After successfully defeating the armored boar, the group took a breather and rested for a while.
Liu Bai glanced at the sky and looked around, then said slowly, “This armored boar looks like it has a den.
The treasure it’s guarding must be nearby.
Let’s look in the direction it came from.”
Everyone nodded, packed their belongings, and, with renewed vigor, continued their journey deeper into the forest.
The further they went, the more mysterious the surrounding scenery became, and the stronger the medicinal fragrance in the air became.
Liu Feng, Er Hu, and Liu San instantly became interested, and like three happy little deer, they quickly dispersed and carefully searched among the grass and crevices of rocks.
Liu Feng crouched down, his eyes wide open, not missing a single corner.
Suddenly, a faint red light caught his eye from behind a huge rock.
He looked closely and was so excited he almost jumped for joy, shouting at the top of his lungs, “Come quick!
It’s dragon blood grass, it must be quite old!”
Liu Bai walked over quickly, squatted down, carefully parted the surrounding weeds, and examined the herb closely.
A moment later, he looked up, his eyes filled with surprise, and exclaimed in amazement, “That’s right, it’s Dragon Blood Grass.”
Look at the ring patterns on the grass stems; each ring represents two years, and there are ten rings in total, meaning at least twenty years have passed.
No wonder that armored boar was guarding it so tightly; it was protecting this treasure.
Liu Feng’s lips curled into a bright smile.
He rolled up his sleeves, squatted down, and pulled a small shovel from his waist, gently inserting it into the soil as if he were handling a rare treasure.
After digging out the dragon blood grass intact, he tore off a few large leaves, carefully wrapped it up, and then gently placed it into the medicine basket.
Dragon Blood Grass, named for its vibrant blood-like color, is an extremely precious blood-nourishing and body-strengthening medicine.
It has excellent nourishing effects for women who are weak after childbirth or children who are in the growth and development stage.
When Liu Bai used to make “ginseng chicken soup”, he would add dragon blood grass, but those were all grown in his own fields and were only one or two years old.
This was the first time he had ever seen dragon blood grass that was twenty years old.
Meanwhile, Erhu and Liu San also made gains in their respective areas.
Under a patch of damp, decaying leaves, Erhu discovered several crystal-clear Jade Dew Grasses, excellent materials for refining the Mind-Concentrating Powder.
Liu San dug up a resurrection herb under an ancient tree.
It emitted a strange fragrance and was said to have miraculous effects on people who suffer from insomnia.
The three boys’ medicine baskets gradually filled up, and they had a very fruitful harvest.
Before they knew it, the sun was quietly setting in the west, and the horizon was dyed a brilliant orange-red.
Night fell slowly like a huge black ribbon, and the forest was quickly shrouded in darkness.
The surroundings were eerily quiet, with only the occasional low growl of an unknown soul beast that sent chills down one’s spine.
“We’ve already ventured deep into the forest.
Going back to the village now would be too far, and traveling at night would be too dangerous.”
Everyone nodded and began to perform their respective duties.
With his rich experience, Uncle Li chose an open space as the campsite.
Several huge rocks around the campsite acted as natural guardians, firmly protecting it.
Liu Qing and Uncle Li quickly took out the tent frame and tarpaulin from their bags.
The two worked together seamlessly, one responsible for setting up the frame and the other for securing the tarpaulin.
Liu Bai helped by handing over tools and occasionally offering suggestions.
Erhu and Liu San were busy securing the tent to the ground with ropes.
They found some large stones and weighed them down on the ropes to ensure the tent wouldn’t be blown over by the wind at night.
Liu Feng wasn’t idle either.
Holding a short-handled hoe, he carefully cleared the weeds and twigs around the tent, each stroke forceful and focused.
In no time, the ground became flat and clean.
Gulu and the other hounds patrolled around the camp, their ears perked up, sniffing the air warily, and barking low at the slightest sound.
Before long, the two simple tents were set up.
The larger tent was for Liu Qing, Uncle Li, Erhu, and Liu San; the smaller one was for Liu Bai and Liu Feng.
Several ventilation holes were specially made on the tent fabric to ensure air circulation while preventing mosquitoes from flying in.
After the tents were set up, everyone worked quickly and without any slackening, setting up defensive measures.
