Chapter 7 - Chapter 7: To Think Ahead Is a Tragic Thing

"Da Ren!" Yan Mo called out to Yuan Zhan, who was about to leave.Yuan Zhan turned back."Aren't you leaving without breakfast?" Yan Mo asked.Actually, he was the hungry one.Yuan Zhan replied, "I'll hunt prey on the road."Which basically meant: no prey, no food.Dear master, aren't you a little too useless? The family doesn't even have enough food for breakfast.Yan Mo hid his contempt and smiled."Yuan Da Ren, I sincerely suggest that when you leave, you take some of the large cirsium leaves from behind the shed near the square. If you get injured on the road, you can chew them and apply them to the wound to stop the bleeding.""I know.""Da Ren!"Yuan Zhan turned back again, already impatient. "What else do you want?""In addition to those leaves, I can tell you about some common herbs. If you see them on the road, you can pick them. If you bring them back, I can process them for later use."Yuan Zhan's narrow, fierce eyes showed obvious ridicule."Alternative food? Do you think we need it?"Yan Mo's expression stiffened. His smile nearly vanished on the spot.Yuan Zhan suddenly turned and strode back to him. He grabbed Yan Mo's face with force and squeezed hard."Well? What herbs do you need?"Yan Mo's mouth twitched from the pain, but he still forced out a smile."Yuan Da Ren, then please listen."Yan Mo began listing a few herbs and useful insects he needed."One kind has leaves growing opposite each other on both sides of the stem. The leaves are long and pointed, with short stems, shaped a little like fish bones.""There's also sambucus. The leaves grow alternately, almost without stems, slightly oblong. The flowers bloom in clusters, usually small white star-shaped flowers. The fruit is tiny, about the size of small eggs, usually vermilion.""And achyranthes…"Yan Mo stopped and looked up at Yuan Zhan's blank face."Can you remember that, Da Ren?"Yuan Zhan absolutely refused to admit that he hadn't understood much at all. His face stayed stiff and expressionless as he said only one word:"Troublesome."Yan Mo glanced at his palm.There was no response from the Guide.So that meant the man in front of him had memorized absolutely nothing.Suppressing the urge to bash Yuan Zhan over the head, Yan Mo spoke as carefully as possible."Da Ren, I can draw them for you. Could you give me a smooth piece of wood? And a few half-burned branches or hard grass roots from the fire pit?"Other people's slaves could do all sorts of useful things for themselves. Why was his own slave always so troublesome?Yuan Zhan pressed his lips into a thin line and pointed at Yan Mo's nose."You'd better heal that wound before winter comes. If you don't, I'll cut that leg off.""…Yes, Da Ren."Yuan Zhan stormed out for a moment, then came back and coldly threw him a piece of wood about a foot long, about eight centimeters wide, and roughly one centimeter thick."Da Ren, and the half-burned branches from the fire pit…"Yuan Zhan went out again, came back, and tossed him several charred branches and hard grass roots."Hurry up. The horn will sound soon, and anyone who doesn't arrive in time will be punished.""Yes."Yan Mo tried to ignore his master's ugly face. He quickly grabbed one of the half-charred branches and began drawing on the wood.The piece of wood was smooth. He didn't know how Yuan Zhan had cut and polished it, but there were very few splinters.Yan Mo recalled several herbs he desperately needed, along with some common medicinal plants, and drew as many as he could fit onto the board.He had not studied painting as a child, nor had he ever been naturally gifted at it. But after entering university, he had once spent a summer following a professor into the mountains to do volunteer medical work. He had seen another student sketch the forms of herbs for the villagers, and at the time Yan Mo had been deeply impressed.Later, as he followed various professors and spent years learning while earning money, he gradually came to realize that in many places, pictures were more direct and more useful than words.So from the age of twenty-six onward, he had practiced drawing every single day without interruption.Now, after thirteen years of practice, he knew he could never become an artist.But drawing the shapes of herbs already deeply imprinted in his mind was no problem at all.Yuan Zhan took the painted wooden board and looked over it. The herbs on it made him raise his brows slightly.When the little slave had said he wanted to draw, Yuan Zhan had assumed he would just scratch a few rough circles and lines onto the board.He had not expected this."There are insects you need too?""Yes. Some insects can also be used as medicine, and the effects are very good.""This skill of drawing… was that also taught by your priest?" Yuan Zhan asked.The priests of Salt Mountain were really that powerful?Why had he never heard of a priest who could draw so precisely?"Yes."Liar.If the Salt Mountain priests really possessed this kind of skill, they would have gone to live in a city temple long ago. Why would they remain in some remote tribe, living such an unstable life?Even if they couldn't enter a major city, the shrine in the lower city would still value such a skill highly.Yuan Zhan