Chapter 013 - Are You Sure You’re Not Losing It?

Li Yuan was absolutely overjoyed, beyond thrilled, in fact. Did he really manage to pick up a genuine martial cultivation technique, just like that?

“Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap...!" he couldn’t stop muttering under his breath, his excitement written all over his face. Luckily, they were at home where no one else could see him.

Still soaking in the wooden tub, Yan Yu suddenly felt a stab of fear at the sight of her husband’s almost delirious grin. “Li Yuan?” she called out. “Are...are you alright?”

Tears welled up in her eyes. “He’s really gone off the deep end this time, hasn’t he?”

But Li Yuan was beside himself with joy. “I did it, I really did it!” he cried, rushing over to the other side of the tub and leaning in so they were practically face to face, candlelight shimmering off the water.

Seeing the manic gleam in his eyes, Yan Yu couldn’t hold back her tears. She was terrified that if she tried to argue with him, it might push him over the edge entirely. So she forced a smile through her sobs and said, “Yes, you did it... that’s great... so let’s not practice any more tonight, okay?”

“Why are you crying?”

“I’m just... so happy!” she lied. “My man’s finally standing on his own. How could I not cry tears of joy? Waaaah...”

Li Yuan didn’t suspect a thing. As soon as she finished bathing, he quickly stripped down, slipped into the tub himself, scrubbed off the day’s grime, then dried off and climbed under the covers.

He saw Yan Yu lying with her back to him, shoulders trembling as she quietly wept. Gently, he tugged her around to face him. “I’m not going crazy. I really did manage it.”

“Sure, you did... absolutely,” she mumbled, careful not to provoke him. “How would I even know if you’ve really learned anything...?"

She and her sister and brother-in-law had practiced these moves for ages with no effect. And yet here was her husband, claiming he’d mastered them in just two days?

“Yeah, right. Not crazy, sure..."

Noticing her doubt, Li Yuan started to put his clothes back on so he could hop out of bed and show her a quick demonstration. But he hadn’t finished buttoning when she grabbed him by the arm.

“What are you doing? Don’t go...” She looked genuinely alarmed, as though he might do something wild in the middle of the night.

He instinctively tried to shake her off but found her grip was surprisingly tight. “I promise, I’m not going crazy. Just let me show you a quick form. It’ll prove I’m telling the truth.”

“Then... if you finish one set, you’ll come back to bed and sleep?” Yan Yu asked with a raised eyebrow.

𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Li Yuan nodded. “Right.”

Only then did she let go of him.

Eager to prove himself, Li Yuan jumped out of bed and assumed his stance. Now that the Return-Willow Technique was officially showing on his status window, he had a clearer sense of its foundational practice. Apparently, this status window could record and refine even a half-baked attempt, as long as he performed the moves seriously.

He closed his eyes and started punching, his body swaying like a willow in the wind—soft and pliant, flowing in time with an inner current. Beneath his skin, he could sense a warm wave of energy pulsing through his muscles, making him feel stronger.

A quick sideways glance told him his combat power was still 1~2, but he wasn’t worried. This was only the beginning; once he fully mastered the technique, his combat power would definitely rise.

Beside the bed, Yan Yu lay watching him with a deepening frown.

You’re really insisting this isn’t some sort of delusional obsession?

Because to her, those punches didn’t look like much of anything special.

After about half a stick of incense’s time, Li Yuan finished the form and let out a cleansing breath, feeling both invigorated and too wired to sleep.

Clapping eagerly, Yan Yu exclaimed with forced cheer, “Wow, you really did it!”

Only then did he climb back into bed. Still brimming with energy, he slipped his arms around her from behind. In the darkness, her soft, shy murmurs soon rose into the night.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

The next day.

While Yan Yu stayed home to wash their bedding, Li Yuan once again slung his bow over his shoulder and headed to Little Ink Mountain. He had scouted the right side of the second ridge the previous day but hadn’t finished exploring, so he planned to continue.

He figured it would take two more days to completely map out the right side, and probably six to survey the entire mountain.

He wasn’t interested in hunting large game just yet, or even small animals. He was content instead to focus on studying the terrain and the local wildlife.

Still, on the way back, whenever he spotted a bird’s nest, he’d grab a few eggs to bring home.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

On the third day, Li Yuan climbed the mountain with a bamboo basket on his back. Inside was a burlap sack, and inside that, a lunchbox.

He casually hunted a hare, quickly gutted it, and left the smelly entrails hanging on a nearby tree. Then he severed the head and dropped it at the tree’s base.

Moving to a small mountain spring, he rinsed the now-headless rabbit, stuffed it into his lunchbox, then placed everything back into the sack and stowed it in his basket.

