The Frail Scholar at the End of Ancient Times

Chapter 14: Setting Off

Daoist Master Qingyi was not noticed. Little Liu explained helplessly to Wen Gu, "I really didn't arrange for it to perform that!"

Wen Gu said kindly, "I can see that. It's just brave by nature, which is good."

Little Liu the Hunter still looked somewhat distraught.

Things didn't go according to his plan! Their appearance was so undignified!

However, since it had happened, he still proceeded with the original plan, demonstrating Ma Tuaner's abilities to Wen Gu.

Trained falcons could distinguish colors, scout and locate targets, and deliver messages.

In times like these, it was indeed very helpful for traveling.

Wen Gu praised both the falcon and its owner highly, using elegant yet approachable language for nearly the time it took to drink a cup of tea.

Little Liu the Hunter was so praised he felt like he was floating. He had never been praised by a scholar like this before, and he felt that this "Boss" was truly a good person. He felt like he was...

Little Liu the Hunter struggled to recall a famous saying he had heard before.That's right, one thousand li horse meets its Bole!

His skills would not be buried!

While he was self-satisfied and bursting with confidence, he heard Wen Gu ask:

"Crows are intelligent, and I've heard they hold grudges. Do they cause you trouble?"

"Grudges?"

Little Liu looked bewildered. After regaining his senses, he said,

"There have been similar conflicts between falcons and crows before, but we haven't encountered any retaliation."

Wen Gu pondered for a moment.

That's right, the falcon was the one fighting the crow, so any retaliation should be directed at the falcon.

He wondered how these two groups fought when people weren't paying attention.

Regardless, as long as people weren't involved, it was fine.

Ma Tuaner was indeed capable, but if it involved people, it would undoubtedly cause more trouble on the journey.

Fortunately, it seemed that the "Ma" in Ma Tuaner did not stand for trouble.

"Does it catch pigeons? The messenger pigeons." Wen Gu asked again.

"My father said that nobles keep messenger pigeons, and to avoid offending them, we specifically trained it not to catch them. But... well, it's in their nature, and occasionally they can't resist."

Little Liu the Hunter explained, "My father also said that if the message was very important, nobles would release several messenger pigeons at once, to avoid one or two encountering an accident midway."

In other words, the nobles had already considered the loss of messenger pigeons during transit.

Even if Ma Tuaner caught one, other messenger pigeons would still be able to deliver the message... unless, all the messenger pigeons had bad luck and were wiped out.

It shouldn't be detrimental to the nobles' affairs.

Regarding this issue, Little Liu the Hunter clarified again, "Actually, after training, their self-control is quite good. As long as they are not given a command, they rarely catch messenger pigeons."

Wen Gu had a general understanding.

Even if Ma Tuaner caught messenger pigeons, that would be a headache after arriving in the northern lands.

Currently, overall, both Little Liu the Hunter and Ma Tuaner were very good assets.

Afterward, Wen Gu also asked Little Liu about his preparations for leaving home and told him about his future plans.

In these last few days in the village, the temperature had dropped further. The temperature difference between day and night was large, requiring more consideration.

The personnel were all gathered.

Initially, only the two Wen brothers were heading north. Now, a Taoist priest, a hunter, and a falcon had been added.

The duo had expanded into a small team of four people and one bird.

However, in Wen Gu's opinion, the group was still too small. If they encountered suitable people along the way, they should recruit more members.

Before leaving the village, the supplies were inventoried one last time.

Wen Gu exchanged for a pair of wooden clogs from the carpenter.

Wooden clogs were not unusual; some people in the village used to wear them.

The carpenter had seen nobles in the city wear a type of wooden clog for climbing mountains, and it was this kind he made for Wen Gu.

In the past, when it came to items used by nobles, even if he understood them, he wouldn't dare to replicate them privately, only making them secretly to play with and then destroying them.

Later, the rich households and nobles in the county town had either left or died out, so he didn't need to worry about them anymore.

The pair of wooden clogs he made for Wen Gu imitated the style favored by nobles, suitable for both climbing mountains and wearing on rainy days or after rain.

They were made large, so one could step into them directly with their own shoes or boots.

Especially after it rained, they could be used to prevent shoes from getting muddy.

The carpenter had also specially painted them to prevent insects and decay.

There wasn't much paint left, and not much could be found in town. Half of it was found at the town's coffin shop, which people found taboo.

The paint used for Wen Gu's wooden clogs was from the carpenter's own stock. He had originally intended to keep it all for his own use but specially gave some to Wen Gu for painting the wooden clogs. A wheelbarrow was too large to paint, but these wooden clogs were worth the paint.

