Chen Jizhi's disjointed and peculiar syllables were like stones cast into stagnant water, sending violent ripples through the hostile camp of indigenous people. The eyes of all the indigenous people instantly focused on this sudden arrival—a man who looked like a savage yet spoke an ancient language. Shock, vigilance, and even an indescribable tremor were intertwined on their painted faces.
A flash of light crossed the murky eyes of the old shaman holding the wooden staff. He raised his hand, stopping the stone spears that several young hunters beside him were about to throw. He looked Chen Jizhi up and down, his gaze lingering for a moment on clothing that, though ragged, could still be distinguished as foreign to the local style, and then on eyes that were filled with wisdom and the weariness of age, completely unlike those of a mountain ruffian.
The old shaman uttered several low, short syllables from his throat, his tone interrogative.
Chen Jizhi felt a slight chill in his heart; he could only piece together a few words, likely meaning "outsider," "why," and "this place." He drew a deep breath, struggling to recall the meanings that might correspond to the Shu Script from the Ancient Map, and spoke again, his speed slower and his pronunciation more deliberate: "Seeking... ancient markings... lost... route... see... pain... perhaps... can help."
As he spoke, he slowly raised his hand, pointing to the seriously injured people in the center of the clearing who were still convulsing in pain, corroded by the energy of the Earth Veins.
This movement caused another stir among the surrounding indigenous people, and a few hunters raised their weapons once more. The old shaman, however, stared intensely into Chen Jizhi's eyes, appearing to judge the veracity of his words and intentions. The air was thick with the heavy scent of herbs, blood, and a sense of hopelessness.
After a moment of silence, the old shaman spoke again. This time, his tone seemed to soften slightly, but it remained filled with distrust. He pointed to one of the most severely injured clansmen, who looked like he was about to die, then pointed to Chen Jizhi and made a "please" gesture. The warning look in his eyes, however, was self-evident: if you cannot cure them, or if there is any suspicious movement, you will bear the consequences.
Chen Jizhi understood that this was an extremely dangerous test, but also the only chance to gain their trust. He nodded, signaling A Gui to stay hidden and not move, then stepped forward, carefully approaching the severely injured person.
All gazes followed him; the tips of stone spears and arrows glinted coldly in the firelight. Chen Jizhi could feel that his back was already soaked with cold sweat, yet his pace remained steady and his expression calm.
He walked over to the injured man and crouched down. It was a strong adult male, but right now his face was a ghastly gray, his eyes rolled back, and his body was convulsing uncontrollably. White, filthy foam spilled from the corners of his mouth, and it seemed as if fine, chaotic air currents were darting beneath his skin. The symptoms were almost exactly the same as those Fú Sū had encountered, but more severe; his life force was like a candle in the wind.
Chen Jizhi did not press the man's forehead like the old shaman did; he knew that such purely spiritual soothing would have limited effect against such severe energy erosion. He drew a deep breath and quietly grasped the Bronze Short Ruler inside his sleeve; the warmth radiating from the ruler calmed his mind.
He recalled the process from the cave, where the Bronze Ruler cooperated with the Ancient Map to soothe the energy of the Earth Veins, and attempted to inject a sliver of weak psychic energy into the ruler. He lacked the ability Chen Jizhi—or rather, the Chen Jizhi who possessed the technique—had to drive the artifact, nor could he guide energy directly like Fú Sū. All he could rely on was the inherently upright and balanced nature of the ruler itself.
He held the ruler and gently pressed it in the air above the Shan-zhong acupoint on the injured man's chest. He did not make direct contact, fearing it would cause misunderstanding among the tribesmen.
At first, there was no change. The surrounding indigenous people began to emit low growls of impatience and suspicion, and the old shaman's gaze turned sharp once again.
Sweat appeared on Chen Jizhi's forehead, but he did not give up. He continued to focus his concentration, attempting to use the Bronze Short Ruler as a "medium" to sense and "smooth out" the violent energy that had invaded the injured man's body. He did not know the specific methods, relying entirely on intuition and trust in the character of the ruler itself.
Just as he was about to collapse from the strain, the Bronze Ruler suddenly vibrated extremely slightly. A hint of imperceptible, warm, golden radiance flowed out from the ruler, like a trickle of water, seeping into the injured man's chest.
A miracle occurred!
The injured man's violently twitching body suddenly stiffened, and then the magnitude of the convulsions decreased at a speed visible to the naked eye! The rattling sound coming from his throat, like a broken bellows, also settled down! Although the terrifying, ghastly gray layer on his face could not fade immediately, the deadly, frenzied aura significantly weakened.
Although it was a very slight improvement, in this despair-filled camp, it was akin to a thunderclap!
All the indigenous people were stunned, looking in disbelief at the scene unfolding before them. The old shaman stood up abruptly and rushed over in a few steps, his murky eyes fixed firmly on the Bronze Short Ruler in Chen Jizhi's hand, then on his tribesman, whose breathing seemed slightly steadier. His face was filled with extreme shock and... an indescribable, near-devout excitement!
He suddenly looked up at Chen Jizhi, the hostility and suspicion in his eyes melting away like ice. In its place was a complex emotion mixed with awe, confusion, and eager inquiry. He pointed to the Bronze Ruler, then to the injured man, and spoke a rapid string of syllables, his tone agitated.
Though Chen Jizhi could not understand it all, he was able to distinguish words for "divine artifact," "power," and "save" from the ancient pronunciation. He felt relief in his heart, knowing he had bet correctly. This ruler left behind by Sū Yán truly possessed extraordinary significance here.
