Grass and mustard reign supreme

Chapter 150 Useless knowledge increases again

Qin Taiguang and Qiu Che lurked behind the woodpile, like two field mice peeking into the valley, cautiously peeking out.

They were acting suspiciously, hoping to find an opportunity to sneak up to the top of the hill in front of the row of houses.

The two women who just passed by said that the reason those children were practicing martial arts so enthusiastically was to show off to Yang Can.

This means that Yang Can is in front.

However, the two were so focused on staring ahead that they were completely unaware that two pairs of embroidered shoes were silently moving towards them on the snow behind them, like butterflies treading on the snow.

The roads are slippery in the snow. This section of the snow path under the eaves has been trampled solid by frequent footsteps, forming a thin, glistening layer of ice that is as smooth as a mirror.

Rouge and Vermilion walked hand in hand, very carefully, as they had been shuffling along the way.

The moment they turned the corner, the two sisters stopped in their tracks.

Beside the woodpile, two burly men were squatting, peeking around suspiciously; they were clearly not good people.

Rouge was startled and instinctively shielded Zhu Sha behind her back. Her shrill voice ripped through the silence of the mountain valley like tearing silk.

"Catch the thief! There's a lecherous scoundrel spying here!"

Her shout was so powerful that all the women living in the row of houses heard it.

These Xianbei women were all fierce and brave; almost all of them had experience wielding knives and bows, protecting sheep and fighting wolves.

Upon hearing Rouge's shout, they either grabbed red-hot fire tongs or heavy door bolts, and despite their swollen bellies, they still rushed out cursing.

The front yard was even more lively, with a group of children enthusiastically demonstrating their martial arts skills to their godfather, Yang Can.

Upon hearing the words "catch the lecherous man," the children were overjoyed, as if hearing the sound of war drums.

A child raised his wooden knife, shouted "Go beat up the villain!" and ran away.

Not to be outdone, a group of children behind them, like a pack of young tigers released from their cages, rushed towards Fangshantou.

Their short legs braced against the snow, and even if they slipped and fell, they didn't utter a sound, immediately getting up and continuing to run.

Yang Can frowned upon hearing the shout, feeling quite displeased.

This Chicken and Goose Mountain was originally the private land of the Yu family. Apart from the gardener who managed the orchard on the front mountain, who else was there?
He had repeatedly forbidden the gardeners from coming here, yet some people were still blinded by lust and didn't even spare pregnant women!
This is simply outrageous...

No, these pregnant women have been here for a long time, and we've never seen them spying on us before.

Also, that shout just now, it must have been Rouge who shouted it, right?
So, it's because the two pretty maids, Rouge and Vermilion, moved here that the gardeners from the front hill came to spy on them?
Thinking about it this way, Yang Can became even angrier.

You dare to covet my maids?
Want to? Even if I wanted to, it wouldn't work!

As Yang Can strode towards the back of the house, he pondered how to punish these lust-blinded fools.

Leopard Head Cheng Dakuan and Wangcai followed closely behind him, their boots crunching on the snow.

Qin Taiguang and Qiu Che, who were standing by the woodpile, were startled by Rouge's shout.

When the two of them hurriedly stood up, they were dumbfounded. What came running at the sound was a group of pregnant women with bellies as big as drums!

These women, each with a furious expression, brandished door bolts and grabbed fire tongs, rushing forward while cursing loudly; they were truly fierce.

"Where did this scoundrel come from! Daring to cause trouble here!"

"Break their legs!"

"Stop! Everyone, stop! This is a misunderstanding..."

Qin Taiguang's explanation was interrupted by the women's attacks before he could finish speaking, and he and Qiu Che could only dodge repeatedly.

A woman in front of him was rushing too fast and slipped, almost falling. Qin Taiguang instinctively reached out to help her up.

He managed to catch the woman, but he himself took a solid hit on the shoulder with a door bar, causing him to gasp in pain and awkwardly turn to the side to avoid it.

The two of them struggled to break free of the woman's encirclement, and after running a dozen or so steps, they ran into a group of "little devils" head-on.

The children, dressed in matching gray short-sleeved shirts, some holding wooden knives, others clenching their fists, rushed forward excitedly, like fledgling eagles seeing prey, howling with delight.

Qin Taiguang and Qiu Che were dumbfounded. They were not facing soldiers with spears, nor swordsmen.

Standing before them were a group of women and a bunch of children, some empty-handed and others wielding wooden knives.

The women were all heavily pregnant.

The oldest of these children looks to be only seven or eight years old.

What a tragedy! They... dared not fight back at all!

