Chapter 3, Deep Mountains and Wilderness

As the campfire was ignited, the hollow gradually warmed up

However, practicing martial arts to expel toxins without protective guardians is extremely dangerous

It turns out that the area to the south has many stones, little soil, and trees find it difficult to take root and grow. Therefore, the mountains in the south do not have many trees, and the trees that do grow are mostly of short stature.

At this time, the sun had already risen to the mountainside, and the mist in the mountains had thinned considerably, enveloping the green hills like a light veil

One could say that one sees neither the sky above nor the ground below.

At this moment, Ke Yuequan looked up and realized that all around him were the endless mountains!

Ke Yuequan swallowed hard and cautiously asked, "You... you are so capable, what do you still need my help for?"

Ke Yuequan secretly said: "When we go down the mountain to wash our faces later, take the opportunity to run away."

After making the decision, Ke Yuequan tidied up his clothes and, calming his emotions, nervously returned to the cave entrance, standing about two feet away from the ghostly-faced mad scholar.

The Ghost Face Mad Scholar discovered that the trees in the southern region of the mountains were noticeably less dense. Thus, he carried the still-sleeping Ke Yuequan and used his lightness skill to advance southward from the trees.

After crossing one or two small hills, the eccentric scholar finally found a suitable place to stay

The mountains near the village are mostly devoid of trees, but as one ventures deeper into the mountainous area, due to the scarcity of human presence, the trees grow densely. Vines crisscross between the trees, and the weeds beneath are taller than a person.

With a startled cry, he hurriedly retreated into the depths of the cave, but the cave was only five people deep, and Ke Yuequan had barely taken two steps back before reaching the end.

He just said that as long as I help him, he will send me back. So I might as well try to help him, but I don't know what he will ask me to do

How to escape? Where to run? I don't even know which direction Dongshi County is in.

The decision of the ghost-faced scholar to seek Ke Yuequan as a protector was made after careful consideration

The Ghost Face Mad Scholar has always been a solitary figure in the martial world, with very few friends. Therefore, when he heard about the events at the inn during Ke Yuequan's explanation in the earth god temple, a plan suddenly flashed through his mind. Upon entering the temple and seeing Ke Yuequan, the Ghost Face Mad Scholar decided to enlist this girl to help him protect his law.

First of all, this Ke Yuequan is not from this county. As soon as the eccentric scholar entered the temple and saw the two boxes of goods placed in the corner by the old man Ke, he realized that this person was a traveling performer. Being a non-local, he would not be influenced by the power of Ruohai Village

Yet it is continuous and unending, like the waves on the sea, one wave following another, one mountain connecting to the next

This person is fully confident in their ability to control, and a child like Ke Yuequan is perfectly suitable; being too young, they do not understand, and being too old, they tend to have a stronger sense of resistance

At this moment, the ghost-faced scholar carried Ke Yuequan on his back and used his lightness skill to leap from one tree to another, flying deep into the mountains.

Last night, the acupoint of Ke Yuequan was pressed by the ghost-faced scholar, and before Ke Yuequan had fully awakened, the time arrived and it was automatically released

Ke Yuequan discovered that the ghostly-faced mad scholar was squatting at the entrance of the cave

Because Ke Yuequan had to get up very early every day to help his grandfather prepare the items needed for the day, he had become accustomed to waking up early. At this moment, Ke Yuequan groggily opened his eyes and was momentarily stunned to find himself in a stone cave. He quickly recalled the events of last night when he was captured by the ghostly face of the mad scholar.

As dawn breaks, the mountains are shrouded in mist, and the leaves are adorned with glistening dew. A variety of insect chirps and bird calls resonate throughout the forest.

The concave cave faces south, benefiting from good sunlight and being a stone cave that is not prone to water seepage, thus the interior of the cave remains relatively dry

After crossing several mountains, the Mad Scholar with a Ghostly Face discovered a small stream ahead. He jumped down from the tree, walked to the stream's edge, supported Ke Yuequan on his back with one hand, and scooped up the water with the other to drink.

Ke Yuequan stared at the ghostly-faced mad scholar, hesitating for a moment before extending both hands to receive the roasted meat

Ke Yuequan thought again: "Although this person is a bit strange, he seems quite friendly when he smiles, so he should not be a bad person."

Thus, as soon as one steps outside, one is greeted by the mountains

At this moment, the voice of the wild scholar with a ghostly face came, saying: "Girl, do not run around recklessly. The area within dozens of miles is a desolate forest with no one around. Be careful of getting lost and being eaten by wild beasts."

At this moment, use a scheme to divert the three individuals from Ruo Hai Zhuang and seize Ke Yuequan to leave the Earth Temple

Ke Yuequan glanced at the ghostly-faced mad scholar before cautiously sitting down opposite the campfire

The ghost-faced scholar, turning the roasted meat in his hand, said with a smile: "You should go wash your face at the foot of the mountain first. Later, while we eat, I will talk to you. How can we discuss anything on an empty stomach?"

In the end, it is also necessary to be clever; if any unexpected situation arises during the exercise of skills, assistance can be provided. Therefore, when the eccentric scholar heard Ke Yuequan's analysis of the events at the inn at noon, he realized that this child was indeed quite intelligent

For the Ghost Face Mad Scholar, this distance would normally be a piece of cake. However, he has been running non-stop since noon without a moment to catch his breath. Moreover, he is not only suffering from internal injuries but has also been poisoned. If it were anyone else, they might have collapsed long ago, but due to the Ghost Face Mad Scholar's resilient character, he perseveres.

