Chapter 2: Hard Mode Start
The new consciousness and the original information rged in a very short ti. The brain felt as if it were burning.
The head felt hot.
Fortunately, this sensation didn't last long, and the consciousness, having completed the mory fusion, beca clearer.
Opening his eyes, his consciousness returned, and his brain quickly analyzed everything before him.
A bizarre experience, both surprising and alert.
There were no supernatural powers here, but he couldn't afford to be careless.
At this mont, Wen Gu sat on an old, simple wooden chair.
He moved his drooping hand. The fabric of his sleeve was a bit coarse, and his hand looked very young.
That's right, this "Wen Gu" wasn't old at all, only eighteen this year.
As for the person squatting on the ground, who looked a bit slow-witted, he was "Wen Gu's" cousin. Just now, the other party had been crying and wailing in grief, and happened to call out "Dad."
At this point, the other person stopped crying and stared blankly at Wen Gu.
Wen Gu thought to himself: Didn't expect this, your "Dad" has co back to life!
The person opposite stared without speaking, his face resolute, yet he looked as wronged as a young child.
There was no third person in the room. Wen Gu maintained his composure, his voice carrying a sickly weakness, and he smiled, saying, "I just slept, I'm not dead."
He paused, and Wen Gu's voice, though weak, was firm: "Tietou, don't shout nonsense!" His uncle's spirit in heaven shouldn't have to hear this.
This cousin's nickna was Tietou. He had fallen ill as a child and sustained a head injury, making him seem not very clever, hence the nickna – his family hoped his head would be as hard as steel and wouldn't get damaged again.
dical conditions in this era were poor. Even wealthy families had many who suffered lasting side effects from illnesses. Cases of brain damage from fever were not uncommon.
His cousin wasn't very bright, but he was obedient. He couldn't absorb much information at once, but once he heard sothing, he could do it well.
This cousin was only half a year older than "Wen Gu." While his mind wasn't sharp, his physical fitness developed rapidly. "Wen Gu's" father had specifically hired soone to teach him martial arts.
When the two brothers stood together, one was clearly scholarly and the other martial.
"Wen Gu" was ant to be a scholar who would take the imperial examinations. When he was away exploring, his family arranged for this cousin to accompany him.
Being family, they felt more at ease.
When introducing to outsiders, "Wen Gu" would naturally introduce his cousin by his full na, Wen Ying, but privately, things were more casual.
After the world fell into chaos, people mostly used nicknas.
His cousin had been called this by his family since childhood and reacted fastest to "Tietou," which he preferred.
With their family gone and now relying on each other, and to be able to respond quickly in this dangerous world, "Wen Gu" had always called his cousin by his nickna.
Apart from "Wen Gu," no one else in the world called him that anymore.
Indeed, after Wen Gu called him that, Tietou's grief turned to joy, and he grinned happily, his simple inner thoughts a mystery.
Only soone with such a simple mind could laugh without a care in this difficult ti.
Wen Gu raised his hand and pointed to the teapot on the nearby table.
Tietou skillfully poured a cup of tea with a herbal aroma. The tea was slightly warm, having been boiled not long ago. He rembered "Wen Gu's" instructions to always heat the water before drinking.
Wen Gu held the cup of tea and drank slowly, sorting through the information in his mories.
They were currently temporarily residing in a small mountain village. The world outside the village was not very good, and its danger level was no less than Wen Gu's original world.
According to the information collected from his mories, this was a Great Jin Dynasty that Wen Gu had never heard of. It shared similarities and differences with the historical tiline of Wen Gu's original world.
The dynasty's territory was vast and its economy vibrant. Last year, upon the emperor's birthday, all high officials, important ministers, and royal family mbers gathered in the Imperial City.
However, beneath the prosperous facade, foreign rchants bribed the Mariti Trade Office and brought "elixirs of immortality" to the Imperial City as treasures.
Who would have thought that the so-called divine dicine was actually an evil Gu that could cause people to be possessed by "evil spirits" and turn them into monsters.
Peace had lasted for a long ti, and the population was flourishing. The Imperial City was bustling with traffic, and the transport by water was advanced, so the evil epidemic spread even faster.
