Chapter 5
Ling Zeyu had no objection to him joining them on their trip into the mountains.
“Have you told your family?”
“I told my dad!” Wang Erlang patted his sturdy little chest. “Dad said he’d feel at ease if I went into the mountains with you and Brother Yi.”
Ling Zeyu raised an eyebrow and strode forward. “Keep up.”
“All right!” Wang Erlang happily skipped alongside him, his little mouth chattering nonstop. “Brother A Yu, can I use your bow? I want to hunt a deer. I’ll skin it and use the hide to make boots for my eldest sister’s dowry, save the antlers for Mother to nourish her health, give the deer penis to Dad to soak in wine, and sell the venison and deer blood in the county seat. Then I can use the money to help support our family.”
He hadn’t even caught a deer yet, but he had already planned out what to do with every part of it.
“Not a bad idea,” Ling Zeyu said. “First, you’ll have to find a deer in the mountains.”
The mountain near Wanhe Village was called Qihe Mountain. As its name suggested, it had once been a resting place for immortal cranes.
According to legend, one day, the immortal cranes suddenly flew away, never to return. From then on, no traces of immortals could be found in the mountains, leaving behind only the names Wanhe Village and Qihe Mountain.
To the villagers whose families had lived at the foot of the mountain for generations, such legends were distant and intangible. Whether they could cultivate immortality was unimportant. What mattered was filling their stomachs and living peaceful, stable lives.
Qihe Mountain was a place blessed with natural beauty and abundant spiritual energy. Its mountain ranges stretched far and wide, crisscrossed by streams and springs, with lush vegetation and countless birds and beasts. Mountain delicacies and wild fruits seemed inexhaustible, and the mountain had sheltered Wanhe Village for thousands of years.
There were many hunters in the village who ventured into the mountains every few days. The women also went up in groups to gather food and herbs.
The lower slopes below three hundred meters were where villagers frequently ventured. Only experienced herb gatherers and veteran hunters dared enter the dense, ancient forests deeper in the mountains, at elevations of five or six hundred meters.
Wild rabbits, pheasants, bamboo rats, mountain sparrows, wild boars, and other animals were commonly found in the lower mountain regions, but herds of deer rarely appeared there.
When Ling Zeyu and Xie Heng first arrived in Wanhe Village, they had been utterly penniless, relying entirely on wild game from the mountains to survive their most difficult days.
Both were bold enough to venture into the rugged mountains above five hundred meters. Fortunately, they managed to hunt an adult male deer and an old wolf that had been driven out of its pack.
Luckily, they were both young, strong, and exceptionally capable. Although the hunt had been dangerous, they escaped without injury and returned safely to the village.
As the saying went, fortune was found amid danger, and achievement came through hardship.
They took the deer and wolf they had hunted to the county seat and sold them, obtaining their first substantial sum of money.
With money in hand, they could purchase rice, flour, grain, clothes, shoes, and other daily necessities, repair their dilapidated house, and even scrape together the funds needed for Xie Heng to take the Worthy Scholar examinations.
In short, their lives gradually settled into a routine, and everything began developing in a positive direction.
The other villagers couldn’t help envying them. Some tried their luck by venturing deep into the mountains to hunt, but the results were predictable. They either returned empty-handed or suffered injuries. Those who survived could only thank their ancestors for protecting them.
Wang Erlang had always dreamed of going into the mountains to hunt deer, but Ling Zeyu merely smiled whenever he heard about it. For the sake of the boy’s safety, he would never take him into the deep mountains.
“Sigh, Brother A Yu, you’re such a spoilsport.” Wang Erlang hung his head in disappointment.
Seeing how disappointed the boy was, Ling Zeyu patted his shoulder and said, “You can use the bow to shoot wild rabbits.”
Wang Erlang waved both hands. “I don’t need a bow to catch rabbits.”
He had been able to catch rabbits barehanded since he was ten years old. Now, with even more experience, he had become remarkably skilled. As long as he discovered a rabbit burrow, not a single rabbit would escape.
Ling Zeyu smiled. “Then shoot wild boars.”
