Chapter Seven: Nanshan Town

Great Wilderness Scripture · Chapter on the Lost Ancient Sages: Only when you bow your head do you realize how arduous the road is; only by keeping your feet on solid ground can you travel far; only by gazing at lofty mountains do you perceive the breadth of the world.

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In the valley.

Many of the herb gatherers had already returned, but only a few stood beside Steward Wang. Among them, most people recognized the manager of the Hall of Benevolence.

In Nanshan Town, Manager Liu of the Hall of Benevolence was a figure of high status, respected by all—someone even the mayor would seek to flatter.

Yet now, he stood slightly bowed, showing great deference to the young man in white and the girl in the yellow dress beside him.

“Manager Liu, when selecting apprentice herbalists, shouldn’t the test be about identifying herbs? Why go into the mountains to gather them?” The young man, though only fifteen or sixteen, spoke with a tone beyond his years, his hands clasped behind his back.

He glanced at the returning herb gatherers, noting their respectful, slightly apprehensive gazes, and couldn’t help but straighten his posture a little more.

“Young Master,” Manager Liu replied with a smile, “in truth, it’s best to train apprentice herbalists from a young age, but when they’re too little, they can’t care for themselves, which isn’t practical. By comparison, mountain folk are most suitable. They live by the forest year-round, are used to the wilds, and can often recognize some herbs from childhood. With a little discreet guidance from us, they become the backbone of our gatherers. Especially for families struggling to make ends meet, this becomes a livelihood—a chance for a future.”

He paused, then continued, “Gathering herbs in the mountains is the best way to select candidates. At fifteen and up, they’re usually able to manage a household, sensible and easier to supervise; under eighteen, they still have potential to mold. To gather herbs in the mountains, one needs courage, cleverness, and the ability to distinguish plants. Those who excel in such conditions are generally promising material, quick to learn, saving us much time in training.”

“Reasonable!” the young man nodded, unable to hide his approval.

The girl, however, hesitated and said, “But I’ve heard the forests are very dangerous—even on the outskirts, at dusk and dawn, miasma can appear, not to mention poisonous insects and wild beasts. One careless move could be fatal. Isn’t this too much, especially since none of them have trained in self-defense?”

Manager Liu merely smiled and deflected, “Without our Hall of Benevolence, these people would never rise above their lot—either scraping a living from the earth, serving as servants or slaves for the wealthy, or risking their lives hunting in the mountains without any prospects. But once they become apprentice herbalists with us, if they work hard, they might rise to become apothecaries, doctors, or even martial artists. For them, this is an opportunity to change their fate.”

“I heard not many of those trained in the past ever succeeded,” the girl in yellow pressed on.

Manager Liu’s eyes twinkled as he smiled, “The opportunity is there. Whether they succeed depends on themselves. After all, not everyone is the same.”

He cast another glance at the ragged herb gatherers in the distance.

That’s fate.

As the sun set, more and more returned; Yang Fan and his companion also came back. There were both joyous and sorrowful faces, and a few returned limping, their bodies stained with blood.

Yang Fan saw Manager Liu and knew it was time for the final summary.

With them were a handsome young man and a pretty girl, clearly not ordinary folk from their attire and bearing.

He took one glance at them and paid no further attention.

Yang Fan and Da Hu handed in the herbs they had collected, their three-day harvest tallied, and were paid on the spot.

Da Hu quietly slipped him six taels of silver.

As expected, the value of their harvest ranked them in the top ten—third and fourth, respectively.

First place went to Yang Tian, whose three days’ worth of herbs totaled about ten taels of silver, a sum that amazed the other gatherers.

Second was Mayor Yang’s son, Yang Xiang, whose haul was worth a little over seven taels, just a notch above Da Hu.

“They must have cheated,” Da Hu muttered.

“One’s the mayor’s son, the other the young master of the Taifeng Tavern. We can’t compete with that,” Yang Fan replied with a slight smile, unconcerned with the outcome.

“How many casualties?” Yang Fan asked quietly.

“I asked around just now,” Da Hu’s expression darkened. “Seven didn’t come back. Three will probably be crippled for life, and four more are only lightly injured.”

Yang Fan fell silent.

As the sun sank behind the mountains and the missing failed to return, under Manager Liu’s guidance, the group left the valley and emerged from Misty Cloud Mountain.

A crowd waited outside, most of them in tattered clothing.

Some, seeing their children unharmed, were overjoyed; others, whose sons didn’t return, broke down in tears.

Because of the contracts they’d signed, all they could expect was a few taels of sympathy money.

“Brother Fan! Brother Da Hu! Over here!”

A clear voice called out.

Yang Fan looked over and saw two young girls, about eleven or twelve, standing off to the side.

He knew them both.

The one calling him was Lin Xiaoyu, Uncle Dashan’s daughter. Though their surnames differed, the families were close, and she’d often trailed after him as a child.

Especially after his father passed, Lin Dashan’s family had looked after him, offering him work at their small tavern—he’d never have gone hungry if he’d accepted.

But his “former self” had been stubborn, determined to support his own household, and so he’d become a herb gatherer.

The other girl was Da Hu’s younger sister, Yang Erni.

“Xiaoyu, Erni, what are you two doing here?” Yang Fan hurried over.

Lin Xiaoyu had large eyes and a round face, her sweet smile like a lotus bud about to bloom. Yang Erni was also good-looking, but taller, with a sturdy, athletic build—a bit of a tomboy.

“Erni, isn’t Mother here? Am I really her son? I’ve been risking my life, and she doesn’t even come to check on me,” Da Hu grumbled, scanning the crowd.

“Mother’s been threatening all week that when you get back, she’ll beat you black and blue for making her worry so much,” Yang Erni replied with a grin. “Brother Fan, you’re alright, aren’t you?”

“I’m fine!”

With that, the four of them joined the stream of people heading home.

By the time they reached the town, night had fully fallen.

Fortunately, the Hall of Benevolence had prepared dinner for them. Wasting no time, Yang Fan and Da Hu told the girls to head home first, then sat down to a hearty meal. After bidding farewell to Steward Wang, they hurried back to their own homes. Both families lived near the west end of town, in a small alley—a decent spot.

“Mother, everyone else’s parents came to meet them. I looked everywhere and couldn’t find you,” Da Hu complained when he spotted his mother outside the Lin family’s tavern.

“I told you not to go, but you went anyway. There were only two outcomes: either you died, or you came back safe. If you died, you’d be no different from your worthless father—just another meal for the mountain cats and wild beasts. If you’re fine, you’ll come home. So tell me, what was the point of me coming to fetch you?” Da Hu’s mother, a stout woman, pulled her son over and inspected him from head to toe. “No arms or legs missing. Good.”

She then turned to examine Yang Fan. “You’re alright too! But the two of you—never a moment’s peace. Is gathering herbs in the mountains such a great job? Don’t you see how many die every year? There’s plenty of work in town—odd jobs, small businesses. That’s enough to get by, but you just won’t listen.”

Da Hu hung his head, and Yang Fan managed a wry smile.

Lin Xiaoyu and Erni watched, grinning.

“Fan, Da Hu, come in quickly! We’ve prepared a welcome feast for you!” Lin Dashan appeared in his apron, calling the boys inside.