The heavy cotton quilt pressed down on him like a small, immovable mountain, pinning him firmly to the kang mat. Qin Youming struggled to open his heavy eyelids. Through his blurred vision, the first thing that caught his eye was Qin Tieshan’s familiar, stern face; his single eye was slightly narrowed, revealing a scrutinizing gaze.
"How do you feel?"
Qin Tieshan’s voice was low, carrying a hint of imperceptible tension. Before Qin Youming could answer, Yang Tiezhu’s booming voice exploded in his ears: "He’s finally awake!"
This shout startled Qin Youming’s soul back into place. He licked his dry, cracked lips, feeling as if a fire were burning inside him, and his throat was so dry it seemed ready to smoke. "Hot. Thirsty."
Hearing him finally speak, the two men, who had been tense, immediately relaxed. Qin Youming was helped to sit up and downed two large bowls of thick brown sugar water in one go; only then did his mind clear significantly. Following the daylight coming through the door, he was surprised to discover that two soldiers in green military uniforms were actually guarding outside the house, holding Type 56 submachine guns. Listening to the commotion outside, it seemed there were quite a few people—at least thirty or forty. This formation was nearly the size of half a reinforced platoon. "Uncle Qin, how long have I been asleep?"
Qin Tieshan looked grave, but he tried to keep his tone flat as he said: "A day and two nights. Nothing serious, just two broken ribs and some skin injuries."
Before Qin Youming could respond, Qin Tieshan rolled a cigarette of dry tobacco on his own. "Tell me, what did you encounter before you fainted?"
Qin Youming felt a chill in his heart under the gaze of that single eye. As his eyes wandered, he realized that the others in the dormitory were gone; not only were the people gone, but their bedding and luggage had been cleared out too. Qin Tieshan exhaled a smoke ring and called out, "Stop looking. They’ve all been moved down the mountain. You’ll have to go down too, in a bit. We’ll come back up after winter."
Qin Youming understood clearly; this sentence meant the forestry farm had been completely taken over. He thought for a moment, then said half-truthfully, "I don’t know what happened. After eating the bizi, I felt something was a bit off, so I hurriedly washed my face with cold water. But when I turned my head, I found everyone else had fallen into a deep sleep."
Qin Tieshan frowned slightly, a gleam flashing through his single eye. "And then?"
Qin Youming lowered his head, his voice growing quieter. "Then I was scared, so I lay on the kang and pretended to be asleep. Then that Xie Third Grandpa sneaked in. I also heard him say he was from the White Lotus Society. Seeing I wasn’t asleep, he wanted to kill me to silence me. He also seemed to say he was after that old man behind the canteen."
"The White Lotus Society?"
Qin Tieshan and Company Commander Yang exchanged a glance. Company Commander Yang sighed and said, blaming himself, "It’s my dereliction of duty. I’ll review myself."
Qin Tieshan waved his hand. "It’s not your fault. These people use strange methods that are hard to guard against; they aren’t something ordinary people can handle."
After saying that, Qin Tieshan looked back at Qin Youming and said meaningfully, "You kid really have great fortune and a thick life. It seems that Old Man Yang’s methods aren’t simple either."
Qin Youming asked curiously, "Uncle Qin, have you seen that old man?"
Qin Tieshan’s expression became even more grave. "No. I haven’t. That person, along with the girl named Yang Qing, has disappeared. But we found five corpses in the forestry farm, and also... Why are you asking about this? It’s none of your business anymore. Go down the mountain and recuperate properly. I’ll have Auntie Shen cook more bone soup for you and send some over."
"Disappeared?"
Although he had many questions in his heart, seeing the battle-ready formation outside the house, Qin Youming ultimately held back the words on the tip of his tongue. The old forest ranger and Yang Qing had strange origins and unclear identities. Now they had left without a sound, clearly not wanting to deal with these military men. Qin Tieshan glanced at him. "After Xie Third Grandpa went down the mountain, he fled north. Our people spotted him. Coincidentally, I was planning to come over and bring you some things, so I came up with them."
Hearing this, Qin Youming’s spirits lifted. "Did you catch him?"
Qin Tieshan shook his head. "It seems someone on the Soviet side was there to support him, and he escaped."
Seeing that Qin Youming was somewhat absent-minded, Qin Tieshan’s gaze turned obscure as he reminded him, "Let this matter end here. After you go down the mountain, if anyone asks, just say you don’t know. Fortunately, nothing went wrong. Anyway, the ones who died weren’t good people, so whatever you say goes."
Qin Youming’s eyelids twitched. Seeing that Qin Tieshan wasn’t asking too much about this matter, he could only smile bitterly. "Uncle, don’t wrong me."
Qin Tieshan didn’t waste any more words. He turned around and walked out. "Put on your clothes and go down yourself. Some things can only happen once. If there’s a next time, see if I don’t discipline you on your dad’s behalf."
