Chapter Thirty-Nine: Returning to the Mountains

Using his own rooster for the experiment was a decision Chen Yu made after careful consideration.

The creature had grown too bold lately, aggressive and hard to tame. Chen Yu feared it might injure the hens and chicks in the future, so he decided to take action now—testing the effect of jade insect fruit before plucking its feathers for the pot.

He had originally bought this rooster hoping to breed more chicks with the hens, but that seemed impossible now. The rooster kept itself aloof, and the hens dared not approach, which had caused him much worry.

Elsewhere, Chen Yu left the woodshed, locked the door, then went to the wall to fetch his clay basket and hoe, carrying them as he made his way outside the manor.

The experiments with earthworms and the rooster would not yield results immediately, so he did not intend to idle. The rain had been persistent these past days, and he suspected another downpour could come at any time. He needed to clear the mountain path, lest falling rocks from above destroy the road altogether.

Except for the recent drizzle, the weather had been fairly good in the first few days. Chen Yu took advantage of clear skies to dig out roughly two-thirds of the blockage.

Today’s rain was mild, and the blocked section was not far; the path wasn’t particularly slippery.

Without any delay, he planned to spend one morning and a bit of the afternoon to clear the entire mountain path.

Once that was done, Chen Yu intended to climb the mountain again and wander through the woods.

His martial arts training now focused on the Soul-Invigorating Strength Technique, which had the advantage of requiring little time for each session. He practiced twice daily, morning and evening. The Cloud Crane Technique, previously a morning routine, was now relegated to the evening, only once a day.

That was because the evening’s radiant glow was especially stirring, unlike the coldness of dawn. He felt that pairing it with the Qi Absorption Technique’s calming effect might deepen his understanding of the Cloud Crane Technique.

Thus, his days opened up considerably.

This time going up the mountain, he intended to gather more mushrooms. It had been over ten days since his last foray, and after two sunny days following a heavy rain, there was now light rain again. He guessed plenty of mushrooms would be sprouting among the trees and grass.

He ought to go now, lest the mushrooms rot away in a few days and turn to soil.

“There’s also wild kudzu and hemp trinity—I need to find some of those.”

These were two local specialties. Previously, when he went to the mountains to search for herbs, he hadn’t found any medicine but instead brought back a variety of wild vegetables, some of which he transplanted into his garden—now entirely consumed.

He had tried many kinds, but these two tasted best. Kudzu, also called small winter plum, resembled a miniature cucumber, but its leaves were thick and crisp, with a touch of sweet spice, reminiscent of spicy strips without MSG.

They were quite appetizing when cold-dressed.

As for hemp trinity, it was a grass that produced three round, hemp-like flowers, though it had to be picked before flowering. Tasteless, but notably tender, and paired well with jade insect fruit.

The other wild vegetables were hardly worth mentioning—most were bitter and troublesome to prepare, and leaving them untreated was an injustice to his palate.

Chen Yu planned to focus on those two after climbing the mountain.

In truth, there were even more wild vegetables deep in the forest, but the remote, secluded woods deterred him from venturing further for now.

On the mountain path, a heap of mud and rocks blocked the way, scattered with broken stones and dust.

Above lay a collapsed old willow, its trunk broken halfway, cracks spreading to its midsection, many branches shattered, with fallen limbs and leaves strewn about.

Looking ahead, Chen Yu set his clay basket by his feet. The scene was already much improved; when the collapse first occurred, the blockage extended more than twenty feet ahead.

Now, only a small mound of sludge remained—the rest had been dug out by him.

Surveying his surroundings, Chen Yu rubbed his hands together, raised his hoe, and dug into the earth.

If he didn’t clear it, the path would become impassable, forcing travelers to use the ridge’s plank road—a far more dangerous route, narrow and dilapidated, with sections so loose they could collapse at a touch, much harder to traverse than the main path.

He shoveled dirt into the basket, packed two loads, then hoisted the yoke onto his shoulder, heading up the mountain.

All these dirt and rocks were to be dumped behind the mountain, where the ravines were deep and wild beasts rarely appeared—no worries about disposal there.

As for the longer walk, that was no concern.

Chen Yu, after all, was skilled, strong, and steady, striding briskly. The yoke on his shoulder never tilted, and even after dozens of steps, not a speck of dirt spilled from his baskets.

The sun climbed toward its zenith; morning passed swiftly, and soon it was midday.

He dropped the yoke and baskets, squatting on a flat stone without ceremony.

Breathing lightly, he loosened his shirt collar, letting the cool breeze flow in.

No matter how capable, he was still human. After a morning’s labor and running about, sweat had rolled down his brow—not terribly tiring, just a bit hot under the midday sun.

He reached out; rain fell on his fingertips.

The sunlight blazed, yet rain continued.

This rain was not as refreshing as the morning’s; instead, it felt warm, making his skin sweat even more.

“Only April!”

This weather was absurd. He sighed—he had arrived in the depths of winter, and now spring was already halfway gone, yet the weather remained so unpredictable.

Hot when it should be cool, cold when it should be warm.

Perhaps, this was simply a different world?

Shaking his head, Chen Yu didn’t rest long. As usual, he had taken a sip of spirit liquid before coming—lately, he deliberately incorporated the Soul-Invigorating Strength Technique into his daily routine, hoping to ease the strain it placed on his liver during intensive practice.

The spirit liquid surged, absorbed and decomposed, his body slowly restoring itself, his spirits refreshed.

Of course, this daily practice wasn’t complete, yielding less than full effect, but training while walking and sitting was what most martial artists and Taoists longed for. Chen Yu was no exception, so regardless of the results, he persisted.

For now, his progress was acceptable.

Thankfully, he no longer felt impatient. He was just over twenty, with plenty of time to refine his skills.

On the mountain path, he dug a while longer. By then, only a bit remained. The dirt, rocks, branches, and even the willow had all been moved behind the mountain.

Finally, ignoring the faint hunger in his belly, he cleared the entire path, not leaving any for the afternoon.

“All done.”

Splash—

The last load of dirt and stones tipped into the ravine. Chen Yu let out a sigh of relief, gathered his tools, and returned them to the woodshed.

It had taken nearly five days to clear the path, on and off, but today it was finally finished.

He opened the door. With a loud, clear crow, a flash of red shot before him.

Smack!

The red shadow came and went in a blur. Chen Yu slapped it aside, sending it tumbling into a corner cluttered with junk.

He set down his tools and glanced over—the rooster was still lively, showing no sign of trouble. It seemed the jade insect fruit was either unremarkable or very slow to take effect.

“Let’s hope our rooster remains so spirited tomorrow and the next.”

The rooster rose, head held high, as if an undefeated general, crowed twice, then flapped its wings and charged at him again.

Thud!

He shut the door, pulled the latch, and left it to its antics inside.

Of course, Chen Yu was not heartless—he remembered to leave half a bowl of grains, anticipating an increased appetite should any mutation occur. This half-bowl was a bit more than usual.

…

After lunch, he recited Taoist scriptures, took a brief nap.

Then he strapped on his basket, took his machete for protection and clearing the way, and headed up Green Terrace Mountain.

This time, besides foraging for food, he had another purpose—to search the woods for medicinal herbs like reed ginseng.

“If I recall, reed ginseng prefers moist environments. This time, I should try near the mountain streams.”

If he could find some, perhaps he could make a reed ginseng paste to nourish his liver.