Wen Gu really liked them. Although he didn't know their practical utility, the classical style was to his liking.

This was probably the legendary Xie Gong clogs...

Wooden clogs were indeed necessary to carry. Along the journey, many roads were dirt roads. After it rained, the ground wouldn't dry for days. Walking on them would lift a clump of mud with each step, and after a few more steps, your feet would feel as heavy as lead weights.

In the past, it didn't matter, but the situation was different now, and he had concerns. If he needed to do something, he could wear them temporarily.

The paint used by the carpenter was raw lacquer collected from certain types of trees.

It was an ancient skill passed down for generations.

The day of departure was set, and the village chief specifically sought out Wen Gu for a chat.

They took a walk around the village.

"The wall the village built earlier was by dismantling their own courtyard walls and demolishing those empty, dilapidated houses. It was barely built after dismantling and patching."

"However, it will get better soon. The items moved back from town can be used to heighten and reinforce the walls, and also to repair villagers' houses."

"When winter comes and it snows, we can go out again to find some bricks, tiles, stones, and timber to bring back to the village. The fortress can be built soon. If it can be built, the village will definitely be safer. Why take the risk of heading north? Why don't you consider it again?"

The village chief genuinely hoped they would stay. Both Wen Gu and the Daoist priest were capable individuals!

He had persuaded them several times, and this was the last one.

This time, Wen Gu was not perfunctory. He seriously analyzed the current situation with the village chief.

Under the invasion of the蛊毒邪疫 (gu poison epidemic), how many people could survive? Probably not even one in ten.

Among the unfortunate nine-tenths, how many had turned into the monsters outside?

The village walls could defend against ten, a hundred, but not against a thousand, ten thousand, or even more.

Staying here might provide temporary safety, but it was not a long-term solution.

Moreover, resources were limited. Even if they could last for two years, what about after two years?

Wen Gu reminded the village not to be complacent.

The village chief stood there alone, pondering for a long time, then went to discuss with Liu the Hunter.

The next day, as dawn broke, Wen Gu and his party gathered at the village entrance, ready to set off.

The temperature was low in the early morning. In this temperature, even deeply mutated evil creatures outside would not be able to move quickly. As long as they were in an open area, they would have enough reaction time to deal with situations.

Wen Gu had planned it all out: travel in the morning and afternoon, and rest and replenish food and water when the temperature was higher at noon.

As for the night...

The temperature was low, but they couldn't see the road, so they would choose a place to sleep.

Of course, winter imposed greater restrictions on evil creatures, but if they waited until winter, it would be disadvantageous for long-distance travel.

The current season was just right.

The wheelbarrow, piled high with goods, was pushed out.

Three cloth backpacks were already filled, and other essential miscellaneous items were also packed in large cloth bags, all placed on the wheelbarrow. They tried to avoid exposing them.

Little Liu the Hunter kowtowed at home before coming out.

Yesterday, the village chief had visited his home and relayed Wen Gu's reminder. Little Liu felt the heavy responsibility on his shoulders.

This long journey north was not only to seek a future for himself but also to find a future for the entire village.

Walking out of the village, Little Liu looked back at the village and then towards the mountains.

There was a patch of wild kudzu on that mountainside, which was why their village was called Ge Village.

When he was young and attended school, he couldn't learn much else, but he remembered one line of poetry that the school teacher had recited very clearly.

"Kudzu vines spread far, reaching into the central valley, with lush leaves."

On this journey north, he didn't know if he would have the chance to return, or if he would have the chance to see the wild kudzu spreading across the mountainside again.

A strong sense of sadness and reluctance arose in his heart.

But once his emotions subsided, he became spirited and full of drive again!

Little Liu's father, Liu the Hunter, led a team of people to escort them for a part of the way and to haul some timber back to the village.

Near the route Wen Gu had chosen, there were two villages. Liu the Hunter had only led people to search for food before. This time, they would also haul some wooden furniture and household items back to prevent them from rotting in place.

After leaving the village, some villagers helped them push the wheelbarrow and demonstrated how to push it more easily, so they could save more energy on this section of the road.

As the sun rose higher, the world brightened, and they reached the parting crossroads.

Old Liu pulled Little Liu aside, wanting to say something, but after holding back for a long time, he couldn't speak it out.

Everything that needed to be said had already been said at home.

At this moment, both father and son had red eyes.

Old Liu said, "You left as four people, and I hope you will arrive in the northern lands as four people, all reaching your destination intact!"

Little Liu's eyes welled up with tears, and he nodded heavily.

Wen Gu's expression was solemn as he bowed farewell one by one.

He thought to himself: What are you thinking? How could there only be four people!