They were supposed to be dignified Mohists, yet these women before them had bellies as big as drums, and the oldest children were no more than seven or eight years old…

If they were to actually attack a group of pregnant women and children, they would be finished with their jobs.

I might as well buy a block of tofu and smash my head against it; I can't bear the shame of that.

But if they didn't fight back, it would be really difficult for them to escape; they were already entangled with these kids.

The pregnant women didn't go forward again, otherwise they would have been knocked down by these howling calves.

They formed a semi-circle around the outside, pointing at Qin Taiguang and Qiu Che and cursing loudly.

The children swarmed around them like a bunch of monkeys, some hugging their legs, some climbing on them, and some wielding wooden knives to cut their arms.

If they try to force their way out, they'll inevitably knock down a large number of children.

"Stop!" Yang Can's voice came from outside the crowd.

Yang Can walked around Fangshantou and saw the two men looking disheveled as they were being pestered by the children.

This further convinced Yang Can that they were orchard workers who had sneaked in from the front of the mountain.

Knowing their behavior was indecent, yet not daring to fight back, and surrounded by children yet not daring to escape, who else could they be but gardeners from the front of the mountain?

Yang Can glanced at Rouge, noticing that she was dressed neatly and her hair was not disheveled. Clearly, these two unlucky guys had already exposed their whereabouts before they could succeed.

Yang Can felt a little better. Hmph! They can't be let off so easily!

I'll first fine them all their New Year's bonuses, and then I'll have the orchard manager give them a good talking-to.

After thinking for a moment, Yang Can said in a deep voice, "Alright, stop!"

In the hearts of these children, Yang Can's prestige was as solid as Mount Tai, and any word he uttered was as weighty as a military order.

The child who had climbed onto Qiu Che's shoulder was puffing out his cheeks, about to nibble on his ear, when he heard his godfather speak. He immediately withdrew his teeth and slid down Qiu Che's robes using both hands and feet.

The children who had gathered around all took a few steps back, their little faces still full of anger, but they obediently formed a circle.

Yang Can strode forward, his gaze sweeping over Qin Taiguang and Qiu Che. Their clothes were slightly disheveled, but they looked decent enough not to be sleazy.

Yang Can was not familiar with the gardeners on the front mountain. He could only vaguely recognize two or three of them. At this moment, he still assumed that the two of them were the audacious gardeners.

Yang Can shouted angrily, "How dare you! Don't you know the prohibition I issued? Who gave you permission to come to the back mountain?"

Qiu Che raised his hand to wipe away the child's drool from his ear, his right thumb tightly gripping the first joint of his index finger, his right wrist lightly resting against his left wrist, his posture dignified and composed like a pine tree.

He said in a deep voice, "By adhering to the rules and sticking to the rules, can you even find your way?"

"Huh?" Yang Can paused, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes.

This demeanor and these words don't seem like those of a gardener. What kind of slang is this? What is he saying?
Seeing him in a daze, Qiu Che remained motionless in that strange posture and asked again, word by word, "By adhering to the rules and sticking to the rules, can you find the way?"

This time he spoke much more slowly, and each word was clearly audible to Yang Can. Yang Can finally understood what he was saying.

"By adhering to the rules and following the principles, you will find the way..."

Yang Can repeated it to himself, then was immediately surprised – he knew that phrase well!
In his previous life, he was a programmer; those game company bosses were all perverts.

Why can't they just stick to making their reskinned games? They just won't.

Perhaps these bosses can't stand seeing their employees earning high salaries, so they try every means to make things difficult for them.

After the release of "Black Myth: Wukong", their boss was probably stimulated and became even more abnormal, and from then on, his requirements for game development became extremely demanding.

Hey! You know what, under the boss's strict demands, he actually mastered a lot of seemingly useless knowledge in the design of various games.

But... it's only relative to say it's useless.

When he traveled through time and space, all that useless knowledge suddenly became useful.

For example, the company once produced an ancient-style game set in the Qin Dynasty, which featured four professions: warrior, assassin, sorcerer, and Mohist.

In order to faithfully recreate many of the characteristics of the Mohists and to imbue the game with a sense of historical weight, their team, under the boss's demanding requirements, immersed themselves in ancient books for several months and conducted extremely detailed research on the Mohist profession.

And “Hold fast to the rules and follow the rules, and you will know the way” is a secret code they found in that ancient book, used by fellow Mohists to check each other’s identities!
What later generations are most familiar with are the hand gestures and secret codes used by members of the Green Gang to inquire about each other's origins, because people have seen them in many movies and TV dramas.

