Chapter 014 - Pig’s Blood Nourishes Pigs, Dragon’s Blood Nourishes Dragons!

When night fell, Yan Yu lay in her husband’s arms, chattering away about all the little dramas that had unfolded that day.

Li Yuan listened with genuine interest. After all, in a village with no electricity, no phones, and no internet, there were only so many ways to pass the time once darkness set in.

If they ever moved to the county town, settled by Silver Creek, and saved up a bit of money, maybe then they could head out at night for a drink or two. But that was nothing more than a distant dream right now.

“Feng’er’s such a fool,” Yan Yu grumbled. “He's obviously just stringing her along, and yet she goes and gives herself to him. All day today, she was off in la-la land, saying she’d wait for him, that she wants to marry him even if it means being a mistress... Ugh, it makes me so mad!”

“Didn’t you used to say Bear was pretty decent?” Li Yuan teased.

“He’s too restless,” Yan Yu muttered. “He’s not someone you can settle down with.”

“And what about me?”

“You...” She started to say something about how it’d be nice if he could bring home more game. But then she remembered how she’d once goaded him into training obsessively, nearly driving him to madness. Quickly, she changed course, pressing herself against him. “You’re wonderful. I’m especially fond of you,” she said softly.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

The long night wore on.

Eventually, Yan Yu fell asleep, exhausted. Li Yuan lay contentedly beside her. If only they didn’t have to worry about where their next meal was coming from, he actually liked this simple life.

Before he’d crossed over to this world, he’d been a butcher. Where could he have ever found a thoughtful, caring wife like Yan Yu?

Outside, a bitter winter wind rattled the bamboo gate with a piercing

creak-creak

. Strangely, that only made the little house feel more peaceful.

Li Yuan recalled what Yan Yu had said earlier that day and felt a wave of relief.

He had to thank Ugly Zhang. If not for him, he might’ve actually believed Bear’s sincerity and joined his little squad.

Clearly, Bear was not just bold but reckless. After only a few short days of success, he was already running around fooling with other women.

Li Yuan shook his head and pulled Yan Yu closer, drifting off to sleep.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

Over the next few days, life continued quietly. Li Yuan avoided both Bear and Qian Er. He went to the mountain at intervals, swapping between bringing home bird eggs, boxed meat, and small game like pheasants or rabbits.

To the outside world, it looked like he only managed to catch something every couple of days, and it was always small, one or two kilograms of meat at best. No one bothered questioning him.

In the meantime, news from the county seat arrived, plastered over the village board.

「

Monk Pan has been beheaded.

」

He had met a swift end, just like that, with no last-minute twists to save him.

In the village, Caihua heard the news, bowed toward the county in silent respect, and said nothing more.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

In the blink of an eye, more than half a month had passed since Li Yuan had awakened the Return-Willow Technique.

Early one morning, Li Yuan opened his eyes and glanced at his status window.

Carefully, he slid his arm out from under Yan Yu’s head, got dressed, and stepped into the courtyard. Heaven rewarded hard work! All that effort has finally paid off.

Now it was time to allocate some points!

Focusing on the

Return-Willow Technique

, he eagerly tapped the little

+

sign, pouring in the points he’d earned.

Instantly, it was as though a flood of memories streamed through his mind, countless days of painstaking practice.

He saw himself working outside during the day to earn money for nourishing foods, then training hard under the moonlight at night, unwavering no matter how many times he failed.

And at last, the breakthrough came.

A rush of power welled up inside him, unlike anything he’d felt before. He sensed a hot surge through his muscles, like a scurrying little mouse. It didn't appear to be a stream of qi, but intensely rich blood that brimmed with vigor!

A warm, soothing sensation spread through Li Yuan’s entire body, as though his bones, skin, and muscles were soaking in a hot spring.

“If only there was more of this blood, that would feel even better,” Li Yuan remarked wistfully.

Suddenly, he remembered something Yan Yu once said.

Pig’s blood nourishes pigs. Dragon’s blood nourishes dragons.

Perhaps this special blood coursing through him was the essence behind becoming a

ranked

martial artist. In other words, one’s power stemmed from that special blood.

Next, Li Yuan noticed his muscles swelling, solid as rock.

He walked into the courtyard, grabbed hold of a large boulder with one hand, and lifted it without any effort. After raising and lowering it a few times, he still didn’t feel the slightest bit of strain.

A quick glance at the floating numbers beside him showed 9~10—and that was without holding a bow. He’d been at 1~2 before.

“Awesome, awesome!” Feeling delighted, Li Yuan hurried back into the house and grabbed his old bow from the wall. With the bow in hand, the numbers jumped to—

“24~25!”

That already surpassed the blade-carrying escort from the county authority he’d seen previously.

Meanwhile, Li Yuan's status window naturally updated as well.

“Ninth rank!” Li Yuan murmured. “So once my cultivation realm increased, my combat power with a bow jumped as well. Makes sense that holding a bow boosts my numbers further.”

He couldn’t help feeling slightly disappointed that his Return-Willow Technique appeared to have maxed out. Still, it was a minor worry.

“From today on,” he declared, “I can hunt openly again!”

Standing in the morning sun, Li Yuan brimmed with excitement. Of course, being strong didn’t mean showing all his cards. It was better to hide seven parts and reveal three, as they say, to ensure his own safety.

Inside the house, Yan Yu heard his cheerful laughter. Worried, she knelt by the window and cracked it open a bit to peek at him.

“Oh no... he’s having another episode...” she murmured.

That small sound was enough for Li Yuan to sense her. He turned and said, “Yan Yu, starting today, we’ll have all the meat we want.”

Without waiting for her reply, he grabbed a burlap sack, slipped a hatchet behind his back, and strode out the door. His overall combat power was now 24~25, and Bear with his hunting dog was about 4~6.

“It should be safe to pretend I'm about as strong as that, right?” Li Yuan remarked to himself.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

The second ridge. By now, Li Yuan knew this place like the back of his hand. He had no intention of upstaging Bear, so he bypassed a few wild boars before venturing deeper in. There, he spotted a roe deer. Swiftly, he bent the bow and nocked a stone as ammo.

Creak...! Creak...! Creak...!

The crude bow groaned, nearly splitting in two under the strain. Li Yuan had to ease off a bit, or else the bow would snap. Hearing the odd noise, the roe deer cocked its head curiously, trying to see what was causing it. Right then, Li Yuan let go.

Whoosh!

The stone shot forward, smacking the deer square in the forehead. With a dull thud, it dropped, twitched a few times, and fell still.

Li Yuan rushed up in just a few strides, hefted the animal, and stuffed it into his sack. He gave it a quick estimate, just over 15 kg. Good enough.

On his way back to the village, the path seemed strangely quiet. Those who passed him eyed the bulging sack without cracking jokes. A few offered curt remarks in odd tones.

“Pipsqueak, what’d you bag today? Looks pretty big.”

“Think you could spare a little? My family’s about to go hungry.”

“We’re from the same village, aren’t we? You know. The mountain's bounty is for everyone...’”