Put Away Your Divine Techniques Now!-Chapter 894 - 266: [6 Ding 6 Jia Guiding Technique] (6200)_2
Another path is the one we locals use to venture into the mountains to hunt for mountain goods. It’s very hard to walk on, slippery, with mountain trails, very dangerous!
As he spoke, the shop owner led Chen Yan to the yard and pointed at a mountain in the distance beyond the village.
"If you climb over, and reach the top, there’s a cliff. Outsiders all say the scenery is great, artists later liked to go there, but I’ll give you a word of advice, it’s not worth it. The ascent is difficult, and the descent is even more slippery.
A drawing student once fell to his death before."
Chen Yan chatted with the owner for a while longer, gradually figuring out some of the terrain in the mountain through their conversation. He then simply took out half a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and gave it to the owner, then turned back to the room.
Shen Shiqi was actually so sick from vomiting that he was completely exhausted. After lying on the bed for a while, he hazily fell asleep.
When he woke up, he saw Chen Yan sitting in the room, crouching on a small stool, leaning over a bed plank, with a pen in hand, sketching.
Shen Shiqi got up and saw clearly what Chen Yan was drawing—a map.
Shen Shiqi leaned closer and stared at the map for a while.
Chen Yan said in a low voice: "I asked the shop owner for this information. I can’t draw maps, I just sketched some directions based on what he said."
Shen Shiqi squinted at the map for a moment, then pointed at a spot on the paper with his finger.
"Take this path, this direction is right."
Chen Yan looked up at Shen Shiqi.
The place Shen Shiqi pointed to was described by the shop owner as having a pond, later filled when a mountain collapsed.
"That’s it," Shen Shiqi whispered, "This mountain collapse... actually happened because an old Taoist and that Evil Cultivator fought here. They fought while retreating, one pursuing the other, until they reached here for another duel, shattering a mountain rock which caused a corner of the slope to collapse."
Chen Yan nodded: "But the owner said that heading inward on this route, there is no path."
"That’s exactly why there shouldn’t be one." Shen Shiqi sighed: "That Evil Cultivator escaped into the mountains from here."
Chen Yan stared at Shen Shiqi for a couple of moments: "Why don’t you... just tell me the exact location, and I’ll enter the mountain alone. You stay here at the shop for a few days and wait for me."
Shen Shiqi, however, replied with a wry smile. Then he looked at Chen Yan firmly: "Fellow Daoist, you should take me with you.
Having me around is useful!" 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚
·
Dinner was the dish Chen Yan requested: dried fish stir-fried with chili peppers, along with a generous handful of dried vegetables he bought.
The taste, surprisingly delicious!
This place is in the mountains, near water, very humid, and the Rizhao isn’t sufficient.
The so-called dried fish is actually shade-dried.
Salty, but the fishy taste is strong. The chili pepper did a great job of neutralizing this odor, while the taste of the dried vegetables had Chen Yan praising endlessly after eating.
Chen Yan didn’t know what kind of vegetable it was that had been dried, but the texture was somewhat similar to dried plum vegetables, though slightly different.
The dried vegetables absorbed the fish juice well, tasting very fresh and chewy.
The dish was made by the shop owner’s wife, served in a basin.
With this dish, Chen Yan initially planned to just grab a bite, but ended up eating two bowls of rice in one go.
The portion was quite decent, with plenty of dried fish. Chen Yan thought briefly and realized it was probably because of the half pack of cigarettes he gave in the afternoon.
The shop owner’s wife couldn’t speak Mandarin, she was silent and didn’t say much, very skinny.
After dinner, Chen Yan and Shen Shiqi returned to the room. Shen Shiqi lay on the bed—he really didn’t mind the dirtiness of the sheets.
However, Chen Yan lifted the bedding away, sat directly on the bed plank, and began his meditation.
In truth, Chen Yan was still perplexed about why Shen Shiqi insisted on accompanying him.
If he didn’t bring this kid, Chen Yan could use the Transformation Technique, transforming into a bird. Why bother with a boat to get here?
Even to enter the mountains, he could flap his wings and fly straight inside.
Glancing at the heavily breathing Shen Shiqi, Chen Yan pondered quietly.
Having you around is useful?
·
Unlike other children his age, Shen Shiqi wasn’t particularly sleepy and woke up by himself at dawn.
After getting up, he busied himself washing his face and brushing his teeth, even bringing over a cup filled with water and a toothbrush for Chen Yan.
Sensing Chen Yan’s puzzled gaze, Shen Shiqi smiled indifferently: "I’m used to it. I grew up in welfare upbringing, starting every day early. I had to take care of the younger siblings there, help wash faces and brush teeth. Every morning felt like a war zone. Otherwise, the dean mother couldn’t possibly manage everything alone."
Breakfast was a bowl of porridge, very watery, accompanied by two pieces of bread. The bread contained chopped vegetable leaves, which Chen Yan could roughly identify as the same type as the dried vegetables he had eaten, but not dried yet.
Taste-wise...
Not tasty, rather scratchy!
Having handled the porridge, filled his stomach with water, he watched Shen Shiqi finish his bowl of porridge and two veggie bread pieces diligently.
Seeing the child working hard to stretch his neck and swallow with a face of difficulty, Chen Yan understood that he didn’t enjoy eating this stuff, he was just used to tough days and refused to waste anything.
Having eaten and drunk to satisfaction, Chen Yan carried a backpack, accompanied by Shen Shiqi similarly carrying a backpack. They bid farewell to the shop owner and exited.
Walking through the village on the stone path left an uncomfortable slippery sensation.
The houses on either side were quite dilapidated, with even brick houses being scarce, many were earth-wood mixed mud buildings.