The ghost-faced mad scholar had no choice but to summon Ke Yuequan for assistance

Moreover, having been poisoned by the opponent, although the Masked Mad Scholar can use his skills to suppress the flow and spread of the poison, he cannot delay for too long. This compels the Masked Mad Scholar to quickly find a quiet and safe place to expel the poison; otherwise, he might succumb to the poison before escaping the opponent's sphere of influence.

Dongshi County is located in the Lingnan region, characterized by hilly terrain

Ke Yuequan quickly jumped up from the pile of leaves and surveyed the surroundings

The ghost-faced scholar, upon seeing Ke Yuequan sit down, used a finely crafted dagger to cut a piece of roasted meat from the roasted chicken, then placed it on a wild taro leaf and handed it to Ke Yuequan, saying: "Here, eat this. Let us talk while we eat"

Hurry and wash your face, as breakfast will be grilled meat later

For someone like Gui Lian Kuang Ru, not lighting a fire pit has little impact, but for Ke Yuequan, who is a child, sleeping in this cool stone cave for a night would be extremely harmful to his health

The mountains in this region are quite small, and one can generally cross three or four of them in half a day

Ke Yuequan walked to the stream, crouched down, and splashed his face with the icy water. At the same time, he discreetly glanced in the direction of the cave, but could no longer see it, and the mad scholar had not followed him out to keep watch.

Ke Yuequan leaned against the stone wall and found that the ghostly-faced mad scholar was still squatting at the cave entrance and had not come over, so he let out a slight sigh of relief. Ke Yuequan, still shaken, asked, "You... why did you bring me here?"

Determined, Ke Yuequan let out a soft "oh" and cautiously advanced along the cave wall, avoiding the ghostly-faced scholar squatting to the left of the cave entrance as he exited the cave

His internal injuries will not heal in less than a month, and he is currently being relentlessly pursued by the enemy on their territory, leaving him no opportunity to recuperate

Upon discovering this opportunity, Ke Yuequan felt a surge of delight in his heart and stood up, preparing to sneak away

After the ghost-faced scholar took several gulps of water to regulate his somewhat chaotic breathing, he leaped onto a relatively tall tree to survey the surrounding terrain

Ah!

It is now temporarily safe, and the ghost-faced scholar finally breathed a sigh of relief, sitting down on a pile of dry leaves next to the campfire.

The ghost-faced scholar glanced at the peacefully sleeping Ke Yuequan, noticing her steady breathing and lack of discomfort, then sat cross-legged and began to cultivate his energy.

The mountains here lack the grandeur of Mount Tai and the elegance of Mount Emei; instead, they possess two distinctive features: they are petite and undulating

The ghost-faced scholar looked at Ke Yuequan's bewildered expression and couldn't help but laugh heartily, saying: "Hahahahaha, you need not worry about this."

Ke Yuequan was startled upon hearing this and hurriedly said: "I... I... I am just a maid; how can I help you protect... protect the law? I don't know any martial arts or anything like that"

At this moment, the ghost-faced scholar roasting wild chicken at the cave entrance turned to Ke Yuequan and said with a smile: "There is no need to be afraid, I just need your help with something and I won't eat you. Once the task is completed, I will send you back.

This hill is not high, as it has many stones and little soil, with trees growing very sparsely. On the southern side of the hill, there is a cave approximately three people high and five people deep, and at the foot of the hill, there is a clear spring.

Ke Yuequan emerged from the cave, and a refreshing breeze instantly invigorated him. He ran a few steps toward the stream at the foot of the mountain, glancing back furtively to see that the Ghost Face Mad Scholar was still engrossed in roasting his wild chicken. He then cautiously made his way down the mountain, fearful of making any noise that might attract the Ghost Face Mad Scholar's attention

Suddenly, I was taken aback

The ghost-faced scholar looked at He and the books, then smiled at Ke Yuequan and said, "What is there to be afraid of? Come, sit down and eat roasted wild chicken."

This is because the grim-faced scholar looks less ghastly after a night's rest, and since it is now daytime, he naturally does not appear as frightening as he did last night

After hearing the warning from the ghostly-faced scholar, Ke Yuequan thought to himself: "In this desolate mountain where not even a shadow can be seen, if I get lost at night, I might as well be a meal for the tiger"

The most crucial point is that if he is ambushed by the enemy at a critical moment while healing from his injuries, he will be doomed

The bright red flames in the bonfire flickered wildly, yet the glow of the fire could not conceal the pale and weary complexion of the mad scholar.

Ke Yuequan listened while eating, and the wild-faced scholar continued, "Therefore, I would like to ask you to help protect me for a few days, so that I can focus on cultivating my energy to heal and expel the poison."

In some low-lying areas with depressions, a considerable amount of dead branches and leaves has accumulated. The eccentric scholar gathered the drier surface leaves together and placed Ke Yuequan on top of the leaf pile

Ke Yuequan noticed that the current ghost-faced mad scholar, although still wearing a half mask, did not seem as frightening as last night

Then gather some branches and pile them together, placing them on top of some dry leaves. Next, use a fire starter to ignite the dry leaves beneath the branches, using the dry leaves as kindling to set the branches on fire. In this way, a bonfire is completed

The Ghost Face Mad Scholar cut off a piece and began to eat, saying: "Because I often wear this mask, people in the Jianghu have given me the nickname 'Ghost Face Mad Scholar'. Recently, I accidentally got involved with that group of fools from Ruohai Manor, and I fell into their trap. Not only was I injured, but I also got poisoned."

The poison is temporarily sealed within the left arm, and for the time being, it will not have any significant effect. Now, the Ghost Face Mad Scholar is first channeling his energy to adjust the chaotic internal breath to prevent further internal injuries, while also being able to recover some internal strength