Chapter 53: The Great Dao is Fifty, Heaven's Derivation is Forty-Nine

On the sixth day at Sancha Herb Farm, Hua Changxi finished her cultivation at dawn as usual; just as she had drawn water to wash up, a knock sounded at the courtyard gate.

Unlike the forceful pounding of the previous days, this knock was polite.

Hua Changxi set down her washing things, walked over, and opened the gate to find a slender youth standing outside, prompting her surprised question: "Why is it you?"

A-Niu looked somewhat shy, daring not to meet Hua Changxi's gaze as he lowered his head and said, "Steward Mao told me to come back and continue feeding the livestock."

Hua Changxi asked, "Was the task of feeding the livestock always yours?"

A-Niu nodded, glancing quickly at Hua Changxi before replying, "On the day you all arrived, Steward Mao assigned others to feed the livestock."

Hua Changxi understood clearly in her heart: Mao Yong simply intended to use other male laborers to disgust her, forcing her to act, so he could then invite a Grandmaster to step in and teach her a lesson.

Hua Changxi stepped aside to let the youth into the courtyard, asking, "What is your name?"

A-Niu seemed somewhat afraid of Hua Changxi; he trotted into the yard while maintaining a distance from her, saying, "My name is A-Niu."

Seeing this, Hua Changxi lowered her eyes; two people had died yesterday, and although she had not struck the killing blow herself, the wild boar had indeed gone berserk only after she attacked it with spiritual energy.

People had died...

This was something she had not anticipated, yet she did not regret provoking the wild boar.

When those male laborers came to harass her, she naturally had to fight back; as for what consequences might follow, that depended on each person's luck.

Within this herb farm, she was merely a piece of meat; if she did not strike back forcefully and remained fearful of this and that, endless troubles would await her.

Indeed, after yesterday's incident, Mao Yong had switched the person feeding the livestock, and any male laborer in the farm who wished to approach her again would likely need to think twice.

When Hua Changxi entered the courtyard to eat, everyone turned to look at her, then unanimously moved away from her, and the previous catcalls vanished.

Hua Changxi was very satisfied with this.

With no one in the livestock yard to disgust her, Hua Changxi took her breakfast back to eat there, remembering to bring a portion for A-Niu as well.

Returning to the livestock yard, she found A-Niu had already fed the cattle and horses and was now feeding the hunting dogs.

"A-Niu, I brought you breakfast; come eat once you're done."

There was a stone platform beside the well; Hua Changxi placed the breakfast directly upon it, eating while watching A-Niu work.

Seeing that Hua Changxi had brought him breakfast, A-Niu looked somewhat surprised, but unaccustomed to contact with outsiders, he deliberately slowed his movements while feeding the hunting dogs.

Yet, watching the hunting dogs obey quietly without barking or making a fuss, A-Niu felt very strange in his heart.

In the past, whether feeding cattle or horses, the animals were always restless, and the hunting dogs barked especially fiercely, but today, the livestock were unusually easy to feed.

A-Niu glanced quickly at Hua Changxi; could it be that not only the people in the farm feared Young Lady Hua, but the livestock feared her as well?

Watching A-Niu dawdle and refuse to come eat, Hua Changxi thought for a moment, then lifted the bowl containing three large steamed buns, walked over to A-Niu, and placed it by his feet.

After returning to the stone platform, Hua Changxi asked, "A-Niu, are you also a laborer at the herb farm?"

Looking at the buns by his feet, A-Niu swallowed; he was merely here to help at the herb farm, not an actual laborer, and on ordinary days he could never afford such fine food.

"No, I am a cowherd from neighboring Dongchi Village."

Hua Changxi asked, "Does your village also cultivate medicinal herbs?"

A-Niu shook his head: "No, we do not; medicinal herbs are precious, not something we can afford to grow."

Hua Changxi asked again, "I saw women planting herbs in the medicinal fields; where are those women from?"

A-Niu replied, "They are all from surrounding villages; every year during planting and harvesting seasons, when the farm's laborers cannot keep up, they bring in people from nearby villages to help."

Hua Changxi looked at him and said, "Since you are from a neighboring village, you must be very familiar with the area around the herb farm?"

Hearing this, A-Niu finally glanced at Hua Changxi, asking in confusion, "Familiar with what?"

Hua Changxi smiled and said, "Familiar with the geography of the surrounding area; for instance, yesterday I didn't even know there were wild boars in the mountains, which gave me quite a fright—it was my first time seeing one."

"A-Niu, can you tell me about the nearby mountains and forests? I don't want to encounter wild boars again."

A-Niu looked at her and said, "Young Lady Hua, you had best stay within the herb farm and not wander about; the mountains and forests around here are somewhat eerie."

Hua Changxi instantly perked up: "In what way are they eerie?"

A-Niu looked at the buns and remained silent.

Hua Changxi asked, "What, are these things forbidden to tell outsiders?"

A-Niu shook his head: "No, I am afraid that if I tell you, you won't believe me."

