Gathering Intelligence

The skinny Xiao Wei could not find any way to survive.

This was the Barbarian Wastes: a place where the weak were meat and the strong ate, a Barbarian Wastes that had never been friendly to the weak.

Yet just as she wept in despair, a deep, powerful voice suddenly came from the doorway.

"What is it? Did someone bully you?"

Naturally, it was Lu Chen, returning home.

As he asked, a cold glint flickered in his eyes.

Lu Chen did not feel much for the still-underdeveloped Xiao Wei, but she was his. He would not let others bully her.

Moreover, if his own possession was bullied and he did not dare respond, he would not earn the Barbarians' sympathy—only their ridicule.

Barbarians never pitied the weak. They worshipped only the strong.

Thus, when faced with provocation, fighting it out was the Barbarian way.

"Tell me. Who was it?"

As Lu Chen spoke, his gaze was icy beyond measure, and his aura was like that of a lion, terrifying to behold.

Overawed by that aura, Xiao Wei did not dare move. She did not even dare speak.

But soon, Xiao Wei saw the Brown Bear on Lu Chen's shoulder, its head smashed into a pulp.

The dead Brown Bear looked terrifying, yet a smile appeared on Xiao Wei's face when she saw it.

"It's food. So much food."

The lure of food finally snapped Xiao Wei back to her senses.

Then, she quickly grew worried again.

"Chen, no one bullied me."

"I said, tell me who it was!"

Lu Chen thought Xiao Wei had been threatened, and his gaze turned even colder.

"Accidental deaths are permitted in a Duel Before the Gods."

Killing intent had risen in Lu Chen's heart, while Xiao Wei trembled in fright.

"N-No, I'm sorry. Really, no one bullied me. I was only scared because the food at home was running out so quickly, so I cried..."

Her words stunned Lu Chen, and he quickly realized something.

"You were worried I would abandon you."

"I'm sorry."

Terrified, Xiao Wei dropped straight to her knees.

Looking at her tiny body trembling in fear, the far-from-foolish Lu Chen quickly understood why she was so frightened.

She would not make it through this winter if she left me. No wonder she was so scared that she cried.

Sure enough, this world bears immense malice toward the weak!

Shaking his head, Lu Chen did not punish her. The past several days had made him somewhat wild. He could strike without hesitation against enemies, and he harbored fierce killing intent toward those who provoked him.

But bullying the weak was something Lu Chen disdained to do.

"Get up. Remember, just do your own work properly from now on. I'll figure out the food at home myself."

"With that little appetite of yours, I can still afford to feed you."

"Thank you. Thank you, sir."

Seeing Xiao Wei weep so hard she could not speak simply because Lu Chen had not punished her,

Lu Chen gained a deeper understanding of the weak in this world. For them, merely staying alive was already difficult.

And that made Lu Chen absolutely unwilling to become weak.

Hunt evil spirits at night, hunt wild beasts by day. Neither can stop. Even dying outside is better than becoming weak and being trampled underfoot.

Shaking his head and no longer dwelling on Xiao Wei's matter, Lu Chen spoke directly.

"Cook these two bear paws. I'll eat them when I return."

As he spoke, Lu Chen left behind the two bear paws. Then he tore the rest of the bear in half, carried one half on his shoulder, and headed next door to Da Zhuang's home.

After knocking twice, Da Zhuang soon appeared before Lu Chen.

When Da Zhuang saw Lu Chen—especially the Brown Bear slung over his shoulder and the marks on his body—he was badly startled.

"A'Chen, didn't you join the Night Patrol Team? Why did you go hunting again? And you hunted a Brown Bear? That's far too dangerous."

As a Hunter himself, Da Zhuang could clearly tell that Lu Chen had just come from the mountains and forest, and that the bear had only just been killed. He immediately understood what had happened.

Lu Chen merely smiled at that.

"Couldn't be helped. You know us Martial Artists eat a great deal. The food the village provides alone isn't enough."

"That's true enough. But be more careful next time. Don't take on beasts like tigers. Those fierce beasts are still very formidable."

"Forget it. Put the food back in your house first, then come over. I'll teach you some hunting tricks."

Da Zhuang was a decent man. He was preparing to teach Lu Chen some techniques that would make hunting easier for him.