At the last moment, he threw over a three-edged bayonet with a bloody smell, a half-smile on his face. Seeing this object, Qin Youming’s expression froze, as if a thief had been discovered. He immediately became honest, looking extremely well-behaved. "Alright!"
Only after watching Qin Youming struggle to put on his clothes and, with the help of a few militiamen, get onto the carriage heading down the mountain, did Qin Tieshan stride over to the few earthen houses. The snow had stopped, and the wind had scattered. Many figures in green military uniforms, carrying Type 56s, patrolled back and forth nearby. Qin Tieshan smoked, squatted down, and lowered his gaze. On the black earth covered with lingering snow, five corpses were laid out in a row. Company Commander Yang also came over. The more he looked, the more alarmed he felt. "Director Qin, the injuries on these people are a bit strange."
How could they not be strange? Just the fist-sized hole punched through the back of that dwarf was horrifying enough. Especially that goateed shepherd; the bones all over his body were like a dislocated snake. The state of death was simply bizarre to the extreme. ...
Naturally, Qin Youming did not know the situation on the mountain. He lay on the donkey cart, wrapped in a cotton quilt, his thoughts already wandering far away. Given the old forest ranger’s tragic injuries, nine times out of ten he wouldn’t survive. This trip might well be a farewell forever. As for the secrets on the mountain, they had surely been taken away. From now on, the one guarding this secret would likely be that young girl named Yang Qing. What on earth was the secret?
Suddenly, as if remembering something, Qin Youming hurriedly felt his pocket, especially the inner lining. Only after discovering that the two pieces of brocade were still there did he secretly let out a breath of relief.
The journey was uneventful. Suffice it to say the donkey cart swayed along, rushing fast and slow, finally arriving at a village near the county town. The village was called Kaoshan Bao. Under the leadership of the village party secretary, Qin Youming was arranged to stay in an old village doctor’s home to recuperate temporarily. But who would have thought that he would lie there for a whole month. They say it takes a hundred days to heal broken tendons and bones; these words are not false at all. Since waking up, he didn’t know if it was because of the injuries inflicted by Xie Third Grandpa or the issue of him forcibly activating the "Toad Breath Technique," but his body was truly terribly weak. He couldn’t even
Fortunately, they had moved down the mountain, so Shen Xiulan would frequently have Qin Tieshan bring over some prepared meals. But what Qin Youming couldn't stand the most was the old village doctor he was partnered with. This man had a decent temper, but the herbal decoctions he boiled were simply too damn bitter. Nine doses a day, three each in the morning, noon, and evening. It was so bitter that no matter what Qin Youming ate, it all tasted the same; even when he drank water, his throat felt bitter. It was simply bitter enough to make one wish one were dead.
This depressing convalescent life lasted until the first lunar month. One noon, Qin Youming sat in the yard, boiling his own medicinal soup while identifying the various medicinal herbs the old village doctor was drying. The old village doctor was named Liu; he sported a shiny bald head, often stuttered when he spoke, wore a medicine gourd at his waist, and wore a pair of glasses. Aside from treating human ailments, any pigs, dogs, cattle, sheep, or other livestock in the village that fell ill were also treated by him.
"Li... Little Ming, do you... do you know what soup I... I prepared for you today?" The village doctor sat in the sun, drying his moldy medical books.
Qin Youming rolled his eyes. "Isn't it just Xiao Chaihu Decoction?"
The village doctor chuckled. "You... you kid are really smart. Why... why don't you just... just help out here after... after your injury heals. I'll... I'll talk to the Secretary and... and credit you with work points too."
This remark nearly made Qin Youming cough up old blood from aggravating his old injury. But he actually had thoughts about this proposal. Since the incident at the forestry farm, these educated youths had been temporarily placed in various villages. Those assigned to Kaoshan Fort included, besides Qin Youming himself, four other educated youths. Of the four, Qin Youming had a slight impression of only one female educated youth; the other three were completely unfamiliar. Moreover, the work was dull and boring, either looking after the village's mules and horses or keeping watch over the cattle and sheep to prevent wild beasts from coming down the mountain. Furthermore, it was still two or three months until spring when they would return to the forestry farm. Qin Youming didn't want to endure such boredom. He had been lying in bed for over a month; if he lay down any longer, he felt he would be good for nothing. Also, he happened to have many doubts regarding the regulation of Qi within the human body and the meridians. This was a great opportunity to learn, and he was just worrying about having no one to answer his questions.
"Alright, I'll listen to you."
As Qin Youming responded, he poured the medicinal soup, which was just about ready, into a bowl. After letting it cool for just a moment, he tilted his head back and drank it all in one go. Just then, the roar of an engine suddenly sounded outside the courtyard wall. As the roaring noise approached, Qin Tieshan was already at the entrance, riding his sidecar motorcycle. Besides a large package on the vehicle, a young woman with a ponytail was sitting in the sidecar.
