"This method is quite good. Let's go to Tengchong as you suggested and wait for the reinforcements. It should take about a week for them to arrive." Shen Feng immediately agreed after hearing Chu Chaoyan's words.
In fact, hot springs exist in many places across the country. Although China does not have many volcanoes, and even if it did, they would be dormant. The only few active volcanoes are located in border regions. However, hot springs are quite common throughout the country, but most people are not fortunate enough to encounter them.
In the city of Tengchong, hot springs are abundant and very famous. There is even a custom of using hot spring water for cooking.
Shen Feng and Chu Chaoyan had been here before, but at that time, they were dealing with mutated fungi. Now, they had to appear here to deal with mutated hornets.
Soaking in hot springs is actually a method of treating skin diseases because hot springs contain many minerals that can kill various fungi. Shen Feng and Chu Chaoyan did not have any skin diseases, but they both enjoyed the feeling of being in the hot springs, as if all their fatigue from the past few days was washed away. After coming out of the hot springs, they felt completely relaxed.
Of course, one thing to note is that the smell of these hot springs is not very pleasant because many of them contain sulfur, which gives them a foul odor.
When Shen Feng arrived here, he had intended to soak in the hot springs. He had heard that due to the high altitude of the city, many mutated insects had not mutated here. High altitude meant thin oxygen, and insect mutation requires sufficient oxygen. Therefore, many insects had mutated in the plains.
So, a city like this, which was not threatened by mutated insects, should be quite good. However, when he and Chu Chaoyan arrived, they found many people preparing to flee. People were carrying their belongings in bags, and both adults and children were preparing to escape. Some people were already leaving with their luggage.
Upon seeing the situation, Shen Feng couldn't help but feel confused and said to Chu Chaoyan beside him, "What is going on? Why are so many people fleeing? There doesn't seem to be any danger here!"
Chu Chaoyan also did not understand why. She then found a woman holding a child nearby and asked, "Why are you leaving here? Is there any danger?"
When the woman saw two familiar faces appear before her, she exclaimed in surprise, "Are you Lord Fengshen and Madam Chu Yan?"
Shen Feng nodded and admitted his identity. However, Chu Chaoyan said displeasedly, "I am not Chu Yan. My name is Chu Chaoyan. Don't change my name so casually!"
Shen Feng then asked, "Is there any danger here? Otherwise, why are you all fleeing now? I can't understand it!"
As Shen Feng asked this, the woman immediately sighed and said to him, "We don't want to leave our hometown, but we have no choice. The volcano might erupt, and if we don't leave now, we might be in trouble!"
In China, there is a deep sense of attachment to one's hometown, which leads to the saying "故土难离" (gùtǔ nán lí), meaning it is difficult to leave one's native land. This is because many people live in one place their entire lives and rarely leave. Thus, people develop an emotional connection to a place.
However, when people encounter insurmountable dangers, they often leave their hometowns, and this is the case in Tengchong.
Shen Feng was shocked by what he heard. The information provided was indeed concerning: the volcano was about to erupt?
"How do you know the volcano is about to erupt? Did a scientist say so?" Shen Feng asked.
"No scientist is saying this. Scientists are usually hesitant to make definitive statements. This news comes from our ancestors, and we can only believe that our ancestors did not deceive us!" the woman replied.
Shen Feng's appearance had already attracted much attention. His status had fundamentally changed. He was once a hero, welcomed in Yunnan Province. Now, Shen Feng was also their ruler. Therefore, when people discovered Shen Feng's presence, their emotions towards him were tinged with a deeper sense of respect.
Many people saw Shen Feng and began to pour out their grievances, recounting their hardships during this period, as if expecting Lord Fengshen to solve their problems.
Shen Feng felt helpless in this situation because he still had to go to the battlefield and had no time to deal with these trivial matters. Many people who were holding him back now treated him like a divine statue that could grant any wish.
"Who said that the volcanic ash here would erupt? This is a rumor. Don't the people spreading rumors know that this will cause social unrest?" Shen Feng, too annoyed to care about their thoughts, directly began to inquire who was spreading the rumor about the volcano erupting.
It was widely believed by most geologists that the Earth's magma activity had entered a cooling phase and would remain stable for a considerable time, making volcanic eruptions unlikely. Yet, someone had spread news of a volcanic eruption, which was indeed shocking.
"It's not that someone is deliberately spreading rumors. It's just that the cattle by the hot springs started mooing, so we believed it was a precursor to a volcanic eruption. To avoid being harmed by the lava from the eruption, we had to flee far away." Someone nearby explained the real situation.
