Making his way around the outer reaches of Little Ink Mountain, Li Yuan felt a bit more confident with the floating 5~6 by his side. Although he hadn’t managed to find a martial arts manual yet, he wasn’t in any rush. Survival and avoiding danger were his top priorities.
If he could track down a manual, great. If not, he’d wait. It was foolish to wander around like a headless chicken hoping a book might fall from the sky. In the meantime, he could boost his archery and tracking skills. As long as he could hunt well, he could keep his belly full and, with enough money saved, move somewhere safer.
Before long, he arrived at a spring on the edge of the mountain. He took a quick look around. No wildlife in sight. Instead, he spotted three men sitting together, talking. Tied to a wooden stake near them were three hunting dogs.
These three were from the hunter alliance in Little Ink Village, the very group Qian San had planned to pressure but never got the chance to. One of the men, noticing someone in the trees, squinted to get a better look. Recognizing the figure, he called out, “Is that you, Pipsqueak?”
Once the man saw Li Yuan clearly, he gave a friendly grin. “You healed up and never told us!”
Li Yuan returned the smile. “My body’s only just recovered. Figured I’d come up the mountain for a look.”
His gaze swept over the three men. The one who had spoken was of average height but solidly built, dressed in a black fur coat, one he’d made from a black bear he’d hunted. That feat alone was enough to keep Qian San wary of him.
In the village, people simply called him Bear, and after a while, no one bothered using his real name anymore.
The numbers 3~4 floated above Bear’s head, while his dog showed 1~2. If he unleashed the dog, their combined power might reach 4~6. No wonder Qian San had been cautious around him.
The other two hunters were a tall, baby-faced man named Zhang Nuli—a newcomer taking over from his retired father—and a pockmarked fellow called Zhang Chuliu, usually nicknamed Ugly Zhang.
Their dogs both registered 1~2, and they themselves were 1~2 as well, on par with the old Li Yuan before his upgrade, meaning they could only scrounge around the outer edges of Little Ink Mountain.
Still, they had one advantage over Li Yuan. While his dog had died, theirs were still alive.
“Looking stout! Seems like your missus has been hiding some meat from us. She must’ve been saving it all for you so you could recover.” Clapping both hands on Li Yuan’s shoulders, Bear grinned in approval. He chuckled. “My wife’s the same way. If I’m not hurt, she never brings out the good stuff.”
Next to him, Zhang Nuli spoke up. “Why not join us?”
But Bear lifted a hand, and Zhang Nuli immediately fell silent. Throwing an arm around Li Yuan’s shoulder, Bear leaned in and said with genuine concern, “You know, Qian San nearly messed us up. Thank goodness Monk Pan caught on, or who knows what trouble we’d be in. But now that Qian San’s gone, maybe someone else will come after us. Qian Er, for instance, is still around.
“And even if we get rid of Qian Er, there will always be some scoundrel out there itching to take advantage of us hunters. Think any of those punks would brave the mountains themselves? Not a chance.”
Cursing under his breath, Bear continued, “That’s why we have to stick together. Strength in numbers. Then we won’t have to be afraid of anyone. We can split whatever we hunt four ways. How about it?”
Zhang Nuli chimed in, “Bear’s a great hunter. He’s doing us a favor by offering to share the spoils. This is a good deal!”
Ugly Zhang joined in. “Come on, Pipsqueak! The four of us can feast on meat and wine every day. And if some thug shows up, we’ll pound him into the dirt. Yesterday, that little punk Xiao Fei dared act tough in front of us. One good smack from Bear was all it took. He didn’t even know who his own mother was after that!
“The world’s a mess right now, nothing but famine and danger wherever you go. If we band together, we can make something of ourselves. Share the good times and stick it out through the bad. No one gets left behind!”
At first, Li Yuan felt a twinge of temptation. After all, joining a small team might mean less attention on him. But the look in Ugly Zhang's eyes, and the restlessness in the group, made him quickly decide otherwise.
He cleared his throat. “Bear, I appreciate the offer, really. But I’m not that ambitious. I just want to hunt enough to get by. No competing, no fighting, just a warm home with my wife.”
Bear let out a hearty laugh, though his eyes flickered with annoyance. “We feel the same, ha! But hey, if you’re not ready now, no worries. We’re not like Qian San, forcing people into anything. Whenever you come around, my door’s open.”
“Thanks.” Li Yuan forced a polite smile and turned to leave.
Watching him walk away, Ugly Zhang started swearing under his breath. “That kid doesn’t know a good thing when he sees it...”
Bear let out a laugh. “Forget it. He was plenty polite, just seems like that wild boar scare took all the fight out of him. Once he can’t bag any game, he’ll be back.”
Ugly Zhang burst into loud laughter, and Zhang Nuli joined in.
“Never mind him,” Bear added, standing up. “Today, the three of us will head over to the second ridge. Let’s go.”
Ugly Zhang patted his pants, got to his feet, and said, “I’ll follow your lead, Bear.”
With that, the trio leashed their dogs and headed deeper into the mountains.
Li Yuan watched them disappear into the second ridge before quietly slipping through the same mountain pass. Once inside, he crouched behind an old tree and waited until they entered a narrow valley. Then he circled around in a different direction.
It was times like these that his Advanced Tracking really shone. He could mask his presence and move with incredible stealth, like a predator stalking its prey. Step by step, he ventured further into the wilderness.
Not long after, he spotted a wild boar rooting around in the dirt. A 3~4 hovered above its head. Li Yuan silently drew an arrow from his quiver, hesitated, then lowered it. A boar that size would be way too conspicuous if he took it back to the village. Better to hold out for smaller game.
He quietly retreated, and the boar never even noticed him. Winding around to another area, he spent half the day searching without coming across a single creature.
The forest felt like a labyrinth, every part looking much the same. Li Yuan couldn’t help thinking how handy a good hunting dog would be. One whiff of a scent and it could lead him straight to his target, far more efficient than wandering aimlessly.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, he paused. There, in the low shrubs up ahead, a pheasant was pecking about. Occasionally it stopped to check its surroundings, stepping on dry sticks and making a soft cluck cluck sound. Above it hovered 0~1.
The pheasant glanced left and right, half-shielded by the shrubbery. But for Li Yuan, that 0~1 stood out like a beacon. He swiftly took out a smooth stone.
The pheasant froze, suddenly sensing danger. It turned its head, just in time to see a flash of light streaking toward it.
THWACK! The stone slammed into the bird’s skull, striking it dead in an instant.
Li Yuan dashed over, scooped up the pheasant, dropped it into the burlap sack he’d brought, and headed back without wasting a moment.