The moment he saw Qin Tieshan, Qin Youming's face lit up with joy. He was about to greet him, but when his gaze swept over the woman, his expression immediately changed. He had, after all, seen his fair share of big scenes. Qin Youming's eyes flickered. He saw that the woman's breathing was gentle, long, and steady, so faint it seemed as if she weren't breathing at all, which was completely different from Qin Tieshan, whose breath turned to frost.
"Uncle Qin, why are you here today?"
Qin Tieshan carried the package in. "This is stuff your parents sent you. Besides a few clothes, there are some things to eat. Also, Xiuxi is coming back on leave tomorrow. Auntie Shen wants you to come over for a meal."
As he spoke, Qin Tieshan looked at the woman beside him. "This is Miss Gong, who came from the Capital."
He paused, then added, "She is the successor of the 'Qian Gua Men'."
"Qian Gua Men?"
Qin Youming's mind was shaken, but his face remained calm. He remembered that before the shepherd died, the old forest keeper seemed to have mentioned that the other person was someone from the Qian Gua Men. The young woman had her ponytail tied high, wearing a brown stand-collar sweater underneath and a grey-white cotton jacket over it. This outfit might be warm enough in the capital, but it was a bit thin for Tahe. Moreover, she didn't have anything on her head to keep warm, yet her expression was normal, as if she didn't feel the cold. Qin Youming still remembered riding that motorcycle and nearly freezing to death. This person's internal martial arts had likely reached an extremely profound level.
The woman's features were as faint and light as smoke, and a pair of delicate hands hung naturally by her sides. She said softly, "My name is Gong Wushuang. If it's convenient, may I ask you a few questions?"
Gong Wushuang? What a strange name. Qin Youming looked at Qin Tieshan, then at the woman before him, and nodded. "What do you want to ask?"
Gong Wushuang's expression remained unchanged as she said softly, "Do you know the surname and given name of that old forest keeper?"
Hearing this, Qin Youming's mind stirred slightly. Could this person be seeking revenge on the old forest keeper? Or had she come to investigate the incident at the forestry farm? But no sooner had the thought crossed his mind than the woman suddenly produced a small blue-and-white porcelain bottle. "You were injured by internal force. You not only need medicinal treatment but also external injury medicine. Inside are three sixty-year-old old medicines. Just dissolve them with strong liquor, take some on your palm every night, and rub it on the injury for half an hour. In three to five days, it will dissipate the blood stasis left by the internal force."
Qin Youming's eyes flickered. After a brief moment of contemplation, he didn't answer but instead asked a counter-question, "Who is Yang Banchan?"
Gong Wushuang's delicate eyebrows raised slightly. Her face seemed to hang a cold blade, and a bright light shone in her eyes, but her tone remained peaceful. "Are you sure that person is called Yang Banchan?"
Qin Youming shook his head. "I just inadvertently saw a memorial tablet for Yang Banchan enshrined in that old man's room."
Gong Wushuang nodded gently and handed the medicine bottle to Qin Youming. "Thank you!"
With that, she turned and left, as if she had traveled a thousand miles just to ask this one question. Qin Youming weighed the medicine bottle in his hand and shouted at the woman's retreating back, "You haven't said who Yang Banchan is yet!"
But as soon as the words left his mouth, Qin Tieshan slapped him on the head and scolded angrily, "You brat, who told you to spout nonsense? I specially begged an old leader of mine to invite this person here, just to heal your injury."
During these days, Qin Youming had eaten his fill of meat and fish and hadn't missed out on various tonics, yet he still looked sickly, and his complexion showed no improvement. This worried Qin Tieshan and his wife to death.
Gong Wushuang looked thoughtfully at the young man in the yard and said gently, "It's not really a secret. That Yang Banchan was the second son of the Tai Chi Grandmaster Yang Cangchan. In the past, he was invincible throughout the Capital."
After saying this, she looked at Qin Tieshan again. "Mr. Qin, I want to go up the mountain and take a look."
Qin Tieshan glared fiercely at Qin Youming again. "You kid, study honestly for me and stop thinking about useless things."
A moment later, watching Qin Tieshan carry Gong Wushuang away, Qin Youming looked at the bottle of medicine in his hand. Doctor Liu suddenly shuffled over at this moment and said impatiently, "Let me take a quick look. This sixty-year-old old medicine is a good thing. It's prepared
The village doctor pulled his hand and hurriedly ducked into the room. "Mysterious or not, won't we know once we try?"
As he walked, Qin Youming turned his head to look in the direction Qin Tieshan and the others had gone, unable to hold back a sigh. "Alas!"
He had just started his Jianghu dream, yet he had woken from it so soon.