Father and Daughter

"Shan Guo'er~"

When Gao Jing completed the "Eagle Spread" battle form for the third time, a clear cry suddenly came from the woods.

A little girl carrying a vine basket ran swiftly over.

The moment Shan Guo'er saw who it was, she immediately got to her feet and waved. "Sister Shan Cha'er!"

Shan Cha'er was one of the girls in the Mountain Tribe who was closest to the little girl.

She had just turned nine this year.

She had brought lunch for Shan Guo'er and Gao Jing.

Shan Guo'er bent down and took the vine basket Shan Cha'er handed her. "Thank you."

"No need to thank me."

Shan Cha'er glanced curiously at Gao Jing, then smiled with pursed lips. "Then I'll head back first."

"Wait."

The little girl set the vine basket aside, then fished something out of her pocket...

A peanut candy!

With practiced ease, she peeled off the plastic wrapping and handed the candy to Shan Cha'er. "This is for you."

An incomparably delighted smile immediately bloomed across Shan Cha'er's face.

Every child in the Mountain Tribe knew that Gao Jing, one of the Ancient Remnant People, had not only brought precious salt to the village, but had also given Shan Guo'er quite a few candies.

Shan Guo'er was not a stingy, selfish child.

At last night's tribal gathering, she had taken out dozens of peanut candies for everyone to share and taste.

Shan Cha'er had gotten half a piece because of that.

That sweet, fragrant flavor still lingered endlessly in her memory.

She only regretted eating it too quickly.

Who would have thought she would get another piece now?

And it was a whole, large piece!

"Shan Guo'er, you're so nice!"

The Giant girl happily cupped the peanut candy in her palm.

As though it were a sacred relic!

"Don't let Shan Gou'er and the others see it..."

Shan Guo'er cautioned, "Hide it and eat it secretly by yourself."

When those little brats had eaten peanut candy for the first time last night, every one of them had practically gone mad.

It was simply too delicious!

If they saw that Shan Cha'er still had candy in her hand, the consequences were easy to imagine!

"Mhm, mhm, mhm."

As if receiving an imperial decree, Shan Cha'er nodded like a pounding pestle.

"Then goodbye."

After waving Shan Cha'er off, the little girl took the pottery jar, wooden bowls, and wooden spoons from the vine basket one by one.

She arranged them on the rocky ground.

Gao Jing really wanted to see what was inside the pottery jar.

The awkward part was that even standing on tiptoe, he still could not see into it!

Shan Guo'er had to do it herself, using the bone dagger she carried with her to cut out a portion of the food.

She put it into the wooden bowl prepared for Gao Jing.

Then she added two spoonfuls of meat broth.

Gao Jing's lunch was such a large chunk of stewed meat.

The meat in the bowl was blackish-red.

The broth was completely pitch-black, giving off a heavy medicinal smell.

After dividing the meat, Shan Guo'er said to Gao Jing, "Grandpa said that from now on, you'll eat with me."

She pointed at the wooden bowl. "You have to finish both the meat and the soup. If it isn't enough, I'll give you more."

"It's enough."

Gao Jing saw that the meat he had been given weighed around ten jin.

The cooking method had all the charm of dark cuisine.

He was more worried that he would not be able to finish it!

Woof!

The little yellow dog beside them barked, its bright eyes fixed on the little girl.

Its tail wagged like a fan.

Shan Guo'er cut another piece for it.

Seeing the little yellow dog eat with great relish, Gao Jing used all his strength to lift the enormous wooden bowl.

He took a sip of the meat broth.

Eeh~

The next second, Gao Jing's entire face twisted.

It was too bitter!

How was this meat broth?

It was clearly concentrated Chinese medicine, the kind without any added licorice.

The instant it entered his mouth, the bitterness reached straight into his heart!

"Is it very bitter?"

Shan Guo'er wrinkled her nose. "It was brewed with medicinal herbs gathered from the mountains. Grandpa said that if you cultivate the Great Wilderness Battle Record, you have to eat this kind of medicinal meat to replenish the qi and blood you expend. Otherwise, it'll harm your body badly."

So that was it!

Gao Jing understood.

Practicing martial arts already consumed a great deal of the body's strength, and battle techniques like the Great Wilderness Battle Record were even more extraordinary.

That was why one needed external substances to make up for it.

Once he understood the reason, the bitterness in his mouth no longer seemed so bad.

For the sake of becoming stronger!

Together, Gao Jing and the little girl wiped out every last bit of the special lunch.

He discovered that while the medicinal meat was bitter, it left behind a lingering sweetness.

Moreover, once it entered his stomach, warmth quickly spread through his belly, producing streams of heat that coursed through his body.

They swiftly eased the fatigue and soreness in his muscles and bones.

The effect was nothing short of miraculous!

With this, Gao Jing had more than enough strength to support his afternoon training.

Dinner was the same.

The portion was doubled.

When night fell, Gao Jing returned to the wooden hut.

He took out the medicinal oil the old Wizard had given him last night.

And rubbed it over his body.

The medicinal oil's ingredients probably came from some kind of beast. It carried a strong rank, musky smell and was dark yellow in color.

It stung a little when first applied to the skin, leaving behind a burning sensation.

But it quickly seeped into his muscles and even his bones.

And felt incredibly refreshing!

Interestingly, the medicinal oil lost its rank smell very quickly after being applied.

As though it had evaporated.

The old Wizard had specifically instructed him last night that after every cultivation session of the Great Wilderness Battle Record, he had to apply this medicinal oil.

Until he ignited his bloodline!

Rumble~

Thunder suddenly boomed outside.

The fierce wind shook the trees beside the house, making them rustle.

The thunderclaps soon grew denser and denser.

It felt as though heaven and earth themselves were about to collapse.

Gao Jing, who had just lain down in his bird's nest to rest, instantly lost all sleepiness!

He had spent some time adventuring in the Great World, yet this was the first storm he had encountered.

Though he could not see the scene outside, he knew from the sounds alone how terrifying it was.

Gao Jing felt fortunate to have such a safe shelter.

If he had been sleeping out in the wilderness, who knew how painful and troublesome it would have been!

Since he could not sleep anyway, Gao Jing simply left his bird's nest and prepared to read through the Great Wilderness Battle Record again.

The old Wizard had already given him this martial tome.

But just as Gao Jing opened it beneath the oil lamp, the door was suddenly shoved open with force.

This wooden hut belonging to the old Wizard had no lock, but the heavy wooden door required great strength to push open.

Wind carrying raindrops swept in, along with a familiar figure.

It was Shan Guo'er.

The little girl hugged the little yellow dog and pressed herself tightly against the door after closing it again, a trace of timidity on her face.

She asked weakly, "Gao Jing, can I sleep here tonight?"

Rumble!

Another thunderclap rang out, startling her badly!

Seeing the fear and helplessness in the little girl's eyes, Gao Jing felt the softest part of his heart fiercely stirred.

He smiled. "Come on. I'll tell you a story."

"Mhm."

Shan Guo'er answered brightly, immediately hugging the little dog as she ran to the wooden table.

She stepped on a stool and lay across the tabletop.

Then she leaned her head close to Gao Jing.

The wind and rain outside grew fiercer, while the thunder rolled on without end.

Yet the little girl's face no longer held fear or terror.

It shone with happiness and delight.

Though Gao Jing did not know why she had not gone to find the old Wizard and had instead come to him for comfort.

He was more than willing to keep the little girl before him company through this long night.

As though he had gained a daughter who needed his care.

And he was a dutiful, responsible father!