Chapter 65 - 66: Meeting Again
It was as if Lady Luck had truly smiled upon Jin Qianqian. Throughout the day’s journey, numerous rare, aged plants—the kind recorded in books—seemed to line up, just waiting for her to discover them.
Gu Wenheng watched as yet another fleeceflower root was collected, then stared at the sky, at a loss for words. ’This is some serious preferential treatment. We’re on the exact same path, and I’m looking as hard as I can, yet these things still fall right into Jin Qianqian’s hands.’
"You choose the direction this time," Gu Wenheng said, having long since accepted reality. He simply handed the responsibility of choosing their path over to Jin Qianqian.
Jin Qianqian replied, "Are you sure you don’t want to check with the telescope? If I just point randomly and miss, we might end up walking a long, useless detour."
Although Gu Wenheng hesitated for a moment, he ultimately gritted his teeth and nodded. "It’ll be fine. The worst that can happen is we have to backtrack.
Maybe the path you choose will be less rugged and help us avoid dangerous terrain."
Jin Qianqian wanted to test her luck as well, so she randomly pointed to a tree beside Gu Wenheng. "Alright, let’s head this way. If we find we’re veering too far off, we can correct our course then."
* * *
"See? I told you! You really are Lady Luck," Gu Wenheng said, unable to suppress his excited grin. "We’ve barely been walking, and we’ve already found this oasis."
Gazing at the small lake and the lush vegetation on its banks, Gu Wenheng picked up Jin Qianqian and spun her around in place a few times.
Jin Qianqian paid him no mind, her own face flush with excitement. "We’ve finally found water! The air even feels fresher."
Although they had been able to use water freely at the Zhu Family’s home, it still had to be carried all the way from the village well, so they never dared to be too extravagant.
"Let’s hurry and scout the area. We can’t just blunder into some animal’s territory." The pervasive silence struck Gu Wenheng as unnatural.
Jin Qianqian was about to speak when her attention was captured by a small wooden cabin on a cliff across the way. "Look over there! Someone must be living there."
Gu Wenheng stared at the rock face, which stood four or five meters tall. ’...Building a cabin that high? Aren’t they afraid of the wind?’
But this wasn’t the time to ponder such things. Jin Qianqian was already jogging toward the cabin, and Gu Wenheng, fearing trouble, quickly pulled out the handgun he always carried and ran after her.
"Hello! Is anyone up there?" Jin Qianqian yelled at the top of her lungs.
Amidst the echoes, a tall figure appeared in front of the cabin.
Gu Wenheng swiftly pulled Jin Qianqian behind him, squinting at the familiar figure. "And you are?"
"Has it only been one night? Have you two young friends forgotten me already?" Guo Yurong hadn’t expected such a fateful encounter. ’How on earth did they find their way here in this vast mountain forest?’
"You’re... Brother Guo?" Gu Wenheng asked, somewhat uncertain as he heard the familiar voice.
With a light leap, the man seemed to float down right in front of them.
The sight of his robes fluttering as he drifted with the wind made Jin Qianqian’s eyes sparkle. "So cool! That was amazing!"
Gu Wenheng glanced back at her, then took a half-step to the side, completely blocking her view.
"The very same," Guo Yurong said, seemingly oblivious to Gu Wenheng’s small gesture as he began to stroll along the lakeshore.
"Is this your territory, Brother Guo?" When Gu Wenheng had first spotted this patch of green through the telescope, he hadn’t noticed the inconspicuous little cabin.
"Not exactly," Guo Yurong said, pointing to the cabin. "I just saw that fetching water was convenient here, so I made a simple camp. It’s a shame I don’t have a convenient portable cabin like Brother Gu; I could only put up a simple thatched shelter."
Gu Wenheng asked, "Brother Guo, are you a martial artist?"
"I’ve dabbled a little," Guo Yurong replied humbly. He knew that his light body skills were his only presentable skill, so he didn’t dare to boast.
"Is that Qinggong hard to learn?" Jin Qianqian asked, poking her head out with a curious tone.
It took Guo Yurong a moment to process her question. He then smiled at them. "With your current constitutions, I’m afraid not. Even with the most diligent training, you wouldn’t be able to reach my level of achievement."
"Is it like they say, where you have to start training from childhood?"
Guo Yurong nodded. "Not only do you have to start young, but it also depends on whether you have the aptitude and a suitable physique."
There was another crucial point that Guo Yurong left unsaid: this type of Martial Arts was generally not taught to outsiders.
Gu Wenheng once again stepped in front of Jin Qianqian, blocking her worshipful gaze. "Please excuse us. My wife is very curious, and this is the first time she’s ever seen someone use Qinggong, so she’s bound to have a lot of questions. I hope you don’t mind."
"That’s perfectly normal," Guo Yurong laughed. "Have you forgotten yesterday? I had just as many questions for you, and you answered them all patiently. How could I possibly hold this against you?
By the way, meeting again proves we are truly fated to. May I ask, where are you two heading?"
Gu Wenheng pointed to a peak that had come into view—the same one they had climbed before. "We plan to go around it from here. Our family is waiting for us on the other side."
"Family?" Guo Yurong looked confused. "If you head out from here, you’ll reach the area by the city gates. You don’t need to take such a long way around."
Gu Wenheng explained everything without reservation, telling him how the refugees had been blocked outside the city gates. His voice was filled with helplessness. "At the time, we had hoped to find a way for our family to survive by getting into the city. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a place we could stay for long, so we had no choice but to look for other options.
Thankfully, this region isn’t as arid. We’re hoping to cross these mountains and find a new place for our family and clan to settle."
"Is it really so dry out there now?" Ever since he had discovered this place, Guo Yurong had lived in complete seclusion, truly oblivious to what was happening in the outside world.
"Yes. For several provinces to the north, there hasn’t been any significant rain in years. The land is parched and cracked everywhere. Many people are fleeing toward Shangjing in groups, just trying to find a way to survive."
Although Gu Wenheng described it matter-of-factly, Guo Yurong, who was well-versed in history, could easily imagine the immense hardships of their journey.
"Didn’t the government intervene?"
"How could they? The drought stretches all along the route. The local officials are already doing their utmost just by staying at their posts." Gu Wenheng certainly didn’t believe the local government was omnipotent, capable of conjuring water out of thin air to save the people.
"Then what about your journey? The higher-ups haven’t given any directive?"
Gu Wenheng stared at the calm surface of the water. "A directive? I suspect the Prefecture City is trying to conceal the situation. They’ve barricaded all the refugees outside the walls without offering any aid. They’re trying to force us all to either die off or turn back."
"But didn’t you two get into the city?"
Gu Wenheng let out a scornful laugh. "Do you know how we got into the city? It was nothing more than a game played by some high and mighty officials, one where they simply miscalculated."