Two months ago, the wild boars in the mountains had given birth to several litters of piglets. If they didn’t hunt more of them now, the boars would descend from the mountains during the autumn harvest and ruin the crops in the fields.
Wang Erlang reluctantly agreed. “Fine, then!”
Ling Zeyu chatted with him as they walked, and before long, they arrived at his house.
At that moment, a tall, powerfully built young man stood outside the courtyard gate. It was Liu Yi, who had arranged to go into the mountains with him.
“Brother Yi!” Wang Erlang ran over excitedly. “Why didn’t you wait for me?”
When he heard that they were going into the mountains, Wang Erlang had asked Brother Yi to wait while he went home to fetch his bamboo basket and woodcutting knife. Who would have thought that when he returned to the field ridge with his things, Brother Yi had already disappeared?
Just then, Brother A Yu happened to pass by carrying his food carrier, so he immediately stopped him.
Hehe, Brother A Yu was still the best. He was willing to take him into the mountains.
Liu Yi curled his fingers and gave Wang Erlang a flick on the forehead. “You little brat. All you ever talk about is hunting a stag. How would I dare take you into the mountains?”
“Ouch! Be gentle!” Wang Erlang hurriedly hid behind Ling Zeyu and made a face at Liu Yi. “I just want to try my luck! What if we happen to encounter a young deer wandering alone?”
Liu Yi gave him a sidelong glance and shattered his fantasy. “Ever since I started hunting in the mountains, I’ve never seen a young deer wandering alone.”
Wang Erlang planted his hands on his hips and boldly declared, “Then we’ll definitely see one today!”
Liu Yi shook his head noncommittally.
Wang Erlang stuck his tongue out at him.
Ling Zeyu couldn’t help laughing. He took out his key and unlocked the courtyard gate. “Stop bickering, you two. Come inside and have some water.”
The weather was scorching hot, and even walking a short distance left them drenched in sweat.
Wang Erlang was the first to push through the gate. He ran straight to the pavilion and plopped down onto a seat.
Liu Yi waited until Ling Zeyu had entered before leisurely following the stone-paved path, looking around the courtyard with great interest.
Every time he visited, he couldn’t help marveling at A Yu’s ingenuity and craftsmanship. Somehow, he had transformed a dilapidated old house into something entirely new, with an air of elegance in every corner. It was practically the perfect secluded retreat that a hermit would dream of.
“Wait here for a moment,” Ling Zeyu said as he pushed open the house door. “I’ll wash the dishes first.”
“Meow~” Hearing the commotion, the little tabby darted out of the house.
“No rush. Take your time,” Liu Yi replied. He glanced at the sundial in the courtyard. There was still a quarter of an hour before the Wei hour, so they had plenty of time.
Wang Erlang nimbly jumped out of the pavilion and ran to the corridor in front of the house. Bending down, he scooped up the little tabby. “Little Li, did you miss me?”
“Meow~” The little tabby answered in a soft, kittenish voice.
“Aha! You missed me? That’s wonderful! I missed you too!” Wang Erlang happily hugged the little tabby, rubbing and cuddling it to his heart’s content.
The little tabby was somewhat reluctant, but Wang Erlang was so enthusiastic that it grudgingly allowed him to pet it.
Liu Yi walked past them and entered the main hall. He put down the things he had brought, chose a chair, and sat down, turning his head to watch the boy and kitten playing outside.
Ling Zeyu carried the food carrier into the kitchen, poured two cups of warm boiled water from his homemade thermos, and brought them to the main hall, handing one to Liu Yi and the other to Wang Erlang.
“Thank you.” Liu Yi accepted the cup.
The midday sun was fierce. After standing outside the courtyard gate for half a quarter of an hour, he had become thirsty despite the shade of the trees.
The warm water, boiled from creek water, tasted slightly sweet and soothed his throat. A single mouthful left him feeling refreshed from head to toe.
“Brother Yi, you’re being too polite again,” Ling Zeyu said.
Their journey as refugees had been fraught with danger. Someone who seemed friendly one moment could reveal a vicious, savage expression the next, all for a mouthful of food, killing without the slightest hesitation.
