As I spoke with him and observed, I managed to get a fair grasp of the situation here. This planet has no name that the Big-Strength Pill knows; I tentatively call it Gemini because it has two moons. Their technological level, I estimate, doesn't exceed that of the Great Dragon Kingdom’s Ming Dynasty, perhaps even lower. We are currently positioned near the edge of the petal-shaped landmass, at a place called Gourd Peak.

I translated it as Gourd Peak because the two had once climbed to a high vantage point on the Great White Pig, and looking out, the topography strongly resembled a horizontal gourd—one large crater nestled against a smaller one. Over vast stretches of time, tons of earth had fallen into the massive crater, and ancient, towering trees later sprouted from the soil, forming dense forests. I made my emergency landing within the forest inside the larger crater.

A canyon connects the two craters, and atop the smaller crater, a narrow ravine stretches down toward the volcanic cone. The Big-Strength Pill’s village sits right on the edge of the smaller crater. He mentioned a name I didn't understand, so I just took it to mean Gourd Village.

Aside from this connecting passage, there is absolutely no other path up the twin craters. The volcanic eruptions raised the terrain so high that the surrounding areas are sheer, near ninety-degree cliffs. The cooled lava is slick and hard, and no vegetation has managed to grow on it for thousands of years, giving the landscape a truly bizarre appearance from a distance.

Gourd Village is a natural settlement under the jurisdiction of the Twin City State. I obviously couldn't understand the historical records of the village's founding, but through the Big-Strength Pill’s accounts, I learned a bit about this world. The Twin City State is the nation at the heart of this petal-shaped continent. Its people consider themselves the center of the land, the center of the world, and even the center of the universe—a mindset strikingly similar to that of ancient humans on Earth. Furthermore, there are many other nations in the petal regions of this landmass, but the Big-Strength Pill’s knowledge only extended this far; having never left the twin craters, this stout fellow simply couldn't provide more detailed information.

The reason I kept conversing with the Big-Strength Pill was to familiarize myself with their language as quickly as possible. Although my superhuman abilities were gone, my brain remained sharp and functional, possessing an eidetic memory. After traveling all day, as we could finally see Gourd Village in the distance, I had no problem managing simple communication in the local dialect.

These two craters are immense; it took us a full day just to cross the smaller one. However, this time served perfectly for me to learn the local language. Though the Big-Strength Pill possessed boundless brute strength, his heart was exceptionally kind. He told me everything he knew and even lent me his Great White Pig to ride. Along the way, the two of us actually became quite good friends.

“Brother Zhao Qian, our village is just ahead. Heh heh, this time we are lucky enough to have scored a wild boar. Once my father sells the hide and meat in town, he’ll have money to get my brother a wife. After my brother marries, naturally, it will be my turn…” The Big-Strength Pill led the Great White Pig, pointing toward the village as he spoke. This was, of course, after I had subjected his words to some interpretive translation. For now, accurately translating his true meaning was impossible. Every language has its developmental foundation, and without any knowledge of this world's civilizational history, grasping the full intent behind their words was no easy feat.

I said, “Brother Big-Strength, once I fix my ship and find my wife, I will certainly return to thank you properly.”

The Big-Strength Pill asked how I ended up flying over their village into the forest of the large crater. I did not hide the truth: I told him I flew down from the sky, that my ship was broken and needed help to be repaired. Such profound matters left the Big-Strength Pill completely bewildered. However, once he understood I came from the sky, his look of awe was like an endless, surging river—as if I were the Bodhisattva Guanyin herself. He even gave me a title, likely a term akin to 'Divine Bird.'

Backward civilizations are always filled with mystery and longing for things that can fly. However, I have no intention of playing god or savior for them here. My only mission is to find the Eight Maidens and take them home. Any subsequent development or utilization of this place will be a matter for the Federation.

The two of us and the pig slowly entered the village. It had over a hundred households. It seemed the Big-Strength Pill’s family was among the poorer ones, as the villagers and children on the street wore better clothes than he did. Upon entering, I felt awkward continuing to ride atop the towering pig. My own clothes were somewhat different from theirs, which already drew attention; riding the pig ostentatiously through the street would only attract more stares.

“Big-Strength is back from hunting! Why did you bring a pretty boy along? Can’t afford a wife, so you’re into this sort of thing now?” A loitering villager near the entrance chuckled at the Big-Strength Pill. Poor Big-Strength Pill probably had another real name, but it was too much of a mouthful, so I could only call him that. I couldn't understand half of what the idle man said; if I knew he was mocking me, I’m afraid even if I couldn’t beat him, I’d still try to take a bite or two.

