Volume One, Chapter 3: Jiyin City

Just as Lin Xuan was setting up the pot to boil water, Jiang Feishang finally emerged from the side of the grand hall. He was carrying the carcass of a tiger on his back.

Lin Xuan stood up immediately and asked, "Where did you go? Why did it take you so long to return?"

Jiang Feishang dropped the tiger's carcass onto the ground, caught his breath, and replied, "I... while I was out scouting, I encountered this tiger. Fearing it might threaten the village and your safety, I gave chase. After I killed it, I realized I had gone too far and lost my way..."

"Didn't I tell you not to run off?" Lin Xuan cut him off sharply.

Jiang Feishang froze for a moment, then lowered his head. "Feishang was wrong."

Lin Xuan let out a soft hum, though he didn't truly blame him. He beckoned for Jiang Feishang to sit opposite the fire. "Feishang, this place is filled with unknown dangers. You must understand, if you run off recklessly and something happens to you, what am I supposed to do?" Lin Xuan said in a softer tone.

Hearing this, a look of guilt washed over Jiang Feishang's face; he realized he had indeed been thoughtless.

"Remember, you must never be so reckless again!"

Jiang Feishang nodded obediently. Seeing this, Lin Xuan ladled some water into the pot.

Before the sun set, Lin Xuan and Jiang Feishang finished their meal. During the process, Lin Xuan gained a rough understanding of the situation around the village from Jiang Feishang. According to his scouting, there were no threats within a two-kilometer radius of Lin Family Village, and the only known threat, the tiger, had been dealt with. However, this did not mean the village was truly safe, for six kilometers to the east, Jiang Feishang had spotted a mountain stronghold! Based on his observations, there were at least several dozen people there.

"Bandits... It seems I need to hurry up and build the refugee camp and the primary barracks!"

A moment later, Lin Xuan’s furrowed brow relaxed slightly. In the current situation, he could only take things one step at a time. He believed that with his talent, he would find a way when the time came.

"Feishang, later you can skin the tiger and tidy up before getting some rest. Wake up early tomorrow; you’ll come with me to see if we can find other villages or towns nearby. If we can find one, we can sell this mountain ginseng and the tiger skin, and we won't have to worry about that stronghold threatening the village!" As he spoke, Lin Xuan looked at the century-old wild mountain ginseng in his hand.

[Century-old Wild Mountain Ginseng]: Possesses the effect of nourishing Qi and calming the mind; a potent tonic.

A tiger and a mountain ginseng—this was the harvest from Jiang Feishang’s trip. Lin Xuan calculated the value of both, believing that if he could sell them, he would have enough materials to build the refugee camp and the primary barracks. His only fear was that villages or towns might not be as easy to find as he hoped.

...

The next morning, the sun rose in the east. Lin Xuan woke up early and immediately opened the regional chat channel. The number he saw made his pupils constrict: 98,531. In just one night, over a thousand people had lost their lives!

Lin Xuan had no time to mourn them. He went outside the hall, set up the pot, and cooked breakfast; the aroma of porridge soon filled the air. When the food was ready, Jiang Feishang emerged from the villagers' quarters. Seeing that Lin Xuan had prepared the meal, he looked embarrassed and hurried over. "Forgive me, Village Chief, Feishang... I woke up late!"

Lin Xuan served him a bowl of porridge and asked, "How did you sleep last night?"

Jiang Feishang took the bowl. "Quite well. I fell asleep as soon as I lay down."

"That's good! You need to be well-rested to have the energy to travel."

After the meal, as Jiang Feishang cleaned the bowls, Lin Xuan watched him and said, "We will avoid the east for now and start scouting to the west, south, and north. We’ll start with the west today; if we don’t find anything by noon, we’ll return."

"Understood."

A few minutes later, Lin Xuan and Jiang Feishang left Lin Family Village. The village gate faced north, so they turned left and headed west. The west was a hilly forest; Jiang Feishang used a branch he had snapped off to clear a path, with Lin Xuan following behind.

No incidents occurred during the journey, and they soon reached the foot of the hills. Lin Xuan was about to shout in excitement, but the sight before him caused his enthusiasm to wither. Beyond one mountain lay another! He had been walking for over half an hour, his feet were aching, and yet it seemed they had only just begun.

"I cannot give up! If I give up today, once those bandits attack the village, I’ll have no choice but to wait for death." Lin Xuan clenched his fists. Having come to this strange world, he knew he could never let his guard down. "Feishang, let’s keep moving!"

And so, they continued their exploration to the west. Finally, after they crossed the last ridge, a city appeared before their eyes!

"This—this must be a county seat!" Lin Xuan stared, mouth agape, at the city, which stood over ten meters tall and looked majestic under the sunlight.

Outside the city, there was a steady stream of traffic and pedestrians. Lin Xuan thought for a moment before leading Jiang Feishang onto the main road toward the city. The city looked close, but it was a long walk; it took them five or six minutes to reach the gate. Three large characters were carved above it: Jiyin City!

After entering, they looked around in wonder. The city was prosperous and crowded, making Lin Xuan slightly nervous yet filled with curiosity. Although he had visited ancient city tourist spots before his transmigration, it felt nothing like this.

By the roadside was a tailor shop displaying various types of fabric. The people coming and going were all neatly dressed, wearing well-fitted clothes, a sharp contrast to the commoners in rags. Further on was a pork butcher’s shop. On the chopping block lay cuts of pork with thick layers of fat, glistening with oil. Nearby, a baozi shop owner was calling out, "Baozi for sale! Big, round meat baozi! Meat baozi that leak juice with every bite!"

"Candied haws for sale!"

Jiang Feishang and Lin Xuan walked and observed, their attention caught by the various cries of the vendors. In particular, the smell from the meat baozi stall was incredibly tempting, even from a distance. Meat baozi and candied haws were things Lin Xuan wouldn't have cared for if someone had handed them to him before he arrived here. But now, the scent was truly intoxicating, and Lin Xuan found himself swallowing hard.

PS: A note here—the Three Kingdoms period mentioned refers to the era from the Yellow Turban Rebellion at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, through the tripartite struggle between Wei, Shu, and Wu, to the final establishment of the Western Jin Dynasty.