Although Ling Zeyu and Xie Heng were both grown men whom ordinary people didn’t dare provoke, prolonged hunger, inadequate clothing, and exhausting daily travel had left them severely malnourished. Their physical strength had deteriorated considerably, and the slightest carelessness could leave them vulnerable to an ambush.
To protect themselves against malicious people, they had extended an offer of friendship to Liu Yi, who traveled alone. They sincerely proposed forming an alliance, hoping to reach a town willing to accept them safely.
Unexpectedly, Liu Yi agreed the moment they suggested working together.
While they had secretly been observing Liu Yi, hadn’t he also been quietly studying them?
He was only one person. No matter how strong and capable he was, there was a limit to what he could accomplish alone. Once he became exhausted and collapsed, he would instantly become prey for the other refugees to fight over and divide among themselves.
Ling Zeyu and Xie Heng’s proposal was exactly what he needed, so he had no reason to refuse.
Working together, the three successfully avoided many dangers and arrived safely in Yuwen County, bringing their wandering lives as famine refugees to an end.
Now that they had settled in Wanhe Village, the friendship they had formed remained strong. They regularly helped and supported one another, making them true friends who had endured hardship together.
Ling Zeyu quickly finished washing the dishes and entered the bedroom to equip himself from head to toe. He changed into a set of coarse-cloth clothes that were durable and resistant to dirt, put on leather gloves and wrist guards, fastened a belt from which small objects could be hung, and wrapped his lower legs in bindings that made climbing easier.
Once fully dressed, he went to the storage room to retrieve his hunting equipment: a bow and arrows, a woodcutting knife, a carrying basket, hemp rope, a small shovel, a leather waterskin, and other necessities.
Returning to the main hall, Ling Zeyu called to Liu Yi and Wang Erlang. “Let’s go!”
Seeing all the equipment he wore, Liu Yi couldn’t help praising him. “A Yu, you’re always so thoroughly prepared whenever you go into the mountains.”
“There’s no harm in being prepared,” Ling Zeyu replied. He handed the two herbal sachets he was holding to Liu Yi and Wang Erlang. “These are homemade herbal sachets. Keep them on you to ward off mosquitoes and insects.”
Wang Erlang accepted his with delight. “Thank you, Brother A Yu!”
He absolutely loved the things Brother A Yu made himself. Candles, soap, mosquito-repellent incense… Every single one was incredibly useful.
Unfortunately, Brother A Yu said he could only produce small quantities and wouldn’t sell them for money. If other villagers wanted any, they had to exchange goods for them.
Liu Yi accepted the herbal sachet and sniffed it. The refreshing fragrance of mugwort and mint filled his nostrils, leaving him feeling invigorated.
Not only could this sachet repel mosquitoes and insects, but it could also refresh the mind!
He carefully put it away.
Wang Erlang stared at the bow on Ling Zeyu’s back, his eyes darting around. He eagerly offered, “Brother A Yu, let me carry your bow for you.”
How could Ling Zeyu fail to see through the boy’s little scheme? He gently patted the back of his fluffy head and declined with a smile. “No need. I can carry it myself.”
This bow was a composite horn bow that Xie Heng had spent eight months crafting and refining.
The bowmaking process was complicated, and the materials were difficult to obtain. Fortunately, there were many hunters in the village, and they often kept ox horns and sinews at home.
When Hunter Zhang learned that they wanted to make a good bow, he voluntarily offered the materials on the condition that his child would be exempt from paying tuition for a year.
Ling Zeyu agreed.
With the materials already processed, they were spared several laborious, time-consuming steps, and the bow soon took shape.
After adjusting the bowstring, calibrating it, and testing its draw weight, Xie Heng was not particularly satisfied. He felt that its quality was ordinary and that it couldn’t be considered a truly fine bow.
Ling Zeyu, however, couldn’t put it down. He even came up with an elegant name for it—Ningshuang Bow.
“What does Ningshuang mean?” Xie Heng asked.
“Nothing in particular. The name just came to me,” Ling Zeyu answered.
