A stench mingled with the smell of blood assailed the nostrils. The wild boar let out a piteous cry, its two long tusks sinking deep into the tree trunk.
The spot where Rong Zhi had stood moments ago was now empty.
She crouched on a tree branch, using intertwined limbs of wood to secure her medicine basket, observing the commotion below.
The tusks were lodged too deeply. The wild boar growled and backed away. With every step it took backward, the towering tree, several Zhangs tall, swayed, as if the very ground beneath it was trembling.
Rong Zhi watched the shower of vibrant green leaves falling before her, finding the boar's temperament excessively violent.
Upon closer inspection, she discovered a wooden stick, as thick as three fingers, embedded in the boar's hind leg. Only three inches of it were exposed, and its color blended with the boar's hide, making it invisible to Rong Zhi at first glance.
Given the boar's thick skin, the stick must have been the handle of a sharp weapon, deliberately inserted.
Could there be someone else here?
As she pondered this, a whoosh sound erupted, and a crossbow bolt flew from the bushes, striking the wild boar directly in the eye.
The wild boar's screams intensified, its massive body swaying violently. With a cracking sound, the boar finally managed to pull its tusks free from the tree trunk, uprooting a section of gnarled, old roots in the process. The tree toppled sideways, crushing the crowns of the surrounding trees.
The boar stumbled, disoriented, and suddenly its footing gave way. It fell into a deep pit nearby. At the same moment, a large boulder dropped from above, smashing heavily into the pit.
After a few noticeably weakened cries, all was silent from within.
A person pushed aside the grass and approached the edge of the pit, letting out a sigh.
"What a stubborn creature. If only I could subdue it with my bare hands."
"Catching prey is good enough. Why be fixated on the method? Wouldn't subduing it with bare hands be even more dangerous?"
"Who's there?"
Liu Hong turned, surprised to see a woman descending from the tree.
"Miss Lin, what are you doing here?"
He hadn't sensed her presence at all.
"I've come to gather herbs."
Rong Zhi pointed to the medicine basket still lodged in the tree.
"I didn't expect my luck to be so bad today. My first time on the mountain and I encountered a wild boar. If not for you, I'm afraid I wouldn't have made it back."
Liu Hong smiled. "Miss, there's no need for false modesty. With your agility just now, even without me, you would have found a way to escape."
This hunter was quite considerate. Rong Zhi pointed to the lifeless boar in the pit and asked, "Are you selling this wild boar to a restaurant?"
"Yes, I'm an outsider. I don't own land in the village, so I can only hunt wild game to make a meager living."
"I see."
Rong Zhi's gaze fell upon Liu Hong's face, which was remarkably normal, even handsome.
"Brother Liu, I've noticed that most people in our village show signs of poisoning. How are you unaffected?"
"Miss Lin, you are truly remarkable, to discern poisoning with a single glance."
A flicker of admiration crossed Liu Hong's eyes as he explained, "This happened two years ago. Everyone was working as usual during the day and eating meals at home in the evening. Suddenly, they all fell ill. The doctor in town suspected our water supply. At that time, I was hunting in the mountains and stayed away for days. I didn't drink the village water, so I was fine."
The water supply was problematic.
Rong Zhi mused, "Have the villagers always drunk well water?"
"Yes."
"That's strange. Why was it fine when drunk normally, but caused illness on those specific days? Could someone have deliberately poisoned it?"
"Indeed. There are many human traffickers in the village. There were also poisonings two years ago, but the authorities couldn't figure it out."
"And the doctor couldn't cure it?"
Liu Hong shook his head.
"The doctor said he had never seen this type of poison and didn't know the antidote. However, he did provide prescriptions. Thanks to those prescriptions, otherwise, who knows how many more would have died."
"I understand."
Chu Qing was called a divine doctor, yet couldn't completely cure the villagers' poisoning. Could this poison be that formidable?
"By the way, Miss Lin, in the future, when you go gathering herbs, don't come this way. Follow the direction of the east. There are many medicinal herbs on that mountainside, and fewer wild beasts. As a young lady going up the mountain, you should still pay attention to safety."
"Alright, thank you."
"You're too kind." Liu Hong seemed a little embarrassed.
"Miss Lin, I'm heading down the mountain now. It's on my way, shall we go back together?"
"Alright."
Liu Hong walked to a tree not far away, pulled out a rope from the trunk, and tugged it downwards twice.
The other end of the rope was tied to the boulder in the pit. As Liu Hong pulled, the boulder slowly rose. When it reached a certain height, Liu Hong re-tied the rope to the tree trunk.
He jumped into the pit, grabbed the wild boar's legs with one hand, and with a heave, slung it onto his shoulder.
The wild boar was not small, yet Liu Hong carried it with apparent ease. He said to Rong Zhi, "Let's go, Miss Lin."
"Alright."
Rong Zhi went to the tree where she had been hiding, grabbed a branch with each hand, leaped up to her previous position, and retrieved her medicine basket.
"Miss Lin has excellent skills."
Liu Hong couldn't help but exclaim again.
"It's truly rare for a young lady to possess such prowess."
On their way down, Liu Hong cleared the path ahead, with Rong Zhi following behind.
"Learning self-defense is hardly a great skill. My Qinggong is passable, but if it came to a fight, I'd be outmatched."
Liu Hong's expression shifted to one of understanding. Typically, martial arts practitioners had their strengths and weaknesses. If they specialized in one area, they were usually not as proficient in others, especially women. With less energy, no matter how much they practiced, they couldn't compare to men.
He thought this, assuming Rong Zhi was only skilled in Qinggong, and didn't press further.
"Brother Liu, is this the way down the mountain?"
