From Yi Xian Tian, after traveling dozens of li northward, one would reach the boundless great grassland.
This was not a peaceful night. Along the dozens of li long, less than a zhang wide Yi Xian Tian, over a dozen teams holding torches passed through, one after another.
Although Canglan Mountain still had thirteen great strongholds, the small and medium forts were countless.
Wars were common among the Three Great Dynasties, and with corrupt officials aplenty and natural disasters and man-made calamities frequent, taking to the mountains as bandits became a way of survival for many who refused to simply wait for death.
But most small and medium forts actually struggled just to survive. Relying on hunting, they might barely scrape by, but obtaining Dragon Blood Rice was as difficult as climbing to heaven.
Without Dragon Blood Rice, it was impossible for a first-rate expert to emerge. Without a first-rate expert to guard the stronghold, a mountain stronghold could never compare with the Thirteen Greats, could never carve out resources, and could never harvest Dragon Blood Rice.
This was almost an unsolvable vicious cycle.
Such was the way of the world — it was always the small handful of powers at the tip of the pyramid who controlled the most resources, and then continued to take from those who lacked and give to those who had plenty...
This time, the whereabouts of the Yan Commandery Zhao Family were not exactly a closely guarded secret; most mountain strongholds had gotten word of it.
Even knowing that this time the Zhao Family's merchant caravan had a superb expert like Yan Ke, Sect Master of the Blood Saber Sect, along with over a hundred skilled guards from the Blood Saber Sect, there were still no shortage of strongholds hoping to pick up scraps.
Medium-sized forts like Black Wind Stronghold, Poison Dragon Fortress, and Golden Mountain Stronghold had no first-rate expert holding down the fort, but they did have top-tier second-rate experts. They had always been searching for opportunities, hoping that one day they could be promoted into the Thirteen Greats and join in formulating the rules of Canglan.
So this time, these ambitious medium-sized forts gathered together, even forming alliances with one another, creating a considerable force, in hopes of getting a share of this sumptuous feast...
"Old Viper, have you truly confirmed that this batch of goods in the Zhao Family's caravan contains Dragon Blood Rice?"
At a certain slope on the grassland, a burly, bearded man sat astride a fine horse, gazing through the night at the road below leading to the Great Khan's tent on the grassland, and asked in a deep voice.
Smuggling into the grassland was already a capital crime, and smuggling the absolutely forbidden Dragon Blood Rice was a crime punishable by the extermination of ten generations.
Moreover, by ordinary reasoning, Dragon Blood Rice was already so precious, its value nearly impossible to estimate — why would anyone bother sending it to the grassland in exchange for ordinary goods?
Beside the man stood a lean, wiry man, his voice like a bronze gong, low and deep: "There's no mistake. Though Dragon Blood Rice is extremely precious, the Zhao Family spent most of its foundation to get Zhao Hua installed as Prefect of Yulin City. Gold and silver, though ordinary, are still indispensable. Besides, Dragon Blood Rice is a forbidden item in every Central Plains dynasty — apart from the Three Great Sacred Lands, no one can buy or sell it. But sent to the grassland, even without exchanging it for gold and silver, it could be traded for cultivation method manuals and divine weapons. A thousand years ago, the Hu Tribe of the grassland invaded several times. At their peak, two Martial Saint-level shamans joined forces and even broke through all Three Great Sacred Lands — the Black Ice Platform, the Imperial City Department, and Jixia Academy — and countless martial arts manuals and divine weapons were lost. If we could trade for even one of those back..."
"Noble families of the world are ranked into nine grades. The Zhao Family is only upper-middle. If the Zhao Family truly gains a great fortune from this, it's not impossible they could rise into the highest tier of families. So, there's no mistake."
Another man beside the two sighed lightly and said, "If it weren't for a rare treasure like Dragon Blood Rice, why would they bother troubling a peerless master ranked eighth on the Tiger Ranking as an escort? But with a master like that around, can our strongholds really come away with any gain?"
Once these words were spoken, the three fell silent.
The three of them were no mediocre hands either, and each harbored ambition in their hearts.
