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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Jianquan Village
Fire Lion did not know how long he had been asleep. As soon as he opened his eyes, he realized he was lying on a straw cart, driven by an Old Man. Feeling dizzy, Fire Lion propped himself up and asked, "Old man, did you save me?"
Seeing Fire Lion awake, the Old Man smiled and said, "You're awake!"
Fire Lion had scraped his forehead when he hit the ground. As soon as his hand touched the wound, a sharp pain shot through him, and he quickly withdrew his hand. He asked, "How long have I been sleeping?"
The Old Man replied, "Before dawn, I went into the woods to relieve myself and found you lying on the ground. At first, I thought you were dead; no matter how much I called, you wouldn't wake up. Later, I realized you were still breathing, so I dragged you back onto the cart. It's almost noon now."
Fire Lion nodded gratefully and said, "Thank you, old man. Where are you headed?"
The Old Man chuckled warmly, "Home. My house is just up ahead."
Not far ahead was a small mountain village with only a dozen households. The Old Man returned to his home and called out to stop the horse. He got down from the cart and invited, "If you don't mind, would you like to come in and rest for a bit?"
Fire Lion nodded, "I appreciate it."
In his life, Fire Lion had never felt so exhausted and hungry. However, the feeling of being alive was certainly much better than being dead. Suddenly, he felt a void in his heart. He touched the diary in his pocket; it was still there. Although he knew it contained records of wealth, there were no good brothers left to share that wealth with.
As Fire Lion entered the village, he sensed a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere. Before entering the village, he had seen rabbits and deer darting through the woods. A long-lost sense of calm washed over him. He needed time to clear and organize his thoughts; he should think carefully about what path to take next. Outside the Old Man's house was a fence.
The Old Man was unloading straw by himself. Across from the house stood several fruit trees heavy with ripe fruit; it was autumn now. Years of hard labor had bent the Old Man's back. Fire Lion, who was sturdier than the Old Man, felt slightly astonished at how this bent figure managed to drag him onto the cart.
Once a poor child himself, Fire Lion had done plenty of hard work in his time. Although unloading straw did not suit his identity now, he took the initiative to help out. If any members of the Western Desert Gang had seen this scene, they would surely have found it quite unbelievable.
With worries on his mind, Fire Lion stayed at Uncle Zhuo's home for several days. During this time, he did not just eat and drink for free; he also helped with some farm work. The Old Man, not one to pry into others' affairs, never asked about Fire Lion's background despite him staying in his home.
The Old Man's surname was Zhuo. After spending a few days together, Fire Lion began calling him Uncle Zhuo. One day, carrying a hoe on his shoulder while walking back from the fields to Uncle Zhuo's house, as soon as he stepped outside, a fragrant aroma of stewed meat wafted into his nose from the wind. Taking a deep breath made it feel as if just smelling it was enough to fill his mouth with a piece of tender stew.
Quickening his pace towards the house, just as he reached near the door, he saw Uncle Zhuo coming out with a basket filled with stew pots. Although covered with a lid, the delicious scent of meat could not be concealed.
Fire Lion eagerly asked, "Uncle Zhuo, what's the good occasion today? You've started cooking meat?"
Uncle Zhuo smiled slightly. "Are you hungry? Put down the hoe and come eat with me."
Today was the joyous day of the village chief's eldest son's wedding. The villagers, being poor, couldn't afford luxurious gifts like silk and satin, so Uncle Zhuo decided to prepare his specialty dish to join in the celebration.
The two of them arrived at the village chief's house, where a grand feast had already been set up in the open space outside. Upon seeing Uncle Zhuo approaching with a basket of food, the village chief laughed heartily. "You old Zhuo, I asked you to cook stew here, but you insisted on going home. Are you afraid someone will steal your cooking skills?"
The guests burst into laughter at this, and Uncle Zhuo's face turned red. "Where's the groom? This pot of meat is for the bride and groom; you can't eat it!"
In high spirits due to the happy occasion, the village chief chuckled. "I won't eat it, but next time you invite me for drinks, you better bring two pots of stew; otherwise, I won't let you have my brewed spring wine."
Noticing Fire Lion, the village chief cheerfully said, "Brother Li Hu has come too!"
The name "Li" was derived from its homophone meaning "to leave," while "Hu" referred to Big Tiger. Fire Lion chose this name both to commemorate his two brothers and to conceal his true identity.
Fire Lion smiled broadly. "I also want to share in the joy."
The village chief laughed heartily. "Sit down, sit down; don’t just stand there!"
The weather was clear and warm today; the village chief had specifically chosen this last autumn day for the wedding celebration. The villagers were excitedly preparing for a mouthwatering feast.
The table was laden with an abundance of game meat, a benefit of being near the mountains. In addition to large platters of wild game, there were also homegrown vegetables from local farms. Jars of spring wine brewed by the village chief were placed in the center of the table, along with several plates of mountain mushrooms and black fungus. Outside the courtyard fence, two wild boars were roasting until they glistened with fat.
Fire Lion bent his knee and slowly sat down beside the table, gazing at the sumptuous dishes before him.