Rong Zhi found it strange, as the path was completely different from the one they took up.
"Yes." The person ahead didn't slow his pace.
"The grass is too thick at the village entrance when going up the mountain. It just rained, so the mountain path is difficult. It's easier to go this way."
Rong Zhi glanced around. Indeed, the grass was sparser here and not as tall. It was certainly easier to navigate than the previous path.
It was good to have someone to lead the way!
"Miss Lin, if you wish to gather herbs again in the future, you can come up the mountain with me. It would be good to have company and assistance along the way."
"I'll trouble you then."
Rong Zhi didn't refuse. Although she was accustomed to gathering herbs, being new to the area, having someone lead the way was more convenient.
"Miss Lin, have you decided where to sell these herbs?"
Rong Zhi replied, "Jishi Tang."
"Oh… that's the largest medicine shop in Changping County. However, the proprietor has a rather eccentric personality. If you're negotiating prices, you should be extra careful not to be fleeced."
"How is he eccentric?"
This piqued Rong Zhi's curiosity.
As the two gradually approached the village, the slope leading down the mountain was steep, and a faint panting sound accompanied the voice of the person ahead.
"The proprietor's surname is Zhao. He's been running that medicine shop for many years. Initially, he claimed to be accumulating merit by saving lives and never sold medicine at exorbitant prices. Everyone was willing to buy from his shop. But then, he suddenly started raising prices, and they kept climbing. He stopped talking about accumulating merit, as if he had completely changed. He became incredibly stingy. If anyone from our village brought herbs to sell, Zhao would deliberately lower the price, almost like outright robbery. That's why I say you need to be cautious when negotiating prices with him."
Stingy…
She had only met the proprietor, Manager Zhao, once and didn't know his character at all.
"However, that proprietor has a good relationship with Doctor Chu. You should go see Doctor Chu. Perhaps you can negotiate a good price."
"Alright, thank you for the reminder, Brother Liu."
Rong Zhi still didn't understand why Chu Qingze wanted her to supply Jishi Tang with herbs. Was it simply because Manager Zhao was too stingy, and no one would gather herbs for him?
But any large medicine shop would have dedicated procurement channels. The small amount supplied by villagers was negligible. If the shop relied solely on a basket of herbs daily, it would have starved to death long ago.
When they reached the town, Rong Zhi intended to see just how stingy this proprietor truly was.
The two had already entered the village, and the silhouette of the haunted house slowly appeared in their line of sight. However, Liu Hong seemed oblivious and continued talking.
"Miss, if you ask me, you're better off selling to other medicine shops than Jishi Tang. You'd get more. I know a good medicine shop owner, kind-hearted. If you don't get along with that Zhao fellow, I can introduce you…"
"Xiao Mo, you're back."
Xia Yunting appeared at the doorway at some point, interrupting Liu Hong's words.
"Oh dear, you're already home. I seem to have talked too much again."
He appeared somewhat embarrassed.
"It's fine, Brother Liu. Thank you for the warning. If Manager Zhao really isn't reliable, I'll definitely find you. I'll head back now. Be careful on your way."
"Ah!"
Liu Hong's tall figure gradually receded.
Xia Yunting looked at Rong Zhi, who was smiling, and said in a flat tone, "You two seemed to be chatting quite happily."
Even he hadn't noticed the accusatory undertone in his voice.
"He knows a lot. It's not harmful to ask around."
Rong Zhi didn't think much of it and, carrying her medicine basket, prepared to enter. Suddenly, the load on her back lightened.
"Let me hold that for you!"
Xia Yunting took the medicine basket and watched Rong Zhi go inside. He remained standing there, a look of amusement on his face.
"Oh dear!"
The moment Rong Zhi stepped inside, her foot caught a rope. Instantly, her ankles were ensnared, and she was hoisted into the air, hanging precariously from the doorframe.
"Xia Yunting! What in the world are you doing?"
"Oh, Xiao Mo, how could you be so careless? I told you I'd set some traps in the courtyard. How could you step on one right as you came in?"
"Nonsense! Who would set traps at the main entrance? Would a thief enter through the main entrance?"
"That wouldn't be the case."
Xia Yunting placed the medicine basket in the courtyard and walked to the doorway, propping his chin on his hand, watching Rong Zhi with great interest.
"Xiao Mo, from this position, can you see the path leading up the mountain?"
Rong Zhi shot him a glare, managing to say, "Can you at least let me down first?"
Xia Yunting ignored her, continuing his monologue.
"I was right here just now, waiting to see when you'd return. I saw you from a distance, chatting so happily with that man, which made me wait for so long."
Rong Zhi suddenly realized something and her gaze towards Xia Yunting shifted.
"Are you jealous?"
Xia Yunting's eyes flickered, but he remained silent.
After speaking, Rong Zhi quickly realized something was amiss. Xia Yunting wasn't truly amnesiac. Their relationship was merely a collaboration; what was there to be jealous of? He was simply trying to play a trick on her.
Thinking this, Rong Zhi hooked her foot around the rope, exerting upward force. The rope was now grasped in her hand.
A dagger slid out from her sleeve, cutting the rope in a single stroke. In a flash, she was back on the ground.
Xia Yunting raised an eyebrow. He was disappointed that she had broken free so quickly.
Suddenly, Xia Yunting recoiled. Rong Zhi's dagger grazed past his face. Had he not taken that step back, his face would have been disfigured.
"Attempted murder of my husband!"
"You deserve it for playing tricks on me!"
She was determined to teach him a lesson today.
Just as Rong Zhi prepared to strike again, Xia Yunting's face suddenly turned pale, his body swayed twice, and he looked as if he was about to collapse.
Rong Zhi startled and quickly supported him. "What's wrong?"