For example, with your left hand hanging naturally, your right thumb clasped in your palm, and your four fingers straight and pressed lightly against your chest, you can say, "I don't lie in front of the boss, where are the three elders and four juniors?"

Few people know that the Mohists of the pre-Qin period already had a similar tradition.

Their coded gestures were simply more concise, lacking the complexity of those used by later martial arts gangs. Yang Can discovered this set of corresponding gestures and slang when he consulted ancient texts.

He personally programmed this code word into the game back then, and he even remembers the corresponding hand gestures.

At this moment, Qiu Che's hand gestures and cuts were exactly the same as those recorded in the ancient book.

Could it be... that I've encountered a living Mohist?

Yang Can hesitated, actually trying hard to recall the records in the ancient book he had read before.

Then, he clenched his left fist, extending only his index and middle fingers into a "gui" shape, while his right hand stretched out like a ruler, resting steadily under his left elbow. This was the Mohist gesture that corresponded to the coded message he was about to utter.

"With the plumb line as our guide, will those who share our ideals unite?"

Yang Can's words unconsciously carried a hint of doubt.

After all, the authenticity of those ancient records was hard to verify, and he wasn't entirely confident.

The wariness in Qiu Che's eyes turned into relief. He really was a fellow disciple of the Mo family.

Qin Taiguang breathed a sigh of relief, turned his head and raised his chin at the women and children who were still watching him menacingly, and said in a deep voice: "I have something important to discuss with you. Please find a quiet place to talk in detail!"

Yang Can refused: "If you have something to say, just say it here. Why hide it?"

He was curious about the legendary Mohists, but he did not lose his vigilance because of it.

Who knows what these Mohists are up to, sneaking around like this?

He remembered that after the Mohists were divided into three factions, one of them consisted of wandering knights and assassins.

The chivalrous faction initially acted out of righteousness and kept their promises, but later gradually degenerated into opportunists, with many taking risks for money.

Yang Can didn't know when those Moists began to transform.

Who can guarantee that these two men weren't sent here to assassinate someone else?

Qiu Che's expression darkened when he saw that Qiu Che was unwilling to leave and talk privately with him.

Actually, he wanted to call Yang Can aside not only because they didn't want too many people to hear their conversation, but also for another reason.

That was to confirm Yang Can's identity once again, which was done with the "Ink Verification Talisman".

"Ink Talisman" is a token passed down from master to disciple in the Mohist school. It is made by each generation of Mohist masters for their disciples after they are accepted.
Whether made of bamboo or bronze, the front bears the character "墨" (ink) in seal script, while the back is engraved with precepts such as "frugality" and "universal love."
The distinguishing feature is the intricate pattern surrounding the ink characters, which cannot be forged by others after a few glances.

But Qin Taiguang thought about it a step further. In his eyes, Yang Can's refusal was a sign of "a guilty conscience."

Qin Mo's disciples knew all along that Qi Mo had a plan in Guanzhong, yet they still managed to interfere!

Yang Can refused to leave with them. He only suspected that Yang Can was guilty of something, and never doubted that Yang Can was not a member of the Mo Sect.

Because, before Qiu Che even mentioned the incision, he had already decided that Yang Can was a fellow disciple.

After all, the Mohists practice asceticism as if they were cultivating themselves, with neither glory nor power to gain. Who would go to such lengths to impersonate them?
Moreover, their information came from Ju Zi, who in turn received it from Liu Bo, who then relayed it to Yu Rui. Through these multiple transfers, Yang Can's identity as a "Mohist" had long been firmly established in his mind.

Seeing that Yang Can refused to go with them, Qin Taiguang took a step forward and gave Yang Can a look that said "come closer and talk".

After a moment's thought, Yang Can raised his hand to stop Leopard Head Cheng Dakuan, who was about to follow, and took two steps forward alone, standing no more than three feet away from the two of them.

Qin Taiguang lowered his voice and said, "The Guanzhong Plain is the place where Qi Mo has been planning for a long time."

You disciples of Qin Mo, please leave as soon as possible to avoid damaging the harmony among your fellow disciples.”

Yang Can tried to process Qin Taiguang's words, um...

Does he mean he's Qi Mo's disciple?
He mistook me for Qin Mo's disciple?

Qin Mo, Qin Mo...

I improved the plow and waterwheel, is that because of this?

Thinking of this, Yang Can's lips twitched almost imperceptibly. Was the way these Mohists identified their sect members really so hasty?

Indeed, even the most rigorous, semi-military school of thought in legends was far more meticulous than any organization in later generations.

But what nonsense was he just spouting?

Two Shandong men came over and told me, a Shaanxi native, to get out of Guanzhong.

