The weak scholar in the end of ancient times

Chapter 14 Departure
Not noticing Master Qingyi, Xiao Liu feebly explained to Wen Gu, "I really didn't arrange for it to perform this!"

Wen Gu said kindly, "I can see. It's just brave by nature, which is good."

Hunter Liu still looked a little overwhelmed.

Things didn't go according to his plan! My appearance was so undignified!
However, since it happened, he still carried out his original plan and showed "Ma Tuaner"'s ability to Wen Gu.

Trained falcons can recognize colors, detect and find targets, and deliver messages.

In today's world, it is indeed very helpful for traveling.

Wen Gu praised both the falcon and its owner highly, and praised them in an elegant and friendly manner for nearly a whole cup of tea.

Hunter Liu was so flattered by the praise that he felt almost overwhelmed. He had never been praised so highly by a scholar before. He just thought this "boss" was a really good person. Now he felt like that...

Hunter Xiao Liu tried hard to recall the famous saying he had heard before.

Yes, the good horse has met its master!

My abilities will not be buried!
Just as I was feeling self-satisfied and full of confidence, I heard Wen Gu ask:

"Crows are smart, and I heard they have a strong sense of revenge. Will they cause you any trouble?"

"revenge?"

Xiao Liu's eyes were blank. When he came to his senses, he said:

"Similar fights between falcons and crows have occurred before, and we encountered no retaliation."

Wen Gu thought about it.

That’s right, it was the falcon that killed the crow, so any revenge should be directed at the falcon.

I don’t know how these two groups fought in places where people couldn’t notice.

No matter what, as long as no one is involved.

"Ma Tuan'er" is indeed capable, but if it involves people, it will undoubtedly bring more trouble to the journey.

The good thing is that now it seems that the "numb" in Ma Tuan'er does not mean troublesome.

"Does it catch pigeons? It's called Fei Nu." Wen Gu asked again.

"My father said that nobles keep flying slaves. In order not to offend anyone, we trained it from the beginning to prevent it from catching flying slaves. But... well, that's its nature. Sometimes it can't help itself."

Hunter Xiao Liu explained, "My father also said that if it was very important news, the nobles would send out several flying slaves at the same time to deliver the message, in case one or two of them met with any mishaps along the way."

In other words, the noble gentlemen have taken into consideration the losses that might occur during the delivery of the letter by the flying slaves.

Even if one of them is caught by "Ma Tuan'er", the other flying slaves will always be able to deliver the letter to the destination...unless, that group of flying slaves are unlucky and are wiped out.

I shouldn't ruin the affairs of the noble gentlemen.

Regarding this question, hunter Xiao Liu reiterated: "Actually, after training, they have good self-control. Unless given orders, they rarely try to catch flying slaves."

I have a general understanding of the review.

Even if "Ma Tuan'er" catches Fei Nu, he will have a headache after arriving in the north.

At present, in general, Xiao Liu the Hunter and "Ma Tuaner" are both very good helpers.

Afterwards, Wen Gu asked Xiao Liu about his preparations for leaving home and talked to him about his future plans.

During our last few days in the village, the temperature dropped again. The temperature difference between day and night was large, so we had to take it into consideration.

The personnel have been gathered.

Originally, there were only the two Wen brothers heading north, but now there is a Taoist priest and a hunter with a falcon.

The two-person team expanded into a team of four people and one bird.

However, in Wen Gu's opinion, there are still too few people. If we meet suitable people along the way, we should recruit more people to join the team.

Before leaving the village, make a final inventory of supplies.

Wen Gu exchanged a pair of clogs for the carpenter.

Wooden clogs are not uncommon, and some people in the village used to wear them.

The carpenter had seen the nobles in the city wearing a kind of wooden clogs used for mountain climbing, and he made this kind of clogs for Wen Gu.

Even if he understood the things used by the nobles in the past, he would not dare to imitate them privately. He could only make them secretly, wear them for fun, and then destroy them.

Later, the rich and noble people in the county left or disappeared, and there was no need to worry about them anymore.

The pair of clogs he made for Wen Gu were modeled after the style favored by nobles. They could be worn not only when climbing mountains but also on rainy days or after rain.

If they are made big enough, you can wear your own shoes and boots directly on the clogs.

It can be used especially after rain to prevent shoes from getting stuck in mud.

The carpenter also specially painted it to prevent insects and corrosion.

There wasn't much paint left, and not much was found in the town. Half of it was found in the town's coffin shop, as everyone was superstitious about it.

The paint used to paint Wen Gu's clogs came from the carpenter's own stock. He had originally intended to keep it for his own use, but this time he specifically allocated some for Wen Gu's clogs. A wheelbarrow is too large, so he decided to use it for these clogs.

