Chapter 001 - A Harsh World

“Li Yuan, the millet jar is almost empty.” Zhao Yun seemed to hear a woman's voice drifting over from the surface of the sea. It sounded distant and ethereal, tinged with a hint of mystery. Yet, all he could truly catch was the rumble of the ocean depths in his ears.

He drifted upward, as if guided by that voice, his soul seemingly being pulled up to the water's surface. Then, as he broke through, a deluge of memories came bubbling up along with him.

He remembered drinking, drinking at a class reunion.

Many of his former classmates had made a life for themselves, climbing up the ladder of success, achieving milestone after milestone. Yet he had ended up as a butcher, carving up pigs for a living...certainly a fall from grace for the old class president.

So he chose to ignore reality by drowning his disappointment with booze. He kept his head low and gulped down glass after glass after glass...until everything went black.

“You know, if you don't go out hunting soon, we'll starve. Hardly anyone in the village needs any writing done lately, so I haven't earned anything. I'm sorry....”

The woman's voice returned, prodding at his consciousness.

Li Yuan? Who’s that? Who's she calling?

Zhao Yun's curiosity was piqued. Then, as if to answer his questions, a second deluge of memories—ones that did not belong to him—flooded into his mind.

Within a matter of moments, he had lived another man's life...or rather recalled his own. He wasn't sure how or why, but it appeared he'd transmigrated, becoming another person entirely.

The person the woman was calling for was

him

. He was Li Yuan, a hunter in Gemhill County. He hunted because his family owned a special permit, once issued by a former county magistrate.

Three years ago, a plague had ravaged Gemhill County. Li Yuan's parents did not survive, leaving him behind. Life had to go on, so he took up a bow and ventured into the mountains to hunt. He knew little else.

As for the woman, she'd been left in his care by an old friend who'd gone off on a journey. This friend had a certain roguish charm and a heroic air, reminiscent of a wanderer from the

jianghu

.

Li Yuan admired that friend. And in their drinking days, they often spoke of brotherhood and loyalty. Yet two years had passed since that friend departed, never to return.

Li Yuan now realized the friend hadn't just left her behind; he'd entrusted her to him.

Her name was Yan Yu, and she turned 20 years old this year. She was pretty in a delicate way, though a bit frail and thin from poor nutrition. She dressed like the average village girl—a blue blouse with white flowers, and snug black pants that clung warmly to long, slender legs. She had a certain charm that could tug at a man's heart, especially when she stood out in an open field on a clear sunny day.

Yan Yu could write, so she earned a few coppers by drafting letters for villagers. When Li Yuan went hunting, she kept their home spotless, washing clothes and cooking without complaint.

Earlier in the year, just as winter was setting in, Li Yuan had ventured out hunting and was nearly run over by a wild boar. He barely made it home alive, only to fall seriously ill afterward.

He was finally feeling a bit better today. But the moment he tried to stand up, the world spun, and he collapsed. Then, Zhao Yun crossed over.

Like that, everything fit neatly into place.

Still, Zhao Yun needed a moment to gain his bearings.

He forced his eyes open and focused on the petite and delicate village girl standing before him. She was actually three years older than him, so he usually called her big sister.

“Are you alright? How about...today you just rest a bit longer too. I can go next door to Auntie Wang's place and see if we can borrow some millet. If not millet, maybe some beans,” Yan Yu said.

“No, no, no...I'm fine. I'll go hunting today. If I catch something, we won't need to owe any favors.” Zhao Yun—or rather, Li Yuan shook his head and took a deep breath. Since he'd arrived in a new world, he might as well get out and investigate it for himself.

“Alright... Just be careful. It's the dead of winter now, and the mountain has hardly any game. The beasts still roaming around are all tough, thick-hided creatures fattened up for the cold. They can be fierce.” Yan Yu said.

Her brows knit into a delicate frown as she observed his condition. After all, Li Yuan was the only man Yan Yu could rely on.

Li Yuan said nothing more. He quietly took down his hunting bow from the wall, and grabbed the worn quiver beside it and a small pouch.

He had only five arrows left, their tips painstakingly sharpened; he'd lost the other 10 while fleeing the wild boar. Still, five arrows were better than nothing.

The pouch carried 20 smooth stones, perfect for slinging and taking down smaller prey without damaging their fur, which he could sell later for a better price.

He pushed open the door. Outside, a tether hung limply in the wind, an empty collar swinging at its end. He used to have a loyal hunting dog. But just this past autumn, the dog had died protecting him, struck down by a rampaging black bear in the mountains.

