The Backyard Farm, Chapter 4

    Today, with the air cool and refreshing, Ruo Lan dressed warmly, slung her bag over her back, and prepared for another foray into the forest. It had been several days since her last visit, and she wondered if the plums at the cliff's edge were ripe yet.

    Reaching the edge of the forest just as dawn was breaking, these days, she enjoyed waking early to enter the forest and would not leave until it was dark. Initially, Mei Zhu and Yu Chang would complain until her ears hurt, but lately, they seem to have grown accustomed to it. Now, no matter how late she returned, they simply nodded in acknowledgment.

    Another reason was the significant improvement in Ruo Lan's spiritual power, including the combat skills taught and corrected by General Shen, her father. A few days ago, when the Hu Li gang invaded their home, Ruo Lan was able to deal with those brutes cleanly and efficiently. Not only that, but she also tied them up, threw them into a cart, and dragged them into town for punishment. Since that day, there had been no sign of the Hu Li gang. It's unclear whether they'd been deterred or were still looking for new ways to harass the Shen household.

    After many trips into the forest, Ruo Lan has memorized several paths. Today, she walked deeper into the northern part of the forest, where there was a cliff. Nearby, there was a large plum tree beginning to bear ripe fruit, so she wanted to collect them to make dried plums as snacks.

    As Ruo Lan walked into the forest, the pearl in her spirit began to greedily absorb the surrounding spiritual energy. She wasn't worried about the spiritual energy in the forest running out before she did, because the deeper she went, the more concentrated the spiritual energy became. She also noticed that the spiritual energy, which came from the heavens and the earth, remained pure and inexhaustible as long as it wasn't contaminated.

    Grrr!  Grrr!

    Whoosh, Whoosh

    Ruo Lan jumped when she heard something, her body hair standing on end instantly, as the spiritual energy around her vibrated chaotically. Clearly, the powerful sound she heard, combined with the fluctuating spiritual energy, indicated she was facing a beast.

    Cautiously surveying her surroundings, Ruo Lan's gaze fleetingly caught a large golden willow. Its top reached high, but its branches hung down to cover the ground like a giant straw hat. Without hesitation, she ran underneath the golden willow and climbed up onto one of its branches, using the dense foliage of the golden willow to conceal herself.

    This was Ruo Lan's first face-to-face encounter with a beast, and it was two beasts at once.

    She tried to make herself as small as possible, breathed as quietly as she could, and lay flat on the willow branch, blending in like a chameleon.

    Whoosh! Grrr!

    The sound of the beasts grew closer.

    Thud! Crash!

    The sound of something heavy hitting the ground shook the area near the willow where Ruo Lan was hiding. The tremors made the young woman cling to the willow branch tightly, closing her eyes tightly. Not far away, two creatures were engaged in a fierce battle, their spiritual energy creating chaos around them, dust swirling, making it difficult for Ruo Lan to see what these two creatures were.

    The battle roared and raged for nearly fifteen minutes. Soon after, the creatures took to the sky again before crashing back down.

    Bang!

    Dust flew up again, and Ruo Lan had to cover her mouth and nose with cloth, closing her eyes to protect against the dust. At this moment, she felt as if she were in the midst of a great storm that had just calmed.

    She lay low for a long while before slowly peering out to see if the situation had calmed.

    Once the dust had cleared, Ruo Lan saw the beasts that had been fighting. One was a magnificent White Tiger, nearly one *zhang[1] in length, its white fur stained with bright red blood. Large wounds on its neck and thighs were bleeding profusely, darkening the ground beneath. Ruo Lan guessed that in a few moments, it would succumb to its injuries.

    The other creature was a large Snow Eagle, its size was not much different from the White Tiger. Its sharp talons were still embedded in the tiger's neck, and a large wound opened in its abdomen, its organs spilling out. It, too, would soon die.

    Both creatures were apex predators within their food chain, yet they perished together in a brutal clash. Ruo Lan slowly descended from the golden willow, cautiously approaching the bodies of the two beasts. The pungent smell of blood wafted through the air, striking her nose, and stirring a bit of fear within her, worried they might suddenly attack her.

    However, as she drew closer, she found both had indeed succumbed. But what was strange was the pearl within Ruo Lan's spirit realm began to churn violently, its absorption of the spiritual energy from the beasts' bodies intensifying the closer she got.

