The Overlord of Puluo

There were so many people in the village with the surname Niu that Li Banfeng naturally assumed he had wandered into Niu Family Village.

He later learned that the place was called Flatbread Village. It had over a hundred households and more than five hundred residents.

In the Third Ridge, they were one of the very few villages where people still had full bowls and something to chew on.

There were three reasons they still had food to eat, despite the mosquito plague reaching such a terrifying state.

The first reason was because they could plant and grow crops.

Li Banfeng soon met the village’s Agrarian Cultivator. His name was Niu Jingchuan, a man in his forties. He had cultivated all sorts of peculiar seeds, the kind that could be planted in the dead of winter and harvested before the month was even done.

Li Banfeng was surprised. ”With the way you’re planting, does that mean you can cycle through the four seasons four times in a single year?”

”That won’t work!” Niu Jingchuan shook his head so hard. ”These are quick-sprout seeds. If you do it a few times, the soil will give up on you.”

He continued, ”With quick-sprout seeds, we have to stop after two batches. After that, the land has to lie fallow for a year. The soil in the Third Ridge is better than most. If you really force it, you might get three harvests in a year. But even then, it still needs a full year to recover afterward.”

Niu Jingchuan said nothing more. He turned and walked into the fields, inspecting the crops one by one.

This Agrarian Cultivator was the reason Flatbread Village had managed to survive until now. However, survival did not depend on crops alone.

Those crops had to be protected. That was the second condition! And when it came to guarding what was theirs, the people of Flatbread Village knew exactly how to do it.

The grain harvested in autumn had been wiped out completely by mosquitoes, leaving nothing behind. With no time to hesitate, the Agrarian Cultivator turned at once to fast planting.

The moment the stalks began to bear grain, the mosquitoes arrived. They swarmed in thick, buzzing clouds. And from that very first fast planting, the village managed to save less than twenty percent of the harvest..

By the second time the quick-sprout seeds were planted, the villagers had learned their lesson.

They filled the fields with smoke and scattered chemicals without hesitation. And the moment the stalks began to swell with grain, the entire village went on watch. Men and women, young and old, took turns guarding the fields day and night.

This time, they managed to save half the harvest.

Once the grain was harvested, it went straight into the cellar.

Guards were posted at the entrance in shifts. Every hour, someone went down to inspect it. If they saw mosquitoes, they killed them. If the mosquitoes were not completely dealt with, that person did not come back out.

This was their attitude toward survival!

The third reason was knowing how to distribute the grain.

Their method was simple. They went door to door, counted heads, and issued only two days’ worth of rations per person. No one was allowed to keep food at home. Anything left behind would only end up feeding the mosquitoes.

The method sounded simple, but it was not easy to implement. People who knew the ones that distributed the grain naturally wanted to take a little extra.

Once one person did, others would start wanting more as well. And when too many people reached for more than their share, someone else was bound to go hungry.

When too many people ended up suffering losses, some stopped waiting for distribution altogether and began robbing others for food.

Flatbread Village took grain distribution very seriously and put great effort into it.

Each household sent one person to bag the grain. Once the bags were filled, no one was allowed to carry them away, and no one was allowed to leave the granary. The filled bags were piled at the entrance instead, under everyone’s eyes. Only then did a second person from each household step forward to collect their share.

Each household received one bag of rice for every person it had to feed. Households with food cultivators were granted additional allocations.

All the rice bags were made by the village and looked exactly the same. There were no names, no marks, and no way to tell one from another. Whatever bag you picked was the bag you lived with.

There were still ways to cheat, such as marking the grain. However, cheating was difficult, and the consequences were severe. Once caught, the offender would be kicked out from the village.

With the grain fairly distributed and the villagers standing together, Flatbread Village should have been able to survive the famine brought on by the insect plague.

However, an accident occurred a few days earlier.

A Thievery Cultivator from outside the village slipped in to steal grain. His methods were superb, and he deceived all the village guards.