Yet after saying that, Da Zhuang realized Lu Chen had not moved at all. His expression immediately darkened.

"What, you look down on my hunting skills? A'Chen, you may have become a Barbarian Blood Warrior, but relying on Barbarian blood alone won't make hunting prey easy."

Lu Chen, who had just returned from the forest, agreed very much with Da Zhuang's words.

Even Barbarian Blood Martial Artists, unless they possessed exceptionally great speed, were still somewhat slow when chasing prey with strength alone. Thus, they needed certain techniques.

And Lu Chen had indeed come to ask Uncle Da Zhuang about some things, though what he wanted to ask would certainly differ from what Uncle Da Zhuang had imagined.

Of course, seeing Uncle Da Zhuang's somewhat cold expression, Lu Chen understood what he had misunderstood and immediately explained.

"Uncle Da Zhuang, I really do want to learn some skills from you, but I won't take this meat home. This is my thanks. That Deer Leg of yours saved me that day."

Because he lacked information, Lu Chen had not known that his first advancement would require a large amount of nourishment.

Had Uncle Da Zhuang not given him that Deer Leg, he might very well have died.

As for Uncle Da Zhuang's hesitation back then, Lu Chen understood it well. Anyone who saw Lu Chen looking like a starving ghost would have hesitated. At the time, he had looked far too much like an evil ghost.

Moreover, food was extremely precious in the Barbarian Wastes. Not giving it to others was normal; giving it was a kindness. That was why Lu Chen had come this time: to repay the favor.

Da Zhuang had initially thought Lu Chen had grown arrogant after becoming stronger, and that displeased him somewhat.

But when he learned that Lu Chen intended to give him half a Brown Bear, the Barbarian Tribe strongman named Da Zhuang was genuinely astonished.

"You're too polite. Your father and I shared a friendship forged in life and death. How could I ignore you? And take this meat back. You've just become a Martial Artist—you need to eat well and cultivate properly."

"Don't worry about me. Your Uncle Da Zhuang still has some strength. I can keep myself full."

As he spoke, he deliberately flexed his muscles.

"I already kept half. It's enough for me."

With no intention of taking it back, Lu Chen carried the Brown Bear straight into the house with his strength and set it on the ground.

"Auntie, deal with this meat!"

After greeting Uncle Da Zhuang's family, Lu Chen continued, "Since I can hunt one, I can naturally hunt more. I'm not lacking food for now. And even if you, Uncle Da Zhuang, don't lack food, the children at home need to be properly nourished!"

Seeing Uncle Da Zhuang still wanting to say something, Lu Chen hurriedly added, "Uncle Da Zhuang, consider this tuition. I'll be learning properly from you about how to hunt."

Seeing the determination in Lu Chen's eyes, Uncle Da Zhuang finally accepted his words and had his family begin preparing the meat.

At the same time, looking at Lu Chen, the man named Da Zhuang wiped away tears in a rare display of emotion, feeling somewhat gratified.

"A'Chen, you've grown up. You've become a real man. Your father would be proud of you."

Lu Chen could only smile at that. He did not remember much about his father.

Fortunately, someone quickly came to Lu Chen's rescue.

Once Da Zhuang agreed, a sturdy woman nearly six feet tall rushed out from the room and hauled away the beast meat. She was Da Zhuang's wife.

Several children also came running over with cheers, quickly helping to deal with it.

Every Barbarian family had many children. Seeing the children's excited faces, Da Zhuang also revealed a faint smile.

"Those little brats must have made you laugh."

"It's fine."

Shaking his head, Lu Chen sat with Da Zhuang on a stone and discussed some hunting techniques.

Da Zhuang truly was a good Hunter. He wanted to teach Lu Chen how to set traps and how to search for traces of prey.

But Lu Chen was not very interested in those things. After chatting for a while, he finally brought up the true purpose of his visit.

"Uncle Da Zhuang, I heard there are powerful Barbarian Beasts among the wild beasts, ones with special powers. Do you know what kinds of Barbarian Beasts are nearby? What are their powers like, and how should they be dealt with?"

Yes. Aside from repaying his debt of gratitude, learning about the Barbarian Beasts around the village and the powers they possessed was Lu Chen's true reason for seeking out Uncle Da Zhuang.