He put away the Bronze Ruler, shook his head at the old shaman, pointed to the injured man, and then to his own forehead, making a tired gesture to indicate that his ability was limited and he could not cure him completely, only alleviate the pain temporarily.
The old shaman understood his meaning; the excitement in his eyes eased slightly, but the awe did not diminish at all. He performed an extremely ancient and complex bow to Chen Jizhi, then turned and spoke a few words loudly to the other tribesmen in the camp.
Upon hearing this, the tribesmen lowered their weapons one after another. The hostility on their faces dissipated, and the gazes directed at Chen Jizhi were filled with curiosity, gratitude, and a glimmer of hope.
The tense atmosphere finally eased.
Chen Jizhi was invited to sit by the main campfire, with the old shaman sitting opposite him. Tribesmen brought over clear water and roasted meat; although the taste was coarse, it was clearly a gesture of goodwill.
Through extremely difficult gesturing, drawing pictures on the ground, and both sides guessing at the meaning of those ancient syllables, Chen Jizhi roughly understood the situation.
These indigenous people called themselves the "Mountain Ghost" tribe (not meaning ghosts or monsters, but rather a group that had guarded the mountain forests for generations). They lived in the depths of Shennongjia, protecting the secrets of this land. They were indeed collecting a special kind of ore they called "Earth Vein Stone," which was necessary for maintaining some old tradition or ritual of their tribe.
However, recently, the "Breath of the Earth" (referring to the energy of the Earth Veins) deep in the forest had become extremely violent and unstable. Their traditional gathering routes and methods had become exceptionally dangerous, and people were constantly being injured by the chaotic "breath," just like the injured men he saw before him. The shaman of the tribe (this old shaman) had limited power and could not treat them effectively. As he watched his clansmen die in pain one by one, the tribe had fallen into an unprecedented crisis.
The old shaman called the Bronze Ruler in Chen Jizhi's hand an "Instrument of Balance," a divine object legendary "Founders" used to measure heaven and earth and balance Yin and Yang! In the ancient prophecies of their tribe, it was mentioned that when the "Breath of the Earth" was in turmoil, the "Instrument of Balance" would reappear, guiding the "Founder" to return and stabilize the mountains and rivers again.
Chen Jizhi felt a massive shock in his heart! "Founder"? Could this refer to Sū Yán? Or did it refer generally to those who possessed the power of the Nine Cauldrons?
He tried asking about the "cauldron." When he drew an image of a three-legged, two-eared cauldron on the ground, the expressions of the old shaman and the surrounding tribesmen instantly became incredibly solemn and reverent!
The old shaman pointed toward the very core of the forest, then pointed to the sky and the earth, making a gesture of embracing and suppressing, while repeatedly saying a word with an ancient pronunciation. Chen Jizhi listened carefully; the meaning of that word was none other than—"Root of the Nine Provinces"!
Could it be... that the core of the Nine Cauldrons, or rather, the ultimate key to sustaining the Dragon Vein of the Nine Provinces, was in the deepest part of Shennongjia, in this place they called the "Root of the Nine Provinces"?
And Sū Yán, as a man who had been searching for the Nine Cauldrons for three thousand years, was he this "Founder" mentioned in the prophecy?
Chen Jizhi suppressed the excitement in his heart and asked if they had seen any other outsiders, roughly describing Sū Yán's appearance.
The old shaman listened carefully, pondered for a moment, and then nodded! He pointed in another direction, signaling that about ten days ago (indicated by a gesture of the sun and moon cycles), a young man wearing strange clothes (referring to Republican-era attire), whose aura did not fit into the forest but who carried a trace of something they found familiar and ancient, had indeed appeared near the hunting grounds on the edge of the tribe's territory. He seemed to be searching for something, and his direction was exactly toward where the "Root of the Nine Provinces" was located!
He was still alive! Sū Yán was definitely still alive, and he had headed toward the Core Area ahead of him!
This news invigorated Chen Jizhi, and the tiredness and worry of the past few days seemed to vanish.
He looked at the surrounding tribesmen of the "Mountain Ghost" tribe, who still carried pain and anticipation, then at the Bronze Ruler in his hand, which seemed to contain a mission. He made his decision.
He nodded solemnly to the old shaman, then pointed toward the direction of the "Root of the Nine Provinces," gestured to himself and A Gui in his hiding spot, and finally held the Bronze Ruler level in his palm.
His meaning was clear: we can help you, try to treat the injured, and go together to the "Root of the Nine Provinces" to find the "Founder" and resolve the crisis of the Earth Vein disorder.
The old shaman looked at Chen Jizhi, then at the "Instrument of Balance" in his hand. A look of relief and great hope appeared on his weathered face. He reached out, clasped Chen Jizhi's hand tightly, and nodded forcefully.
A fragile yet firm alliance, crossing language and cultural barriers, was quietly formed by the campfire in the depths of Shennongjia.
The night deepened, and the campfire crackled. Chen Jizhi began to try using the power of the Bronze Ruler, combined with some herbal knowledge he possessed, to guide and treat the other tribesmen with lighter injuries. Although the process was slow and the effect was far less immediate than Fú Sū's, every slight improvement made the "Mountain Ghost" tribesmen grow more trusting and grateful toward him and the "Instrument of Balance."
A Gui was also called out from his hiding spot. He clumsily helped out, and he was filled with disbelief as he watched Professor Chen establish a connection so quickly with these indigenous people who had been at daggers drawn such a short time before.
The road ahead remained confusing and dangerous, but at least they were no longer solitary intruders. This mysterious forest finally seemed to reveal a path toward the core. And the traces of Sū Yán were like a lighthouse in the dark, guiding them forward.
Dawn was about to break, and a new journey would begin together with these ancient guardians.