If he had taken only a small amount, it would not have mattered much. But the thief was utterly lacking in decency. He left the granary doors wide open, and the mosquitoes swarmed in, eating more than half the grain stored.

Left with no choice, the Agrarian Cultivator planted a third round of quick-sprout seeds.

There were only five days left until harvest, and the fields were on the verge of ripening. Meanwhile, the mosquitoes kept multiplying. Every poison they tried worked a little less than before.

Niu Jingchuan was extremely tense. He had already spotted mosquitoes hovering near the crops. He knew better than anyone what that meant. The moment even a single one slipped through, the harvest could be lost entirely, and every effort they had made would amount to nothing.

If they couldn’t guard this harvest, Flatbread Village would starve. The villagers would starve to death or turn into cannibalistic devils. In the end, the village would become no different from the other desolate ruins scattered across the Third Ridge.

Li Banfeng looked out at the fields, where clouds of smoke drifted lazily in the air, and saw the mosquitoes lingering inside the haze.

Beside him, Niu Fuzhi went on describing the village’s situation.

”The Peddler delivered all the mosquito insecticide to us,” Niu Fuzhi said. ”We know him. We don’t know you. That’s why we fought you at the village entrance.

”The Peddler is our benefactor. When his insecticide first arrived, they worked like miracles. Truly. The mosquitoes dropped like stones. Now they’re not as effective anymore, but kindness doesn’t vanish just because times get worse. We haven’t forgotten what he did for us. Not for a moment. He really is a good man.”

”You were sent by the Peddler, right? Say something. Even if you never went to school, you still have cultivation. You know the Peddler, right?”

Li Banfeng froze.

So the Peddler has been delivering some chemical compounds to Flatbread Village? I thought he was just a businessman, someone who bought, sold, and disappeared once the deal was done. Perhaps his identity is not so simple after all?

Li Banfeng was still thinking when Niu Fuzhi spoke up from the side. ”I have been talking my mouth dry. Where’s your insecticide? Hurry up and take it out so we can try it!”

Li Banfeng reached for the two prepared insecticide packets. Then he glanced around, took in the surroundings, and slowly shook his head.

”We can’t use the insecticide here,” Li Banfeng said.

”Why not?” Niu Fuzhi was completely baffled.

Li Banfeng said, ”I’m afraid it will attract mosquitoes.”

Niu Fuzhi frowned hard. ”We want insecticide that kills mosquitoes. Why would you bring something that lures them in? Hmph. Just one look at you and I can tell you never went to school.”

Li Banfeng frowned back. ”You are the one who never went to school.”

Niu Fuzhi puffed out his chest. ”That’s right. I really didn’t.”

Li Banfeng found it impossible to explain things to Niu Fuzhi.

He chose a spot three hundred meters away from the farmland and decided to use the insecticide there. Following the instructions on the prescription, he had Niu Fuzhi prepare a large cauldron and gather some firewood.

”This insecticide of yours needs to be boiled like soup? What, are you planning to make the mosquitoes drink it? We always use smoke.”

”You didn’t go to school, yet you have got so many questions,” Li Banfeng shot back. ”Hurry up and bring the stuff over.”

Before long, Niu Fuzhi returned with the cauldron. Li Banfeng poured in water and set the insecticide to boil.

Once the water came to a rolling boil, he tore open a packet of insecticide powder and dumped it in. The moment it touched the water, a sharp, lively scent burst out of the cauldron and puffed upward like it had something to announce.

Niu Fuzhi took a long sniff of the medicinal[1] aroma and laughed. ”Hey, this doesn’t smell half bad. Kinda fresh, actually. You think people can drink this stuff? I’ll try a sip...”

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

Before he could finish speaking, a dense black cloud erupted out of nowhere, swarming down in a furious mass. Mosquitoes poured in like living soot. Some dove straight into the cauldron without hesitation, while others whirled around it in tight, eager circles.