But fate was hard to predict — none of them had a peerless sect lineage, nor any senior to pave the way for them and provide Dragon Blood Rice.
So in their whole lives, their achievements could only ever stop at second-rate expert.
Facing Yan Ke, ranked eighth on the Tiger Ranking, even if all three of them attacked together, they likely couldn't withstand even a single exchange...
"We really don't need to worry about the sky falling, as the saying goes: if the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up. We're not so greedy as to attempt to take the entire Zhao Family caravan for ourselves — we're just looking to pick up some leftover scraps...
This time, five of the Thirteen Greats are on the move. Besides Qingyun Village and Sand Sea Stronghold, there's also Sun Shooting Gate, Heavenly Axe Mountain, and Golden Bell Fortress, all with first-rate experts. With them around, Yan Ke would never dare turn his Blood Saber on us. As long as Yan Ke doesn't target us, we have a chance!"
The lean, wiry man spoke softly, his pair of narrow, slender eyes flashing with a sharp glint now and then.
He was Ouyang Rui, Fortress Master of Poison Dragon Fortress, skilled at training snakes and using them as troops.
This time, it was also he who had taken the initiative to invite Black Wind Stronghold and Golden Mountain Stronghold — two medium-sized forts that were usually on decent terms with him — to plot this major event together.
After Ouyang Rui finished speaking, Qiu Gang, Chief of Black Wind Stronghold, nodded in agreement and said, "That's true, especially with Qingyun Village! Qingyun Village is one of the Thirteen Greats, and has always had at least two first-rate experts holding it down. Though the newly risen Stronghold Master is a woman, her martial arts prowess is even greater than Lin Long and Tian Hu combined.
"Sun Zhentian, Third Leader of Sand Sea Stronghold, is no nobody either — over the past twenty years, he's built quite a fearsome reputation across Canglan Mountain, known for his ruthless methods. Yet a veteran first-rate expert like that was run through the heart with a single sword by Tian Wuniang.
"If you ask me, whether we can withstand Yan Ke of the Blood Saber Sect this time will depend on that fierce tigress."
The third man was Zhu Yong, Stronghold Master of Golden Mountain Stronghold. He had a round face, and though not tall, carried a large round bow on his back. At this moment, he gave a bitter smile and said, "Every time that woman comes up, damn it, I feel like I've lived my years for nothing. Only eighteen years old — I really don't know how she trained..."
Qiu Gang, Chief of Black Wind Stronghold, suddenly gave a hehe laugh and said, "What's there to envy? No matter how you look at it, she's just someone with a hard fate. Qingyun Village once had four Great Kings — Dragon, Tiger, Fox, and Bear. For strategy, they had strategy; for martial arts, they had martial arts. How mighty they were! But now Dragon and Tiger are both dead, the cunning Fox has grown old, and only the Bear remains. Now that huge Qingyun Village actually has to rely on a yellow-haired girl to hold it up. If that were all, it'd be one thing, but her rotten master and confused old father, before dying, committed a great sin — they forced Tian Wuniang, a female leader the likes of which appears once in centuries, straight into the fire pit. Lin Long was truly a hero above all others, yet he sired a good-for-nothing son. Clearly born into a mountain stronghold, yet the boy apparently longs to be a scholar, dreaming of becoming a man of letters — truly laughable. What's most amusing is, he doesn't even fancy that female leader, and curses and humiliates her at every turn. Tsk tsk tsk, truly... how fate likes to play its tricks!"
Who says men don't gossip? Qiu Gang spoke to his heart's content, and the other two listened with great relish.
This was, after all, a world where men held the highest place. When suddenly an oddity like Tian Wuniang emerged as a female leader, her reputation overshadowing countless men, how could men feel at ease without picking out some of her sore points?
But none of them were quite shameless enough yet. The three exchanged glances, gave a hehe laugh, and then Zhu Yong brought up what worried him: "This time the commotion has been rather large — every major stronghold on Canglan Mountain has heard about it. I don't believe word of this wouldn't reach Yulin City. Never mind Prefect Zhao Hua — that Luo Cheng with his Primordial Spear is no easy man to deal with; both a Dragon and a Tiger of Qingyun Village fell at his hands. And then there's the Zhao Family of Yan Commandery, who are no pushovers either. Do they really think that relying on Yan Ke, Sect Master of the Blood Saber Sect, they can act with impunity? Could they have some other move up their sleeve?"
