novel-bin Chapter 5 The Sound of Axes and the Wind
Chapter 5 The Sound of Axes and the Wind
soon.
The sound of stone slabs rubbing against each other came from above the cellar, followed by a rich and enticing aroma of meat mixed with the unique freshness of wild mushrooms.
Shi Jian came down carrying a steaming pottery jar. Although his face was expressionless, the heavy feeling that had lingered between his brows for many years had dissipated slightly.
Don't underestimate this old man; though he's old, he's still got it.
"We were lucky enough to run into a silly pheasant, and we also had some wild mushrooms we picked a few days ago, so we stewed a pot of it. We drank it while it was hot, ate the meat, and replenished our energy."
Shi Gong placed the earthenware pot on the old wooden box, lifted the lid, and revealed a milky white broth with golden oil floating on top, large chunks of chicken and brown mountain mushrooms bobbing inside, emitting a fragrant aroma.
For Yang Jin, this was simply a delicacy.
His Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.
"Master Shi, please eat with us."
Yang Jin was being hypocritical; in reality, he couldn't wait to pounce on her and devour her completely.
But he knew that the pheasant and mushrooms were hunted by Shi Gong with great effort, and that Shi Gong himself was reluctant to eat them, so he brought them to him.
Despite being unrelated by blood, Shi Gong treated him so well simply because of Yang Sanmu's past relationship with him, which he found hard to accept.
"I've already eaten." Shi Jian waved his hand, his tone indifferent, and turned around. "I ate the chicken gizzards and livers... they were delicious. This soup and meat is for you, hurry up."
Looking at Shi Jian's slightly hunched figure with his back to him, and thinking of those chicken innards, Yang Jin felt deeply moved.
Even his father wasn't this good to him, but after he transmigrated, an old man with no blood relation to him treated him this well!
He really...
Shi Gong only ate some scraps and offal that had little meat, leaving the best parts for him.
Yang Jin remembered this kindness.
He stopped pretending, picked up the earthenware pot, and, ignoring the heat, sipped the hot soup and ate the tender chicken and wild mushrooms that had soaked up the broth.
With each bite of soup and meat, it felt as if a warm current flowed into his limbs and bones, dispelling the chill of the cellar and replenishing the deficit caused by his body digesting the essence of the earth's veins.
......
"I, Yang Jin, will forever remember Master Shi's kindness... I will repay it in this lifetime!"
Yang Jin put down the empty pottery jar and said solemnly.
Shi Jian turned around and glanced at him with his cloudy eyes: "Whether you report it or not, we'll talk about it later. First, save your own life and get yourself back in shape."
He paused, sat down opposite Yang Jin, and lowered his voice even further, "I went hunting today and also listened to the winds of war."
Yang Jin tensed up and focused his mind.
"There's still no movement from the hanging burial cliff," Shi Jian said. "According to ancestral tradition, young men who die violent deaths are hung up for three days to appease their spirits. Today is only the second day, so generally no one will go up to check. But tomorrow... or at the latest the day after, the village will definitely send someone up to perform the final sealing ceremony."
He stared at Yang Jin: "By then, the fact that the stone coffin was broken and the body was missing will no longer be able to be concealed."
Yang Jin's heart sank.
What's meant to happen will happen; there's no escaping it.
"Any movement from the Sun family?"
Yang Jin wanted to know what the Sun family would be like if they "believed he was dead".
"Sun Mancang and his son?" Shi Jian thought for a moment. "They're no different from usual. That brat Sun Yaozu is still wandering around the village with his men, still as arrogant as ever. Sun Mancang is running his pharmacy as usual and going to town to make his way in. In their eyes, your matter... is already over."
Shi Jian's voice was low and tinged with coldness: "The more peaceful they are now, the more violent their reaction will be when they discover the coffin is empty. If you 'die,' they're at ease. But if you 'live,' and 'come back to life' in this way—through 'corpse transformation'—it will be a huge problem and threat to them. At that point, they will definitely not sit idly by. They will find a way to solidify the charges of 'corpse transformation' and 'evil spirits causing trouble,' and then mobilize the entire village, and even enlist the help of the martial arts schools they curry favor with in town, to legitimately search the mountain and 'eliminate the scourge.' My hiding place may not be safe if a large-scale search is conducted."
"So, the safest and last chance to prepare is before things get out," Shi Jian concluded. "Once news of the empty coffin spreads, panic will rise, and it will be extremely difficult for you to hide or move. So, what do you plan to do?"
Yang Jin lowered his head and thought for a moment.
He is currently hiding in the cellar, where he can rely on Atu to continuously collect ores and extract the essence of the earth veins from them. As long as he has enough essence of the earth veins and a stable food supply, he can recover quickly and even have the power to deal with the Sun family.
So he still had to stay in the cellar.
"Master Shi, I want to wait until my injuries have healed before making any plans."
