Chapter 19: Li

"Master."

The young man immediately seized the opportunity to climb up the ladder.

"Um."

Bai Qiuran asked, "So you can now be considered my disciple in name only. By the way, do you have a name?"

"I have no name. I should have had one, but my parents died, and the Heavenly Gods took my name away with them."

The young man said sheepishly.

What happened?

Bai Qiuran, "Tell me the details."

The young man told him the story, Bai Qiuran then learned that the young man's parents had died at the hands of the Heavenly Gods.

The reason is quite simple: the Heavenly Gods protect Human Race, but Human Race also set detailed rules for offerings. His parents, due to an accident, were unable to make offerings to the Heavenly Gods they worshipped on time, so the Heavenly Gods took their lives and also took away the young man's name.

"But everyone in the Settlement is very kind to me."

The young man laughed and said, "Although I don't have a name, I'm the only one in the Settlement without a name. When people call me 'Hey,' I understand that they're calling me."

Bai Qiuran silent for a while. Although the young man seemed very optimistic, Bai Qiuran estimated that, given the custom of worshipping the Heavenly Gods in this era, the Human Race in that Settlement would still harbor some degree of rejection towards the son of this person who had broken the rules.

It's just that in this era, having one more laborer meant one more chance to survive, so young people were accepted by the people in Settlement instead of being driven out and left to fend for themselves.

Even my nominal disciples cannot be without a name.

After thinking for Bai Qiuran said, "How about I give you a name?"

"Well."

A look of hesitation crossed the young man's face. Bai Qiuran could tell that he still really wanted a name, but he said, "However, whatever name we choose, we must go through the Settlement's Shaman and report it to the Heavenly Gods. Only with the Heavenly Gods' approval can we proceed."

"It's okay, I'll give you one first."

Bai Qiuran waved his hand and said, "This name is just for now, that's what I'll call you. After a while, when I say it's ready, you can tell the Shaman and have him approve the name."

"Oh well."

The young man asked expectantly, "What kind of name does Master plan to give me?"

"Hmm, let me think..."

I've heard from young people that because of the sparse population, people in this era mostly have single-character names, and there are hardly any surnames.

Bai Qiuran's gaze wandered around as she pondered the name she would give the young man.

Mountains and books, rivers, lakes and seas don't seem suitable, and the vastness of the Heaven and Earth seems a bit too childish...

As Bai Qiuran pondered, her gaze swept over the Human Race Settlement and she suddenly saw a group of Human Race, led by Shaman, offering a plump animal, resembling a yak, as a sacrifice to the Heavenly Gods.

They knelt on the ground, bowing repeatedly, muttering something under their breath.

Bai Qiuran raised an eyebrow, then suddenly turned to the young man and said, "I've got it. From now on, you'll be called [Li]."

"[Stand]?"

The young man asked with some surprise, "Master, what does '[stand]' mean?"

"[Li] means to stand."

Bai Qiuran reached out and wrote the word "Li" on the ground.

"As for why I named you this, I will tell you when the time is right."

"Yes."

The young people were overjoyed.

"I have a name now."

"From now on, I will call you [Li]."

Bai Qiuran and said, "Let's go, I'll take you back to the Settlement first."

The young man, now known as "Li," nodded, shouldered the fishing net filled with white fish, and led Bai Qiuran into the Settlement.

The guards at the entrance of the Settlement clearly recognized Li, so even though Bai Qiuran a stranger, they did not stop him.

The entire Settlement was surrounded by a wall made of sharpened logs to defend against wild animals in the Wilderness. The Li family's home was located on the very edge of the Settlement, closest to the wooden wall, making it one of the most dangerous places in the entire Settlement.

"I must keep my spear with me at night."

As he walked, Li chuckled and said, "Otherwise, wild animals might wander in while I'm asleep. But as the saying goes, sometimes I get more hunting results than others."

"So you're doing pretty well."

Bai Qiuran said casually.

As he was walking, he suddenly saw a group of people gathered in an open space to the side. In the center of the group was a Shaman who was holding a crooked Bone Staff made of animal bones and wood and chanting some mystical words.

"What are they doing?"

Bai Qiuran stopped and asked curiously.

"That one."

Li stopped and explained, "That's the Settlement Shaman driving away the Plague God. Settlement are sick because of Plague God; by driving it away in this way, they'll get better."

"Isn't the God of Plague God also Heavenly Gods?"

Bai Qiuran recalled the way Jiang Lan had spoken to that Heavenly Gods when they first met; it was clear that Jiang Lan was far more powerful than that Heavenly Gods.

"You dare to drive her away? Aren't you afraid she'll come back and retaliate?"

"I don't know either."

Li was somewhat bewildered.

"However, the rules are set by the Heavenly Gods. Perhaps after we've driven away the Plague God, other Heavenly Gods will come to subdue her?"

Bai Qiuran recalled how the other Heavenly Gods avoided her when she went to heaven with Jiang Lan, and thought to herself, "Isn't this nonsense?"

Let's go take a look.

Bai Qiuran made the suggestion.

"Okay, please wait a moment."

Li walked to his hut, opened a large urn, about a meter tall, next to it. The urn was filled with water, and he poured all the whitefish from his fishing net into it. He then skillfully hung the net up to dry, and said, "Let's go, Master, I'll take you there to have a look."

Li chose a high spot in the Settlement, from which one could clearly see the situation in the center of the crowd. Bai Qiuran was led there and looked towards the center of the crowd. He saw several sickly people lying on the ground covered with Beast Hide, and in the middle of them, a Shaman was jumping around and chanting words that Bai Qiuran could not understand.

After observing him for a while, Bai Qiuran couldn't help but ask, "Doesn't he get thirsty?"

"Master, that's how the Shaman makes a living."

Li smiled wryly, "They must be used to it by now."

After watching for a while, Bai Qiuran suddenly noticed a change.

At the edge of the Settlement, miasma suddenly gathered and transformed into a cloud of highly poisonous Cloudmist.

Shortly after, Jiang Lan emerged from the Cloudmist with a cold expression and walked towards the few sickly-looking people in the middle of the crowd.

Upon seeing her approach, the crowd parted in alarm, while the Shaman danced a strange dance to Jiang Lan's side, shouting and waving his bone staff behind her as if to drive her away.

"Idiot..."

Bai Qiuran said.