Without any psychological preparation or experience in dealing with such a crisis, the dynasty's central governnt quickly fell.
Those foreign rchants initially intended to plunder and flee but failed to escape and were subjected to brutal execution.
But the evil epidemic had already arrived. Only a minority of people managed to escape the disaster. Whether they were infected by the evil epidemic or "possessed by evil spirits" during their escape was unknown.
Under this fatal blow, the imperial court's politics were thrown into turmoil, leading to widespread warfare and frequent outbreaks of disease, plunging the world into suffering.
The dead lay unburied, and the living scattered in desperation.
In such a chaotic world of disaster and plague, lacking proper coping experience, even with enough food and clothing, how many of those fleeing could survive?
"Wen Gu" was originally on an academic tour. His father had entrusted him to a friend to accompany a large rchant caravan to the Imperial City to broaden his horizons.
However, halfway through their journey, they suddenly learned of the outbreak of the evil epidemic, and the people in the caravan had no choice but to turn back.
By the ti they returned, the entire city had already been destroyed, a truly tragic sight.
The brothers collected the remains of their relatives and handled the funeral arrangents.
"Wen Gu" found what his father had left in a secret compartnt – a token and a letter.
The letter was hastily written, instructing "Wen Gu" to take the token and head north to seek refuge with his maternal aunt.
"Wen Gu's" maternal aunt, his mother's elder sister, had married into a family of military officials in the north years ago. Although his uncle's family had declined, the people in the last two generations had so ability. Through years of effort and ritorious service, they were showing signs of resurgence.
The current dynasty valued civil officials over military ones. If the tis had been peaceful, Wen Gu's family, being scholars, would not have sought to associate with military families.
However, now that the world was in chaos and the central governnt had collapsed, if those military officials survived, they could provide more care and protection for their relatives and friends.
With inconvenient transportation and delayed information, and in an era of distinct social classes and concentrated communities, fleeing refugees would first look for places where they had acquaintances or fellow townspeople. Relatives were the top choice.
If the relatives also held so official position, that was even better!
And if the relatives held high positions with real power, that would be the best of all choices!
With a strict social hierarchy and the distinction between the noble and the lowly, having relatives in official positions ant having a protector and a source of support and security upon arriving.
It was uncertain what the situation in the north was like now, but compared to other options, heading north to join relatives was indeed the best choice.
The winters in the northern lands were harsh, and those "evil spirits" seed to dislike such low temperatures.
As the "Wen Gu" brothers fled, they had also encountered noble and influential families from the southern lands moving north.
When faced with unexpected situations and uncertainty about the correctness of their decisions, they could refer to those deep-rooted noble and influential families.
Their experiences along the way proved that their decision to head north to their relatives was correct. At least, it was the best choice for now.
They joined forces with so survivors to travel north, encountering many conflicts and disagreents with others.
"Wen Gu" believed that traveling during the season of lush vegetation was not suitable for travel and that they needed to find a place to rest and wait for the right opportunity. However, the others in the group disagreed. So, the brothers separated from the group and ca to this small mountain village to reside temporarily.
In just a few short months, their hos were destroyed, cities fell, and the world descended into chaos. The ways of the world and human relationships were confusing and distorted.
"Wen Gu" was suddenly struck by this calamity, which weighed heavily on his heart. He had been in a state of heightened tension and vigilance. After arriving at the mountain village, he contracted a cold and was bedridden for nearly three months.
Until now.
Without sufficient experience in dealing with the situation, reliable sources of information, or adequate military protection, it was already remarkable that they had persevered to this point with a not-so-bright cousin.
Wen Gu gently patted his chest and spoke to the deceased "other self": "You've done quite well!"
He let out a sigh and then thought of himself.
The mont he arrived here, Wen Gu had a mystical intuition that after completing this life, he should be able to return.
However, this life could be very long or very short.
Wen Gu did not want to waste this once-in-a-lifeti opportunity.
He had arrived in ancient tis, but not the ancient tis he had imagined, as if at a temporal divergence, another possibility of world developnt had erged.
His wish had been fulfilled, and yet it hadn't.
Regardless, he was willing to reconcile with the world before him.
If there were difficulties, he would solve them. If he didn't try, how would he know if he couldn't see the things he longed for?
