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Translator: Silavin
At this moment, Hansheng’s face also had streaks of tears on it.
Hansheng thought, [He seemed proud and aloof, but he is a man of deep emotions. He had kept such a sorrowful love story buried in his heart. Truly moving.]
“Then how did you come to Dazhang Mountain?” Hansheng asked.
“Seven or eight years ago, I decided to find a secluded mountain with beautiful scenery to live in seclusion. I travelled south to Wuyuan, and finally settled in Wolong Valley to spend my remaining days here,” the Hermit of Wuchu Mountain sighed.
Hansheng fell silent.
[I had never thought human emotions could be so unwavering throughout one’s life. Lan’er from the market wanted to repay me with her body. She’s like Uncle Hermit in this love story.] Thinking of this, a warm feeling suddenly welled up in his heart.
“How can I find a sanitary belt struck by lightning?” Hansheng decided that he must cure Lan’er’s face no matter what.
The Hermit of Wuchu Mountain looked at Hansheng and asked, “Finding that thing is very dangerous. Are you trying to cure someone important?”
Hansheng’s face reddened slightly, and he lowered his head, “It’s a girl.”
The Hermit of Wuchu Mountain nodded, “Oh, I see. She must be a good girl. Alright. Tonight, there will be a thunderstorm. If we’re lucky, I might be able to get it for you.”
“I’ll go with you.”
“Your leg is not up for it yet. You need to remain bedridden.”
“It’s fine, you’ll see.” As Hansheng spoke, he moved his body off the bed. Although trembling, he still managed to stand up.
The Hermit of Wuchu Mountain looked at him in surprise. Seeing that Hansheng did not show any signs of pain, he was puzzled.
“Your Family’s secret formula is truly amazing,” he sincerely praised.
The Hermit of Wuchu Mountain went outside to find a wooden stick. Hansheng tried walking a few steps with the stick on the ground, and he felt no pain. It seems like the Classic of the Black Satchel was indeed miraculous, worthy of being called the book of the millennia.
“Uncle Hermit, why did you say that searching for a ‘sanitary belt struck by lightning’ is very dangerous?” Hansheng asked.
The Hermit of Wuchu Mountain paused, then said, “You’ll know tonight.”
“Will there definitely be a thunderstorm tonight?” Hansheng asked, unsure.
“I’ve been in Dazhang Mountain for seven or eight years. I am extremely familiar with the climate here. Don’t worry. There will definitely be a thunderstorm tonight. Hopefully, that thing will appear.”
“Do we need to make any other preparations?”
“Yes. I’ll go prepare my hunting rifle. You just need to rest well and gather your strength. We’ll set out after dark,” the Hermit of Wuchu Mountain said and left.
[What kind of animal could it be that requires a hunting rifle?] Hansheng wondered,
※※※
In the evening, dark clouds gathered, and there was the smell of rain in the wind.
As darkness fell, the Hermit of Wuchu Mountain and Hansheng set out, wearing straw raincoats. The place they were going was not far, just inside the Camphor tree forest in Wolong Valley.
Hansheng walked with the wooden stick, not finding it too difficult. Turning around at the foot of the mountain, they faced a dark mass of Camphor Trees. Dazhang Mountain was famous for its many Camphor Trees. Before even entering the forest, they could already smell a faint scent of Camphor.
Passing through the dense forest, a huge, towering black shadow appeared before their eyes. It was a thousand year old Camphor Tree.
Thunder could already be faintly heard from the edge of the sky. Soon after, the expected downpour arrived.
The Hermit of Wuchu Mountain stopped and pulled Hansheng into a small nearby shelter.
“Alright. We’ll wait here,” the Hermit of Wuchu Mountain took the double-barreled hunting rifle off his shoulder and carefully loaded two bullets.
“What are we waiting for?” Hansheng asked, feeling a bit nervous.
“Lightning. When thunder roars and lightning flashes, it will come out.”
“What is ‘it’?” Hansheng pressed.
The Hermit of Wuchu Mountain leaned the hunting rifle against the window of the shelter and lowered his voice, “I told you yesterday. Some living beings in this world naturally accumulate Yin Energy over time, making them prone to get striked by lightning. Of course, they are usually very old. Those superstitious would say they’ve become spirits, like the White Snake Spirit, Green Snake Spirit and Yellow Weasel Spirit. When lightning starts to come down, pay attention to the crown of this thousand year old Camphor Tree. You’ll see it…”
Just then, a black shadow outside the shelter darted in, colliding with Hansheng’s chest and making whimpering sounds. The Hermit of Wuchu Mountain was startled and quickly aimed the hunting rifle.
Unexpectedly, Hansheng burst into laughter, saying, “Dummy, you’ve finally found me!”