Hua Changxi laughed: "If you don't speak, how will you know I won't believe you? Since we have nothing else to do, let's just treat it as storytelling."

Seeing her genuine curiosity, A-Niu finally spoke: "There are especially many beasts in the mountains and forests around us; in the past two years, villagers have frequently been eaten, so to hunt down these beasts, many traps have been dug along the outer edges of the forests."

Without those traps, no one would have died at the herb farm yesterday.

Hua Changxi had heard her father speak of beasts eating people; she had assumed it was a rare occurrence, never expecting it to happen so frequently here at Sancha Herb Farm.

Was this an isolated incident, or was it like this throughout Great Jin?

"Besides beasts eating people, are there any other strange occurrences?"

A-Niu said, "...I have noticed that the valleys around us have become larger, the mountains taller than before, and the flowers, grasses, and trees within the mountains more lush than in the past."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi's eyes flickered constantly: "Is that so? Is this just your personal feeling, or does everyone feel the same?"

A-Niu replied, "Several uncles who frequently enter the mountains to hunt feel the same as I do."

Hua Changxi asked, "Then have you reported this matter to the yamen?"

A-Niu said, "Yes, several uncles went to the yamen, but the officials there told us not to spread rumors, or they would arrest us."

Hua Changxi could not verify this matter herself, so she simply kept it in mind, then asked again, "I heard at the Medical Bureau that new medicinal herbs are frequently discovered here at Sancha Herb Farm; do you know about this?"

A-Niu nodded, looking somewhat pleased: "I know; I even found one myself, and because of that, Steward Mao rewarded me with fifty jin of miscellaneous grains."

Seeing him like this, Hua Changxi fell silent again; the Medical Bureau was known to be very generous to those who discovered new medicinal herbs, yet after passing through so many hands, it was apparently worth only fifty jin of miscellaneous grains.

"What... what medicinal herb did you find? Where did you find it?"

A-Niu shook his head: "Elder You instructed that this cannot be spoken of."

Hua Changxi asked, "Who is Elder You?"

A-Niu replied, "He is the Grandmaster stationed at Sancha Herb Farm."

Seeing the fear on A-Niu's face, Hua Changxi did not press further about the Grandmaster: "Are there any other strange occurrences?"

A-Niu hesitated for a moment: "A hunter from Nanchi Village once said he encountered a yellow weasel in the mountains that could speak human language."

Hua Changxi's expression sharpened, her voice rising slightly: "Is that true?"

A-Niu shook his head: "I don't know; that hunter went mad later and froze to death last winter."

An animal that speaks human language...

This news deeply shook Hua Changxi; before she could question A-Niu further, the sound of a gong signaling the start of work rang out from outside the courtyard.

Soon, Mao Wei and a group of people entered the livestock yard to lead away the hunting dogs, oxen, and horses.

With no other choice, Hua Changxi left the livestock yard and went to the drying ground to collect farming tools.

"Hua Changxi, starting today, you will work in the Medicine Valley."

The death of two male laborers yesterday had suddenly sobered Mao Yong; the one-armed man Guo Yu was a seventh-grade martial artist, yet Hua Changxi did not fear him, indicating her martial cultivation was above the seventh grade.

He had actually gone to provoke a martial artist above the seventh grade; truly, he was tired of living.

Those laborers injured over the past few days were the best examples; although no trace of Hua Changxi's actions could be found, he knew it was her doing.

He held a sliver of power within the Medicine Manor, but if he truly enraged Hua Changxi, that meager authority would not protect him or his brother.

The wrong had already been done; all he could do now was send Hua Changxi far away and minimize any contact with her.

Sending Hua Changxi to work in the Medicine Valley came with a ready-made excuse.

The medicinal herbs planted in the Medicine Valley were more precious than those in the herb fields; Hua Changxi not only planted herbs quickly but also worked with great meticulousness, making her fully qualified to plant herbs in the Medicine Valley.

Most importantly, Elder You was stationed in the Medicine Valley; with him guarding the place, Hua Changxi would have to stay put and would not dare to run around recklessly.

Once the herb planting was finished, he would immediately send this batch of helpers away and never deal with Hua Changxi again.

Hua Changxi was more than willing to work in the Medicine Valley; she had previously been worrying about how to get there, but now it was resolved without her needing to devise a plan herself.

Mao Wei summoned a subordinate to lead Hua Changxi and over ten other competent laborers to the Sanfork Medicine Valley.

Sanfork Medicine Valley derived its name from its location at the junction of three mountain ranges forming a 'Y' shape; the terrain was flat and the soil fertile. Originally farmland reclaimed by nearby villagers, it was converted into a Medicine Valley after being selected by the Medical Bureau.

Walking at the rear of the group, Hua Changxi carefully observed everything around her.

The closer they moved toward the Medicine Valley, the more densely she could feel the spiritual energy in the air becoming.

