Willow Return Technique

Willow Return Technique

The noise of Li Yuan getting up woke Yan Niangzi, who was still curled up beneath the covers.

Yan Niangzi watched her man practice the moves he had done yesterday. It was a little funny, but also a little worrying.

She tilted her head to glance outside. The weather was nice, so she hurriedly got up as well.

There was not much water left at home. She had to hurry to the village entrance and fetch a few buckets.

A while later, she heated up last night's leftovers, put on her makeup, stuffed some scraps of cloth into her clothes, then looked at Li Yuan and said, "Yuan Ge'er, there's bean rice in the pot, and chicken fat beside it. Mix it in yourself."

After taking two steps, she worriedly added, "Yuan Ge'er, this method is only for strengthening your body. You... don't practice until you fall into Demonic Obstruction."

"Got it." Li Yuan stopped and glanced at her. "Going to fetch water?"

"The water jar at home is empty, and it hasn't rained these past few days."

"You're going alone?"

"How could I? Aunt Wang, Feng Er, and I have always gone together. Even if their water jars aren't empty, if I call them, they'll come with me. In times like these, how could anyone run around outside alone?"

Seeing that Li Yuan was still worried, Yan Niangzi beamed. "It's all along the official road. Nothing will happen. Didn't I fetch water often before, when you weren't around?"

With that, she slung a large wooden bucket over her arm and was about to head out.

Fetching water was hard work. To fill the water jar, one had to make four or five trips back and forth at the very least.

Li Yuan was about to continue cultivating when he saw the young woman poke her dusty little face back around the doorframe, nagging, "It's just a way to strengthen your body, not a cultivation technique at all. Don't practice yourself into Demonic Obstruction."

"Got it, got it. I'm only strengthening my body, not practicing a cultivation technique."

Only then did Yan Niangzi feel relieved.

Cultivation techniques and such felt very far removed from her. Even that nephew from before felt distant, so distant that he seemed lofty and unreachable.

Li Yuan was the man who shared her pillow, so she naturally felt that cultivation techniques were far removed from him as well.

Li Yuan continued cultivating, standardizing his movements and adjusting his breathing and rhythm.

When Yan Niangzi returned from fetching water for the second time, he ate, slung his bow over his back, and headed out with her.

There were two other women beside Yan Niangzi.

One was Aunt Wang from next door.

The other was a young woman with fair skin and a fresh, delicate appearance. This was Feng Er.

Feng Er teased, "Yuan Ge'er, Sister Yan hasn't lived a good life since following you, has she?"

Li Yuan froze for a moment. "Why do you say that?"

Feng Er said, "I remember Sister Yan used to be quite pretty, but after following you, she's become much uglier. Her skin has turned rough, and she's gotten fatter too."

Li Yuan had not expected this woman to be so nosy. He straightened up and said, "What about me, then?"

Feng Er was taken aback. This young man had actually grown much more sturdy. Standing beneath the sunlight, he had gained a few hints of imposing charm that made one's heart stir.

She spat lightly and provoked him, "So all the good food went into your belly! You're a grown man and built pretty strong too, so why doesn't Brother Xiong take you along?"

Aunt Wang tugged at her, telling her to stop, but Feng Er said angrily, "I'm standing up for Sister Yan."

Yan Yu hurriedly said, "Yuan Ge'er is very good to me."

Feng Er snorted and finally said no more.

When the three women and one man reached a fork in the road, they went their separate ways.

Li Yuan had gone to Second Layer Mountain before, and today he slipped inside again as though he knew the way by heart.

However, he was not planning to hunt anything today. He was preparing to scout the area.

Because his tracking ability was rather strong, he was equally at ease whether concealing his presence or his footsteps.

Quite a few animals failed to notice him at all.

He made a rough survey of the right side of Second Layer Mountain, the side bordering the stream.

There were few animals by the stream on the outskirts of Little Ink Mountain, but Second Layer Mountain was rather lively.

From a high place, Li Yuan even spotted a striped-eyed white-forehead big bug in the distance.

The number "5~8" floated above the big bug's head.

"Looks like the tigers in the mountains are no match at all for those Ranked Martial Warriors." Li Yuan recalled the saber-wielding government constable who had come to arrest people.

