Временные трудности / Temporary hardships: Глава 13

Chapter 13, in which the hero learns the power of words, the disadvantages of fame, and the benefits of mushrooms

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 13:53

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Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 13:53

If you do something strange once, the whole village will come to see it. If you do it five times, there will be gawkers, but they will be much fewer. Ten - even the most impatient will get bored. They will find something more fun to do than to get their asses off work, play, or anything else necessary or interesting.

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 14:16

With his daily dives, Feng had long since ceased to be a major attraction, but had become a routine, like sunset and sunrise. The rain is falling, Yi is forging, the sun is shining, Feng is running and diving, the cold mountain wind is blowing, and old Yao is weaving his baskets - all the usual routine, as the gods have done since time immemorial.

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 14:17

Feng tried not to disappoint, setting himself up as a model of routine and consistency for the villagers. So, as soon as the ice broke, he went to the river to catch fresh fish and to test his new harpoon, the tip of which he had made from the same stone as the pickaxe.

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 14:19

The past winter, despite the jaw-dropping boredom, had been very fruitful. Feng had finally opened the third dantian and then worked hard to return to his former level of strength. As it turned out, emptying all the qi and re-collecting it to the point of bloodshot eyes was more fruitful than expected, even if he reminded himself of Mo Wei, nicknamed "Black Cliff," a villain from the crystals who used a qi cultivation method that required him to regularly inflict pain on himself. Only, unlike Mo Wei, Feng didn't enjoy pain one bit!

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 14:21

But now Feng was able to train each dantian in turn, tamping qi into two of them while the third rested and recovered. Feng didn't know if he was getting used to it, or going crazy, or if he had discovered some special training secret, but as time went on, the pain dulled and almost disappeared, turning into an almost pleasant tugging sensation of a job well done.

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 14:22

Han Nao had watched enough crystals and read enough scrolls to know that there were twelve levels of cultivation with three degrees of proficiency - low, medium, and high. And that moving from level to level required not only overcoming the bottleneck but also experiencing the Heavenly Retribution, a stream of deadly lightning bolts that the Heavens sent to those who dared to challenge them.

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 14:23

But no matter how much Feng tried, not only could he not feel this very bottleneck, not only did he not have to break through the invisible barrier, but he could only see thunder and lightning during a thunderstorm. And that meant only one thing - it required a manifold increase in effort. After all, according to his father, the master was stronger than Bao Xiao, and after all, the latter had reached the penultimate stage of Soul Transformation. This meant that the master was at the Ascension stage, as a Grandmaster should be, while Feng was trying to overcome the stage of Qi Condensation, but it was not condensing for some reason!

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 14:28

"Hey, Feng! How long are you going to stand there? It's cold!" shouted a familiar voice.

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 14:28

Feng wrinkled his nose. There was no way he could do without an audience. Mu and Tsu were old enough to be allowed to go to the river so they wouldn't get bored of diving.

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 15:31

There was no point in waiting. Feng's plan was a complete success. The boiled fish hadn't spoiled over the winter, so no one in the Shirong family had died or even gotten sick. But he still wanted something fresh and less disgusting. Of course, he had gone into the forest many times, ravaged nests and animal stores, and had not been sparing of mice, birds, and grubs, but until he had developed enough qi to keep from falling through the snow, regular forest subsistence was out of the question!

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 15:33

Feng leisurely stripped off his clothes, leaving him in his loincloth. He took a few deep breaths, picked up his spear, and dove into the deep water. The cold water burned more than fire, but the cold didn't bother him now because he finally had a chance to strengthen his body again! The heart dantian, although it had no part in strengthening his body or improving his qi vision, helped him to feel his condition much better, and he was able to remove any wounds, ailments, or the lingering effects of disease and malnutrition. Thanks to it, Feng had gained another aspect of sensitivity - an instinctive understanding of the health of man or beast. He could see that his new kin were not doing well, and he was even going to help them, not out of gratitude, though he felt a certain amount of affection for them, but as training.

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 15:35

Feng swam beneath the water, watching for fish. The cold water had a strange crystalline clarity, either because of the winter time or because of his new and improved abilities. He hunted for fish, but he swam like a fish, even better!

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 15:35

He didn't need any big catches. No one, not even his family, needed to know that Feng wasn't just swimming underwater in an unsuccessful search for a non-existent demon but was fishing. Even though he could stay underwater for a long time now, and his average dantian had improved many times over, Feng still ducked out more often just in case, so the spectators wouldn't think he had already drowned.

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 15:37

As it turned out, the new spear brought nothing but disappointment. The new spear was no better than a bamboo stick, but the heavy stone tip shifted the balance, so Feng missed the first couple of times. This also made swimming with it uncomfortable or rather unaccustomed. Feng decided to take it as training, but he learned an important lesson: every battle needs its weapon, and every job needs its tool. It was the kind of wisdom worthy of a scroll, but Duojia had neither scrolls nor educated men to appreciate it.

