The Frail Scholar at the End of Ancient Times

Chapter 25: This is Hard Currency

The two no longer bothered searching for great immortals. At a time like this, nothing was more important than food!

Such a large, plump rat would be difficult for a weasel to drag, and its movements wouldn't be agile.

They could still intercept it if they went after it.

However, Wen Gu stopped them.

"Stop chasing. that rat is already dead."

Little Liu was reluctant.

"That's not right. It was screaming just now!"

County Lieutenant Zhou was more rational.

He glanced in the distance and sighed heavily. Even if the rat wasn't dead, it was close to it, and seizing it would be useless.

What could they do? They couldn't possibly attack a great immortal again. That wouldn't do at all.They could only sheath their swords.

Seeing this, Little Liu reluctantly put away his bow, gritting his teeth.

Daoist Master Qingyi, however, was deeply puzzled. Given how shrewd that "dog scholar" was, he should have had Zhou Shan and Little Liu intercept the fat rat as soon as they discovered it.

Why did he wait until the rat was almost dead before slowly asking about it? Was he doing it on purpose?!

Zhou Shan and Little Liu didn't think about anything else. They were extremely regretful and stood there reflecting.

When they first saw the fat rat, they should have thought of these things! Why did they only think about worshipping the great immortal at the time? It was truly inexcusable! Who was to blame? Of course, they couldn't blame the great immortal, nor Wen Gu. They could only blame themselves!

The two blamed themselves deeply, as if a large bag of rice had vanished into thin air before their eyes.

In the future, when they saw a great immortal, they shouldn't just focus on worshipping it; they should first consider what it might signify! In crucial moments, it was indeed scholars who studied the classics who were rational and quick-witted.

Wen Gu didn't say much at this time, neither scolding them nor deliberately trying to change their superstitious beliefs.

People who had survived until now, if not absolutely all, then most, tended to be more inclined towards practicality. As long as they could survive, they would offend gods and monsters if they had to.

Without the fat rat to guide them, they could only try to infer its movement trajectory. Where exactly did it come from? They had already checked several houses, looking into their rice bins.

There wasn't a single grain of rice left; they had all been plundered. If it were buried underground, they would need to know the general location to dig.

This small town, while called small, wasn't that small. With just a few of them, they couldn't possibly turn over the entire area to search? They didn't know if there would be a second fat rat.

If not, what should they do? Knowing that there was food hidden here but not knowing where, how could they give up! Their hearts were filled with anxiety.

Zhou Shan and Little Liu looked at Daoist Master Qingyi.

The Daoist Master showed no reaction, likely possessing no such divine ability. They couldn't count on him.

They then looked at Wen Gu. Wen Gu took out the map of the town he had drawn and pointed to a spot, asking, "Is that the grain store?"

County Lieutenant Zhou replied, "Yes, that's the largest grain store in town.

The owner lives in the courtyard behind it. But we already searched there; it's all empty, and the cellar was opened and has also been searched."

The previous large faction that arrived, after clearing out the evil creatures in the town, must have focused their search here. Even if the grain store and its owner had hoarded food, it would have been taken long ago.

"Let's go check again," Wen Gu said. Although their glance was brief, the fat rat seemed to have run out from that direction.

The grain store was not large, and they quickly searched it thoroughly. There was nothing unusual.

They then went to the owner's courtyard behind the store. Being in the grain business, they had money and connections.

Their residence was built quite well. Although it couldn't compare to the wealthy families in the county town, it was still a brick and tile house with a courtyard.

However, it had been neglected for a long time, lacking care and showing signs of disrepair. Inside the courtyard, there was a well, several stone rollers of different sizes, and a stone mill.

It wasn't unusual for the owner of a grain store to have these items.

Thinking of something, Wen Gu asked again, "County Lieutenant Zhou, you mentioned before that the grain store had reported to the authorities, saying that water bandits had come to rob their grain?"

"Yes, at that time, due to the disturbances in the county town, we couldn't spare anyone to manage affairs here.

However, I also inquired. People from the town who went to the county town said that this grain merchant was robbed of his grain by people breaking in at midnight.

Not only the grain store, but their stored goods were also stolen, and several parts of their residence were burned down. That night, the family servants fought back in anger, but unfortunately, they couldn't stop the water bandits, and the courtyard wall even collapsed.

The other villagers dared not come over; their neighbors all closed their doors and windows." County Lieutenant Zhou recalled the news he had heard at the time and continued, "When this grain merchant was robbed of his grain, the crying of his family could be heard throughout the entire street.

The owner's mother and wife sat at the door every day, crying and cursing, their eyes staring grumpily at passersby. The townsfolk avoided that place."

Wen Gu said, "So, everyone in town knew that there was no more grain here."

County Lieutenant Zhou nodded.

"Yes."

