A bundle.
He swept his gaze around the area. Seeing no danger, Cui Hao slowly approached the bundle.
This was a bend in the river. The cloth bundle had clearly been washed ashore. He crouched down and gently opened it. Inside were a set of women's hemp clothes and a book. There was nothing else.
The book was made of animal hide and hadn't been damaged by the water. Four large characters were written on the cover: Compendium of Materia Medica.
He opened to the first page. It was blank.
The second page was about Blood Essence Grass.
Its leaves were dark red, with golden veins, and shaped like palms. At night, dew-like red juice seeped from the tips of its leaves.
It replenished qi and blood and was the core primary ingredient in refining Qi and Blood Powder. It could also be chewed directly, with a slight effect in restoring stamina.
The third page was about Dewdrop Flower.
Its petals were pure white, and its stamens were pale blue.
It calmed the mind and harmonized medicinal properties. It was a key auxiliary ingredient in Qi and Blood Powder and Concentration Incense, and could counteract Blood Essence Grass's harshness.
As he leafed through the book, Cui Hao began to feel cold.
He quickly stripped off his clothes, which were beginning to freeze, and performed Broken Fist three times to get his blood flowing. Then he gathered dry firewood and pine needles and struck stone with his hatchet to start a fire.
The mountains were dangerous at night, and Cui Hao didn't dare linger. He hurriedly dried his clothes, trousers, and shoes until they were half-dry, made a quick guess at his direction, and left the riverbank.
At the Cui family home in Willow Tree Village, Su Yun had just finished making dinner when she heard someone knock on the courtyard gate and ask, "Is Cui Hao back?"
The stranger's accent marked him as an outsider. Su Yun ignored him and went to the main room to do needlework.
As the sun began to set, Su Yun kept glancing toward the courtyard gate, hoping her husband would come home soon.
When the moon shone bright in the sky and Cui Hao still hadn't returned as usual, Su Yun began to grow anxious. She put down her sewing and went into the courtyard to wait.
Three key members of the Mad Wolf Gang knew that their leader had gone to kill Cui Hao that day.
He'd set out at the mao hour in the morning, but still hadn't returned by nightfall. Something was wrong. They came to Cui Hao's home again, their patience exhausted, and hammered on the gate. "Open up! Hurry!"
Su Yun jumped in fright in the courtyard and ran back to the main room. She shut the door and wedged it with two sturdy wooden poles.
The next instant, the courtyard's wooden gate was kicked open with tremendous force. Three Mad Wolf Gang members stormed inside and shouted at the main room, "Whoever's inside, get out!"
People had often pounded on the gate, but this was the first time anyone had kicked it open. Su Yun clapped both hands over her mouth, stifling any sound.
When no one answered, the Mad Wolf Gang members were about to kick down the main-room door when Lin Da rushed into the courtyard, gripping a shoulder pole in both hands.
Smack! He struck one of them from behind, knocking him unconscious.
The other two turned around and put some distance between themselves and Lin Da. They each drew a short knife from their clothes and took defensive stances. "Lin Da? Don't stick your nose into other people's business!"
"This isn't a place where you can run wild!" After training in martial arts for a while, Lin Da had grown stronger and bolder. "Get lost!"
"We're looking for Cui Hao. Tell him to come out!"
Cui Hao hadn't gone to the martial arts school all day, so Lin Da had come by to check on him. Thankfully, he had. Brother Hao clearly wasn't home, and Sister Yun had nearly been bullied.
Remembering a senior fellow saying that real fights helped you improve faster, Lin Da jabbed forward with his shoulder pole, shouted, and charged.
Thud! Ah! Smack!
Thump!
Three moves, and the last two thugs were down.
Lin Da looked at the men sprawled on the ground, then at the ordinary-looking shoulder pole in his hands. Cui Hao's words came to mind: You're a once-in-a-thousand martial arts prodigy.
So it hadn't just been something to comfort him. He really was a martial arts prodigy!
Feeling pleased with himself, Lin Da called into the house, "Sister Yun, I knocked down all three thugs!"
Su Yun opened the main-room door and came out. "Lin Da, did you see Brother Hao today?"
"He didn't go to the martial arts school, so I came to check on him."
Su Yun's heart sank. Her adoptive father had also failed to return from a day of hunting, and after that, he had never come home.
The next day dawned clear.
"Cui Hao went hunting yesterday morning and hasn't come back after a whole day and night," Aunt Wang, whose news was as up-to-date as Aunt Li's, gossiped with four or five village women at the well by the village entrance. "He's probably staying in the Second Mountain, just like his father."
