Chapter 56: The Young Merchant Zhan Congwen

Du Yun’s arrow struck the roe deer in its thigh, slowing its frantic escape. Her grandfather and Du Huai followed up with several swift shots, and at last, the deer was left on the hillside, unable to flee any further.

“Oh, what a bounty!” Du Yun’s grandfather exclaimed joyfully, rushing forward. It was a large roe deer, weighing at least sixty or seventy pounds. Every part of it was valuable; even after skinning and butchering, there would still be dozens of pounds of meat.

Du Yun, delighted, hurried after him. As she ran, she suddenly heard the startled cry of a young man nearby and quickly turned her head.

“What’s the matter?” Her grandfather had already reached the deer, deftly tying up the still-struggling animal with a rope. As he was halfway through, he too heard the shout.

“I’m not sure. We should take a look,” Du Yun whispered. They were deep in the mountains now; hardly anyone ventured here except for hunting. Hearing someone cry out in alarm suggested trouble—if they didn’t lend a hand, it might be days before anyone else passed by.

“Let’s go see,” her grandfather said, glancing at the deer on the ground and then toward the direction of the cry. He hesitated briefly, but then nodded. To save a life is better than building seven towers. In this deserted place, leaving the deer behind posed little risk.

After securing the rope, Du Yun’s grandfather led Du Yun and Du Huai toward the source of the sound. Du Yun’s sharp eyes quickly spotted a gray-blue figure lying in the grass, seemingly wounded and groaning, unable or unwilling to move.

Du Huai, seeing someone hurt, was about to rush forward and help, but Du Yun’s grandfather pulled him back sharply. “Viper!”

Du Yun followed her grandfather’s gaze and saw, not far from the man’s prone body, a patterned snake about a meter long slithering through the grass, its neck raised high in a threatening posture, ready to strike.

“Help! Help!” The young man lying on the ground, seeing them approach, cried desperately for aid, yet dared not move, clearly aware of the snake’s presence and fearful of provoking an attack.

“Stay still!” Du Yun’s grandfather shouted urgently. This viper was among the most poisonous in the mountains. Though a single bite might not be fatal, many had lost most of their life’s vigor to its venom.

“All right, I—I won’t move,” the young man replied, though his body trembled uncontrollably. The viper writhed and hissed, as if preparing to strike at any moment.

Worried for the man’s safety, Du Yun’s grandfather grabbed a branch and edged forward, intending to drive the snake away. Yet, as they moved, the disturbance seemed to agitate the viper, which suddenly coiled and lunged.

“Ah!” The young man’s terrified scream echoed through the valley. He squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for pain—but after a long moment, nothing happened. He cautiously opened his eyes a sliver.

Less than a meter away, a snow-white arrow had pinned the viper to the ground, its head skewered clean through. The once ferocious snake lay lifeless.

“Am I… saved?” the young man murmured in disbelief, watching the three approach with a sense of surviving disaster.

“Thank you so much!” He pressed his hands to the ground and tried to stand, but at the sight of the snake, his legs went weak and he collapsed. Worse yet, he realized his foot was twisted; any movement sent a sharp, stabbing pain through him.

“Don’t move. Where are you hurt?” Du Yun’s grandfather hurried over to reassure him, wanting to help, but hesitated when he noticed the young man’s clothing was finer than any he’d ever seen, unsure whether to lend a hand or wipe his own rough palms first.

“Grandpa, I think it’s his foot,” Du Yun and Du Huai, unconcerned by such worries, each took a side and helped him up. Seeing him avoid putting weight on one leg, they addressed their grandfather.

“His foot?” Distracted by the children’s intervention, Du Yun’s grandfather set aside his reservations. Seeing the young man nod, sweat soaking his brow, he grew tense.

“A twisted ankle needs careful tending, or it could ruin a lifetime,” he said, having the children help the man to a stone seat before examining him thoroughly.

“It’s just a sprain. Bear with the pain; I’ll set it right,” he assured, gently moving the young man’s ankle. The moment he responded, Du Yun’s grandfather deftly snapped his foot back into place.

Cold sweat instantly drenched the young man’s face, but forewarned, he managed not to cry out in distress. He moved his ankle and felt the agonizing pain vanish, finally relieved.

“Grandfather, thank you so much!” He struggled to stand upright and bowed deeply. “If not for you, I might have lost my life here.” His speech had a distinct regional accent, clearly not from the area.

“It’s nothing! Where there’s danger, who wouldn’t lend a hand?” Du Yun’s grandfather replied, waving away thanks with a hearty laugh. The young man’s humility and courtesy eased his initial awkwardness.

As they spoke, two more men hurried down the mountain, alarmed by the young man’s disheveled state, rushing to his side, sweating with worry.

“My name is Zhan Congwen. I’m visiting the county from out of town on business. Thank you for saving me today. I’ll be leaving soon—may I ask where your family lives, so I can call on you to express my gratitude?” Zhan Congwen gestured for his companions to be silent, then turned to thank Du Yun’s grandfather again.

“No need, young man. Just take care of that leg—don’t let it become a permanent injury. I’ll be on my way now,” Du Yun’s grandfather said with a smile, waving off any notion of reward. This young man was clearly from a good family, and though grateful, their rescue was not meant for compensation. With a wave, he turned to leave as Zhan Congwen called after him.

Du Yun paid little heed to all this; her mind was wholly absorbed in the moment her arrow struck the snake’s head—the mysterious sensation was simply fascinating.