Is this really going against the Heavenly Order?
Yang Can regretted it a little. If he had known that the other party was there to cause trouble, he wouldn't have accepted their code words and secret phrases out of curiosity.

If you deny it now, the other party will probably just think you're being cowardly and making excuses.

In addition, he said that Guanzhong was the place where Qi Mo laid out his plans, so what kind of plan were they going to lay out?

Yang Can suddenly became curious about this as well.

After all, he was about to become the lord of a city, and in the Guanzhong Plain, he was considered a figure of some importance.

From then on, every little thing happening in Guanzhong would be closely related to him.

What exactly is this massive Mohist organization planning here?
Yang Can wanted to use vague language to try and extract more useful information from the other party.

Yang Can then said, "Guanlong has always been the foundation of my Qin Mo!"
Everyone should rely on their own abilities to establish themselves. How can you expect others to back down just because you've set up your positions here?

Isn't this a bit too domineering?

Qin Taiguang smiled faintly, and through his ambiguous words, managed to find out the extent of the cooperation between Qin Mojuzi and the Yu family.

So, following up on the conversation, he said, "It's only the second day of the Lunar New Year, and your Qin Mo Juzi has already condescended to personally visit Phoenix Manor."

This attitude clearly places Qin Mo's entire future on the Yu family's shoulders.

Moreover, judging from this situation, it seems that Qin Mo has already become a vassal of the Yu clan.

"Of the eight clans, the Yu clan is the weakest. Do you really think Qin Mo has any chance of turning things around, betting on him like this?"

Did Qin Mo Juzi go to Phoenix Manor today?

Yang Can's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that I misjudged him before, and that old man Yu Xinglong was pretending to be weak while actually being strong?
While leveraging the influence of the Suo family, he also secretly recruited the Mohists of Qin for their assistance.
Countless thoughts churned in his mind, but Yang Can remained expressionless.

He retorted, "It is precisely because they are weak that they rely on us wholeheartedly."

"And you Qi Mo, who have always held yourself in high esteem and disdained to submit to others, what achievements have you made in Guanzhong?"

"Obstinate!"

Qin Taiguang's face darkened, and he flicked his sleeve, saying, "In that case, let's each rely on our own abilities to determine who is better."

If we meet again someday, there will be no camaraderie among our fellow disciples, only political disagreements. Farewell!

After saying that, he clasped his hands in a fist salute to Yang Can, then turned around and strode away with Qiu Che.

The women and children who had been surrounding them could now see that the two men were not lecherous men.

Seeing that Yang Can did not give any orders to stop them, they naturally did not take any further action.

As Yang Can watched the two figures stride up the mountain, his mind was entirely focused on the matter of "Qin Mo Juzi going up the mountain".

Today is only the second day of the Lunar New Year, so there shouldn't be too many people going up the mountain to pay New Year's visits.

Once back on the mountain, all you need to do is ask the gatekeeper who came up the mountain today; it should be easy to find out who Qin Moju is among them.

Thinking of this, Yang Can raised an eyebrow and turned to leave.

But as he turned around, a flash of light suddenly appeared on the ground, blinding him.

Yang Can stopped in his tracks, squinted, and saw a faint reflection hidden in the snow, embedded in the spot where Qin Qiu and the other man had been surrounded.

Yang Can then slowly walked over.

Yan Zhi stood in the snow, watching Yang Can walk towards her step by step. Her heart pounded so hard that she almost couldn't hold her pee.

"Old...Master..."

Rouge felt a little flustered, yet also a little happy, unable to fathom what the master meant by walking straight toward her in front of so many people.

Yang Can slowly squatted down in front of Yan Zhi and gently patted her calf: "Lift your foot."

"Ah? Oh!"

Rouge hurriedly responded, and when she looked down, she realized that she seemed to have stepped on something with the sole of her boot.

A small part of the thing was exposed, gleaming coldly in the snow, and it seemed to be... cast in bronze?
Rouge quickly moved aside, and a black talisman embedded in the snow was revealed.

It must have been accidentally dropped by Qin Taiguang or Qiu Che when the children were climbing and playing around.

Yang Can reached out and pulled the ink talisman out of the snow, examining it curiously from both sides several times.

The bronze talisman was cool to the touch. On the front was an ancient character for "ink," and on the back were the words "frugality." The surrounding patterns were extremely intricate and exquisite.

Yang Can pondered for a moment, then tucked the ink talisman into his robes and ordered in a deep voice, "Da Kuan, prepare the horses. We're returning to the mountain immediately!"

P.S.: Ten days have passed, please give me some monthly votes!
(End of this chapter)