Wild Boar

Fang Yuan looked at the enormous wild boar breathing its last before him, then at the Purple Sable crouched on a nearby branch.

It was hugging a freshly cracked pine nut kernel and nibbling away with relish. He could not help but feel deeply moved.

He reached out and tentatively stroked the Purple Sable's sleek, warm back.

The Purple Sable flinched warily at first, but when it sensed that Fang Yuan meant no harm, it quickly relaxed.

It even narrowed its eyes slightly and let out a comfortable, faint rumble, clearly enjoying the touch.

"Little fellow, thanks for your help this time," Fang Yuan said softly. Though he knew it might not fully understand,

the goodwill in his voice was clear. "If there's anything good like this in the future, or if you need hard shells cracked open, you can come find me."

The Purple Sable raised its little head and looked at Fang Yuan with black-pearl eyes, as though pondering his words.

Its tiny nose twitched slightly, as if it were trying hard to remember Fang Yuan's distinctive scent.

Yet at the latter half of Fang Yuan's invitation, it showed obvious vigilance. It shook its little head,

then darted several steps away and crouched on a higher branch to watch him. Its meaning was obvious: helping was fine, but going home with you was out of the question!

Fang Yuan could not help but laugh at its clever yet guarded appearance.

He had been indulging in a wild fantasy. How could such a spirited little creature possibly allow itself to be kept so easily?

Still, if they could maintain this kind of cooperative relationship for the long term, that would not be bad either.

This little fellow was far better than him at finding treasures and tracking prey.

"All right, all right. I won't force you." Fang Yuan smiled and did not bring it up again.

For now, the real issue was how to deal with this enormous wild boar.

This boar had to weigh over three hundred jin. Even after draining its blood and removing the organs and bones, there would still be well over a hundred, perhaps two hundred jin of meat.

Such a huge pile of meat was practically a moving mountain of gold in these famine years! But it was also an enormous problem.

In broad daylight, there was no way he could get a male wild boar back to the village without anyone noticing.

Once someone saw it, the news would spread through the entire village in an instant. Then jealous eyes, probing questions, and even open plunder would come one after another.

"I can only wait until night," Fang Yuan quickly decided.

"I have to wait until midnight, when everyone in the village is fast asleep, then figure out how to bring it back."

He tried sending some soothing or questioning thoughts toward the wild boar, which was still gasping for breath, but there was no response in his mind.

[Basic Beast Language] showed no sign of activating.

It seemed either that the skill's level was too low, allowing only the simplest communication with creatures as intelligent as the Purple Sable;

or that a wild boar was simply too stupid to understand complex intentions.

He stopped wasting time. While waiting, he used his axe to split open every hard pinecone the Purple Sable had hoarded.

The Purple Sable was so delighted that it leaped up and down, gathering the pine nut kernels and hiding them in tree hollows or rock crevices, busy as a bee.

Fang Yuan found some dead branches and piled snow, then roughly disguised the hollow where he had found the wild boar, so that passing people or beasts would not discover it.

As the sun gradually slanted westward, the light in the forest began to dim, and the temperature plummeted.

The Purple Sable had long since eaten its fill and hidden itself away. Fang Yuan estimated the time and decided it was about time to head back.

At the very least, he needed to wait near the village entrance ahead of midnight.

He gave the wild boar one last inspection. It was drawing its last breath and had gone completely still.

The Snow Ginseng was hidden against his flesh inside his clothes, giving off a faint chill. Meanwhile, he was calculating how to safely turn the several hundred jin of meat that had fallen from the heavens

into the capital he needed for cultivation and to secure his footing in the world.

Night had deepened, and the snowflakes grew finer as they fell soundlessly, draping the entire village in a thin white veil.

Everything was silent. Only the occasional bark of a dog made the winter night seem even colder and lonelier.

Fang Yuan estimated that it was nearly midnight, and most of the villagers had long since fallen asleep.

He drew a deep breath of icy air and stepped out from the woods outside the village where he had been hiding.

He had tightly bound the limbs of the massive wild boar, which weighed over three hundred jin, with tough hemp rope, run a thick wooden pole through its body, and hoisted it onto his shoulder.

The crushing weight made the snow beneath his feet creak. Every step left a deep footprint in the snow.

If it had been the frail scholar he once was, let alone carrying it, he would never have been able to move this huge thing even an inch.

But now that he cultivated, his vital energy and blood had greatly increased, and his strength far surpassed that of an ordinary man. Though it still felt incomparably heavy and his muscles were taut,

his breathing rough, he had still forced himself to carry it alone.

He did not dare take the main road. Instead, he deliberately chose narrow alleys between houses and secluded paths.

The snowy night offered the best cover, but it also made moving with such a heavy burden even more difficult.

Several times, footsteps and scattered voices sounded in the distance. They belonged to other villagers who were likewise trying to do some private work under cover of night or returning home late.

Fang Yuan immediately stopped, held his breath, and pressed himself tightly into the shadows against the icy earthen wall, like a rock merged with the darkness,

waiting until the sounds had completely faded before moving again.

His heart pounded heavily in his chest, half from exhaustion, half from nerves.

If anyone caught sight of him, there would be no way to explain it.

The Snow Ginseng in his clothes and the wild boar on his shoulder were both immense fortunes that could stir greed in anyone.

At last, without incident, he made his way to the low gate of his own courtyard.

He listened carefully. There was no movement inside.

He cautiously lowered the wild boar and leaned it against the base of the courtyard wall, where it landed with a dull thud.

He looked around warily once more. Only after confirming that no one had noticed did he tap the door lightly and whisper through the crack:

"Wanwan, it's me. Open the door."

Rustling footsteps immediately sounded from within, and the door bar was swiftly and quietly pulled aside.

Liu Wanwan's face appeared behind the door. When she saw Fang Yuan outside, covered from head to toe in snow and carrying an enormous wild boar,

she clapped a hand over her mouth in shock, her eyes going round as she nearly cried out.

"Quick, help me!" Fang Yuan whispered urgently.

Only then did Liu Wanwan snap out of it and hurriedly move aside.

Fang Yuan took a deep breath, exerted himself once more, and half dragged, half hauled the heavy wild boar into the courtyard. Then he swiftly slid the door bar back into place.

After doing all that, he nearly collapsed against the door, gasping for breath as clouds of white vapor scattered through the frigid air.

Sweat mixed with melted snow and ran down from his temples.

Liu Wanwan stared at the mountain-sized wild boar in the courtyard, still in immense shock. Her voice trembled.

"H-Husband... Th-this is..."

"Found a bargain in the mountains." Fang Yuan kept it brief, wiping the sweat from his face.

"It was badly injured and nearly dead when I came across it."

He paused, looking at the enormous haul with a sharp gleam in his eyes.

"We'll keep half the meat. It'll last us a long time. Once I've dealt with the other half, I'll quietly take it to the market in the neighboring town,

and trade it for white rice, fine flour, oil, and salt. Maybe I can even get a few feet of cloth."

He looked at the shabby, thin cotton clothes on Liu Wanwan and Little Bean Sprout, then added,

"And get you two some warmer clothes for winter."

Listening to his plans, looking at the unbelievable mountain of meat before her, then at her Husband, exhausted yet with eyes shining so brightly,

Liu Wanwan felt as if she were dreaming.

Just a few days ago, this household had been on the brink of ruin, and now...

She nodded heavily, her voice choked with sobs. "Mm! We'll do whatever Husband says!"