I started on a deserted island and encountered Ying Zheng, who insisted I was an immortal.

Zhang Ying pressed it gently with her finger.

"The bones are fine, it's just a sprained ligament," he concluded.

"Go back and apply ice, it will be fine in a couple of days."

After saying that, he stood up, turned around, and squatted down with his back to her.

"Get on, I'll carry you back."

Wang Ruoshu was stunned.

Carry her on your back?

She looked at Zhang Ying's back, which wasn't exactly burly, but was exceptionally strong, and her heart skipped a beat.

"This...this is improper..." she stammered in refusal.

"Stop dawdling. Do you really want to spend the night alone in this forest? Once it gets dark, the wild boars will be out looking for food."

Wild boar?

Wang Ruoshu imagined the ferocious appearance of the protruding fangs and shuddered.

She bit her lip, looking at Zhang Ying's back, her mind in turmoil.

Ultimately, the instinct for survival overcame the girl's reserve.

She stretched out her arms and carefully wrapped them around Zhang Ying's neck, pressing her body against hers.

Zhang Ying felt a weight on her back, and her hands reached back to support her thighs steadily, then she stood up.

Wang Ruoshu's body tensed instantly.

Through the thin fabric, she could clearly feel the outline of his back muscles—hard and full of power.

A strong, masculine aura, unique to men, enveloped her entirely.

Her heart started beating even faster.

……

the other side.

Following Zhang Ying's directions, Ying Zheng and Meng Yi found the small wooden house by the stream.

"Thump...thump..."

The dull, rhythmic sounds emanated from the cabin, clearer than those heard outside.

Ying Zheng and Meng Yi exchanged a glance, both seeing the solemnity in each other's eyes.

Meng Yi stepped forward, reached out, and slowly pushed open the simple wooden door.

A faint, pleasant aroma of rice bran wafted towards me.

The scene inside the wooden house completely froze the two Qin rulers and their ministers, who were used to grand occasions.

The rice pounder, which Zhang Ying called the "automatic rice pounder," was running tirelessly.

The huge wooden wheel slowly turned under the propulsion of the water flow, driving the horizontal axle. The protrusion on the horizontal axle precisely lifted the wooden arm, and then dropped it, smashing it into the stone mortar.

The cycle repeats itself endlessly, life goes on and on.

Beside the stone mortar, there was a small pile of golden wheat grains.

On the other side were a pile of wheat husks that had been smashed to pieces, and a pile of wheat kernels that had been stripped of their outer shells, revealing plump kernels.

"This..." Meng Yi's voice was a little hoarse. He stepped forward and picked up a few grains from the pile of wheat.

The grains are intact with almost no damage.

Ying Zheng stepped forward, reached out, and gently stroked the horizontal axle that turned with the waterwheel.

The cold wood seemed to possess a power that could shake the heavens and the earth.

"Old Meng," Ying Zheng said, his voice trembling slightly.

"Go, put the wheat over there in there."

"Here you go!"

Meng Yi picked up the wooden basin containing wheat grains, took a deep breath, and poured all the wheat into the stone mortar.

"Thump!"

The wooden arm fell, slamming heavily onto the wheat grains.

"Thump!"

one more time.

The chaff and kernels begin to separate as the wheat is pounded repeatedly.

Ying Zheng and Meng Yi stood there, watching without moving.

They watched as the golden wheat husks were shaken out of the stone mortar, and as the plump wheat kernels tumbled inside.

The entire process was smooth and fluid, full of a unique beauty found only in mechanical creations.

In just a quarter of an hour.

The entire pot of wheat has been processed.

With trembling hands, Meng Yi scooped the wheat kernels out of the stone mortar.

Clean, plump, far superior to human effort.

Ying Zheng swayed slightly.

He grabbed the wooden frame beside him, panting heavily, feeling a sudden dizziness.

forage.

This was the biggest problem that plagued successive emperors and hindered the advance of the Qin cavalry.

It was solved so easily in this little wooden hut.

Meng Yi was also moved to tears.

He bowed deeply to the mortar and pestle.

"Such a divine object can benefit future generations and bring great merit to the nation!"

......

With Wang Ruoshu on her back and the prepared bamboo stalks dragging in her other hand, Zhang Ying walked towards the cave.

The muddy forest path was slippery and difficult to walk on.

Wang Ruoshu secretly raised her face slightly, looking at his jawline soaked with sweat and his profile focused on the front, her heart fluttering.

Just then.

A rustling sound came from the bushes ahead.

Zhang Ying stopped in her tracks.

A robust adult gray wolf slowly strolled out of the forest.

Its eerie green pupils stared intently at the two uninvited guests, a low, threatening growl emanating from its throat.

Wang Ruoshu's body tensed up instantly.

Almost instinctively, she broke free from Zhang Ying's back, stood on one leg, and gripped the bronze dagger at her waist with her other hand.

"It's a wolf!"

"You go quickly! I'll cover your retreat!"

She shielded Zhang Ying behind her, adopting a defensive stance, even though her injured ankle made her stand unsteadily.

Zhang Ying looked at her slender yet resolute back, somewhat surprised.

This girl is quite loyal.

"take it easy."

Zhang Ying's voice was calm as he reached out and pressed down on Wang Ruoshu's hand that was holding the sword.

"You'll scare it."

Scare it?

Wang Ruoshu was a little slow to grasp the concept.

That's a wolf! A man-eating wolf!

Zhang Ying ignored her, slowly squatted down, and rummaged in her pants pocket for a while.

He took out a piece of pork jerky wrapped in oil paper.

These are the snacks he uses to replenish salt and energy while working.

He gently tossed the jerky towards the gray wolf.

The jerky landed on the grass not far from the wolf.

The gray wolf sniffed warily, and only after confirming there was no danger did it stick out its tongue and roll the jerky into its mouth.

It seems to really like the taste.

Seeing this, Zhang Ying took out a roasted lamb leg from a small cloth bag she carried with her.

These are the leftovers from yesterday.

He threw the lamb leg at the gray wolf again.

This time, the gray wolf did not hesitate at all. It picked up the lamb leg, which was bigger than its head, turned around, and disappeared back into the dense forest.

The whole process was eerily quiet.

Wang Ruoshu stood there, gripping the sword, completely dumbfounded.

They're... gone?

She grew up in the military camp with her father and brothers, and witnessed the bravest soldiers fighting against the most ferocious beasts.

But she had never seen anyone make a hungry wolf retreat obediently with just a piece of meat or a leg.

This is something no ordinary person could do.

This must be a divine technique.

"Alright, let's go."

Zhang Ying's voice pulled her back to reality.

He picked her up again, hoisted the bamboo onto his shoulder, and continued walking forward.

"That... what kind of magic is that?"

Wang Ruoshu leaned on his shoulder and couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

"What magic? I just fed them some food."

Zhang Ying answered casually.

"But...but that's a wolf."