"Chirp~"

Suddenly, a piercing bird cry rang out; everyone looked toward the sound to see a black shadow in the sky diving rapidly straight at them.

Hua Changxi focused her gaze and immediately revealed a look of shock in her eyes.

It was a sparrow—a giant sparrow with wings spanning a full two meters.

Everyone's faces filled with terror, and they scattered in a panic.

The team leader shouted loudly as he ran: "Elder You, save us!"

Hua Changxi, who had already picked up a stone from the ground and prepared to act, immediately withdrew her hand upon hearing that cry.

Just as the giant sparrow was only five or six meters above the ground, a tree branch as thick as an arm shot forth, striking the sparrow squarely in the chest.

With a thunderous crash, the sparrow fell from mid-air to the ground; the branch pierced through its body, pinning it to the earth.

The sparrow did not die instantly but struggled for a while before finally going still.

Witnessing this scene, everyone was terrified.

Hua Changxi looked in the direction from which the branch had flown; soon, the one-armed man she had seen before appeared.

"Alright, it's over."

The one-armed man offered a few words of comfort to the crowd, then walked over to the sparrow, strained slightly to pull out the branch, hoisted the bird onto his shoulder, and prepared to leave; as he turned, he spotted Hua Changxi and paused briefly in surprise.

However, the one-armed man said nothing and simply carried the sparrow away.

The team leader hurriedly urged everyone to follow, while he jogged alongside Guo Yu: "Master Guo, are the ferocious beasts in the Medicine Valley increasing?"

Clearly, attacks by wild beasts like this sparrow were not uncommon for the people of the Medicine Manor.

Guo Yu's expression remained indifferent: "Rest assured; with Elder You here, he will not allow anything to happen to you."

The team leader remained deeply worried: "But this cannot continue indefinitely."

With ferocious beasts multiplying and only one Elder You, it was impossible for him to watch over everyone.

Guo Yu fell silent for a moment: "If the ferocious beasts continue to increase, Elder You will report to the Heaven Department; they will then dispatch martial artists. You need only focus on planting the herbs; leave the guarding to us."

Upon hearing that the Heaven Department would send martial artists, the team leader's expression improved considerably.

Walking at the rear, Hua Changxi pricked up her ears to listen to their conversation.

Ferocious beasts?

Did that refer to animals like the giant sparrow?

How could a sparrow grow so large?

Was it due to the spiritual energy within the Medicine Valley?

And the Heaven Department...

The one-armed man's calm tone clearly indicated this was no isolated incident but a widespread phenomenon, for which a mature response protocol had already been established.

While Hua Changxi pondered these thoughts, they arrived at Sanfork Medicine Valley.

Surrounded by mountains on three sides with a basin in the center, the geographical environment was exceptionally superior; the area was so vast that one glance could not see its end.

The team leader handed Hua Changxi and her group over to a steward, who carefully inquired about their circumstances before assigning them to different teams.

Among those working in the Medicine Valley, one-fifth were women, so Hua Changxi did not stand out here, which made her breathe a huge sigh of relief.

Seeing that the herbs planted in the Medicine Valley were all varieties required by high-grade martial artists, Hua Changxi was not particularly surprised; she deliberately observed the speed of others and adjusted her own planting pace to match theirs.

Here, her task was to blend into the crowd; only by blending in would she remain inconspicuous, evade the Grandmaster's attention, find opportunities to investigate the conditions within the Medicine Valley, and locate the Yuan Spirit Grass.

While Hua Changxi kept her head down to work, the one-armed man Guo Yu watched her continuously; after observing her for most of the day and seeing nothing unusual about her, he went to the mid-slope of Xishan to meet Elder You, who was sitting on a cliff with his eyes closed in meditation.

"Master, that Hua Changxi's martial cultivation is above mine."

Elder You shook his head with his eyes closed: "She is not a martial artist; there is no internal energy within her."

Guo Yu's expression changed: "How is that possible? If she were not a martial artist, how could she remain unaffected by the pressure exerted by my disciples?"

Elder You opened his eyes, his gaze flickering: "This world is becoming increasingly unclear to your master; many matters are being concealed from above. I suspect that beyond martial artists, there must exist even higher levels of combat power."

Saying this, he looked at Guo Yu, whose demeanor was shaken.

"Keep a close watch on that little girl; perhaps through her, we can catch a glimpse of what secrets those above are truly hiding."

Guo Yu asked skeptically: "Master, Mao Yong investigated Hua Changxi. She is merely a young lady from an ordinary family; how could someone like her be involved in matters concerning those above?"

Elder You smiled faintly: "The Great Dao numbers fifty, yet Heaven's derivation leaves only forty-nine. Those above conceal everything to protect their own interests, but Heaven is still fair; it will always leave a sliver of hope for those below."

"Take Grandmaster martial artists, for instance. Although more are cultivated by noble clans and great families, there are still many Grandmasters who hail from humble origins."

"No matter how much those above attempt to conceal things, those below still possess their own opportunities."