The mottled and colorful yellow earth stretched out under the azure sky, tranquil and vast.
Shen Qing lay on the simple wooden cart, gazing at the sky without speaking, his body swaying with the bumps of the donkey cart.
Beside him, a group of farmers in coarse cloth surrounded him, walking alongside the donkey cart.
The dry yellow earth rose in clouds under their feet, drifting away.
"Sir, you look like you’re from the city; that’s rare here!" Li Dazhuang’s rough voice broke the surrounding silence first, and he asked curiously, "Where are you coming from, sir?"
The others couldn’t help but perk up their ears, very curious about Shen Qing’s origins.
Shen Qing glanced at these weather-beaten men and said sparingly, "The Capital City."
"What’s the Capital City?"
"A very far place, three thousand li away."
"Wow, that’s really far."
The others felt that Shen Qing was exaggerating, not quite believing him.
In their understanding, walking over three thousand li would probably ruin one’s legs.
Even Master Li from the neighboring village, despite practicing martial arts, wouldn’t dare to claim he could walk such a distance.
Shen Qing showed no intention of explaining.
With demons rampant in the Great Zhou nowadays, and his cultivation not fully restored, being alone in the wilderness was very dangerous.
Thus, after careful consideration, he decided to return with these people, as it provided a bit of security.
Once he had a stable place to rest for a night, his injuries could recover significantly, making it more prudent to leave afterward.
After all, with these people, it was just a casual acquaintance; there was no need for extensive communication.
As the donkey cart moved on, the scenery on both sides gradually changed, with more trees appearing, showing traces left by various activities.
Before long, they finally arrived at a village nestled in a mountain hollow.
The village was small, with one or two dozen scattered households.
The old houses built from yellow earth blended almost seamlessly into the hillside, hard to distinguish from a distance without the curling smoke rising.
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"Oh, look, it’s Chen Gouzi and Li Dazhuang coming back!"
At the village entrance, a little girl with pigtails excitedly shouted, gripping a potato tightly, her eyes filled with joy.
"Wow, it really is them! Coming back so early today?"
An old woman nearby responded with a smile, her hands not pausing from her needlework, but her gaze involuntarily shifted toward the donkey cart.
"Whoa~"
The donkey cart stopped at the village entrance, and Chen Gouzi stepped out from among the people, calling out, "Aunt Li, I’m looking for the village chief to discuss something?"
Aunt Li glanced at Shen Qing behind Chen Gouzi and asked softly, "What’s going on here?"
"Picked up on the road. Is the village chief still at home?"
"I just saw him come back from the fields and didn’t see him leave, should still be inside."
"Alright, I’ll go see him." Chen Gouzi instructed the others, "You all wait here for me, I’ll be back in a while."
With that, he left in a hurry without waiting for Li Dazhuang and the others to speak.
After he left, Shen Qing, using some strength, sat up on the cart.
"You can sit up now?" Li Dake remarked in surprise while looking at Shen Qing.
Shen Qing replied calmly, "Yes."
He looked around at Shangao Village.
This village was, in some respects, very poor, even poorer than Hongshan Village where he once stayed.
At least in Hongshan Village, they could rely on the surrounding mountains and waters for sustenance, which offered some prospects.
But here, the mountainous land was barren, and even water sources were scarce.
Shen Qing felt uncomfortable and struggled to adapt even after staying a short while.
Li Dazhuang laughed heartily and said, "That’s great! Our village has many fun places; once you recover, you can experience them yourself."
Shen Qing smiled in response, nodding in agreement.
On the other side, inside a mud-brick house in Shangao Village.
Chen Gouzi arrived at the door of the village chief’s house.
The weathered wooden door creaked on its hinges.
The village chief emerged from inside, calmly seated on the doorstep.
The doorstep, worn smooth by years of use, was slightly indented in the middle, making it the perfect place to sit.
When he saw Chen Gouzi approaching, the village chief acted as if he hadn’t noticed, looking down as he tamped his pipe.
Then, holding his tobacco pipe in one hand, he pulled out strands of golden tobacco from a small pouch with the other hand, filling the pipe.
After completing these tasks, the village chief gently took out a firestick from his pocket and gave it a gentle blow.
A flame emerged.
The village chief brought the pipe close to the flame, lighting the tobacco within.
He took a couple of quick puffs, and once the tobacco was alight, he put away the firestick, took a deep draw, and slowly closed his eyes.
After a while, he exhaled slowly.
Shrouded in smoke, his face looked increasingly serene.
The village chief said, "It’s Gouzi, come in and sit for a while; it’s windy outside."
His voice was deep, like a cask of aged wine.
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Chen Gouzi took two quick steps forward, a hint of urgency in his expression, "No need, I came to tell you something. Today, we picked up an outsider, seems like he has a different identity, we brought him back, and I need your advice."
Hearing this, the village chief frowned slightly, his expression turning serious. The tobacco pipe in his hand was temporarily put aside, and he said, "Gouzi, what’s going on? Tell me clearly."
"Here’s what happened."
Chen Gouzi gave a full account of how they incidentally picked up the three-legged cauldron from the outsider, how they apologized, and finally returned to the village together, without hiding anything.
After listening, the village chief took another deep draw from his pipe, nodding in approval, saying, "You handled this well. I’ve heard things are chaotic outside, and us ordinary folks without skills can put the entire village at risk if we get involved with the wrong people."
"What do you suggest we do..." Chen Gouzi pressed.
"Since he’s already here, bring him in. It’s better to have an extra friend than an enemy." The village chief decisively concluded.
"Alright. I’ll go over and let them in."
"Yes, and bring him to me first for a look?"
"Got it."
Chen Gouzi turned to leave, and the village chief called out, "Tomorrow the old fox spirit wants to send someone to demand tribute again. This time, the lot fell on your daughter, be prepared."
Chen Gouzi paused but continued towards the village gate as if he hadn’t heard.
When he reached the village entrance, Li Dazhuang stepped forward and asked, "What did he say?"
"The village chief said he wants to meet you first," Chen Gouzi nodded toward Shen Qing and said.
Shen Qing straightened his back and said lightly, "Alright, please lead the way, gentlemen."