Perhaps when reading literary works in the past, many people had wished they could take the protagonist's place. Many had longed for some extraordinary encounter of their own, and Ji Yuan was no exception.
But at this moment, Ji Yuan rather resembled Ye Gong, who loved dragons. He was uneasy—extremely uneasy.
Viewing everything in certain novels and films from a god's-eye perspective made it all seem full of challenges and fun. But when he was placed there in person, Ji Yuan's first thoughts were not of exhilaration or his own good fortune. His mind was filled with every unknown danger: disease, natural and man-made disasters, misfortune, and more...
This might be a world with backward laws and primitive medicine. The tension and unease that came with that were intense enough to throw Ji Yuan's thoughts into chaos.
He had arrived in a world he knew absolutely nothing about, one where he might even encounter threats beyond the ordinary. Fierce beasts would still be manageable, but monsters were simply terrifying...
After Observing the Game had carried him across more than half a month in just a few minutes, Ji Yuan did not believe the world he had crossed into truly lacked Demons, Monsters, Ghosts, and Goblins.
Worse still, Ji Yuan was practically useless now—at least for the moment. His physical condition was worse than an ordinary person's, and he had no ability to protect himself at all. Even a rat could bite him to death.
The only thing Ji Yuan could use to comfort himself was that although he could not move from head to toe, he could still feel every part of his body. True paralysis often meant losing sensation in certain areas, so he probably was not paralyzed.
Ji Yuan was panicking like mad. These strangers did not seem bad-hearted. Would they take him with them when they left? Would they find a doctor here to examine him?
Leaving Ji Yuan alone in the deep mountains and ancient forests—never mind in his current immobile state—even if he were healthy and full of strength, he would not dare.
This was not China in 2019. There had to be plenty of dangerous animals in the mountains, and after what had happened before the Chessboard, it was impossible to say whether he had truly arrived in a world with monsters.
Reality could not possibly be a Japanese anime, and monsters were even less likely to be stupid, adorable creatures. Most monsters in traditional tales were man-eaters.
If he had not truly been unable to move, Ji Yuan would definitely have opened his mouth and begged them.
Zhang Shilin fed the beggar a bowl of warm water. Seeing that although the corner of his mouth twitched from time to time, he was still unconscious, Zhang Shilin could only shake his head, gently lay the beggar down, and return to his companions.
"Brother Shilin, what should we do with that beggar? Should we take him with us when we go down the mountain?"
Zhang Shilin sighed and shook his head.
"He's very weak. I'm afraid he won't live much longer, and he can't endure being tossed around either..."
Zhang Shilin did not continue after that, but everyone understood the unspoken meaning.
Thump!
Behind the statue not far away, Ji Yuan's heart went cold.
The rain continued to fall without pause. The traveling merchants chatted as they rested, and the subjects they discussed were not much different from what friends in the 21st Century talked about: gossip, strange happenings, which girls were pretty, and a few slightly lewd dirty jokes mixed in.
Of course, from what they said, Ji Yuan roughly figured out what this group did. Though he was not entirely certain, these traveling merchants seemed somewhat like the peddlers he remembered from childhood, yet also different. They made their living by traveling long distances on foot, buying and selling goods for profit.
With a desolate state of mind, Ji Yuan listened on and off. Through the drumming rain, he also listened to the world outside Mountain God Temple. It helped bring him peace of mind.
These people called him a beggar. Did that mean his soul had possessed a beggar in this world?
Then what about himself, the one found by the search-and-rescue team on Ox Head Mountain? Had he died?
That made sense. After more than half a month without food or water, he should have died...
Father and Mother would be heartbroken when they received the news, wouldn't they? Grandpa and Grandma were already so old. If they found out...
Ji Yuan's thoughts ran wild, and two streams of tears flowed from the corner of the eye of his filthy face.
Perhaps because lying paralyzed consumed little energy, Ji Yuan did not feel any obvious hunger.
He did not know how much time passed before the rain outside gradually stopped. Ji Yuan's heart immediately skipped a beat. He remembered that the traveling merchants had wanted to leave as soon as the rain stopped.
"Brother Shilin, it seems the rain has stopped!"
That was the voice of the young man called Wang Dong.
"Yes, but it'll be dark soon. Walking a night road in the mountains after rain is too dangerous. Everyone will spend the night in Mountain God Temple."
Zhang Shilin's voice sounded soon after.
Ji Yuan was slightly startled. So it was about to get dark already. Instead, he felt somewhat fortunate—fortunate that the rain had stopped late enough that these people would at least not leave him behind tonight.
After the rain stopped, some traveling merchants went out near Mountain God Temple and gathered some somewhat damp firewood. They placed it by the fire to dry, ensuring there would be enough wood to burn through the night.
And Ji Yuan seemed to have been forgotten by everyone. After night fell, no one came to see how he was doing again.
He had actually been hoping Zhang Shilin, or someone else, would change the cloth on his forehead or give him some water. It was not that he desperately needed those things, but perhaps they would serve as pale proof that the traveling merchants would not abandon him.
But reality was somewhat cruel. They were neither family nor friends. He was merely a sick beggar who looked as though he was at death's door.
If this had been his homeland in the 21st Century, he would have been saved long ago, wouldn't he? Ji Yuan had thought so more than once.
"Ho! There are so many people in this barren mountain's ruined temple. Now I don't have to be afraid!"
An unfamiliar voice filled with delight suddenly rang out at the temple entrance, making Zhang Shilin and the others turn their heads toward the doorway. Several traveling merchants rose to their feet.
At the entrance stood someone dressed in a long robe, looking like a scholar. He seemed delighted to see the people inside the temple.
"It's wonderful to see you! I came into the mountains during the day with a friend, but we got separated. Then I became completely lost in the mountains. It started raining heavily too, so I could only find somewhere to take shelter. The rain stopped, but the sky had gone dark. You have no idea how frightened I was. Luckily, I saw the firelight over here!"
The newcomer spoke as he walked inside.
"Even if you are bandits, I'd gladly lose some money if you would take me along when you head down the mountain. I don't dare stay on the mountain alone!"
Seeing how nervous and delighted the man was, Zhang Shilin and the others smiled and relaxed as well. He was just an unlucky scholar.
"Come warm yourself by the fire. We aren't bandits!"
"Hahaha, you scholars really do live leisurely lives, running into the mountains for pleasure! Do you hold any official degree?"
"No, no... You flatter me, you flatter me..."
The scholar's somewhat restrained yet deeply relieved state was obvious to everyone, and the traveling merchants all chuckled.
Throughout the entire Mountain God Temple, only one person felt that something was wrong.
Ji Yuan's spine turned cold, his scalp tingling, goosebumps rising over his entire body in wave after wave.
Only after Zhang Shilin and the others began speaking with the scholar did Ji Yuan realize that there was one more person in Mountain God Temple.
Just now, he had not noticed how this so-called scholar had entered Mountain God Temple. He had not heard the scholar's footsteps even once!
There was something wrong with this scholar!