Back in Cloud-Front Village, Su Yan emerged from the forest after practicing archery, carrying a one-meter-long muntjac deer on his back and two gray rabbits at his waist. He strode into the village with his hardwood bow in hand.
The villagers saw him from afar and greeted him.
"Brother Yan, you've got real skill, you've caught more games!"
"Ai, a muntjac is worth one or two hundred copper coins. You're as good as a proper hunter."
"Just luck," Su Yan mumbled a few replies, not engaging in too much conversation.
Most of the mountain people, besides the men who trekked, had children or women tending to an mu or two of barren land right around the village. There were also men who occasionally stayed home to work the fields instead of going into the mountains.
They had all heard the market rumors but hadn't expected the orphan Su Yan to stand on his own feet. Their envy was obvious. Seeing Su Yan stride past, they couldn't help but whisper.
"That young man is handsome and skilled. He'll surely find a wife soon."
"Finding a wife is none of our business. When Su Da died, not many people helped him out."
"Didn't Xie Yuzhu help? He should act as a matchmaker..."
The sporadic chatter faded behind him. It was hard to say how many people truly cared and how many had already forgotten. In this mountainous region, simply not taking advantage of an orphan was considered a conscience for some people in Cloud-Front Village. Asking for help was out of the question; surviving on their own was hard enough.
Su Yan arrived near his house, about a hundred meters away, and saw Xie Yuzhu pacing back and forth, his brow furrowed and his expression complicated.
Xie Yuzhu looked up, saw Su Yan in the distance, and his face instantly flushed. He quickly turned his head, intending to hurry away.
"Uncle Xie."
Su Yan called out to him first, making it impossible for Xie Yuzhu to pretend he hadn't seen him. He awkwardly stopped and turned around, the big man looking strangely fidgety.
"Ah, it's Ah Yan. You just came back from the mountains, right? I was just passing by..."
Xie Yuzhu's words were disjointed. Su Yan frowned slightly and asked with concern, "Uncle Xie, is something wrong at home?"
"No," Xie Yuzhu immediately denied it. But looking at Su Yan's expression, he finally gave up and blurted out, "I came here to embarrass myself... Guo Peng and the others saw your success in mountain-trekking and wanted me to ask you to lead the team. I didn't want to come, but they also..."
Though a rough man, his face was beet-red, and he couldn't speak clearly.
"You'd take seventy percent as the leader, and with more people, we could carry more things out of the mountains. That's what they agreed to."
Finally finishing his request, Xie Yuzhu seemed relieved of a great burden, but he still looked incredibly uneasy, as if he didn't want to stay.
Su Yan, however, laughed, his worry completely gone. As long as it wasn't a problem with Uncle Xie's family, it was fine.
He thought for a moment and said, "Uncle Xie, I probably can't agree to this."
"It's fine!"
Before Su Yan could finish, Xie Yuzhu quickly agreed, looking relieved. The flush on his face subsided a bit, as if he could suddenly breathe again. If he weren't half a leader in the mountain-trekking team, he would never have put himself forward for this. Of course, the underlying reason was that when Su Yan joined the team months ago, they gave him a share. Although the others were unhappy, they didn't kick him out, so there was a lingering connection.
"Uncle Xie, please hear me out."
Su Yan interrupted Xie Yuzhu and explained, "I hunt while I trek, so my route is different from yours. It would be inconvenient for you to join me. However, during my recent trips, I've seen a few nests of fungi and lingzhi that I didn't touch. I'd like to entrust you and your group to go get them."
Xie Yuzhu's eyes widened. He immediately understood and quickly shook his head: "No way. A mountain-man never gives up his nests! This..."
"If you don't go, they'll overgrow or be spoiled by animals in a few days." Su Yan was firm.
Xie Yuzhu hesitated. "Ah Yan, are you sure this won't affect you?" He looked closely at Su Yan's face, searching for any sign of reluctance. If he saw any, he wouldn't agree.
"Don't worry, Uncle Xie. It won't affect me at all. I have my hunting skills." Su Yan shook the gray rabbits hanging from his waist. "I owe you all for taking care of me these past few months. It's the least I can do."
"I understand. I'll make sure to explain it to them." Xie Yuzhu nodded heavily, carefully memorized the locations Su Yan gave him, and then turned to leave.
Watching Xie Yuzhu walk away, Su Yan's eyes flashed, and he sighed softly: "Innocence is a crime when one possesses a treasure. I can't give Uncle Xie too many nests, or it will just bring him trouble. If my strength increases a bit more, I might be able to help him find a sustainable living."
The other mountain-men had helped Su Yan, and although they had grumbled, they had indeed been helpful. He had to repay that favor. As for Xie Yuzhu, he had genuinely pulled Su Yan through. That kindness needed to be repaid even more.
After saying goodbye to Xie Yuzhu, Su Yan entered his house, skinned the muntjac and rabbits, cut the meat, and finally rested.