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 15:46

Thanks to his eyesight and qi perception, the fishing trip didn't last long. Feng quickly picked up the lampreys and sucked on the rocks at the bottom, which, although they had lost their fat reserves after the winter, were still very tasty. Then, one by one, he found two large fish, struck them with his spear, and put them in his makeshift cage with the lampreys and a few small crayfish.

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 15:47

The deed was done. He had not only enough food for today but also for the next day. It was time to get out, distract Mu and Tsu with something, get them off the river, and then secretly return for the catch. Feng was amazed at how easy and quick it was to get food. It was not only nourishing but also tasty, using dried forest herbs as seasoning. And how different it was from those dull times before the return of memories from his past life!

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 15:48

If his goal was to eat plenty of food, he could continue to live here in Duojia, climb up the hierarchy, become an apprentice to Yi, become a blacksmith, give up his torturous training, and live a long and carefree life until he was old. Only he would forever remain not even a fish in the pond but a tadpole in the swamp. Let large, strong, even the most powerful, but a tadpole live in the swamp slime! Such an outcome would not cause the master to smile derisively for only one reason: he had no way of knowing about his new existence.

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 15:50

The memory of his mater, as usual, made his eyes glaze over with a red veil, and his qi boiled furiously. Feng even let out a gasp of air and nearly swallowed water, which would be the funniest and stupidest demise in the world, making the spirits of ancestors, master, Mei, gods, and demons laugh their bellies out.

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 15:51

Feng hurriedly calmed his qi and was about to surface for a breath of fresh air. He could get away from the river and do some other training.

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 15:52

He didn't sense anything wrong until the very end until it was too late. Neither his eyesight nor his newfound perception nor his intuition told him anything. He felt only a slight, subtle change in the background chi somewhere near the bottom and saw an almost imperceptible dark spot that resembled a slightly thicker growth of algae. And then something soft and elastic wrapped around his leg and pulled him down to the depths.

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 15:53

To admit it, Feng was frightened. He was so scared that he forgot all about it, and he gasped, letting out the rest of his air and ceasing to hold his chi. His eyes widened in horror as he stared at the wide, flat mouth that opened right in the middle of the seaweed at the bottom of the river. The fact that he couldn't see the owner of the mouth only made him more frightened, making the situation even more frightening.

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 15:54

Feng didn't know how he'd managed not to drop his harpoon, but his fingers must have been cramped with terror. Instinctively, he jabbed at the invisible foe and even hit, but the point slipped on something hard, not hurting the enemy in the slightest.

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 15:55

Feng realized that this was the end. The gods had laughed at him again: he, so arrogant and smug in his false search for the river spirit, had managed to find it after all. For the foolish peasants, who were not so foolish, he would now be just another victim of the water monster, an example for their children, a source of gossip and conversation for the next few months, until another, more interesting or important topic could be found.

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 15:56

And the master... And the master, if he finds out, will use another stolen quote: "A warrior should take in his hands only the sword that he can lift," and then he will hum satisfied, turn around and go his way - happy that the former student has exceeded all possible expectations!

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 15:57

Feng felt his eyes darken. Not only from lack of air but also from the wave of all-consuming anger. He would not give the bastard such pleasure, and if he were to die, he would do so as a hero, with a weapon in his hands, fighting an uneven battle with the monster!

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 15:58

He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to calm down. It was hard to do so, for a tenacious tongue had already pulled his foot into a toothless, wide mouth. His foot slipped on something sticky and fleshy.

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 15:59

Feng focused on the qi. Even though the creature had an incredible ability to disguise itself, was all his efforts, suffering, and training for nothing? Could the possession of three dantians at once, all the pain and suffering he had gone through to discover them, not help him in a time of need? Along with the returning qi flow came a calmness. A sense of ringing frosty clarity came over him, pushing the raging emotions to the back of his mind. The creature grabbed him with its tongue and was about to chew on his leg - but would its camouflage skill resist direct contact?

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 16:22

Perception was still as silent as ever. Even though the body was touching something alive, through the qi, it felt like a part of nature, like stone or sand. Feng turned to the heart dantian and channeled qi first into the leg and then further, straight into the river monster's body.

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 16:24

As it turned out, the creature was not sick and was perfectly healthy! Such knowledge would have been useless if the qi hadn't shown the limits of this health, from the outline of the long, flattened body, the powerful tail, the broad fins, the fleshy tendrils on either side of the snout, and the bright spark of the twin heart beating deep within! If not for its size and long tongue, the creature would be no different from an ordinary catfish. Han Nao had once been very fond of eating young catfish in black bean sauce with white onions and ginger. And now, as a karmic retribution, this catfish was going to devour young Han!

