Who gave you permission to travel through time with Earth?

Chapter 102 Red Ridge Village

The phrase "three mountains, six ridges, and twelve strongholds" actually refers to only three mountains and six ridges with real names. The twelve strongholds are a figurative expression, symbolizing the chaotic bandit dens of nearly ten thousand people scattered throughout the winding corridors.

Of the six ridges, two were under the control of the Li Dynasty: Eagle Beak Ridge, which was closer to the south, and Red Ridge, which was closer to Sacred Hand Manor. Red Ridge was the target of the two men's trip.

Relying on their stamina to reach the front of the main group, they were all military officers, but they themselves came from this remote mountain village, and their nicknames in the martial arts world were Mud Man Zhang and Courtesy Man Wang, respectively.

They were quite familiar with the mountainous area around them, and when they reached one of the six target ridges at an angle, they were even faster than Fang Jin and his group when they were heading straight. They had already arrived at the front of the mountain gate.

The massive logs were arranged in layers, their surfaces coated with red sealing wax, making them appear as if they were on fire from a distance. Dark bloodstains were also visible on their surfaces, exuding a murderous aura.

There were sentries guarding the top of the stronghold. As soon as they saw anyone appear in the sand in front of the stronghold, they would immediately raise their red-tasseled spears and aim at the two people. There were even two dark cannons that had been launched from the watchtower.

"Sizzle..."

"Who are those people down there?!"

The crisp sound echoed through the village from the loudspeaker, causing the thin layer of sand to vibrate and jump. Zhang and Wang, however, laughed. Zhang, the "Clay Figure Zhang," even playfully nudged Wang and said:

"You, the second-in-command, have only been gone for two years, and the brothers in the village don't recognize you anymore? When I return to Eagle Beak Ridge, I still shake the earth. The young men in the village are vying to offer their wives to my bedside."

"It's probably because the newcomers don't know the rules. I'll teach them when I get back, but I'll cut off three fingers to teach them a lesson. Consider it a gift from me when I come back, to win them over with 'proper etiquette'."

The man named Li Renwang appeared to be a wealthy merchant in brocade robes, but his narrow, slit-like eyes were filled with cruelty. Ni Renzhang shook his head, stopping Li Renwang, who was about to break down the gate, and said softly:

"It's best to avoid trouble. The things the chief steward instructed cannot be taken lightly. If the chief of Chiling disobeys your orders and fails to stop those people... even beheading wouldn't be enough to atone for the crime."

"Zhang Qier, I told you, you've lost a lot of your vigor since leaving the village. Not only do you spout gibberish, but you're also so hesitant. What's the worst that could happen? We can just run away and seek refuge with another sect, so what?"

The King of Rites spoke rudely, but he didn't actually continue to clamor with the people of Chiling Village. He was only the fiercest in words; he didn't dare to actually become an outlaw and oppose the imperial court.

Clay Figure Zhang chuckled and shook his head. Then, he pulled a brocade box from his sleeve, carefully opened the vermilion lid, held it up to reveal its contents, and said loudly:

"We are secret envoys of the imperial court, here to meet with Chief Hu and discuss some important matters. Please do us a favor and let us in. This is the document from the Grand Eunuch and the gifts we have prepared."

The King of Ceremonies stared wide-eyed. Inside the brocade box was a flesh-white succulent with rock-like patterns on its surface. Its texture was such that it swayed slowly like a piece of meat as it was lifted up... This was a fleshy Ganoderma.

Also known as Tai Sui meat, it is a rare healing medicine in the world. It is said to have a certain probability of repairing the hidden injuries of martial artists. The larger the piece, the more terrifying the healing effect.

Hu Shan, the debtor of Chiling Village, suffered a severe injury to his waist and abdomen in his youth, which caused him to stagnate in the middle stage of his cultivation. Furthermore, as he aged, his circulation of qi became increasingly obstructed.

Let alone the unattainable Grandmaster realm, even reaching the limit of the Elder is a stretch. This fleshy spirit mushroom is undoubtedly a heavy gift that hits the other party right in the heart.

"Bang!"

"show me!"

Almost the instant Clay Figure Zhang opened the brocade box, the small door next to the village was quickly kicked open, and two little girls, one big and one small, with their hair tied in pigtails, suddenly ran out, jumping and grabbing at the vermilion brocade box.

Zhang Wang was stunned for a moment. He instinctively wanted to smash the two girls into mincemeat, but then he remembered that they were from a mountain stronghold and that the sentries above were not reacting at all, so he suppressed his impulse.

If the child is killed right in front of someone's doorstep, then this plan will be impossible to carry out. This place is far from the control of the palace, and the bandits in the stronghold are wild and unruly. We'd rather not cause any trouble.

"...Tsk."

The two girls played with the fleshy Ganoderma lucidum for a long time, poking it here and there and tasting it. Then they both turned their faces away and showed disgusted expressions, but Zhang and Wang did not see it.

The gifts had been delivered, and they had given face; there was indeed no reason to stop them from entering the village. So the two of them waved upwards simultaneously and said loudly:

"If there's no problem, just put it in! Father and Uncle, I'll go talk to them myself. You two go and let someone know!"

"Did you hear that...? No... there's nothing wrong...!"

"yes--"

All the sentries in the village responded simultaneously, which really startled Zhang and Wang. Did these two girls have such a high status in Chiling Village? Why? And what kind of people were their parents?

……

At that very moment, in a dark chamber in the mountainside of Chiling Village, a middle-aged man with a full beard, under the watchful eyes of the couple opposite him, drank two meat beans mixed with wine, his eyes immediately going blank.

Because what was rolling inside his body at that moment was not warmth, but molten lava or even liquid lightning! He felt as if he had swallowed a mouthful of scalding hot coals, burning so intensely that they almost burned through his body!

But it was precisely this domineering heat that brought out the hidden wounds within the internal organs! Like a whip, it lashed out until nothingness was reached, then replenished the weakness of the wounds with its abundant energy!

"call……"

He let out a long breath, his body covered in a cold sweat that had been forced out of him. Then he felt a sense of ease and freedom that he hadn't felt in many years, and even a relaxation of his spiritual realm, which made the old chieftain want to burst out laughing!

"Brother Hu Chuan, you're a miracle worker! I, Hu Shan, am not very educated, but I really owe my life to you!"

Someone beat Clay Figure Zhang and Courtesy King to it, and this person was also a relative of Chief Hu, sharing the same surname, which naturally made them closer. Now, Chief Hu was even more eager to become sworn brothers on the spot!

"Oh, old chieftain, you flatter me. It's just that the medicine is good; I myself don't have any life-saving methods. Besides, the root of the illness has only been mostly cured. Once this last bit is finished, Brother Hu will surely break through the fifty-year mark!"

"Don't blame me for having some selfish motives, but this medicine is limited after all, and to be honest, I also had the intention of using it to blackmail people... Oh dear, what a damn thing, you're such a hero, I should have just given it to you!"

"Innkeeper..." Hu Chuan congratulated him, clasping his hands in a fist salute. He then slammed the remaining Ganoderma lucidum on the table. Hu Shan was deeply moved, but still pushed the medicine bottle back and solemnly clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying:

"My brother is so loyal, he even saved my life, what more can I say? Don't refuse the position of deputy chief of Chiling Village, even if it's just a nominal one!"

"What you said before... I've made up my mind! Even if it means a complete break with that old coward in the capital, I'll fight to the bitter end!"