Liu Qing and Uncle Li dug a shallow pit in front of the tent, preparing to start a fire.
They took out flint and firewood, skillfully striking the flint together.
Sparks flew everywhere, and soon the firewood was blazing.
The blazing fire not only brought warmth and light, but also drove away the surrounding mosquitoes and small wild animals.
The firelight flickered and danced in the darkness, illuminating the tired yet resolute faces of the group.
“A campfire can scare away some wild animals, but you can’t rely on it entirely.”
Liu Qing stood up, dusted off his hands, and said seriously, “We need to set up some other defenses.”
Uncle Li nodded in agreement.
He took out a roll of wire from his bag and cut down a few small trees from nearby, sharpening them into pointed stakes.
He buried a wooden stake every two or three meters about ten meters away from the tent, and then used wire to tightly connect the stakes to form a simple fence.
Sharp branches were tied to the wire, like hidden weapons.
Any wild animals that tried to break through the fence would be scratched, serving as a good deterrent.
To ensure everything went smoothly, Liu Qing began arranging night watch personnel. Find the original chapter at g.com.
They divided the night into three shifts, with two people per shift, taking turns on duty.
Liu Qing and Erhu were in charge of the first shift, Uncle Li and Liu San were in charge of the second shift, and Liu Bai and Liu Feng were in charge of the last shift.
The night watchman must remain highly vigilant at all times, and if he discovers anything unusual, he must immediately sound the alarm and wake everyone up.
“There’s no room for carelessness when it comes to night watch; everyone’s lives are in your hands,” Liu Qing said earnestly, looking at the two on night watch.
Gulu and the other hounds also took on important responsibilities.
They were highly trained and had an extremely keen sense of smell and hearing, enabling them to detect the tracks of wild animals in the dark.
Liu Qing fitted each hunting dog with a collar with a bell.
Whenever they sensed danger and started running to patrol, the sound of the bell would promptly alert the people inside the tent.
“Gulu and these hunting dogs are our capable helpers; they are very skilled.” Uncle Li squatted down, gently patted Gulu’s head, and his eyes were full of trust.
The campfire blazed brightly, filling the campsite with warmth.
The group ate some dry rations, pickled vegetables, and dried meat in the tent, then heated some water over the campfire.
After filling their stomachs, they rested.
Some kept watch, others slept, and the camp gradually quieted down, with only the crackling of the campfire and the occasional bark of a dog.
After an unknown amount of time, Liu San tiptoed into Liu Feng and Liu Bai’s tent, gently patted Liu Feng’s shoulder, and whispered, “Xiao Feng, it’s your turn to keep watch.”
Liu Feng jolted awake, immediately opened his eyes, quickly got up, picked up the wooden spear placed to the side, and followed Liu San out of the tent.
Liu Feng and Liu Bai arrived at the campfire, but the flames had already weakened.
Liu Bai picked up a piece of dry firewood, gently poked at the embers, and added some new firewood.
Soon, the flames blazed brightly again.
Liu Bai sat by the campfire, holding a fire poker in his hand, his eyes fixed on his surroundings, not missing a single corner.
Liu Feng sat beside him, wrapped in a blanket, holding a wooden spear in his arms, his eyes fixed on the distance.
The dark forest was bottomless and eerily silent, with strange noises occasionally drifting through it, sending chills down one’s spine.
“Xiao Feng, don’t be nervous, Grandpa’s here.” Liu Bai noticed Liu Feng’s nervousness and gently comforted him.
“I know, Grandpa.” Liu Feng took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, his eyes showing determination.
The two sat by the campfire, exchanging whispered words from time to time to ease the tense atmosphere.
Liu Bai told Liu Feng about his family’s history, the years they fought on the Douluo Continent, and his adventures in this forest when he was young.
Liu Feng listened intently, his respect for his grandfather growing ever stronger.
Time slipped away quietly as they talked, and before they knew it, the third shift was about to end.
Liu Bai and Liu Feng stood up, stretched their stiff bodies, and prepared to wake up the others.
“Everyone, get up, it’s almost dawn.” Liu Bai raised his voice, which carried a hint of weariness but also a sense of determination.
Everyone emerged from their tents, quickly packed their belongings, and prepared to embark on a new journey.
[end of the chapter]