Struggle for Supremacy

Three days later.

The morning of February 1st, Year 0001 of the Medieval World.

It was an overcast day; the sky was dim, and the morning dew still clung to the grass, with a cool breeze drifting by. Such comfortable moments were rare in summer. Yet, crouched beside two clusters of shrubs on a hillside, Wu Qingchen raised his right hand to wipe the beads of sweat from his brow.

“Los…” A few steps away, a face of a young man, probably just over twenty, peeked out from beside a dense clump of leaves.

“What is it?” Wu Qingchen turned his head.

“Los…” The young man’s forehead was also lightly beaded with sweat. Seeing Wu Qingchen looking back, he vigorously waved a handful of pale green seedlings in his right hand. “…I remember you said we needed this kind too, right?”

“Let me see…” Wu Qingchen walked over, took the seedlings, examined them carefully, and quickly shook his head. “Yes, we do need these seedlings… but these particular ones won’t do…”

“Why? I dug them up very carefully…” The young man hurried over and checked anxiously. “Look, here—and here—the roots are intact, the leaves aren’t torn, and I even brought a bit of soil with them…”

“I know, I know… You did dig them up carefully…” Wu Qingchen nodded repeatedly, pointing to the top of the seedlings. “But the reason these won’t work isn’t because of any of that… When making medicine from these, we don’t use the roots or leaves. What we need are the flowers… none of these have bloomed yet…”

“Is that so? Let me think…” The young man tilted his head, recalling, soon looking frustrated as he tossed away the remaining seedlings. “Ah, now I remember. You did tell me… How could I have forgotten again…”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Forgetting isn’t a big deal. These seedlings are everywhere; it’s not any trouble to find more…”

As he spoke, Wu Qingchen crouched down again, and when he stood, he held several more seedlings, nearly identical to the young man’s, except these had small blue flowers blooming at their forks. “See, there are plenty right here…”

“That’s enough…” Seeing the young man crouch and begin searching, Wu Qingchen quickly waved his hand. “That’s enough, you don’t need to look any further. We only need a few.”

“Oh…” The young man stopped. “So, what else do we need now?”

“Now…” Hearing this, Wu Qingchen glanced to his right, at the wooden basket placed nearby, already half-filled with various plants. “Your basket—let me see it, too…”

Soon, the two baskets sat side by side. Wu Qingchen placed the young man’s basket in front of him, carefully sorting through it and transferring a few herbs to his own. After a short while, the young man’s basket had been fully inspected, and Wu Qingchen’s was now completely full.

“Well…” Wu Qingchen pondered briefly, then gave everything a quick check. “It looks like we have nearly everything now…”

“Yes, almost everything. The few things left can be found by the rocks and water plants on the west side of the village at midday… If not, we can dig them up when we return this afternoon… That’s enough for now!” Glancing at the sky, Wu Qingchen picked up his full basket and stood. “It’s getting late; there’s still much to do today. Let’s go…”

“Leaving?” The young man dusted off his hands and stood, quickly reaching out when he noticed Wu Qingchen’s heavy basket. “Here, Los, let me carry it for you…”

“No need, I can manage myself.”

“But you have so much, and the road is long. Let me carry it.”

“Really, it’s fine. It just looks like a lot, but it’s mostly light grasses. I can carry it.”

“It can’t be that light… Let me do it. Lord Bales sent me to help you…”

“It’s really alright. The road ahead is narrow; carrying two baskets would be inconvenient… Besides, these herbs need careful handling. It’s better if each of us manages one.”

“Well… In that case… Let’s swap!”

“…Alright…” With a helpless laugh, Wu Qingchen exchanged baskets. “There, now we’re set. Let’s hurry, Basset.”

“Alright, Los.” The young Basset—servant to the agricultural officer—nodded vigorously and strode ahead.

For three days, Wu Qingchen had been tending to the village’s injured cattle.

The roads of the medieval world were dreadful, and hygiene… well, hygiene simply didn’t exist. Most of the injured oxen had open wounds and were unfit to leave their stalls or the hay piles in their wooden sheds. So Wu Qingchen had to head out at dawn and only returned home at sunset, eating a quick dinner and then heading back for follow-up treatment, often only escorted back to his hut by grateful villagers in the dead of night.

With so many injured oxen in the village, even working tirelessly, day and night, Wu Qingchen could only treat about half. The rest received the simplest medicines, a bit of basic care instruction, and rudimentary measures to prevent infection.

