Chapter 3: Huo Bao (Part 1)

Guo Shier once again appreciated the excellence of this body. He never expected himself to be able to run so fast, reaching the cabin door in just a few steps. He knew that the Thunder Eagle was best at lightning attacks, and as long as he stayed behind the wooden planks, it couldn’t threaten him.
Only by hiding at the cabin door did he feel safe. Unless directly attacked by the Thunder Eagle, it posed little threat. According to the book “Beast Examinations,” Thunder Eagles rarely engaged in close combat and preferred to use lightning attacks.
“Everyone, get inside the cabin! Do not stay on the deck!”
Chen Chunzhai’s voice rang out, authoritative and domineering. No one dared disobey his orders.
The Thunder Eagle circled in the sky, its target being these three large sailboats. Unfortunately, when it approached, everyone on the deck had rushed inside, leaving no one visible. Unwilling, it continued to circle, hoping the people inside would come out.
Chen Chunzhai was well aware of the Thunder Eagle’s habits. He shouted again, “No one is allowed to go outside without my permission. Helmsman, keep control of the direction—stay away from the riverbank!”
The wild riverbanks were often inhabited by large beasts, some of which could leap over dozens of feet to land directly on the deck. Once such beasts boarded the ship, it would cause serious trouble, as fights could easily damage the vessel. Therefore, it was best to sail along the main routes.
The Thunder Eagle continued to circle above the three sailboats until evening before flying off into the distance.
Guo Shier returned to his cabin. Soon after, Chen Chunzhai came in and asked, “Shier, did you see the Thunder Eagle? What were your thoughts?”
“It’s huge… and extremely fast! I didn’t see it attack, but I’m sure it’s not easy to deal with.”
Chen Chunzhai said, “Thunder Eagles usually live in the grasslands and rarely appear over forests. This must be an adult Thunder Eagle. From what I observed, its attacking power is enough to kill a Fu Warrior in an instant! With its incredible speed, the wisest course of action is to avoid provoking it.”
“Tomorrow, we’ll reach the territory of the Li family, where we can get supplies. You can go ashore and have some fun. There are many shops there where you can buy things… By the way, this is your reward for helping Guo Yiqing with his wound treatment last time.” He handed Guo Shier a small cloth bag and added, “If you go shopping, find a Fu Warrior to accompany you. Hehe, you’re too young—be careful not to be tricked by the shopkeepers.”

Guo Shier was grateful. He could tell that Chen Chunzhai truly cared for him. After Chen Chunzhai left, he opened the cloth bag and found 160 black talisman coins inside. He now understood that black talisman coins were also called large talisman coins, with one black talisman coin equivalent to ten silver talisman coins. Silver talisman coins, also known as talisman coins, were equal to ten green talisman coins. Green talisman coins were the smallest unit of currency, referred to here as small talisman coins.

The Li family’s territory? Guo Shier thought carefully and remembered that his mother belonged to the Li family. But to him, it meant nothing—he didn’t even know where his mother’s family lived. It seemed that people here didn’t have the concept of grandparents.

The next morning, three large sailboats docked at the Li family’s pier. Many ships, large and small, filled the pier.

Guo Shier was followed by two talisman warriors as he went shopping.

Chen Chunzhai and Hong Changfeng went to visit the head of the Li family to discuss supplies, while the other children, accompanied by a dozen talisman warriors, also went out to shop and play.

Guo Shier didn’t rush to buy daily necessities. First, he found a bookstore and purchased a dozen books, then bought paper, pen, ink, and inkstones. Only after that did he buy some daily items, including bedding, leather coats and boots, copper basins and bowls, and toiletries. According to Chen Chunzhai, it was extremely cold in their destination during winter, so heat-resistant items were necessary.

Guo Shier noticed that the value of talisman coins here was quite high. A thick leather coat cost only six black talisman coins, with two silver talisman coins change. A meal of braised meat cost just one silver talisman coin—very cheap. So he invited two talisman warriors to eat with him.

Back in the cabin, Guo Shier picked up a book and started reading.

It wasn’t until evening that Chen Chunzhai returned. After loading the supplies onto the ship, he immediately gathered the crew and set sail from the pier.

Time passed quickly. Two months at sea left everyone exhausted. During that time, the fleet stopped at the shore twice to restock supplies. Guo Shier only went ashore to buy some books; otherwise, he stayed on the ship the whole time. He needed information and knowledge about this world.

A month ago, the first snow fell, and the weather became extremely cold. It was colder than in the north in his previous life. Ice began to form near the riverbank, leaving only the main waterway navigable. From time to time, wild animals came across the ice to attack the fleet. Thanks to the protection of the talisman warriors and spellcasters, many of these animals were killed, providing extra food for the entire fleet.

They arrived at their destination safely.

