The snow was stained red with fresh blood.
Not just Zhao Si Hu's, but Bai Yuan's as well.
Droplets of blood fell from Bai Yuan's arm onto the thick white snow, leaving a trail of small red dots.
His homemade bamboo bow, unable to withstand his full strength, had shattered. Fortunately, it had still loosed the arrow.
This was all within Bai Yuan's calculations.
He had performed this exact maneuver more than once in the minigame "Great Wuxia of a Turbulent Age." It was a hidden effect of the archery skill.
Sacrificing a weapon to gain greater destructive power.
Shattered bamboo splinters had cut his arm, but such a loss was nothing compared to the prize: the newbie gift pack, Zhao Si Hu.
He gazed at Zhao Si Hu's corpse.
It was time for the much-anticipated body-looting segment.
Bai Yuan bent down and picked up the hardwood bow. He'd been coveting this bow for a long time. With it, his power would increase by a huge margin, and he could fully unleash his skilled-level archery.
Besides the hardwood bow, he certainly wasn't going to forget the dagger in Zhao Si Hu's hand.
Although the dagger was forged from crude iron, it was not something an ordinary Hunter could easily obtain.
Bai Yuan frisked Zhao Si Hu's body again, but aside from a dozen or so copper plates, he found nothing else.
'So he was just a poor bastard.'
He tucked the copper plates into his robes and cursed under his breath.
He had thought that after struggling for years at the Martial Arts Hall in the city, Zhao Si Hu would have some savings. He hadn't expected him to be this pathetic.
Bai Yuan pulled the Deer Skin Boots off Zhao Si Hu's feet.
'This is a real treasure. I can't forget it.'
But what pleased Bai Yuan most were the enhancement points.
Enhancement Points +5
Killing Zhao Si Hu had earned him a full 5 enhancement points.
Evidently, the more powerful the enemy killed, the more enhancement points he would receive.
"Add points!"
[You have trained in tracking day and night, and can now notice the subtlest of things.]
[After practicing tracking for two years, you have a better understanding of animal habits. You begin to try and comprehend animal behavior.]
[You have practiced tracking for three years, and your eyesight has grown ever stronger.]
Bai Yuan used 4 enhancement points on Tracking, and the remaining 1 point to unlock the new skill, [Trapping].
With that, he had activated all three of the Hunter's starting skills.
He was very satisfied with this haul.
Night had fallen. He made his way down the mountain by the light of the moon.
Zhao Si Hu's body lay silently in the snow. Within an hour, it would be completely buried by the snowfall.
Just as Zhao Si Hu had thought, it was a very common thing for someone to die deep in the mountains.
...
"Uncle, you're finally back."
Xiao Qiaoniang had been pacing anxiously in the wooden cabin. Seeing Bai Yuan push the door open, her heart, which had been in her throat, finally settled.
When she saw her young uncle's bloody arm, she gasped.
Clearly, Bai Yuan's trip up the mountain had not been an easy one.
She didn't ask for the reason, but quickly turned and took a relatively clean undergarment from a nearby cabinet.
The undergarment was already thin. With a sharp RIP, she tore it into long strips.
Xiao Qiaoniang meticulously bandaged Bai Yuan's wound.
Although the wound on Bai Yuan's arm looked frightening, it was only skin-deep, and had already scabbed over.
But Xiao Qiaoniang's nervous expression still warmed Bai Yuan's heart.
'Qiaoniang really is adorable.'
"It's just a flesh wound. Nothing serious."
Not wanting Xiao Qiaoniang to worry too much, Bai Yuan couldn't help but explain.
Xiao Qiaoniang looked with heartache at his arm, where spots of blood were seeping through the bandage.
"Does it still hurt?"
"It's fine. It doesn't hurt."
Xiao Qiaoniang's nerves eased, and only then did she notice that the bamboo bow Bai Yuan had been carrying was gone, replaced by a hardwood one.
She was smart enough not to ask about it.
A woman's place was to follow her man's lead in his affairs. That was the long-standing way of things in Baisha Town.
"I ran into Zhao Si Hu on the mountain. He's dead."
Although Xiao Qiaoniang hadn't asked, Bai Yuan told her the truth without hiding anything.
Xiao Qiaoniang's beautiful eyes widened, utterly astonished.
After all, Zhao Si Hu was a notorious ruffian in Baisha Town. He'd even been an apprentice at a Martial Arts Hall for two years. Three strong men were no match for him, yet he had died at the hands of the seemingly frail Bai Yuan.