Of course, these “simplest medicines,” “basic care methods,” and “rudimentary infection prevention” were all relative to Earth’s standards. In a medieval world with virtually no medicine, these treatments had already greatly improved the condition of the injured cattle, speeding up their recovery.

It was an ideal result—mass cattle deaths and devastation for the village were now out of the question, and full recovery was within sight. The agricultural officer was very satisfied.

However, when he saw that some of the oxen Wu Qingchen had personally treated the first night and day were already fully recovered and back at work, the officer was deeply shocked and sought Wu Qingchen again.

Upon learning that Wu Qingchen was already doing his utmost and couldn't speed up the process any further, he immediately assigned Basset to assist Wu Qingchen—collecting herbs, preparing and applying medicines, improving recovery environments, even helping with meals, washing, laundry, and bedding—providing every possible assistance.

Wu Qingchen did not abuse Basset’s labor.

During training, the Earth’s advisory, analysis, and coaching teams had repeatedly stressed to Wu Qingchen that, in the medieval world, at this stage, it was crucial to befriend every native, seizing every opportunity to win goodwill and build a positive image.

Their goals were not hard to meet. Having lived for over twenty years in a society of at least nominal equality, Wu Qingchen naturally treated Basset with kindness. Years of communication in an information-rich society had given Wu Qingchen far superior interpersonal skills. When Basset picked the wrong herbs, Wu Qingchen simply said seedlings were everywhere, never pointing out he had already reminded him. When Basset insisted on carrying the baskets, Wu Qingchen said the road was narrow and carrying two was inconvenient, never mentioning Basset’s lack of care with the herbs.

And so on and so forth…

What was expected to be a grueling chore became pleasant. For Basset, who usually followed the agricultural officer in constant fear of slipping up, this was a refreshing change.

55. The Contest (Part Two)

With herb collecting nearly finished, and their baskets carefully protected, Wu Qingchen and Basset walked along winding paths, crossing several hills and approaching the village dwellings.

Soon, they neared a fork in the path formed by a slope, both branches leading west. Beyond the hill lay several villagers’ wooden houses. Reaching this point, both Wu Qingchen and Basset slowed their steps.

“Shall I go take a look?” Basset glanced back, seeking approval.

“Go ahead…” Wu Qingchen nodded, then added, a bit uneasy, “Be careful. Don’t let anyone see you.”

“I know…” Basset set down his basket, tiptoed to the corner, cautiously peeked, then quickly retreated.

“How is it?” Wu Qingchen’s voice betrayed hope.

“No good, not this way.”

Basset shook his head, then tiptoed to the other path and repeated his careful peeking, quickly shaking his head again before Wu Qingchen could ask, “No good here, either.”

“Both ways?… I knew it would be like this… Well, let’s take this route—it’s at least closer… Sigh…”

Wu Qingchen sighed, looking at the two paths, his steps heavy and his expression troubled as he headed left.

He parted branches reaching into the path, skirted rain-fed overgrown shrubs, and rounded the corner, leaving the hillside behind. Before him lay rolling slopes, two winding streams, muddy fields, squat wooden houses…

And, standing in front of the houses, staring intently at the path’s corner, were a dozen farmwives and children. The instant Wu Qingchen appeared, they turned, rushed forward, or jumped high.

At the same moment, his ears were assaulted by a barrage of shouts.

“Los! Over here! Look, the water’s boiling, the hay’s spread, the cloth’s torn, everything’s ready—just waiting for you! This time it’ll be quick, I swear, you won’t waste a moment!”

“Los! Los! You must be tired from the fields—come to Aunt Akala’s! I made peas and lettuce, still hot! Just picked this morning, with salt and oil!”

“You’re just in time, Los! I need you—come sit with me! Last night, your Uncle Aveilia found two small spades when he got home, no one knows whose… Look, here they are, aren’t they perfect? Take one home, your father and brothers are opening new fields, they’ll need it!”

“He’s here, he’s here! Los is here! Mother, come out, come out! Los has come!”

Amid a chorus of shouts, the dozen figures rushed toward Wu Qingchen. The farmwives moved with surprising agility, running and jumping, squeezing in beside him. Their smiling faces radiated warmth, their mouths issuing a torrent of the friendliest invitations.

Surrounded by such sincerity…

Wu Qingchen’s face twisted in distress, his brow furrowed like tree bark, his face wrinkled like a bitter melon.

