Chapter 1

Lu Yue lay on the ground, the back of her head aching terribly from the impact. She stared up at the sky, which was so blue that it almost looked unreal. She moved her fingers. Her nails were filled with dirt, and the back of her hands was covered in red scratches, as if she had been whipped by tree branches. Her arms, legs, and every part of her body hurt. The pain was burning, as though someone had scrubbed her with sandpaper. Her head was buzzing as a jumble of unfamiliar memories flooded her mind. Communal meals, a rundown courtyard, seventeen people crowded under one roof, and a rice jar so empty that its bottom was practically polished clean. There was also a man dressed in fine clothes who stood before her and said, "Yue'er, I'm breaking off our engagement. Ever since you saved me from drowning that time, my health has never been the same. I'm afraid I'll only hold you back." Afraid of holding her back? Lu Yue rolled her eyes inwardly. She almost wanted to laugh, even while lying on the ground. If he wanted to break off the engagement, then just say so! Why come up with such a ridiculous excuse? Wasn't it obvious that he simply looked down on her poor family? She had just saved his life, and he turned around and stabbed her in the back. What a beast! She tried to push herself up, but her arms gave out, and she fell back down. Her forehead hit the ground, and she ended up with a mouthful of dirt. "Ptui! Ptui, ptui..." She turned her head and spat out the dirt before looking around. How should she describe this place? It looked like a deep mountain valley, surrounded by slopes. She must have rolled down from one of them. Not far ahead was a cave. Its entrance was small and pitch-black. Beside it... She narrowed her eyes. What was that place emitting white steam? A hot spring? It really was a hot spring! A thin layer of mist floated above the water, and she could see the steam rising even from a distance. Lu Yue sniffed and caught a faint smell of sulfur. Gritting her teeth, she pressed her hands against the ground and slowly managed to sit up. The clothes she was wearing were in terrible condition. The edges of her sleeves were frayed, and there was a tear near the collar. A cold breeze slipped through the holes, making her shiver. She lowered her head and examined her hands. They were dark and thin, with prominent knuckles. They looked just like chicken claws. Thirteen years old? This body looked like it wasn't even ten! She rotated her wrist and grimaced in pain. Looking down, she noticed a cut on the outside of her wrist. It wasn't very deep, but tiny beads of blood were already forming. There were several other scratches nearby, all caused by tree branches. "All right, then!" She dusted herself off and slowly stood up. Her legs wobbled, and her vision briefly went dark. She quickly grabbed the trunk of a nearby tree to steady herself. First, she needed to look around and see what this place had to offer. She followed the mountainside, stepping over fallen leaves. After walking a short distance, she came across a huge pile of leaves. Lu Yue used a stick to sweep them aside and took a closer look... Reishi mushrooms... Huge reishi mushrooms, each as big as a basin! They were dark purple, with shiny caps, growing beneath the roots of a large tree beside the mountainside! Lu Yue crouched down and brushed away all the remaining leaves. Her eyes widened in surprise. This wasn't just one mushroom. There was an entire patch of them! The largest one had a cap even bigger than a washbasin, its color so deep purple that it almost looked black. Golden lines ran along the edges, and its thick body looked incredibly heavy. Several other large mushrooms grew beside it. Even the smallest ones were as big as bowls, each one thick and plump. "My goodness..." Without thinking, she reached out to touch the largest mushroom. But just as her fingertips brushed against the edge of its cap— A sharp pain shot through her arm. "Hiss..." She immediately pulled her hand back and looked down. There were two tiny puncture wounds on the outside of her forearm. The surrounding skin had already started turning red and swollen. What had bitten her? She quickly stepped back and tore a strip of cloth from her sleeve. Wrapping it tightly around her arm above the wound, she pulled it as hard as she could. In her previous life, she had gone into the mountains with others to hunt for wild game. She had at least learned some basic first aid. If something bit you, you had to tie the area above the wound first to keep the poison from spreading. She crouched there, breathing heavily as her eyes carefully scanned the area around the reishi mushrooms. She couldn't see any snakes or insects. Still, she didn't dare reach out again. Looking down at her arm, she examined the two tiny puncture marks. The surrounding skin was swollen, red, and hot to the touch. It didn't hurt too much, but there was an uncomfortable feeling of swelling. "Thankfully, it doesn't seem to be something highly poisonous!" she muttered weakly to herself. Then she looked up at the enormous reishi mushroom again. She couldn't just leave these mushrooms behind. Otherwise, getting bitten would have been a complete waste! She picked up a long branch from the ground and vigorously struck the area around the mushrooms several times. Dry leaves flew everywhere, but nothing appeared underneath. She struck a few more times. Still, there was no movement. "Fine! You're lucky you managed to escape!" She switched hands, grabbed the