One of the women chimed in with a soft sigh. "Her husband's gone. What's Su Yun going to do?"
"What else can she do?" an unremarkable-looking villager said sourly. "She can only go be someone's concubine."
"She can't have children. No one would even take her as a concubine."
Aunt Hua, who also had a hard life, stood beside the well. She sighed inwardly, then turned and went to Cui Hao's home, where she found Su Yun.
"Sister Yun, I have an idea. It might help Brother Hao return safe and sound."
Su Yun's eyes were swollen and red. She looked up at Aunt Hua. "What idea?"
"Donate all your money to the Wusheng Sect. Old Ancestor Wusheng will bless Brother Hao and keep him safe."
Su Yun knew of the Wusheng Sect. It had come from the west along with the refugees. "Aunt Hua, Brother Hao doesn't believe in that stuff."
"Sister Yun," Aunt Hua said, stamping her foot, "don't be stingy with your money. You have to spend it where it counts!"
"..."
"Sister Yun!" Cui Hao suddenly appeared in the courtyard, a hog badger in his hand. "I'm back."
"Ah!" Aunt Hua jumped in fright, then smiled. "Brother Hao, you're back! That's wonderful!"
Su Yun rushed into her husband's arms at once.
Cui Hao gently patted his wife's back and explained, "I lost my way in the mountains and spent the night hiding in a cave. I'm sorry I made you worry."
"It's enough that you're safe." Su Yun felt immensely relieved. "We're not going hunting anymore."
But he couldn't stop hunting. Cui Hao held Su Yun by the shoulders and pushed her back to arm's length. "I'm hungry. Hurry and serve dinner."
"I've kept it warm in the pot. Wash your face and you can eat right away."
Cui Hao understood what she meant: she'd kept last night's dinner warm in the pot the whole time. He asked with a pang of concern, "You haven't eaten this whole time?"
Su Yun nodded, tears pattering down. "If you didn't come back, there'd be no point in me living, either."
Cui Hao hugged Su Yun for the second time.
Aunt Hua looked at the hog badger on the ground enviously, her eyes full of longing. But she still owed the Cui family half a tael of silver, so she forced herself to look away and walked out of the courtyard.
"Aunt Hua," Cui Hao called as the gate was closing, "don't believe in any sects. They're all a bunch of frauds."
Aunt Hua wouldn't listen. She hurried away.
Before long, Cui Hao was eating rice.
The rice crust had grown thick after being toasted in the pot all night. He soaked it in snake soup and ate it. It was fresh and delicious!
Su Yun had been starving, too, and quickly polished off her bowl.
"Brother Hao..." Su Yun set down her bowl and chopsticks and told him what had happened from yesterday afternoon through this morning.
Even Zhou Menglong had died at his hands. The rest were just minnows. Tonight... no, he had to show the authorities some respect.
Even Zhou Menglong, at the peak of Mortal Martial, hadn't dared to openly kill him.
He'd wait a few more days, then deal with them one by one. Or lure them into the mountains and kill them all together.
Speak of the devil. Mad Wolf Gang members came to pound on the gate. "Cui Hao! Get out here! Don't hide like a turtle in its shell. We know you're in there!"
"Don't be afraid, Sister Yun." Cui Hao reached over and patted the top of Su Yun's head. "Sit and rest. I'll go out for a bit."
Knowing what her husband could do, Su Yun wasn't afraid at all.
With a creak, Cui Hao opened the courtyard's wooden gate, which Lin Da had repaired. Three Mad Wolf Gang members stood outside, all injured, each with a hatchet in hand.
"Cui Hao, where's our leader?"
"Where's your leader?" Cui Hao shot back. "How would I know?"
The three exchanged glances. They believed him. Their leader was at the peak of Mortal Martial; he could crush Cui Hao with a single finger. So Cui Hao couldn't have met him.
"Hand over three taels of silver!" One man pointed to his own head. "Lin Da injured us in your home. You have to pay our medical expenses!"
"Right!" the other two chimed in. "If you don't pay up, we'll come block your gate every day!"
"Come inside," Cui Hao said, stepping aside. "I'll go in and get the money for you."
They knew Lin Da had gone to the martial arts school that morning, so they weren't afraid. The three strode into the courtyard.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The instant the gate closed, Cui Hao suddenly attacked. In a few punches and kicks, he knocked all three men down, then expertly searched them and found fewer than two hundred copper coins.
And... three hatchets, three sets of clothes, and three pairs of shoes.
Before you continue