Martial Arts: I Have a Wilderness World-Chapter 34: Provocation

[Antler Mushroom]

Description: An unossified juvenile horn from a Black-Horned Python. Extremely rare, it is a potent tonic for yang energy, strengthening the body, fortifying the kidneys, and boosting vitality.

Value: 150 Points/each

--

Then, the Antler Mushroom on the counter began to flash with a bright light.

This was the Marketplace Hut’s signal, indicating it had taken an interest and was making a purchase offer.

"Holy shit!"

Cheng Zongyang’s face was filled with shock when he saw its value.

These two thumb-sized Antler Mushrooms were actually worth so much!

’Hmm, if I use them to make wine... perhaps it would be useful for a Martial Artist’s Cultivation?’

In his past life, he had often seen Antler-infused wine, and its effects were quite good.

These little things were so rare now; it would be a shame to sell them.

So, he decided not to sell them just yet. He would find a chance to try making wine with them. Maybe he could even use them with the Centennial Ginseng he had left.

He put them away in the hut and took out the Snake Gall for appraisal.

--

[Black-Horned Python Gall]

Description: A precious Snake Gall from a Black-Horned Python, possessing immense medicinal value.

Value: 150 Points

--Once again, the same purchase offer appeared on the counter.

"Another 150 Points! This python was really valuable."

The Antler Mushrooms and the Snake Gall were worth 450 Points in total.

He wasn’t in a hurry to sell something this valuable either; it might be useful later.

He eagerly placed the python skin on the counter. After it was evaluated, however, the Marketplace Hut didn’t react at all!

"Looks like this Marketplace Hut doesn’t want just anything," Cheng Zongyang murmured, taking back the python skin.

But then, he thought about how Antler could also be cooked and eaten. Could the Black-Horned Python’s Antler Mushroom be used the same way?

’A medicinal bath can increase proficiency, but that doesn’t mean other methods can’t. What if I drink a soup while I’m tempering my body?’

Once this thought appeared, Cheng Zongyang could hardly contain his excitement.

If it could strengthen the body when infused in wine, then making a soup should also work.

His second uncle was a Doctor, so he would definitely have recipes for medicinal cuisine.

’Tomorrow, I’ll go to town and ask Second Uncle for a medicinal recipe. If it works, my Martial Arts Cultivation speed might increase.’

As Late Afternoon arrived, the medicinal decoction was ready. Next, Cheng Zongyang began his medicinal bath again.

With yesterday’s experience, it went much better today.

By Late Evening, as he finished the final round of tempering his body, Cheng Zongyang looked with satisfaction at his Cultivation Technique’s progress, which had reached 40 proficiency points.

Sixty more points to go. As long as he reached the Beginner stage of his Cultivation Technique and became an Entry Grade Martial Artist, he would have the confidence to protect his family.

He closed the interface, got dressed, and, shouldering his basket, left the Wilderness World.

Although he hadn’t caught any large prey this time, he still had plenty of small animals.

However, as he was coming down from the mountain, he ran into some villagers who were also on their way down.

But among the group, some were carrying people, while others were carrying game.

This scene made Cheng Zongyang’s brow furrow.

’Something bad happened again!’

The ones leading the group were the two brothers, Jin Detai and Jin Deshui.

He thought for a moment but decided not to approach them.

They’d had a falling out this morning, so there was no point. The group was basically all villagers with the surname Jin; there were only two people with other surnames.

Similarly, many of the villagers coming down the mountain also noticed Cheng Zongyang, with his basket on his back and his clothes tattered and torn.

"Son of a bitch!"

Jin Detai cursed under his breath.

Hearing Jin Detai, a villager not much older than Cheng Zongyang also scowled and began to curse at him in a low voice.

"Selfish bastard, why didn’t you die on the mountain!"

"Heaven is blind!"

"A selfish outsider like him has no right to live in our village!"

"Hmph, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. What kind of parents raise an ungrateful brat like that!"

"..."

