"Brother Shen, it seems that we can't drink today. Tell me where you live, and I'll come to you another day. Let's drink to our heart's content." Yu Meng withdrew his gaze and patted Shen Luo's shoulder.
"To be honest, I've just arrived in the city. As for where I live …" Shen Luo deliberately forced a smile and spoke vaguely.
"Oh? Brother, you're not from this city. But you're willing to risk your life to defend the city. You're a brave brother! "Yu Meng was startled. Then, he gave Shen Luo a thumbs-up.
The other three retainers heard this. They looked at Shen Luo with friendliness in their eyes.
"Brother Yu, you flatter me. I'm just doing what I can to protect myself," Shen Luo quickly waved his hand and said.
"Haha, in this world, there aren't many hot-blooded men like Younger Brother Shen! Brother Shen, if you don't have a place to stay in the city, why don't you come home with me first? "Yu Meng laughed. Then, he thought of something and asked.
"I haven't had time to find a place to stay. Then, I'll have to trouble Brother Yu." Shen Luo was full of doubts. So, he agreed.
"What trouble? We're brothers. Don't mention it. Let's go! "Yu Meng put his hand on Shen Luo's shoulder and said.
They walked along the horse path and arrived at the corner of the city wall. They were about to walk up the stairs when they saw three to five soldiers in standard armor supporting a fat middle-aged man. They were walking up the city wall step by step.
Shen Luo looked down and saw that the man had a fair complexion and a short yellow beard by his mouth. He was wearing a suit of armor that didn't fit him very well. It looked like a tortoise shell with a lump of fat streaky meat stuffed inside. It was extremely unbalanced.
The middle-aged man and his entourage also saw Yu Meng and the others coming down from the city wall. So, they stopped temporarily.
"Make way for the brave warriors." The middle-aged man's eyes fell on Tian Chong's body. His face changed slightly. He raised his hand and shouted.
The soldiers immediately supported him to the side of the city wall and made way for him.
"You guys send Tian Chong back first." Yu Meng turned sideways and ordered the others.
The three retainers responded and carried Tian Chong's body down the stairs.
When they passed by the fat middle-aged man, the latter looked at the black bloodstains on the flag, and cold sweat trickled down his forehead.
Shen Luo followed Yu Meng down the city wall and came to the man's side.
"Lord Liu." Yu Meng cupped his fists.
"Nephew … Nephew Yu." The middle-aged man quickly took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"This time, there were quite a lot of beasts attacking the city walls, and there are also quite a lot of corpses left behind. We have to clean them up as soon as possible so that the people in the city can continue to divide and store. In addition, there are several damaged parts of the city wall that must be repaired as soon as possible. "Yu Meng turned around and glanced at the top of the city wall.
"Don't worry, nephew. I've already sent someone to do it." Lord Liu hurriedly said.
Yu Meng nodded and didn't say anything else. He continued to lead Shen Luo down the city wall.
Lord Liu wanted to say something, but when he saw that Yu Meng didn't even turn his head, he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue. He wiped his sweat again and continued to walk down the city wall with the help of a few people.
"Who is this Lord Liu?" Shen Luo walked down the city wall and asked.
"Eastern Arrival County Magistrate Liu Fu." Yu Meng casually replied.
"So, he's in charge of the local military and political affairs." Shen Luo said, but he couldn't help but have some doubts in his heart.
Although Yu Meng didn't look like an ordinary young man guarding the city, he didn't look like an official. Why did this "Lord Liu" look a little nervous in front of him?
"What official? He's just a weak scholar. Usually, he can solve trivial cases, but at this time, he's simply a joke. The entire Eastern Arrival County's military is lax. If it weren't for the young men in the city, the original soldiers wouldn't have lasted until now. "Yu Meng coldly snorted and said.
Hearing this, Shen Luo suddenly understood why Yu Meng looked at this person with an unfriendly expression.
"But then again, although this person is as timid as a mouse, he didn't abandon the city and flee. After the war, he even knew to climb up the city wall to comfort the people. He's much better than the officials of the neighboring counties." Yu Meng sighed and said.
"That's true." Shen Luo nodded. He had a better understanding of County Magistrate Liu.
At the critical moment of life and death, how many people could really face death with equanimity?
However, at the same time, a doubt arose in his heart. In his impression, Eastern Arrival County should be in the southern part of Chishui County. Although he hadn't been there, he had never heard of such a terrifying wolf pack appearing in that area.
If such a thing really happened, it wouldn't take long for it to spread all over the world.
"Brother Shen, let's go." Yu Meng saw that Shen Luo was a little dazed and urged him.
… …
Shen Luo didn't feel anything when he was on top of the city wall. Now that he was in the city, he finally felt that the Eastern Arrival County City was quite majestic. It was almost ten feet taller than the city wall of Chunhua County.
The city wall was unusually tall and wide, protecting the city like a mountain. Although the wall had been eroded by the wind and rain, peeling off and damaged in many places, one could still vaguely see its former majesty.
Under their feet was a wide main road that extended straight into the city. The road was wide enough for four horse carriages to drive side by side. However, the road looked bumpy because it hadn't been maintained for a long time.
The width of the shops on both sides of the main road and the height of the buildings were higher than in Chunhua County. However, for some reason, they looked a little dilapidated.
The architectural style here was quite different from that of Chunhua County. The architecture of Chunhua County was simple and dignified. Although the buildings here were also quite tall, there were more decorations on the eaves, walls, door frames, and other places.
"My house is near the Confucian Temple. Shen Brothers, follow me." Yu Meng led Shen Luo deeper into the city.
Shen Luo followed behind Yu Meng and continued to observe the surroundings. The more he looked, the stranger he felt.
It was close to evening and the sky was still bright. However, there weren't many people on the streets. Most of the shops on both sides of the streets were closed. There was a restaurant at the end of the street that looked like it used to be very prosperous. Its doors were not even closed, but it was already empty. The floor was covered in dust. It was unknown how long it had been closed.
Only a few shops selling rice, flour, and other necessities were still open on both sides of the street. It was also deserted.
Among these people, the men's appearance and attire were similar to many of the people on top of the city wall. They all wore robes with a long scarf wrapped around their heads. The front and back of their robes were shorter than the ones Shen Luo usually saw. The women's hair was combed into a bun. Their upper body was either short or blouse, revealing the skin on their neck and chest. They wore a long skirt, which was quite different from those in Chunhua County.
For some reason, Shen Luo felt that these people's faces were somewhat numb. In particular, there was an indescribable feeling in their eyes, as if they were frightened and confused.
On both sides of the street, one could occasionally see people in rags. There were old people and children, who were begging the passersby. In exchange, they were mostly ignored. It was a gloomy and depressing scene that made one feel very uncomfortable.
Could it be that this Donglai County isn't the Donglai County of Chishui Commandery that I know of? Then where am I? Am I still within the borders of the Great Tang? Shen Luo muttered to himself.
Yu Meng, however, seemed to have long been accustomed to all of this. He strode all the way into the city.
Shen Luo could only suppress the doubts in his heart and quickly followed Yu Meng.
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