The weak scholar in the end of ancient times

Chapter 12 How many talents do I have that I don't know about?
Hunter Xiao Liu didn't notice the reaction of the Taoist priest behind him.

Just now he came in to check if there was any danger, and then stood by to watch and observe more.

He saw Wen Gu staring at the writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone on the desk for a long time, not knowing what he was thinking, and then he began to search.

This is a study room. The space is not big and the furnishings are clearly visible. There are no valuable items such as jade.

None of them were of interest to Hunter Xiao Liu. Even if he searched for them himself, he wouldn't find anything useful.

He was only interested in things related to food and weapons.

Many of the objects in this room have no practical use in today's chaotic world.

He knew that the court of this dynasty valued literature over military power, and scholars no longer carried swords, so there was no hope of finding swords or the like here.

Books and wooden furniture. If the furniture and door panels elsewhere are used up, perhaps the villagers will come and move the things here away.

Now they have better choices. The villagers still have a little awe for the things of literati. In addition, they have limited time and can only move a limited number of things. They just take a look here and then go to other houses.

Hunter Liu was just following the old story and waiting here patiently.

Continue to observe.

He saw Wen Gu had found a small thing, which looked like an inconspicuous little thing made of bamboo. Even if he had found it himself, he would just throw it into the stove and use it as firewood.

However, when Wen Gu pulled out the scabbard, he realized that it was a knife.

Hunter Liu was suddenly shocked.

Isn’t it said that the scholar’s knife is “brush and ink”?

There really is a knife?

No matter how small it is, it is still a knife!
"Paper cutter." Wen Gu said.

"Yeah...yes. It's needed for cutting paper." Hunter Liu smiled awkwardly.

Before he could finish his sentence, Wen Gu took out a delicate, slender little decoration from somewhere on the table.

Looking again, hey, it seems to be a knife again?

It is not a precious material, but the handle has delicate patterns, fresh and elegant.

"Letter opener." Wen Gu said.

"Oh oh." Hunter Liu just nodded stupidly. This thing was a bit too flashy for him.

But, this is also a knife.

Things made by literati are so particular!
When he thought Wen Gu had finished searching, Wen Gu took out the books from the bookcase and flipped through them.

He took out another knife from the book.

In the eyes of Hunter Liu, this is not even a knife, it just has the shape of a knife. It is more like a bookmark.

The blade is not made of metal, but of animal horn. It is not as sharp as metal, but the entire blade is smooth and lustrous, with a layer of patina formed on it. It is obvious that the owner often plays with it.

I also like it for reviewing old things. I can cut paper, open letters, and use it as a bookmark. I keep it for a long time!

He stood up and looked around the room. Observing the tea-drinking habits here, he found no tea knife. Otherwise, he could have found another one.

When you are in the world, you must carry a sword.

You should carry a conspicuous knife, but you should also hide a few inconspicuous ones.

"Paper cutters, letter openers, and book knives, don't they look very elegant?" Wen Gu said.

"Uh... yes." Hunter Liu could only nod, looking a little dazed.

I always feel that some stereotypes are not quite right.

He muttered, "Can a scholar hide a knife like this?"

The Taoist priest smiled with an ambiguous smile: "When they smile, they can hide their knives even more. Scholars are so sinister... and reserved."

Over there, Wen Gu had already packed up everything he could take away.

Although they envied the many things here, they were of little use to them on their journey.

You can take the paper with you, cut it and sew it into a small notebook, and then ask the Taoist priest for a charcoal pencil, so that it will be more convenient to take notes along the way.

The more valuable books may have been taken away by the owner, and the ones placed here are all available for purchase in bookstores.

You can’t take the old things away with you, and the village doesn’t need them.

There was no telling how long these books could remain here. With no one living in or taking care of the house, it was falling into disrepair. If it started to leak, it would decay even faster. One day, the survivors might even burn all these books as firewood.

Bring brushes, ink, and inkstone with you, they will be useful in the village.

The elegant ceramic brush washer and water container were not used during the review, but were brought back to the village.

They also found two incense burners, one large and one small. The small one was exquisite and could be carried on the road, and the large one was exchanged for things in the village.

The rest of the items found—needles, thread, scissors, tea sets, cushions—were packed and hauled back to the village. After deducting what needed to be handed in, the shipping fee, and the share given to Xiao Liu, the rest was either kept for themselves or traded with others.

