Chapter 011 - Comparison is the Thief of Joy

Yan Yu felt a twinge of envy welling up in her eyes.

That wild boar weighed a good 100 kg, and it was all meat. What a feast! Still, she knew there was no point in comparing. Bear was a hunter who’d even taken down a black bear before. Li Yuan, on the other hand, had once been chased by a wild boar so badly he was laid up in bed for days. When it came to hunting skills, there was simply no contest.

Feeling a bit sour, Yan Yu said, “Look at Bear.. He's so bold and direct. He just went ahead and pulled together a whole crew to join him. Now, he’s become a big name in Little Ink Village, someone who can go toe-to-toe with the Qian Family.”

Hearing that, Li Yuan got annoyed. “Then go marry him.”

Yan Yu froze, gave him a pinch, and snapped, “I’m Yan Yu, not some fickle flirt. I’m with you. I’m not about to chase after anyone else.”

She huffed and stormed off, sitting by herself in a corner with her back to him. Li Yuan followed and sat down next to her. But as soon as he did, she scooted away. He slid closer, and she inched away again.

Finally, he said gently, “Your makeup is still on. Getting this worked up won’t do any favors for your looks.”

“Ugh...” Yan Yu suddenly flung herself onto the bed and burst into tears. “You’re the one who said I was thinking of other men... then you turned around and blamed me...”

She sobbed so hard her shoulders shook. Li Yuan hadn’t expected such an intense reaction. He inched closer and took her hand. She made no move to pull away.

“Yan Yu?” he called softly. She kept her face buried in the covers, not saying a word. After calling her a few more times to no response, Li Yuan finally said, “If you really want pork, give me some time. I’ll hunt a wild boar myself.”

“You’re all talk,” Yan Yu muttered, “like I don’t know you just got lucky with that pheasant...”

But right after she said it, she regretted it. Sitting up with tears still glistening on her cheeks, she whispered, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I was just mad... You're steady and reliable, much better than other men.”

Li Yuan pulled her close and said, “Then next time I get lucky, I’ll bring down a wild boar.”

She looked at him, felt a pang of guilt, and shook her head. “No, I don’t want it. I won’t eat pork anymore. As long as you’re safe, that’s enough for me. I don’t even like pork.”

Seeing she had stopped crying, Li Yuan couldn’t help but think how Yan Yu was much easier to console than the pretty girls from his former life.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

Li Yuan glanced at his status screen and saw that he had 36 free stat points to add.

After tonight, he could bump his archery up another notch. Given that a wild boar’s overall strength rating was only around 3~4, he at least needed to learn a proper martial technique and reach the ninth rank threshold in terms of combat power. Only then could he safely hunt wild boars or other ferocious beasts without risking more trouble than he could handle.

Figuring it was worth a shot, Li Yuan asked offhandedly, “You came all the way here with Yan Mu. Did he ever mention anything about martial arts? Like, where you might get hold of a martial technique?”

“Black...”

“The black market, right? I know. But how am I supposed to get there right now?”

“Huh? You want to practice martial arts?” Yan Yu suddenly caught his drift. He must’ve been inspired, maybe even provoked, by Bear's success. So now he wanted to train up to hunt wild boars. Tears still shimmered on her face, but she was already smiling.

Li Yuan gave a serious nod. “Yes, I do.”

Yan Yu noticed his earnest look and fell silent for a moment. Seeing her deep in thought, Li Yuan perked up. “Don’t tell me you actually know some martial art? Think carefully!”

Her eyes flickered with recollection. “Now that you mention it, I do remember something. Back then, Yan Mu sent a small manual home, telling my sister and brother-in-law to practice the movements every so often for longevity or something like that. My sister had me give it a try, too, but I didn’t notice anything special about it. Could it...be a real martial cultivation technique?”

Li Yuan urged her, “Give it a shot.”

Yan Yu hesitated. “I barely remember it... Don’t laugh if I mess up.”

With that, she started reciting what she recalled of the mental focus while demonstrating the movements. Her motions were slow but steady, like a reed quivering in the wind. One moment swaying, the next rocking, her arms and palms extending and contracting in a way that vaguely resembled morning radio exercises.

Li Yuan followed along.

Yan Yu explained, “It’s mostly about breathing, shifting your center of gravity, and using the mind to regulate your condition. It does seem like it could be a martial art... But if it really is, how come my sister and I never got any results from it?”

They locked the door and practiced together for most of the day. By dusk, Yan Yu’s cheeks were flushed a lively pink, no doubt helped by the chicken she’d eaten last night and all the exercise today. She looked healthier already.

“That’s all there is to it. If you want, just keep at it on your own. I’m going to cook dinner.”

“Sure, let’s eat early and get to bed early. It’ll save on candles.”

“Mhm...” Yan Yu answered sweetly, sounding nothing like the woman who’d been crying earlier. In the clay stove, the firewood crackled softly.

Yan Yu crouched by the stove, cooking porridge. Her gaze kept drifting toward the half-bowl of pheasant fat at her side, and the thought of using it made her happy. Yet the moment she recalled that all their emergency funds were gone, a flicker of worry passed through her eyes.

Meanwhile, Li Yuan kept practicing the moves Yan Yu had shown him, convinced there must be something special about them. He did them over and over, but by the time she called him for dinner, he still hadn’t figured anything out.

Over their meal, he asked again, “Are you sure you’re not mixing anything up?”

“I’m not,” Yan Yu replied. “That little booklet only had a few movements and a bit of mental training. How could I have gotten it wrong? I told you, it’s not some advanced cultivation technique. It’s just supposed to stretch your muscles and help with overall health.”

Li Yuan let the matter drop, and the two quietly finished their bowls of porridge. As night fell, soft, intimate sounds of warmth and affection drifted through their small house.

Early the next morning, Yan Yu was still nestled in Li Yuan’s arms, fast asleep. Li Yuan, however, was already awake and checking his free stat points. It was up to 42 now. He pulled up his skills tab and found

Advanced Archery

, then tapped the

+

sign 40 times in rapid succession.

Advanced Archery (0/40) ➔ NEW! Expert Archery (0/80)

A rush of experience surged into his mind. It was as though he’d spent countless hours honing his technique—riding on horseback to hunt prey, shooting down enemies, piercing a distant target in front of an awestruck crowd. He remembered sleeping with his bow by his side, and waking with it in hand. Through tireless practice and relentless will, he’d broken through to a higher level of skill.

Opening his eyes, Li Yuan carefully slipped his arm out from under Yan Yu’s head and stretched, feeling a powerful energy coursing through him. His muscles felt firmer, and faint calluses had formed in his left palm and between his right index and middle fingers.

True strength, he reflected, had always come from hard work.

Unable to hold back his excitement, he jumped out of bed and grabbed his bow. A glance showed a new number beside him—7~8. He scrolled through his updated status window.

Yet despite feeling much stronger, Li Yuan couldn’t help but frown at the 7~8. Something seemed off. Then he realized he was still holding his old, makeshift bow. A skilled hunter needed quality gear, and high-grade bows didn’t just fall from the sky.

“Money, money, money! Everything costs money...” he muttered. “We need money for food, to move to a new place, to buy a bow, to purchase a martial cultivation technique...”

Letting out a sigh, he decided to give Yan Yu’s exercise one more try. Maybe he could get lucky and pick up a free technique. Then he’d have breakfast and head into the mountains to hunt.