SWDnovel Section 035 Leaving the Village
Section 035 Leaving the Village
A moment later, wisps of smoke rose from Zhou Erzhu's kitchen.
Zhou Yunshen asked Zhou Xiaoya to cook the leftover wild game from yesterday, along with wild vegetables, brown rice, and other things, all in one pot.
The taste might not be great if you do it this way, but the portion is large and filling.
We have to walk over 200 li (approximately 100 kilometers) of mountain road today, so it's definitely not good to go without a full meal.
Zhou Xiaoya was in charge of making breakfast, while Zhou Yunshen helped out by adding firewood to the stove.
Breakfast had just been cooked, and Zhou Yunshen was blowing on the scalding hot porridge from a large porcelain bowl when Dashan came over.
Da Shan's eyes were bloodshot, his hair was a mess, and his face looked haggard, clearly indicating that he hadn't slept well.
Zhou Xiaoya glared at him and ignored him, clearly still angry about what happened yesterday.
Zhou Yunshen stepped forward and greeted, "Dashan's here! Haven't eaten yet? Come and have something to eat."
Dashan quickly replied, "No need, I've already cooked something at home."
"I see." Zhou Yunshen nodded and shoveled a mouthful of paste into his mouth.
It was very hot, but the taste wasn't too bad; he could barely accept it.
Da Shan moved a little closer and asked, "Second Brother, are we still going to Xiyun County today?"
"Of course we'll go," Zhou Yunshen said. "You saw what happened last night. The village isn't safe. Any powerful person could easily wipe out our entire village. It's safer to live in the city, don't you think?"
Da Shan nodded vigorously, deeply agreeing with this.
He hadn't thought there was anything wrong with staying in the village before, after all, he had grown up there and was used to life there.
After what happened last night, he was truly terrified.
After nodding, Dashan tentatively asked, "Um, Second Brother, my mother also wants to go to the city with me. I wonder if that's convenient...?"
Zhou Yunshen glanced at Dashan and said, "Dashan, is your family planning to move?"
Upon hearing this, Da Shan smiled wryly and said, "Everyone was terrified last night..."
He looked at Zhou Yunshen, feeling uneasy, afraid that his proposed conditions were too unreasonable and would be rejected.
Zhou Yunshen paused for a moment after hearing this, then said, "Okay, I have no problem. Let's go to the city together then."
Da Shan was overjoyed upon hearing this and repeatedly thanked Zhou Yunshen.
Zhou Yunshen waved his hand and said, "Hurry back and pack your things. If you have some dry food at home, take some with you. You don't need to bring furniture, quilts, or anything like that. Just bring some valuables. If we travel light, we can get there faster."
"Okay, I'll listen to my second brother," Da Shan nodded and said.
Zhou Yunshen glanced at the sky and said, "Let's hurry back. We'll set off in a quarter of an hour."
"Okay, sure." After nodding in agreement, Dashan turned to leave.
He wanted to tell his parents the good news as soon as possible.
Before he could take more than a few steps, Zhou Yunshen called out to him from behind, "Wait!"
Da Shan stopped and looked at Zhou Yun Shen with some confusion.
Zhou Yunshen said, "Go back and tell Uncle Liu that we don't need to prepare anything for the mountain god worship."
"Huh?" Da Shan was a little stunned when he heard this.
Zhou Yunshen explained, "The mountain god is already dead. He was killed by the Qin family. What's the point of worshipping him? Worship his ghost? Alright, I'm not talking to you anymore. Go back now."
"Oh, okay...okay." Da Shan replied, walking home in a daze, clearly still not back to his senses.
Mountain God...
The villagers have been worshipping the mountain god for years, and they need to do so whether they are going on a long trip or getting married. But now, the mountain god is dead...
Da Shan felt as if the sky had fallen, and his faith had collapsed as well.
Not only Da Shan, but Zhou Xiaoya also stared blankly into space after hearing the devastating news, holding a small porcelain bowl.
Fifteen minutes later, Zhou Yunshen led Zhou Xiaoya to the village exit.
At this time, the sky was just beginning to lighten, and Da Shan's family was already waiting there.
Upon seeing Zhou Yunshen approach, Dashan's father immediately came forward, his face beaming with smiles, and said, "Young Master, you've arrived."
