Medicine Master Disciple’s Cultivation Notes

Chapter 19: Xiao Tian Moves to Request Reinforcements

Crotch Mountain, the mountain matched its name.

Two mountains flanking a valley, like a pair of cotton pants. Xiao Tian's stronghold was located in the mountain valley.

Even with Li Qiuchen's superficial knowledge, he could see this place fundamentally couldn't be considered any dangerous strategic location. At most it was relatively concealed, not easy to be discovered.

Xiao Tian was a capable person. Just relying on his own two legs, he'd run wildly for a day and night, escaping back to his own stronghold. Then he ordered the stronghold gates tightly closed, defending to the death without coming out.

Probably scared to the point of pissing himself.

Li Qiuchen crouched on the mountain outside, squinting his eyes and surveying the stronghold's layout from afar.

Over a dozen thatched cottages, plus two stables, forty to fifty men and horses... on the surface, it seemed to be just these things.

"What do you say?"

After weighing things in his heart for a moment, Li Qiuchen turned to look at the white crane.

"Ga?"The white crane looked confused.

"Bandits like these usually don't engage in production. They only sit and eat themselves into poverty. Even if they close the gates, they can't last long. They must go out to rob."

Li Qiuchen's experience came from reading Water Margin in his previous life.

Song Gongming would go down the mountain to "borrow grain" at the drop of a hat. Some people thought he was looking for excuses to establish prestige and cultivate followers, but actually there really wasn't enough grain to eat. Every day, human consumption and horse feed were staggering. How could they survive without robbery?

There was another factor to consider, which was the bandits' moral level.

From their performance, they fundamentally had none.

Now that King Chao had returned injured from attacking Zengtou City, didn't Brother Gongming have some ideas?

So Li Qiuchen judged that whether Xiao Tian wanted to re-establish prestige or the stronghold lacked grain and fodder, before long they would go out plundering.

Although scheming against them now wasn't impossible, wouldn't it be more reliable to make a move when they divided their forces?

...

Just as Li Qiuchen was contemplating how to exterminate this bandits' nest and thoroughly eliminate future troubles, Xiao Tian lying in bed was also silently contemplating his life and future.

Thinking it over... wasn't this completely screwed?

Even regular armies would collapse if the casualty rate exceeded fifty percent, much less bandits like them who couldn't be brought to the table.

Xiao Tian's subordinates nominally had over a hundred men and horses. Actually there weren't that many at all. Besides those who'd followed him out to plunder this time, the remaining were almost all old, weak, sick, and disabled, with no combat effectiveness whatsoever.

Nonsense. Following the big boss out, you could still grab things and get something to eat and drink. What could you do staying home? Anyone with a bit of arm strength, or rather anyone with a bit of ambition, wouldn't stay in the lair gnawing tree bark.

As a result, all the brothers were lost in the mountains. Only he himself escaped back. Xiao Tian only felt the sky was about to collapse.

Thinking it over, he sat up, felt under his butt and pulled out two silver ingots, called over his trusted aide, and instructed in a low voice, "Little Shengzi, you take these two silver ingots, ride a fast horse to Song Family Village, and invite Song Laosan over. Don't tell him we lost so many brothers. Just say I've encountered difficulties and ask him to come over and give advice."

The camp gate opened wide. A fast horse galloped out. Li Qiuchen, who was meditating under a tree, opened his eyes and calmly watched the rider depart.

"Ga?"

The white crane quietly inquired.

"Don't chase."

Li Qiuchen shook his head, "Either going to invite a doctor or going to move reinforcements. In case he invites some kind of reclusive expert and you follow along and get discovered, you'd be delivering food. The two of us stay here. If the situation looks wrong, we can run anytime."

The white crane looked at him sideways, wanting to speak but stopping.

Aren't you being a bit too cowardly?

Li Qiuchen was unmoved by the stupid bird's contemptuous gaze.

Childish.

Why shouldn't I be cowardly?

The narrative splits in two. Let's speak of Song Family Village fifty li away.

Song Laosan was a mountain guest.

These people had different names in different places. For example, blade merchants, wheat merchants, mercenaries... Simply put, they were physically strong people who'd learned some skills, weren't content with scraping food from the fields, and wandered around doing all kinds of messy trades.

Mountain guests of the northern frontier were an extremely loose group. There weren't any particularly tight connections between them. Of course, this also had a certain relationship with the northern environment of vast land and sparse population.

There were many wolves, tigers, and leopards in the mountains. People with the courage to enter the mountains mostly also had extraordinary courage and abilities. And more sinister than wolves, tigers, and leopards was human nature. Sometimes to fight for valuable mountain goods, conflicts would erupt between mountain guests, killing each other.

Simply put, they could be described with two words: ruthless people.

On this day, receiving Xiao Tian's message, Song Laosan sat at home contemplating for a long time, then called his two sons to his side.

Eldest son Song Gang, youngest son Song Yu, both now adults, skilled with blades and horses, with exceptional physical strength.

"Do you say I should go or not?"

"Dad, what's this Xiao Tian's background? How come I've never heard his name?"