    It frantically devoured the spiritual energy emanating from the corpses in front of her.

    Beasts like these relied on spiritual energy to bolster their vitality. The denser their spiritual energy, the stronger they became. This was why most beasts resided deep within forests, where spiritual energy was rich and abundant. Having accumulated dense spiritual energy over decades or even centuries, these beasts had only recently died, meaning their spiritual essence had not yet dissipated, allowing Ruo Lan's pearl to absorb it voraciously.

    This experience clarified for Ruo Lan why these creatures avoided her; they feared being consumed by her pearl.

    "Ah!" Ruo Lan noticed a small movement under the wing of the Snow Eagle. Cautiously moving away from it, fearing it might still be alive, she soon discovered a small, fluffy white chick with black shiny eyes fallen from under the eagle's wing.

    "Is this an eagle chick?"

    No wonder the Snow Eagle was so ferocious; it must have been trying to protect its baby from the White Tiger.

    "Eh!..Another one?" Before she could react further, another chick, this one with red feathers and dark red eyes, fell beside the first.

    As Ruo Lan's pearl sensed the spiritual energy within these chicks, it began to absorb more vigorously, causing the chicks to tremble in fear, sensing an imminent threat.

    "Stop!" Ruo Lan cried out in restlessness.

    Instantly, the pearl in her spirit realm ceased its absorption, as if understanding Ruo Lan's command.

    "Well… You may absorb the surrounding spiritual energy, but do not harm these two chicks," Ruo Lan further clarified, amazed that the peculiar pearl seemed to possess consciousness and could follow her orders.

    Once the pearl stopped, the trembling chicks slowly teetered over and began pecking at Ruo Lan's feet with their sharp beaks.

    "Ouch, don't peck," Ruo Lan pulled away. Did they not realize that they were predators with the sharpest beaks? Never underestimate them as mere chicks, for even though they were not fully grown, their beaks were still incredibly sharp. Moreover, they were monstrous creatures whose inherent strength should not be underestimated.

    As if understanding her command, the chicks tilted their heads, their eyes filled with anticipation.

    "Why are you looking at me like that? I'm not your mother, and I don't have food for you."

    Despite her words, the chicks persisted as if staring would produce food.

    "Alright, alright, I'll find something." Eventually, Ruo Lan relented. Fortunately, the carcass of the White Tiger was nearby. She sliced off small pieces of its flesh to feed the chicks, who eagerly awaited each morsel.

    "Take it easy, no fighting!" Ruo Lan admonished.

    After she fed the orphaned animals for a while, they seemed satisfied, and Ruo Lan sighed in relief, feeling somewhat regretful as she looked at the still bodies of the Snow Eagle and the White Tiger.

    Living beasts were invaluable to humans for their strength and spiritual power. Having one as an ally was akin to possessing a powerful weapon. There were trainers who specialized in capturing and taming these creatures for various uses, such as messaging, military applications, or transport.

    The remains of dead beasts, or parts of their bodies, could be utilized in numerous ways, such as ingredients in medicine, weapons, or clothing. The components of their bodies were far more valuable than those of ordinary animals, especially high-level beasts. While Ruo Lan did not know if the two beasts before her were of high level, their flesh, claws, or beaks would surely fetch a good price.

    At the moment, with only a small bag and alone in the forest, Ruo Lan couldn't possibly carry the carcasses back. She decided to cover their bodies with branches and leaves found nearby, then hurriedly left the area.

    "Ah!" However, just a few steps away, she noticed two baby birds following her.

    "Where are you going? Go back," Ruo Lan waved her hands to shoo them away.

    But the two little followers still looked at her with wide eyes, as if begging her to take them along.

    "How can this be? Outside the forest, there's no spiritual energy, no food. You would starve," she reasoned, hoping they would understand her point.

    Despite her attempts, they continued to follow Ruo Lan closely, stumbling and faltering, but never giving up. She encountered very stubborn birds.

    "Alright, alright. If you follow me and then die outside, don't blame me," she finally gave in, feeling genuinely sorry for them because they were so young and couldn't fend for themselves. If left in the forest, they might die of hunger or become prey. So, she decided to take them out with her.

    She scooped the little birds into her bag before hurrying out of the forest.

