Chapter 10: Fully Equipped, Treading the Mountain Man’s Taboos

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In the early morning, warm sunlight bathed the earth. On the usual dining table sat porridge, steamed buns, and two appetizing side dishes. The two sat opposite each other; one held a bowl of porridge, occasionally taking a bite of the side dishes or a piece of bun before sipping the plain porridge. After finishing breakfast, Li Siyu said, “I’m going to help Mrs. Li today. I might not be back for lunch, so I’ve prepared your meal—you just need to heat it up at noon.” She changed into a simpler outfit and picked up a basket of vegetables. Zhang Hao nodded, “Go ahead, don’t tire yourself.” “Okay,” Li Siyu nodded and stepped out of the courtyard.

Zhang Hao stood up from the table, cleared the dishes, and walked into the yard, surveying the results of his work from the day before. The trash in the grass was gone, and the unpleasant smell had completely dissipated. He had already tidied up the room and the yard nearly finished. However, due to his earlier “destruction,” that patch of grass would need some time to regrow and return to its original state. The peach trees in the yard were in the same condition.

With nothing pressing today, he decided to take advantage of the lingering morning dew to continue practicing the body tempering methods recorded in the ancient text. Near noon, Zhang Hao quickly reheated the meal Li Siyu left him. After eating, he resumed his practice and found time to review the contents of the ancient manuscript, preparing himself further for his mountain journey.

Time flew quickly, and soon, four days had passed. After breakfast, Li Siyu shouldered her farming tools and headed to the fields. Zhang Hao finished tidying the dishes and stepped into the yard. After days of practice, he could clearly feel his body recovering slightly, no longer as frail as before. Though still weaker compared to a healthy person, it was far better than when he had just been reborn.

He didn’t begin practicing immediately but went through some simple movements before turning and walking out of the courtyard. According to his agreement with Mrs. Zhao, today was the day to pick up the spirit-stabilizing blue herb and straw sandals.

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With these two “treasures,” he could officially begin his mountain journey.

Following the muddy village path and avoiding dried-up puddles, he arrived before a somewhat familiar half-open wooden door. Zhang Hao gently pushed it open, stepped over the threshold, and called out, “Mrs. Zhao, are the bamboo basket and straw sandals ready?” Shortly after, footsteps sounded inside. Mrs. Zhao appeared at the door, carrying a bamboo basket with a subtle gradient and a pair of straw sandals with a similar coloration.

Zhang Hao immediately recognized them as the spirit-stabilizing blue herb and the straw sandals. After all, having grown up in the countryside, he could distinguish various types of bamboo and straw. “You boy, you really know how to keep me busy. It took me so much effort just to find these for you,” Mrs. Zhao muttered as she handed over the basket and sandals. “Take a look and see if they’re woven as you required.”

Zhang Hao took them carefully, examining every detail, afraid of any mistake. After all, these were essential tools for a mountain traveler’s survival. Any error would contradict the ancient text and could have adverse effects. The mountains were fraught with danger, and even slight negligence could lead to death. Thus, no room for carelessness here.

Satisfied after a thorough check, Zhang Hao nodded. “Mrs. Zhao, it really has to be you. Look how beautifully you’ve woven the basket and sandals!” He praised her generously. Mrs. Zhao’s stern expression softened, a smile creeping to her lips as she teased, “You oily-tongued kid. So, are you happy? I followed your instructions exactly; I didn’t dare be careless.”

“Of course. Mrs. Zhao, I trust your work completely. There’s no one else in Zhao family village as responsible as you,” Zhang Hao said with a smile. Mrs. Zhao was taken aback and curiously asked, “Then who’s the most responsible person?”

Without hesitation, Zhang Hao replied, “That has to be Siyu.”

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Zhao’s eyes clouded with regret, and her smile faded. “Haozi, I’m going to say something you might not like. Siyu is a good girl, and you... you mustn’t treat her badly. If I ever find out you do, I’ll be the first to object!”

Zhang Hao’s smile vanished as he nodded solemnly. “Mrs. Zhao, rest assured. This time, I definitely won’t let Siyu down.”

“Alright then. Here’s the payment for weaving the basket and sandals—three hundred. I’ll be off now.” Zhang Hao took three hundred-yuan bills from his pocket—exchanged specially for this purpose—handed them over, and turned to leave.

Mrs. Zhao stood there, staring after him, murmuring, “What’s this kid up to? What does he mean by ‘this time I won’t let Siyu down,’ as if he had before?”

She didn’t think much more, lowered her gaze to the three bills in her hand, the corners of her mouth lifting, and her eyes narrowing in unrestrained joy.

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Returning home with the spirit-stabilizing blue herb and straw sandals, Zhang Hao carefully put them away and sat at the dining table in his room. Pouring himself a glass of water, he drank it all at once. Setting the glass down, he sighed with deep satisfaction.

Now, everything was ready—only the journey remained.

Among mountain travelers, the term “east wind” was considered ominous.

The original text read: “Mountain travelers do not speak of wind, fearing the east wind’s arrival.”

“Speaking of wind during a mountain journey leads to disorientation; being trapped in the mountain results in becoming a mountain spirit.”

The book explained that if the wind rose during a mountain journey, especially an east wind, it was a bad omen. It meant the journey would not go smoothly and there was a risk of becoming lost, turning into another form of “mountain spirit.”

There were many such taboos: one must call to the mountain, not to people; only blood relatives could journey together; during the journey, it was forbidden to speak of mountain gods or spirits, shout loudly, or utter certain fixed words.

Most importantly, no trash, food, or anything brought from outside was to be left in the mountain.

This was recorded in the ancient text: “No outside objects may remain, lest the mountain spirits be disturbed and mountain ghosts provoked. The traveler returns empty-handed at best; at worst, becomes a mountain spirit.”

The explanation was that everything in the mountain was imbued with spirit. If travelers brought in external items and did not remove them, they would disrupt the mountain’s natural spirits, angering the mountain gods and spirits.

Next time, the mountain spirits might avoid the traveler, causing him to find nothing and return empty-handed—or worse, the mountain gods would be enraged, turning the traveler into a “guardian spirit.”

Indeed, the customs, taboos, and regulations of mountain traveling were numerous and meticulously recorded in the ancient texts.

Zhang Hao could not memorize them all and often had to revisit the texts to refresh his understanding.

To him, having decided to become a mountain traveler, it was vital to observe the traditions and rules passed down by the elders.

After all, these were the results of the experiences of previous mountain travelers, forged through countless life-threatening encounters and journeys—each a lesson with its own reasoning.

With this in mind, he once again picked up the “Mountain Travel Chronicles” and immersed himself patiently in study.

He wanted to fully absorb the knowledge and wisdom accumulated by his predecessors before embarking on his own journey.