Xie Heng didn’t understand, but he still engraved the two characters “Ningshuang” on the inside of the bow in his beautiful calligraphy.
At the beginning of the Wei hour, Ling Zeyu locked the courtyard gate and set off up the mountain with Liu Yi and Wang Erlang.
“Meow~~”
The little tabby lay on his shoulder, meowing happily.
A month ago, the little tabby had secretly hidden inside his bamboo basket and accompanied him into the mountains for the first time. Ever since then, whenever he left home carrying his bow, it refused to leave his side.
Ling Zeyu had tried driving it away twice, but both attempts ended in failure. In the end, he had no choice but to bring it along.
Although the little tabby was only three or four months old and usually gentle and adorable at home, its demeanor changed completely once it entered the mountains. It would reveal its sharp claws and strike with astonishing speed and ferocity, fully living up to the fearsome reputation of Sangbiao.
Before long, the three arrived at the foot of Qihe Mountain.
The little tabby stopped meowing and lay quietly on Ling Zeyu’s shoulder. Its blue feline eyes became sharp and alert, clearly having entered hunting mode.
The lower slopes were frequently visited by villagers, and nearly all the familiar wild vegetables and medicinal herbs had already been gathered. Only dandelions, which could be found everywhere, remained.
By June, dandelions had grown old and tasted bitter, making them unsuitable as wild vegetables. However, their roots could still be used medicinally and were particularly effective at clearing heat and reducing internal fire.
Ling Zeyu wasn’t picky. As he climbed the mountain, he dug up dandelions along the way.
Seeing this, Wang Erlang followed his example and dug up a few.
Liu Yi wasn’t interested in ordinary medicinal herbs. What he really wanted was a hundred-year-old ginseng root. If he managed to find one, he could earn a substantial amount of silver.
Unfortunately, century-old ginseng was an extremely rare treasure. Most grew deep in remote mountains where few people ever ventured, making them almost impossible for ordinary people to gather.
“Meow~ Meow~” The little tabby jumped off Ling Zeyu’s shoulder and landed lightly on the ground. It scampered up the slope, occasionally getting distracted by butterflies fluttering among the flowers beside the path.
Ling Zeyu allowed it to jump around as it pleased. If it wandered too far, all he had to do was call out, and it would return on its own.
As they climbed higher, wild vegetables and medicinal herbs became increasingly abundant.
Ling Zeyu mentally reviewed the Comprehensive Guide to Plant Identification he had read over the past two days.
Although transmigrating into a novel was a complete disaster, it had also granted him three benefits. The first was the check-in system, the second was a remarkably strong constitution, and the third was a photographic memory.
The advantages of the check-in system went without saying. As long as he accumulated enough points, he could freely exchange them for pills, cultivation techniques, equipment, and other items, allowing him to embark on the path of immortal cultivation with ease.
However, given the check-in system’s miserly nature, he probably wouldn’t be able to exchange for even a single Foundation Establishment Pill by the time he reached a hundred years old.
Still, he had always been optimistic. If he obtained something, he would consider himself fortunate. If he didn’t, then it simply wasn’t meant to be. It was best to let nature take its course. Who knew? Perhaps one day, the check-in system would go haywire and start awarding twice as many copper coins, allowing him to fulfill his wish.
After all, people needed something to look forward to if they wanted the motivation to keep going!
As for his exceptionally strong constitution, he had discovered that during their journey as refugees.
There had been plenty of men in the refugee group who were stronger and more muscular than him. Yet after enduring freezing temperatures, hunger, and epidemics, most of them had collapsed.
Even Xie Heng and Liu Yi had caught colds. Only Ling Zeyu remained free of illness, apart from growing thin and looking haggard.
After settling in Wanhe Village, he began eating properly, dressing warmly, and getting sufficient sleep every day. His body quickly recovered. No, he had actually become healthier than he was before transmigrating.
According to Xie Heng, his blood and vital energy were abundant, while his muscles and bones were flexible and supple. He possessed excellent natural qualities for practicing martial arts.