The Big-Strength Pill angrily cursed, “Get lost! This Mr. Divine Bird is someone I met in the forest. He can fly! You kid, watch your mouth, or you might have a son born without an anus.”

The loiterer paused, leaning closer, “Fly? Really? Can he fly like a bird? Can you ask him to fly for us?”

The Big-Strength Pill shoved the man, “Go on, go on! Mr. Divine Bird’s treasure is broken; he can only fly after it’s fixed. Stop interrupting, I need to take Mr. Divine Bird home.”

I was staring blankly at the flat-roofed, thatched houses in the village, completely ignoring what the two were saying. Are these people stupid, or is there some other reason? Designing the roofs to be flat—won’t they just get rained on if it rains?

“Brother Zhao Qian, Brother Zhao Qian,” the Big-Strength Pill tugged my arm. In public, he liked to show off by calling me Mr. Divine Bird, but in private, he still preferred calling me Brother.

“Let’s go, first to my house. I don’t really understand this ‘fixing a ship’ thing you mentioned. Ask my father about it. Also, our Clan Elder spent some time in the Feiyu County Office when he was younger; maybe he knows something.”

I was deeply moved by such a warm-hearted person. “Thank you, Brother Big-Strength.”

The two walked up to three adjacent small, flat-roofed grass huts. The Big-Strength Pill started moving the game off the pig. He called out a couple of times, but no one came out to help. He muttered to himself, “My brother must be off meeting Wahani again. If the Clan Elder finds out, this will be big trouble.”

It seemed this Wahani was a female, and the Big-Strength Pill’s brother was likely fond of her. It appeared there were many rules here; clandestine romance was not allowed.

The spoils had barely been taken off the pig when villagers started clamoring outside.

“Hurry and look! Wahani and Raisky are about to be subjected to the Sitting Torture by the Clan Elder!”

The Big-Strength Pill instantly jumped up. “My brother! My brother is in trouble! The Clan Elder found out! I’m going to save my brother!”

Even though this might not concern me, the Big-Strength Pill was my friend now, so I had to go see. The Big-Strength Pill ran incredibly fast, and I chased close behind. The two of them left the village and stopped at the edge of a large pond behind it. A crowd of villagers in loose robes surrounded an open circle. The Big-Strength Pill casually pulled aside some people and darted in.

I slipped in behind him to watch. In the center of the ground, a man and a woman were tied up. The man was handsome, possessing the air of a refined gentleman. The woman was petite and delicate; even among Earth humans, she would be considered a small beauty. Though tightly bound, the two were constantly wriggling on the ground, seemingly trying to stay as close as possible—it seems love is universal in every corner of the cosmos.

Among the crowd were two elderly men with differing expressions. One, sturdy and wearing coarse cloth robes, bowed to the other, who wore finer cloth and looked like a dignified official: “Clan Elder Wapuji, my son was rash and committed a grave error. I beg you, for the sake of our shared lineage, to forgive him this once.”

I didn't know Wapuji’s actual name, so I just rendered it phonetically. This Clan Elder spoke sharply, “Impossible! Raisky has disregarded clan law by seducing a decent girl and deserves the Sitting Torture. Guards, carry out the sentence!”

The Big-Strength Pill’s brother is named Raisky? What an ugly name. If I get the chance, I’ll definitely help him change it. Zhang San, Li Si, or Wang Er’mazi would be better than Dead Chicken. As soon as Clan Elder Wa finished speaking, two strong young men rushed out from the crowd, grabbed Raisky one on each side, and started carrying him toward the pond.

Near the pond was a large stone slab, and terrifyingly, it was covered with sharp stone spikes—I couldn't tell if they were man-made or natural. If someone were thrown onto it, they would surely be poked into a leaky sieve, able to water the flowers after soaking up enough water.

The Big-Strength Pill suddenly leaped forward and struck the two young executioners with two swift palms, sending them rolling several times onto the ground. Raisky’s mouth was stuffed with a rag, which the Big-Strength Pill yanked out. He flashed his bone knife and roared, “Who dares touch my brother! I’ll kill him!”

Raisky’s father, the Big-Strength Pill’s father, grew terrified when he saw his son go berserk. He rushed forward to snatch the bone knife from the Big-Strength Pill.

“Are you crazy? Violating clan rules means a thousand cuts, Big-Strength!” The Big-Strength Pill cried, “I’m not afraid! Nobody touches my brother!”

