Chapter 4: The Illiterate Local

The two young girls found it somewhat strange that they could only hear the boy's voice, but not that of his mother. Upon listening carefully, they also did not hear the breathing of a fourth person. Could it be that his mother is an expert? This seems a bit far-fetched.

This too, fine, I will teach you a method of mental cultivation. Ling Aoxue nodded, preparing to teach the young man a method of mental cultivation, which was not her family's technique, but one she had acquired during her adventures in the martial world. She knew quite a few methods of mental cultivation, and the ones she could share were relatively good, ones that ordinary people would not have access to.

Could it be that he remembered everything? If that is the case, then his talent is quite commendable; why is he unable to cultivate internal energy? This is truly strange

"Are you sure you want me to teach? Don't forget what I am studying. If he studies the same thing as I do, he will be ostracized by you upright people," said Murong Qing.

At this time, they were already able to move. They could eat the porridge by themselves without needing the young man to serve them. Their vital energy was gradually recovering, and after consuming these few bowls of porridge, their strength was also recovering rapidly. It was unclear whether it was the effect of the medicinal ingredients in the porridge or their own constitution and cultivation.

Since I cannot learn those things by myself, there is no need to force it. At least I can learn some skills, which are relatively simple.

"Did you remember everything?" Ling Aoxue asked, prompting the young man to recite the brief passage he had just heard. As a result, the young man recited it perfectly, indeed having remembered it all.

After continuing to cook for a while, the aroma of the porridge emerges, and it is ready to be served.

Soon, Ling Aoxue recited a small section of the mental technique. She possessed an extraordinary ability to remember everything she saw, and all the secret manuals she found satisfactory were stored in her mind. This was also true for Murong Qing; for geniuses, this was not a remarkable feat.

Soon, they discovered the truth of the matter, as they saw that the young man was speaking to a spirit tablet, a rather crude spirit tablet, and there were several other spirit tablets nearby.

The two young girls were unsure whether they were hungry or if the porridge was truly delicious, as they consumed several large bowls, and the taste of this porridge was deeply etched in their hearts

The two young girls confirmed and found that the boy had indeed memorized everything, and he recited it word for word from the *illustrated* book. Such memory is undoubtedly enviable. Although this mental technique does not consist of too many words, it still amounts to several thousand characters in total. He memorized it in one go, and not a single word was missed; this memory is quite remarkable

The wishes of youth seem quite simple; as long as one can live well, that is enough. Although the current life is somewhat modest, it can still be lived very well.

"How is it? How much do you remember?" She did not write it down immediately, as she also wanted to know how much the young man could remember, as this could test some of his innate talent

"So little, of course I remember it all," the youth replied nonchalantly

Cooking porridge and simmering porridge are different; cooking porridge only requires it to be cooked through, which does not take much time. Then, the young man adds some vegetables he has grown to the porridge. The advantage of being in the mountains is that there is plenty of space to grow vegetables. He also takes out some preserved wild boar meat, cuts it up, and adds it in, along with some edible herbs and some homemade seasonings.

Originally, the young man had a house in the village below, but his uncles and aunts occupied his house and even drove him out. Not to mention raising him to adulthood, they did not even provide him with food, leaving him to rely solely on himself and books

Listening to the youth's background, the two young girls could not help but feel a trace of compassion, a sentiment they rarely experienced. Normally, such matters were far too numerous, and they believed they would not possess the heart to feel pity. However, perhaps it was because of this young man that they were moved to such feelings.

... ...

"We will teach you, will you learn?" Murong Qing asked, this could be considered a form of gratitude, and what she intended to teach would certainly not be simple. This could be regarded as a significant opportunity, one that most people would not hope to encounter, yet the young man was unaware of this matter.

Although the young man comes from a somewhat unfortunate background, he understands the importance of self-reliance and knows how to create conditions with his own hands. When the roof is damaged, he repairs it himself; when there is no furniture, he makes it himself

The harvest from this medicinal herb gathering was quite good; I collected a plant of dragon tongue grass. The owner of the pharmacy in this county is currently purchasing it, and I will deliver it to him tomorrow, then buy some good things for you to eat

From the information regarding these spirit tablets, it appears that this young man is an orphan, at least for the time being, and his mother is likely to have passed away in recent years, as the condition of this spirit tablet is noticeably different from the others.

Subsequently, they learned about the youth's background from www.hetushucomcom, discovering that his father had passed away in an accident while gathering herbs when he was young, and that his mother had also left him several years ago due to illness caused by overwork

After the young man finished speaking, he went to the kitchen to cook porridge. Although the dilapidated temple was in poor condition, it was still quite spacious, and under the young man's care, everything that should be there was present.

"Then there is no need for further discussion, you teach him." Murong Qing's earlier words were directed at Xiaoyao, while the latter part was addressed to Ling Aoxue

Previously, he mentioned buying food for his mother, which should be offerings for the ritual

Although it may not be possible to become an unparalleled master, it should not be a problem to become an ordinary expert, and this will also change his life

You must be hungry; I will prepare porridge for you

... ...

Fortunately, he had long since learned the art of foraging for medicinal herbs, and he was able to support himself through this skill

Ling Aoxue and Murong Qing exchanged glances, seemingly aware of each other's doubts. Thus, they chose the universally acknowledged difficult-to-remember and comprehend "Tongtian Sword Classic" to see if the young man could memorize it. As a result, the young man also succeeded, remembering it perfectly after just one attempt, without missing a single word.

I cannot learn those things; I can only master the basic techniques and the * diagrams * in the books. Brother Hai has taught me many times, but I still cannot grasp it. People say I am slow-witted! However, it doesn't matter; those basic techniques are sufficient for my needs. After learning them, I have become much stronger, and climbing mountains has become much easier.

"Little brother, I see that your foundation seems quite good. Why is it that you cannot cultivate any internal energy?" Murong Qing asked with a smile, as they planned to offer some guidance to the young man, which was also a small way to repay the favor of saving their lives

"Alright, then I will continue to read to you. If you feel that you cannot remember, just speak up and let me know," Ling Aoxue continued to recite, reciting the entire text of the mental method, while the young man remained silent throughout.

Ling Aoxue was taken aback for a moment and asked in confusion, "Me? Can't you do it yourself?"

When the young man brought them here just now, he did not even catch his breath for an entire hour, and his agility on the mountain path was quite impressive. From this, it can be inferred that his foundation must be quite solid

"Learn." The youth replied succinctly. He always learned what others taught him, as it was not a waste of time; at the same time, acquiring some skills was beneficial. Learning some martial arts could serve as self-defense, for there are martial artists everywhere in this world, and not learning even a little would be quite disadvantageous.