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 16:25

Without opening his eyes, for his eyesight would be of no use now, Feng directed his qi straight into the spear, feeling the wood and stone of the point begin to crumble under the force of his energy. He swung his spear as hard as he could, aimed it at the creature's mouth, and gave it a sharp blow.

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 16:41

The spear slipped past his leg, leaving a deep cut on his foot, and plunged into the monster's gut, straight to its slowly beating heart. As if satisfied with its work, the spear finally gave up and shattered into small splinters and shards of stone.

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 16:42

Only now, when it was too late, the creature sensed something wrong. Its tongue unclenched, releasing Feng's leg, and suddenly, like a passerby's figure from the thick fog, a huge body appeared against the bottom. Feng made a few powerful paddles, getting farther away. Just in time, the monster's body convulsed, kicking up sand and streams of water.

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 16:43

Feng's body twisted and turned, and he lost his bearings for a moment, not realizing where the top was and where the bottom was. Fortunately, the calm had not yet worn off, so he didn't panic or do anything stupid or lose the last of his air supply. And when he was no longer flailing around in the water like a random splinter, he managed to get his bearings, swim up, and take a greedy gulp of fresh, frosty air.

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 16:49

"Hey, Feng, what's wrong?" Mu shouted. "It was so! Water! It was like a fountain! And..."

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 16:52

Feng did not listen to this torrent of words but immediately dived back into the depths. He swam up to the cloud of sand that had not yet settled and swam closer to the monster's qi, which was now fully manifested. The spear passed through the esophagus and struck the heart or the organ that replaced it. And now, except for the last convulsions, the creature could be called dead.

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 16:53

To avoid unpleasant surprises, Feng channeled qi into his palm, strengthening it and reinforcing it. He thrust his hand under the gill cover and grasped the river master like an ordinary caught fish.

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 16:54

The gills slammed into his hand like a vise in Master Yi's forge, and if it hadn't been for the qi, Feng would have lost his fingers. He pushed his feet into the muddy bottom and pulled the weightless carcass toward the shore.

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 16:55

"Feng! Feng! So what was there?" Mu shouted as soon as his head appeared above the water.

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 16:51

Feng made no reply, concentrating on trying to make his way to the shore. It took him a long time, and when he was done, his feet slipping on the rocks as he tried to move the body of the river monster even one more step, a crowd of peasants had already gathered on the bank, with Tsu standing in front of them, gesticulating wildly with his arms spread wide.

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 16:50

"A real man always keeps his promises," Feng said with a proud expression. "So what were you saying about the river master?"

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 16:49

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Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 13:53

Once before, in another life, Han Nao really wanted to become famous. He wanted to become famous for the entire Empire. His father, General Guang, had said that Han had achieved such fame but not in the way he would have liked. He dreamed of being a great warrior and thinker, but the fame of a worthless glutton did not appeal to him.

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 14:00

Feng needed fame too. But it wasn't for ego gratification or to bask in the acclaim of the world. He was going to mine the fame to forge it, like bad ore from a swamp, into a Star Steel blade that would strike his master's spirit while Feng's sword pierced his body.

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 14:01

After killing the River Master, Feng got his fame. And it was annoying. The feast was over, and the whole village was stuffing their bellies with meat that was not very tasty and tinged with mud. He had to tell the story of the monster's murder many times, and he didn't lie or embellish, but he even left out a lot of things, like the dantians and qi. He told the truth: that he had made the spear, had trained and prepared for the fight for a long time, and had survived only by sheer luck.

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 14:03

As it turned out, every great deed has great consequences. The village stopped thinking Feng was a fool and began to greet him respectfully. The new nickname "General Feng" was no longer used as a taunt but with respect. At home, his prestige, already high after a successful winter, where thanks to the fish Shirong had procured, he had a nice jingling bundle of beautiful copper coins, had increased many times over. People began to ask his opinion and advice, and when he wanted to practice or go into the forest, they let him go without any objections. Aimin was the only one who behaved as usual, always sulking and turning up her nose. But Feng knew it was only out of jealousy.

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 13:58

But there were negative sides to his accomplishment. Now, wherever he went, whatever he tried to do, he was followed by a flock of children, always looking at him with eyes full of admiration. And if he liked it for a couple of days, he found it irritating.

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 13:56

"Hello, hero!" Yi waved at him, putting down his hammer and wiping the sweat from his forehead. "It's been a long time. I didn't expect you to honor my humble smithy with your attention."

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 13:55

Feng smiled and slung the heavy basket he had made from bamboo trunks, vines, and willow bark. He had watched Yao's work many times and tried to do the same, but his shoddy handicrafts were still no match for the old man's smooth, even beautiful wickerwork.

Camrad_RIP 15.01.24 в 13:54