The others were also provoked to anger, and they didn’t hide their voices, cursing him one after another.

It seemed as if doing this could vent the frustration from their two unsuccessful trips into the mountains.

Cheng Zongyang’s expression darkened as he stopped and stared at the group.

Jin Detai noticed Cheng Zongyang’s action, stopped, and looked over with a hostile expression.

"You little brat, what are you looking at? You looking for a beating?!"

Cheng Zongyang glanced at the dozen or two villagers who had also stopped to stare at him.

Among them were a few old Hunters, their faces still dotted with unwiped specks of blood.

Not wanting to cause trouble at a time like this, Cheng Zongyang calmly continued down the mountain.

It was normal for them to be angry, having suffered more casualties on this trip.

But he wasn’t brainless.

If he lost his temper and caused a scene, he feared the Jin Family would make his family the scapegoat. They would call them selfish, claim that there would have been no casualties if they’d all gone into the mountains together, and thus redirect the resentment of the victims’ families.

In that case, his parents would be put in a very difficult position.

In fact, this was exactly what Jin Detai had in mind.

He had led the villagers into the mountains twice, and both times there were casualties, while the harvest was meager.

Although he wasn’t held accountable, it would still affect his future position as village head. Naturally, he was in a bad mood.

Even though they had entered the mountains willingly and were responsible for their own lives, the victims’ families would surely feel some resentment. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone out of his way to pick a fight with a kid.

But he never expected the Cheng Family’s boy to be so composed; he couldn’t be provoked.

If it had been his own son, he probably wouldn’t have been able to stop himself from talking back and cursing.

Since the other party didn’t take the bait, Jin Detai couldn’t continue to stir up trouble for no reason, or his intentions would be too obvious. Besides, attacking a child would be beneath him. He led everyone back to the village to handle their affairs.

Cheng Zongyang quickened his pace and headed home.

But as he entered the village, he saw many villagers on the path, carrying tools like shovels, hoes, and Firewood Knives.

Among them, he saw his own father, also carrying a Firewood Knife.

’Looks like something happened.’

When Cheng Guanghai saw his son return, the worry that had been weighing on him all day was finally eased. He just told him to go home first and didn’t say much else.

He returned home with a heavy heart. His mother was cooking, his second brother was tending the fire, and his little sister was playing with pebbles in the courtyard.

Seeing her eldest son return, Mrs. Zhou of the Cheng Family beamed with joy. Relieved, she began to get everyone ready to eat once their father came home.

The little girl happily followed her big brother, calling out, "Big Brother! Big Brother!"

Cheng Zongliang dropped the dried grass in his hands and went over to rummage through the basket, wanting to see what game his big brother had brought back today.

Preoccupied, Cheng Zongyang ignored the two little ones and asked his mother:

"Mom, did something happen in the village today? Why is Dad outside?"

Hearing this, Mrs. Zhou of the Cheng Family grew tense and said in a low voice:

"Today, people from another village rushed in, trying to steal our grain. Luckily, the village head discovered them early. He gathered the men who hadn’t gone hunting and drove them away. Later, some refugees came into the village. A few were killed, and the rest ran off. After that, they started patrolling the village."

At this point, she added with lingering fear, "Son, don’t go into the mountains for a while. I’m afraid something will happen."

Cheng Zongyang’s expression also turned grave when he heard this.

The thing he had been worried about had happened after all.

With so many refugees heading for the County Town, once they realized they couldn’t get in and had no food, the inevitable result was that the nearby villages would suffer.

’The villages closest to the County Town have probably all been hit,’ Cheng Zongyang guessed inwardly.

Mrs. Zhou of the Cheng Family then said:

"Wait for your father to come back to tell you the details; I don’t know much. When we found out refugees had entered the village, your father had me take the grain and your brother and sister to hide in the cellar. We only came out after they were gone."

"I understand, Mom. Don’t worry, you have Dad and me," Cheng Zongyang said comfortingly, then headed for the storeroom.