This was sothing that countless fortunes had to be accumulated to earn!
Collecting his thoughts, Wen Gu looked at the furnishings in the room.
The room was not large; everything was visible at a glance.
In the brazier in the corner were the remnants of burnt plants — villagers burned several fragrant plants to ward off evil.
According to the information in his mory, this was indeed effective. The evil creatures outside had a keen sense of sll, and if the burning scent displeased them, they would avoid it.
The strange sll Wen Gu had initially detected was precisely because of this.
It was unpleasant, but it brought a sense of security.
Wen Gu couldn't help but feel fortunate that it was only a consciousness rged; if he had transmigrated with his actual body into this strange ancient world without a vaccine package, he would have died at the start.
Native creatures in this world had already adapted to its environnt. Outsiders might not be able to withstand it, and the first round of competition with microorganisms could eliminate them.
Foreign consciousness native body = initial adaptation to the living environnt.
Therefore, what he was facing now was not a death sentence.
But it was still a high-difficulty start.
Fortunately, Wen Gu had already taken the first step in solving the problem before him.
As the successor, Wen Gu just needed to break through in this direction.
In such chaotic tis, it would be incredibly difficult for the Wen brothers to find a way to survive. The mountain village was barren, life was difficult, evil creatures were rampant outside, and he had a not-so-bright cousin by his side. They were outsiders, and the village wouldn't supply provisions for free.
He took a mont to regain so strength, Wen Gu got up and sat by the window.
There was a simple desk there, patched up countless tis, as rustic as the bed and chairs in the room, barely usable.
However, Wen Gu's attention was not on the furniture. His eyes were burning, and his hands trembled slightly as he reached for a small stack of paper, a brush, an inkstone, and an ink stick.
The paper was of superior quality, and the brush and inkstone were exquisite!
Wen Gu imdiately felt a sense of spiritual fulfillnt!
His gaze then swept to the window beside him.
The window was not large but had mosquito netting that was completely out of place with the overall decor.
Whether it was the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone before him, or the mosquito netting, which was a luxury item for farrs, they were all incongruous with the room's furnishings.
This was naturally not sothing the village originally had. It was sothing the villagers had retrieved from the town after the world fell into chaos.
The brush, ink, paper, and inkstone of this quality were still plentiful in the village chief's possession!
Taking a deep breath, he spread out a sheet of paper with a draft on it and looked intently at the drawing – a design for a fortress.
"Wen Gu" brought his cousin to this village, using it as a stepping stone to gain temporary acceptance from the villagers, who provided them with food and dicine for his illness.
However, during the more than two months since entering the village, "Wen Gu" had been confined to bed, and the progress on the fortress design had been slow.
Now, he could continue drawing.
Wen Gu opened the window.
The sky outside was clear and the sun was shining. A dry wind blew into the room.
According to his mories, as long as it wasn't raining, it was fine to open the window for ventilation and to air out the dampness and sickness in the room.
Outside the window, he could see houses at varying distances. They were not tiled with blue bricks and grey tiles but were low adobe houses with thatched roofs, similar to the house Wen Gu was currently living in.
If he went outside, he would have to bend down slightly to avoid the thatch hanging from the eaves.
If it rained heavily, the house might even leak.
During the three months he rembered living here, there had been rainfall, but thankfully, no prolonged heavy rain.
The dirt paths in the village were paved with gravel, broken tiles, wooden planks, and bricks.
Not far away, there was a wooden structure. Standing on it, one could see parts of the outside of the village beyond the low houses.
These were built by the villagers after the world fell into chaos, to check the surroundings when unusual situations arose.
The source of this evil epidemic, the evil Gu ntioned by the dical officials, Wen Gu analyzed, was likely a type of highly virulent parasite – after parasitizing, it could turn a normal person into a monster more terrifying than a wild beast, into another species.
It could be from accidentally drinking a bowl of untreated water, eating undercooked at, or a scratch from not being careful in the jungle, any of which could lead to infection.
Wen Gu's gaze swept over the wild-growing plants in the village.
The season for lush vegetation had passed, but it was evident that the climate this year had been favorable, with sunshine and rainfall at normal levels.
