Hunter

"You want to buy some meat from me to mask Da Bao's scent, then kill the White Dragon Fish's last spawn." After hearing Chu Danqing's purpose, Jiang the Butcher was not particularly surprised.

Da Bao had brought the White Dragon Fish Offspring to his shop as soon as he arrived, asking him to process it.

"Yes. Da Bao said the White Dragon Fish only has three offspring. We might as well wipe them all out together," Chu Danqing said truthfully.

"Your method can work, but pork can't completely cover the scent." Jiang the Butcher smiled confidently. "You need to use this."

As he spoke, Jiang the Butcher took out a stack of leather hides.

From their appearance and texture, Chu Danqing recognized at a glance that they were skins peeled from White Dragon Fish Offspring.

There was more than one—there were several. Clearly, quite a few White Dragon Fish Spawn had died at Da Bao's hands, and some of their skins had remained in Jiang the Butcher's shop.

"Have Da Bao wear this, then hide in the grass. Only that White Dragon Fish abomination will be able to smell him. Its son hasn't grown to that level yet," Jiang the Butcher said.

Chu Danqing took them. The number of hides inside was just right for Da Bao to wear.

It was obvious these had originally been prepared for Da Bao.

He was not the only one capable of observing and drawing conclusions. Xianghua Village had been entangled with the White Dragon Fish for so long—how could they have no countermeasures at all?

Therefore, when facing the White Dragon Fish, Xianghua Village had far more methods at its disposal than Chu Danqing.

"Oh, Chu, if you want to use yourself as bait for the hunt, Da Bao alone won't be enough."

"I'll go call Wu Laoliu from the village over. He's a renowned hunter around here," Jiang the Butcher said cheerfully.

Upon hearing that, Chu Danqing naturally agreed. "Then I'll trouble you, Jiang the Butcher."

"Why are you being so polite? Wu Laoliu ought to thank you. His third wife was dragged into the water and eaten by that abomination." Jiang the Butcher kicked the White Dragon Fish Offspring, then left his butcher shop.

In less than half a quarter-hour, he returned with a middle-aged man. The man was not as burly as Jiang the Butcher, but he was clearly not lacking in meat on his bones.

"It was this beast." The middle-aged man was Wu Laoliu. Only after examining the White Dragon Fish Offspring did he say bitterly, "There's an arrow wound I left on its back. There's no mistaking it."

"Jiang the Butcher told me about Chu's idea on the way here. Whenever you set out, let me know beforehand. I'll serve you like a horse before the saddle and a servant behind it," Wu Laoliu said, getting straight to the point and offering his help.

"This matter should be done sooner rather than later. We'll act tonight. We still have half the afternoon left, so let's discuss the plan." Chu Danqing had not expected outside help to come so easily. It truly deserved to be called an extremely difficult trial.

Still, he also had to thank the snowballing advantage created by his own opening.

Upon hearing this, Wu Laoliu immediately said, "Good. We can do it."

Before Chu Danqing could speak, Wu Laoliu opened his mouth and laid out a thorough plan.

From the way he spoke with such ease and confidence, it was clear he had long wanted to hunt it, only lacking the conditions to put it into action.

The plan was simple: bait and traps.

Chu Danqing would serve as bait, Wu Laoliu would set the traps, and Da Bao would confront it head-on.

With a few modifications, it could even be used as a hunting plan against the White Dragon Fish itself.

"Ahem, Wu Laoliu, Chu can't outrun that little abomination with his speed."

"If anything goes wrong with your plan, it'll cost Chu his life." Seeing Wu Laoliu grow more animated as he spoke, Jiang the Butcher interrupted him.

Hearing that, Wu Laoliu looked embarrassed. He truly had not considered that point.

"Then... then what do we do?" Wu Laoliu had no good solution for the moment.

"There is one. Don't use that iron cage on the little abomination—use it on me. Just reinforce it so the little abomination can't flip it over."

What difference did it make who used it? As long as he did not die, that was enough.

"We just need to hold out until Da Bao arrives." Chu Danqing knew there would be danger, but when it was time to take a risk, he had to take it.

"Without that iron cage, the rest of the setup will be useless too." Wu Laoliu sighed. Chu Danqing's plan was simple and crude, but it really could keep him alive.

He could not truly put Chu Danqing in danger just for the sake of efficiency.

"Then forget it. Why are you acting all soft and womanish?" Hearing Wu Laoliu say that, Jiang the Butcher cursed as well.

Wu Laoliu had no intention of continuing to bicker with Jiang the Butcher. "We'll follow Chu's idea. I'll go make the arrangements first. At dusk, I'll come find you so we can set out together."

With that, Wu Laoliu turned and left the butcher shop, already considering how to further refine the hunting plan.

"That Wu Laoliu..." Jiang the Butcher shook his head before saying, "That's just the kind of person he is. Don't take it to heart, Chu."

"It's my own issue." Chu Danqing knew his Agility attribute was certainly inferior to Wu Laoliu's as a hunter. "By the way, Jiang the Butcher, I want to find something for protection."

"Where should I go to buy it?"

Since there might be danger tonight, this was a good chance to see whether he could get hold of a weapon.

Armor was out of the question. There was definitely no iron armor, though perhaps leather armor might be available.

What he wanted more was a blade or spear to use.

"You don't need to buy one. I have a pudao here—see if you can use it." Jiang the Butcher dug a pudao out from a corner.

A pudao was not really considered a weapon. It was more like a farming tool.

It was roughly a woodcutter's machete mounted on a hoe handle.

Chu Danqing took it, gave it a swing, and found it quite handy, aside from the rust on its edge.

"Don't place too much hope in it. I used it to cut pig fodder in the past." As he spoke, Jiang the Butcher took the pudao back from Chu Danqing and began sharpening it for him.

"This thing won't be much use against those beasts. If you don't handle it properly, you'll only hurt yourself."

"So if you can run, Chu, it's better to hide far away."

Jiang the Butcher scraped away at the rust on the pudao while offering Chu Danqing this advice.

"Even a frame as big as mine can't withstand a single bite from that abomination, much less a delicately raised young master like you."

Chu Danqing found himself very much in agreement.

"Actually... I want to learn archery," Chu Danqing said.

Since he had two Basic Skills from the Summoning System, it would be best to focus on ranged combat.

Bows and firearms would both be very suitable.

"Chu, it's not that I'm trying to discourage you." Jiang the Butcher did not even raise his head. "A bow isn't easy to use. Even in the army, it takes three years of bitter training."

"When Wu Laoliu comes back later, I'll ask him properly for you and see whether he has any solution."

"He's a hunter, so he knows a little archery, but it's only three-legged cat kung fu."

Jiang the Butcher did not refuse outright, instead offering to ask Wu Laoliu on Chu Danqing's behalf.

"Then thank you." Chu Danqing was delighted. It was a pity crossbows were banned among commoners—otherwise, things would have been much simpler.