Chapter 230: with translation of chapter title

When Li He came to his senses, he saw Ning Jinli knock a strong man out with a single punch.

It was just a simple swing of the fist, yet it carried unstoppable force.

A few strong men all covered their stomachs and collapsed on the ground, each grimacing in pain with twisted features and cold sweat on their faces, and even getting up was difficult.

Li He could hardly believe his own eyes.

Xiao Qidi said lightly, "Actually, she is even more formidable than I am."

"Sss…" Li He inhaled a cold gasp, staring at Ning Jinli in shock, "Sister Jinli, what did you eat to grow up like this…"

"Who! Who threw the knife!" Sun Captor Head roared, covering his right ear.

Fresh blood continuously seeped from between his fingers, staining half his face red, making his appearance especially ferocious and terrifying.

Only then did Ning Jinli and the others realize he was injured.

A glance at the hatchet on the doorframe beside him made them understand what had happened.

The leading strong man was dumbfounded.

Sun Captor Head really is here?

That kid… wasn't lying after all?!

And the hatchet that just flew out of his hand was his.

"Sun… Sun Captor Head…" he bore his pain, shakily rose, walked up to Sun Captor Head, nodded and bowed, forcing a strained smile, "So… you are here."

"Of course I'm here!" Sun Captor Head's eyes seemed ready to spew fire, "Was it you who threw the knife!"

The strong man, acting on the spur of the moment, quickly pointed at Ning Jinli.

"It was her! She threw it!"

Then, without a second thought, he immediately reported it.

"Sun Captor Head, the killer of my elder brother and sister‑in‑law is here! And his two accomplices!"

"Just now my brothers and I were about to seize them and deliver them to you, Sun Captor Head, when they dared to resist! That's opposing the County Gate! And because they resisted, you were injured. Quickly apprehend them!"

Sun Captor Head's ear throbed painfully, and he was already agitated and confused.

Being further provoked by the noisy strong man in front of him, he grew even more angry and slapped the strong man hard across the face.

Slap!

A bloodied palm print was left on the strong man's face.

He stammered, "Sun Captor Head… you… why did you hit the younger one?"

Li He hurried over at that moment, showing a look of concern and worry, "Brother Sun, your injury is so severe, you should go see a doctor right away!"

"Sun… Brother?" the leading strong man heard that and almost dropped his jaw.

The other strong men were also dumbfounded.

Sun Captor Head's expression softened slightly, and he gritted his back teeth, saying, "What on earth is going on?!"

Li He said, "Actually it's nothing serious; these guys insisted on avenging the One‑Eyed Dragon couple. I told them there was no murderer, no murderer! They wouldn't believe it. If it weren't for their unreasonable stubbornness, Brother Sun wouldn't have suffered this needless disaster. Sigh…"

The strong men were even more shocked.

In the past they always twisted the truth and spoke lies openly; today, however, the tables turned—being smeared by a kid's nonsense!

"Sun Captor Head!" the leading strong man rushed, "You were present yesterday! And your several brothers—many people saw the entire killing process with their own eyes!"

"I saw it!" Sun Captor Head roared, "But that was my little brother Li He eliminating a menace! The County Magistrate has already closed the case; the One‑Eyed Dragon couple deserved it! How can you short‑sighted ones still want to stir up trouble?! Fine, you damn it, come with me to the County Gate!"

The strong men felt as if struck by lightning.

It wasn't until Sun Captor Head called over the other Constables and tied their hands that they finally saw reason.

Although they didn't know how things turned out this way, since Sun Captor Head said so, they had no reason to argue.

After all, they originally only intended to capture the murderer and bring him to the County Gate for a reward.

But they hadn't planned to avenge the One‑Eyed Dragon couple!

So the group of strong men wept like little women, knelt on the ground, kowtowed, begged for mercy, and confessed.

"In broad daylight you commit crimes and even attack the County Office Captor Head; I will definitely kill you all!" Sun Captor Head's face was full of rage, "If you keep whining, I'll kill you!"

He immediately ordered the Constables to escort these guys to the County Office, lock them in a cell, and await their fate.

Li He chuckled, whispering to Ning Jinli and Xiao Qidi, "Now they're done; even if they don't die, they'll have to shed a layer of skin, and their families will have to spend a fortune to ransom them out… It's a fitting retribution; evildoers must be ground down by evildoers."

Sun Captor Head, covering his bleeding ear with a darkened face, walked away.

The Constables, laden with sacks of plundered goods from the shop, escorted the strong men away one after another.

