Chapter 6: Going into the Mountains to Rescue Su Mingshan

The Xuanyu Wood Technique is divided into nine forms, each with increasing killing power.

Su Wan knew that haste makes waste, so she decided to start with the first form, “Withered Wood New Growth,” and practice steadily and carefully.

Five hours passed quickly. Su Wan heard movement from the inner room and knew her aunt had gotten up. She reached out and gently tapped Su Shi’s forehead, softly infusing a gentle spiritual power to wake her up.

Then she turned over, pretending to be asleep.

Until Su Xinyao waddled over, calling, “Sister Wan, get up!”

Su Wan turned over and smiled as her gaze landed on Su Xinyao’s round little face. With a flick of her wrist, she produced a candy, “Here, eat this, and this one is for your brother.” They were bought on the way back.

Seeing the candy, Su Xinyao was so happy she smiled from ear to ear. “Wow, candy! Did Sister Wan eat one?”

“I already did, these are for you and your brother. Don’t tell anyone, or else they’ll try to snatch them.”

“Hehe, I won’t tell Ugly Dog Egg or Fierce Zhuwa, they’d definitely try to snatch them.”

“Good girl.” Su Wan patted Su Xinyao’s little head, completely forgetting that she herself was still just a child.

Breakfast was simple: each had a bowl of very watery rice porridge and a steamed bun.

At the table, Uncle Su Mingshan was not there; Su Wan guessed he had gone hunting in the mountains.

Early spring was the season when everything revived, and those who hibernated should be out by now.

She couldn’t help but worry about her uncle in the mountains.

Outside, the sunlight was good. The old couple sat under the eaves, basking in the sun, watching the three children playing in the yard.

Watching them, they fell asleep.

Su Wan used the excuse of gathering wild vegetables to pull the two of them toward the back of the house. “Little Wan, Mother said not to go too far.” Su Shanyu was afraid the two little ones would fall.

Su Wan said, “Not far, just the back hillside.” Su Xinyao was too little; she had no intention of going far.

“Alright.” Su Shanyu also wanted to do something for the family, so he agreed to go gather wild vegetables in the back mountain.

At the back mountain, while Su Shanyu wasn’t paying attention, Su Wan lightly buried a piece of silver under a tree, letting Su Shanyu accidentally find it.

“Brother, there are lots of wild vegetables here, come quickly.”

“Coming.” Su Shanyu, carrying a basket, ran up quickly. Su Xinyao followed with her short legs.

“Slap—”

Su Xinyao ran too fast and fell. It was this fall that made her notice a silver piece poking out of the soil.

She reached out her chubby baby hand and dug it out, holding it up happily and smiling at the two, “Brother, sister, I found something shiny.”

Su Shanyu looked over, recognized it was silver, and was very shocked. “Where did you dig it out from?”

Su Wan also looked surprised, “It’s silver, such a big piece.”

Su Xinyao pointed to a small hole under the tree and said softly, “It grew in the hole.”

Su Shanyu chuckled, “Silly little sister, how could silver grow from the ground? Someone must have dropped it. Since we found it, it belongs to us.”

“Xinyao is lucky.” At the end, he also praised Su Wan, “If Sister Wan hadn’t said to come gather wild vegetables, we’d have missed it. You two are lucky. Let’s go home and tell Mother.”

“Let’s go, Mother and Auntie will be very happy.” Su Wan picked up the small basket and followed them down the mountain.

When they got home, the old couple, who had just woken up hearing the noise, were there.

Su Shanyu hurriedly took out the silver and said mysteriously, “Grandpa, Grandma, little sister found a piece of silver, look.”

Hearing this, the old couple’s sleepiness vanished instantly. Grandpa Su took the slightly muddy silver and examined it carefully, excitedly, “Wife, it’s silver, really silver.”

“Yes, yes, I saw it. Keep your voice down. Children, did you really find this?”

Su Shanyu nodded truthfully, “If Sister Wan hadn’t said to go gather wild vegetables, we wouldn’t have found the silver.”

After hearing this, the two elders held the children’s hands and said repeatedly, “Our old Su family is lucky, so lucky.”

When Su Shi and Xia Xian came back and heard the news, they were very happy. Xia Xian said directly, “With this silver, Shanyu can go to the private school.”

Other kids start learning at six, and his children start at seven, so it’s not too late.

“Good, good, go to private school, absolutely must go, no way to let those damn bastards look down on us.” Grandma Su said excitedly.

They waited until evening, but Su Mingshan still had not returned.

Everyone inside the house was restless. Grandpa Su immediately said, “Go tell Zhu Lizheng, see if we can get two strong men in the village to search the mountain?”

“Okay, daughter-in-law will go right now.” Xia Xian said and was about to leave.

But just as she lifted her foot, she froze.

Not only Xia Xian didn’t move, no one inside moved either. Only the flickering candlelight swayed uncertainly.

Su Wan withdrew her hand, got up, and rushed out quickly to the mountain, worried that Su Mingshan was in trouble.

Indeed, something had happened. When she found Su Mingshan, he was being forced by a huge tiger toward a cliff.

“Don’t come closer, don’t come closer.” Su Mingshan was so scared his face went pale, every muscle tensed to the limit. Cold sweat dripped from his forehead.

Under the dim moonlight, one could faintly see Su Mingshan retreating slowly, the cliff getting closer.

The big tiger seemed determined to force him off the cliff.

Su Wan took advantage of her small body to hide in the grass. She quickly formed hand seals and cast the first form of the Xuanyu Wood Technique: Withered Wood New Growth.

A vine as thick as a baby’s arm silently wrapped around the tiger’s leg under Su Wan’s control.

With a roar, the huge tiger was caught by the vine on one hind leg. Su Wan pulled hard, the tiger immediately fell to the ground. As Su Wan dragged it back, it tried to struggle but was tightly wrapped by another vine.

Su Mingshan didn’t understand why the tiger suddenly retreated, but he finally had a chance to escape. Without caring if the tiger would chase again, he ran desperately left—down the mountain.

At last, he saw the exit, but at that moment, a bloodied tiger dropped down in front of him.

“Bang…” It landed not far from him.

This scared Su Mingshan greatly. He took out a fire striker from his pocket and lit a torch.

“Mother…” Wasn’t this the tiger chasing him? How did it die?

Could there be a skilled person secretly helping?

It must be so.

Su Mingshan bowed deeply to the dark mountain, “Thank you, mysterious savior. Please reveal yourself so I may bow again.”

The only answer was the cool night breeze.

Normally, carrying this down the mountain wouldn’t be a problem, but now his legs were still shaking and he had little strength.

Almost home, but his fear had not dissipated. If not for the mysterious helper tonight, how could he have survived?

Opening the yard door, Su Mingshan bumped straight into Xia Xian rushing out anxiously, followed by Su Fu holding a torch.

“Master, you finally came back, you scared me to death.” Xia Xian wiped tears from her eyes.