Chapter 67: Refusing to Listen to Advice
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Rabbits cannot be hunted, and foxes cannot be hunted either. Birds, too, cannot be hunted.
With nothing to hunt, all they could do was continue “patrolling” the mountain.
White Moon Mountain’s path was rugged, but the scenery was magnificent. Mist rose from the mountain streams, enveloping the area in a serene haze. Verdant hues encircled them, while wisps of cloud and mist lingered, shrouding the peaks. The landscape seemed like a realm of immortality.
The astute recruit had brought a few sheets of yellow paper and used charcoal to hastily sketch a few marks on them at various points to remember the route. They also made markings on trees at intervals to prevent getting lost on the descent.
Since no one had brought bows and crossbows, the journey proceeded quietly. Starting their journey early in the morning, they reached the summit by midday.
They tethered their horses to trees and rested by a stream. After replenishing their energy with dried rations, they would be able to descend the mountain and return to the military camp before sunset.
The recruit who had greeted He Yan earlier was quite exhausted by the time they reached the summit. He eagerly took out his rations and began munching, grumbling, “We’ve finally made it to the top. I don’t think I can walk any farther.”
He Yan washed her hands in the stream and sat down next to a large rock, also taking out her rations.
The rations were dry and hard morning cakes. The recruit approached He Yan and handed her a small handful of pine nuts, saying, “Here.”
He Yan looked surprised. “Where did these come from?”
“My mother packed them for me before I came to the Liangzhou Garrison. I didn’t want to eat them all at once, so I saved some.” He smiled and added generously, “Try them!”
He Yan picked up a pine nut from his palm, peeled it, and put it in her mouth. “Very fragrant.”
“Right, right?” The young man seemed pleased. “I’m Shen Hong. I know you, He Yan, the impressive one from the drill grounds. Nobody can defeat you.”
“Lucky chance and good fortune,” He Yan replied with a smile.
Shen Hong looked into the distance and sighed with regret. “It’s a pity I didn’t bring a bow. I didn’t know you were coming with us. If I had known, I would’ve definitely brought one. With your archery skills, we could have hunted a few rabbits and had roasted rabbit.”
Could Shen Hong and Xiao Mai be half-brothers? He Yan wondered casually as she asked, “What weapon did you bring?”
Shen Hong scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “Me? I’m not good at archery, so bringing a bow wouldn’t help. My skills with blades and spears are average. I figured I wouldn’t be of much use, so I brought…” He pulled out a long stick from behind him. “This.”
He Yan was rendered speechless.
He actually brought a stick, not even an iron-headed one, but a long stick shaved from bamboo. Are there such weapons on the weapons rack in the training ground? He Yan was quite skeptical. If Shen Hong intended to fight with just a stick, it seemed quite useless. Oh, unless there’s a jujube tree around here, he could use the stick to knock down some jujubes.
Seemingly sensing He Yan’s lack of words, Shen Hong hurriedly tried to justify himself. “Anyway, I won’t be getting into any fights with people.”
He Yan nodded. “You’re right.”
She and Shen Hong were on this side, while the other two were sitting a bit farther away. After finishing their meal, He Yan leaned against a tree to rest for a while. Shen Hong asked her cautiously, “Um, He Yan, can I borrow your blade?”
“What’s the matter?”
“Do you see that?” Shen Hong pointed to a lush area near the stream, where long, slender leaves concealed an unknown type of plant. “My family runs an apothecary, and this is called ‘book ribbon grass.’ It resembles a Chinese leek but isn’t. It’s useful for refreshing the mind. I’d like to gather some to take back with us. Since we’re often here, it might come in handy. However, book ribbon grass is quite tough and not easy to harvest. Those people either carried long blades or spears, so your small blade is more suitable.”
Using her blade as a sickle, it seems.
“….Alright.” He Yan drew her mandarin duck blades from her waist and handed it to Shen Hong. “Be careful.”
Shen Hong placed his stick aside, took the blade with delight, and said to He Yan, “Thank you. I’ll gather a lot, and then I’ll give you a share.”
He Yan originally wanted to say it wasn’t necessary, but then she realized Hong Shan could probably use it. Hong Shan had been feeling restless lately, struggling to sleep well. Besides, it was a sincere gesture from Shen Hong. Thus, she suppressed the words “no need” and kept them to herself.
She leaned against the tree, watching Shen Hong bustling about.
As she watched, she suddenly heard a noise behind her. Turning around, she saw the astute recruit and the other two untying the horse ropes from the trees. He Yan furrowed her brows and asked, “Are you leaving already? Won’t you rest a bit longer? It hasn’t been long since we arrived.”
Considering the time, they had been there for less than half an hour. It was still early, and they had plenty of time to descend the mountain.
The astute recruit seemed to harbor some dislike for He Yan and responded impatiently, “We’re not going down the mountain. We’re going ahead for a while.”
He Yan glanced ahead; they were already at the summit. Going further would mean crossing over the mountain ridge. She frowned, “The instructor said not to cross the ridge.”
“It’s just a few more steps, not really crossing it,” the astute recruit said, “And we’re not asking you to come with us. You can stay here, and we’ll be back shortly.”
“I think,” He Yan stood up, “it’s better to follow the instructor’s orders. There might be dangers we’re not aware of.”
“Zheng Xuan, are you coming or not?” Another person had already untied the horse rope, mounted the horse, and urged.
The astute recruit, Zheng Xuan, looked at He Yan and said, “If you’re afraid of danger, then don’t go. Besides, who knows except for us? Just keep it to yourself. Stop worrying and stay here with that fool who’s cutting grass! We’ll take the lead.” With that, he disregarded He Yan and mounted his horse, joining the other two as they ventured deeper into the forest.
He Yan had initially intended to follow them but realized she couldn’t leave Shen Hong alone. In a moment of hesitation, the three had already distanced themselves. She sighed and returned to sit beneath the tree. Oh well, they hadn’t noticed anything amiss on their way up the mountain. There weren’t many people in the mountains, and there weren’t any large predators. At most, there were a few badgers and wildcats that would scamper away at the sight of humans.
Within the time it took to brew a cup of tea, Shen Hong came over from the stream. He held two bundles of grass in his hands. The grass truly resembled book ribbons—long and soft. As He Yan got closer, she could even smell a faint fragrance. Shen Hong found the longest piece and bundled the two stacks of book ribbon grass together. He handed one bundle to He Yan and said, “Here, dry these out in the sun when you get back. Put them in a cloth bag and place it under your pillow. You’ll sleep soundly.”
“Thank you,” He Yan replied.
“No problem,” Shen Hong waved his hand, only then realizing that the other few people were missing. He asked in puzzlement, “Where are they?”
“They went for a walk ahead,” He Yan shrugged, “We’ll wait here for them to return.”
Shen Hong didn’t understand but was about to inquire further when suddenly, from deep within the forest, a cry of distress pierced the air. It was the voice of one of the new recruits who had been with them earlier.
He Yan was taken aback, her brows furrowing. In the next instant, she untied the horse, mounted it, and rode straight toward the source of the sound.
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