"My second brother is very capable; he can hunt, paint, and even treat illnesses. Grandma Xu says anyone who marries my second brother is blessed with good fortune accumulated over eight lifetimes."
Little Stone’s face was full of pride, as if he were talking about himself rather than Zhong Lin.
"Sister Gu, you’re so pretty. How about you marry my second brother?"
Gu Yourong chuckled silently and playfully flicked Little Stone on the forehead with her finger.
Time passed, and the sky grew darker.
The group set up camp on a spacious riverbank.
Zhong Lin conscientiously gathered firewood and started a fire, setting up a pot to cook. Fortunately, Mei Weixuan had prepared everything well, with rice, flour, and cooking oil all in a small box at the back of the carriage.
Before long, the aroma of delicious food permeated the riverbank.
Mushroom and cured meat rice bowl.
The mushrooms were picked from the woods, and the cured meat was brought by themselves, then steamed together with rice.
Mei Weixuan’s eyes lit up with the smell, and drool formed at the corners of his mouth.
After munching on dry rations all day, he was amazed to have such a scrumptious meal in the evening.
"Zhong Lin, who would have thought you have such skills? Why didn’t you say so at noon? I wouldn’t have been gnawing on dry rations then."
Zhong Lin scratched his head: "I saw the carriage wasn’t stopping, thought we were in a hurry to get somewhere."
"That’s because Sister Gu’s cooking is so bad that we couldn’t be bothered to stop."
Gu Yourong glanced sideways at Mei Weixuan without engaging him and instead took a bowl of food into the carriage.
Mei Weixuan eagerly served himself a bowl, and as the food entered his mouth, the freshness of the mushrooms and the rich taste of the cured meat combined, making his taste buds explode with a sense of satisfaction.
Zhong Lin chuckled; it wasn’t that exaggerated. Even with full-level culinary skill enhancement, you couldn’t make a simple rice bowl taste like a gourmet delicacy. Mei Weixuan found it delicious mostly because he had been chewing on dry rations all day.
Zhong Lin served two more bowls to Little Stone and Gu Yourong, and they all found a spot and ate heartily.
The food was simple, but in the wilderness, it was quite a rarity. Even Elder Yin had an extra bowl.
As the sun set, darkness slowly enveloped the surroundings, leaving a campfire flickering with light.
Mei Weixuan and Gu Yourong each found a vacant spot to sit cross-legged, their eyes slowly closing, and their breaths becoming incredibly slow. But a sound like flowing water could faintly be heard from their bodies.
Zhong Lin’s pupils contracted; he was very familiar with this sound. It was the sound of Qi-Blood flowing, far more powerful than his own.
He hadn’t expected that the seemingly carefree Mei Weixuan, who lacked the arrogance of a wealthy young master, was in fact a Middle Third Grades Martial Artist with condensed Qi-Blood, and Gu Yourong was too.
"Truly, you can’t underestimate anyone, especially these scions of wealthy families."
Zhong Lin thought to himself in amazement.
"Second brother, I need to pee." Little Stone whispered in Zhong Lin’s ear.
His face was a bit embarrassed, fearful as he looked out into the darkness.
"Come on, second brother will go with you."
Zhong Lin’s face was full of smiles.
Holding Little Stone’s hand, the two walked towards the distant bushes.
As they left, Mei Weixuan and Gu Yourong slowly opened their eyes from their meditation.
"Did you see anything?"
Mei Weixuan smiled slightly, a flash of wit in his eyes: "Qi-Blood condensing, Sixth Grade Martial Artist."
"During the chaotic army siege, the Du family of Black Mountain County suffered a calamity. It’s likely his Blood Coagulation Technique was obtained from the Du family."
Gu Yourong sharply pointed out where Zhong Lin had obtained the Middle Third Grades Cultivation Technique.
Mei Weixuan stretched: "What’s it to me? Just a country bumpkin, unable to even keep his family legacy safe, deserves to be taken. I didn’t expect to randomly find a like-minded person who turned out to be a genius. Tsk tsk, a sixteen-year-old Sixth Grade Martial Artist. Wouldn’t my brothers, who only know how to frequent brothels and fool around, feel ashamed if they found out?"
Gu Yourong rolled her eyes at Mei Weixuan, as if saying, "Aren’t you also one of those people?"
"Correction, a Sixth Grade Martial Artist in just three months. Zhong Lin entered Black Mountain County as a refugee and encountered Martial Arts at the County Government, achieving Qi-Blood condensation in just three months to reach Sixth Grade. Otherwise, do you really think his painting skills alone could catch Elder Yin’s eye? It seems Elder Yin might also have the intention to take him as a disciple."
In the carriage, Yin Daoyan also slowly opened his eyes, laughing as he scolded: "You’re one astute little girl."
"Elder Yin, you see through her, don’t you? Sister Gu is like a beehive—full of wit."
Mei Weixuan chimed in, but no one paid him any attention.
"Elder Yin, have you really taken a liking to Zhong Lin? While Zhong Lin is excellent, there are many more excellent than him. Why did you specifically pick him?"
Gu Yourong was puzzled. As the Hall Master of the Hundred Herbs Hall and an Elder of the Sword Ding Sect, there were countless brilliant talents seeking to learn under Elder Yin. Why favor Zhong Lin, a simple rural lad?
"My lineage isn’t about fierce competition, but talent and fortune. As for whether to truly take him as a disciple, it still requires a period of observation and discretion," Yin Daoyan said leisurely.
In the meantime, Zhong Lin had already returned with Little Stone from afar, putting him into the carriage and then finding a spot to lie down and rest.
Winter had arrived, and frost formed at midnight; Little Stone couldn’t withstand the cold.
The night passed without a word.
The next day, as the sun rose, everyone was already washed and ready, and after a simple meal of rice porridge, they started on their journey again.
"Brother Mei, how do you feed these animals?"
Zhong Lin pointed to the three tall horses inquiringly.
There was no fodder in the carriage, and just letting the horses graze couldn’t possibly keep them so robust.
"Already prepared for them, here!"
Mei Weixuan retrieved a cloth bag from the box behind the carriage, taking out three meatballs the size of ping-pong balls.
"Military Food Pills, a specific type of elixir pill for feeding livestock. One pill is enough to meet a day’s needs for an animal."
Zhong Lin raised an eyebrow; wasn’t this similar to the "Fasting Pill" found in novels from his previous life, specifically intended for animals?
Could this be another masterpiece of the Hundred Herbs Hall?
During the conversation, Mei Weixuan went to feed the three horses, who eagerly pawed the ground with anticipation for the food.
"Brother Mei, is this also an elixir?"
"Not exactly an elixir, more like a type of food. It doesn’t taste great, most suitable for livestock. The human equivalent is the Fasting Pill, one of which can stave off hunger for three days, though it offers no real benefit for Martial Arts. Usually, it’s only taken during closed-door training sessions," Mei Weixuan explained.
There really is a Fasting Pill?