Song Laosan sighed, "This person just became a bandit less than two years ago. Of course the jianghu doesn't have his name. But he used to be quite a figure. This person was a jailer in the county. Cruel and ruthless, but also had some righteousness. When your dad was arrested back then, it was only by asking someone to go through his connections that I could come out alive. This person could be considered to have life-saving grace toward me. If he really encounters difficulties and seeks me out, if I don't help, if word gets out, people will laugh at me."

Song Gang asked puzzled, "He was doing fine as a jailer. How did he become a bandit?"

"Who knows? I only heard he made a mistake on duty. Maybe he killed someone in prison who shouldn't have died... Now he's come seeking help. I can't refuse, but I'm also worried he has bad intentions and will forcibly pull me to join."

"Why fear him?"

Song Yu had a relatively hot temper. He immediately slapped the table and said loudly, "Big brother and I will accompany you. If he really has bad intentions, us three can just kill our way out."

Song Laosan nodded, "As they say, you can't have intention to harm others, but you must guard against others. Actually that's what I mean too. This time I'll bring you two out to test this Xiao Tian's mettle."

The three discussed properly, packed weapons and equipment, mounted fast horses, and headed toward Crotch Mountain.

Two days later, the father and sons led their horses into the stronghold. Looking at the desolate scene inside, Song Laosan thought this really had encountered trouble.

Xiao Tian didn't come out to greet them. Not that he didn't want to, but his body had collapsed. Lying in bed, he couldn't get up. When Song Laosan saw him, the originally bear-like robust man was now emaciated.

Song Laosan was greatly alarmed, "Big Boss, you... how did it come to this?"

"Third Brother!"

Xiao Tian grabbed Song Laosan's arm. Tears fell like rain.

After listening to Xiao Tian narrate the course of events, Song Laosan opened his mouth but didn't feel comfortable cursing.

"Then... Big Boss, you called me here. What's your plan?"

Xiao Tian cried, "Won't hide it from Third Brother. Right now whenever I close my eyes, I dream of the mountain god killing people. That mountain god also doesn't want to let me go. He wants to torture me to death alive! Third Brother, you're someone who wanders in the mountains. You must think of a way to save your brother!"

"Mountain gods don't kill people."

"Ah?"

Song Laosan shook his head, "Big Boss, you used to be in the city. You don't know mountain rules. Mountain gods guard one region, protect living beings. They won't casually kill over such small matters. Listening to what you said, this sounds more like offending evil spirits in the mountains."

"Ah? Evil spirits?"

Xiao Tian was even more afraid, "Then what should I do?"

Song Laosan quickly consoled, "Big Boss, don't be afraid. Your insomnia now has nothing to do with evil spirits. Go down the mountain to find a doctor, get two doses of calming medicine. Drink it and you'll be fine. There's just one thing I don't understand. Why did you insist on fishing for those dark pearls?"

Dark pearls were indeed precious, but the real pearl-producing places were still by Blackwater River and Jinlin River. In small villages like those in the mountains, even diving for pearls couldn't get many. If there really was fixed production, would this good fortune fall to you?

Xiao Tian smiled bitterly, "Third Brother, you don't know. Your family is just these few mouths. You can guarantee food and clothing. I have over a hundred brothers under me, hiding in the mountain valley digging wild vegetables, gnawing tree bark, so hungry their eyes glow green. How can it compare to the good life in the city?"

"I asked someone to inquire in the county. Actually, what I committed back then wasn't much. It was just that at the time I had no connections, no one to exonerate me. I had no choice but to escape and become a bandit."

"Now that county magistrate has taken another concubine and dotes on her extremely. That woman has a younger brother who's a formidable figure. My friend told me this person is secretly buying dark pearls at high prices. If I could find a few superior goods to send over, perhaps I could ask him to put in a good word before the county magistrate and have my crimes pardoned so I can go back and continue working."

Xiao Tian said this, glanced at Song Laosan, and lowered his voice, "I remember Third Brother, your children are also quite grown. If we can get through this connection, maybe they can be sent to the county to get a proper living..."

Song Laosan's heart stirred.

Why else would they say Xiao Tian was righteous? He immediately spoke to Song Laosan's heart.

The mountain guest title sounded intimidating, but actually wasn't any prestigious profession. It was nothing more than licking blood from blade edges, risking life for wealth. His two sons were now adults but still single, not very easy to find wives.

If they could get a living in the county town...

Thinking of this, a smile appeared on Song Laosan's face. He supported Xiao Tian and smiled, "Big Boss, is this truly so?"

"This concerns my life and property, your sons' great prospects. Would I joke with you?"

The two discussed back and forth, completely not noticing that outside the house on the wall, those emerald green Boston ivy tender leaves were gently swaying in the wind.

The Boston ivy's roots buried into the ground, extending all the way outside the stronghold, continuing to extend toward the mountain forest.

On a nearby mountain top, Li Qiuchen, who was meditating under a tree with his whole body covered in roots and branches, slowly opened his eyes.

I see. This makes sense.

The dark pearl was a stepping stone. With dark pearls, he could bribe the county magistrate's brother-in-law.

This connection even bandits and mountain guests could walk. Why couldn't I?