Chapter 008: Gang Youth

Then, he once again grasped the iron chain with both hands, using his hands and feet, and began to climb this icy iron chain

The longer one stays, the more likely they are to suffer from frostbite, leading to numbness. Once the hands and feet become numb from the cold, falling into the water becomes almost inevitable

Su Chen was naturally one of them, so he consciously hid in the corner of the courtyard to rest and regain his strength, without pushing through the crowd to seek unnecessary trouble

Is it possible to join the Medicine King Gang to secure a livelihood, to strive for a future, and to give it my all in this endeavor

Most children who are too weak are eliminated, and the elimination rate is very high. In fact, many timid young children do not dare to go on the bridge at all, even when scolded or beaten by adults, they refuse to go up no matter what.

Su Chen ignored the mockery and did not wish to get involved. He lowered his head and went to a quiet corner of the courtyard, cautiously observing the group of children in the yard.

During the two or three hours of the morning, nearly fifty to sixty children attempted to cross the iron rope bridge, but only a little over ten children succeeded in climbing across

Even so, the young masters and young ladies continued to complain incessantly

Then returning to one's own corner, savoring bit by bit, thoroughly consuming the coarse crumbs, at last feeling full and alleviating the hunger.

Upon entering the Medicine King Villa, these youths were no longer the common folk of Gusu County, but had instead become disciples of the Medicine King Gang, thus securing a life free from worries about food and clothing, embarking on the long-desired path of the martial world

All the boys are approximately between the ages of 9 and 13. From their clothing, demeanor, and temperament, it is evident that they come from different backgrounds, clearly dividing them into several distinct groups.

He did not dare to wait any longer, took out three large whole grain buns from his bosom, and ate them heartily. He then took a mouthful of stream water from beneath the bridge, warmed it in his mouth before swallowing it down. After resting for a moment, he replenished his strength.

Su Chen came to his senses and looked towards the courtyard, only to be astonished to find that nearly one hundred young people had already gathered in this large courtyard, all of whom were new disciples of the Medicine King Gang who had passed the test of the Iron Chain Cold Bridge

The other children looked on in astonishment, filled only with envy and longing. These inner disciples came from wealthy and influential families, and indeed, they would not suffer hardships anywhere.

The four sword-wielding figures in green standing at the entrance of the iron chain bridge had been there for most of the day and were already weary. They were sitting by the cold iron chain bridge, chatting idly, without bothering to look at Su Chen.

Su Chen thought for a moment, tore off two pieces of tattered burlap from the corner of his clothing, wrapped them around his small hands for insulation, tied them tightly, and used them to prevent frostbite

The vast majority of the remaining children cannot sleep on a heated kang, and can only spread straw mats on the ground to huddle for warmth. With so many people squeezed together, it is still relatively warm.

At the entrance of this large courtyard, there are also two young swordsmen guarding it. The walls are high and the courtyard is deep, making it impossible for ordinary people to enter or exit.

They do not even have the qualifications to curry favor with the powerful, being relegated to the outermost fringes of the courtyard, enduring bullying in silence and refraining from causing trouble.

The iron chain has been exposed to the sun for an entire afternoon, so it should not be too cold now

Although Su Chen had a slender build and was not as robust and strong as Zhang Tieniu, he had been engaged in heavy labor since childhood. He often climbed trees to search for bird nests and dived into rivers to catch fish, making him agile and experienced in climbing.

The food is somewhat lacking, but we will make do with it. Tomorrow, once you have entered the door and paid your respects to the master, you will be able to have special meals.

That is the eldest daughter, Li Jiao, of the Li rice shop in the city! Although she does not come from a noble background, her family owns several large rice shops and is quite wealthy! One can only wonder how much silver her father spent to send her here

Surrounding these ten young men and women in traditional Chinese attire are some children from commoner families in the county town

The young masters and young ladies of the ten inner disciples naturally sleep on the warmest kang, and no one dares to compete with them.