Niu Fuzhi jumped back and cursed, ”You damn bastard! So this is what you’re up to. You are trying to ruin this village! You summoned the mosquitoes!”

While Niu Fuzhi was cursing, Niu Jingchuan, who was working in the fields, broke into a smile.

Every mosquito that had been hovering over the crops flew away at once. They abandoned the fields without a second thought and streamed away in a single direction. It was clear that they were all heading towards Li Banfeng.

From all sides they came, pouring in from ditches, stalks, and shadows, gathering into a thick, black swarm that wrapped around Li Banfeng like a living fog.

Li Banfeng did not even look up. He calmly stirred the cauldron with his ladle. As he did, mosquitoes dropped from the air one after another, thudding softly to the ground in clumps.

Old Mister Yao’s insecticide did exactly what it was supposed to do. It lured mosquitoes in, and once they came close enough, it killed them.

As long as the mosquitoes caught even a trace of the scent, mosquitoes would fly over. The moment they touched the mist drifting from the cauldron, they died on the spot.

Niu Jingchuan walked over with his face lit up in delight. ”This insecticide really works!”

Niu Fuzhi, however, felt a chill run down his spine. He frowned and said, ”If it can poison so many mosquitoes, then it can poison people too, right?”

Li Banfeng shared that concern. For a brief moment, doubt crept into his mind.

At that moment, the liquor gourd reminded him in a steady voice, ”Before we left, Old Yao said this insecticide does not harm people.”

Did Old Yao say something like that? Li Banfeng thought. He probably did. Old Mister Yao would never use insecticide to harm people.

Around the cauldron, mosquitoes had piled up into a thick layer. A single packet of the prepared insecticide could be boiled for an entire day and night. Li Banfeng had tended the cauldron for two full hours before Niu Fuzhi finally called someone over to take his place.

”Benefactor, come to my place and have a meal first,” Niu Fuzhi said.

Another meal? Li Banfeng thought. Didn’t we just eat?

Even so, his stomach betrayed him. For reasons he could not explain, he felt hungry all over again.

This time, the meal consisted of Flatbread Village’s proudest specialty—flatbreads.

While Li Banfeng ate at Niu Fuzhi’s home, his wife was a little unhappy. She said nothing, but her expression made her feelings clear.

After the meal, Li Banfeng went out to check the effects of the insecticide.

Starting from the spot where the cauldron was set up, he walked more than one kilometer away. Even at that distance, he could still see streams of mosquitoes flying steadily toward the cauldron.

After going another one and a half kilometers, there were almost no mosquitoes left in the area. They had all been drawn away by the medicinal scent.

When he walked a bit farther, he started seeing mosquitoes again. Clearly, the medicinal scent did not reach this far.

Li Banfeng activated the Hundred Flavors at the Tip of the Nose technique and carefully distinguished the scents around him. As expected, there was no trace of the insecticide left in the air.

Old Yao’s insecticide was truly powerful. Within a diameter of roughly two and a half kilometers, every mosquito was drawn toward the cauldron and poisoned to death.

The effect was much like an invisible wall thrown up around the fields, a barrier no one could see but one that worked all the same. Flatbread Village’s food was safe.

In five days, the grain would form ears. Harvesting would be completed within three days while threshing and storing would take another few days. And so, leaving them a dozen or so packets of insecticide powder should be enough.

For the moment, at least, Flatbread Village could be considered as saved.

Li Banfeng wondered if there were any villages still out there, clinging stubbornly to life, insisting on living like people rather than beasts.

There certainly were. And if he could arrive just a little earlier, perhaps one more village might scrape through.

He was just about to hand the prepared packets of insecticide to Niu Fuzhi when he realized that something was wrong.

They might survive this time, but what about the next?

As long as the mosquitoes were not wiped out, Flatbread Village would forever teeter on the thin edge between living and dying. If he truly wanted to save Flatbread Village, there was only one solution, which was to give them the insecticide formula.

