Chapter Seventeen: Changshan

  After bidding farewell to his parents, Zhao Fei walked quickly on the small village road. Zhao Yun followed closely behind him. After leaving the village entrance, Zhao Fei's mood was somewhat downcast, and his mother's appearance made him feel a little unbearable in his heart. However, thinking about it for a moment, he would soon be able to see Tong Yuan, and Zhao Fei's heart was filled with anticipation again.

  Out of the village, outside the village is a piece of land. The gentle breeze blows, and the wheat seedlings sway gently, as if to shake off their spirits and make an effort to grow upwards! Looking at the piece after piece of thriving wheat fields, Zhao Fei's mood was very happy, but also worried. He was happy that there would be a good harvest this autumn, but worried about the natural disasters before the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out. It is unknown how long it will take for the Yellow Turban Rebellion to happen now. But for now, the crops are still thriving, and there should be some years left. "Sigh..." Zhao Fei let out a long sigh.

  Next to him, Zhao Yun saw Zhao Fei sigh and asked: "What's wrong Ah Fei, why are you sighing? Are you worried about Tiger Uncle and the others?" Zhao Fei shook his head. "No, my parents in the village should be fine, I'm just thinking of something else." Zhao Fei shook his head again.

  "What's wrong? What makes you sigh like that?" Zhao Yun was puzzled, just a moment ago when they parted ways, Zhao Fei didn't seem so troubled. How did he become like this as soon as they left the village?

  "Uncle Cloud, what do you think of the crops outside the village?" Zhao Fei suddenly came out with a sentence, asking Zhao Yun to be at a loss.

  "Crops? What's wrong with the crops. I think they look great. This year is likely to be a bumper harvest, why did you suddenly mention crops? Are you sighing because of the crops? But I think this year's crop growth is quite satisfactory." Zhao Yun looked around at the surrounding crops, not knowing why Zhao Fei had suddenly asked such a question.

  "This year is a good harvest, but who knows if next year will be a good harvest? We farmers rely on the heavens for food, and if there's a natural disaster or man-made calamity, the crops will wither and die. How can the villagers survive then?" As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Fei couldn't help but sigh again.

  After listening to Zhao Fei's words, Zhao Yun was also taken aback. What Zhao Fei said wasn't wrong, although Zhao Yun hadn't experienced a complete crop failure before, there were times when the harvest was poor, and those scenes were still vivid in his mind. He really didn't dare imagine what would happen if they really had a complete crop failure. "Little Fei, you're being a bit alarmist, even if the grain yield is affected by some natural disasters, it won't be completely wiped out."

  "A man without long-term plans must have near worries. Moreover, heaven's favors are hard to predict, who can know? Looking at the lush green crops, Zhao Fei sighed with his hands behind his back. Zhao Yun didn't know but he knew that year after year of natural disasters had led to a complete loss of crops."

  "Does Ah Fei have a way to solve it?" Seeing Zhao Fei's expression, Zhao Yun found it hard to believe but couldn't help asking.

  "Brother Yun, you're overestimating me. If I had a way out, why would I be sighing here?" Zhao Fei shook his head helplessly. "Alright, Brother Yun, let's not talk about this anymore. We'll discuss it later if something comes up. Let's hurry along, I'm really eager to see Master Tong." Zhao Fei suddenly changed the dejected look on his face to an anxious expression. Looking at the suddenly transformed Zhao Fei, Zhao Yun felt extremely helpless. Just a moment ago, he was still worried about the country and its people, but now he had become like this - was this really his own brother? But what Zhao Yun didn't know was that although the person was still Zhao Fei, the soul inside him had changed into someone completely unrelated.

  "Well, let's hurry up then." He said and strode forward. Zhao Fei also quickly followed behind Zhao Yun.

  In the southeast of Zhengding County, Changshan County, Hebei Province, there is a mountain called Changshan. It is named after its proximity to Changshan County and is the highest peak in the county. The majestic mountain has layer upon layer of peaks, showcasing its grandeur. Due to its height and dense forests, no villages or rice fields can be seen within several miles around Changshan. It's as if it has been sleeping for millions of years, with no one daring to venture into its heart, not even the most adventurous hunters, who only go to its foot to chase after mountain goats, wild boars, and birds that run down from the mountain. However, today, two people have arrived at the foot of Changshan.

  No, the two people were indeed Zhao Fei and Zhao Yun. After several hours of long-distance travel, Zhao Fei followed Zhao Yun to the foot of Changshan Mountain. The two arrived at Changshan without stopping, just as they were about to ascend the mountain, Zhao Fei couldn't hold on any longer. Helpless, Zhao Yun could only stay behind with him. The long journey had already left Zhao Fei exhausted. Looking up at the towering peak and dense forest, Zhao Fei couldn't help but feel a wave of headaches. Turning his head to look at the calm and composed Zhao Yun beside him, Zhao Fei kept muttering in his heart, "This guy is not human, this guy is not human."

  "Xiao Fei, how's your rest?" Zhao Yun asked with concern as he was muttering to himself that Zhao Fei was a monster. "If you're almost done, let's get going up the mountain. If we delay for too long, we won't be able to make it to the thatched cottage before dark. There are still some fierce beasts in the mountains, and camping in the woods can be very dangerous." Looking at the sky, Zhao Yun couldn't help but feel a bit worried.

  When Zhao Yun said that, Zhao Fei didn't dare to linger either and immediately stood up. Looking at the forest that blocked out the sky and sun, Zhao Fei couldn't help but feel a little intimidated in his heart. He patted the dust off his body and said to Zhao Yun, "We've rested enough, Cloud Brother, let's go." Then he followed Zhao Yun into the deep mountains, one in front of the other.

  The mountains are very quiet, with towering trees that are lush and verdant. The dense foliage blocks out the sky, and sunlight can only pass through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground, making the already quiet mountain even more eerie.

  "Brother Yun, how much farther can we go?" Zhao Fei asked Zhao Yun again, following closely behind him on the thorny mountain path. He couldn't help but complain in his heart.

  "It's almost there, just a bit more effort." Zhao Yun comforted Zhao Fei, who was complaining.

  "But Cloud Brother, you said the same thing half an hour ago." Zhao Fei panted heavily, wiping away the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. He felt his legs trembling as if they were filled with lead. If I had known it would be so painful, why did I come here?

  "This is really fast, otherwise let's take a break." Zhao Yun saw that Zhao Fei's physical strength was almost at its limit, so he planned to let him rest for a while. After hearing this sentence, Zhao Fei sat down on the spot in an ungraceful manner. "Brother Yun, how much longer will it take to get there?" Zhao Fei looked up at Zhao Yun and asked. Zhao Yun thought for a moment, "At the current speed, we still have less than an hour's journey left." "What? Still an hour? Isn't this going to kill us?" Only then did Zhao Fei's miserable cry echo far away. Zhao Yun hurriedly covered Zhao Fei's mouth, "Don't shout, what if you attract some wild beasts? Okay, let's take a break and go. By the way, if you feel tired, you can untie the sandbags on your body and I'll help you carry them." Zhao Yun's words stunned Zhao Fei. Ah, how come I didn't think of that? I used to be quite clever, but now I'm stupid at this moment. He quickly untied the sandbags from his body and handed them over to Zhao Yun.

  After removing the sandbag, Zhao Fei felt relaxed all over. He stood up and jumped a few times. "Alright, Yun Ge, I'm fine now, let's go."