After walking a lot, he easily felt hungry and fatigued, so he simply found a clean stone to sit on and rest under a large tree near the iron chain bridge, trying to minimize his energy expenditure

He ran away from home and, finding no work in the county town, contemplated seeking refuge with the Medicine King Gang, merely in pursuit of a better path

As evening approached, the gates of Yaowang Villa were tightly shut. This year's recruitment of new disciples for the Yaowang Gang had come to an end, and any further attempts to join would have to wait until next year

With Li Jiao's frail physique and her inability to even tie up a chicken, she would certainly be unable to climb that iron cable cold bridge. It is likely that her father has thought of other methods to send her into the Yaowang Mountain Villa

This large courtyard is filled with many young people, who are noisy at night, creating a lively atmosphere

Butcher Zhang was so excited that his face turned red, and he shouted loudly

The remaining iron chain bridge, a mere twenty zhang away, nearly exhausted all of Su Chen's strength, but he finally managed to crawl to the opposite bank

They must all be inner disciples, wealthy and powerful, far superior to us outer disciples! Everyone should be sensible and absolutely avoid offending them, otherwise, we will suffer the consequences within the sect

As long as one possesses a robust physique and strength akin to Zhang Tieniu, and exercises a bit of caution, there is a chance to climb over and become an outer disciple of the Medicine King Gang

His parents hurriedly changed the child's soaked cold clothes, while the uncles and aunts at home had already built a fire by the iron chain bridge to warm the child and drive away the cold, to prevent any ailments from the chill

Su Chen's palms trembled from the cold, startling him, and he quickly let go.

Su Chen was astonished that the young master Wang Fugui actually took a sum of money to bribe the chef, and the chef, surprisingly, was all smiles, even setting up a separate small kitchen to prepare a lavish meal for them, with chicken, duck, fish, and meat, the aroma wafting throughout the courtyard

He was then astonished to discover that the ten young masters and young ladies were standing far away in disgust, completely unwilling to go near those who were covered in rice porridge

He watched the young people in the courtyard mimicking the adults as they engaged in conversations, not understanding what it meant to be an inner disciple or an outer disciple. Finding it uninteresting, he chose to remain alone in the courtyard, lost in his thoughts.

Iron Bull, well done! Father will cook one for you, no, two big pig legs to eat!

After they occupied the extra few kang beds, it was finally the turn of the other relatively stronger county town youths to take over.

Climbing to more than ten zhang away, halfway through, he was already feeling a slight tremor in his arms and found it quite strenuous

On the opposite side of the iron chain bridge, there were several young men in white from the Medicine King Gang, receiving the children who had crossed the bridge into the Medicine King Villa

Among them were ten young men and women dressed in splendid silk garments, adorned with mink fur coats and wearing black leather boots. They exhibited an exceptional demeanor, their expressions haughty, and they looked down upon the other commoners from Gusu County and the children from the towns in the courtyard.

Su Chen was very surprised to see that one of the delicately dressed young women in a thick mink coat was indeed the daughter of the wealthy Li family he had encountered at Ximen Dock, seemingly named Li Jiao

The number of youths who can cross this iron chain bridge is less than one-fifth, or even somewhat fewer.

At least I have found help, so I no longer need to worry about filling my stomach three times a day, or about finding a house that is not suffering from the cold. I am no longer afraid of being bullied by those rascals and beggars in the county town, which is a significant improvement compared to the time I spent looking for work in the county.

Su Chen gripped the cold, biting iron chain with both hands, shivering from the chill. Fortunately, most of the ice and frost on the chain had melted under the sun, making it less slippery

Indeed, there is Wei Han, a relative of our sect's leader Wang, who is said to be an internally designated disciple of the inner sect

The iron chain has been exposed to the sun for most of the day, yet it is still so cold!

Most of these children are dressed in ordinary cloth garments. Although they are still young, they have already learned to curry favor and read the room.