For three consecutive days, the villagers were busy moving things from the town and had little time to rest at night.

Three days later, more evil creatures appeared outside, so Hunter Liu stopped consuming herbs and asked the villagers to evacuate.

They will move the remaining things in winter.

Although there will be no smoke from burning fields to drive away the evil spirits, the winter is very cold and the evil spirits will move stiffly and slowly, making them easy to deal with.

In the village, we need to make more preparations for departure even after reviewing the past.

He used the items he had found, along with some raw cloth, and asked several aunts in the village to help him sew four sets of autumn and winter clothes.

He and his cousin each had two sets, one to wear and one for changing.

Shoes, boots, gloves, etc. can also be exchanged for items.

Shoes and boots are covered with animal skins to make them thicker. Gloves don't take up much space, so prepare some extra.

There was no iron armor as it had been looted by the villagers long ago, so Wen Gu exchanged it with the villagers for two sets of leather armor.

I'm not a professional in this field, so the stuff is made rather roughly, but there's no need to be particular about it at this time. As long as it can be used and can increase the defense.

Taoist Priest Qingyi is also very busy.

Since this is regarded as a retreat, the character must continue to be maintained.

He used part of what the village provided to make incense to ward off evil spirits.

Without him as the "immortal master" to perform rituals, alternative measures can be taken.

The prepared incense is handed over to the villagers and can be lit directly. If the villagers are still unsure, they can go through the process themselves and hold a ceremony to worship the gods and offer sacrifices to the heavens.

After Wen Gu knew about this, he went to talk to Taoist Qingyi and asked him to pick two simple methods of making medicinal incense to teach the villagers.

The Taoist priest was reluctant at first, but Wen Gu was right. A simple recipe of medicinal fragrance would not have much impact as long as it did not involve his life-saving skills.

Many medicinal herbs grow locally. Over the past six months, he's had villagers dig for them, and they've actually learned to identify them. As for the bean sprouts at the village head's house, he's probably almost figured out a recipe himself.

It would be better for this "immortal" to add some holy light to himself before leaving.

Then, Taoist Qingyi, with his signature masterly demeanor, said to the village chief and the others:

"The plague has struck the world, and many people have been killed and injured. People like us who practice cultivation live in seclusion in prosperous times, avoiding the hustle and bustle, and in troubled times, we descend the mountain to save the people..."

First, he gave a high-sounding speech to stabilize his character, and then he showed some kindness by expressing his willingness to teach some exclusive secret skills - making medicinal incense, which is what the villagers call "exorcism incense".

It's just a simplified version of the process. I will never pass on the more advanced technology to others easily.

Wen Gu would not be generous to others in this matter.

The villagers attached great importance to the medicinal incense, but they were more concerned about the ceremony of worshiping gods and offering sacrifices to heaven, and asked carefully about the details.

If you tell them how to kill insects and detoxify, they may not be able to remember and may even be lazy.

But if you ask how to burn incense and worship gods professionally...

You can be careless when eating, but you must not be negligent when burning incense!
Remember the steps carefully and use the correct worship posture!
Several elderly people in the village were even afraid to blink.

The Taoist priest talks about some questions in a mysterious way, but to sum it up, it depends on the wind direction, wind speed, and weather.

People who have taken care of crops for decades can still grasp these things.

At the right time, the right place, the right weather, and the right wind direction and strength, you can burn incense and worship the gods.

Of course, the Taoist priest’s more advanced methods cannot be revealed.

The villagers' attitude towards this matter was not much to say. In today's chaotic world, retaining this little spiritual support of the villagers is the courage to persevere.

Afterwards, Wen Gu went to find Liu the Hunter again.

These days, based on the descriptions of the villagers, he drew a map of the nearby area, briefly marked the information of each place, and then went to Liu the Hunter to confirm it again.

I met Xiao Liu on the way.

Hunter Liu wasn't as good at hiding things as his father was. When he saw Wen Gu, he asked, "Second Brother Wen, you went north to seek refuge with your relatives. Are your relatives really military officers?"

This is no secret in the village.

The common people of this era were still very afraid of the "officials". Although everyone had their own thoughts in troubled times, after this was exposed, the other party would also have more concerns.

Seeing Xiao Liu like this, Wen Gu roughly understood.

He said, "It's my uncle. He's a military attaché in the north. Although his position wasn't very high, he had some real power. Otherwise, I wouldn't have traveled all the way there."