    Ruo Lan left the forest with a light bag, receiving sympathetic looks from villagers at the forest's edge. They assumed the young lady had not managed to gather anything worthwhile. It was a pitiful sight, but what could they do when they themselves were struggling to survive?

    After leaving the forest, Ruo Lan hurried home and detailed her forest encounter to Yu Chang and Mei Zhu, omitting the part about the magical pearl. She then showed them the two baby birds from her bag.

    "It's good you hid well; they didn't see you. It was very dangerous, Lan'er. You took too many risks," Yu Chang said anxiously. Today, she was fortunate that the demonic beasts did not harm her. On another day without such luck, he feared she might end up as food in their stomachs. The young man could only blame himself inwardly for being useless, unable to alleviate his sister's burdens, only able to tend to the garden, watering and tilling the soil day by day.

    "Miss, it's really dangerous. Wouldn't it be better not to enter the forest again?" Mei Zhu said after hearing Ruo Lan's tale. She had turned pale the moment Ruo Lan started her story, feeling that the deep forest was exceedingly perilous. She suggested that since Ruo Lan could now cultivate vegetables, it would be safer to sell them and buy meat from the town instead. Given the improved circumstances of the Shen family since Ruo Lan had developed spiritual power, it would be advisable for her not to risk herself in the forest anymore.

    Ruo Lan looked at Mei Zhu and Yu Chang, then said, "Danger is not the main issue. You don't understand what I'm trying to convey." She felt a pang of frustration, saddened that she couldn't forge the iron into steel.

    "So where does the main issue lie?" Yu Chang asked.

    "The main issue lies with the bodies of those two demonic beasts. I went into the forest with just one bag and couldn't possibly carry out their massive bodies. Brother, think about it. If we were to dissect the White Tiger, not only would we have meat to eat for a long time, but we could also sell its meat, hide, bones, and claws. The same goes for the Snow Eagle. Its feathers could be sold, its beak and claws could be sold to weapon shops, and its meat could be sold for medicinal purposes. Every part of their bodies is valuable. If we could dissect them and sell those parts, how much money do you think we could make?" Ruo Lan explained.

    Yu Chang and Mei Zhu were astounded upon hearing this. They had been so concerned with Ruo Lan's safety that they hadn't considered the potential wealth of the demonic beasts' bodies represented. If they could manage to bring them out and sell them, the family's financial situation would no longer be a concern.

    They were just thinking about it, and their hearts raced.

    "Wa…what should we do then?" Mei Zhu asked, her voice trembling with fear and excitement.

    "Currently, their bodies are left deep in the forest. Hopefully, no hunters or others with spiritual power will find them first. Tonight, when it gets dark, we'll take two carts, and help each other to dissect and transport them. If we hurry, we can make two trips and carry everything out. Then, we can dry some of the meat to eat and sell the rest in town. What do you think of this plan?" Ruo Lan proposed, then looked to them for their opinion. She suggested going at night because hunters and villagers hurried out of the forest before sunset due to the danger posed by ferocious animals at night, making it safer for them to work without being disturbed.

    "Good, let's do as you say," Yu Chang supported.

    "But if we go into the forest, won't we encounter demonic beasts?" Mei Zhu was still worried. After all, it was the deep forest, filled with dangers. She wasn't afraid of dying herself, but what about the two young masters? If they encountered a demonic beast, they could end up as its meal instead. And what would happen to the master at home, who was ill?

    "Don't worry. I have spiritual power. Besides, I have the baby eagles in my bag. I've proven they are a species of demonic beast far superior to others. You know that  demonic beasts in the forest fear the power of superior species. Although these birds are still young, their presence exerts significant pressure. Walking out of the forest, no demonic beast dared to come near. Taking them with us into the forest is like having a protective charm," Ruo Lan had to lie to reassure Mei Zhu and Yu Chang. In truth, her protective charm was the magical pearl in her spirit realm.

    "Really? You're so lucky, Miss," Mei Zhu glanced excitedly at the baby eagles in Ruo Lan's hand.

    "Then it's settled. Let's prepare separately. When it gets dark, we'll set off."