They had already searched this place, focusing on the main house. The cellar had been dug up, and they had even gone in to confirm.

There was truly nothing left. Wen Gu stood in the courtyard, looking around.

"They encountered water bandits robbing them at midnight, and the courtyard wall was destroyed, so they rebuilt the wall with bricks afterwards?" County Lieutenant Zhou said, "Yes, a courtyard wall can provide defense. When the world became chaotic, they would definitely repair the courtyard wall first.

It is said that after the largest grain store in town was robbed, the other two grain merchants, worried, fled with their families soon after. Not long after, other wealthy households also left, including this grain merchant."

The situation continued to worsen, grain prices soared to outrageous levels, and eventually, there was no grain left, so the townsfolk had to flee.

Wen Gu suddenly smiled.

"This grain merchant was a meticulous person. The world was about to descend into chaos, yet he plastered the newly built courtyard wall with an outer layer."

He paused and added, "And he made it taller and thicker." A grain merchant with connections and an escape route would not cling to this place.

To repair a collapsed wall was only for emergencies; why build it so well? Several months had passed, and the newly built courtyard wall already bore the marks of wind, sun, rain, and washing. It looked like the consistent style of desolation, not an obvious anomaly.

Wen Gu surveyed the surroundings and walked towards a certain spot. He used his wooden stick to push aside the shrubs growing at the corner of the wall.

It was clear that near the ground, at the corner of the wall, the protective outer layer had been removed. Some of the bricks inside the wall had also been removed.

If one looked closely, the edges showed tooth marks.

"Are the bricks used for building walls like this? The bricks in this courtyard wall are inconsistent inside and out."

County Lieutenant Zhou and Little Liu also crowded over.

Little Liu had no knowledge of wall bricks; their village walls were made of earth and stone. But upon County Lieutenant Zhou's eyes changed.

Wen Gu said, "When I was traveling for my studies, I heard some old stories. If I'm not mistaken, this should be…" County Lieutenant Zhou's expression turned to shock.

"Emergency reserve grain bricks?!" He couldn't say more. He took out his dagger, scraped a bit from the wall, roasted it over the fire, and smelled it.

After the high temperature removed any evil influences, without waiting for it to cool, he licked it to taste. Hearing the word "grain," Little Liu also did the same.

He was quite sensitive to the taste of food.

"Grain!"

"It's grain bricks!" For a moment, their eyes fixed on the courtyard wall, burning with intensity.

The two moved to different locations, scraping off the outer layer of the wall. Little Liu even roasted and tasted the wall mortar.

Hmm, this stuff seemed inedible. What excited them was that the newly built courtyard wall, on the inner side, was entirely made of grain bricks! So much! So many grain bricks! As expected of the largest grain merchant in a wealthy town!

Wen Gu was also happy.

The "Bu Ji Wan" refined by the Daoist Master was limited in quantity and was almost used up. This "dog Taoist priest" must have had some hidden away, but he wouldn't offer it easily.

It was understandable; it was a last resort for survival, and who would want to share it? These grain bricks were indeed excellent supplies for fleeing, they were durable and could stave off hunger!

After the initial excitement, County Lieutenant Zhou felt both angry and amused. When the county needed to collect grain for the rebellion, the grain merchants all fled.

This one simply claimed to have been "robbed" and became a victim. With so many grain bricks… What about the town's rumors of water bandits robbing the grain store? It was a staged performance! It was their own doing! Knowing that grain prices were too high and that grain couldn't be protected during chaotic times, they first robbed themselves, letting everyone in and out of town know that they had no grain! The grain went around, was converted into grain bricks, and brought back to be laid in the courtyard wall.

It was still their own property, and no one could take it away.

"Heh!" County Lieutenant Zhou sneered.

What do you mean "yours"? Now it's ours!

Little Liu was full of emotion at this moment.

"We still have to thank the great immortal! If the Yellow Great Immortal hadn't caught that fat rat in front of us, we might not have noticed.

Perhaps in a while, a few more nests of rats would have appeared here, and all the grain bricks would have been ruined!" County Lieutenant Zhou agreed wholeheartedly.

"Could this be what those storybooks call 'the immortal pointing the way'?" Little Liu nodded emphatically.

"Absolutely! We weren't perceptive enough; we still need Second Brother Wen." Even Daoist Master Qingyi hadn't grasped the opportunity given by the immortal.

Hearing the underlying meaning, Daoist Master Qingyi's face turned dark: Ignorant commoners!

Wen Gu decided never to let these people know about the legends of the Five Great Immortal Families. To make it easier to pry out the grain bricks, they decided to stay overnight at the grain merchant's house and remain for another day or two.

Dinner was boiled grain bricks. Eating them dry would be hard on the teeth.