Hunter Xiao Liu looked troubled. "Before the world became chaotic, I went to the county town with my father. The officials there were truly impressive."

"My father trained hawks and flying slaves for the nobles in the county. He once tried to find a job for me in the county, but he was unsuccessful."

But they never gave up.

Opportunities are like hunting in the mountains, they have to wait patiently.

Although he is young, he is patient when it comes to such matters.

Unexpectedly, the world suddenly changed, and the nobles and officials in the county town disappeared. Hunter Liu squatted aside, feeling troubled.

Wen Gu went to talk to Lao Liu.

After discussing the map issue, Lao Liu also told us his plans.

He hoped Wen Gu could take his son to the north.

Xiao Liu has mastered the family's hunting and falcon training skills, and can provide help to Wen Gu along the way.

Wen Gu said seriously, "To be honest, the world is in chaos right now, and I don't know what the situation is like in the north."

"Well, we all understand this." Hunter Lao Liu had already thought about it carefully.

The fact that two powerful figures, Wen Gu and Taoist Qingyi, are going north shows that in today's world, the north has more development prospects.

He wanted his son to go and try it out.

In this matter, compared to the Taoist Qingyi who possessed magical powers, he trusted the scholar Wen Gu more.

This was no bookworm; he was a well-educated, well-read scholar with a wealth of skills. In peaceful times, he would have become a prominent figure if he had passed the imperial examination and entered government.

Even if Wen Gu's uncle is unreliable, Wen Gu can still do well on his own.

If the son had been lucky enough to stay alive by Wen Gu's side, his life might have undergone a huge change.

Liu the Hunter knew that troubled times were a reshuffle.

While working in the home of a nobleman in the county town, he went to the teahouse to listen to storytellers telling stories, listened to scholars discussing the contents of the stories, and listened to the children of the nobles in the county town gossiping together.

He didn't understand many of the profound principles those people talked about, but he was impressed by some of their words and had his own understanding of them.

Whenever there is trouble, some powerful families fall, and some grassroots people rise.

He didn't have high expectations, he just thought that it would be great if his son could reach the north safely and find a job with a noble man.

If this noble gentleman is here to review the past...that would be even better!

Review and contemplate.

He had planned to take Xiao Liu from the beginning, but given the situation in the village, he thought they would not let him go.

He still underestimated.

Crossing classes is the obsession of these ambitious common people at the bottom of society.

While others are just thinking about staying alive, they set their sights high and are willing to take risks if they can see a glimmer of opportunity!
The Liu family father and son had the same idea.

If possible, Lao Liu might also want to go north, but the village cannot do without him, and he still has relatives in the village.

When Wen Gu came out of Liu's house, Xiao Liu was walking around outside. When he saw Wen Gu, he opened his mouth to ask something, but didn't.

Wen Gu said, "We still have to stay in the village for a few days. You can discuss it with your family before making a decision."

But it is obvious that both Lao Liu and Xiao Liu were very decisive. They made the decision and started preparing.

Xiao Liu also handed over his patrol mission in the village to others.

Other villagers in the village soon learned the news.

"How could Liu Hunter and the others be so cruel!"

“A man is worthless when he leaves his hometown!”

"After this winter, once the fort is built, it will be much safer. We have food and drink, and there are so many of us. As long as we contribute a little effort, we will be safe."

Hearing the villagers' discussions, Taoist Qingyi snorted: How can a sparrow understand the ambition of a swan!

The Liu family is ambitious!

Taoist Qingyi, who is eager to go north to realize his own value, spends all his time in his alchemy room except teaching the villagers the secret recipes.

Wen Gu decided to go and see how his teammate was doing.

Since we were family, there was no need to be so particular. I didn't write a visiting card and just went straight to the door to ask. When someone answered from inside, I pushed the door open and entered.

The Taoist priest's alchemy room is full of things, and of course they cannot all be taken away. The remaining objects and various materials will be taken over by the village chief's grandson Dou Miao.

This time, a medicine furnace was brought back from the town. When the Taoist priest leaves in the future, the villagers can prepare medicine, decoct medicine, and make incense here.

But now, it is still the Taoist priest's territory.

Seeing Wen Gu, Taoist Qingyi didn't act like his usual self, but he didn't give him a good attitude either. He raised his eyes and asked, "What's the matter?"

