Chapter 017 – Two Arrows

Creak... Creak... Cr-crack...

The wooden bow groaned as though it might snap at any moment. Li Yuan’s arm muscles flexed and swelled as he drew back the bowstring, revealing just how much bigger and stronger he was than the average man—solid as iron, with no hint of weakness.

Bear and Qian Er, who were both watching closely, couldn’t help but feel a chill of apprehension.

That very morning, they had pried some information out of Xiao Hu. They’d guessed that Li Yuan was a hidden powerhouse, and now, seeing him in action, they realized he was even more formidable than they’d imagined.

Li Yuan released the first arrow with a sharp thrum. It streaked toward the left poplar tree. He didn’t bother to watch its flight; only the distant shout from a bystander confirmed his aim.

“He hit it!”

“He actually hit it!”

At this, Bear’s face darkened, while Qian Er allowed himself a thin smile. If Li Yuan hit the stone on the left, that meant Bear was out of luck.

Now only two outcomes remained. Either Li Yuan missed the stone on the right and went with Qian Er, or he hit both stones and helped neither side.

Smirking, Qian Er called out, “Li Yuan, you could always

accidentally

miss the second one. Come with me, and this very afternoon I’ll bring you a beautiful concubine. You’ll live like a king, two women by your side!”

He was upping the ante and trying to distract Li Yuan at the same time. But Li Yuan ignored him. His right hand deftly plucked a second arrow from the quiver, nocked it, drew back, and loosed with a whistle.

Thwack!

The arrow flashed across the sky, striking the tiny stone perched in the branches of the right poplar. A split second later, the stone went flying, and the arrow sailed on another dozen paces before dropping to the ground.

Qian Er stood there, dumbfounded, as the air fell silent.

Then Li Yuan’s laughter broke the hush. “Hahaha! Both shots landed. Guess the heavens have decided I won’t be joining either of you!”

Left arm still lowered, Li Yuan stood with a quiet power. To the onlookers, this usually unremarkable youth now radiated an imposing energy, like a sheer mountainside looming overhead.

His gaze swept over Bear and Qian Er. For a moment, they tried to meet his eyes, but neither could hold his stare.

Bear was the first to speak. He broke into a hearty laugh and clapped his hands. “Li Yuan, you really are something! I concede!”

With that, he waved a hand at his men. “Let’s go.” And then he turned and strode away the same way he had come.

Qian Er clicked his tongue at Li Yuan. In truth, he was quite satisfied with the outcome.

He hadn’t really expected Li Yuan to join the Qian Family; his main goal had been to sabotage Bear’s recruitment efforts. Now that it was done, he simply said, “Li Yuan, farewell.”

The grand procession that had arrived so pompously dispersed just as quickly, disappearing without a trace in moments.

Li Yuan lowered his bow. He had only shown about thirty percent of his true ability. This level of skill would make Bear think,

If I’m in top form, I could do that too!

This worked out perfectly. Bear wouldn’t feel too threatened, yet would think twice before causing Li Yuan trouble. From now on, Li Yuan could bring home game openly without worrying about being harassed.

He was about to turn back when Xiao Hu and a few other youths came over, their faces filled with admiration.

“Big Bro, your skill...today we finally witnessed the real deal,” Xiao Hu gushed, sounding downright eager to please.

Li Yuan cut him off. “I'll give you the meat first like I promised.”

“Yes, yes, of course...” Xiao Hu hunched his shoulders and followed Li Yuan. Spotting Yan Yu peering through the window, he hurried to bow and greet her, “Sis—”

He barely spoke the word before receiving a swift flick on the forehead. Li Yuan’s eyes were cold. “Who said you could call her that?”

Xiao Hu let out a bitter laugh. “Big Bro, please let us follow you. We’re not just looking for free food. We’ve got some supplies stored at home. It’s just that here in Little Ink Village, we’re like stray cats and dogs. Sure, we cause some trouble, but we’re nobodies. You’re a real hero, and after seeing you show your skill just now, we’re all convinced. Won’t you be our boss? Whatever you tell us to do, we’ll do.”

Li Yuan stared at him, then turned and walked back inside, returning moments later with a butcher knife. He sliced off a chunk of venison and tossed it to Xiao Hu.

Catching it firmly in both hands, Xiao Hu heard Li Yuan say, “That’s a kilo and a half. Take it. If you find a way into the black market, come see me again. And next time you talk, use your head. There’s already Bear and the Qian Family in this village. If I take you all in, it’d look like I’m challenging them, wouldn’t it?”

Xiao Hu paused, at a loss for words.

“Now leave,” Li Yuan ordered.

Xiao Hu took off in a hurry, carefully closing the wicker gate behind him on the way out.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

Li Yuan went back inside. Yan Yu had stepped away from the window and was now gazing at him with wide, wondering eyes, her hands twisting the hem of her blue dress in nervous excitement.

He let out a big laugh and swept her into his arms.

She gave him a gentle tap on the shoulder, speaking with a hint of reproach. “When did you get so...amazing?”

Li Yuan teased, “Back when you thought I’d lost my mind.”

Yan Yu fell silent. What was there to complain about? He hadn’t kept any secrets from her; she just hadn’t believed him.

