A Bowl of Porridge

"Husband, you must be all right! I've already made up my mind—if Old Master Huang truly gives you medicine, I'll agree to become his concubine."

In a haze, Chen Feng only heard someone beside him sobbing softly.

"What's going on?"

When he opened his eyes, he saw only the roof of a somewhat dilapidated thatched hut, mud walls that leaked the wind on all sides, a crude wooden bed and table, and a young woman of sixteen sitting at the bedside in rough hemp clothes, wiping away her tears.

Chen Feng looked around at his surroundings, still somewhat dazed. Then a flood of information poured into his mind.

"Did I transmigrate?"

A moment later, a complicated look filled Chen Feng's eyes.

Who would have thought that after staying up late to play a game, he would wake up here?

This body was also named Chen Feng. He was a young man from a village at the foot of the mountain, making his living by hunting.

He had encountered danger while hunting in the mountains and had returned only to fall unconscious for three days and three nights.

Seeing that he had awakened, the woman beside him was overjoyed. She hurriedly said, "Husband, you're awake? You must be starving. I'll get you some porridge."

As she spoke, she quickly brought over a bowl of porridge.

Chen Feng's throat bobbed as he wanted to speak, but in the end, he said nothing.

He truly had not expected that he would one day transmigrate—and even gain a wife for free.

His wife was named Lin Xue. His father had bought her for him in the County Town.

At sixteen, even dressed in rough hemp clothes, she could not hide her fine figure.

"All right." Chen Feng sorted through the memories in his mind as he drank the porridge Lin Xue had gently blown cool and carefully fed him.

Calling it porridge was generous. It was really just a bowl of clear water with a few grains of rice in it. Even so, his body felt terribly weak, and he desperately wanted something to eat.

The warm, thin porridge was just right.

Yet Chen Feng's brow gradually furrowed.

From the memories he had fused with, this world seemed similar to the ancient imperial dynasties of history. It was called the Great Gan Dynasty, and Great Gan's territory was vast beyond measure.

But this world also had demons that ate people, as well as powerful martial artists. It was extraordinarily dangerous and terrifying.

This time, when the original owner of this body had entered Black Mountain to hunt, he had encountered demons devouring people. He had been frightened out of his wits, fled Black Mountain in a panic, and then remained unconscious for three days and three nights. He only woke after Chen Feng took over his body.

How was he supposed to survive from now on?

Chen Feng's expression darkened.

According to his memories, Great Gan had already stood for eight hundred years. Even in a world suppressed by powerful martial artists, it had reached its twilight years.

Warlords carved up the land, and bandits ran rampant.

White bones lay exposed in the wilds; for a thousand miles, not a rooster crowed!

Great droughts, great disasters, and great calamities struck year after year. For ordinary people, this was an age of utter misery.

With his status, how was he supposed to live?

Just as Chen Feng was pondering this—

Bang! Bang! Bang!

All of a sudden, someone began violently pounding on their door.

Chen Feng's heart stirred. He had Lin Xue stay to the side while he braced himself and went to open the door.

Three burly men stood outside.

Chen Feng's face darkened. "Wang Hu, what are you doing here?"

These men were from Black Mountain Village's hunting party, and their leader was Wang Hu, the hunting party captain.

Back in the mountains, it had been Wang Hu who forced him to scout ahead. That was why he had run into the demons.

When he had staggered back alone afterward, these people had long since left.

When Wang Hu saw Chen Feng emerge, surprise flickered in his eyes. He smiled. "We came to see how you were doing."

"I was even planning to persuade your wife to sell me your Hunter Permit, so I could buy you some herbs and help you recover faster."

"Now that you can get out of bed, that's certainly cause for celebration!"

Chen Feng suppressed the rising fury in his heart and said in a low voice, "The Hunter Permit is how I make a living. Naturally, I can't sell it. Please leave."

Wang Hu looked Chen Feng over with a half-smile and said, "Heh heh, fine. Since you won't sell, Chen Feng, we certainly won't force your hand."

"But the hunting tax will be collected in a few days. You'd best make preparations early."

Then he turned and left with the others.

Chen Feng was left behind, supported by Lin Xue as he sat down in a chair. He cursed under his breath, "Damn Wang Hu!"

In this era, everything had long been tightly controlled.

No matter what those at the bottom did, they needed permits.

Fishing required a fishing permit, gathering firewood required a firewood permit, and hunting required a Hunter Permit...

No matter what one did, there was no escaping the restrictions of the various gangs and the authorities.

And even with a Hunter Permit, one had to pay Hunting Silver every month, as well as Tax Silver to the authorities.

Every kind of expense had them locked in a vice grip.

Chen Feng asked, "How much silver do we have left?"

Lin Xue said softly, "After buying medicine these past few days, we only have thirty-three copper coins left. And we borrowed half a tael of silver from Uncle Liu next door, promising to repay him before the taxes are collected."

Chen Feng's face darkened. "Is that so?"

This was already beyond his expectations.

The Tax Silver and Hunting Silver together would require at least three taels.

And there were less than fifteen days left. For them, that was far too much.

After all, hunting only earned him two or three taels of silver a month, and that was before deducting food and drink. There was simply no way to have anything left over.

Seeing the ugly look on Chen Feng's face, Lin Xue hesitated. "Old Master Huang said..."

But before she could finish, Chen Feng said sternly, "Do not mention that again!"

"What kind of man Old Master Huang is, who in Black Mountain Village doesn't know?"

His expression was grim. "I'll think of something."

Lin Xue said, "Mm. I'll listen to you, Husband."

However, as Chen Feng recalled the information in his memories, his face grew increasingly grim.

Old Master Huang was the richest landlord in Black Mountain Village. He took concubines year-round, yet there were often rumors that his concubines met miserable ends.

He owned plenty of fertile land and was very close with Wang Hu and the others from the hunting party.

According to the original owner's memories, Old Master Huang seemed to want to gather all the hunting parties of Black Mountain Village under his control, then control the price of meat.

The original owner's father had refused, and then he died a month ago.

The original owner had also encountered mortal danger three days ago. If Chen Feng had not transmigrated here, he would certainly have died as well.

As he thought about it, Chen Feng could not help drawing in a sharp breath. "Damn it. Does that mean Old Master Huang very likely acted this time because he wanted me dead?"

Was it for the Hunter Permit, for Lin Xue, or both?

Old Master Huang not only kept several strongmen like Wang Hu under his command; it was said that he even had legendary martial artists?

It was said that any martial artist, even the weakest, possessed the strength to split steles and shatter stones.

Although this body also made its living by hunting, it merely had a little more experience than ordinary people.

As for why Old Master Huang had not recruited him—when someone was already coveting your wife, were you still going to become their slave, their dog?

Chen Feng forced down the anger in his heart.

He picked up the unfinished porridge beside him and drained it in one gulp.

The warm porridge made his body seem to grow much warmer.

And just then, as he finished the bowl of porridge—

Chen Feng froze.

Before his eyes, information began to flicker.

Then a panel appeared.