After boiling them with water, they were edible, and the taste didn't matter! They tidied up the beds in three rooms. If they had the conditions, they should sleep in better beds; resting well would help them recover faster.

They took turns keeping watch. Little Liu was still excited, as if he had been injected with chicken blood, full of energy.

What was tiring about digging for food! He could dig more! County Lieutenant Zhou dug bricks with him. Daoist Master Qingyi went to refine pills behind closed doors.

He was frying something in his portable alchemy furnace, making a rustling sound. In another room, Wen Gu spun a delicate letter opener, recalling everything he had seen since arriving at this riverside town.

The arrows that shot down evil creatures, the emptied houses and warehouses… From late autumn to early next spring would be the time for wealthy families to migrate north. Other survivors might also move with them.

Refugee teams from various places must have already set in motion, like trickles, converging northward. Competition in the northern lands would be fierce.

It would soon become even fiercer. He wondered if his aunt and uncle in the north were safe and how they were doing.

He hoped they had established themselves in these chaotic times and held real power.

A cold light flashed.

Thud! The slender letter opener struck the frame of the window in front of him. If it had been slightly to the left, it would have hit the brick wall.

If it had been half an inch to the right, it would have gone through the window. Wen Gu walked over and pulled it out.

It wasn't precise enough; it didn't hit the center of the window frame. He needed to practice more.

On the bed, his cousin Tietou was already snoring loudly. In the latter half of the night, Wen Gu and his cousin took turns on guard duty.

His cousin dug bricks, while Wen Gu pondered matters by the campfire. In the room, County Lieutenant Zhou's child woke up from a nightmare in the middle of the night.

County Lieutenant Zhou spoke softly, and after a while, the child quieted down again. The child had experienced trauma and had been constantly frightened, and this would affect his health in the long run.

Both adults and children slept poorly at night.

The next day.

Wen Gu brought out a cleaned stone roller of appropriate size, a small pile of pried-open grain bricks, and several small stacks of oiled paper found in the town. With a kind and friendly gaze, he looked at County Lieutenant Zhou's three children.

"Little ones, come, it's time to work! Working more during the day will help you sleep soundly at night." Wen Gu also explained to the others.

The grain bricks were for themselves to eat. They just needed to be thrown into a pot and boiled.

They could break off as much as they needed, or even put the whole block into the pot. However, on this journey fleeing north, there might be times when they would need to use it.

In these chaotic times, it could serve as currency. Taking out a whole grain brick might, with a certain chance, lead to troublesome matters.

But the powdered form, portioned out, would look like ordinary travel rations to others. In such times, currency was not widely circulated among the common people, but food, both before and after the chaos, could be an important commodity for trade.

They didn't need to grind too much at once. This task was assigned to the three children.

County Lieutenant Zhou had no objections. This was a simple task, not a heavy burden.

The location was also safe.

In the next room, the Daoist Master kept his door closed, still concocting some divine pill in his portable alchemy furnace.

A rather unpleasant medicinal odor emanated from it. Daoist Master Qingyi said that this odor was harmful to both humans and evil creatures, but due to the direction the window was opened and the wind, the odor would blow outwards, not towards their courtyard.

Therefore, the three children working in this small courtyard did not feel uncomfortable. Evil creatures entering the town would not approach the small courtyard.

There was also a falcon in the sky on alert. County Lieutenant Zhou was not worried.

With the assistance of Ma Tuaner, Little Liu hunted two wild animals. Even though handling them now was troublesome and required more caution and meticulousness, digging for bricks consumed a lot of energy, and they still had to travel.

Everyone needed meat for replenishment. Wen Gu, along with Tietou and County Lieutenant Zhou, went to search for supplies in other residences.

They wanted to see if anything had been missed. The major factions were feasting; they, the small fry, could at least pick up some scraps.

In a nearby bookshop. The interior was empty, and the remnants of burned book paper filled the furnace.

It was evident that there had been survivors here for a period at the beginning of the chaotic times. However, they dared not go out to find firewood.

Even if they chopped up the wooden furniture, they would need flammable materials to start a fire. When the surrounding vegetation was lush and full of moisture, book pages were indeed convenient kindling.

After the furniture was all chopped up, they resorted to burning entire books. Later, another faction came to clear the area again.

What met the eye was a scene of emptiness. The windows and door panels had been dismantled.

If abandoned for another year, this house would risk partial collapse. County Lieutenant Zhou knew at a glance that there was nothing worth taking here.

However, he saw Wen Gu using a long pair of tongs to sift through the furnace ashes. County Lieutenant Zhou was puzzled: was something still hidden here? Soon, Wen Gu picked up two slender objects from the furnace ashes.

They resembled knives, yet were too small and not sharpened. Were they decorative items? "What are these?" County Lieutenant Zhou asked.

"Just bookmarks," Wen Gu replied.