Zhou Yunshen paused for a moment, then said, "Uncle Liu, why are you calling me young master?"
Da Shan's father said with some respect, "Young Master, we have no other skills. It is already a great fortune that we can go to the county town with you. We only wish to serve you as your servants, help you guard the house and do some trivial things."
As he spoke, he turned and winked at a middle-aged woman.
This middle-aged woman, dressed like an honest and simple village woman, is none other than Da Shan's mother.
She lowered her head, approached Zhou Yunshen, and called him "Young Master" as well.
Even Da Shan came over and bowed his head, calling him "Young Master".
Zhou Yunshen glared at them and said, "What are you doing? Uncle Liu, Aunt Liu, I have always regarded you as elders. I am not some young master. Please don't call me that anymore."
He finally understood who had taught Da Shan to change his attitude towards him—it was definitely Da Shan's father.
Before, it was just a change of address, but now, the Da Shan family actually wants to become his servants.
Putting aside whether he, an Earthling, could accept such a personal dependence, even if he could, what qualifications does a mere post-natal perfect martial artist have to make others depend on him?
Under Zhou Yunshen's firm resistance, the Dashan family finally stopped calling him "Young Master".
The group left Dazhu Village and disappeared into the vast forest along a rugged mountain path.
At this time, the village was quiet, and the villagers had not yet gotten up.
Zhou Yunshen also didn't want to get entangled with these villagers, which is why he chose to leave the village early.
Otherwise, after what happened last night, the village is in a state of panic, and under such circumstances, the villagers certainly wouldn't want to let him leave the village...
In the vast mountains and forests, Uncle Liu walked at the forefront, holding a medicine sickle in his hand.
Zhou Yunshen carried Zhou Xiaoya on his back and followed behind.
Aunt Liu followed behind him, while Dashan, carrying a sickle, walked at the very back of the group.
The mountain roads are difficult to travel, and in some places there are no roads at all.
Fortunately, Zhou Yunshen was a martial artist, so even if the mountain path was difficult, he could carry Zhou Xiaoya as if walking on flat ground.
He could carry Zhou Xiaoya with ease, given her weight.
After walking for a while in the mountains, Zhou Xiaoya rested her head on Zhou Yunshen's shoulder, and then her even breathing could be heard.
She was sleepy and fell asleep without realizing it.
Seeing this, Zhou Yunshen tried his best to walk slowly so as not to wake up the sleeping Zhou Xiaoya.
After walking a while longer, Zhou Yunshen suddenly shouted, "Stop!"
Uncle Liu, who was walking at the front, immediately stopped and remained motionless.
Zhou Yunshen stared at the fallen leaves under a large tree in front of him and said, "There's a snake."
As he spoke, he drew the sickle from his waist and threw it forward.
The sickle spun, making a sharp, piercing sound, and flew several meters, accurately pinning a snake as thick as a thumb to the ground.
The snake, pinned to the ground, was not quite dead yet, writhing and struggling.
When Uncle Liu approached and took a look, he immediately broke out in a cold sweat and said, "It's a Black Night Demon, extremely poisonous. If it weren't for your timely discovery, young master, I'm afraid I would have lost my life here."
He recognized the snake.
Despite its small size, this snake is extremely venomous. Two years ago, someone in the village was bitten by one of these snakes and died within half an hour, his body turning black and convulsing.
Zhou Yunshen said helplessly, "Uncle Liu, I've told you several times already, don't call me young master."
"Yes, young master," Uncle Liu replied with a smile.
Zhou Yunshen looked helpless.
The road ahead remained difficult. Along the way, Zhou Yunshen saw palm-sized, colorful spiders hanging on their webs, millstone-sized snakes slithering through the forest, and also encountered animals such as tigers, black bears, and wild boars.
Fortunately, Zhou Yunshen, a martial artist, was in the group, and both the tiger and the black bear were driven away by him.
Zhou Yunshen didn't even need to lift a finger. He only needed to release the powerful aura of a perfected acquired martial artist, and the beasts immediately bristled and fled in terror.
I didn't encounter any spirits or monsters.
The mountain road, stretching over two hundred miles, was not easy to travel. The group started their journey early in the morning, taking a break every two or three hours to eat something. They continued like this until dark before finally leaving the mountains and arriving at the official road leading to Xiyun County.