Yet the formula had been meant for Pan Dehai. If he handed it to these villagers instead, would that not go against Old Yao’s original intention?

Moreover, the insecticide itself was dangerously toxic. If it were handed to ordinary people and the formula was changed, how could he guarantee that it would not be used for evil instead?

That troubling thought was still circling in his mind when Niu Fuzhi came hurrying after him.

”Benefactor, where are you going?” Niu Fuzhi called out. ”It’s already mealtime. Hurry up and come to our place to eat!”

Mealtime again? Li Banfeng thought as he followed Niu Fuzhi into the house.

Inside, Niu Fuzhi’s wife was measuring out the rice grain by grain as she poured it into the pot. She scooped up an extra handful, hesitated, then put some of it back.

Each household had only two days’ worth of rations left. This was already the third meal Li Banfeng had eaten here, and Niu Fuzhi’s wife could not help feeling a dull ache in her chest.

”What are you messing around for!” Niu Fuzhi scolded his wife. ”The benefactor is here. Why are you being so stingy?”

The wife bit her lip and grabbed two more handfuls of rice, dropping them into the pot.

Niu Fuzhi went down into the cellar, feeling around in the dark for quite some time before finally emerging with a single jar of liquor.

”Benefactor, don’t think poorly of it,” he said, setting it down carefully. ”We don’t have any fine liquor here. It’s homemade. This year’s been a hard one, so we only managed to brew this single jar. I meant to save it for the New Year, but I decided to let you have a taste of it today.”

A sharp pain struck Li Banfeng in the chest. It hurt badly. He was not poisoned, nor was he injured. He was simply guilty.

He wanted to hand over the formula, right now, immediately.

Niu Fuzhi poured the liquor and glanced up at him. ”Benefactor, what’s wrong? Why aren’t you drinking?”

He hesitated, then added quickly, ”If this liquor isn’t to your liking, I’ll head out tomorrow and find some good liquor. I heard there’s still liquor in Rice Soup Village. My wife still has a bracelet. I’ll pawn it and trade it for liquor for you.”

Another wave of pain surged through Li Banfeng’s chest.

”Have a bowl first. Go on, give it a try!” Niu Fuzhi lifted the liquor bowl toward him.

Li Banfeng took it, raised it to his lips, and swallowed a large mouthful.

The liquor was rich and fiercely strong. Heat spread through his body at once, leaving him flushed and restless.

Niu Fuzhi turned and called out again, ”Stew that slab of marinated pork for the benefactor!”

Niu Fuzhi’s wife could not help but complain, ”There’s only that one piece left. We couldn’t even bear to let the children eat it.”

Niu Fuzhi snapped, ”What are you saying? If I tell you to stew it, then stew it!”

His wife did not dare to say anything while Li Banfeng could not say a single word.

Niu Fuzhi took another sip of liquor and looked at him. ”Benefactor, I know your insecticide isn’t ordinary. Could you give us two more packets?

”We won’t take them for free,” he went on quickly. ”We’ll pay for them. Whatever we can give, we’ll give. Benefactor, I beg you. I’ll kowtow to you.”

As Niu Fuzhi spoke, he was about to kneel.

Li Banfeng drew in a sharp breath. ”Stand up. You are not allowed to kneel.”

”I mean it sincerely,” Niu Fuzhi said.

Li Banfeng frowned. ”Even sincerity doesn’t give you the right to kneel. Old Pan, come out. Don’t drag an honest man down with you.”

Niu Fuzhi froze. ”What are you saying? Who’s Old Pan?”

Li Banfeng said, ”Niu Fuzhi. Your name means blessing and resolve. A man like you should not kneel. This time, Old Pan forced you into it. Never kneel again.

”Old Pan is already here. Have your wife put the marinated pork away and don’t let him touch it. Go find somewhere to hide for a while. I’ll have a word with Old Mister Pan.”

Author’s Note:

PS: Pan Dehai is here.

1. The insecticide is made of medicinal herbs but it is just poisonous ☜