kept a straight face and did not let the boy see the surprise in his eyes.This boy was still young. The priests had probably never had time to tell him just how valuable this skill was.Good.Then Yuan Zhan certainly wouldn't be the one to tell him.If the boy learned that this skill alone was enough to earn worship and status, then his slave might start getting ideas.That was absolutely unacceptable.After all, this slave belonged to him.Poor Yan Mo, who usually outsmarted everyone, had finally misjudged someone for once.Part of it was his own habitual way of thinking. To him, being able to draw accurately was merely practical. He did not yet understand how rare and valuable such a skill was in this place, among people who had hardly seen the wider world.More importantly, he still looked down on this so-called young master. He didn't take Yuan Zhan seriously at all. In his mind, once his leg healed, he would get rid of him somehow.Naturally, he paid no attention to the subtle changes in Yuan Zhan's expression.So… it was probably time for him to serve Yuan Zhan obediently for a few more years.Yuan Zhan wrapped the wooden board carefully in animal skin, tied it at his waist like something precious, and left the tent.Inside the tent, Yan Mo looked down at his brightened palm and smiled.He had drawn four plants and two kinds of insects. The Guide had rewarded him with a reduction of six scum points.That meant he had finally returned to exactly one hundred million points.Unfortunately, the wood had been too small. Otherwise, he could have drawn more.On the first day after Yuan Zhan left, Yan Mo stayed inside the tent and didn't go anywhere. His leg was injured, and not moving was the smartest thing he could do.Cao Ting brought him food and carried him twice to the pit behind the tents so that he could relieve himself.Yan Mo, after experiencing this primitive natural toilet, had to admit that the ancients could be unexpectedly practical.Less than twenty meters from the tents, there was a natural crack in the ground. It wasn't wide, just enough to resemble the long trench of an old-fashioned latrine.The men, women, and children of the Yuan Tribe simply used it as a communal toilet.The lazy ones just dug pits behind their tents and covered them with dirt after using them. For urinating, many people simply went anywhere they pleased.No wonder poor places were always filled with all kinds of stench.The original owner of this body had long since adapted to such a filthy environment and all the foul smells that came with it.Yan Mo, however, was being forced to get used to it.In a tribe that wanted to save water so badly that people did not even wash in the morning or evening, there was no point exhausting yourself over cleanliness.Throughout the day, Yan Mo did not just lie there. He rummaged through the pile of junk, hoping to find something useful.In the end, he found nothing.Only a pile of bugs.Still, insects were not necessarily useless.Some of them he recognized, like the scorpion-shaped centipedes. Others he did not know at all.What he wanted most was to find ground beetles.Ground beetles liked dark, damp earth rich in humus, especially around the bases of old mud walls. Their dried powder could reduce inflammation, treat injuries, and even help with bone problems.Only the females had medicinal value.The males had wings, flew well, and usually died after mating.Yan Mo stared at the pile of bugs and sighed.If he could use the second article of the Guide now, he would be able to identify them one by one. But to unlock that, he had to reduce his scum value by one hundred points.Since he was still sitting one point above the threshold, that meant he needed to cut a total of one hundred and one points.After finding nothing useful in the tent, Yan Mo was not discouraged.He asked Cao Ting many questions—not only about the taboos and customs of the tribe, but also about the surrounding land, water, and local plants and animals.At the same time, he did not forget to teach Cao Ting medical knowledge. He also told her to go behind the shed and pick fresh cirsium leaves for his bandage changes.Because of that, he reduced his scum value by another three points.On the second day after Yuan Zhan left, Yan Mo stared at his wound for a long time.As Cao Ting changed the medicine and re-fastened the splints, she suddenly sighed.Yan Mo looked up at her."Sister, what's wrong?"Cao Ting shook her head while tying the straw rope."Da He may not last much longer.""Didn't the priest already treat him?"Yan Mo had no good feelings toward Da He anymore. Because of him, his scum value had risen, and every night he had to endure dreamlike burning torture. Honestly, if Da He died, Yan Mo wouldn't exactly be heartbroken.Naturally, he had never brought Da He up with Cao Ting, even though he knew saving him might reduce his scum value.Yes, he was angry.So what?He was scum anyway.Cao Ting sighed again."There aren't many herbs left. Da He is hurt too badly. If he gets any worse, the priest won't waste valuable medicine on him. Last time, for a broken arm, the priest simply had it cut off and the wound cauterized. But a hole in the abdomen that large… there's no way. The priest tried using God-soil water, but