That value of "19~20" had been far too glaring. By its very number of digits, it declared that he and ordinary people did not belong to the same world.

Who knew what such people ate every day.

Li Yuan let his thoughts wander.

He continued scouting, carefully examining the waters, terrain, and paths on the right side of Second Layer Mountain.

Along the way, he saw many wild rabbits, pheasants, and even Roe Deer. Above all of their heads floated "0~1."

Aside from those, he also saw a wolf pack of seven or eight wolves. The values above their heads were mostly "2~3," while one was "2~4," clearly at the level of a wolf king.

He carefully observed the surrounding terrain and the distribution of wild beasts.

At Dusk, on his way back, he raided a nest of bird eggs and hid them away, then returned to the exit of Second Layer Mountain.

At that moment, he was in quite a good mood.

After all, the problem of food was basically solved.

After making this round today, he had abruptly realized that he was already on the same level as the tyrant of Second Layer Mountain—the tiger.

Had Second Layer Mountain not become a hunting ground where he could take whatever he pleased?

Li Yuan went home empty-handed, and quite a few people saw him along the way.

Most of them wore expressions that said, "As expected."

Someone said, "Yuanzi, bad luck today?"

Another said, "Yuanzi, why not tag along with Brother Xiong?"

Someone else said, "Hunting isn't easy. The Qian Family is buying Hunter Permits. Why not sell yours?"

Li Yuan ignored these boring people and went home with a "miserable face."

Yan Yu was squatting before the stove, cooking.

The family could only count on this one meal in the evening each day.

When Yan Yu saw Li Yuan return empty-handed, she did not mention "Brother Xiong" or "wild boar" anymore, afraid of provoking her man and making him practice cultivation again. She merely said lightly, "You're back? Go wash your hands and get ready to eat."

But Li Yuan did not walk over. Instead, he moved closer to her.

"What are you doing? It's not even dark yet."

Li Yuan pulled four bird eggs from his clothes.

At the sight of them, Yan Niangzi turned her head in delighted surprise. "Where did you raid these from? Didn't you say there weren't even birds living around the outskirts of Little Ink Mountain anymore?"

"Luck, luck." Li Yuan clasped his hands, placed the four chicken-egg-sized bird eggs on Yan Niangzi's lap, then ran off to practice cultivation.

Yan Niangzi had been happy at first, but when she saw her man go practice cultivation, her face fell again.

"Yuan Ge'er, it's fake. Cultivation techniques are fake."

But Li Yuan ignored her and simply cultivated.

The more he practiced, the more he felt there might be something to it. Perhaps because of his physique, he could feel a current of heat coursing through his muscles, like hot springs flowing within him.

After dinner.

He continued practicing.

Yan Niangzi heated water and called for him to bathe, but he was still practicing.

Yan Niangzi urged, "Yuan Ge'er, hurry and wash up. After you're done, I still need to wash."

Fetching water was inconvenient, so unless their bodies were truly too filthy, they usually used the same tub of water.

If it came to cleanliness, Yan Niangzi was certainly cleaner, but she cherished her man and wanted him to wash first.

Li Yuan understood her thoughts. "Then let's wash together."

Yan Niangzi blushed and shook her head. "Aren't you ashamed? Hurry and wash. The water's getting cold."

Li Yuan said, "You wash first, then I will."

Seeing that Yan Niangzi still wanted to refuse, he stepped forward and tugged at her belt, about to pull off her clothes and trousers.

Yan Niangzi did not know whether to laugh or cry. "All right, all right, Yuan Ge'er. I'll do it myself."

Not long after,

Yan Niangzi lay in the wooden tub, her chin resting on its edge as she watched the young man still practicing cultivation.

She muttered, "Yuan Ge'er, why are you so good to women?"

After a while, she said again, "Stop practicing. The cultivation technique is fake."

A little later, she added, "I'm almost done washing, Yuan Ge'er. It'll be your turn to take off your clothes soon."

Li Yuan paid her no mind and remained focused on cultivating.

Suddenly, an unusual sensation of everything connecting arose within him. When he looked at the information again, he saw a new entry on the panel:

Cultivation Technique: Willow Return Technique (1/100)