Raisky also pleaded with his younger brother, “Brother, listen to Father. Don’t implicate the family because of me.”

Clan Elder Wa felt his authority challenged and grew furious. “Quickly bring out the Divine Blade and carry out the clan law!”

Old Man Lai shouted, “Absolutely not! Clan Elder, please show mercy!”

Clan Elder Wa paid him no mind, waved his hand, and obedient clan members scurried back. In a short while, the man returned carrying a gleaming machete.

“Clan Elder, the Divine Blade is here.”

Clan Elder Wa’s voice was low and brooked no argument: “Execute!”

This is absurd! They don’t permit free love, fine, but poking someone into a leaky sieve? And why bring out a dull knife just to subject him to a thousand cuts? Even if I were completely powerless right now, I couldn't just stand by and watch the Big-Strength Pill’s brother be tortured to death.

With a sudden move, I pulled the half-foot-long military knife from my coat and stood in front of the Big-Strength Pill.

“Who dares come forward!”

Clan Elder Wa finally noticed the unfamiliar person in the village. But this only made him angrier. Without closely examining the dull military knife, he bellowed, “Good! You dare collude with outsiders? Isn't this rebellion? Seize them both and slice them up!”

A rogue-looking villager grinned menacingly, grabbed the machete, and hacked toward me. If this were before, I could have punched him into orbital space with one blow, but now, knowing my own limits, I wasn't sure I could block that single strike. Yet, by instinct, I raised my military knife to parry the gleaming machete.

Clang! I reluctantly closed my eyes. Why did I have to show off? My strength couldn't even hold this knife steady. I should have kept my head down, fixed my ship, and found my wife. Now I’d probably end up being poked into a leaky sieve too.

After a few seconds, there was silence, followed by a few low murmurs of surprise. I opened my eyes in confusion. My military knife was still firmly in my hand. When I looked again, the villager who had just attacked was holding only half a machete; the other gleaming half-blade lay severed on the ground!

I am, of course, familiar with Federation technology. Though this military knife was standard issue, it was a product of high-tech crystallization. While it wasn't made of diamond alloy, it used another, much harder alloy. Blades ground from it were impossibly sharp—the Big-Strength Pill had learned this when roasting meat. I knew it was sharp, but I never expected it to be this sharp. The thickest part of that machete must have been half a centimeter, yet it had been sliced clean in half as if it were tofu! The only explanation was that this world's metallurgy was too backward; that so-called Divine Blade was nothing but dog scrap iron.

Clan Elder Wa finally reacted and shrieked, “My Divine Blade! My Divine Blade! I traded five pigs and five sacks of grain for it in Feiyu City!”

The surrounding villagers were not as enraged as the Clan Elder; instead, their eyes held the same expression the Big-Strength Pill had when he first saw the knife. Even the man who was supposed to execute Raisky looked a bit nervous. I wasn't foolish; I seized the moment, swung the knife, and roared, “Listen up! I am the Divine Bird descended to earth! Today, Clan Elder Wa angered the Bird God, and the Bird God caused me to sever his clan blade! The Bird God also decreed that love is free; from now on, no one may interfere with marriage under any pretext, or they will feel the Bird Knife! Those with nothing else to do, go home and eat!”

Fortunately, my language acquisition was quick; if I had stuttered through those words, the effect would have been greatly diminished. This combination of bluffing and threat managed to subdue the villagers. When I flashed the dark, oily blade before their eyes, some people immediately backed away. Once someone took the lead, the rest scattered in a rush. Clan Elder Wa, lacking an execution squad, picked up the broken half of the machete with a grim face, shot me a venomous glare, dragged the prone Wahani away, and left without looking back.

I wiped the cold sweat from my brow. If these people had rushed me, no matter how sharp my knife was, I couldn’t have fought them all off. But it seemed they were also superstitious, and their cunning was clearly far inferior to that of Earthlings.

For now, I didn't have to fear the villagers returning to cause trouble, but it was better to leave this place sooner rather than later. That Clan Elder Wa would never let this insult go easily. He only backed down because he feared the knife in my hand; who knows what trick he might devise tonight.

By this time, the Big-Strength Pill had untied his brother. He came over devoutly to me and said, “Thank you, Brother Zhao Qian. You saved my brother today, so you are my good brother forever. With me here, no one can bully you.” It sounded as if I had saved him; his words were a bit muddled.

Old Man Lai stepped forward. “Alas, you’ve caused great trouble today. This gentleman is unfamiliar; what should we call him?”

