Chapter 001: Mountain Village, Nightmare

"You know nothing!" The woman over there raised her voice, "Save up more money, prepare the betrothal gifts, find a matchmaker, and settle your marriage; that is what truly matters!"

As the thoughts connected, Lu Liangsheng felt as if ants were crawling on his back, and a layer of cold sweat broke out. He suppressed his unease and stepped forward to examine the footprints again, when he suddenly discovered that not far below the footprints, the soil outlined a picture—a large stone wall, with a mountain hare placed there.

The villagers say that this old pine tree is spiritual, and those who ascend the mountain must pay their respects to it... It is uncertain whether this is true or not

Mother, he does not want to find a daughter-in-law, our family is going to face a decline in offspring

... ... So last night's dream

But it looks very nice, just like the characters on the plaque.

Shadows descended, and the chirping of insects suddenly fell silent

Like an illusion, faintly and indistinctly, a thin, emaciated hand stretched out across the void, reaching towards him. In his ears, as if in a hallucination, the overlapping voices of men, women, the elderly, and children resounded.

Under the eaves, a girl with braided hair clapped her hands, stood up, and ran over, laughing as she said: "Brother, Mother said you are saving money to marry a wife, is that right?"

As he walked along a certain path, he suddenly changed direction and headed towards the trees marked with red lines nearby. The path extended along many such trees until he finally stopped near a mountain wall.

The approaching youth, his outline becoming clearer, had two bundles of firewood tied to his back, and a struggling mountain hare hanging from his waist. The boy sang a mountain song, occasionally glancing around. Upon seeing the welcoming old pine tree over there, he slowly approached, respectfully bowed to the old tree, and then continued on his way

The two siblings sat side by side under the eaves, writing and drawing on the ground by the moonlight. At the entrance, Li Jinhua sat on a stool weaving a basket. Inside the house, Lu Laoshi, who had labored all day, was already snoring, blending the sounds of the siblings' playful laughter into the warmth of the night.

Liang Sheng, you have been so diligent lately, has your father promised to buy you a pen?

Watching her brother being scolded, Lu Xiaoxian covered her mouth and chuckled to herself. She then walked over and patted her brother's arm, with a sense of schadenfreude as if to say, "Brother, you will not be able to fulfill your wish."

In the distance, before even entering the village, an old man sitting on a stone greeted a young boy who had just come down from the mountain while smoking a dry tobacco pipe. The old man also bore the surname Lu, which was common among most villagers, creating a web of kinship. According to their generational hierarchy, the boy named Lu Liangsheng was to address the old man as "Great-Grandfather"

The mountains stretch in winding formations for several dozen miles, resembling the reclining figure of the Buddha. The lush green forests sway gently, while birds soar across the sky. In the setting sun to the west, an old pine tree atop a solitary peak preens its feathers, listening to the song that approaches from afar, blinking its avian eyes as it gazes downward.

Life

... ... ? In other words, someone is watching me at night

Speaking, he placed the mountain hare in front of a large green rock at the foot of the mountain, respectfully bowed to the stone, and then left, retracing his steps back to the previous road. At a fork in the path, the obscured view ahead unfolded, revealing the scene of a village before his eyes

As night deepens with the passage of time, the occasional sound of barking dogs can be heard in the village. When the wind rises, the drifting dark clouds in the sky gradually obscure half of the bright moon.

Lu ... ...

Brother, what are you writing?

Oh, jackals... Brother gathers firewood to exchange for wine money, being filial to father in seeking writing materials. Do not sneak out to harm my life, in two days I will buy meat to honor you

What is the use of being good-looking if one is not recognized

A stream flowing down from the mountain crosses in front of the village, resembling a white belt. The muddy path beneath the youth's feet extends straight ahead, flanked by fields and vegetable gardens. At the end of the wooden bridge, the village is surrounded by a fence to guard against the wolves, tigers, and leopards from the mountains.

He is a mild-mannered person, unable to be fierce. He walked into the house and put the hoe away: "Liangsheng, we are just struggling through life. If you want to buy a pen, you must first learn to read and write."

It is possible that it was my mother who opened it when she got up

Moreover, a few days ago while I was gathering firewood on the mountain, I saw a mass of purple mist descending from the sky into the valley.

I have heard the father of Er Gouzi's cousin from the neighboring house say, "In this world, there are indeed extraordinary individuals whose deeds surpass even those of the officials." He is the only person in the village who has ever been to a large city like He Gu Valley County

In the darkness, Lu Liangsheng let out a loud shout of "Ah—" and suddenly sat up, his face drenched in sweat. He turned his head, and the window was wide open, with the eastern sky beginning to show a pale white light.