On another side, several children aged five or six were munching on chicken legs while their eyes remained fixed on the roasting wild boars. Once all the guests had taken their seats, the bride and groom began to toast. The groom was tall and handsome, exuding an air of elegance, while the young bride may not have been ethereal but was still quite lovely.
Shyly accompanying her groom in offering drinks, they presented a joyful scene that made Fire Lion involuntarily smile with blessings. Unbeknownst to him, he suddenly wished to be part of this happiness.
However, Fire Lion quickly snapped back to reality and dismissed that thought. After all, he was Fire Lion, the leader of the Western Desert Gang, a man who walked on the edge of a knife. The vendetta against Big Tiger and Lifeng had yet to be settled. Just thinking about Ji Zichen made him grit his teeth in anger.
Fire Lion sat quietly, watching the villagers celebrate and revel in their joy until nightfall enveloped the village.
The moon rose, pure and bright, yet in Fire Lion's heart, it felt cold and blue-green. The wedding feast had ended, and everyone stumbled home inebriated. Fire Lion strolled slowly along the winding country road back home.
Having stayed in the village for several months, Fire Lion was unaware that one night, an unexpected visitor would suddenly arrive in this tranquil place.
This visitor was Mad Bull, who had just escaped from Qingyang City. It was the same night when Kong Qi transformed into the Green Demon Eagle and attacked Qingyang City. The village was only about twenty miles away from the city, a fact that Fire Lion did not know since he had never asked Uncle Zhuo about it.
Mad Bull had run over twenty miles without stopping and was parched with thirst. Spotting a water jar in a yard, he wasted no time lifting the lid and gulping down water. At that moment, the villagers inside heard a commotion outside and turned on their lights. A middle-aged man wrapped in a coat stepped out and called out, "Who’s there?"
As soon as he spoke, he saw a burly figure standing in the yard. Mad Bull fixed his fierce gaze on him, causing the villager to startle. "Who are you?" he demanded.
With a cold snort, Mad Bull fled in panic, not even knowing where he was. He gruffly asked, "Where is this place?"
Seeing the menacing aura surrounding Mad Bull, the middle-aged man became flustered and replied hurriedly, "This is Jianquan Village."
Not having heard of this place before, Mad Bull asked, "How far is it to Qingyang City?"
The middle-aged man did not dare to hide anything and answered honestly, "About twenty miles."
A jolt of realization hit Mad Bull. "I’ve escaped this far already."
He took a deep breath; having run so far, he no longer feared that the large Green Demon Eagle would pursue him. His eyes scanned the yard and spotted a horse in a shabby stable to his left. He approached the stable and untied the horse. The middle-aged man rushed forward to stop him. "Sir, what are you doing?"
With a fierce glare, Mad Bull kicked him aside. "Get out of my way! I’m borrowing your horse!"
Seeing Mad Bull's brutish behavior, the middle-aged man immediately knelt down and pleaded, "Please have mercy! This horse is my lifeline; I need it for work. You can’t take away my means of survival!"
Exhausted after running over twenty miles, Mad Bull could not let this opportunity slip by. Annoyed by the man's incessant whining, he growled, "Stop pestering me! I’ll kill you!"
Ignoring the man's pleas, Mad Bull mounted the horse and galloped away. The middle-aged man shouted in alarm, "Help! Thief! Someone is stealing my horse!"
The mountains were already silent, but as the middle-aged man shouted, the dogs in the village began barking loudly. Fire Lion, who had been resting, was accustomed to the dangers of his life and had developed a habit of vigilance; any unusual noise would wake him instantly.
As Fire Lion stepped outside, he saw Mad Bull galloping past. At that moment, Fire Lion did not yet recognize Mad Bull. By now, several villagers had awakened, and Mad Bull could hear the man's continuous cries for help. Without hesitation, Fire Lion sprang into action and chased after him.
Fire Lion's Red Boots were as fast as a horse. Before long, he was right behind Mad Bull.
No one understood better than Mad Bull how important horses were to the people here. Fire Lion shouted, "Stop! Leave the horse behind!"
When Mad Bull turned around and saw someone running as fast as a horse, he was taken aback and shouted back, "Get lost if you don't want to die!"
Seeing that Mad Bull refused to listen, Fire Lion was never one to be intimidated by threats. He sneered and commanded, "Get down!"
With a slight pull, Fire Lion was already at Mad Bull's side. He grabbed Mad Bull and yanked him off the horse. The startled horse neighed loudly and ran forward for several paces before stopping. Recognizing its owner, it turned around and galloped back toward the village.
Fire Lion pinned Mad Bull to the ground and said sternly, "How dare you come to the village to steal a horse! You truly don’t know when to quit!"
Mad Bull retaliated with a punch aimed at Fire Lion. Seeing the ferocity of Mad Bull's strike, Fire Lion quickly dodged to avoid it.
Mad Bull got up from the ground, glaring fiercely at Fire Lion. "You're asking for death!" he growled.
With a flick of his wrist, Mad Bull unleashed two Ox Rings that shot toward Fire Lion. Noticing the strange trajectory of the Ox Rings, Fire Lion dared not take them head-on; they came at him with great speed. However, they were still no match for Fire Lion's Red Boots. He propelled himself forward, using his body to collide with Mad Bull. In the thick darkness of night, both men tumbled down into a nearby ravine together.
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