The Mountain Hermit turned on his flashlight and saw that it was an extremely excited big yellow dog.
“This is Dummy, my Family’s dog.” Hansheng introduced.
A thunderclap exploded overhead, followed by lightning. Dummy was so frightened that he hid his head in Hansheng’s arms, not daring to come out.
“Look!” the Hermit of Wuchu Mountain called out urgently.
Hansheng pushed Dummy away and rushed to the window. He looked towards the top of the old Camphor Tree in the darkness. Dummy also squeezed in behind him, raising his head to look in the same direction.
In a moment, another lightning flash, lighting up the top of the old Camphor Tree as bright as day. Hansheng clearly saw a huge black bat standing majestically on a tree fork, looking up at the sky.
Silver strands of hair on its forehead fluttered in the wind, and its claws held high above its head… a sanitary belt…
Several more blinding lightning bolts struck at the old bat. The creature was seen nimbly dodging left and right with the sanitary belt. The lightning passed through the sanitary belt, striking several metres away with a deafening explosion.
“The sanitary belt is the dirtiest thing in the world. It can ward off lightning strikes. This old bat is using it as a protective charm. This just shows how intelligent it is,” the Hermit of Wuchu Mountain whispered.
*Bang! Bang!* The Mountain Hermit aimed and fired two shots. The lead bullets grazed the bat’s paws…
Shocked by the sudden attack, the old bat could not hold on, and the sanitary belt slipped from its grasp, dropping towards the ground.
Another lightning flash as bright as day struck the bat. In a burst of fire, the old bat instantly turned to ashes.
Darkness fell, and the lightning faded into the distance.
Dummy let out a loud bark and darted out. Soon, he returned with the sanitary belt in his mouth.
“This is the sanitary belt struck by lightning you wanted,” the Hermit of Wuchu Mountain let out a soft sigh.
Hansheng held the sanitary belt in his palm. It was a sanitary belt commonly used by women, sewn from cotton cloth. Spots of dried blood could be seen on it.
In the thatched house of Wolong Valley, Hansheng was still excited about the thrilling scene in the Camphor tree forest. The image of the old bat bravely fighting against nature flashed in his mind.
“We killed it…” Hansheng’s words revealed the compassion of a healer.
The Hermit of Wuchu Mountain comforted him, “It was to save someone. In this world, there are many animals with high intelligence. The older they get, the more sinister they become, and their means of fighting against nature become more diverse. That old bat was at least over 100 years old. It knew that sanitary belts used by human women could avoid lightning, so it stole one to use as a protective charm. The ancient people once wrote an extraordinary book that recorded many similar strange methods of warding off evil in this world. Unfortunately, this book has long been lost.”
“What was the name of this book?” Hansheng asked with interest.
“‘Shroud of Corpses’,” the Hermit of Wuchu Mountain replied.
“That’s a strange name…”
The Hermit of Wuchu Mountain stood up, “You must be hungry after all this excitement. I’ll go make some late-night snacks.”
He walked to the adjacent kitchen, from which the sound of pots and pans rang.
Hansheng carefully examined the sanitary belt struck by lightning under the oil lamp.
He had only heard of this being an essential item for women. He had never seen it with his own eyes. Rural women were always too embarrassed to mention it, often drying them secretly in places out of sight. The one in his hand was handmade from old clothes. The dried off black stains were undoubtedly menstrual blood, with scorch marks from lightning strikes.
It was amazing that the dirtiest thing in the world could cure Crying Blood Disease. Traditional Chinese Medicine truly had no limits. He had already memorised the treatment methods for over a hundred incurable diseases from the Classic of the Black Satchel.
[Should I leave the mountains, travel far and wide to practise medicine and help the people?] Hansheng pondered.
“Late-night snacks are here!” The Hermit of Wuchu Mountain walked in.
Hansheng looked up and saw that it was indeed Mountain Rat Jerky again.
In one corner, Dummy was already wolfing it down.
That night, the dark clouds gradually dispersed, leaving a crescent moon and a cool earth.
In the morning, Hansheng prepared to go down the mountain and return home. The Hermit of Wuchu Mountain was somewhat reluctant to part, so he insisted on seeing him off till the entrance of Wolong Valley.
Meanwhile, Hansheng urged the Mountain Hermit to visit Nanshan Village when he had the chance.
Even after walking quite a distance, when Hansheng looked back, the Hermit of Wuchu Mountain was still standing under a big tree at the entrance of the valley.
Hansheng’s heart was filled with thoughts of his Father. He walked with his wooden stick, resting occasionally. By noon, he arrived at Nanshan Village, already seeing his Family’s thatched house from afar.
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