[First-Order Bug Master: 5/100][Bug Realm: 1 cubic meter][Mountain-Trekking: 37/200 (Minor Accomplishment)][Basic Archery: 104/200 (Minor Accomplishment)][Herbology : 21/200 (Minor Accomplishment)][Dark Water Centipede: 63/200 (Growth Stage)]
"After practicing archery for a few days, my strength has grown considerably, and I've roughly figured out the ability of the ranked-up Dark Water Centipede. I didn't expect its carapace to be able to withstand ordinary attacks, almost like cowhide."
Su Yan had been trying to avoid attracting attention to his success and testing his own limits for the past few days. The Dark Water Centipede was clearly much different after entering the Growth Stage, as if it had stepped into a new realm. Its specialty was poison, yet its carapace was as tough as cowhide. The combination of the two meant that even an experienced hunter could fall victim. After all, such a small creature, with a shell that could withstand common attacks and extreme toxicity, was far more formidable.
"If I had started practicing martial arts, I would probably be able to sense this better..."
Those who practiced martial arts would certainly understand the centipede's changes. Song Qi definitely knew, but Su Yan couldn't expose himself by bringing it up first.
"Adding the money from selling the Viper Berries and Fo-ti a few days ago, I now have a total of thirty-seven taels and four Qian of silver (37.4 taels). That's almost enough, but I still need to set aside a few taels for taxes."
Counting his silver, Su Yan made a plan. He was ready to go deeper into the mountains and gather the remaining money he needed.
The next morning, before the sun rose, Su Yan picked up his basket and headed toward Cloud Ridge Mountain through the thin mist and dew.
Many mountain-men were heading out, but few were going in the same direction as Su Yan. It wasn't that no one wanted to follow his successful route. But that direction was known for more beasts and poisonous creatures; it was an area where even footpaths hadn't been cleared. Su Yan could go there, but they wouldn't dare take the risk. If they got injured, couldn't pay the tax, they'd be thrown into jail. Not to mention, Su Yan was now armed with a hardwood bow; it wouldn't be easy to provoke him.
However, there are always exceptions. For those with wicked intentions, the more secluded the place, the better.
"Hurry up! That little brat went into the mountains with his basket. It doesn't look like he's just hunting. Keep up!"
Wang San, Li Hu, Huang Tian, and Zhao Fu quietly followed, hiding far behind.
Li Hu took the lead, a hardwood bow in his hand and a sharp knife at his waist, its tip polished to a gleaming shine. Wang San also held a knife, though not as good as Li Hu's, it was still a sharp blade. Huang Tian and Zhao Fu were both in their early thirties, wearing coarse hemp short shirts and carrying iron forks, their eyes darting nervously.
The four had waited for days. When they finally saw Su Yan shoulder his basket, they figured the timing was perfect for something other than just hunting and quickly followed.
They hurried through the thin mist for about one or two li, eventually spotting Su Yan's figure disappearing into the overgrown bushes and weeds at the foot of the mountain. Wang San and Li Hu rushed to catch up, their clothes quickly becoming damp and cold with dew from the leaves, making them shiver.
'This brat is like a mountain mouse, always burrowing into these places. No wonder others can't find a Treasure Plant, but he can.'
Li Hu cursed under his breath. The messy weeds and thorny growth were uncomfortable, some even scratching their skin. But Su Yan's footsteps were incredibly agile; he vanished into the mountains in the blink of an eye. If they didn't hurry, they would surely lose him.
"Faster! That kid must be heading to his Treasure Nest."
Li Hu urged Wang San and the others, then quickly followed the faint traces left by Su Yan.
Wang San and Huang Tian cursed inwardly. Li Hu was a hunter, so his physique was naturally better. But they were idle rogues; walking on this kind of mountain path was pure torment.
They rushed for another one or two li, finally arriving in the deeper mountain forest. Now, not only were there bushes and weeds on the sides, but the trees had also grown tall, their branches intertwined, their dense leaves blocking the sky, creating a cold, gloomy atmosphere.
"Where are the tracks?!"
Li Hu suddenly exclaimed, his face instantly darkening.
"What's wrong?"
Wang San rushed forward and looked around. His face also fell.
The bushes were thick, the weeds stood tall, and there was no sign of anything being bent over or cut down. It was as if no one had walked this way.
But where was Su Yan?
The faces of the four men were grim. Li Hu snorted; if they lost the trail now, their loss would be huge.
"The kid might have sensed something was wrong and is hiding."
Li Hu, being a hunter, quickly calmed down. Even the most cautious mountain-man wouldn't conceal their tracks so thoroughly; it looked more like he was hiding.
"What should we do? If he's alarmed, he might not come back for ten days or half a month. We can't wait that long."
Zhao Fu, holding an iron fork, had a fierce look in his eyes. He was the most careful of the group and understood the consequence of "beating the grass to startle the snake."
"Zhao Fu, you team up with Wang San. Huang Tian, you team up with me. Search the vicinity for clues. That kid can't be hiding far away. We'll grab him and force the information out of him."
Li Hu made a snap decision. The four split into two teams, gripping their weapons tighter, and began searching the surrounding bushes for Su Yan's tracks.
However, behind an ancient tree only ten meters away, Su Yan was watching everything unfold.
'I thought it might be someone else. Turns out it's just Wang San...'
Su Yan sneered. The Dark Water Centipede beside him hissed, half its body already extended into the undergrowth.