Chapter 13: Everything Begins with the Falling Fire from the Heavens

"How do you know what he is saying?"

After curiously sizing up Li Boyang and the big girl, the puzzled Deceit Rabbit finally opened its mouth to explain.

"Speaking of the 'earth vein disturbance,' it can actually be traced back to the 'falling fire from the heavens' at the beginning of last year."

"Something fell from the sky..."

"It caused the Black Cloud Marsh to be shrouded in poisonous black mist, leaving nothing growing for a hundred miles around."

"Then, not long ago, our village's Mountain Goddess slew a fierce god that had escaped from the Black Cloud Marsh."

"That fierce god was originally sealed in the Black Cloud Marsh, formed from the earth's baleful Qi of the surrounding mountain ranges."

"With its death, the earth veins in this region suddenly fell into chaos, and even the black mist of the Black Cloud Marsh began to spread outward."

"Having no other choice, many mountain spirits and wild monsters that realized the danger began to migrate away..."

When it reached this point, the Deceit Rabbit’s voice paused slightly, and then it stared at Li Boyang and the big girl to warn them.

"I’ll remind you: not all mountain spirits and wild monsters are primarily vegetarian like me."

"So, you had best run outside the village less during this time..."

"Otherwise, if you happen to run into other flesh-eating spirits, they won't be as easy to talk to as I am."

The Deceit Rabbit’s tone was slightly grave when it said this.

Li Boyang could tell that the other party was warning him from the heart.

Just as the Deceit Rabbit said, spirits like it—those who possess reason and are willing to communicate with mountain folk—are a tiny minority among the entire population of spirits.

It was precisely because of the Deceit Rabbit’s uniqueness that it became one of the first spirits to choose to migrate.

"By the way, after you return to the village, you can tell the others in the village this news, so they go in and out of the mountain forests less during this time."

"Especially that hunter in your village..."

"He hunted wild creatures extensively last year, which long ago enraged some spirits with extremely strong territorial instincts."

"If not for the protection of the Mountain Goddess, that fellow would have died an unnatural death as early as last winter."

"This time, there is no guarantee that some spirits won't take the opportunity to strike; tell him to restrain himself and stop frequenting the mountain forests."

The Deceit Rabbit swore that its warning was purely out of kindness.

However, it noticed that the little baby in the basket’s expression seemed to change instantly after hearing this warning.

[Wait... could that hunter be...]

As if realizing something, the Deceit Rabbit suddenly widened its eyes.

Because the time when that hunter frequented the mountain forests to hunt beasts seemed to line up perfectly with the pregnancy period of this infant before it.

For a small mountain village with only a dozen households, this clearly could not be a simple coincidence.

"Alright! I won't say any more."

"Anyway, you two little brats remember: don't go running around outside all day during this time."

"When I come back next time, I will come to trade for those medicinal herbs with you."

Seeing this, Li Boyang, who had returned to his senses from his thoughts, immediately patted the basket again, signaling the big girl to give the medicinal herbs in her pocket to the Deceit Rabbit.

"Eh? Just give it to him like this?"

After understanding Li Boyang's meaning.

Although the big girl was very reluctant, she still obediently reached her hand into her pocket.

Then, under the Deceit Rabbit’s surprised gaze, the big girl threw the medicinal herb she had dug up earlier at its feet.

"Here, big liar, this is from my little brother for you."

"Next time you must bring big money, I..."

Before the big girl could finish her sentence, she saw Li Boyang pat the basket once more.

Turning her head in confusion to look at Li Boyang, the big girl paused for a long while this time before she understood the meaning he wanted to convey from his gestures.

"Little brother says that next time you come to trade for herbs, you can use... books to offset the money?"

When saying these words, it seemed that even the big girl was a bit uncertain, and she only continued after receiving Li Boyang’s nod of affirmation.

"Preferably books related to medicine and herbal classics; little brother wants to learn the knowledge of identifying medicinal herbs."

Gathering herbs all over the mountains was Li Boyang’s only source of income at present, so he naturally had to learn how to identify the value of herbs.

On this point, those wild quacks would certainly not teach such trade secrets to others—it was already good enough that they didn't take the opportunity to drive down the price.

Only with this Deceit Rabbit before him did Li Boyang believe the other party would surely have a way to swindle back a few volumes of medical books and herbal classics.

"No problem, that’s very simple, I will remember it."

Glancing at Li Boyang with a strange expression, this was the first time the Deceit Rabbit had encountered an infant as eager to learn as the other party.

He couldn't even speak yet, but he was already thinking about how to read books.

[A natural-born holy one is truly worthy of being a natural-born holy one; born different from ordinary people.]

With this thought flashing through its mind, the Deceit Rabbit picked up the medicinal herb the big girl had thrown on the ground, then transformed into a majestic eagle and soared into the sky.

"Screech!"

Accompanied by a loud and sharp cry from the eagle.

Li Boyang and the big girl looked up in unison, gazing at the eagle’s back as it gradually moved away, until it completely disappeared into the clouds.

"So amazing..."

Unable to recover for a long time.

There was no longer any belittling of the Deceit Rabbit on the big girl’s face; in its place was silent shock.

The big girl was just precocious, not truly ignorant.

The ability to change into anything seemed to have nothing peculiar about it in the Deceit Rabbit’s description.

Even when the other party transformed into her own likeness, the big girl mostly just felt it was a novelty.

However, it was only until she witnessed the scene of the other party transforming into an eagle with her own eyes.

That novelty of the big girl’s slowly evolved into shock, and even fear.

If nothing else, with the sturdy physique displayed by that eagle, it would be completely capable of snatching up an underdeveloped child.

"Little brother, are we still going treasure hunting next?"

Fortunately, a child’s emotions come and go quickly.

The big girl soon recovered and cast her gaze toward Li Boyang in the basket.

"Ya!"

Seeing the eagerness in the big girl’s eyes at a glance.

Li Boyang hesitated for a moment, but ultimately chose to nod.

The Deceit Rabbit was among the first batch of spirits to choose to migrate, which meant that the area near the village was not yet too dangerous.

On the contrary, as time passed and more spirits began to appear near the village one after another, that would be the most dangerous time.

Li Boyang and the big girl had to find more valuable medicinal herbs before then.

Furthermore, taking a step back, even if they really encountered danger.

As long as it wasn't facing a fierce god of the level of a Ruifu, Li Boyang had full confidence in keeping both of them safe.

The only thing Li Boyang needed to think about now was how to tell the people in the village the news of the spirit migration, and make them believe in the truth of this matter.

The impact of this news was far too broad, especially in this season of early spring.

If not handled carefully, this small village of only a dozen households might not even need to consider whether they could survive this coming winter.

Monthly Ticket/Recommendation Ticket

(End of chapter)