On his way out of the second ridge, he noticed a small wolf pack gathered around the spot where he’d discarded the rabbit’s innards.

The rabbit’s head was already gone. The wolves gathered at the base of the tree, howling and eyeing the entrails that dangled from a branch, hungry but unable to reach.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew in from the distance, and the drooping-eyed, white-foreheaded tiger came bounding over.

The wolf pack quickly shifted positions to make way for it.

With just a few nimble movements, the tiger climbed the tree, light as a feather. Snatching the entrails in its jaws, it gave them a toss and then bit down, devouring them on the spot.

Meanwhile, Li Yuan headed home with his lunchbox and secretly boiled the rabbit with Yan Yu before the two of them split it for dinner.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

From the point of view of the villagers, Li Yuan had gone several days without bagging anything worthwhile. So on the fourth day, when he openly brought home a single pheasant, passersby teased him.

“Hey, Pipsqueak, lucky find today, huh?”

“Guess you finally had some good fortune!”

Li Yuan just smiled and paid them no mind.

Back at home, they now had a little meat on the table, but their stash of grain was getting dangerously low. And they were nearly out of copper coins too.

Yan Yu wanted to earn a bit of money by helping neighbors fetch water or gather firewood, but Li Yuan outright refused. If anything happened to her, he’d never forgive himself.

So they talked it over and ended up trading half of the pheasant to Auntie Wang next door in exchange for some grain.

Auntie Wang’s husband worked in a restaurant in the county town, so he could at least bring home a bit of money. Grain there was cheaper than in the village, and he’d sometimes pick up a few extra provisions on his way back.

Meat, on the other hand, was expensive to buy on the open market, so swapping poultry between families turned out to be a fair deal for everyone.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

On the fifth day, Bear led his two companions up the mountain, while a crowd gathered at the mountain entrance.

Although it was a year of famine, with people starving in many places, the government wasn’t completely powerless yet.

Without a proper hunting permit, regular folks didn’t dare enter the mountain. If someone snitched on you, you’d at least get a beating or be thrown in jail, maybe even lose your life if it escalated.

Both county officials and local rogues alike were well aware of how easily poor commoners could be accused of banditry just so someone else could claim credit for catching

criminals

.

The prison was already full of people who’d been labeled as

bandits

.

Spotting Bear, Li Yuan quietly kept his distance.

Later that evening, Bear and his two followers came out of the woods with yet another wild boar slung on a pole, along with a couple of pheasants.

The crowd at the entrance cheered.

“Follow Bear, and you won’t go hungry!"

“Bear, you’re amazing!”

In the middle of the commotion stood Feng’er, that fair-skinned young woman with a lively sparkle in her eyes. She gazed at Bear in open admiration, joining in the cheers.

Bear's gaze swept across the crowd, landing on her for a moment. She blushed and ducked her head.

Meanwhile, off to the side, Qian Er of the Qian family and a few local bullies ground their teeth in jealousy, but they didn’t dare go near, only glowering from a distance.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

On the sixth day, Yan Yu and Auntie Wang went to fetch Feng’er for their daily trip to the well. They called out to her for a while, but no one answered.

Suddenly, the door swung open, and out walked a man tugging on his pants. He wasn’t tall, but his solid build and swagger made him look every bit as tough as he felt. It was none other than Bear.

Yan Yu and Auntie Wang quickly stepped aside. Once he was gone, they hurried into the house.

There, they saw Feng’er still pulling on her clothes, her fair skin half-exposed and her face filled with satisfaction.

Auntie Wang frowned. “Girl, what are you doing messing around with him?”

“He’s amazing,” Feng’er replied matter-of-factly.

Auntie Wang reminded her, “But he already has a wife.”

A dreamy look flitted across Feng’er’s eyes. Lifting her chin, she said brightly, “He promised he’d marry me. I’ve made up my mind. Even if I have to be his mistress, I’m staying by his side.”

Yan Yu asked, “Then why isn’t he taking you away with him?”

With a coy little quiver in her voice, Feng’er answered, “He said the time isn’t right, but he told me to wait for him. And I’m willing to wait.”

Yan Yu, seeing her friend in such a state, huffed angrily, “How can you be so gullible?”

Feng’er bristled at that. She looked like she might slam the table and jump to her feet at any moment, but then she rolled her eyes and gave Yan Yu a mocking smile. “What, jealous? He's a lot more capable than your husband.”

Those words set Yan Yu off. She stepped forward. “Feng’er, what did you say? My man is useless? Where are you getting that?”

Feng’er sneered. “Oh please, everyone knows.”

Seeing the smug, contemptuous look on the face of Feng’er, Yan Yu was so furious she stormed out on the spot.