His strength has already been exhausted; if he is penalized to climb again, he will certainly have no chance to enter the Medicine King Villa

He let out a roar and climbed up the iron cable bridge, using both hands and feet, and surprisingly, with a single breath, he slid across the iron cable bridge, drawing waves of cheers from the crowd of onlookers on the shore

Su Chen watched with excitement and anxiety

The only concern is that he did not come with any adults from home; in the event that he accidentally falls into the river and gets soaked, without clothes to change into and no fire to keep warm, he would not die but would certainly suffer greatly.

Su Chen gritted his teeth, not daring to have the slightest delay or pause, using both hands and feet to quickly climb forward

Wang Fugui greeted the newly admitted commoner youths around him with considerable grace, thoroughly enjoying their flattery.

Once he had made his calculations, he felt at ease

In the large courtyard, groups of children gathered together in threes and fives, their expressions filled with excitement

One after another, more than ten children gathered their courage to cross the bridge. Unfortunately, more than half of the children either fell off the bridge into the water or were so frightened that they cried out loudly, too afraid to even step onto the bridge

It was late at night, and very cold

The young man in white instructed Su Chen to stay in this courtyard with the other youths and not to wander around, waiting here for the division of the new disciples of the Medicine King Sect into their respective halls tomorrow, before leaving on his own.

Beneath the cold iron chain bridge, several fishermen were already waiting on bamboo rafts in the stream valley.

To cross this cold iron chain bridge, it is both difficult and easy to say

Once the formal apprenticeship is established, it is essential to have a separate living space; otherwise, it will be untenable

During dinner, several cooks from the villa brought over more than ten large buckets of rice porridge, steamed buns, and pickled vegetables

Therefore, there is only one opportunity, and this time it must be seized. If I fail, I will only have the chance to try again next year to join the Medicine King Gang. It is quite difficult for me to find work in Gusu County, and I do not know if I can hold on until this time next year

There is a sense of joy and excitement, making it difficult to sleep

He is not just a country bumpkin from some village; just look at his tattered hemp clothes, they are truly shabby

Su Chen waited for a whole morning

In the afternoon, several more children were successively brought into this large courtyard, where a total of over one hundred children and adolescents aged around ten gathered.

Su Chen was astonished; Zhang Tieniu climbed with such agility, clearly a natural talent for martial arts

Individuals such as Young Master Wang Fugui and Young Master Wei Han have essentially been predetermined as inner disciples of the Medicine King Gang, undoubtedly making them the most favored and sought after by other common children, who wish to take advantage of this initial entry to become familiar and establish good relations

Su Chen hurriedly untied the hemp rope that was tied to the iron chain, so as not to be discovered by the several guards with knives, fearing that they might disqualify him or impose a penalty of having him climb again.

However, it should not be too thin, otherwise it will not be able to withstand the invasion of cold air

The fabric cannot be wrapped too thickly, otherwise the fingers lose sensitivity, making it easy to slip and difficult to grip securely

Su Chen cautiously grasped one of the thick iron chains, and in that instant, his palm felt a chilling aura emanating from the chain, penetrating to the very bone

Especially that butcher's son, Zhang Tieniu, who often consumes pig offal rich in fat, has thick arms and a round waist, and possesses considerable strength

The food here is too poor, almost comparable to pig feed

Upon seeing the child fall into the water, they immediately rescued the struggling child and brought him to the shore, returning him to his parents

Su Chen was quite worried, fearing that he might accidentally fall into the river, thus ending his dream of venturing into the martial world with the Medicine King Gang on this cold iron chain bridge. Moreover, falling into the river would surely leave him half-frozen.

