Boss Wang Sings Mountain Songs

"G-g-greetings, young hero..."

"Many thanks to the great hero for saving our lives..."

Upon hearing Chen Guan acknowledge their salutations, the nine merchants quickly and respectfully replied one after another.

Although there was a high probability they could have escaped the wolf pack on their own, speaking kindly and expressing gratitude to this "fierce man" was never a bad idea.

Because the moment they saw Chen Guan, their hearts were in their throats.

Is he... is he even human?

This person's appearance...

It was this young... young hero who slaughtered and drove off an entire pack of wolves...

The group stared at the blood-stained Chen Guan, filled with endless speculation, yet they dared not move recklessly for fear of being misunderstood.

They were shocked by Chen Guan's peculiar appearance, and they felt that since this fierce man could drive off a wolf pack, he could naturally kill them just as easily.

"Meeting is fate."

Chen Guan walked generously toward the campfire in front of them.

"Driving off the wolves was merely a trivial effort."

As Chen Guan spoke, he took a small bundle from his back.

Only then did the group notice that Chen Guan had been carrying something.

As the bundle opened, the corpses of two plump pheasants were revealed.

They watched with curiosity, not knowing what Chen Guan intended to do, not even considering the possibility of "borrowing the fire to roast chicken."

Because normal people traveling the world would likely carry tinder, flint, or know how to start a fire by rubbing sticks together.

These were essential items to carry or skills to learn before setting out.

Otherwise, if one were to lose their tinder while traveling through mountains and waters, they would be left to risk eating wild berries and raw meat.

But the next second.

Chen Guan looked at the pheasants for a moment, then looked at the few people who were too afraid to speak.

"Which one of you knows how to clean up the scraps?"

Aside from starting a fire, he wasn't very skilled at techniques like gutting a chicken or plucking feathers.

When he was a bear, he would just swallow the whole thing; there were no such refinements.

At the same time.

Hearing the fierce young hero's request, the group acted quickly.

In order to ease the tension, and because this young hero was brave and seemingly capable of protecting them, they were driven by a mix of self-interest and fear.

They looked at one another, then scrambled to speak first:

"Young hero! Let me do it!"

"I'll do it, I'll do it! I'm the one who slaughters the chickens and ducks at home..."

"Wait a moment, great hero, I'll go get the fire and build a rack..."

An hour later.

Chen Guan felt seven-tenths full and was eating a string of sour, grape-like fruits.

He can eat so much...

Is this what it's like to be a martial artist?

The group watched with their own eyes as Chen Guan finished an entire plump pheasant and half a pound of fruit.

As for the remaining pheasant, the nine of them shared it.

It was because of this small gift of roasted pheasant that their perception of Chen Guan changed; they felt that while this fierce man looked terrifying, he was actually quite upright.

This shifted their previous fear into respect and envy for a young hero.

Huu...

After finishing the last of the fruit, Chen Guan let out a soft breath, feeling full and comfortable.

Then, seeing the group's eyes drifting toward him, Chen Guan pondered for a few seconds and asked them directly:

"Do any of you know which mountain has a dilapidated temple?"

"A dilapidated temple?"

"Well... there are many temples..."

"Young hero, which one are you asking about?"

After hearing Chen Guan's question, the crowd shifted their vague, wandering gazes into earnest, probing stares.

"It's on a small hillside, with a river five miles directly to its east..."

Chen Guan recounted the environment surrounding the temple based on the hazy memories from several years ago.

He had determined the cardinal directions by the sun.

In this world, the sun also rose in the east and set in the west.

Especially for the sake of finding the "treasures of a past life" in the "future."

He had memorized the general direction and the approximate landmarks.

Chen Guan had committed them all to memory.

He would recall them from time to time to ensure he didn't forget.

This included the secret manuals as well.

"Are you talking about the Mountain God's earthen temple behind the mountain?"

Upon hearing Chen Guan's description, Boss Wang, the caravan leader who had traveled many roads and taken many shortcuts, happened to know of it.

"Seven or eight years ago, I heard there were many wild beasts there, so no one traveled that way anymore. Everyone would give it a wide berth."

I've found the place.

Hearing about the wild beasts, Chen Guan knew this was almost certainly the right spot.

Because before his younger sister met him, she liked to make clanging noises in the middle of the night to attract wild beasts and scare away travelers.

Other than that, his sister never pretended to be a "ghost."

Because if word spread among merchants and travelers, it might attract righteous warriors who specialized in demon-slaying.

Xiao Qing was still quite clever.

At the very least, she knew she was a "ghost."

That girl, I wonder how she's doing...

Chen Guan lay on the ground, gazing at the stars in the sky, suddenly missing his sister.

But the night was deep, and it was not suitable for traveling.

He also needed to retrieve the treasure of the Yin-Yang Eyes first.

The next day, morning.

The merchants set off once again.

As it happened, Boss Wang and his men were heading southeast, which allowed them to help Chen Guan calibrate his distance; it was a mutually beneficial arrangement for them to travel together.

After all, it was easy to get lost in the forest.

Chen Guan could also ensure their safety along the way.

They continued their journey.

Three days and four nights passed.

They even taught Chen Guan a "self-composed folk song" they liked to sing while traveling.

Something like "Follow Boss Wang along the mountain path~" It felt incredibly awkward to sing.

To Chen Guan, it sounded so rustic that he wanted to dig a hole with his toes and crawl inside.

But aside from the awkward folk song, everyone chatted happily, talking about everything under the sun.

And during their idle chatter, they were astonished to learn that Chen Guan was only seven years old.

"Seven years old? Seven years old and you can slaughter a pack of wolves?"

It was on the fourth night.

After learning this, they found it hard to believe.

But then they looked at Chen Guan's childish appearance and his strange, otherworldly features.

Having traveled far and wide, they were no strangers to tales of prodigies and oddities.

"A young hero?"

They were surprised at first, then exchanged a knowing smile.

Knowing Chen Guan's age today gave them plenty of conversation fodder for their future trade routes.

The fifth day.

Thirty miles away from the ruined temple.

They were at the base of a cliff.

Accompanied by the roaring sound of a waterfall in the distance.

"Young Hero Chen, until we meet again!"

"Take care, Young Hero!"

"Take care, everyone!"

The group stopped here to bid each other farewell.

With those words spoken.

Boss Wang and his men shouldered their carrying poles.

"Following Boss Wang along the mountain path~"

They sang their traveling folk songs with a laugh, gradually drifting into the distance.

Chen Guan watched their retreating figures, unable to put a name to his feelings.

To call them friends would be a stretch.

They were, at most, nodding acquaintances.

Yet, to say they weren't felt wrong, given that he had saved their lives.

They held him in high regard as well.

Everyone had enjoyed their time together over these past few days.

Now that they had parted ways, he felt a genuine touch of sadness.

In this moment, Chen Guan suddenly understood the meaning of a chance encounter in the martial arts world.

No words left behind, no address exchanged.

Only a single "until we meet again."

It was as if this were the only meeting in this lifetime.

The next encounter would be left to fate.

"Onward, onward..." After a few moments of reflection, Chen Guan smiled and headed toward the location of the treasure.

"Following Boss Wang along the mountain path~"

It was rustic.

But while traveling, facing these uninhabited green mountains and clear waters, shouting out a few lines like that was actually quite fun.

Back in the forest in the distance.

Boss Wang and his men occasionally turned their heads to look back at the direction where they had parted.

"We met a young prodigy these past few days."

"A swordsman who could slaughter a pack of wolves at seven years old, truly impressive..."

"Indeed, indeed..."

Snap, snap—

Accompanied by the sound of snapping branches, their conversation faded into the distance.