Chapter Twenty-one: The Ginkgo Bandit (Please leave your thoughts!)

A bit too sentimental, perhaps.

Early the next morning, Chen Yu climbed out of bed, recalling the events of the previous night with a wry smile. But he was never one to dwell on past sorrows or feign melancholy, so he quickly shook it off and returned to his usual carefree demeanor.

Before dawn had fully broken, he followed his routine, practicing a round of boxing to warm up his body. Today, however, his regimen included a few new steps. For instance, he worked on breathing techniques and blood circulation, familiarizing himself with the internal energy that had just gathered and flowed through him, ensuring his body didn’t regress after a period of neglect.

In the real world of martial arts, progress wasn’t achieved in a single leap, nor was a level once attained forever preserved. If neglected, the skills would inevitably fade. With a burst of strength, his fist struck out, echoing with a resounding double crack. Only after his body had once again memorized the sensation did he slow to a halt, ceasing his exercise.

Catching his breath, Chen Yu realized he could have gone on longer, but he didn’t force it, simply marveling at how much his stamina and endurance had improved since he first began. Back then, when he had just assumed this body, not only was his energy depleted, even his bones felt soft, and he could barely muster any strength.

Now, though meat was scarce in his diet, his body had recovered, and his vitality was full. After washing up and eating, he lit incense in the ancestral hall as usual. With few chores today and after last night’s muddled, perhaps insightful conversation, he decided to go with the flow. The spiritual liquids and energies remained, waiting to be studied another day.

Today, he would enjoy a leisurely moment. He planned to test the fishing rod he had crafted himself and explore the depths of an old pond deep in the forest.

He’d been mulling it over for days; it had almost become an obsession for Master Chen. “Fishing line and hooks are ready. As for bait, I remember digging up some earthworms before.”

He took down the bamboo tube, opened it, and peered inside. A few days ago, he’d dug up a dozen earthworms from the vegetable patch for an experiment, and after being nourished by spiritual liquid, they were plump and lively. Now, Chen Yu observed them, still vigorous and healthy.

Surely, earthworms fed on spiritual liquid would be more enticing than ordinary bait. He had high hopes for today’s catch.

Next, he tended the medicinal field behind the courtyard. After a night, a few vegetable stalks had withered; he dug them out and buried them aside, hoping they’d rot and enrich the soil, nurturing the remaining plants.

With everything settled, Chen Yu glanced at the dawn blossoming across the horizon. After some thought, he went inside to put on a straw hat and rain cape.

If his predecessor’s memories were correct, floating rain was expected in the coming days; the weather often changed unexpectedly, and one could never be sure when a downpour would arrive.

He not only brought rain gear but also changed into lighter, short clothing, leaving the long robe hanging on the chair, lest it get snagged and torn by the thorns in the woods. As for the morning chill, it was nothing to a martial artist burning with internal energy.

He tied up his trouser legs and donned cloth boots.

After confirming nothing was forgotten, he hoisted the fishing rod, grabbed the basket, and leisurely closed and locked the courtyard gate behind him. Pausing for a moment to recall, he set off in the direction of the stone pond from memory.

Meanwhile, as Chen Yu confidently made his way toward the pond atop the mountain, the town of Shiya at the base of Qingtai Mountain was in a state of unrest.

The source was a recent incident at Yangzi Whirlpool, only twenty li from town, leaving many with uneasy hearts.

On March 22nd, Sanhe Village, nestled beside Yangzi Whirlpool, was slaughtered.

...

In the first year of Liang Yuanping, July, Song Da, a hunter from Baiguo Mountain, raised the banner of rebellion, gathered a dozen men, and proclaimed himself King of the Plow. The following January, his brother Song Er raided the wealthy Wang family in a neighboring village, seized their women, and dragged them up the mountain.

By late February, local gentry from around Baiguo Mountain—including the Wang, Liao, Chen, and Zhao families—offered a reward of a hundred gold pieces, recruiting local heroes and sending dozens of household servants and strongmen into the mountains to supp