Don't Be Unreasonable

The bamboo raft floated out of the small river and merged into the larger one. Niu Youdao put away his bamboo pole, letting the raft drift with the current. As for where he was going, it was likely where Dongguo Haoran said. People's dying words are often kind; there was no reason for him to deceive himself, so he didn't need to be overly suspicious.

Sitting on the raft, he used his wood-cutting knife to split some small bamboo strips. He pulled out some dry branches he had prepared earlier, took out a fire starter, and lit a small pile of fire on the flat, large stone. He began to roast the small bamboo strips, baking out their sap until they were sufficiently pliable. Then, he cut the bamboo strips into small segments. He pulled out the hemp string he had prepared in the village from his bosom, stretched it taut with his hands to confirm its strength, and then tied the small bamboo segments at their midpoints onto the hemp string.

He then took out a wheat stalk from his bosom, cut it into small segments, and bent the resilient bamboo strips. The small wheat stalk segments were used to secure the ends of the taut bamboo strips, preventing them from springing open. He reached into a hole in his tattered clothes and fumbled around, pulling out a small handful of wheat grains. He had painstakingly picked these out from the muddy ground in the village, likely spilled when the bandit soldiers were looting. He pinched a wheat grain and stuffed it into the hole of the wheat stalk segment that secured the ends of the bamboo strips. In this manner, he made over a dozen simple traps on a single length of hemp string.

Afterward, he put the hemp string into the water, tying one end to the raft, and let fate decide the rest. Niu Youdao paid it no further mind. He took a section of bamboo tube, scooped up some water from the river, and slowly swallowed it, warming it in his mouth before letting it go down his throat. He sat on the raft, warming himself by the fire, admiring the scenery on both banks of the river, his eyes clearly filled with curiosity about this world.

After an unknown amount of time, he suddenly felt a slight tug on the raft beneath him, as if something was pulling it underwater. His expression brightened. The tugging continued, but he remained seated, not moving. It didn't take long before the tugging stopped.

He pulled the hemp string attached to the back of the raft, and soon a fish weighing two to three pounds was dragged out of the water. The fish's gills were already spread open by the sprung bamboo strips. In just a short time, the fish was half-dead. Don't underestimate these small and simple fishing traps. The gills are a fish's respiratory system underwater. With their breathing obstructed, even fish living underwater would drown. These bamboo strips were elastic, and the fish couldn't break free with one or two struggles. Coupled with the lack of oxygen, the fish quickly lost its strength underwater. Once caught, it was difficult to escape, unlike fish caught by a hook, which could struggle for a long time underwater.

Of course, this small trap had its flaws; it was difficult to catch large fish.

There was no other way. The conditions in the village were limited, and he had no food to carry. He could only make do with whatever he could find, adapting to the circumstances. He had to find a way to fill his stomach along the way.

He removed the fish, tossed it aside, re-tensioned the small wheat stalks, attached bait, and put it back into the water. The other wheat grains had already softened. He estimated that the chances of luring fish had greatly increased.

He picked up the half-dead fish, took out his dagger, gutted it, and rinsed it briefly in the river. He relit the fire, skewered the fish on a stick, and began roasting it with great satisfaction. Since he could catch fish, it seemed the ecological environment here was quite good. He decided to eat, drink, relieve himself, and sleep on the raft. He had heard that this area was in turmoil with war and chaos, so it was probably safer to stay on the raft.

Just as the fish was cooked, Niu Youdao, still blowing on his hands to cool the hot fish and hadn't taken a bite, felt another tugging sensation beneath the raft. Niu Youdao was delighted.

Meanwhile, on the shore in the distance, a carriage was galloping along a bumpy road, pursued by a troop of horsemen. They quickly caught up. The charging cavalry on both sides raised their bows and crossbows and unleashed a volley of shots at the carriage. Screams could be heard, and the carriage was quickly brought to a halt.

As the raft passed by, Niu Youdao, slowly gnawing on the roasted fish, personally witnessed soldiers throwing several corpses out of the carriage. One person seemed not to be dead and was kneeling on the ground, begging for mercy. A general rode up on horseback, thrust his spear forward, and stabbed the kneeling person.

Committing murder in broad daylight, for Niu Youdao, who had experienced another world, was a bit much. More importantly, the sights he had witnessed in the village earlier had given him a preconceived negative impression of these soldiers, and he could only watch with cold indifference.

The general who had withdrawn his spear also noticed Niu Youdao. How strange, roasting fish on a raft?

Niu Youdao also noticed that the soldiers had noticed him. He pretended to be an honest citizen, busying himself, pulling the hemp string from behind the raft, and reeling in another fish.

The general's eyes showed a look of interest. He said to a subordinate beside him, "In the dead of winter, wearing ragged, cold clothes, yet he has a way to fill his stomach. This young man looks sharp. With a bit of training, he might be a good prospect." The voice was a woman's.

The subordinate understood. This meant they were going to capture the young man to be a soldier. He immediately shouted to Niu Youdao on the raft, "Hey, young man, hurry and come ashore! We need to ask you something." They intended to trick him.

How could Niu Youdao dare to come ashore? He pretended not to hear, casually wiped his hands on his clothes, pulled out the roasted fish stuck in the raft, and continued to bury his head in eating. He was acting deaf.

Thwack! An arrow shaft embedded itself in the raft, trembling slightly, right next to Niu Youdao. It had almost startled him! If it had missed by a little, what would have happened?

He looked up angrily and saw that it was the same general who had killed someone with a spear earlier.