"As things stand, there's nowhere to run."
"It's better to stay still than to move."
"Can I continue to hide? Once I'm healed, I'll definitely leave and won't cause you any more trouble."
Shi Jian gave Yang Jin a deep look, then changed the subject: "Alright, you stay here for now, we'll talk about everything after you've recovered. Tomorrow morning, I'll take Old Pizi to the village market. First, to exchange for some food and necessary medicine. Second, to get a feel for what's going on in the village."
He paused for a moment, then said, "Just stay put, take the time to recover, and... make some preparations that you want to do."
After saying that, Shi Jian got up, walked to the broken wooden box in the corner where tools were stored, rummaged around for a while, and took out a short-handled hand axe with a wooden handle wrapped with old strips of cloth.
The axe was not large, and the blade was somewhat worn, but it was polished to a gleaming shine, radiating a cold light.
"Here, take this." Shi Jian handed the hand axe to Yang Jin. "Although the cellar is safe, it's connected to the old mine tunnels below. Who knows what else might be inside? Having this for self-defense will give you peace of mind. Remember, an axe is a weapon, but also a weapon of death. Think carefully before you use it."
Yang Jin took the hand axe.
It feels heavy in the hand, and the wooden handle is worn smooth, clearly indicating that it has been around for many years, but it is well-maintained.
"We have weapons now! I don't know how much the attack power will increase, but it definitely makes me feel much more at ease."
In Yang Jin's view, this hand axe is not only a tool for self-defense, but also a token of trust and entrustment.
"Thank you, Master Shi."
Yang Jin gripped the axe handle tightly.
Shi Jian didn't say anything more, just told him to get some rest, and then took the empty pottery jar upstairs.
The cellar entrance was resealed, and everything returned to calm.
The flickering light of the oil lamp cast a long shadow of Yang Jin, who was holding an axe, onto the earthen wall...
He looked down at the axe in his hand, its blade reflecting a cold, gleaming light.
I feel like I'm getting more and more handsome.
It's not an illusion.
Time travel...climbing coffins...golden finger...superpowers...A-Tu...an axe...things I never even imagined happening to me before, how could it not be awesome!
He brandished the axe in his hand, and the bloodlust of his old family began to awaken.
He can't rely solely on the superpowers of the Earthwalker.
Neither stone manipulation nor vibration perception are offensive skills.
He needs to have the ability to kill Sun Yaozu directly.
Martial arts!
In my memory, this world had martial arts.
The Sun family has been able to dominate Heishan'ao Village for so many years because Sun Mancang practiced martial arts in his early years and had connections with the martial arts school in town.
This is a world where martial arts can lead to divine power!
Then let's practice martial arts!
When it comes to martial arts, the people from my hometown are really good at it.
Even if you don't know how to practice, with an axe in hand, it's not difficult to unleash Cheng Yaojin's three axe blows.
Moreover, in the confined spaces of cellars and mine tunnels, a hand axe might actually prove to be quite effective.
"practice!"
A thought arose.
He got up and cleared a small space in the cramped cellar.
He swung, chopped, and hacked at the air.
Swish! Drink! Ha!
"Sun Yaozu! Take this from your grandpa with an axe!!!"
Actually, Yang Jin had watched some educational videos about sword and knife slashing when he was browsing Douyin before. His interest was mainly due to work requirements.
In this line of work... besides selling technical skills, sometimes you also have to resort to physical combat...
Combining his current state with the skills he learned from hunting with his father, Yang Jin gripped the axe with both hands, lowered his waist and sat on his hips, mimicking the chopping motion.
call!
The axe blade sliced through the air with a dull thud.
Although the movements were clumsy and the force was loose, there was still a slight stinging and pulling sensation from the wound on my arm.
But he didn't stop.
Adjust your breathing, feel the power from your waist and legs being transmitted to your arms, and then concentrated on the axe blade.
Each swing, each adjustment.
At first, it was just simple slashing, but later I started trying different angles—diagonal slashes, horizontal sweeps, and upward slashes.
Although the cellar space was limited, Yang Jin controlled the amplitude and power, which made him more focused, pursuing precision and control in every strike.
Sweat quickly soaked his clothes, and the numbness and itching in his left arm wound became more pronounced with continued exercise. However, he could feel that the wound was not worsening; on the contrary, as it absorbed the essence of the earth veins, his flesh and blood were healing and growing at an accelerated pace.
The essence of the earth veins and moderate training not only enhanced his fusion but also reshaped his body.
He swung the axe tirelessly, as if pouring all the repression, hatred, and anxiety about the future that he had come from across time into the chopping motion.
The sound of the axe cutting through the air echoed in the cellar.
Atu seemed to sense its master's state as well, peeking out half its head from the hole and quietly "watching," conveying a vague emotion.
After an unknown amount of time, Yang Jin finally collapsed from exhaustion. He stopped moving, leaning on the axe handle and panting heavily.