it didn't help much.""God-soil water?""Yes. It's a secret thing passed down by the tribe's priests. Everyone calls it the gods' soil water. It can treat many wounds, and it can also make muddy water clear. If you use it on animal fur, the fur becomes especially soft and beautiful."Yan Mo's heart stirred."Does that god-soil look like transparent crystals?""I've never seen it myself. I've only heard that the priest uses it as a sparkling powder."That sounded very much like alum.Was there alum ore nearby? Or did the priest obtain it occasionally?But using alum powder to stop bleeding like that was completely wrong. In large amounts or over long periods, it could damage the brain, cause vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, and even death.Thinking of that, Yan Mo quickly asked, "Do people use this kind of water at home too?"Cao Ting laughed."You're dreaming. How could there be enough god-soil for everyone? It's only used when water is scarce in summer and they need to purify muddy water. But even then, only the chief, the priests, and the elders can drink that water. Even third-rank warriors don't get much of it, let alone slaves."Fortunately.Yan Mo let out a quiet breath. If that really was alum, then long-term use would cause serious harm—anemia, brittle bones, even brain atrophy."Do the priests here become forgetful when they're old? Like they can't remember things anymore?" he asked.Cao Ting looked surprised."How did you know? I once heard Da Ren say that when a priest reaches a certain age, he passes on all his knowledge and experience to the next priest. After that, the old priest completes his detachment. His soul leaves, and all that remains is a walking shell—he remembers nothing, knows nothing, and can't even feed himself."That sounded exactly like advanced brain atrophy or Alzheimer's symptoms.The priests here were clever enough that even if they couldn't explain the illness, they had invented a sacred story around it. Not only did that avoid weakening their authority, it made them even more revered."Little Mo.""Hm?"Cao Ting hesitated."Can I tell others about the way cirsium leaves stop bleeding?""Of course."Please do. The more the better."In addition to stopping bleeding, it can also reduce fever, detoxify, treat swelling, and even hemorrhoids. Oh, and it can also be eaten as a wild vegetable.""What? It can be eaten too?"Yan Mo nodded.Cao Ting looked delighted, but then her face fell again."But there isn't much cirsium behind the shed…""You can find it elsewhere—on hillsides, in grasslands, on wasteland, especially in places closer to water. If you find one patch, there are usually more nearby.""That's great. Little Mo, can I go with He Tu to gather some?"She explained softly, "He Tu is Da He's wife."Yan Mo was not surprised by how Cao Ting referred to her.From the original body's memories, he already knew that women here held low status—slightly better than slaves, perhaps, but not much. They did at least receive food from the tribe. Children born to tribal women were more valuable than the children of slaves.If a female slave had a child with her master, that child could be counted as a tribal descendant and receive tribe rations. But when food ran short, slaves were still the first to die.If two slaves had a child, then that child remained a slave as well."I taught you," Yan Mo said. "Unless I specifically forbid it, you can pass the knowledge on to others."Cao Ting was overjoyed."Little Mo, you're a really good person."Yan Mo smiled the kind of smile that clearly said: Yes, I know."Then… do you have any way to make Da He a little better?""Do you want me to help Da He?"Yan Mo was not surprised at all.Cao Ting nodded, then shook her head."Don't pressure yourself. Even the priest can't cure him. He Tu has already accepted that he's going to die. I just… I want his last days to hurt less. Can you do that? I heard that some priests can let badly wounded people sleep until they die. I'll sneak you there and won't let the priest know."Yan Mo did not want to go.There were three reasons.First, even the cleverest woman couldn't cook without rice. He lacked the tools and medicines needed to truly save Da He. A few cirsium leaves were nowhere near enough. In Da He's condition, infection alone might kill him. Even back in modern times, such a case would not have been easy.Second, if he went and still failed, who knew what note the damned Guide would give him?Third, even if he succeeded and reduced some scum value, he might attract the priest's attention.But Yan Mo also did not dare refuse too quickly. He feared the Guide might slap ten more scum points on him the moment he openly refused to help someone dying."The goal is just to make Da He's death less painful, right?" Yan Mo muttered in Chinese toward his right hand. "That means I don't actually have to save him, right?"The Guide gave no response.Go, and he might suffer.Refuse, and he might suffer even more.What a rotten world.Cao Ting, not knowing the struggle going on in his mind, mistook his silence for fear. She touched his head and said softly, "If you can help, He Tu might give you some meat as payment.""…Then let's go. Why not?"Isn't that basically euthanasia?He had never done it before.