The general, sitting on his horse, pointed his bow and shouted, "Young man, come here!"

The voice was clear and bright, quite pleasant to hear. Niu Youdao then realized this was a female general. Because she was covered in travel dust and wearing armor, he couldn't tell if she was male or female. He immediately became angry and gave her the middle finger, adding loudly, "Bitch!"

Although the female general didn't understand what the middle finger meant, she could tell from his curses that the gesture was definitely not a compliment. A commoner daring to curse at soldiers directly was quite bold. It was somewhat interesting. She let out a cold laugh.

Immediately, more than a dozen of her subordinates drew their bows and nocked arrows, aiming in his direction.

"Oh, hell!" Niu Youdao exclaimed. How could he forget that they had bows and arrows? He shouldn't have cursed and angered them. He flipped over and plunged into the icy river with a splash.

A series of thwack sounds followed as a dozen arrows embedded themselves in the spot where Niu Youdao had been sitting. The firelight leaped up, and the firewood burning on the stone slab was scattered by the arrows.

The female general exclaimed, "Oh?" Her eyes showed even more admiration. She found this young man to be extraordinary, with quick reaction speed. Most people would have been terrified and at a loss. This young man's first reaction was to preemptively avoid danger, confirming that he was indeed a good prospect and further increasing her interest in recruiting him.

She raised her hand, stopping her subordinates who were about to shoot again, and watched him with a playful expression, leading her troops to parallel the drifting raft.

Reaching underwater, he grabbed the edge of the raft and surfaced. Niu Youdao saw that the pile of dry firewood on the raft had been ignited by the fire. He quickly waved his arms, splashing water, and extinguished the newly ignited flames. If the raft were burned, he would have no means of transport to take Dongguo Haoran's body to the Shangqing Sect with his current physique.

Seeing the troop leisurely following on the shore, clearly targeting him, Niu Youdao clung to the raft, paddling with his feet, and pulled the raft towards the other bank.

The female general casually drew an arrow from her quiver, nocked it, and shot it.

Niu Youdao looked back at the fleeting arrow and saw it embedded in the trunk of a crooked-necked tree on the opposite bank, trembling. The corners of his mouth twitched. The river was at least sixty to seventy meters wide, and she could easily hit a not-so-large tree on the opposite bank. Her intention was too obvious: she was showing off her archery skills and warning him that if he dared to land on the opposite bank, she could take him down with a single arrow. He shouldn't think of escaping.

Niu Youdao did indeed have that thought. If all else failed, he would give Dongguo Haoran a water burial and escape to the other bank. It wasn't that he was heartless, but the water was too cold. If he stayed in it too long, he would lose his life.

The female general watched him with a playful smile, as if to see how long he could stay in the water. She led her troops, slowing their pace, keeping a close eye on Niu Youdao. She also had someone ride along the riverbank to keep a long line of sight, monitoring the river section to prevent him from escaping by diving and swimming away.

After enduring for a while, Niu Youdao's teeth began to chatter from the cold. He could no longer bear it and shouted, "General, I have no enmity with you, why are you forcing me to die?"

The female general replied, "No enmity? Who did 'bitch' just insult?"

"..." Niu Youdao was speechless for a moment, then shouted, "Can't you overlook my mistake?"

The female general flatly replied, "No!"

Niu Youdao: "What exactly do I need to do for you to let me go?"

Female General: "It's very simple. Come under my command and atone for your sins. Be my soldier!"

So unreasonable. If I go, won't you torture me to death? Niu Youdao thought to himself. He didn't dare to believe her, strongly suspecting that she wanted to trick him ashore to deal with him. Since she was being unreasonable, he had nothing to be polite about. He shouted back, "I'm not interested in being your soldier. How about being your man?"

The female general sneered, "You're just a kid who hasn't even grown a full beard, and you dare to talk tough. Let's see how long you can soak!" She nocked an arrow on her bow, preparing to shoot.

Niu Youdao took a deep breath and submerged himself in the water, grabbing the vines tied to the raft and hiding beneath it, swimming stealthily.

However, after waiting for a while and hearing no movement, he cautiously surfaced again. As soon as he surfaced, the other party again made a gesture of drawing their bow, forcing him back into the water.

After repeating this several times, Niu Youdao finally understood. The other party was playing with him, but he didn't dare not to dodge. What if she really shot him? He was beginning to doubt Dongguo Haoran's words. Didn't he say that protective talisman would ensure his safety all the way? Why wasn't it working?

He had no choice but to sneak to the pile of dry firewood to hide. Beneath the dry firewood was Dongguo Haoran's corpse. He no longer cared if arrows might accidentally injure the innocent.

Fortunately, fate had not completely abandoned him. Just as he was trying to figure out how to escape, the riverbank ahead appeared to have complex terrain. It was difficult for horses to approach the riverbank. The river began to meander and change direction, and distant mountain peaks appeared. The river seemed to be flowing through mountainous areas, and its current seemed to have accelerated significantly.

A subordinate rode up to the female general and whispered something to her. The female general looked towards the terrain ahead, was silent for a moment, then took out a token, tied it to an arrow, and shot it out with her bow, embedding it in the raft. She then shouted loudly, "Kid, listen up! Today, because you've amused this general, I'll give you a clear path! The outside world is in chaos, and times are hard. If you come to your senses, bring this token to the Guangyi Commandery and find the authorities. They will find me. I can't guarantee anything else, but I can guarantee you'll have enough to eat and wear, and maybe even a future. Don't be ungrateful!" With that, she turned her horse and led her troop back, galloping away.