Chapter 6

Wu Guihua might have listened to the villagers' discussions and learned that Village Head Li agreed to let Cheng Duo stay, so she jumped out to oppose it while he gathered the clan elders for a discussion.

The reasons were readily available. Cheng Duo's identity was unknown, and his combat power was too high. If he had any ill intentions, the entire village would be in danger.

However, Village Head Li didn't think the same way. He had been the village chief in Yang Village for over twenty years and still had a keen eye. He genuinely admired Cheng Duo's formidable combat power, and in the end, he somehow managed to convince the clan elders. In short, Cheng Duo's stay was approved.

But Wu Guihua's disturbance wasn't in vain. The house that Village Head Li originally intended to allocate to Cheng Duo was next to Wu Guihua's house. It used to be occupied by an elderly widower named Liu Laocai. Liu Laocai passed away last year, and since the house had been vacant for a short time, it was relatively well-preserved and conveniently located in the center of the village.

However, due to Wu Guihua's meddling, the clan elders had some concerns about Cheng Duo. Therefore, they arranged for him to reside in the temporary house built in the mountain hollow used for guarding the fields. The house consisted of two rooms, with one collapsed and the other on the verge of collapsing, with half of the roof exposed.

Village Head Li felt embarrassed when he took Cheng Duo to see the house because he and the clan elders had taken Cheng Duo's chickens and goats but ended up arranging a house that couldn't be inhabited for him.

Cheng Duo didn't mind much, though, because Village Head Li said he wouldn't collect any money from him. The only time he would need to pay was at the end of the year when the village went to the yamen to report the population, and he would have to pay a few hundred wen. This way, not only would he have proof of identity, but he could also obtain the title deed for the house.

In fact, Cheng Duo was fortunate. Wudu County was located on the border of Great Xia, with thin soil and variable climate, making the living conditions already harsh. Coupled with bandits causing trouble and the border troops clashing with foreign tribes, the population had decreased significantly, and the land had lost its value.

The government actually wanted the villagers to split their household registrations so that they could draft more people for the imperial tasks.

Village Head Li expressed his apologies profusely, making Cheng Duo unsure of how to explain to him. But in reality, he was quite satisfied.

This mountain was far away from the village, with a large expanse of land in front of the house. Further away, there was a cultivated slope on the mountain, with the land divided into small patches by gravel and rocks. Tender vegetable sprouts emerged from the middle of the soil… There must be villagers who came to plant them regularly.

And directly behind the house was a vast mountain, which was convenient for someone like Cheng Duo, a hunter. He wouldn't have to pass through the village anymore when he went hunting in the mountains.

This was exactly what Cheng Duo wanted: to be far away from the crowd but not completely isolated. He could only see the rooftops of the village houses from a distance, and the only entrance connecting to the outside world was a bamboo forest. Only when sparse cooking smoke rose could he sense the presence of human activity.

His supernatural hearing was excellent, and his nightmares occasionally emerged. Cheng Duo was worried that one night he might sleepwalk and accidentally climb over the wall to the neighboring house, mistaking the neighbor for a zombie or an enemy and killing them!

Living in seclusion would eliminate such worries. He would be the only household around, and even if he sleepwalked, he wouldn't stray too far.

Cheng Duo also planned to build a tall fence in the yard to enclose his house. This way, he would feel more secure, and it would also prevent other villagers from prying eyes…

While Cheng Duo was planning and arranging his territory, Village Head Li suddenly made a suggestion, "It would be best if you cultivate a vegetable plot in this area. Otherwise, it might be inconvenient to have vegetables to eat."

Village Head Li pointed to the vacant land next to the dilapidated house, overgrown with weeds.

He was genuinely afraid that Cheng Duo would have no vegetables to eat and would directly steal from other people's fields. He had even promised everyone yesterday that if Cheng Duo committed theft as soon as he arrived, would he still be able to continue as the village chief?

Cheng Duo paused upon hearing this. Indeed, he couldn't survive on hunting alone without any vegetables. It wasn't a viable solution to keep relying on the villagers for exchanges.

He turned to look at Village Head Li, his expression somewhat hesitant. "Um… I don't actually know how to cultivate the land. Could Uncle Li find someone to come and help me?"

"Alright, I'll go back and ask for you." Village Head Li couldn't make any guarantees either. The main issue was that Cheng Duo's fierce reputation had already spread, and the villagers were quite afraid of him.

It was currently the busy season for spring farming, and every household was occupied with their own work in the fields. Seeing Cheng Duo's clueless appearance, he would need someone to teach him step by step. But where could he find someone who wasn't afraid of Cheng Duo, knew how to cultivate vegetables, and didn't have to tend to their own fields?

Village Head Li left, and Cheng Duo stood in front of the nearly ruined house, feeling at a loss.

It wasn't that he didn't know how to cultivate, but he lacked the necessary tools.

After spending half a month in ancient times, Cheng Duo felt the urgency to earn money for the first time.

He stood in place for a while, then returned to his mountain cave to retrieve his wooden spear. He decided to get a big catch this time…

Cheng Duo had planned it well, but sometimes, getting a big catch wasn't as easy as he thought. After wandering in the mountains for a whole day, he started to regret it. He should have found a way to dig up the rabbit burrow when he saw it earlier. Although it would have been troublesome to block all the rabbit holes, at least he would have had rabbits to eat…

And those wild chickens that occasionally flew by in front of him, they might be small, but they were still meat!