Guo Shier was constantly puzzled—where was Chen Chunzhai taking these children? He had asked Chen Chunzhai, but the old man seemed unwilling to explain, only saying they would know when they arrived. The fleet slowly docked at the pier. Guo Shier noticed that they were no longer on the Qingchang River but in a tributary, having traveled along it for three days before reaching the pier. It was a small town, and it was already evening; smoke rose from chimneys, and thick snow covered the ground and houses, with sparse snowflakes drifting down. Many people were waiting at the pier, dressed in thick fur coats, wrapped up like zongzi, carrying various items. As soon as the fleet stopped and the gangplank was set up, these people rushed onto the ships. Guo Shier watched curiously. Only when they got closer did he realize most of them were women. One middle-aged woman came up to Guo Shier, hugged him, wrapped him in her fur coat, and said, “Child, what’s your name? From now on, I’ll be your aunt and take care of you. Come! Put on the coat—it’s very cold outside. You kids from the south won’t be used to this.” Though Guo Shier looked like a child, his soul was not. He felt a bit awkward, but he could tell the woman’s words were sincere. He wondered: Could she be a personal nanny? With a wry smile, he said, “My name is Guo Shier.” The woman half-carried, half-guided Guo Shier off the ship and said, “My surname is Lan. You can call me Aunt Lan, or just ‘aunt.’ Guo Shier… well, from now on, I’ll just call you Shier.” Every child with potential as a talisman warrior or spellcaster had an aunt. Children with potential as talisman warriors didn’t enjoy such good treatment; among the twenty-six children, only five women were responsible for taking care of them. Guo Shier realized he had underestimated the organization Chen Chunzhai belonged to. Although he still didn’t know what kind of organization it was, the fact that each of the fourteen children was assigned a nanny showed it was no ordinary group. Only with substantial human resources could such extravagance be afforded. It was obvious that this place didn’t only accept children from the Guo family; there must be other children as well. If every child received such treatment, how much manpower would be needed? Chen Chunzhai walked over and called, “Meixue! Is Meixue here?” An elderly woman replied, “Old Chen, I’m here. What’s the matter?” Chen Chunzhai frowned and said, “Assign two talisman warriors to him. One aunt isn’t enough—add another!” He pointed at Guo Shier.

Guo Shier wanted to say no, but when the words reached his lips, he swallowed them back. This wasn’t the place to refuse; he couldn’t turn down Chen Chunzhai’s kindness and arrangements—perhaps that was just the rule here. He thought to himself, “Let’s settle down first.”

Mei Xue was surprised. “That’s… top-tier treatment.”

Chen Chunzhai grew impatient. “I told you to handle it—do it quickly!”

Mei Xue replied, “Yes, Old Chen. I’ll arrange it right away.”

Chen Chunzhai shouted, “Alright, don’t stay at the dock. Hurry into town and stay there for the night.” He turned to the woman beside Guo Shier and said, “Since you’ve been assigned to take care of Shier, let me remind you: take good care of him wholeheartedly, and you’ll benefit in the future. Another aunt will be assigned later. Well, under your leadership—if Shier has no complaints about you within three months, you can stay. Understand?”

Aunt Lan said happily, “I understand. The rules were already explained to us. Don’t worry; leave it to me.” She quickly arranged Guo Shier’s leather robe.

Chen Chunzhai nodded in satisfaction before ordering them to enter the town.

There were no inns or similar accommodations in the town. They stayed in the local houses, with Chen Chunzhai and Guo Shier moving into the mayor’s home.

The mayor’s entire family stood at the door to welcome them, warmly inviting Chen Chunzhai and his group inside.

Guo Shier stepped into the courtyard. The mayor’s house was built with large stones. It didn’t seem very tall from the outside, but upon entering, he realized it was dug down a zhang deep, with about a zhang of height above ground, so the rooms didn’t feel oppressive. A large copper basin filled with charcoal fire sat in the center of the room, emitting a warm breeze and filling the air with the scent of burning wood.

Around the copper basin were four low wooden benches. The mayor invited Chen Chunzhai to sit on one of the benches and ordered his family to bring food. There were piles of white boiled meat and large pieces of roasted meat. In front of each person was a wooden plate with two knives—one long, about a foot long, and one short, about the length of a palm—specifically for cutting meat. There was also a pinch of fine salt for seasoning, along with two small pieces of flatbread.

Guo Shier noticed that meat was available in abundance, but the flatbread was limited. Only he and Chen Chunzhai had a few pieces; the others, including the mayor, only had two each.

He didn’t know that wild beasts abounded here, making meat common, but flour was extremely rare. Since no grain was produced locally, everything had to be transported in from outside. Especially in winter, little flour reached the area, making flatbread a luxury.

The town chief was extremely enthusiastic toward Guo Shier, which filled Guo Shier with doubts. He couldn’t understand why the chief was so friendly to him; he even saw a hint of flattery in the chief’s eyes. Guo Shier thought to himself, “Strange. I have no power, no influence, and no money. Why is he so enthusiastic about me?”
However, the answer came soon.