Qian San’s family had five strapping brothers. Only Qian San himself was a hunter. But the rest pitched in wherever they could, making it tough for anyone near Little Ink Mountain to stand up to them.
“Qian San tried to rope me in before, and I played sick to get out of it. He hates going into the second ridge alone, so he’s always looking for someone to take the risks for him.
“Now that Caihua's husband is dead, maybe he’ll find another hunter, but there’s no telling if he’ll come looking for me again. Unless I stop hunting entirely, running into him will only spell trouble.
“He’s the type who’ll throw you to the wolves, then feast on your family’s remains once you’re gone…
“If I’d agreed to go with him, my household might be the one in ruins now. Yan Yu and I'd lose more than just our emergency money.”
All sorts of thoughts raced through Li Yuan’s mind.
Just then, the door banged open.
Yan Yu stomped back into the house, shutting the door behind her with a huff. “This is outrageous! That Qian San is a bully! Instead of helping a widow and her kids who can barely stay alive, they’re throwing themselves a feast…and the neighbors, people from the same community, are lining up with bowls and chopsticks to join in. Hmph!”
She planted her hands on her hips, chest heaving in anger. But Li Yuan could see fear in her eyes, too—fear that what befell Caihua’s family could happen to them.
“Hey,” Li Yuan spoke up.“Right? Isn’t this infuriating?” She turned, exasperated.
“Uhhh, you should probably grab a cloth and cover…” Li Yuan said, pointing to her chest.
She stared at him, face turning bright red. “What’s the big deal? Auntie Wang and the other women don’t bother.”
“You’re younger and prettier than they are,” Li Yuan said. “Trust me. Maybe stuff some rags under your clothes, too. Make yourself look bigger.”
“Is that so…” Hearing him call her pretty made her blush. She was used to smudging her face with ash before going out, but binding her chest and making herself look fat was new. After a bit of fussing, she managed to make herself look dowdy enough.
As she studied the drab figure in the copper mirror, Yan Yu couldn’t help a giggle. But the moment she remembered the plight of her neighbor, her expression dimmed. Lips trembling, she asked, “Do you think there’s anything we can do to help her?”
Li Yuan slowly shook his head. “It’s hard enough just taking care of ourselves.”
˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙
That afternoon, Yan Yu went next door to chat with Auntie Wang.
Li Yuan sat alone in the quiet, earthen-walled room.
He summoned the status window and set his gaze on Basic Tracking , tapping the + symbol five times. Instantly, a keen, nimble awareness coursed through him.
Basic Tracking(5/10) ➔ NEW! Intermediate Tracking (0/20)
It was as if he’d been through an intense training session devoted solely to tracking a vicious beast.
In his mind’s eye, he recalled pursuing it day and night, relying on intuition and every clue it left behind.
The beast seemed to run endlessly, and he pushed himself to the brink, never sleeping well, always on alert for sudden changes in the wilderness. Finally, his tracking skills surged.
When Li Yuan checked his combat rating, his unarmed stat was still 0~1. But picking up his bow again brought it to 2~3.
“It seems tracking doesn’t show up in overall combat power, but it definitely sharpened my reflexes—more of a soft power. With tracking, I can follow a target without being seen, and I can also throw off anyone following me.”
He then spent stat points on Intermediate Archery , tapping the + symbol a full 20 times.
Intermediate Archery(0/20) ➔ NEW! Advanced Archery (0/40)
Suddenly, it felt as if months of archery practice, sweat, and determination had fused into his muscles. His skill improved drastically.
The combined gains in archery and tracking also strengthened him physically. Unarmed, his range had climbed from 0~1 to 1~2. But once he picked up the bow, it jumped to 5~6.
Qian San had registered at 3~5when he had that dog with him. Now Li Yuan was at 5~6. He exhaled quietly, feeling more at ease.
He looked at the status window again, which reflected the changes.
“I’ve got 20 points left. Should I use them now or wait until I reach another 40?”
After a pause, he decided to hold off. Archery gave him a direct power boost, while tracking was mainly utility. If he could gather enough points to upgrade archery again, it might strengthen him even more.
Later in the afternoon, Yan Yu came back to make dinner, bringing the latest gossip with her.
“Li Yuan,” she began, “they held that feast over at Caihua’s place today. You remember, Monk Pan? He actually went to speak up for her. Right in front of everyone, he started cursing out Qian Er and Qian San…”
She sounded animated at first, but then her tone fell. “No one backed him up, though. The people sitting there just kept eating like nothing was happening, as if he wasn’t even there.
“He tried to snatch the meat back so Caihua and her kids could have it. But Qian Er or Qian San didn’t even need to lift a finger themselves; someone else jumped him. They gave him a real beating…
“He was over there cursing at Qian Er and Qian San, and then… Qian San just walked up and kicked him square in the mouth, knocked out a few of his teeth, blood everywhere…"
“No good deed goes unpunished, I guess…” Li Yuan went quiet. He was getting a painfully clear picture of the grim world he’d landed in.
Right then, a loud knocking started outside, the gate rattling with each thud.
Yan Yu peeked out the window and went white. “It’s Qian San! What’s he doing here?”
She was so panicked that she didn’t know what to do. Her face showed nothing but fear.
Li Yuan stood, grabbing his bow and quiver. He rested a hand on her shoulder, gently pressing her into a wooden chair. “Stay put,” he said.
“But why is he here?” she whispered, her voice quivering.
“You just stay inside,” Li Yuan replied. “I’ll handle whatever this is.”
Under her anxious gaze, he stepped out into the yard.
At the fence, a tall, burly figure was kicking the wooden gate hard enough to knock it off its hinges. Seeing Li Yuan approach, Qian San straightened.
“Pipsqueak, quit faking. I know you’re fine now. Listen, I’ll cut to the chase. You’ve got two choices.
“One, come hunting with me, and from now on you’ll never go hungry. Two, hand over your bow, your pitchfork, and your hunting permit. If you won’t hunt, someone else will.”
Li Yuan forced a laugh. “Now, you're just outright picking on me?”
“Pick on you? Don’t flatter yourself.” Qian San’s expression darkened. “There aren’t many hunters in this community, so we’re supposed to go together. You’re out of the loop, so you don’t know what’s happening in other places. This is how they do it. Enough talk. Either you hunt with me, or you stop hunting altogether.”
Li Yuan rubbed his hands, as if embarrassed. “Just give me a few more days to fully recover… Then I’ll come along, all right?”
“Three days,” Qian San said impatiently. “That’s it.”
“How about five? My injury’s worse than it looks—”
“No! Three days. I’ll come for you then.” With a cold snort, Qian San turned on his heel and stalked away. As he passed a scabbed old tree, a young man slipped out from behind it to follow.
That young ruffian clutched a bow in one hand and wore a blade on his back, the floating number 1~2 drifting above his head.
Li Yuan’s eyes narrowed. He recognized the fellow as a local troublemaker who often tagged along with Qian San, but he shouldn’t have had a bow.
Then it clicked. Caihua's husband just died. Qian San probably helped himself to the dead man’s bow and hunting permit.