Upon hearing their explanation, Shen Feng shook his head in disappointment and said, "Can't you have some common sense? How can a volcanic eruption be triggered by cattle mooing? There are cattle mooing all over the world, so does that mean volcanoes are erupting everywhere?"
As Shen Feng was communicating with the crowd, someone suddenly rushed over from a distance. It turned out that an official had heard of Shen Feng's arrival and had quickly sent someone to greet him. After all, Shen Feng was now their superior, and no one dared to show him disrespect.
"Lord Fengshen, we apologize for our late welcome. A welcoming banquet has been prepared in the city. Please grace us with your presence!" the person who came to greet him said respectfully.
"Since you have said so, I will go and see. Also, I want to ask you one thing: why are so many people fleeing, and you are not stopping them? You are truly useless!" Shen Feng said coldly.
Regarding this matter, the welcoming party felt wronged. They could only say, "We are also in a difficult position regarding the fleeing civilians. Even if we tried to stop them, we don't have enough manpower. Many soldiers were deployed in previous battles, and our current troop strength can only maintain public order. It is impossible to prevent these people from fleeing."
Shen Feng also shook his head. He always felt that many people in this place had extremely low efficiency in handling matters. Whatever the issue, they would act only after the fact. If questioned by their superiors, they would claim to have followed regulations, showing no decisiveness at critical moments.
When Shen Feng and Chu Chaoyan arrived at the restaurant, they quickly saw a group of officials waiting to greet them. A lavish banquet had been prepared to welcome Shen Feng's arrival. Everyone wore humble smiles, indicating their deep reverence for Shen Feng.
"We can talk about dinner later. For now, I want to ask you one thing: many people here are fleeing, all heading north. This is an escape. There is no threat here, yet they are fleeing one after another. What are you doing? Why aren't you stopping them?" Shen Feng questioned them directly before he could even eat.
Upon hearing Shen Feng's interrogation, everyone was at a loss for words. After a while, a bold official stepped forward and said, "Actually, it's not easy for us to stop them. There are many ethnic minorities here, and the ancestors of these ethnic minorities left a saying for their descendants to remember: when the cattle by the hot springs moo, flee quickly, for the volcano is about to erupt."
"Speaking of this, I am even more speechless. How can you believe something that has no scientific basis? Does a volcano erupt just because a cow moos after being scalded by hot spring water? There is no scientific logic behind this. Why do you believe it?" Shen Feng was very angry. It was a time of turmoil, yet the officials here were not doing their jobs but were causing more trouble.
"It's not ordinary cattle! Lord Fengshen, you've misunderstood. When we say the cattle mooed, we are referring to a bronze bull statue by the hot springs. This statue is hollow, and it will emit a loud cry when the volcano erupts. So, when people hear the sound of the bronze bull, they flee quickly." Someone then explained earnestly.
"It seems this matter is indeed quite strange. Let's eat first. After eating, take me to the hot springs to see this bronze bull!" After hearing their explanation, Shen Feng gradually understood that the matter might not be as simple as he thought. To know the truth, he would have to wait until after the meal.
During the welcoming banquet, few dared to speak casually, fearing they might anger Shen Feng. Thus, everyone ate in silence, worried that their inaction might displease Shen Feng, jeopardizing their positions.
After the banquet concluded, Shen Feng immediately followed the officials to the hot springs. When he had come before, he had simply found a hot spring to soak in. This time, however, he was going to a hot spring not within a hotel, but one located on a mountain. The temperature of the hot springs here was extremely high, over 100 degrees Celsius. If a duck fell in, it would be cooked in just ten minutes.
"Lord Fengshen, please look. Here is a huge bronze bull statue. It is said to have been built by the ancestors of the local ethnic minorities, and it will cry out whenever a volcano erupts!" someone explained to Shen Feng.
Upon hearing this explanation, Shen Feng couldn't help but approach the bronze bull and examine the sculpture closely. The bronze bull was covered in green rust. The statue, originally made of brass, had now changed its appearance.
"In the distant past, even corrosion-resistant brass could not escape rusting. However, someone has made a restoration drawing. When it was not rusted, this bronze bull looked very beautiful, shining golden and pleasing to the eye." Suddenly, someone emerged from a nearby thatched hut and began to introduce the origin of the bronze statue to Shen Feng.
"From what you've said, it seems you have a deep understanding of this statue. May I ask what you do?" Shen Feng inquired.