Chapter Forty: Entering the Mountains, Part One

Han Li walked back to Shanghe Village on foot, and as soon as he entered, he was surrounded by a group of elderly women and aunties.

“Comrade Han, what did you buy? That’s such a big bundle!”

“It’s not something I bought—it’s bedding, cotton-padded clothes, and other things my family sent me.”

Since no one was working today, Han Li had already repeated this explanation countless times by the time he reached his own yard. But as he moved ahead, the women behind him started chatting.

“Look, Han Li is definitely the cherished one at home, his family must be well-off. You see how he built a house and furnished it in our village as if money was no object. And now, before the weather turns cold, his family sends him such a big package.”

“I think so too. But how could they bear to let such a favored child come here?”

“I know the reason. Last time, I heard Comrade Yang complaining that she didn’t have a brother like Han Li. I was curious and asked more, and she told me Han Li volunteered to come so his twin sisters wouldn’t have to suffer.”

“Twin sisters? His family must be generous, sending their son to the countryside just for a girl? Do they have many sons?”

...

Han Li returned to his room and opened the package. The first thing that fell out was a letter, written in his eldest sister’s handwriting. Inside, it was written in his mother’s tone, detailing everything included in the parcel and asking him to check carefully.

There was a thick quilt, a sturdy cotton jacket and pants, a cotton hat, cotton gloves, and so on.

Seeing all these winter necessities, Han Li recalled a saying from later times: “There’s a kind of cold in this world—your mother thinks you’re cold, she always feels you’re missing a pair of long underwear.” (In this era, such underwear didn’t exist.)

The rest of the letter was much like what he had received yesterday, filled with family affairs and repeated reminders not to overwork, and to tell the family if he needed anything.

Han Li put away the quilt and cotton clothes in the kang cabinet, then carefully stored the letter. He changed his clothes, strapped on his basket, grabbed his axe, and headed out toward the mountain.

“Comrade Han, going up the mountain?”

“Yes, I’m going to gather some firewood and take a look around. I haven’t really explored the village yet.”

“Don’t go too deep into the mountain—this is the hardest time to find your way.”

“And if it suddenly feels too quiet, it’s best to quickly retrace your steps; if that’s not possible, climb up a big tree.”

“Alright, thank you. I’ll remember all that.”

Greeting people along the way, Han Li headed up the mountain, but not towards the usual spots frequented by villagers. Guided by two sparrows, he took a thorny path that could barely be called a trail. It was extremely difficult to traverse.

Han Li extended his mental awareness, scanning the surrounding ten meters, fearful of stepping into a trap.

Whenever he came across a handy stone, he picked it up—last night’s stone rain had sparked a big idea. If he encountered small animals, he could throw them; he was confident in his aim. If he met dangerous creatures, he could use stones to distract them, buying himself time to react.

The path grew ever wilder, now even the faint traces of a trail had vanished.

But Han Li’s main purpose for entering the mountain was to search for medicinal herbs, so he was mentally prepared. The best herbs rarely grew on flat ground.

Moreover, the mountains of Northeast China weren’t just famous for ginseng—there were countless other herbs. The cold weather slowed plant growth, so herbs here were more potent than elsewhere.

He wanted to hone his skills but didn’t want his joints to deform, his body to change drastically, or his skin to become rough and callused.

In the modern era, during the heyday of the “Whip Dynasty,” there were instructors who opened their doors to recruit students and make money teaching Iron Sand Palm. After mastery, their hands became rough, thick with calluses, and twice the size of ordinary hands, frightening to look at; outsiders believed this was the sign of a true practitioner. At that time, such people could find work as guards, bouncers, or bodyguards, earning a living equivalent to what top university graduates would receive in later years.

But these people simply lacked genuine transmission or couldn’t afford the secret formulas. True inheritors of Iron Sand Palm had internal and external recipes; their hands didn’t deform or roughen, and long use left their skin smooth and uncallused. That increased their chances of survival, since no one could tell they practiced martial arts.

Later, many internet celebrities showed off their deformed hands and feet, and thick calluses, as proof of their prowess. But to real experts, such behavior was clownish. Of course, lost inheritance was a factor—many things were never fully explained or written records destroyed.

Authentic martial arts traditions always had secret formulas to condition the body. These formulas not only healed hidden injuries but also adjusted changes caused by training.

The key was whether you received true transmission, and whether you could afford to use it.

For this reason, Han Li memorized all the shapes and effects of various herbs from the original books.

Before heading up the mountain, he had specifically consulted the village elders about what herbs could be found nearby.

Han Li’s activity was known locally as “mountain running,” a physically demanding task.

Still, his harvest was fruitful—he had just found several autumn pear trees, though it wasn’t yet time to pick them. He mentally marked their location; after the autumn harvest, they would ripen, and he could return for them.

Autumn pears, also known as flower-capped pears, sand pears, sour pears, mountain pears, were highly prized in the region. They were indispensable in every home, effective against colds, coughs, and enteritis.

After spotting the autumn pear, Han Li’s luck seemed to improve. Not only did he gather several herbs he needed, but he also discovered a few oak trees in a birch grove.

The oak trees weren’t the main prize—their presence prompted Han Li to examine the birch trees more carefully. On one birch, he found a fungus the size of a basin, true treasure.

Birch fungus, also called white birch fungus, birch mushroom, or birch cavity fungus, lives by absorbing nutrients from trees.

It treats diabetes, prevents high blood pressure, resists aging, and prolonged use can extend lifespan. For these reasons alone, Han Li planned to send some to his family in the capital.

As for its other effects—anti-cancer, AIDS prevention, protection against colds, treatment for hepatitis, gastritis, duodenal ulcers, nephritis—these were just additional benefits for Han Li.

PS: Please keep reading, please keep reading, please keep reading.

Thanks to: Cola Chicken Wings—reward: 500 points.
Thanks to: Just Messing Around—reward: 100 points.
Thanks to: 37033—reward: 100 points.
Thanks to all the esteemed readers on the leaderboard. For some reason, I can't see the detailed reward records and times; I'll ask the editor another day and make a special thank-you post.

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