'Uncle has really changed...'
Although Xiao Qiaoniang was reluctant to ask more, the feeling of being trusted sent a warmth spreading through her heart.
Bai Yuan wearily untied the game from his belt.
"Qiaoniang, I'm a little hungry."
Xiao Qiaoniang snapped out of her reverie as if waking from a dream.
Seeing the game Bai Yuan handed her, she was astonished all over again.
A pheasant, a wild rabbit... even a roe deer. This was as much as their neighbor, Hunter Zheng, would catch in half a month.
She deftly took the game and started a fire to make soup for Bai Yuan.
While Xiao Qiaoniang was busy making the soup, Bai Yuan carefully washed the bloodstains from his body. This was something he couldn't afford to be careless about.
If he aroused the suspicion of those Officials, they wouldn't care whether he was falsely accused or not. They'd give him a beating of twenty planks first and ask questions later.
Only after checking and re-checking that there were no bloodstains left did Bai Yuan finally feel at ease.
"Uncle, eat up."
Xiao Qiaoniang brought him a bowl of steaming meat soup.
This time, in a rare luxury, there was more meat than wild vegetables. It was a true meat soup.
"Qiaoniang, you eat too."
A farmer's life revolved around food and clothing. With the two members of the Bai Family now eating meat, the small wooden cabin felt exceptionally warm and cozy.
...
「Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.」
Bai Yuan never left the cabin. Only Xiao Qiaoniang went out once, finding Hunter Zheng to trade the dozen or so copper plates from Zhao Si Hu for a bag of wheat bran.
This was the first time the Bai Family had been so well-off since Bai Yuan's parents passed away.
The morning sun filtered through the window, spilling into the small wooden cabin.
Thanks to Bai Yuan's efforts, although the window still lacked a proper frame, it was now covered with a makeshift cloth.
Bai Yuan opened his eyes early.
The small wooden cabin was pitifully small, only a few yards square. He and Xiao Qiaoniang were separated by just a single curtain.
Xiao Qiaoniang's gentle breathing was clearly audible. In the warm yellow sunlight, Bai Yuan could clearly see her rising and falling figure through the curtain as she lay in just a thin undergarment. It was a breathtaking sight.
Bai Yuan took a deep breath to scatter the distracting thoughts from his mind.
He didn't know if it was out of guilt towards his late brother or some other sentiment, but in any case, their relationship had neither a proper title nor any real intimacy.
Bai Yuan crept quietly out of bed.
The frigid water made him shiver uncontrollably.
After washing his face, Bai Yuan decided to go into the city to stock up on more grain.
Although he was extremely careful pushing the door, it was so old that it still let out an awful CREAK.
The sound of the door opening woke Xiao Qiaoniang, who let out a soft moan.
"Is Uncle going out again?"
"Yes, I'm heading into the city."
"Be careful, Uncle."
"I will."
It was a simple exchange, but they both understood the other's concern. It was an indescribable feeling.
Bai Yuan pushed open the door and went out.
Just as he reached the village entrance, Zhuang Zhao walked up to him.
"Brother Yuan, have you heard? Zhao Si Hu went into the mountains and disappeared! The wolf problem in Mentougou is getting serious, so you shouldn't go. If things get really bad, I'll go beg my old man to lend you some more grain."
Zhuang Zhao said through gritted teeth, his loyalty on full display.
The Zhuang Family's father owned over three acres of good farmland. While not quite a landlord, he was certainly a prosperous farmer.
After his predecessor's parents passed away, the man had helped him out from time to time.
But there's a difference between helping in an emergency and supporting the chronically poor. Zhuang Zhao's father quickly recognized that Bai Yuan's predecessor was a lost cause and cut off the aid, also forbidding Zhuang Zhao from helping.
Bai Yuan actually understood the Zhuang Family patriarch's actions.
No one's grain just blew in with the wind; it couldn't be wasted so casually.
Besides, his predecessor's behavior had been anything but commendable.
"Disappeared?!"
Bai Yuan's face was a mask of astonishment, with a hint of naivety.
"Don't worry, I'm just going to the city. I won't be going to Mentougou anytime soon."
Zhuang Zhao's eyes lit up.
'Brother Yuan is still Brother Yuan,' he thought. 'What fun is there to be had in Baisha Town compared to the city?'
"I'm going too."