Given the poor living conditions, the fact that so many people had survived in this village proved that the epidemic and evil Gu, feared by everyone, were not as ubiquitous as they seed.
As long as one paid attention to daily diet and living habits, it was possible to avoid being "possessed by evil spirits."
As for the "evil-possessed" evil creatures outside, that was another matter. It required a different approach.
Fear stemd from the unknown; the more one understood, the more courage one had to face it.
Wen Gu himself had this courage; others had not yet.
The local customs here were sowhat rough, and it was far from any towns.
Of course, in such a special era of disaster and chaos, being rough in character alone wouldn't allow more people to survive.
With surrounding villages and towns almost wiped out, the survival of this small village was largely due to:
One, they had a wise and quite influential village chief.
Two, the village chief's grandson, who was an apprentice at a county town pharmacy and had actually learned so skills.
Three, there was a hunter in the village who was highly capable, commanded great respect, and had more experience than ordinary villagers.
The combination of these three factors enabled the village to respond effectively in a short period, survive the initial impact of the evil epidemic, and seek more opportunities for survival in the ti that followed.
At the beginning of this year, a Taoist priest arrived in the village, three months earlier than "Wen Gu." He mostly stayed in his room refining elixirs. "Wen Gu" had not interacted with him and didn't know his true capabilities, but he must have had so skill.
Wen Gu planned to communicate with the Taoist priest once his health had recovered sowhat.
Stretching his muscles, Wen Gu refocused his attention on the draft on the table.
Grind the ink, get to work!
If he wanted to obtain more supplies from the village and recover his health quickly, he had to show sincerity!
Fortresses were a survival option for the common people facing external threats in ancient tis.
However, with the rise of centralized power and increased control over the populace, fortresses in the current dynasty were only occasionally found in border regions. Many people now only heard of them but didn't know what a fortress looked like.
"Wen Gu" had so knowledge of them from his family's library.
Now, with the fused mories, Wen Gu could continue the unfinished draft and make so additions and modifications.
He not only had to draw and write about how to build ramparts based on the local terrain and topography, but also what kind of organizational structure should be inside, and he had to make the villagers understand and accept it quickly.
His cousin was sleeping soundly on the bed, with dark circles under his eyes. He must have been worried about "Wen Gu's" illness for the past few days and hadn't slept well.
The sunlight outside gradually slanted. Wen Gu, engrossed in his fortress design, noticed the sound of approaching footsteps outside and looked over.
Upon seeing who it was, his face imdiately broke into a smile that was two parts refined, three parts sickly, and five parts grateful.
"It's young Master Liu!"
The visitor was Liu Zuo, the son of the village hunter, Liu. The villagers often called him by his nickna "Mutou" (Woodhead), and Liu Zuo had also said to call him "Mutou."
However, as a respectable scholar with a specific image in the villagers' minds, how could he be so casual?
Young Liu the Hunter had also reached the age of manhood this year, inheriting his father's hunting talent and physique. He was much taller and sturdier than his peers in the village and was now one of the important martial mbers of the village.
He was free today and was responsible for delivering their als. He carried a food box and ca to check on their situation.
Elder Brother Wen had cried so miserably today that so villagers suspected Wen Gu was already... gone.
But now, it seed the commotion was probably out of happiness. Wen Gu's sickly appearance had faded considerably, and he was still drawing!
However, he still looked frail and weak.
Stereotype 1.
The village had never doubted Wen Gu's identity as a scholar. His deanor and bearing suggested soone who had been imrsed in books since childhood, and his words and actions carried a strong scholarly air, completely different from the villagers'.
If Wen Gu were to wield a knife, axe, or cudgel, his identity would be questioned.
The villagers had their own logic.
The world was in chaos now, and the imperial examinations had been suspended. Scholars might not be strong enough to wield swords, but they had knowledge in their minds!
Wen Gu said he could draw a fortress design, so he definitely could!
It was just progressing a bit slowly. After several months of providing food and dicine, the villagers couldn't help but grumble.
Fortunately, it had resud.
Our village's fortress design, is it finally coming out?!
Thinking of this, the young Liu the Hunter's smile beca more sincere and enthusiastic. This was a matter of survival for their village!