The roast chicken shop finally quieted down.

Li He went to the back kitchen and inner rooms, made a round, and carried out half a roast chicken, "They cleaned out everything, almost pulling up the floor tiles; only this half roast chicken remains, not even enough for the three of us to fill our mouths…"

Xiao Qidi and Ning Jinli immediately declined, saying they wouldn't eat; he could eat by himself.

The little incident delayed things a bit, but it wasn't without benefit; at least the One‑Eyed Dragon couple's case was completely resolved, and it also let Xiao Qidi and Ning Jinli see more of Li He's virtues.

The two accompanied Li He to his home.

Li He's father, upon seeing him, grabbed a stick and was about to beat him.

Fortunately, Xiao Qidi and Ning Jinli intervened and helped deal with it.

When Li He's parents learned that their previously disappointing son had become a hero who punished evil, even receiving a reward from the County Office, they instantly turned from anger to joy, tears streaming, kneeling outside their thatched hut to bow to the heavens, thanking the heavens for finally giving their son a future.

Three days later—

Since there hadn't been much rain, the road outside the south gate of Ding County, which had been washed away by floodwaters, was now barely passable.

Continuing south along this road, one could cross the great river and enter the southern lands of Zhong Yuan.

Fang Hui's injuries had already healed.

Li He spent a few taels of silver, and through an official courier from the County Office, bought the One‑Eyed Dragon's roast chicken shop and gave it to Fang Hui; thereafter Fang Hui finally had a decent place to stay.

Xiao Qidi and Ning Jinli planned to leave Ding County and continue heading south.

From the northern Zhong Yuan, the endless cold wave gradually reached the Yangtze River basin; the temperature in Ding County dropped sharply, and fine snowflakes began to drift in the sky.

Li He and Fang Hui saw off the two at the ruined temple.

Originally Li He wanted to go with them, but winter had arrived, and he had to stay home to care for his parents.

Li He was already thick‑skinned, and after getting along well in these few short days, Xiao Qidi and Ning Jingli also intended to recruit and train him, so the two essentially accepted him as a junior brother.

"Brother Qidi, Sister Jingli," Li He's eyes slightly reddened, "I really can't bear to part with you two. When Xuan Guo attacks Ze Country in the future, let me know and I'll help you. Don't think I'm always skipping school… but I've liked reading military books since I was a child, and I'll definitely be able to lead troops in battle someday!"

"Leading troops into battle, you're underestimating yourself," Ning Jingli laughed, her large eyes holding a special meaning.

This kid still doesn't know how capable he truly is.

Li He scratched his head, "Sister Jingli, do you think I'm bragging, making a joke of me?"

Ning Jingli placed both hands on his shoulder, "Bragging is one thing, but I'm not mocking you. You'll definitely achieve great things in the future; Qidi and I both believe in you."

Li He's eyes brightened, "I will never betray your trust!"

After speaking, he nudged Fang Hui with his elbow, urging him to also express his stance.

Fang Hui clasped his fists and said earnestly, "As long as there's a place where I can be useful, whether climbing a mountain of knives or descending a sea of fire, the two benefactors may speak freely. I, Li He's elder brother, am your junior brother, so I am your little junior brother!"

"Well done," Ning Jingli also patted Fang Hui's shoulder, "You'll also achieve great success in the future; just stay close to Li He."

Fang Hui nodded vigorously, "Yes, little junior brother, I'll keep it in mind!"

"Li He, come with me," Ning Jingli turned and walked toward the ruined temple.

Li He said nothing and followed inside.

Afterward, Ning Jingli walked to the corner where Fang Hui had previously been sleeping.

A few days earlier she had opened a Time‑Space Gate here, which remained active; a ring of Fluorescent Vortex hovered nearby, rotating slowly.

"Sister Jingli, you called me here alone—are you going to tell me some secret?" Li He asked curiously.

"Watch closely," Ning Jingli smiled faintly and stepped into the Time‑Space Gate.

Li He could not see the Fluorescent Vortex.

In his view, Ning Jingli vanished instantly, faster than the blink of an eye.

He rubbed his eyes vigorously, then looked left and right at the spot where Ning Jingli had disappeared.

Aside from the footprints he had just made on the ground, there was no other trace at all.

"Sister Jingli?! Where did you go?!" Li He was completely stunned.

As soon as the words left his mouth, Ning Jingli appeared again in front of him.

Li He was shocked, "You can perform tricks? How did you do it? Can you teach me!"