Unfortunately, he was already somewhat old and had missed the ideal age to begin martial arts training, making it difficult for him to achieve anything remarkable.
Ling Zeyu didn’t mind. Learning a few basic techniques for self-defense would be good enough.
And so, apart from the mornings after they made love, when he slept in, he would get up early with Xie Heng to exercise every day.
Practicing boxing techniques, swordsmanship, drawing a bow, and shooting arrows—after a year of training, his martial arts skills had improved by leaps and bounds, and he could now barely exchange a few moves with Xie Heng.
As for his photographic memory, he had discovered that ability while Xie Heng was teaching him to read and write.
In the past, whenever he encountered classical Chinese texts, his head would spin. Now, he could read ten lines at a glance, memorizing everything quickly and accurately. Whenever he came across an obscure or difficult sentence, he only needed to hear Xie Heng explain it once to remember it perfectly.
He had spent two days reading the Comprehensive Guide to Plant Identification that he had obtained from the check-in system, going from beginning to end until he could practically recite the entire book backward.
Books with illustrations and explanations really were wonderful. They allowed him to make direct comparisons and accurately identify flowers, grasses, and trees based on their physical characteristics.
He had already been familiar with common medicinal herbs such as mugwort, plantain seeds, and black nightshade. However, for plants like purslane, wild sowthistle, fiddlehead ferns, self-heal, field thistle, and bupleurum, he carefully compared them with the illustrations before gathering them.
Like a busy little bee, Ling Zeyu happily dug away with his small shovel, thoroughly enjoying himself.
“Brother A Yu, isn’t this just a weed?” Wang Erlang squatted in front of him and poked one of the green leaves with his finger.
“It’s wild sowthistle. You can blanch it in boiling water and serve it as a cold dish,” Ling Zeyu explained to the boy while holding one of the leaves. “Look carefully. Its leaves are long and narrow, with toothed edges. When you break them, a white milky sap comes out.”
“Wild vegetables taste awful!” Wang Erlang frowned. Wild vegetables had strange flavors, and most were bitter and astringent, making them difficult to swallow.
Ling Zeyu shook the soil from the roots of the wild sowthistle and tossed it into the bamboo basket on his back. “It’s both a vegetable and a medicinal herb. It clears heat and toxins, cools the blood, and helps eliminate dampness. It can be used to treat swollen, painful throats and high fevers.”
“Really? Then I’ll gather some too!” As soon as Wang Erlang heard that wild sowthistle could be used as medicine, he immediately pulled up a large handful.
Liu Yi, who was standing nearby, glanced at the plants and casually dug up a few as well. “Why haven’t I seen you gather this before?”
A Yu knew quite a few wild vegetables and medicinal herbs. During their journey as refugees, both he and Xie Heng had caught colds, and it was entirely thanks to the medicinal herbs A Yu gathered that they received treatment and fortunately managed to recover.
Without changing his expression, Ling Zeyu smoothly told a lie. “A few days ago, I happened to find an ancient book at a bookshop in the county seat. It contains detailed descriptions of the appearances and medicinal properties of various plants. I’ve only just learned about them, so I thought I’d put the knowledge to use.”
“So that’s how it is!” Liu Yi said admiringly. “It’s a pity I can only recognize a few characters. Otherwise, I’d really like to borrow it for a few days.”
“If you’re willing, you can come study at the private school. I guarantee you won’t have to pay any tuition,” Ling Zeyu suggested enthusiastically.
“No, thanks!” Liu Yi exclaimed in horror. “Just looking at a book gives me a headache. Don’t do that to me!”
Seeing his exaggerated reaction, Ling Zeyu couldn’t help laughing. “Fine, then. I’ll teach you how to recognize them right now.”
Liu Yi grinned. “Now that’s more like it.”
Wang Erlang eagerly volunteered, “Brother A Yu, me too!”
Ling Zeyu said, “All right. I’ll only explain everything once, so remember as much as you can.”
He raised his head to search for the little tabby, which had disappeared somewhere, and called out, “Little Li!”
A moment later, the grass ahead rustled, and a tabby cat emerged with a small snake dangling from its mouth.
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