That is Young Master Wang Fugui from the Wang family! It is said that he is a relative of the county magistrate Wang and is a cousin of the magistrate's son. In our county town, he is undoubtedly one of the most prominent and influential young nobles! He is sure to become an inner sect disciple and a core disciple of the Medicine King Gang

Children in some surrounding counties were also whispering softly, discussing these wealthy or noble youths in splendid attire, who had intricate connections with the upper echelons of the Medicine King Gang.

Su Chen occasionally glanced at the sun

... ...

Finally, there are dozens of impoverished children from the surrounding towns and villages of the county seat, mostly the children of tenant farmers, short-term laborers, fishermen, hunters, and woodcutters, who are honest and simple-minded

They appear to be wealthy individuals from the county or the offspring of the powerful and influential

... ...

There is not even a decent bedroom, a wash basin, or silk bedding. There are so many fleas; had I known, I should have had the maids bring a few clean bedding sets from home

Beyond the iron chain bridge lies the outer disciples of the Medicine King Gang. From this day forward, he, the son of the butcher Zhang, is no longer the lowly butcher's boy; he has finally become an outer disciple of the Medicine King Gang and will prosper from now on

There are those who are unfortunate and fall into the water, and of course, there are the lucky ones. Two slightly older children, around twelve or thirteen years old, with great courage and strength, gritted their teeth against the cold and exerted all their might to climb across the iron cable bridge

Su Chen was already exhausted, barely managing to step onto the opposite side of the bridge, his hands and feet almost giving way.

Su Chen curled up on the straw mat on the ground, accustomed to the chill of the old fishing boat at home, and did not find it particularly difficult

Su Chen pondered over strategies, suddenly looking up at the sun in the sky

Come, eat!

Here comes another one

The more than ten barrels filled with rice porridge were quickly devoured by over one hundred hungry youths who rushed forward to share it completely

Su Chen exerted great effort to push his way to the front and desperately managed to grab two large whole grain buns

One does not care about being an inner disciple or an outer disciple; as long as one can have a meal in the Medicine King Gang, that is sufficient, and there is no desire to please anyone

Wei Han, with his arms crossed and a proud, cold expression, ignored everyone.

Su Chen moved his limbs a bit before attempting to cross the cold iron rope bridge

Su Chen felt a sense of reassurance in his heart and was quite satisfied

A large number of children and youths gathered in the courtyard, and upon seeing Su Chen dressed like a small fisherman, they could not help but mock him.

Su Chen, feeling guilty, walked along the hundreds of steps in front of the mountain gate and entered the Yaowang Mountain Villa

At this moment, the crowd of people gathered at the head of the iron chain bridge has gradually become quite sparse. The brave children who dared to cross the bridge have already attempted it, while those who did not have the courage to cross have long been taken away by disappointed adults.

In a moment of desperation, Su Chen came up with an idea. He quickly wrapped his legs around the iron chain and then untied the hemp rope that secured his waist. He tied one end around his waist and made a loop with the other end on the iron chain, so that in case he lost his grip, he could hang onto the iron chain with the hemp rope and avoid falling into the river

Butcher Zhang's chubby son, Zhang Tieniu, also mingled among them. With his robust build and a rather simple-minded appearance, he seems to be quite well-liked among the common folk

If he had not just eaten three coarse grain steamed buns to fill his stomach and replenish his strength, he would have likely collapsed and fallen into the river long ago

A young man in white robes stood on the stone steps, holding a sword with both hands. He cast a cold glance at him without saying anything and led him to a large courtyard surrounded by earthen walls

The courtyard has guest rooms and heated kang beds, but their numbers are limited

In the cold winter, the sun rises a little later. At noon, the sun is at its warmest, and during that time, one can avoid having their hands and feet go numb. The iron chains, after being exposed to the sun for a while, will also become somewhat warmer

At noon, when the sun is at its hottest, most of the icicles on the iron cable melted silently

No wonder so many children are unable to climb over; the iron chain is too cold. Grasping the iron chain with bare hands, the palms will quickly become numb and lose sensation, ultimately leading to an inability to hold on and a fall into the valley below