Abandoning literature for martial arts, starting by unleashing the beauty's bow.

When Lu Fengnian came out of the Old Turtle Cave, a raft had already been prepared in the camp.

Sixteen fir trees, each about three inches in diameter and over ten feet long, had their branches and knots removed, and were then tightly bound together side by side with kudzu vines. A short crossbeam was added at the beginning, end, and middle for added stability.

Lu Fengnian glanced at it briefly and found that the raft was more than enough to carry four people, and even if the number doubled, it wouldn't be a problem.

Its length and size allow for easy passage within the Old Turtle Cave.

At the same time, each raft is equipped with four oars, also made of cedar wood. The workmanship is a little rough, but it is sufficient for rowing.

In one corner of the camp, four thick pine logs were piled up.

"Brother Fengnian, we don't know how to make torches from this wet pine wood; you'll have to do it yourself." Yang Sihai saw Lu Fengnian coming over and quickly went to greet him.

Lu Fengnian nodded. "Go and do other things. Leave the torches to me."

Then he went to the pine trees, took out his machete, and peeled off the cracked bark and pine buds that were covered with pine branches from the four pine trees, and removed the white wood that contained a lot of moisture.

Soon, the resin from all four pine logs was removed, forming a large bundle.

Lu Fengnian first spread the pine bark and pine blocks on the campsite.

He found a wood-chopping knife, took two pine logs, split them, and made more than forty long wooden strips, each about four feet long and of similar size.

Then, a campfire was lit, and the logs were placed around the fire to roast.

Baking from noon to dusk, the moisture in the wood strips certainly wouldn't be completely baked away, but the outer layer would be mostly dry.

At this point, all four rafts were completed, and a layer of elm bark was laid on them to prevent slipping.

Yang Kai also returned, with a bountiful harvest: he caught several mountain leapers, a argali sheep, and six fine-scaled salmon.

After everyone had a hearty meal, the remaining cooked meat was hung up to air dry, to be used when entering the Old Turtle Cave.

After digesting his food a little, Lu Fengnian found some ramie rope and tied the pine bark and pine pieces, which were almost dry and covered with resin, to one end of the long pine logs.

There are also specific techniques for binding. Pieces of pine bark and pine blocks are arranged in a certain pattern and bound downwards with hemp rope, with each strip of wood being bound about seven times.

Soon, more than forty wooden strips were tied together.

Yang Yinfeng leaned closer to Lu Fengnian and said, "When we make torches from pine wood, we have to wait until the wood is completely dry. That way, it will burn for a long time and won't be afraid of the wind."

Lu Fengnian smiled slightly, "These torches I made certainly won't burn as long as yours, but they'll be quite useful in an emergency."

After saying that, he picked up a torch and held it into the campfire.

Soon, the torches were lit and burned brightly, illuminating a considerable area.

Lu Fengnian planted the torch in the center of the camp. The torch burned in circles downwards for a full quarter of an hour before going out.

Yang Yinfeng looked surprised. "I used to do this when I went hunting in the mountains at night, but it doesn't burn for long and goes out in no time."

How can your torch burn for so long?

Yang Kai turned his gaze to Lu Fengnian. "I just looked at it. Your method of tying the torches was skillful. The problem must be here, right?"

Lu Fengnian nodded. "My arrangement and binding method can increase the burning time."

Yang Kai then asked, "I heard from Zhao Tie that you had been studying all along. How did you know so much about going into the mountains, and how could you be so skilled at it?"

Lu Fengnian's lips curled slightly. "What the eyes see is not necessarily the truth."

Furthermore, I can sense that you seem to have a great prejudice against intellectuals.

At this point, he stood up, turned his gaze towards the direction of the Old Turtle Cave, and raised his voice slightly as he chanted:

"The wealthy need not buy fertile land, for they can find plenty of wealth in books."

There's no need for grand halls to provide a comfortable home; a wealth of knowledge can be found within books.

Don't lament the lack of companions when you go out; in books, carriages and horses are plentiful.

Don't lament the lack of a good matchmaker when looking for a wife; beauty can be found in books.

"A man who wishes to fulfill his life's ambition should diligently study the Five Classics by the window."

Although Yang Kai, Zhao Tie, and the others were illiterate, they could understand the poem, which was simple in meaning.

After hearing this, they all showed disdain on their faces.

Lu Fengnian's gaze swept across everyone's faces, and he laughed and cursed, "That's all bullshit! In this chaotic world, for people like us of humble origins, it's easier than climbing to heaven to rise above others through education."

Upon hearing this, everyone burst into laughter.

…………

The next day, very early in the morning.

Everyone was full and refreshed.

Groups of four carried a raft down to the entrance of the Old Turtle Cave.

Soon, everything was ready, and the four rafts lined up in a row and filed in, slowly gliding into the Old Turtle Cave.

Lu Fengnian, Yang Kai, Zhao Tie, Yang Yinfeng, and Yang Sihai went to the four rafts separately.

The lead raft was steered by Lu Fengnian, while the last raft was steered by Yang Kai.

Yang Yinfeng and Yang Sihai controlled the second raft, closely following behind Lu Fengnian, while Zhao Tie led the third raft.

Lu Fengnian deliberately kept his speed low and moved forward slowly, trying to keep the four rafts as close as possible to each other so that the other rafts could provide timely support in case of any emergency.

Since Lu Fengnian had already entered the Old Turtle Cave twice, the fear of the others towards the Old Turtle Cave had obviously diminished considerably.

Although nervous after entering the cave, I did not show any fear.

The water flow inside the cave was relatively gentle, and the river channel was quite wide. The four rafts moved steadily upstream and soon traveled half a mile before arriving at the place where the stone path on the rock wall was submerged.

Lu Fengnian did not stop and led everyone to continue rowing upwards.

After traveling about half a mile, a man sitting on the same raft as Lu Fengnian suddenly exclaimed urgently, "Brother Fengnian, there's something in the water!"

This shout immediately put everyone on edge.

On the third raft, a man suddenly stood up. Because he stood up too suddenly, the raft was subjected to uneven force and lost its balance. One side suddenly sank and almost capsized.

Fortunately, Zhao Tie and the other two adjusted their center of gravity in time, thus avoiding capsizing.

Lu Fengnian said in a low voice, "Don't panic."

As he spoke, he had already taken the hunting bow into his hand.

Yang Kai, Zhao Tie, Yang Yinfeng, and Yang Sihai were in the same position, all with their arrows nocked and ready to be drawn at any moment.

The other men also immediately gripped their machetes and short knives, ready for battle.

Lu Fengnian looked at the man behind him. "Where do you see that thing?"

The man moved the torch to the outside of the raft, cast his gaze at the water not far away, and said nervously, "It was right there. I just saw a dark shadow drift by, but it's gone now."

These words made everyone even more nervous.

Lu Fengnian looked around and whispered, "It's normal to find living things in such a remote water cave. Don't panic."

Next time you see something unusual, stay calm and keep the raft stable.