“Aunt Mary, please don’t pull me, I beg you… It’s no use, really! I’ve checked your ox three times! I swear—it’s not the injury, your darling just can’t eat any more grass… Any ox, fed five times a day, would end up the same… You’re overfeeding it! And all the food you’ve prepared is too much! Basset and I couldn’t finish it in three days! We’ve already eaten, please let me go!”

“Grandma Zenia, please stop pushing—I’m already in the field, and you wouldn’t want Uncle Jamie angry, right? Yes, I know you’re not doing it on purpose… No, no, I’m not angry! It’s not about that… I know you have a shed, you’ve boiled the water, torn the cloth… Yes, yes, I remember, you’ve told me thirteen times since the day before yesterday!”

“Ah… Aunt Memi, please don’t grab the basket… No, don’t shove the spade in it—don’t crush the herbs… Yes, yes, it’s Uncle Aveilia who found it, definitely when he got home…”

“Yes, yes, what a coincidence, how could it not be? I haven’t visited your house much, but I’m sure, to find these little spades, you’d have to open Uncle Aveilia’s favorite chest, dig through a pile of clothes, remove two boards, and only then, from the very bottom, could you find these treasures!”

“Cassie, Cass, Cleo, Edmond, stop shouting! Let the aunts finish flipping the hay! The sun is setting—if you don’t finish, the oxen won’t have winter feed!”

“Alright, alright, aunts and grandmas, let me go! I’ve treated all your oxen, checked them two or three times, they’re fine. Just let them rest, and in a few days they’ll be back in the fields… Let me go, there are still twenty more oxen waiting for me…”

“Don’t chase me, everyone, please go home! Look—see over there… The aunties from Asitakio are coming too. If you don’t let me go, I’ll never finish, and I’ll have even less time to check your oxen!”

And so, after much effort to escape, Wu Qingchen and Basset fled in haste, pursued by a horde of farmwives and children.

This scene was one that Wu Qingchen had endured every time he passed through the village these three days…

Just one of many.

For Wu Qingchen, the road through the village dwellings had become, since he started treating the injured oxen, a path fraught with obstacles and hardships.

There was no other way—there were over forty injured oxen in the village. Wu Qingchen had done everything possible to speed up treatment, but so far had only managed to treat half.

He was only one person, and he hadn’t learned the spell of self-duplication. Treatment had to be prioritized. Everyone wanted their ox treated first, restored and back to work as soon as possible, to minimize family losses.

With seventy-odd families—some with their own oxen, some sharing—hundreds of people all wishing for “top priority,” Wu Qingchen could only determine the order based on the severity of injuries, urgency, location, and family impact.

These factors were almost unheard of among the villagers, so the scene just witnessed repeated itself again and again.

Along the way, whether their oxen had been treated, were in for a checkup, had nearly recovered, or were already back in the fields, nearly every household, the women and children left at home, would run to Wu Qingchen—pleading, complaining, preparing, or awkwardly attempting bribes, trying every means to get him to pay extra attention to their injured oxen.

Families whose oxen hadn’t yet received even initial treatment—who had only been given the simplest herbs and a muddled explanation of care and disinfection, and watched as their neighbors’ oxen recovered—were even more desperate in their pursuit.

The advisory team had surely anticipated this. Why didn’t the coaching team teach me some tricks for escaping?

Again and again, Wu Qingchen fought to break through, fleeing like a hunted rat, worn out and miserable.

Fortunately, the villagers were ignorant but not stupid. When chasing Wu Qingchen, they were careful not to let their enthusiasm hurt him. While disputes occasionally broke out, they never escalated beyond harmless bickering—there were no fights.

Thanks to their simple nature, Wu Qingchen’s treatment plan could proceed in an orderly fashion.

Until now…

“Oh my god!”

Staring at the empty landscape—just winding streams, steep slopes, and two deeply worn banks—Wu Qingchen gaped in disbelief, involuntarily exclaiming in his native tongue.

In the distance, four farmwives were running off, carrying two wet logs.

Fleeing along with the dismantled bridge was Aunt Seraka, shouting breathlessly:

“Los, we’ve got food ready, and everything you’ve used these days to treat the cattle… Oh, and just now, when you came over, Grandma Luni took people and dismantled the bridge on your way home. No matter what, if you don’t treat our five families’ cattle today, you won’t be going home!”