    They went their separate ways to prepare. Yu Chang and Ruo Lan got the carts ready along with knives for dissection and lanterns for light, while Mei Zhu prepared food and water in the kitchen. This forest expedition required their full strength to transport the bodies of the two demonic beasts before dawn. Food, water, and necessary equipment could not be overlooked.

    As dusk fell, they had finished preparing. Waiting until it was dark, figures in bulky black outfits, along with two carts, were dragged to the edge of the forest. Along the way, the three of them did not light any lanterns for fear of being seen by others. It wasn't until they were a good distance into the forest that they lit lanterns to guide their way.

    "Lan’er, do you remember the way?" Yu Chang asked, concerned that it was night and unlike during the day, there was no natural light. He worried his sister might not remember the path.

    "Don't worry. I've been to this forest no less than ten times. The path to the cliff has been worn down; I remember it clearly. Just follow me, but be careful,"

    Because the journey through the forest and the terrain was not smooth like city paths, requiring them to sometimes climb hills and avoid boulders or fallen branches, it took a great deal of time and effort for them to drag the carts to the location where Ruo Lan had found the bodies of the demonic beasts.

    However, once the bodies of the two demonic beasts came into view, Yu Chang trembled all over. Although he once possessed spiritual power and had encountered demonic beasts before, following his father to the battlefield on numerous occasions, he had never seen demonic beasts as large and powerful as these. Despite being dead, he was certain they were of a high rank. Such high-ranked demonic beasts were rarely owned by individuals, typically less than ten in each region, and mostly belonged to the royal family or the military.

    "Lan’er, it's good that you hid in time. Really, really good," Yu Chang murmured.

    The bodies of such high-ranked demonic beasts, even in death, were immensely valuable. There were tales told by wandering divine doctors across the martial world that some demonic beasts, upon accumulating spiritual power and advancing to a high rank, would have their centuries of accumulated spiritual energy condense into a spirit pearl embedded within their bodies.

    These spirit pearls could be used to concoct various precious medicinal pills, including ones that could foster spiritual power in individuals lacking it, fundamentally altering their destinies. Hence, spirit pearls were exceedingly precious, with a single demonic beast needing hundreds of years to form one. Capturing a high-ranked demonic beast to obtain its spirit pearl required immense manpower and resources, something only large clans or royalty could afford.

    With trembling hands, Yu Chang pulled out a carving knife from his bag and began to dissect the White Tiger's head first. After a while, a small pearl appeared in his hand.

    "What is that, Brother?" Ruo Lan asked, not recognizing the object in Yu Chang's hand, and at that moment, the spirit pearl within her spiritual realm started to churn, eager to absorb what was in her brother's hand. She had to forcefully suppress it to prevent it from swallowing his find.

    "This is a spirit pearl."

    "A spirit pearl! The same spirit pearl said to be able to concoct the spirit growth pill?" Mei Zhu exclaimed, her voice trembling with excitement.

    Yu Chang nodded in confirmation.

    "Heavenly! That's truly wonderful!" Mei Zhu murmured repetitively, as if trying to calm herself.

    Ruo Lan, knowing somewhat about spirit pearls but not in detail, simply nodded and turned to dissect the body of the Snow Eagle instead. "Keep it safe, please, Brother."

    Together, the three of them worked on dismembering the massive bodies of the two  beasts. It took them nearly four hours to complete the task, after which they loaded the parts onto the carts and pushed them out of the forest with great difficulty. They had to make two trips to transport all the parts of the demonic beasts out of the forest.

    When their mission was finally accomplished and dawn began to break, all three, exhausted, sprawled themselves on a wooden bench in front of the kitchen, yet their hearts were filled with immense joy.

    "Haha," Yu Chang laughed heartily, feeling content with two spirit pearls in his shirt, meat in the kitchen, goods to sell, and lush green vegetables in the garden. It was hard to believe that just a few months ago, he was bedridden, and they had to ration their meals. Now, they had enough to eat and even had hope, symbolized by the two spirit pearls. Just the thought warmed the heart as he glanced over his sister lying flat beside him.

    "Lan'er, do you want to sell the spirit pearls?" Although they represented hope for someone without spiritual power like him, he knew they were initially obtained by his sister. If she didn't agree, he was willing to let her sell them. Selling them would surely bring a vast amount of money, enough to live comfortably without work for a lifetime, completely changing their lives.

