Chapter 25

Because the bone-growing grass had already been found, Choi Al-an wanted to leave the forest.

Lin Bei, however, told them to wait a moment. He went out for an hour and returned dragging a wild boar.

Over the past two days, Lin Bei had ventured deep into Mount Fu and discovered that the number of wild boar herds was quite large. Many herds numbered in the dozens, and Lin Bei had even found two herds with over a hundred boars. Wild boars reproduce quickly and have few natural predators. Lin Bei believed that these wild boars were already beginning to disrupt the ecosystem of Mount Fu. Therefore, if the hunters wanted to hunt large animals in the future, Lin Bei estimated that he would target the wild boars.

Placing the wild boar in front of the three, Lin Bei pointed at it.

This wild boar was naturally Lin Bei's reward to the three for their good work, and also for the two days they had delayed the hunters.

Choi Al-an quickly thanked him, but then her face turned a bit worried.

Wild boars are very heavy, and this one was particularly fat and strong, weighing at least 300 pounds. This time, they hadn't brought their ox, so it would be quite difficult for the three to carry the wild boar back.

Seeing this, Lin Bei thought to himself that he might as well do a good deed to the end. Since he had nowhere to use his strength, he directly picked up the wild boar and gestured to the three, indicating that they should go. This action earned him more gratitude from the three.

Lin Bei acted as both a deliveryman and a security guard. His presence was already familiar to the surrounding animals, so there were no tigers or wolves in the areas he passed through, and the journey went quite smoothly.

From Longtan, the forest's edge near Xishan Township was about 25 miles away, which was quite far. This was the straight route; if they took a detour, it would be about 30 miles. As for the small river flowing down from Longtan, it did not pass through Xishan Township but circled around the forest and then returned. Choi Al-an said that the river was not very long and would flow into a cave after about ten more miles, disappearing there.

"Sir, a few days ago, people from Dongshan Township said that a monster appeared there, a large snake. It's said to have eaten people. Sir, have you heard about this?" Choi Al-an asked.

The hunters were no longer as afraid of Lin Bei, so they dared to ask such questions. Otherwise, they would have kept it to themselves.

Lin Bei pointed to himself with his tail.

"Is it you, Sir?" Jiu-lang asked in surprise.

Lin Bei nodded.

"But how can Sir be said to eat people?"

Lin Bei shook his head; he had no idea.

Rumors can be very frightening. Lin Bei's appearance in Dongshan Township was rumored to be that of a monster. If it wasn't said that he ate people, wouldn't that tarnish the monster's reputation? There are always gossipy women in the countryside who, after a few rounds of spreading the story, wouldn't be surprised even if he swallowed an entire county.

"These days, the hunters from Dongshan Township dare not enter the mountains to hunt. They are said to be terrified, probably afraid that Sir will eat them," Hu-tou said with a simple smile, somewhat gloating.

Choi Al-an explained, "Our two townships are neighbors, but our relationship is not very good. Sir, do you know the Chunshui River? Oh, the Chunshui River flows through both our townships, with Dongshan Township upstream and us downstream. In dry years, Dongshan Township will block the water, and we in Xishan Township have to travel dozens of miles to fetch water from Dongshan Township. In the past few years, we have even fought several battles over this, with mixed results."

"Al-an's reputation also comes from these battles. Al-an is very capable. Don't look at her being a woman; many men can't match her. Unfortunately, because she is a woman, she cannot become a knight-errant."

Knight-errant? Lin Bei thought about it carefully and finally understood. A knight-errant was like the ancient men who could wear swords. In ancient times, swords represented nobility and martial prowess, and those who could wear swords were mostly from noble families or scholar-gentry. If this were the Three Kingdoms period, the status of a knight-errant would still be quite useful. Though they had no official position, they were highly respected in the countryside, even comparable to the head of a village or the clan leader. Additionally, knights-errant were very violent. This era was said to be one where people could easily draw their swords and kill over minor disputes. Verbal arguments, which are common in modern times, especially online, would be very dangerous here. One had to be cautious with words, or they could easily invite trouble.

Understanding what a knight-errant was, Lin Bei was somewhat dismissive. What was wrong with being a woman? Lin Bei came from the modern era, where the concept of equality was deeply ingrained. His wife, Gao Rou, though her name suggests gentleness, had a very strong personality, which complemented Lin Bei's calmness. In most families, the man was the breadwinner and the woman managed the household, but in Lin Bei's family, Gao Rou's words carried a lot of weight. This made Lin Bei appreciate strong and independent women even more. In his view, Choi Al-an's standards were too low. If one had the skills, they should use them, regardless of what others thought.

"There is something I need to tell Sir. Xu Da-tou from Dongshan Township has returned from his travels. He has heard about Sir and is preparing to lead people into the mountains to kill Sir," Choi Al-an suddenly said.

When she first heard about the monster in Dongshan Township, Choi Al-an wondered if it might be Lin Bei. Now that she knew it was related to Lin Bei, she naturally gave a warning. However, she wasn't really worried. Sir was a monster who could easily kill wild boars and bears; how could he be afraid of a few village knights-errant? Dongshan Township had always relied on Xu Da-tou and his dozen or so knights-errant, which had always put Xishan Township at a disadvantage in terms of martial prowess. Choi Al-an was actually hoping that Xu Da-tou would suffer a major setback.

Lin Bei nodded slightly, not really concerned. This wasn't the age of mythology. He was an anomaly. What did the current Lin Bei have to fear? It was a joke. Even if Xiang Yu or Lü Bu came, Lin Bei was confident he could beat them to the ground. How much more so for someone he had never even heard of, like Xu Da-tou? Big head, huh? He'll flatten him.

With the topic opened, the three hunters chattered on about the enmity and grievances between Dongshan Township and Xishan Township, as well as the rumors they had heard from various places.

"Sir, have you heard of the Great Virtuous Teachers? It's said that their talismans are very effective, capable of bringing the dead back to life. If someone is sick, they just need to stick a talisman and they will be as lively as a dragon. This is the power of the gods. Sir, you should know this, right?"

Lin Bei immediately took note. Great Virtuous Teachers? General of Heaven Zhang Jiao? The Three Kingdoms, indeed. It seemed that Zhang Jiao had just founded the Taiping Dao and was sending disciples to spread the teachings. In a few years, there would be a massive Yellow Turban Rebellion that would sweep across China, marking the beginning of the fall of the Han Dynasty.