In the evening, as the sky darkened, Cheng Duo washed his hands in a mountain stream and drank some water to replenish his fluids. He was contemplating whether to go back or find a tree to spend the night when he heard sounds of a fight coming from deep within the forest.

"Hand over the goods!"

"Do you think I'm stupid? If I hand them over, you'll still kill me to silence me! Let me tell you honestly, I've already hidden the goods. If you have the ability, find them in these vast mountains."

"You're asking for death—"

The person being chased sounded young, and although his words sounded calm, from the way he dodged left and right with a bloody arm, it was evident that he was in an extremely perilous situation.

The young man being chased was dressed in black night attire. Although he had the same braided hairstyle as the three assassins behind him, his appearance and accent made it clear that he was from the Great Xia dynasty.

The three assassins were different. They spoke a strange variation of the Great Xia language, wielded curved knives as weapons, and had tattoos on their faces.

As Cheng Duo watched the young man being chased, he couldn't help but think of himself being chased half a month ago… Just as the curved knife was about to strike, slashing the young man's neck, Cheng Duo emerged from behind a tree and kicked the assassin back.

Cheng Duo glanced at the young man and asked, "What did you take from them?"

Grateful for having his life spared, the young man eagerly introduced himself, "Esteemed warrior, I am Meng Ji, a soldier from the Xiling Garrison of the Great Xia dynasty."

He was quick-witted. Although he didn't directly reveal what he had taken from the foreign assassins, by disclosing his identity as a soldier from the Xiling Garrison, he believed that the newcomer, who were also from the Great Xia side, would be willing to help him.

The assassin whom Cheng Duo kicked had quickly gotten up from the ground and exchanged glances with his two companions. One of them said something, and all three dispersed, surrounding Cheng Duo and the young man.

The young man hurriedly translated, "Be careful, they just said they want to kill both of you to silence you."

After translating, he anxiously looked at Cheng Duo, noticing that Cheng Duo only had a rough wooden spear in his hand, without even a piece of iron. On the other hand, the three enemies were well-trained, wielding sharp curved knives.

The young man felt somewhat desperate. He couldn't help but think that this person who jumped out seemed to be of no use other than granting him an extra lease on life…

Cheng Duo glared at him, dodged a knife with a sidestep, and took advantage of the opening when his opponent revealed his body while swinging the blade. He thrust the wooden spear through the man's chest, forcefully pinning him to a tree!

The young man murmured, "…Hero! I was wrong about him!"

Cheng Duo didn't withdraw the wooden spear. Instead, he pulled out the curved knife from the man's hand, turned around, and raised the knife to block—

The birds in the forest fluttered their wings in fright, and a withered leaf fell from an empty branch, swaying and drifting into the pool of blood on the ground.

Meng Ji looked at the bloody scene before him and almost doubted whether he had encountered a hero or a bloodthirsty maniac! The soldiers in their camp only slit throats when killing enemies; who would bother chopping off heads?

Especially this person who had beheaded two people in a row. He was completely untouched by blood, his techniques were skillful, and he even casually squatted down to search a corpse…

Cheng Duo was accustomed to it. Zombies had to be decapitated; otherwise, they could bite back. He first searched the two headless bodies and found several silver pieces on them, then walked toward the last assassin pinned to the tree, holding the knife.

The man was still alive, but he looked on the verge of death, as if he wouldn't survive much longer.

"Mighty warrior, spare his life," Meng Ji was extremely afraid, but he still mustered the courage to speak up, "I can bring him back to the garrison. He might still be useful. Can you spare him?"

Alright…

Cheng Duo didn't hesitate much. He collected the silver from their body and turned to the young man.

Meng Ji took a sharp breath, clutching his wound tightly as he leaned against the large tree behind him. Did he manage to escape from the enemy's hands for a whole day and night, only to end up dying at the hands of a Great Xia person?

Cheng Duo glanced at him with a somewhat speechless expression but still asked kindly, "Do you have any silver on you?"

Meng Ji didn't react for a moment and clung to himself as if he were a little girl about to be violated, saying, "?"

"I saved your life. It wouldn't be excessive to give me some compensation, right?"

"Not excessive, not excessive!" Meng Ji shook his head vigorously, finally understanding, and filled with joy. It felt like he had narrowly escaped a disaster. He quickly rummaged through his belongings and took out the silver, saying, "I have a total of twelve taels on me. They're all yours!"

Cheng Duo held the silver, looking at Meng Ji with a slightly disdainful gaze—how come others, when saved by someone, would casually offer a thousand taels of silver or even jewels and gold, but when it came to him, there were only a mere twelve taels?

It seemed that it was due to the difference in their identities. The people others saved were either wealthy landlords or princes and emperors, while the person he saved was just a poor soldier!

If Meng Ji knew what Cheng Duo was thinking, he would definitely cry. Their general's monthly pay was only twelve taels of silver. How could he not go and rob someone offering a thousand taels of silver!

Cheng Duo did rob, and he did so with a clear conscience. He had no intention of bothering with Meng Ji any further. He threw down the curved knife and turned to leave.

"Wait."

Cheng Duo turned his head at the sound, and Meng Ji quickly pressed himself against the tree again, saying, "This… This is my identification token. If the warrior ever needs help in the future, you can find me at the Xiling Garrison."

Meng Ji tossed over an iron token, which had nothing on it except for a number. Cheng Duo casually tucked it into his pocket, actually having no intention of using it at all.

He just wanted to live a peaceful life as a hunter. He didn't want to get involved in any family or national wars. He wasn't even a Great Xia person, so it didn't matter to him who won or lost!