Without that old yellow-furred mutt, he had no one to warn him of nearby danger. That was partially why he'd gotten caught off guard by that wild boar. The tether swayed desolately, tapping against the wooden cabin with a soft

plap plap

.

“Survive,” Li Yuan told himself under his breath.

He tore his gaze away, picked up a hatchet leaning against the wall and slipped it into his belt, then grabbed a hunting pitchfork. Then, he looked out at the distant mountain path before setting out.

As Li Yuan walked, he surveyed the surroundings. His home stood at the foot of Little Ink Mountain. The area wasn't exactly a slum, but it was only a step above one.

His one desire now was to improve his skills, earn more money, find the right moment to formally propose to Yan Yu, and move to Silver Creek—a place with far better security than these parts.

If he wanted to move to Silver Creek, he needed connections. Since he didn’t have connections, he needed money. Unfortunately, his hunting skills weren't all that great. Saving up enough silver would be hard.

Li Yuan exhaled a weary breath, trying to clear his mind. Following the instincts he'd inherited with his new memories, he scanned his surroundings as he climbed into the mountains.

Beyond a certain ridge and into the gorge, the true wilderness began.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

Shadows stretched across the mountainsides, and before long the sun shifted west. By dusk, Li Yuan returned home utterly exhausted and empty-handed. He hadn't caught a damn thing!

Wildlife was scarce in the winter, especially near human settlements. He’d only encountered that wild boar after he’d pushed deep into the second ridge of the mountain. Today, though, he hadn't dared venture that far.

Inside, Yan Yu saw him return with nothing to show and said nothing. Instead, she hurried over to a copper mirror, scooped some wood ash from a basin, and smeared it evenly over her face. Turning to him, she asked, “Do you think this makes me look pitiful enough?”

Li Yuan glanced at her. That pretty face was now marred with soot, making her look like a survivor of a house fire or disaster. He nodded and sighed. “I'm really sorry, making you do something like this.”

Yan Yu simply smiled and blinked playfully. “I'll go borrow some millet from Auntie Wang.”

Then off she went with a bowl in hand.

She soon returned, but the bowl held only a mixture of scraps. A few kernels of millet, but mostly husks and bean bits. Husks, the tough outer shells of grain, were barely edible. But you could still force them down when desperate.

It had been a bad year for harvest in the county. Shortages made grain expensive, and even husks had gone up in price.

“Let me pick out the beans and cook you a bowl of bean porridge,” Yan Yu offered.

“Just cook them all together. We'll share,” Li Yuan said.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

After dinner, Li Yuan lay on the bed. The blankets had been warmed and aired out in the midday sun and felt reasonably comfortable. But underneath the bedding was just a layer of packed straw, which retained little heat.

He curled up, trying not to move, hoping to trap any bit of warmth he could. After a long silence, he let out a wry chuckle.

Dropped into this strange new world, he found that survival itself was a challenge, even tougher than butchering pigs back home.

Still, this wasn't a time to wallow in despair. He could complain all he wanted now, but when morning came, he'd have to find a way forward.

How could anyone hunt in the dead of winter? But if he didn't hunt, what else could he do?

In these times, even landlords had no shortage of laborers. Even if you wanted someone to exploit you, you'd still find no takers...unless you sold yourself outright.

From his memories, Li Yuan had seen first-hand how harsh this world could get.

Several families around Little Ink Mountain had quietly sold off their own kin; some sold daughters or sons, and there were even those who sold their wives.

Thinking of it that way, being able to borrow a bit of millet from Auntie Wang was already a small mercy.

“Just sleep,” Li Yuan told himself, closing his eyes and pushing the grim thoughts aside.

He slept until midnight, when a creaking sound at the door startled him awake. Opening his eyes, he saw a familiar figure slipping through the darkness. As it approached, it tugged on his quilt and, blushing fiercely, whispered, “I... I want to be with you tonight.”

With that, she lifted the covers and climbed right in.

“Yan Yu...”

“Li Yuan...”

The atmosphere grew heated and intense. And only deep into the night did the world finally quiet down.

Yan Yu lay nestled in Li Yuan's arms, tired yet content. The bedding was now warm and comforting.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

At dawn, the first ray of sunlight slipped through a crack in the window and fell across Li Yuan's face. He opened his eyes, and suddenly, he froze.

A line of text flashed before his eyes.

「

You spent a harmonious night with Yan Yu and gained 5 stat points.

」

Then a status window appeared.

"Huh, 5 stat points, Basic Archery, Basic Tracking...what is all this?"