At these words, both Qiu Gang and Ouyang Rui furrowed their brows. The two thought it over again and again, but in the end just shook their heads and said, "As long as our three families don't get greedy and don't push too far to the front, does it really matter what other moves they might have?"
Zhu Yong couldn't think of anything else either, and just gave a bitter smile, saying, "The older I get, the smaller my courage. My heart just won't settle... Even though Qingyun Village's Dragon and Tiger are dead, they still have a Bear, and now a female Heavenly King has appeared too — their foundation runs deep. But if we suffer any losses, our strongholds are doomed."
"Things have already come to this — no use thinking too much more. Without taking risks, there's never any hope of advancing further. Others grow stronger while the strong grow ever stronger, and as hard as things are for us, we probably can't hold out much longer anyway — sooner or later we'll fail regardless. So, we have to gamble on this one!"
Ouyang Rui of Poison Dragon Fortress said, his eyes flashing with a somewhat mad light, gritting his teeth.
Qiu Gang let out a heh, expelling a breath of turbid air, and said, "Old Viper is completely right. If we don't gamble this once, we'll truly have no place to stand in the future. I refuse to be swallowed up bit by bit — let's do it!"
Zhu Yong nodded and said, "Things have come to this — there's no other way. Let's do it!"
..
A night passed without incident.
The next morning, after eating breakfast in the dining hall, Lin Ning asked Little Jiu Niang, who was gloomy and still worried about Wu Niang, "I'm going to go learn how to hunt lei feng — are you coming or not?"
Little Jiu Niang pouted, raised her head to look at Lin Ning, and her eyes even carried a hint of resentment.
Brother-in-law, is that even a question that needs asking?
Beside them, Aunt Chun couldn't take it anymore and said in a rapid stream, "Take her along, take her along quickly, don't leave her at home overthinking things — does your elder sister need you worrying about her? It's the same every time — before this silly girl even finishes worrying, your sister will already be coming home victorious. Go on and play with your brother-in-law!"
Hearing this, Little Jiu Niang's little face finally showed a bit of a smile. Seeing Lin Ning reach out his hand, she obediently took it, and together they left Ink Bamboo Courtyard.
"Don't play too wild — come back early for lunch!"
Aunt Chun's reminder came from behind them, and the two, one big and one small, answered together:
"Got it, Aunt Chun!"
..
"Aunt Sun, Brother-in-law's medical skill is really amazing. Yesterday, Brother Xiao Zhi even brought Brother Shi Tou and Brother A Niu to have Brother-in-law treat them. If it weren't for Brother-in-law making a move, they wouldn't have been able to leave the mountain this time."
With Jiu Niang as her little informant, whichever woman in the stronghold felt unwell, whichever child had a weak constitution — she knew it all, which made it convenient for Lin Ning to farm merit as the barefoot doctor.
Lin Ning, carrying a medicine box on his back, stood in Aunt Sun's courtyard with a gentle expression and a faint smile, looking at Aunt Sun.
Though Aunt Sun was addressed with quite a senior title, that was really just because of her generation — in truth, she looked no more than twenty-five or twenty-six, and had a fair bit of good looks herself. Only, at this moment, her expression was hesitant...
This little rascal, he can actually treat patients?
Fortunately, Lin Ning resembled his mother in looks, and now carried a gentle, warm demeanor, unlike the sinister, vicious way he used to be. And women were, for the most part, diamond members of the looks-matter club — though everyone in the stronghold knew perfectly well what kind of person Lin Ning used to be, faced with him directly now, seeing how handsome and outstanding, how pleasing to the eye he had become, Aunt Sun's heart softened, and she decided to give him a chance...
"Well, in that case, I'll trouble you, Young Master."
After Aunt Sun politely let Lin Ning, Jiu Niang, and their attendant Cui'er into the house, Lin Ning took the medicine box off his back and, looking at Aunt Sun's dull, unhealthy complexion, asked about her symptoms: "May I ask where Aunt Sun feels unwell? Oh, right, Aunt Sun doesn't need to call me Young Master — just call me Xiao Ning or Ning Ge'er."