The Big-Strength Pill declared, “Dad, this is my brother Zhao Qian. With him here, we don’t need to fear the Clan Elder.”

Raisky stepped forward and bowed to me. “Thank you, Brother Zhao, for saving me. Have you really seen the Bird God? Did the Bird God truly say that love is free?”

I replied solemnly, “God resides in the heart. As for this Bird God, if you believe in it, then it exists; if you believe you’ve seen it, then you have seen it. In my homeland, freedom of love was only achieved after thousands of years of unceasing struggle. Your civilization here seems to be developing slower, much like the ancient times in my home country. But even if love isn't free today, if you stand up and resist, then in the near future, freedom of love might become a natural phenomenon.”

Raisky clasped his hands together. “Profound. Brother Zhao, what you say is truly profound. You are indeed the Bird God descended.”

Profound my foot! I don't understand their language well, and this impromptu speech probably wasn't entirely clear even to me, yet I managed to completely mesmerize two strong men.

The Big-Strength Pill pulled me and his brother along. “Let’s go, let’s talk at home.”

Back at the three small grass huts, the brothers rolled up their sleeves to clean the pig offal. They looked very experienced; they must have hunted many of these strange pigs before, perhaps even domesticating them as mounts.

Old Man Lai kept me company, and I tried to listen more and speak less, as I was still in the learning phase of their language. After some conversation, I learned that Gourd Village was originally founded a few hundred years ago when two brothers moved here from the Feiyu County seat fifty miles away, expanding through generations to its current size.

The concept of surnames is quite vague here. I call Raisky’s father Old Man Lai, but his actual name probably doesn't contain ‘Lai.’ Old Man Lai didn't know much about matters outside the village, offering no help for my spaceship repair plans.

The entire village survived by hunting in the forests of the twin craters. They grew very few crops, and yields were low; life was quite meager, but at least they had food and didn’t starve. They heard that in many other places, people couldn't even get a bowl of thin porridge.

Clan Elder Wapuji’s ancestors were originally hunters. Later, he helped villagers transport furs to the city, earning considerable profit from the price differences. As he gradually grew wealthy, he hired people to cultivate a few acres of land. He also began managing the trade of furs for salt and tea. Because he was the Clan Elder, even though he took considerable profit, the villagers mostly turned a blind eye and tolerated it. Besides, very few people from the village had ever been to Feiyu County; if they went to sell the furs themselves, they might not make it home.

Clan Elder Wa was cunning and slick, but he had a daughter who was clever, intelligent, and genuinely kind-hearted. Somehow, the young girl fell for Raisky, and their feelings developed uncontrollably. But this situation was exactly like the ancient times in the Twin City State or the Great Dragon Kingdom: any relationship between unmarried men and women without a matchmaker was considered an act of great rebellion, punishable by severe familial penalty. Today, the two were caught sneaking around, and the old Wa, humiliated, sought to impose the Sitting Torture.

While I spoke with Old Man Lai, the Big-Strength Pill and his brother had already finished butchering the pig offal and put it into the pot. After a short time boiling, the rich aroma filled the three small grass huts. The Big-Strength Pill fed the fire while Raisky stood behind his father, chatting with us. I also hid nothing significant, briefly explaining the circumstances of my crash landing in the flying device. I only said I came from the distant horizon; if I had claimed to be from an alien planet, no one would believe me, as they were already vague about their own planetary concept, and explaining interstellar space would be too troublesome. This father and his two sons were honest and reliable; if I didn't explain myself, they would keep treating me like some Bird God, which made me very uncomfortable.

Raisky listened and said, “Brother Zhao, although you deny being the reincarnation of the Bird God, that Divine Blade is clearly not from our mortal realm. May we have a look?”

I deliberately chose my words: “Why not? Brother Lai and Old Father are not outsiders. Giving it to you is no trouble. This kind of knife is very common in my homeland. If I have a chance in the future, I will return and bring you even more advanced things.”

The two hurried to refuse, “No, no, no, we just want to look. If such a divine object were in our hands, we might incur heavenly jealousy.”

While the father and son were carefully examining the knife, I learned that their metallurgy was indeed quite backward. Furthermore, the vast Twin City State didn't even possess a single smelting furnace. All the tools and blades they needed were acquired from a country I dubbed ‘Gold’—the actual name I cannot translate.

The Gold Country is one petal of the continent, bordering the Twin City State. Although relations between the two nations weren't excellent, private citizens always traded the Twin City’s grain and furs for the Gold Country’s tools and blades. The Gold Country’s smelting and blade-making techniques were unmatched on the entire continent. Judging by the ‘Divine Blade’ Clan Elder Wa brought out today, it was probably a product of the Great Leap Forward era's backyard steel production. It was a wonder he kept it polished so brightly, treating it like a godsend.

