Chapter 5: The noble is above, and propriety is esteemed

There was a sorcerer named Lu Sheng who advised: Today, the daylight is dim and unclear, and there are shadowy deities passing by. It is necessary to offer the blood of a stillborn fawn as a sacrifice to these shadowy deities, for extraordinary and indescribable events will occur.

He watched as Taizai left the stone house again with the tiger, still bearing the appearance of a great general heading into battle

He had no mind to consider these distant and unattainable matters; he was only concerned about whether his body could recover. If it could not, he was prepared to truly commit suicide once.

Knowing that it would lead to death, he still spoke out boldly, which created a significant conflict with Yun Lang's character and disposition

In the past, the hard shell was Yun Lang's garment; now, as his health gradually improves, the hard shell will gradually turn into fragments. What Yun Lang needs most at present is a set of clothing

The lingering smell of blood on the clothes told him that Dazai had indeed killed someone over a piece of clothing

He seems to be very persistent about this and hopes to complete the narration of his family's history in the shortest time possible, thoroughly explaining it so that Yun Lang can quickly enter the circumstances he needs.

The act of killing has always been the prerogative of the state apparatus, far removed from individual will

To speak frankly, the story told by Dazai contradicts Yunlang's sense of right and wrong

Yunlang did not throw the dirty clothes into the fire pit out of dissatisfaction. Since Taizai could kill a person for one piece of clothing, he could also kill another person for another piece of clothing

Thus, Yunlang was once again moved out by Grandpa Taizai, with his mouth wide open towards the setting sun, and a small rake woven from fine golden threads once again probed deep into Yunlang's throat

When a person is idle, they tend to engage in many inexplicable activities

Sighing, he said: "It is better to fall on one's own."

Yunlang is very curious about what he does every day, leaving early and returning late, but he has become more cautious and never asks too many questions

Fortunately, in this part, the hard shell has already detached from the newly formed muscle, and he performs this task with great ease, accompanied by a strangely satisfying feeling

The doe did not know whether it was stunned by the tiger or had developed symptoms of Stockholm syndrome, as it surprisingly remained in the stone house without leaving

Yunlang was on the high soft bag, and it was peacefully grazing under the soft bag. Even when Yunlang threw a broken branch at it, it merely shook off the branches that had fallen on its body and continued to lower its head to graze.

The ancestral saying goes: This body belongs to the king, whether raising horses in Shanggui or serving as the steward in Xianyang, both are in service to the king, and there is no difference between the two

In the twenty-ninth year of King Wang, the family ancestor, who had been sent to the ancestral land of Shanggui to tend horses due to the king's anger, returned to Xianyang once again to serve as the king's steward

In light of this, Yun Lang also has no way out; this fellow is destined to end up in the tiger's belly sooner or later

In this way, it is not inappropriate that the deceased commoner was killed by the noble Chancellor over a piece of clothing

For dinner, there were wild fruits and rabbit meat. Both of them hardly ate any meat, as most of it was given to the tiger. Dazai's gaze lingered on the spotted deer for a long time. Yunlang quickly wrapped his only movable hand around the deer's neck. Even though the deer no longer had milk, he still disliked the idea of roasting this lifesaver and putting it in his stomach.

Every time the small rake came out, a piece of flesh would hang on its fine teeth, and it was not until Yunlang's mouth began to bleed that Taizai finally gave up this inexplicable behavior

After sleeping beautifully while holding the sika deer with one hand, the story that Dazai spoke of truly became a story for him, and moreover, it became a cautionary example to be wary of

He feels that nothing is more important than his own life. Since the passing of Granny Yun, he no longer has anyone he wishes to protect with his life, let alone correct others' mistakes with his life.

He was so meticulous and selfless in his work that even Dazai returned, yet he was still engaged in a final struggle with a small piece of hard shell in the crevice.

After watching for more than ten consecutive days, I lost interest.

The congestion in the throat has improved significantly, but it feels as if a layer of skin has been stripped away by Dazai, making it painful even to swallow. Fortunately, Yunlang has been tormented by pain these past few days, greatly enhancing his ability to endure it

One should not be arrogant simply because of the prosperity of Xianyang, nor should one be disheartened due to the remoteness of Shanggui. As long as we engage in actions that benefit the king, it is the greatest honor for us, the vassals.

Today, you have shown great protection towards the doe due to the grace of its nursing, which reflects the noble legacy of your ancestors... From now on, you should maintain this heart.

Upon returning to Xianyang, all the family wealth, properties, and servants had been seized by others. My father wished to reclaim them, but was obstructed by my grandfather, who said that material wealth was insignificant; as long as one could return to the king's side, everything would be sufficient

With two arms, a person can basically move. Yun Lang dragged himself along the ground with his arms, placing the already heated garment into a gray pottery jar, and then, with the help of Taizai, hung the gray pottery jar over the fire pit

Dazai was very pleased with Yunlang's performance and said in a low, husky voice: "For the great one, respect is paramount!"