The official road in this world is essentially a dirt road covered with sand, about five or six meters wide. It is certainly far inferior to the cement roads in the real world, but it is much better than the mountain roads we had before.
The group continued along the official road for a while before finally approaching Xiyun County.
The weather is quite nice tonight, with a bright moon hanging high in the sky, casting its radiant light upon the earth.
By the moonlight, Zhou Yunshen could see the outline of Xiyun County and the lights shining from within the city.
However, at this moment, the city gates of Xiyun County are closed, and it is impossible to enter the city.
Uncle Liu pointed to a patch of dim lights outside the city and said, "Young master, there are places to eat and stay over here, specifically for travelers like us who can't enter the city because it's late at night. I've stayed here before, and the prices are quite reasonable."
Zhou Yunshen simply nodded upon hearing this, and continued walking forward without stopping.
Throughout the journey, Uncle Liu called him "Young Master" the whole time. At first, he tried to argue back, but when he realized it was pointless, he gave up.
By now, he's even gotten somewhat used to being called "young master."
After walking a while longer, they saw several tall horses and two carriages parked on an open space outside the city.
Several martial artists dressed in dark blue outfits, with swords at their waists, stood or sat, seemingly waiting for something.
All of them exuded a sharp aura, clearly possessing considerable martial arts skills.
Seeing Zhou Yun Shen approach, all the martial artists looked at him with a scrutinizing gaze.
Zhou Yunshen took the initiative to ask, "Are you from the Chen family of Fucheng?"
A martial artist stood up and stared at Zhou Yunshen: "We are from the Chen family. And who are you?"
The aura emanating from this person even made Zhou Yun Shen's heart pound.
Zhou Yunshen had felt this heart-pounding feeling before, back in Dazhu Village, through a layer of array, from that middle-aged innate martial artist.
This is clearly a martial artist with innate abilities.
Zhou Yunshen said, "My name is Zhou Erzhu."
Upon hearing the name Zhou Erzhu, the innate martial artist's expression hardened. He clasped his hands in a fist salute to Zhou Yunshen and said, "So it's Young Master Zhou. I am Chen Jiu. I am here on my young master's orders to escort Young Master Zhou to the prefectural city."
Zhou Yunshen nodded, pointed to the dim lights not far away, and said, "Everyone must be tired from the long journey from the prefectural city. There are some restaurants over there where we can stop for a bite to eat. How about I treat you all?"
All the martial artists looked at Chen Jiu.
Chen Jiu hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "Then thank you very much, Young Master Zhou."
This meal cost Zhou Yunshen more than one tael of silver.
The effect was noticeable; the martial artists' attitudes towards Zhou Yunshen improved significantly.
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, two carriages carrying Zhou Yunshen and the others headed towards the official road leading to Luchuan Prefecture, escorted by several warriors in blue robes on horseback.
This carriage truly lived up to its reputation as belonging to a family of cultivators. When traveling on the official road, it was incredibly fast, yet Zhou Yun Shen, sitting inside, barely felt any bumps.
Keep in mind, this was a dirt road riddled with potholes.
With this level of shock absorption, even luxury cars worth millions in the real world can't match it.
Inside the spacious carriage, with soft cushions, Zhou Yun Shen patted Zhou Xiao Ya's head, covered her with a thin blanket, and said, "Sleep well, have a good night's sleep."
"Okay, Second Brother, you should sleep too," Zhou Xiaoya said.
This was her first time riding in a carriage, and also her first time spending the night in one. She felt both nervous and excited.
"Okay, I'll sleep too." With that, Zhou Yunshen lay down in the carriage and closed his eyes...
……
In the real world, Zhou Yunshen tore open a bag of bread and ate it in big bites.
After he finished eating, he had to go to sleep.
After all, he had spent the night playing games and the day playing games, so he was already very tired.
But after he finished eating and lay in bed, the thought of being able to practice the Heavenly Rank cultivation technique he had been dreaming of once he arrived in the prefectural city filled him with excitement, and he tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.
He finally drifted off to sleep half an hour later.
Of course, when Zhou Yunshen was sleeping, he would turn the volume on his gaming phone to the maximum so that he could hear anything that happened in the game world immediately.