"This? I can't teach it," Ning Jingli said with a bright smile, "I don't have time now to explain in detail. All you need to know is that there's an entrance here that only I and Xiao Qidi can see and pass through. When I have time later, I'll come back, show you different knowledge, and give you some novel things."

"Novel things?" Li He was very curious.

Ning Jingli thought briefly, "Hold on, before I leave this time, I'll give you a few items first."

Then Ning Jingli brought over several Walkie‑Talkies and a remote‑controlled Drone, handed them to Li He, and explained how to use them.

They were already fully charged and would last for a while.

Li He had never seen such marvelous devices, but his mind was quick; after hearing the instructions once, he memorized all the usage methods.

"Consider these your toys," Ning Jingli warned, "but don't take them out to show off; if people with ulterior motives set their sights on them, you'll be in danger."

Li He nodded repeatedly, "Don't worry, Sister Jingli, I'll be cautious."

——

Xiao Qidi and Ning Jingli left Ding County's city, hired an old fisherman in a nearby village with silver coins, and then took a fishing boat along the river waterways.

A few days later in the morning, the two arrived near a river that seemed vast and boundless.

Looking far into the distance, they could vaguely see the river's surging waves.

It was still quite a distance from the tributary's confluence, and the water near the fishing boat had already begun to rush.

The small boat could no longer advance, so they found a shallow sandbank to stop; Xiao Qidi and Ning Jingli disembarked, gave the old fisherman some extra silver, and saw him depart the same way.

Within roughly a hundred li of this area there were no villages; lakes of various sizes dotted the marshes like stars on a board, interwoven with mountainous wild forests.

According to the hired old fisherman, there is plenty of Moth Wing Grass here, and the farther south beyond that great river, the more there is.

The old fisherman also warned them, saying he had heard rumors that water bandits were entrenched here, specifically robbing the large ships that passed the great river dozens of li away.

If they hadn't insisted on coming, he really didn't want to bring them here.

Xiao Qidi and Ning Jingli stepped a few steps onto the muddy sandbank, and indeed, in a thicket of grass outside the dense forest, they saw thriving Moth Wing Grass.

Ning Jingli plucked one and examined it; it was exactly the same as the one she had seen in Professor Hua's phone album before.

However, the kind Professor Hua photographed was only about ten centimeters long, and even the only modern source in Shanbo Tower Country grew to less than twenty centimeters.

But here, they were almost waist‑high, and the leaves were thicker and larger.

"Heaven rewards those with determination; we finally found them! And there are even more than I expected!" Ning Jingli sighed with relief, looking at the dense patches of Moth Wing Grass before her, excitement shining in her eyes.

Xiao Qidi looked around, and his peripheral vision caught a fleeting shadow in the distance.

He instinctively grew more alert and told Ning Jingli about it.

The two then moved left and right, flanking the spot where the shadow seemed to have flashed.

The closer they got, the taller and lusher the reed‑like wetland plants became, towering over Xiao Qidi, who was nearly two meters tall, severely obstructing their view.

Just as Xiao Qidi and Ning Jingli were closing in on the target spot, a splash sounded and several shadows leapt up suddenly.

Only then did they see clearly that they were several water birds much larger than geese.

The water birds' wings spanned over a meter wide.

When they took off, their claws still clutched lively, jumping fish.

"Huh… that startled me…" Ning Jingli exhaled, "So it was wild birds catching fish."

Xiao Qidi also relaxed, walked to her side and took her hand, "Let's first find a high, well‑hidden spot to settle. If this place is suitable, we'll have plenty to do next."

The two left together, heading toward the forest.

Not long after they left, in the reeds less than ten meters from where the water birds had just taken flight, a pair of rough, dark hands slowly parted the reeds, revealing two sinister, cold eyes……

……

Only that evening did Xiao Qidi and Ning Jinli reach a spot in the forest where they could settle down.

The surroundings were overgrown with trees and weeds, but the terrain was high and flat; if they were to later harvest Moth Wing Grass on a large scale, they could establish an initial base here.

Next, Ning Jinli prepared to open a Time-Space Gate on the spot.

Suddenly, she and Xiao Qidi both frowned.

Having noticed each other's reaction, Xiao Qidi whispered, "You felt it too?"

Ning Jinli nodded lightly, "Um, about half an hour ago I had a vague feeling that something was watching me, but I wasn't sure; until just now, that feeling became especially clear, as if…"

"It seems to be behind us," Xiao Qidi said, "and I also sense that more than one thing is watching us."