Fortunately, Dazai understood his gestures and did not proceed with further treatment; if it had continued, Yunlang's life might have been in jeopardy

Grandfather's skills are actually quite good, did you see? This tiger's leg was broken, and it was Grandfather who healed it

In Yunlang's consciousness, killing is a taboo of thought; in his world, killing is mostly just talk, and only a very few individuals would transform their anger into action

He is very careful; as soon as he feels any pain, he will immediately stop. He only wishes to gain a measure of freedom and has no intention of self-harm.

The process of removing the hard shell from the left arm is akin to a gambler opening a dice cup, both exhilarating and thrilling

The shell is very hard; after peeling off a small piece, it can be easily torn away along the texture of the dead muscle, strip by strip

Today's dinner is a bowl of wheat rice, prepared by placing wheat in a jar with a little salt and then cooking it, which Yunlang is encountering for the first time

The family ancestor, in June, shot and killed the pregnant mother deer, which was against the ancestral rules, and refused to comply with the command... The king, enraged, followed up with a sharp arrow and shot the family ancestor, who did not evade, and was struck by three arrows... At the moment of death, he advised his descendants not to harbor any resentment towards the king because of this matter

Do not say that he cannot speak now; even if he could, he would not ask. In this world, there are as many people who die from talking too much as there are fish crossing the river.

Tazai skillfully pointed at the tiger, which quickly darted to the other side of Yunlang. It was evident that, whenever possible, the tiger was unwilling to be with Tazai

The hard shell on his chin had not completely come off yet, so Yun Lang gave up the idea of continuing to peel it away. The new skin on his neck was smooth, delicate, and free of any scars, which had already made him ecstatic. He then turned his attention to the other arm.

Exactly, Yunlang had a precious hand that could be used, so, spurred by curiosity, he began to peel the burnt shell from his body

Wang heard the last words of his family ancestor, instructing his father to succeed him as the head of the family.

It seems that Dazai had thought of this long ago. As soon as he returned to the stone house, he took out a set of clothes from the leather pouch on the back of the tiger and placed it beside Yunlang

In order to divert Dazai's desire for treatment, Yunlang made every effort to gesture, hoping that Dazai would take him back to the stone house. Compared to treatment, he preferred to follow Dazai and learn the kind of words he spoke.

The thickness of the wrist is roughly comparable, thus, peeling off the hard shell has become a source of enjoyment; each day, as he peels away a little, his life gains a bit more happiness, a joy he had never experienced before in his life. He is even unwilling to share this pleasure with Dazai.

Yunlang's actions left Taizai somewhat emotional, as he stoked the flames in the stone house to make them brighter, and continued to speak about his family's history in the simplest terms possible

The wheat meal he had eaten was different from the individual grains of wheat before him; rather, it was a product made from carefully selected wild vegetables, mixed with flour, then seasoned with various spices, and finally steamed in a steamer for twenty minutes, resulting in a dish that was exceptionally delicious

Dazai smiled and said, "Someone trespassed into the forbidden area and was killed by me"

If the head falls off, it cannot be reattached, Yun Lang thought this way. Clearly, Dazai did not care much, or rather, a human life was less important than getting Yun Lang a garment to cover his shame.

In the early morning, the sea of clouds rises in the valley, and as the sun emerges, the magnificent and ever-changing hues of the clouds are breathtaking. When Yunlang first witnessed such a scene, he couldn't bear to blink his eyes.

Yunlang was once again thrown onto the hammock-like soft pouch by Taizai, along with a thick bear skin.

Seeing that Dazai was once again fixated on him, he quickly waved his hand, signaling him not to act recklessly. He was well aware that many parts of his body were still connected to this charred shell.

First, a flawless little hand appeared before him. Yun Lang deliberately placed both hands together to compare, and thankfully, the sizes of the two hands were roughly similar. Although the little hand was somewhat smaller, it did not appear any more peculiar.

Such treatment is indeed too brutal and too direct, leaving Yun Lang no time to react and rendering him even more powerless to resist

This principle was taught to Yunlang by Dazai last night. His grandfather adhered to this principle and stood there to receive three arrows from Emperor Qin.

Yunlang instinctively avoided Taizai's gaze

The presence of a palm-sized dark red stain at the hem of the garment further attests to the mysterious origins of this clothing

Wang Xinran ordered the family ancestors to drive away the pregnant doe so that Wang could shoot it.

After dawn, I ate the leftover fruit from last night with one hand. Those who have hands to use are fortunate, especially when a person regains the use of their hand; they are filled with gratitude towards this world.

Dazai jumped onto the big tree, watching as Yunlang gradually sprouted two pure white buds from a dark mass, feeling very happy for him

Yunlang, who was already able to sit, placed his clothes in the fire pit to dry. Lice continuously fell from the clothes into the fire pit, making a crackling sound.

The first area to be cared for is the neck, which has a thick hard shell that subjects him to torment every time he turns his head

In June, the king visited the Deer Park and ordered his attendants to drive out the sika deer within the park. The king then shot at them with a bow and arrow, killing two deer in succession, yet he was still not satisfied.

The clothing is clearly old, and the lice crawling in the seams serve as evidence that its original owner was not a person of high status