looked astonished.
Then, before Xiong Ba could speak, Li Yu suddenly gritted his teeth and said, "Zai Sheng, I have a plan to kill that Corpse-Devouring Python!"
Upon hearing this, Xiong Ba's attention instantly shifted from the "System Announcement" and "Territory".
In this world, there are different levels, whether it's martial prowess, intelligence, politics, or leadership.
0-59 Ungraded; 60-69 Yellow Grade; 70-79 Mysterious Grade; 80-89 Earth Grade; 90-99 Heaven Grade.
Above the Heavenly Grade, there is said to be an ethereal and elusive [Immortal Grade].
That [Corpse-Devouring Python] has a martial prowess of 73, ranking as [Mysterious Grade].
[Mysterious Grade] monster, let alone Li Yu, a trash with a martial arts strength of 17, even Xiong Ba, a [Yellow Grade] monster, couldn't withstand three or five moves.
Xiong Ba initially thought Li Yu was joking. But then he realized that Li Yu's attitude was serious and not at all a joke.
Considering Li Yu's identity as an "extraordinary person sent from heaven," Xiong Ba hesitated for a moment before asking, "What's the plan?"
"Tomorrow, during the sacrificial ceremony, please throw me into the python's mouth!"
"Wha...what?!"