Du Yier did not stay long in Bywater, resting only one night at the Floating Wood Inn.
The next day, he took a boat from the pier to Xiong Lu Area on the opposite bank.
At the same time, he did not forget to bring both his carriage and horses.
Xiong Lu Area, located between the east bank of the Brandywine River and the Old Forest, is the eastern border of the Shire.
Most of the residents of Xiong Lu Area are members of the Brandybuck family, and compared to other Hobbits, their bodies appear more robust and powerful.
Perhaps because they live near the Old Forest and face more dangers, they are more tenacious and vigilant than other Hobbits.
Moreover, they are one of the few Hobbits who wear shoes, and also the one that communicates the most with the outside world, especially with the human town of Bree, so their clothing and architectural styles inevitably carry some human characteristics.
Du Yier had heard Bilbo say that hundreds of years ago, the ancestors of the Xiong Lu Area Hobbits crossed the Brandywine River from the East Shire, built Brandy Hall on Xiong Lu Mountain, and later, as their family grew, gradually formed Xiong Lu Area.
Although Xiong Lu Area is nominally part of the Shire, it is more like an independent small country, ruled by the Brandybuck family and not subject to Shire control.
After disembarking, Du Yier continued to drive his carriage towards Buckleberry, the capital of Xiong Lu Area.
Along the way, one could see a high hedge at the boundary between Xiong Lu Area and the Old Forest, stretching as far as the eye could see, separating the two places.
Speaking of this high hedge, that is another story.
It is said that when the Hobbits first established Xiong Lu Area in the region between the east bank of the Brandywine River and the Old Forest, they cut down some trees to build houses and erected a high hedge between their homes and the Old Forest.
This action caused dissatisfaction among the trees of the Old Forest.
Because the trees of the Old Forest are different from trees elsewhere; they are trees that can think and move.
The trees of the Old Forest once tried to cross the high hedge and invade Xiong Lu Area.
The Hobbits retaliated, cutting down hundreds of trees and setting fire to the overgrown trees, creating a burnt area, burning out a large open space in the middle ground between the high hedge and the Old Forest.
This further deepened the Old Forest's hostility towards the Hobbits, and the conflict between the two sides continued to escalate.
The trees of the Old Forest would attack passersby and cause people entering the forest to get lost;
And the Hobbits of Xiong Lu Area were filled with fear and vigilance towards the trees of the Old Forest, so they never tried to climb over the high hedge and enter the Old Forest.
Du Yier was very curious about the trees of the Old Forest.
Although he currently had no clue about the wand, he knew that wand making was divided into two parts: the body and the core.
The core needs to be made from body parts of magical creatures such as Phoenix tail feathers, Dragon heartstrings, and Unicorn hair.
And the wand body comes from trees with magical properties.
As for how to distinguish whether a tree can be made into a wand, wandmakers in the magic world usually only need to find trees that are parasitized by Bowtruckles (magical creatures) to make wand bodies from their branches.
There are no such magical creatures as Bowtruckles in Middle-earth, so if Du Yier wanted to make his own wand in the future, he would first have to consider how to find wood that could be made into a wand.
The trees of the Old Forest are different from ordinary trees; they can think and move, possessing extraordinary properties.
Du Yier felt that the trees of the Old Forest might be able to be used to make wand bodies.
Du Yier liked to plan ahead; he believed that as he signed in at more places, he would definitely get the method for making wands in the future.
So before that, he needed to collect the materials for making wands in advance.
The carriage traveled all the way down the road along the Brandywine River bank, passing several Hobbit villages, and finally arrived at Buckleberry, the capital of Xiong Lu Area.
Du Yier got off the carriage and looked up at Buckleberry ahead, unable to help but feel a surge of surprise.
Buckleberry is located on Xiong Lu Mountain on the banks of the Brandywine River, surrounded on the east by a high and thick hedge wall, the entire mountain being a town.
Most of the Hobbit houses were built of wood.
Only the very center and highest point was a giant traditional Hobbit building carved out of a hillside – the Smial house.
It is the landmark building of Buckleberry – Brandy Hall, and also the residence of the Brandybuck family.
Upon entering the town, Du Yier did not choose to go to an inn, but instead pulled out a piece of paper and examined it carefully.
"Hmm, let me see, 35 Ferry Road…"
After reading the note, Du Yier muttered to himself as he walked forward, occasionally looking at the passing house numbers.
Finally, his carriage stopped in front of a traditional Smial house.
"35 Ferry Road, this is it!"
Du Yier got out of the carriage, pushed open the courtyard gate, came to the round green wooden door, and knocked.
"Coming!" a voice came from inside the room.
The door was opened,
A young Hobbit with brown curly hair poked his head out, looking at him in confusion.
"Who are you?"
Du Yier bent down to try and meet his gaze, smiling as he greeted him.
"Excuse me, are you Mr. Zhuoguo Baggins? I am Du Yier the Wizard, I have come to visit presumptuously, and convey greetings from Bilbo Baggins!"
Hearing Du Yier's words, Zhuoguo Baggins's face showed a look of sudden realization.
"I know you! Bilbo wrote to me not long ago, saying that you might come to Xiong Lu Area, please come in!"
Saying that, he stepped aside, warmly welcoming him in.
Zhuoguo Baggins's house was somewhat similar in decoration to Bilbo's Bag End, and Du Yier bent over carefully to avoid hitting the ceiling beams and chandeliers.
As soon as he sat down, Zhuoguo Baggins served him biscuits and desserts.
During the period, Zhuo Guo asked Du Yier about Bilbo's recent situation.
Zhuo Guo and Bilbo are cousins, and although they are not in the same place, their relationship is quite close, and they occasionally communicate through letters.
More importantly, Du Yier also knew Zhuo Guo's other identity.
That is, he is the father of Frodo Baggins, the future holder of the one ring.
However, Zhuo Guo was not yet married at this time, so the future protagonist Frodo was not even a shadow yet.
In the subsequent conversation, after Zhuo Guo learned that Du Yier had visited Great Hole Town, Tak Town, Longbottom, and Bywater, his eyes showed envy and longing.
Hobbits do not like to go out, and even within the Shire, there is not much communication between the various villages and towns.
In order to hear Du Yier talk about his travel experiences, Zhuo Guo immediately invited Du Yier to stay.
For the next few days, Du Yier stayed at Zhuo Guo's house, and also, through Zhuo Guo's introduction, met the Brandybuck family head, the master of Xiong Lu Area.
And successfully completed the sign-in at Brandy Hall.
[Hogwarts Sign-in System: Location Shire - Xiong Lu Area - Brandy Hall, do you want to sign in?]
"Sign in!"
[Sign-in successful, congratulations on obtaining the Hogwarts Defense Against the Dark Arts Class textbook, Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection!]
Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection mainly introduces various Dark creatures of the magic world, such as Werewolves, Red Caps, etc., and also includes some defensive spells, such as Repelling Charm, Petrificus Totalus, Expelliarmus, Obstacle Charm, Finite Incantatem, and Shield Charm.
Du Yier was very happy to have obtained such a reward.
Although these spells are defensive in nature, they are all very practical. If he could master them, it would greatly enhance his strength and defense!