Chapter 6

The branches of the holy tree, dripping with verdant vitality, emitted a rich aura of life. According to the inheritance he had just received, Wang Hao understood that this was the branch of the mistletoe parasitizing on the oak tree, which contained the methods for a Druid to cultivate and the spells they could use.

This was almost nothing like the Druids in the World of Warcraft; they couldn't be used for fighting or showing off. They could only connect with nature, understand the emotions of animals and plants, better cultivate them, and use plants to save people, among other things. The only powerful ability was to accelerate plant growth, and the seeds in the spatial bag were for this purpose.

Even without those imagined abilities, Wang Hao was already satisfied. From an ordinary person, he had become an apprentice Druid. He mocked himself, "Am I destined to be a farmer all my life? The ability to communicate with animals and plants, isn't that forcing me to farm?"

He rubbed his eyes and found that the sun was almost setting. He was startled by the "knock, knock, knock" on the door, quickly putting the items into the spatial ring to avoid any mishaps. It was safest to keep things inside.

After opening the door, he saw Old Mr. Huang squinting with a smile, "Little Wang, dinner is ready, come down and eat! You didn't eat at noon, so you should eat more tonight to have energy for climbing the mountain tomorrow."

Putting the Druid inheritance aside, Wang Hao closed the door and followed the old man downstairs.

"This old cured meat, almost all of it sold outside is fake. Only a few families in the countryside have it. You came at the right time!" While eating the hot pot, the old man still smoked, reminiscing, "In these few decades, Shennongjia has almost become unrecognizable."

The old lady didn't say much. She picked up a few pieces of cabbage and put them in the boiling brass pot, smiling, "Yes, we've guarded Shennongjia all our lives, but it's almost unrecognizable now."

In front of Wang Hao was a bowl of homemade spicy sauce, sprinkled with scallions, with a fresh and spicy taste, and crispy and fragrant peppers. Eating it made him sweat. The temperature at night in the mountain area was low, but eating hot pot didn't feel cold at all. While enjoying the food, he asked, "Hey, Old Mr. Huang, do you know if there are wild men in Shennongjia?"

"You, you're curious about such things. Let me put it this way, our ancestors have been here for generations, but we've never heard of any wild men. There are a lot of apes, maybe they were mistaken!" He was very talkative, taking a small sip of wine, savoring it.

The cured meat slices mixed with vegetables were very flavorful, and Wang Hao ate several bowls of rice.

"Since you two have been here for so long, are there any famous scenic spots on the mountain? I'd like to see them!" Wang Hao stopped his chopsticks, looking at Old Mr. Huang with great anticipation.

"The name Shennongjia comes from the legendary Emperor Yan, who is said to have built a scaffold to collect herbs here, hence the name. There's not much to see on the mountain, just mountains and trees. You can visit the Redping Gallery, Wild Man Valley, Ancient Human Site, Tianmen Ridge, and Yanzi Ridge. Of course, the Shennong Altar is a must-see. You can buy some souvenirs or herbs there, but they are quite expensive."

Old Mr. Huang introduced the famous scenic spots, which were almost in a line. You could walk and see them without any pressure, and you could finish the tour in one day without worrying about being on the mountain at night.

"Really delicious, much better than the hot pot my mom makes!" Wang Hao burped, lying comfortably in the chair, touching his stomach, and looking at the drizzle outside.

Under the dim yellow light, Old Mr. Huang turned on the TV to watch the news. Hearing Yang Lin's words, he couldn't help but be proud, "Our cured meat hot pot is famous for miles around."

Seeing the old man's proud face, Wang Hao cooperatively gave a thumbs up. When he arrived, he saw a solar water heater on the roof. Today, his body was full of sweat and dust, and he wanted to wash up and go to bed.

The new rural construction has achieved remarkable results, and at least the Huang family didn't have to worry about hot water. After a comfortable shower, Wang Hao began to ponder the Druid inheritance on his body.

Now he was just an apprentice Druid, almost without any abilities, a complete novice. But according to the knowledge of the holy tree inheritance, to improve his abilities, he needed to approach nature and feel its growth, and the life of animals and plants. Especially after obtaining the inheritance, he seemed more sensitive, and his mood was more pleasant in the fresh air.

"Anyway, there are so many gems in the spatial ring. I can just pick one and sell it to buy a large piece of land back home, becoming a wealthy landlord. Then I can slowly farm, not worrying about money." Thinking happily, he slowly fell asleep.

The rain fell with a pitter-patter sound, like in his childhood. A misty white fog enveloped the mountains, everything was so quiet, beautiful, full of life, and full of hope!

In the early morning, Wang Hao found that the old couple had already eaten breakfast and started their daily activities. He stood in the house, looking at the scenery outside, and couldn't help but take out his camera to take some photos.

Shennongjia in the rain was very majestic. The river beside the road was full of water, and streams suddenly emerged from the rocks, grass, and trees. The streams converged into the river, where the water churned and pushed, creating light yellow foam. The streams flowed through the culverts under the road, forming small waterfalls. The leaves on both sides of the road swayed in the rain, and the exposed rocks were stained black, orange, and red.

Gradually, the rain became lighter, and a bright white light appeared on the horizon. This white gradually turned into a small patch of deep blue. After buying a raincoat, Wang Hao bid farewell to Old Mr. Huang and began his mountain climbing journey.

The Shennong Altar is located in a valley surrounded by mountains. Climbing up the steps, passing through a path covered with green grass, the view suddenly opened up to a flat, open area. In the distance, a huge bull statue carved from red rock stood in the blue sky, white clouds, and green mountains and valleys. Looking at it from afar, a sense of awe arose, that was the statue of the legendary ancestor of China, Emperor Yan Shennong!

In front of the altar, there was an incense burner, and the square was paved with pebbles, with various patterns formed by the sand and stones around it. On both sides of the altar were bells and drums, which visitors could strike. There were also many small vendors nearby, selling souvenirs and herbs.

A transparent plastic sheet was spread on the ground, with various strange herbs placed on it, such as lingzhi, arrowhead, musk, and golden orchids, all available. However, buyers needed to be discerning to determine whether the herbs were wild or cultivated.

Suddenly, Wang Hao walked to the herb vendors, wanting to test whether his apprentice Druid abilities could sense the natural world, the vitality and strength of the herbs, and thus distinguish between wild and cultivated herbs.