edge of the mushroom cap with her left hand, and shook it as hard as she could. These mushrooms were incredibly sturdy. No matter how many times she shook them, they wouldn't budge. Their roots were firmly embedded in the cracks of the mountainside, as if they had grown there permanently. Gritting her teeth, she used even more strength. She leaned her entire body backward, digging her toes into the ground. The veins on her forehead were practically popping out. "Come down..." "You'd better come down!" Crack! The reishi mushroom finally snapped off at its roots. Lu Yue lost her balance and fell flat on her butt, hitting the back of her head against the ground once again. "Ouch..." She lay on the ground, clutching the enormous mushroom tightly in her hands. She raised it and examined it. Its cap was completely intact, without a single crack. The dark purple surface had a glossy sheen, while the tiny pores underneath were dense and evenly distributed. Bringing it closer to her nose, she caught a rich reishi aroma, slightly bitter yet fragrant. What a treasure! With this quality, it would have easily been worth at least six figures in her previous life. She placed the mushroom beside her, struggled back to her feet, and looked at the others nearby. There were three more large ones, two medium-sized ones, and several smaller ones that she hadn't even bothered counting. "I'm picking them all! Every single one!" She had barely taken a step when her legs went weak, and she almost fell to her knees. Her stomach suddenly growled so loudly that it sounded like thunder. She was starving! Since waking up, she hadn't eaten a single thing. All the little strength she had left had been used up shaking that enormous reishi mushroom. She leaned against the mountainside and caught her breath. Then her eyes swept across the area ahead... At the foot of the mountain wall were patches of wild vegetables: lamb's quarters, purslane, and wild amaranth. They were growing beautifully, with thick, lush green leaves. It was obvious that no one had picked them before. But there was no fire. Eat the wild vegetables raw? She glanced at the reishi mushroom in her hand, then at the wild vegetables. An idea crossed her mind. She would go to the hot spring first and see if she could find something to start a fire. Holding the mushroom, she slowly made her way toward the hot spring, stumbling with every step. Warm steam washed over her, and the warmth quickly chased away the chill on her face. The hot spring wasn't very large, only about three or four steps across. The stones beneath the water were clearly visible, while bubbles continuously rose to the surface with a gentle gurgling sound. Steam surrounded the entire pool. The cave entrance was right beside the hot spring. She glanced inside, but it was pitch-black, making it impossible to tell how deep it was. However, several dry branches were piled near the entrance. They were completely dried out and snapped easily when bent. Lu Yue crouched down, placed the reishi mushroom on the ground, and picked up several dry branches. She also gathered some dry grass and arranged everything on a flat stone. She was going to start a fire by rubbing sticks together. She glanced at her injured right hand and bit her lower lip. She couldn't do it with just one hand. She needed both. After arranging the dry grass and stacking the branches, she held a fire-starting stick with both hands and began rubbing it vigorously. Every time she applied pressure with her right hand, the wound hurt. The two puncture marks throbbed as if needles were repeatedly stabbing into them, making her hands tremble. After a few attempts, the stick slipped, scattering the dry grass everywhere. "Damn it!" She gathered the grass again and tried once more. Still, it wouldn't work! Her hands were shaking badly. Blood began seeping from her wound again, trickling down her fingers and dripping onto the dry grass. She stared at the drops of blood for a second, then continued rubbing. It hurt, but she had no choice. Without a fire, she couldn't produce smoke. Without smoke, her family wouldn't be able to find her. Once darkness fell in this remote mountain valley, anything could come crawling out. Gritting her teeth, she gripped the stick tightly with both hands. The muscles in her arms tensed until they felt rock-hard. She didn't even know when the tears had started falling. They streamed down her face, blurring her vision, but she had no time to wipe them away. She kept rubbing, harder and harder. Even when her arms grew sore, she refused to stop. Whenever the pain became unbearable, she simply gritted her teeth and let out a few quiet groans. "It's catching! It's catching! It's catching!" A thin wisp of white smoke began rising from beneath the stick. She quickly stopped rubbing and carefully blew on the dry grass. She cupped the tiny ember in her hands as though she were holding something incredibly precious. The smoke grew thicker and thicker. Then the ember flickered, and the dry grass finally caught fire. She quickly stuffed the burning grass into the pile of dry branches. Flames immediately leaped upward, crackling and popping. The firelight illuminated her face, filling it with warmth. She dropped onto the ground, completely exhausted. Her entire body felt as though it had fallen apart, and she could barely lift her arms. But she still couldn't rest. It was almost dark. She needed to make a huge fire and produce enough smoke for her family to see. Only then would they be able to find her.