Oh, the mountains... there are many wolves in the mountains, my brother walks with a heavy heart. After selling the firewood for money to buy wine, I place it by my father's door

When it comes to buying pens, Liang Sheng has always been hopeful. Since he became aware of things, he has particularly enjoyed writing and drawing. In this year, ink and brushes are considered the possessions of scholars. Even if a poor family were to buy them, they could not afford the ink. Moreover, since he cannot recognize many characters, it would be more practical to go to the city and ask someone to write for him.

The boy's home is located in the center of the village, with a fence that reaches only to waist height. Upon entering the yard, a woman hanging out a few pieces of clothing turned her head to glance and called out to a little girl who was feeding a hen, saying: "Sister, go help your brother quickly"

Someone has been here

Alright, I will draw another flying bird for you, just watch!

"Young lady, how can you speak like that?" Li Jinhua struck the spread-out clothing with a wooden stick, her tone stern while her gaze fiercely glared at Lu Liangsheng over there: "If your father finds out, he will definitely break your legs, and he is still thinking about buying a pen."

His mother had risen early and was busy in the kitchen, the sounds coming from there brought him a sense of peace

Get out of bed, put on those shoes that expose the toes, push open the door and go out, check the inside and outside of the window, and find nothing.

The young man, around fourteen or fifteen years old, has delicate features, yet his cheeks bear the thin calluses formed by the wind. He is dressed in coarse cloth, with trousers that barely reach his calves, and there are several patches on them. He carries two bundles of firewood, which are almost taller than he is, as he struggles to make his way down the mountain path.

After having such thoughts, Lu Liangsheng went up the mountain to gather firewood. Sometimes he would catch prey and bring it back, placing it there. If there was none, he would save his own food, without exception, all the offerings he prepared as food for his master had disappeared, and there were no traces of any wild animals left in the vicinity

In a solitary room, Lu Liangsheng murmured in his sleep on the bed, his restless body suddenly trembling in the moment when the clear moonlight was obscured, his consciousness gradually fading away, and a forehead beaded with cold sweat, a dream emerged

You want to read a book

This further solidified the idea of having a cave inside and seeking a master.

A person of great ability should be able to read and write, right? If I could be accepted as a disciple, learn to write, and in the future set up a stall in the city, that would be considered a skill for making a living.

It is that massive rock

The girl, around ten years old, named Lu Xiaoxian, was not as delicate as those from the city. She helped to place two bundles of firewood on the ground, her dark-skinned arms scratched with two or three blood marks, yet she paid no mind to it

He whispered softly

I also do not know... The characters written on the broken plaque of the dilapidated temple outside the village read "Temple," or something else... I am not clear either

Lu Liangsheng rubbed his sister's head, dragged the dry firewood on the ground to a corner of the house under the shade, and piled it up. The girl who was helping puffed up her cheeks, shook her two little braids, and ran over to the woman hanging clothes.

The crisp mountain songs echo intermittently, rising amidst the sea of clouds at the mountainside

Brother, you are so amazing, draw another one, draw another one, okay...

The characters drawn on the ground actually form the word 'God'. Lu Liangsheng kicked at it a few times, smoothing it out, and then drew a small tiger with bared fangs and claws in its place. The character 'Wang' on its forehead looked imposing, while its large eyes carried a silly expression, which excited his younger sister, prompting her to clap her hands enthusiastically

... ... ... facing the direction, still my room ... ... my window is still open ... ...

Remove the struggling rabbit from my waist and stroke its fur: "You are so adorable, just stay here and accompany my esteemed master. Once he is well-fed and satisfied, perhaps he will be pleased and take me as his disciple."

Alright

Liang Sheng did not refute, merely looking at the woman with a chuckle. Before long, Old Stone Lu, who had been working outside, returned carrying a hoe. Upon seeing his son, he shot him a glare, presumably having heard his wife's words from afar before even entering the house

I recognize it

Good

Lu Liangsheng glanced at the cooking smoke wafting from the kitchen, and as he was lost in thought, his gaze swept across the ground for a moment. Suddenly, his body stiffened in place. On the ground, in the spot where he had drawn pictures for his sister yesterday, there were footprints—specifically, men's footprints, as women's footprints would not be this large.

On the winding mountain path, faint footsteps approached, and after a moment, the silhouette of a young man emerged through the swirling clouds and mist

After dinner, the sky had turned completely dark, and the cold moonlight shone down. Lu Liangsheng broke a wooden branch and began to write and draw on the ground, while his younger sister sat beside him, propping her chin on her hand, gazing blankly at the moon and occasionally glancing at what her brother was writing.

Hehe, brother, this is the money I've saved to buy a pen... I'm just a few coins short of enough

Although the authenticity is uncertain, Lu Liangsheng was then pursuing the direction from which the purple aura descended and found the large stone where the rabbit was released today. The position of the stone clearly shows signs of having been moved, suggesting that perhaps a remarkable person had indeed been here

What is going on ... ... I remember the window was closed

Such scenes occur almost every day, and Lu Liangsheng has become accustomed to them. He has never given up on his pursuits, and if he could read and had a pen, he would truly want to study.