Yan Yu’s initial surprise quickly turned into playful frustration. “So you’re this skilled now? Great. Why don’t you head out this afternoon and bring home a new concubine while you’re at it?” she teased.

“Not a chance,” Li Yuan replied. “I’m more than content with just you.”

She blushed. “You...could you at least phrase that more nicely? Must you be so blunt?”

Before Li Yuan crossed over, he’d been a butcher. Although he used to consider himself a bit of a literary type, becoming a butcher never turned him into some poetic soul who spouted flowery lines while wielding a cleaver. It mostly just left him feeling self-conscious at reunions.

“I’m basically a rogue. How else am I supposed to talk?”

She gave him a skeptical look. “A rogue? Since when? You never seemed that crude to me.”

Li Yuan raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you don’t know?”

“Huh?” She froze for a second, then her face went scarlet as she thought back to their more...intimate moments. She slapped his arm gently. “You’re terrible!”

Li Yuan let out a hearty laugh, then set her down. “Anyway, I’ve wasted enough time. I should head to the mountains.”

“We still have plenty of venison left.”

“True, but I’d like to bag another roe deer today and sell it tomorrow.” He picked up a hatchet. “We’re running low on grain, remember?”

Yan Yu rolled her eyes. “You make it sound so easy, like all the game in Little Ink Mountain are your personal livestock.”

“They basically are,” Li Yuan answered matter-of-factly, leaving her staring after him in disbelief.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

That evening, he returned under Yan Yu’s awed gaze, another roe deer slung over his shoulder. By then, a light snow had begun to fall.

Li Yuan tossed the deer into a corner of the yard. It wouldn’t spoil overnight in such cold weather. After the two of them bathed, they cuddled under the covers.

Later, lying comfortably in his arms, Yan Yu whispered her nightly musings. “Li Yuan, Feng’er came by to apologize today. She said she shouldn’t have spoken about you like that the other day...

“And I ran into a lot of people who suddenly seemed eager to chat. But I only really talked to Auntie Wang. I told her you’ve got venison to sell, and she said she’d ask her husband to check with the restaurant in town tomorrow. If they’ll buy, we’ll get a much better price than selling it to the grain merchants.”

Li Yuan nodded. “That’s fine by me. Let Uncle Wang see if they’re interested. Either way, I’ve got to sell this roe deer tomorrow or it won’t be fresh.”

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

It snowed all through the night. By morning, the snowdrifts were knee-deep.

Yan Yu stood at the door, helping support the weight of the roe deer on Li Yuan’s back. She breathed out a cloud of white steam. “Come home soon, all right?”

He nodded, bow slung over one shoulder and deer over the other, trudging off through the thick snow with heavy but determined steps.

The world outside was blanketed in white, pure and still. Hardly anyone was out and about, and the usual bustle had faded into quiet.

Li Yuan slung his bag over his shoulder and trudged through the snow to the grain store. He hadn’t paid much attention before, but now he noticed the sign read

Four Rivers Trading

. As he stepped inside, he found the place in a bit of a commotion. Who knew what had happened?

A man blocked his way. “What do you want?”

“I’m here to sell meat. Are you buying?”

“Open it up,” the man said.

Li Yuan set down his sack and opened it. The man peered inside and saw a whole roe deer. His brow furrowed, and after a moment of thought, he asked, “You’re Li Yuan, right?”

“That’s me.”

A grin spread over the man’s face. “Heh, you’ve certainly made a name for yourself these past few days.”

Li Yuan gave a helpless smile. “Just doing what I can to hang on to my catch and feed my family.”

Sizing up Li Yuan’s broad frame, the man introduced himself. “I’m Zhao Feng, in charge of this grain store.”

Li Yuan glanced over him and noticed that, above Zhao Feng’s head, he seemed to measure 2~3—clearly someone who hadn’t officially

ranked u

p but was already stronger than your average person.

“It's a pleasure to meet you,” Li Yuan said politely.

“I’ll give you the county rate for your roe deer,” Zhao Feng said. “No funny business.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it.”

Zhao Feng called for someone in the back, and a worker came to weigh the deer. Meanwhile, Zhao Feng turned back to Li Yuan. “I hear you’re quite the fighter, especially with a bow. Interested in joining Four Rivers Trading?”

Seeing Li Yuan about to speak, Zhao Feng lifted a hand. “Let me finish first.” He smacked his lips, paced a few steps with his hands behind his back, then stopped and fixed his gaze on Li Yuan. “I’ll be frank. In a few days, we’ll be pulling out of Gemhill County.”

“Why?” Li Yuan asked, curious.

Lowering his voice, Zhao Feng said, “The Red Lotus Rebels have risen up. Gemhill County is way too close to the danger zone, so we have to withdraw. The guild is recruiting strong fighters to travel with us. Interested in coming along?”

Li Yuan hesitated. By the time someone brought out his payment for the deer, he finally replied, “Let me think it over at home.”

He really didn’t want to commit right away. He barely knew Zhao Feng. They'd only just met. Could he really be trusted?

Besides, in these chaotic times, working as a guard for a merchant guild could be risky. The guild would be constantly on the move, and roving bandits or even the Red Lotus Rebels were sure to target them.

“All right,” Zhao Feng said. “If you make up your mind within three days, come back here and let me know.”