The Frail Scholar at the End of Ancient Times

Chapter 16: The Farmstead

Little Liu the Hunter watched the evil creature fall.

"Their current speed is much slower than it was two months ago."

The noon temperature had risen slightly, but with autumn having set in, the overall temperature had clearly dropped.

Wengu glanced at Little Liu. "Low temperatures restrict them too much. The winters in the northern lands are long and even colder; by then, hunting evil creatures there will be even easier."

Upon hearing this, Little Liu the Hunter thought that if they could safely reach the northern lands, his archery skills might earn him some military merit and a minor official position.

The more he thought about it, the happier he became, and the sorrow of leaving home vanished.

The four of them continued on their way.

They had planned their itinerary and needed to reach their designated location before nightfall.

Their next stop was a farmstead belonging to a wealthy landowner.

This was one of several potential resting places that Wengu had chosen, based on information provided by Little Liu's father, Liu the Hunter.Liu the Hunter had mentioned that Steward Li's family was wealthy, owned extensive land, and had considerable influence. If that were true, he surely would have received news in advance and left with his family servants before the chaos spread to this area.

Wengu looked ahead, catching a faint glimpse of buildings.

"Is that it?"

"It should be!"

Little Liu the Hunter oriented himself, confirming their direction was correct.

His father had said that Steward Li's farmstead was located northeast of a certain village and south of a certain river.

While traveling, if told "left" or "right," he might not react immediately and would need to clarify whose left or right. But if told "east, west, north, or south," it was like an ingrained skill that immediately clicked.

"This way is correct."

All along their journey, there had been nothing but desolation, suggesting that no living people had traveled this path for a long time.

They had only encountered two evil creatures. After dispatching them, Wengu observed their clothing.

One was dressed like a typical farmer, possibly a peasant attached to the farmstead.

The other, despite wearing a luxurious outer robe, had a patched, coarse cloth inner garment. Perhaps he had scavenged clothing from a wealthy family that had fallen victim, contracted the epidemic of evil, and transformed into his current state.

Aside from these two, they had not seen any other humanoid creatures.

Wengu felt a little relieved.

It seemed his guess was correct: the influential Steward Li had already taken his people and left.

As they neared the farmstead, Little Liu the Hunter managed to hunt a rabbit. He didn't dare process it on the spot, waiting until they entered the farmstead, boiled water, and started a fire.

"My father once delivered mountain goods to Steward Li. Although Steward Li has a bit of a temper, he doesn't mistreat people or dock their wages. Everyone says he's a decent person."

These were the two things people cared about – survival and payment.

Beyond that, they were indifferent.

Steward Li was a very capable man. The few houses where the owner lived on his farmstead were built with a large amount of blue brick. Little Liu found it a bit regrettable, as it was too far from their Ge Village; otherwise, they could come here to move bricks.

A house with blue bricks and large tiled roofs was Little Liu's dream home.

And it was where they would be staying for the night.

Before entering Steward Li's large courtyard, they cautiously observed their surroundings.

The area still showed no signs of human activity. The footprints left by evil creatures were different from those of normal people and easy to distinguish.

There were some bloodstains on the ground, but they were old.

However…

They halted.

Wengu's expression turned serious. "Do you smell that?"

Little Liu was surprised. "It smells like alcohol!"

The scent of alcohol carried by the wind was fresh.

Were there survivors in the village?

Yet, there were no signs of normal human activity here.

Wengu analyzed the situation. If there were survivors inside, perhaps their numbers were small, their combat strength wasn't high, and they had been hiding indoors all along.

Wengu said, "Let Matuan'er take a look."

Little Liu responded. He wore a leather bracer and waved his hand into the air.

After a while, a falcon's cry echoed from above.

"No other people were found," Little Liu reported.

"Then let's go in," Wengu said in a low voice. "Everyone, don't split up."

The large, grand compound looked impressive from a distance, but up close, it was evident that it hadn't been inhabited for a long time, and time seemed to have accelerated. Even the houses with blue bricks and large tiles appeared desolate and dilapidated.

As they entered the courtyard, they heard a faint sound.

Little Liu drew his bow and looked in that direction.

"It's a cat."

It was a large but somewhat emaciated cat, likely one kept by the farmstead before. It was now huddled in a corner, its back arched, fur standing on end, emitting a hissing growl towards them.

It was showing extreme vigilance and unease at their arrival.

Wait!

It wasn't directed at them!

"Careful of the rafters!!"

Wengu urgently warned.

Little Liu reacted swiftly. His bow, already drawn and alert, instantly turned towards the fleeting figure in the upper corner, releasing an arrow.

The figure on the rafters was brought down by the arrow.

Little Liu had already nocked his second arrow and was looking at the fallen figure.

It was a possessed child, no longer resembling a human. The arrow was not fatal, and it let out a shrill roar like a bloodthirsty beast, baring its teeth at them.

