NOVEL WEB Chapter 14: Grain Collection
"Soul-stunning technique!"
After returning home, Zhou Shan took out the Soul-stunning Technique Secret Book and read it carefully.
The Soul-stunning Technique recorded in this secret book is divided into six levels.
The first level of Soul-stunning Technique can hypnotize people deeply, make people forget some things, or implant a false memory. The second level of Soul-stunning Technique can interfere with people's perception within the range of mental power, forming a ghost wall to make people spin in place. The third level of Soul-stunning Technique can outline illusions, form illusions, confuse and shock opponents, and the fourth level of Soul-stunning Technique requires mental power to interfere with reality before it can be practiced.
"With the Soul-stunning Technique, my strength will be further improved."
Zhou Shan's eyes showed joy.
Originally, he just wanted to buy a book on fighting in the water, but he didn't expect to get the Soul-stunning Technique.
With the Soul-stunning Technique, he can use his mental power in battle.
Immediately, Zhou Shan began to practice the Soul-stunning Technique.
He followed the method in the Soul Shocking Technique and controlled the mental power in his sea of consciousness to converge towards his eyes.
Gradually.
A mental power condensed into a mental vortex in Zhou Shan's eyes.
This vortex seemed to have a magical power that could attract people's minds and make them sink into it unconsciously.
However, with the appearance of this vortex, Zhou Shan's mental power also disappeared quickly, several times faster than the consumption of mental exploration, and could only last for a cup of tea at most.
Name: Zhou Shan
Talent: Infinite Spirit (Every day, a little mental attribute will be increased)
Strength: 10
Defense: 8
Agility: 5
Constitution: 15
Spirit: 117
Martial Arts: Turtle Breathing Technique/Level 2 (1%), Soul Shocking Technique/Level 1 (1%)
Zhou Shan opened the attribute panel, and Soul Shocking Technique appeared on the panel.
With his mental strength, although he had just come into contact with Soul Shocking Technique, he successfully practiced it.
After closing the panel, Zhou Shan began to use insects, ants, cockroaches, mice, etc. to try the power of Soul Shocking Technique and hypnotize these creatures.
After a series of tests, Zhou Shan also found that the smaller and more fragile the individual life is, the easier it is to hypnotize it. For a larger mouse, it takes more mental energy to hypnotize it than for an ant or a cockroach.
But this is also within common sense.
The stronger the individual life is, the more vigorous the blood and qi are, which also has a certain impact on the spirit. Some powerful warriors may not practice spiritual martial arts, but they will also get a certain increase under the nourishment of blood and qi. Therefore, if you want to hypnotize a powerful individual life, you naturally have to consume more mental energy.
Zhou Shan estimated that with the soul-stunning technique he has just reached at the first level, it can only affect ordinary people at most. If you want to hypnotize a quasi-warrior at the level of blood-strengthening, you still need to practice hard for a period of time.
…
…
Time passed.
In a blink of an eye, a month passed.
Chenshi.
Zhou Shan cooked porridge and was eating breakfast.
Dangdangdang——
Just then, Zhou Shan heard a gong sound coming from outside.
"Everyone come out."
Someone was beating the gong and shouting.
Hearing the shouting, Zhou Shan also put down his bowl and chopsticks and went out to check.
"Fellow villagers, the Southern Barbarians have invaded our borders, and the war situation is tense. The emperor has ordered that as citizens of Daqian, every household must contribute to the country and provide food and grass for the expeditionary army."
"For specific requirements, there is a notice issued by the court posted on the bulletin board at the street corner."
The people who shouted were all county officials in official uniforms.
When the people in Guyu Street heard the voice, they all went out to check the situation.
"What, the Southern Barbarians have invaded the border."
"It's not long since the war in the north ended. It's only been three years, and there's another war."
"The court is collecting grain. I don't know how much it will collect this time. If it's only once, it's fine. I'm afraid that if the war drags on, it will be troublesome to collect grain every once in a while."
"Let's go to the bulletin board over there."
"..."
Immediately, a group of people rushed to the bulletin board at the street corner.
"War, collect grain!"
Zhou Shan got useful information from the words of the county official.
At this time, he also followed the crowd to a bulletin board standing at the street corner.
On the notice board, there was a document issued by the court, with the official seal of the county government on it.
"Zhou Shan, you can read, what does it say?"
A dark-skinned man standing next to Zhou Shan asked.
"Uncle Chen!"
Zhou Shan greeted him.
The dark-skinned man was named Chen Yong, and he was Zhou Shan's neighbor. He was a kind-hearted man.
When Zhou Shan first crossed over, the cold and high fever he suffered did not subside. Chen Yong's wife also helped take care of him. When he was not well, she would send him some fish and shrimp, so he did not starve to death.
"Uncle Chen, it says that each household should hand in grain according to the number of people. People over 16 years old should hand in 120 kilograms of fine rice, and people under 16 years old should hand in 40 kilograms. The county government will send people to collect the grain in ten days." Zhou Shan looked at the notice and said, "If you can't hand in the grain, you have to send a man to be a grain escort."
"What, hand in grain according to the number of people."
When Chen Yong learned the content of the notice, his face changed slightly.
There are two adults in his family, and a son and a daughter. The son is 13 years old and the daughter is 10 years old. But each person also has to hand in 40 kilograms of fine rice, which adds up to 320 kilograms of fine rice.
Three hundred and twenty catties of refined rice, even if calculated at twelve coins per catty, would cost three thousand eight hundred and forty coins.
Moreover, once the grain collection notice is issued, the grain merchants and rice shops in the city will definitely take the opportunity to raise prices.
For example, three years ago when Daqian and Beiyuan were at war, the price of rice was several times higher than it is now. At the highest point, refined rice rose to eighty coins per catty, and ordinary people simply could not afford rice.
Moreover, during the war, it was not just the price of rice that rose, but all prices soared. I don’t know how many people starved to death. It was not until the war stopped and it took three years of recuperation that some vitality was restored.
But now, the south is going to fight again.
“Let’s go home and get money to buy rice!”
“Yes, yes, yes, there will be no rice if you go too late.”
“If you can’t hand in enough refined rice after ten days, you will be dragged to be a civilian to escort grain.”
“…”
After learning the content of the notice, everyone immediately ran home to get money.
Once you become a grain escort, you can't come back until the war is over. Being a grain escort is hard and tiring, and you need to travel through mountains and rivers. It is completely free labor without any wages.
Therefore, no one is willing to be a grain escort.
There are many families with similar situations to Chen Yong's family. There is only one pillar in the family. Once they are pulled to be grain escorts, there will be only orphans and widows left in the family. Wouldn't they be bullied by others?
Even if they come back alive, I'm afraid the family will be broken up.