Wen Gu really likes it. Although he doesn't know how practical it is, this classical style suits him very much.

This is probably the legendary Xie Gong clogs...

Clogs are definitely necessary. Much of the road is dirt, and after a rain, the ground doesn't dry up for days. Every step you take stirs up a pile of mud, and after a few more steps, your feet feel like they're weighed down. In the past, you might have been okay with them, but now the situation is different, and you have to be mindful. If you need to run something, you can wear them temporarily.

The lacquer used by carpenters is raw lacquer collected from certain types of trees.

An ancient skill that has been passed down for who knows how many years.

After the date of departure was finalized, the village chief even went to talk to Wen Gu.

Just walk around the village.

"The wall that the village built before was built by demolishing the walls of our own courtyards and those vacant and dilapidated houses, and then patching it up."

"But it will get better soon. The things brought back from the town can be used to raise and reinforce the walls, and also repair the houses of the villagers."

"When the snow falls in winter, we'll go out and find some bricks, tiles, stones, and timber and bring them back to the village. The fort will be built quickly. If it's completed, the village will definitely be safer. Why risk going north? Why don't you reconsider this?"

The village chief really hopes that they can stay. Whether it is Wen Gu or the Taoist priest, they are both powerful people.

I've advised you several times, and today is the last time.

Wen Gu didn't seem to be perfunctory this time, but instead seriously analyzed the current situation with the village chief.

How many people could survive the plague of this poisonous insect? Probably only one in ten.

Among the unfortunate 90%, how many turned into monsters like those outside?

The walls built in the village can defend against ten or a hundred people, but not against a thousand, ten thousand, or even more.

Staying here can bring temporary peace, but it is not a long-term solution.

What's more, supplies are limited. Even if it can last for two years, what about after two years?

Reviewing the past reminds the villagers not to be content with the status quo.

The village chief stood there alone, pondering for a long time, and then went to discuss with Liu the Hunter.

The next day, at dawn, Wen Gu and his party gathered at the village entrance, ready to set off.

The temperature is lower in the early morning. In this temperature environment, even the deeply alienated evil creatures outside cannot move quickly. As long as they are in an area with a wide field of vision, they will have enough time to react and deal with it.

The review is all planned. We will travel in the morning and afternoon. When the temperature is high at noon, we can stop to rest and replenish food and water.

As for the evening...

The temperature is low, but the road is not visible, so let's choose a place to sleep.

Of course, winter restricts evil spirits more, but if you really wait until winter, it will be unfavorable for long journeys.

Now is the perfect time.

A wheelbarrow piled with goods was pushed out.

The three cloth backpacks were already full, and other necessary items were also packed in large cloth bags and placed on the wheelbarrow, trying to avoid being exposed to the outside.

Hunter Xiao Liu kowtowed at home before coming out.

Yesterday, the village chief came to his house and reminded him of the importance of reviewing the past. Xiao Liu felt that he had a heavy responsibility on his shoulders.

This long journey north is not only to seek a future for myself, but also to find a future for the entire village.

Walking out of the village, Xiao Liu looked back at the village and then looked towards the mountain.

There is a patch of wild kudzu on that hillside, so their village is called Ge Village.

When he went to school as a child, he could not learn anything else, but he remembered very clearly a poem that the teacher said.

"The kudzu vines grow thickly in the valley, their leaves thick and dense."

This time I went north, I didn’t know if I would have the chance to come back, or if I would have the chance to see the kudzu spreading across the hillside again.

A strong sense of sadness and reluctance rose in my heart again.

But once he calmed down, he became high-spirited and full of energy again!

Xiao Liu's father, Liu the Hunter, brought a team of people to escort them for a while and also dragged some wood back to the village.

There were two villages near the route chosen by Wen Gu. Hunter Liu had only taken people there to search for food before, but this time he also dragged some wooden furniture back to prevent them from rotting there.

After leaving the village, some villagers helped them push the wheelbarrows and demonstrated to them how to push it more easily, saving them more energy on this section of the journey.

The sun rose higher, the sky and the earth became brighter, and they also came to the crossroads of separation.

Old Liu took Little Liu aside and wanted to say something, but after holding it in for a long time, he couldn't say it.

What needs to be said has already been said at home.

At this time, both father and son had red eyes.

Lao Liu: "It was the four of you when we left, and I hope it will be the four of you when we reach the North. I hope you can all arrive in one piece!"

Xiao Liu nodded heavily with tears in his eyes.

Wen Gu looked solemn and said goodbye to everyone one by one.

I thought to myself: What are you thinking? How could there be only four people!
　Sorry, I got home so late.

　　There will be more updates starting tomorrow!

　　I won’t go out anymore, I’ll just stay at home and write!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)