Little Liu slowly took a deep breath and released his finger.

The arrow flew true.

The shrill cry abruptly ceased.

Little Liu blinked his slightly moist eyes and looked elsewhere in the house.

Wengu also silently scanned the surroundings. Finding no further threats, the cat finally calmed down. He then looked at the small evil creature on the ground.

Judging by its clothing, it was likely a child from a farming family attached to the farmstead.

In this world, people were turned into ghosts.

Regardless of gender, age, or social status, one could easily end up in this state.

Wengu glanced at the Daoist Master.

Daoist Master Qingyi looked compassionate and took out a piece of paper with runes drawn on it, burning it and chanting scriptures to guide the spirits.

The burning talisman produced smoke, which dispersed into the courtyard with the wind.

No other disturbances were heard for the time being.

Next, they needed to find the woodshed and kitchen.

The layout here was similar to that of the wealthy families in town, making them easy to locate.

The smell of alcohol they had detected earlier came from the other side of the compound.

However, Wengu and the others did not go to investigate at this moment.

The kitchen area had a well.

Although the water in the well wasn't absolutely safe, it was much better than clearly polluted wells or the water in the surrounding rivers.

Drawing water was also convenient and helped avoid surprise attacks.

They found the kitchen, its door ajar.

They did not enter immediately.

Wengu used his long staff to pry the window open slightly, stepped back, and gestured. "Daoist Master, please!"

Daoist Master Qingyi was now wearing practical clothing suitable for outdoor activities, rather than his ostentatious ceremonial robe.

He took out a specially treated small rattan ball containing bundles of several herbs used for fumigation. When lit, it continuously produced smoke with an herbal scent without igniting the rattan ball.

He took out his foot, stepped in an arcane manner, then leaped, swinging his arm to throw.

The smoking rattan ball traced a sharp arc through the air.

*Crack!*

It accurately landed inside through the window.

The smoke quickly dispersed within.

No sounds came from inside.

While fumigating the kitchen, they observed the well.

The well had a cover, and there was no visible blood around it, making the probability of contamination lower compared to exposed wells.

Besides, all the water they drank was boiled.

After some time, once they judged the timing was right, they opened the kitchen door and windows for ventilation.

It was still light outside, allowing them to see the kitchen's layout.

The kitchen had several large stoves, indicating that several large iron pots must have been here originally.

Iron pots were gradually appearing in many households now, but not every house in the village had one.

After the chaos began outside, the villagers of Ge Village went to town to collect supplies and brought back several iron pots.

Currently, most of the cookware in the kitchen had been taken. They found an iron pot in a corner with a small chip on the side.

Perhaps it was because of this flaw that it had been discarded by its owner.

Little Liu was delighted.

What did a chip matter? It didn't affect boiling water or cooking!

"Let's take this iron pot with us when we leave."

They drew water, heated it, brushed the pot to remove rust, and then boiled water to prepare the rabbit they had hunted.

The game hunted outside could be eaten, but it had to be processed properly.

After boiling several pots of water, they boiled water for drinking.

Little Liu the Hunter focused on preparing the rabbit, cutting out some meat to feed to the cat in the courtyard.

He specifically explained to Wengu and the Daoist Master that when hunting in the mountains, if they received help from an animal, whether directly or indirectly, they would offer thanks.

Even though Wengu would have discovered the danger on the rafters without the cat, it had been helpful to Little Liu at that moment.

The rabbit was hunted by Little Liu, but they were teammates, and all resources were shared, which was why he offered the explanation.

Wengu and the Daoist Master had no objections, and Tietou followed Wengu's lead.

Little Liu then tossed a small piece of meat over.

With other scents on it, the wary cat lowered its ears, let out a growl, then was drawn by the smell, cautiously approaching. It swiped its paws at the piece of rabbit meat on the ground a few times.

It seemed there was no threat, so it snatched the meat and ran off.

The last rays of the setting sun illuminated the farmstead, the surroundings silent.

The four of them prepared dinner in the kitchen while discussing plans to stay an extra day at the farmstead to search for anything useful.

It would be even better if they could find any rice or grain.

Little Liu wanted to look for materials to make arrows and craft some spares.

Previously, in other villages and towns, it had been difficult to find finished arrows; either none were available, or they had already been scavenged by others, so he had to make his own.

As they were talking, they suddenly heard a crash.

It sounded like a water-filled ceramic jar falling to the ground.

The four immediately became alert.

Wengu thought of the smell of alcohol they had detected before entering the compound.

The sound was not far away.

It was not yet dark.

The four cautiously moved to investigate.

*Clop, clop, clop.*

A sound like hooves stepping on the ground.

Behind the blue brick courtyard wall, a donkey's face appeared.

Literally.

(End of Chapter)