    "No way, how can we sell them? Keep them, Brother. In the future, when we find a skilled doctor, you can train your spiritual power again. Then, no one will be able to bully our family," she replied, knowing the spirit pearls obtained today had changed Yu Chang. He seemed more hopeful and lively, his eyes sparkling at the sight of the pearls. She couldn't shatter someone's hope and dreams like that.

    "Thank you, Lan’er."

    "Do we still need to be so formal with each other? Once you regain your spiritual power, I'll be lazy, sleeping late, and doing nothing all day, making you take care of me. Just don't kick me out of the house then."

    "How could I possibly kick you out? Lan’er, I'll take good care of you."

    "Thank you, Brother."

    Even though they had processed the meat and other parts of the demon beasts, Ruo Lan faced another significant problem: selling them was not easy. The flesh, skin, or bones of high-level demon beasts were too valuable. Taking them to the city would require passing through a military inspection at the city gates. If it was discovered that their cart contained high-level demon beast meat, they would undoubtedly be subjected to scrutiny. They needed to hide it from everyone's eyes until they reached the Fu Lu Hall.

    The beaks, claws, skin, feathers, or bones of the two demonic beasts could be stored for now and sold later when the opportunity arose. However, aside from the portion reserved for family consumption, there was still a lot of meat left. If left for too long, it might spoil. Therefore, it would be better to sell the rest for money.

    "What should we do then? If we put it in the cart, the city gate soldiers, all of whom have spiritual power, will surely find the demonic beast's meat. They'll definitely inspect us, leading to numerous problems," Ruo Lan said.

    Worse, before even reaching the city gate, they might be robbed by bandits. Misfortune stemmed from good fortune.

    At this moment, the Shen family was discussing their next steps in General Shen's main house. Despite his physical disabilities, General Shen's wisdom was not to be underestimated. His body might be immobile, but his mind was as sharp as ever. After learning of his children's fortunate acquisition of demonic beast carcasses, he slightly reproached them for venturing into the dangerous forest but focused on what to do next.

    "We can store the skin, bones, and claws for now and sell them later when there's a chance. But we have too much meat for the four of us to consume quickly. If we keep it too long, the spiritual power in the meat will dissipate, and we won't get a good price. We need to hurry and sell it," Yu Chang explained.

    "So, should we have someone from the Fu Lu Hall come and buy it directly? The Fu Lu Hall is a major influential group, and their handling of demon beast meat in and out of the city wouldn't be as scrutinized as ordinary villagers like us," Ruo Lan suggested.

    "It's possible as Lan’er says but getting someone from the Fu Lu Hall to come out and purchase the goods directly is not easy unless they find something sufficiently attractive," Yu Chang replied.

    "But the bodies of the two demonic beasts should be attractive enough to the Fu Lu Hall. The White Tiger's skin could be used to make garments, and the claws and beak of the Snow Eagle could be used to craft high-level weapons. I fear that if we put them up for auction, the major powers would compete to purchase them for sure," Mei Zhu added.

    "Therefore, the problem is how to make the Fu Lu Hall believe we have something valuable so they will come and buy it themselves," Ruo Lan concluded. However, convincing the Fu Lu Hall representatives that ordinary villagers like them had such valuable items was more challenging than selling the meat themselves.

    General Shen frowned, deep in thought, before shifting to the edge of the bed to retrieve an old wooden box. Inside was a black stone seal with a roaring tiger carved into it, imposing as if one could hear its roar emanating from the sculpture.

    "This old seal isn't worth much anymore. Take it to Elder Mao of the Fu Lu Hall, tell him the owner of this seal wishes to meet him. If he still remembers, he will come," General Shen instructed. In the past, this seal was immensely valuable, acting as General Shen's symbol of command over tens of thousands of soldiers. Now, it was no more than a paperweight.

    Originally, General Shen was a commander in the state's military. Although not closely related to the traders within the state, there had been some dealings. After his fall from grace, he no longer contacted anyone, but old connections remained. Elder Mao, a steward in the Fu Lu Hall responsible for various affairs, might not be a high-ranking official but was trusted by the house's management.

    "I'll go right now," Yu Chang said, taking the seal and quickly setting off.

[1] *A zhang is a traditional Chinese unit of measurement, where 1 zhang is approximately 2.5 meters.