After examining it, the father and son carefully returned the military knife to me. Seeing their expressions, I almost laughed. Unable to suppress my amusement, just as I was about to boast a little, I heard hurried footsteps outside the door, and then the door of the small grass hut was violently pushed open.

The Big-Strength Pill, who was tending the fire in the kitchen, looked up to scold the intruder, but the person shouted, “Old Man Lai, is the Bird God here? Erdanzi’s wife on the east side of the village is having a difficult labor and is about to die! We beg the Bird God to come and help her!”

I nearly spat blood. They can call me a bird; I won't argue. But asking me to help deliver a baby—what could I possibly do?

Unexpectedly, the Big-Strength Pill actually took me for a god. It seemed no one in the village had ever run to his house asking for help before. He was so delighted his face broke into a huge smile. He pulled me along, “Brother Zhao Qian, Erdanzi’s wife is in trouble, we can’t just stand by, right? Even though that guy usually gives me a cold shoulder, us men shouldn’t bother with such small things. Come on, let’s go see!”

Old Lai coughed, reminding his reckless son not to make promises rashly; the person arriving was a relative of Er Danzi, and he was terribly anxious.

"Bird God, as long as you can save their mother and child, we will certainly hold a feast to thank you."

To speak of childbirth, I wasn't entirely ignorant. Li Qi was in labor, and I had reviewed many medical texts on the subject. Hua Qingqing had laughed at me for quite some time over this, saying that I, a half-baked military doctor expert, finally showed some ambition. However, here there was nothing, absolutely nothing. Even if I diagnosed her condition, what good would it do?

Lai Siji also turned his eager gaze toward me. Although those villagers had almost ended his life just now, in his mind, it was because he had violated the clan rules first, so he held no grudge against the villagers.

I said, "Alright, let's go take a look first. I will do my best, but if I can't help, I can only apologize."

Old Lai stayed home to watch the pig offal simmering in the pot. The three of us followed the messenger, rushing toward Er Danzi's house. Er Danzi, short in stature, was pacing back and forth in the courtyard with his parents, while faint, weak screams drifted from inside the house.

Before the messenger even entered the door, he shouted, "The Bird God is here!"

Er Danzi's family immediately rushed out to greet us.

"Bird God, hurry and pray for the mother and child!"

I thought I misheard or mistranslated, so I checked with Dali Wan again, confirming that they wanted me to pray in the courtyard. I became angry. I came here to treat a patient, not to perform shamanistic rituals.

Lai Siji noticed my displeasure and quietly leaned close to my ear, saying, "Brother Zhao Qian, you don't know, here, the segregation between men and women is strictly enforced. Especially when a woman is giving birth, men are strictly forbidden from entering the room. Please just offer a blessing in the courtyard."

I was so angry that I stood off to the side, ignoring them. Pray for what? If praying worked, I would have stayed home to pray for the eight women; why would I need to cross the damned wormhole to find them? Listening to the piercing screams from inside, and recalling how Qi Qi and the baby might be doing at this moment, my heart ached unbearably.

With a loud clatter, the delivery room door was pushed open, and an old woman resembling a midwife rushed out, shouting, "Bad news! Er Danzi's wife has stopped breathing!"

I could endure it no longer. I yanked the midwife aside and rushed into the room. Those behind me couldn't stop it and could only stare blankly. By the wall lay a scene of bloodstains; a heavily pregnant woman lay motionless on the bed. I went forward and checked her breathing—it was relatively even. She had probably just lost too much blood and fainted, but looking at her lower body, it was too difficult for the child to be born naturally. A Caesarean section was necessary. Heh, I never expected that the physiology of people on this planet would be identical to Earthlings. Could this be another branch of the human race from Earth?

I pulled my military knife from my chest, rushed to the doorway, and shouted, "Someone come in and help! The mother needs surgery!"

I don't know if it was the blood covering my hands from the mother or the sight of the military knife that frightened them, but no one responded. I was getting anxious when suddenly a clear female voice rang out from the surrounding villagers: "I'll help you!"

I looked up and saw a girl of about twelve or thirteen, exquisitely delicate and beautiful—easily ten times more lovely than Wahani, whom I had seen by the pond. If her appearance hadn't been so different, I would have suspected she was Xu Chen, even prettier than the more youthful Zhao Fang.

But at this moment, I couldn