Though Aunt Sun didn't really regard Lin Ning as a genuine doctor in her heart, seeing his young, handsome face, and now how amiable and courteous he was, she was touched, and was willing to tell him: "My chest hurts, and my head hurts too, like being pricked by needles. My stomach's also uncomfortable, I get nauseous often, and lately I even feel like throwing up just from drinking water. I went to see Doctor An, took two doses of medicine, but they didn't do much good. I suppose I'll just have to endure it..." Her tone was one of despair.
So-called "enduring it" was just another way of saying waiting for death.
Little Jiu Niang understood this too, because it wasn't unfamiliar to her...
Seeing Little Jiu Niang raise her head, gazing at him expectantly, Lin Ning smiled slightly, then said to Aunt Sun, "Let me check your pulse first."
Seeing Lin Ning insist on this, Aunt Sun didn't refuse, and placed her arm on the pulse pillow Lin Ning had taken out of the medicine box, treating it as just playing along with the children.
But when she saw Lin Ning's slender fingers resting on her wrist, and his expression gradually growing solemn, she no longer treated it entirely as a game.
Even Jiu Niang tensed her little face, watching Lin Ning nervously.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Lin Ning had a clear picture in his mind, and said slowly: "The chest is where qi converges and blood gathers, the territory traversed by the Liver Meridian. When blood stagnates in the chest, the flow of qi is obstructed, and clear yang is suppressed and cannot rise — this causes chest pain and headaches that linger for a long time, sharp as needle pricks, and always in a fixed spot. When blood stagnates in the chest, it affects the stomach as well, causing the stomach's qi to rise instead of descend, hence the belching and dry retching, and in severe cases, even choking when drinking water. When stagnation lasts long enough, it turns to heat, causing inner heat and a feeling of oppressive fullness, with tidal fever coming on in the evenings. When this heat from stagnation disturbs the heart, it causes palpitations and restlessness, insomnia, and vivid dreaming. When this stagnation lingers too long, the liver loses its ability to flow freely, which is why one becomes irritable and quick to anger. As for what can be seen in the lips, eyes, tongue, and pulse — all are signs of blood stasis."
Hearing this, Aunt Sun was immediately startled, and no longer treated Lin Ning as a child playing pretend. She nodded repeatedly and said, "That's right, that's right, that's right, Old Doctor An said exactly the same thing — I never imagined, Ning Ge'er, that you'd get every word right!" But then her expression dimmed again — even though what Lin Ning said was extremely accurate, if even his master couldn't find a way to cure it, what could he possibly do?
These words went unspoken, but her expression told Lin Ning and Jiu Niang everything.
Jiu Niang pressed her lips together and looked at Lin Ning, as if wanting to comfort him, yet still holding on to a thread of hope...
Lin Ning stroked her little head, and said to Aunt Sun with a smile, "Grandpa An is simply too old now to administer acupuncture, so he can only prescribe a decoction to expel stasis from the chest. If Aunt Sun trusts me, perhaps you could remove your upper garment, so I can administer the acupuncture. With three consecutive days of needling, combined with the medicine Grandpa An prescribed, Aunt Sun should be able to recover."
Hearing that he wanted her to undress, Aunt Sun blinked, looking at Lin Ning's face, and saw no trace of mischief or ill intent in it. Unable to suppress her longing to recover, she asked quietly, "Ning Ge'er, can I really get better?"
Lin Ning smiled and said, "After today's acupuncture, Aunt Sun shouldn't be throwing up just from drinking water anymore."
Hearing this, Aunt Sun was greatly moved. Worn down by her illness for so long, her mind grew hot, and gritting her teeth, she undid the knotted buttons at her collar, revealing a stretch of snow-smooth skin...
In her heart, she comforted herself: just try it, it's only removing some clothing, they're just children after all... as for Lin Ning, he's still just a young boy! Even back when his reputation was at its absolute worst, no one ever said he had a lecherous name — it'll be fine...
..
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