Chapter 12: Investigating and Punishing

  When Yang Zilu returned to Jianluo Village, it was already in the afternoon, with the sun slanting westward, probably around four o'clock.

  Didn't want to just enter the village, but saw Zheng Dan standing at the entrance of the village with a very heroic image. His hands were holding a green bamboo, and he was wearing a somewhat tattered straw hat on his head. If he lowered his head at this time, with a long blade of grass in his mouth, and a cloud of smoke rising behind him, the image would be absolutely perfect!

  On the other side, Yiguang was still standing there, looking weak and mischievous, seemingly worried about something, fiddling with her skirt hem, and lowering her head. Yang Zilu suddenly remembered something. Instantly, his scalp felt numb, and he seemed to understand why Zheng Dan was guarding the village entrance.

  At this moment, Yang Zilu wished he had a pair of flying legs to make a quick escape. However, it was clear that Yang Zilu couldn't hide even if he wanted to, as the people walking in front had already excitedly exposed his whereabouts, and Yang Zilu's tall stature made him stand out among the Yue people at this time.

  "Ah! It's Ah Dan ah! Young Master Yang didn't say, it's really fierce! One axe and a dog bear was killed, as long as eight feet four inches, compared to Young Master Yang is only shorter by one inch or two! As heavy as over 500 catties!" The young man carrying the dog bear proudly patted the bear corpse behind him and said. It seemed like the dog bear wasn't killed by Yang Zi Lu, but rather by him.

  (Note: I'll only provide the translation)

  (In ancient times, grain was usually measured in units of "stone", where 1 stone = 10 dou = 10 sheng, and 1 stone is equivalent to 120 catties. During the Spring and Autumn period, 1 catty varied in weight among different countries, but generally ranged from 260g to 230g, with Wu and Yue having a catty of 240g. Therefore, this "dog bear" weighing 500 catties actually only weighs 250 catties.)

  Zheng Dan was somewhat surprised by the words, and looked at Yang Zilu, who was white and clean, with a slender figure. Her eyes were filled with unexpected surprise. However, when she saw the mountainous girl behind Yang Zilu, she couldn't help but frown, and felt an inexplicable discomfort in her heart. Zheng Dan slowly walked to Yang Zilu's side, lowered her voice and asked: "What are you doing? This is a mountain barbarian, why did you save them?"

  Because the mountain barbarians are relatively savage, people who cut wood and hunt on the mountain are also prone to injury. Therefore, the villagers have a strong dislike for the mountain barbarians. If Yang Zilu hadn't insisted, the villagers wouldn't have brought these two mountain barbarians back either.

  "Saving one life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. Moreover, who knows when you'll get hurt yourself? If you don't save others, how can you ask for help in the future?" Yang Zilu retorted.

  Because the language of the Viet people and the mountain barbarians had a big difference, and the language could only be said to have some similarities between the two. So Xiaohu was able to understand Yang Zilu's language, but couldn't understand Zheng Dan's words. He curiously stared with wide eyes at Zheng Dan, looking left and right, still with a few points of vigilance.

  Although saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda, Zheng Dan didn't quite understand this saying, but the words that followed made sense to her. Although she still felt some disgust in her heart, it had decreased somewhat. Most importantly, she saw that Little Fox was quite pretty, and although one shouldn't judge by appearances, it couldn't be denied that a person's looks could add a few points of favorability. Zheng Dan hesitated for a moment before furrowing her brow and saying, "Alright, bring him to our house! However..." At this point, Zheng Dan glared fiercely at Yang Zilu.

  Yang Zilu hastily replied, "Adan, let's settle this matter first! Whatever the case, I'll give you an explanation. Are you afraid I'll run away?"

  "Run? Hmph! You dare to run and I'll break your legs!" Zheng Dan said fiercely, waving her bamboo stick symbolically to prevent Yang Zilu from doubting. To outsiders, Zheng Dan was majestic and awe-inspiring, even when she was furious, making people admire her.

  Yang Zilu could only smile wryly and thought: Who have I offended now!

  The bear is easy to deal with, and there are four hunting households in this village. Although the bear is a huge creature, every four or five years someone occasionally catches one. However, they all contact several hunters, go through careful planning, and design traps to do so. It's not like Yang Zilu who can solve it with just one axe.

  So when they heard that the bear was going to be slaughtered, the hunter actually asked Yang Zilu to teach him martial arts and even offered to dissect the bear for free during his apprenticeship. He was indeed very sincere.

  Yang Zilu could have some martial arts, but unfortunately, he had to decline politely and said that he was just a blind cat hitting a dead mouse. However, the hunters didn't believe him, they knew how ferocious this beast was as they dealt with wild animals every day. If they were to confront it head-on, even seven or eight big men couldn't kill a dog bear.

  This bear's skin was rough and its meat thick, Yang Zilu had used an axe to dig out the bear's gallbladder at first, which took a lot of effort. Not to mention that it wasn't dead yet. The idea approached closer, even more dangerous! A bear paw slapped over. That was truly a force of a thousand jun, hitting a person flying two or three zhang far away was an easy matter. Where was there anyone who could be as fierce as Yang Zilu, approaching close without any injury, and with one axe chopping into its mouth? That decisiveness, eyesight, and skill were truly not lacking in the slightest. This was naturally the understanding of a hunter.

  Yang Zilu reluctantly spoke the truth, but no one believed that this seven-foot-eight-inch-tall man could actually get close to a bear and grapple with it. In fact, if Yang Zilu hadn't personally experienced it himself and seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed how fierce the wild black bears were either.

  In the end, the hunter could only think that his sincerity was not enough, so he helped Yang Zilu dissect the bear for free and didn't want a single penny. It seems that the hunter is not stupid either, knowing that to get something, one must first give something. Yang Zilu felt embarrassed, personally handed over five kilograms of bear meat to the other party, saying don't want it, and from now on, don't come to see him again, only then did the other party accept it.

  Yang Zilu then applied plaster to the wild man Hei Xiong, fortunately this thing was found on Mother Pig Mountain, although the quantity was not much, but for Yang Zilu's needs it was more than enough. Yang Zilu had someone grind the plaster into a pulp with water and apply it to the wild man Hei Xiong. However, after Yang Zilu finished, Zheng Dan immediately pulled Yang Zilu to the end of their own alley, which is also by the riverbank of Huasha Creek, where Yang Zilu had bathed last night. Yi Guang was already waiting there, whether he came voluntarily or was pulled over by Zheng Dan.