He quickened his pace and brought the food box into the house.
When Wen Gu's cousin heard the movent, he had already gotten up from the bed and opened the door to take the food box. Previously, the delivery people had always handed the food box at the doorstep.
However, young Liu the Hunter squeezed into the room with the food box.
Seeing this, Wen Gu spread out the drawings on the table slightly and then stood up, offering a scholarly bow to the entering young Liu the Hunter to express his gratitude. As if lacking strength, his body swayed slightly.
Facing this refined bow, young Liu the Hunter was montarily at a loss for how to respond and waved his hand.
He thought: The village chief was right; scholars are indeed particular in their ways, and their bodies are weak. After being sick, they are even weaker, unable to stand steadily, and even holding a brush seems difficult.
He then eagerly looked at the draft on the table.
Although the tis were different now, he still had great respect for scholars who possessed such skills. He had also attended school as a child, but he couldn't continue.
Seeing the drawings on the paper, his respect grew even more.
As expected of a scholar, he couldn't understand the drawing at all!
There was only one wooden table in the room, where als and drawing were done.
Wen Gu's cousin ca over to clear the table. He usually did these chores and was very skilled at them.
Fearing that Elder Brother Wen might be clumsy, young Liu the Hunter took over. "Let do it! Brother Wen, you're still recovering. Please sit down and rest. Drink your dicine while it's hot."
"Then, I'm much obliged."
Wen Gu's voice was refined and gentle. He sat there, guiding Liu Mutou in tidying up the brushes, ink, and drawings on the table. He also got a chance to look at the carved wooden food box, which had a genuine classical style, clearly sothing the villagers had retrieved from town.
The table was rearranged, and Wen Gu said no more. After this short delay, the dicine was at the perfect temperature to drink.
Hmm, the taste was not good.
But it was for saving his life and nourishing his body.
He drank it all!
As young Liu the Hunter tidied up, he couldn't help but ask about the contents of the drawings.
After drinking the dicine, Wen Gu explained, "It's just a rough sketch and needs further refinent. I'll also draw several detailed diagrams with annotations later for easier reference."
Young Liu the Hunter nodded, rembering Wen Gu's words to relay them to the village chief later.
Wen Gu glanced at the food in the food box and had a clear idea.
It seed the village's grain reserves were sufficient for now. They must have collected quite a lot during the initial chaos. The al was simple but the quantity was decent.
After drinking the dicine, he also had so light porridge.
His body urgently needed energy replenishnt, and the simple country food beca a rare delicacy.
Wen Gu sat there and continued to instruct young Liu the Hunter in tidying the table, putting away the brushes, ink, and drawings.
Young Liu the Hunter showed no complaints and was quite enthusiastic.
Before leaving, young Liu the Hunter glanced at Wen Gu again, thinking: With this physique, he couldn't even lift a bamboo pole. If he went out of the village, he'd be giving himself up to the evil creatures. He probably couldn't run, but they still had to keep an eye on him.
After leaving the house, young Liu the Hunter greeted the village patrols and asked them to check on Wen Gu from ti to ti.
The village had always been closely monitoring the Wen brothers. Their intentions were simple:
Our village provides provisions, and you draw the fortress design. Although there's no contract, this was agreed upon, and you can't just run away after recovering!
This was a matter of survival for the village, so caution was never excessive.
Wen Gu was well aware of the villagers' attitude. It was precisely because of this that he started working imdiately after assessing the situation. At the very least, he had to show his sincerity and wasn't afraid of the villagers supervising him.
He calmly continued drawing.
The old wooden chair creaked a little when he sat on it. This wasn't a problem, but with a slight wobble, the wooden parts made creaking sounds.
Wen Gu frowned.
He closed the window, got up.
His gaze swept from top to bottom of the wooden chair, inspected it, quickly located the source of the sound, found a suitable tool, and with suitable accessories, acted swiftly, fixing it with two solid knocks.
All done!
He put the tools back in their place, wiped his hands, tidied his clothes, opened the window, and then turned back to sit down.
Sitting upright and steady, without a sound.
Elegant in deanor, refined in manner.
This perfectly matched the villagers' stereotype of a high-class scholar.
A new story has begun!
Still a niche the.
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