Wen Gu didn't beat around the bush and said, "I heard that the Taoist priest made some incense to cover up blood energy. Do you have any suitable ones that can be put into the small incense burner?"

Taoist Qingyi had seen the small incense burner that Wen Gu had found. He pointed to the corner and said, "Over there, find it yourself."

After a pause, he reminded: "Keep the account!"

"Of course." Wen Gu responded calmly.

He walked to the corner and took a look. He could recognize a few kinds of incense, but there were also some others.

"Are these also the products of the Taoist priest's alchemy?" Wen Gu pointed at the small porcelain bottles next to him.

"Not bad!"

"Can you open my eyes?"

"random."

Taoist Qingyi has always been proud of his professional skills.

"This is the pure and dirty soil I found during my travels, which I obtained after refining."

He didn't explain how to use this thing specifically, and just stood there watching the joke.

Wen Gu didn't care. He picked up a small porcelain bottle and opened it to see what was inside. It contained dry powder.

He fanned the bottle mouth with his hand, smelled the odor carefully, and then used a cloth to dip some powder on it to check.

He said to the Taoist priest, "If I guess it, how about giving me this bottle?"

"Sure! But it has to be within ten breaths."

Without a set time limit, the Taoist priest worried that he would have to try again a few times to figure it out. Whether or not he could afford it was one thing, but whether or not he was willing to give it was another. He didn't want the dog scholar to take advantage of this!
Wen Gu agreed.

Then, under the shocked gaze of Master Qing Yi, he opened the bamboo kettle he carried with him, poured some water on the powdered cloth, and rubbed it slightly.

Wen Gu looked at the Taoist priest and smiled knowingly: "So that's how it is."

Soap powder!
The cleaning effect is acceptable, better than some basic versions, and the feel is good.

Wen Gu launched into his familiar conversational routine: "I once saw a craftsman making something called soap during my travels, used for washing clothes and hands, but that soap contained more water and was cut into blocks. Did you dry this further and grind it into powder?"

Taoist Qingyi: "..."

Your uncle's!

If you answer directly, then is studying abroad really serious? ! !

Wen Gu didn't look at the Taoist priest's tense face. He looked at the small porcelain bottle in his hand.

This thing still needs to be improved. If I have the conditions in the north in the future, I can give the Taoist priest some more encouragement.

As for the village, the villagers believe more in water soaked with medicinal herbs.

They didn't bathe often. They didn't dare touch raw water, and since boiled water required firewood to boil, they tried to save as much as possible.

Soaking hands in the medicinal water can wash away stains, leave behind the scent of the herbs, and mask one's own blood and qi. If possible, the villagers would like to cover their bodies with a layer of medicinal mud.

Soap powder couldn't satisfy the villagers' needs. However, when they reached the north, if there were more survivors, they could add some medicinal herbs to make medicinal soap and sell it to wealthy families.

The Taoist priest is such a capable person!

I was more interested in reviewing the Taoist priest's "alchemy results".

Let me see, how many little talents do you have that I don’t know about?

"this is?"

Wen Gu picked up another object, a wooden strip with something painted on it, and fumbled with it for a moment.

"For kindling?"

A bit like a match.

I would make a fire starter before leaving the village, but I never expected that Taoist Qingyi had made this thing!
Why not improve it and make matches that are more convenient to carry and can be used to light fires?

Facing the Taoist priest's wary gaze, Wen Gu hurried over to talk to him and offer some suggestions - if there are still enough materials, how about we do this and that, make some improvements, and make safety matches?

When it comes to professional content, the Taoist priest immediately started thinking.

For this kind of technically savvy person, just a little bit of guidance will allow him to understand and then develop divergent thinking.

Then he disliked Wen Gu's "safety matches" because they were too vulgar and straightforward.

"You are a scholar!"

"Then what do you think we should name it?" Wen Gu didn't mind the technical talent's quibbles.

Taoist Qingyi thought for a moment and pointed at the long piece of fire starter he had made earlier: "This thing is called 'Light-Inducing Slave'."

Thinking about Wen Gu's suggestion, the Taoist priest continued to express his opinion: "After further refining, it can be named 'Complete Fire Slave'."

Review: "..."

Flying slaves, raccoon slaves, light-inducing slaves, perfect fire slaves...

Why do people here always like to name their children like Nu?

　Happy New Year to everyone!
　　I left home early in the morning and came back late, but luckily I caught up with today's update.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)