His muscles were a little sore, especially his arms, which felt both sore and swollen, as if they were filled with lead, but this exhilarating feeling made him feel very good.
"The more I practice, the better it feels... What's it called again... dopamine... or maybe endorphin... Whatever, as long as it feels good!"
He could feel that after practicing for only a short while, his control over the axe had improved considerably, and his coordination and strength had also increased.
Moreover, as Yang Jin focused on swinging his axe, he discovered that the illusory image of the Earth-Walking Talon's cauldron spirit resonated harmoniously with his body's movements, making the warm current flow more smoothly.
Although the integration level did not increase immediately, he believed that if it continued, there would definitely be gains.
"Is it the earth-walking marmoset that's powerful... or the essence of the earth's veins... no, neither, it's my awesomeness!!! Ah, hahaha...."
He smugly placed the axe within easy reach of the bedside.
I feel more confident now.
He lay down on the haystack, overwhelmed by exhaustion, yet his mind remained remarkably clear.
The news brought back by Shi Gong weighed heavily on his heart, but the ever-increasing sense of reality, the warm current of the earth's essence flowing through his body, and the spiritual connection with Atu acted as pillars, supporting his backbone and confidence.
"The hanging coffin incident... the Sun family is searching the mountain..." He closed his eyes, his mind racing. "I must have enough power to protect myself and even fight back before they find me... I need to continue collecting the essence of the earth veins, and improve the fusion level as soon as possible... I can let Atu explore deeper mines to find more and higher quality ores... Also, I need to continue practicing my axe skills... I'll consider other things after Master Shi brings back news from the market..."
In the cellar, Yang Jin gripped the axe beside him and fell into a deep sleep.
"It can't be hidden anymore."
Where are you?
"I've found you!"
......
Yang Jin was jolted awake from a nightmare. He had dreamt that Sun Yaozu found him and subjected him to all eighteen cruel tortures of the Qing Dynasty. He had fought back desperately (actually, he had begged for mercy) but was still killed by Sun Yaozu.
He hadn't expected that Shi Gong's words, "It can't be hidden anymore," would have such a powerful aftereffect.
His main fear was that the dream would become reality and that he would be tortured to death by Sun Yaozu.
Get stronger!
We must become stronger!
In the dark cellar, the air was thick with invisible gunpowder smoke, making it hard to breathe.
Yang Jin lit the oil lamp, and the flame flickered anxiously.
"It's getting late to hide it..."
Yang Jin repeated himself, his fingers unconsciously tightening, his nails almost digging into his palm.
Time is running out for him!
The fear in his dream, like a cold, venomous snake, quietly coiled around his spine.
He gritted his teeth, crushing his fear and transforming it into an even more frenzied killing intent... I'll fight you to the death!
We absolutely cannot sit idly by and wait to die!
We must squeeze out every last bit of potential to become stronger in these final moments!
"A-Tu!" he roared almost in his mind, transmitting the urgent feeling through the mental link, "Dig! Dig to the deepest place where there's the most 'good stuff'! Don't worry about any noise, don't worry about landslides, as long as there's something good ahead, just charge! Just do it!"
A-Tu, who was in the corner of the cellar, was infected by his madness and also became frantic.
Atu's thoughts were actually very simple. In the past, he would eat and sleep, sleep and eat, and collect any minerals he came across, satisfying his instinctive collecting addiction.
Now, besides these, there is unconditional obedience to its master Yang Jin, and a mineral collecting obsession that has been completely aroused by Yang Jin.
"You want me to kill someone? I can't."
"Let me go collect ore; I'd go through fire and water, even die a thousand deaths, without hesitation!"
The next moment, a more intense and wilder "crackling" sound rang out in the abandoned mine!
The madman Yang Jin was like a succubus wielding a whip, mercilessly lashing out at the equally insane A Tu.
Atu's file-like jaws gnawed at the rock strata at top speed, the sound of falling gravel blending together as it frantically traversed the underground.
Yang Jin sat cross-legged on the wooden bed with a ferocious expression, closed his eyes, and immersed himself entirely in the senses he shared with A Tu.
He pushed his vibration perception to its limit, and in his blurred "vision," Atu was digging forward recklessly along a downward-sloping branch of the mine tunnel.
With the help of Yang Jin's perception, it avoided large, fragile rock layers and targeted relatively hard but structurally simple rock formations, yet its speed was astonishing.
Time flew by as they dug.
The oil lamp was added and extinguished repeatedly. In the cellar, apart from Yang Jin's suppressed breathing, there was only the rumbling from underground coming from A Tu.
About two hours later, Atu, who was digging frantically, suddenly stopped.
It wasn't that we encountered some insurmountable obstacle, but rather that the vibration feedback ahead had become... unusually empty.
"We've arrived...into a very large cavity?"