Yuan Ge'er, You Still Say You Haven't Fallen into Demonic Obstruction?

Ecstatic!

Li Yuan was truly ecstatic.

This... he had actually gotten a cultivation technique for free?

And he could really cultivate it?

Holy shit! he cried inwardly again and again, his delight written all over his face.

They were at home anyway. No outsiders would see.

The young wife curled up in the bath barrel saw the barely contained joy on her husband's face and suddenly grew frightened. She called out, "Yuan Ge'er? A-Are you all right?"

Yan Yu was practically about to cry.

It was over. This time, he had really developed Demonic Obstruction, hadn't he?

"It worked, it wor~~ked! Sister Yan, I did it." Li Yuan happily stepped forward and leaned over the other side of the bath barrel. Amid the candlelight and beside the wet wooden barrel, he met his wife's eyes.

Seeing her husband's crazed appearance, Yan Yu could no longer hold it in. Tears streamed down her face. But thinking that provoking him now might trigger even worse consequences, she could only cry and smile at once. "You did it. Y-You did it. Then don't practice anymore today, all right?"

"Why are you crying?"

"I'm happy." Yan Yu lied through her teeth. "My own husband has become capable, he's got skills now. How could I not be happy enough to cry? Boohoohoo..."

Li Yuan did not doubt her. After Yan Niangzi finished washing, he quickly stripped off his clothes, climbed into the barrel, and comfortably scrubbed himself clean. Then he dried off and slipped under the covers.

Seeing Yan Niangzi turned away from him, quietly sobbing by herself at the edge of the bed, Li Yuan suddenly understood something. He grabbed Yan Niangzi by the shoulders, turned her over, and said, "Sister Yan, I don't have Demonic Obstruction. I really did cultivate it."

"Mhm, you did. You cultivated it." Yan Yu did not dare provoke him.

How could anyone know whether a cultivation technique had truly been cultivated or not?

She, her elder sister, and her brother-in-law had practiced for so long without any sign of progress, yet her own husband had succeeded after just two days?

Heh.

If this wasn't Demonic Obstruction, who would believe it?

Seeing that she did not believe him, Li Yuan put on his clothes and prepared to climb out of bed to perform a set of punches for her. But before he had even fastened his buttons, she grabbed him.

"What are you doing? Yuan Ge'er, what are you doing?" Yan Niangzi's expression was panicked, afraid her husband might suffer some fit in the middle of the night.

Li Yuan instinctively shook his hand, only to find that Yan Niangzi was gripping him tightly. He said, "Sister Yan, I really cultivated it. Once I perform a set of punches, you'll know."

"Th-Then after you perform it, will you come back and sleep properly?" Yan Niangzi asked.

Li Yuan said, "Yes."

Only then did Yan Niangzi let go.

Li Yuan eagerly stood on the floor and assumed his stance.

After the Willow Return Technique appeared on the panel, a beginner's cultivation method for it naturally took shape in his mind.

It seemed this panel possessed a function of "fuzzy entry."

As long as you seriously tried to do something, even if you only got it seventy or eighty percent right, it would still display it on the panel for you.

Li Yuan closed his eyes and threw his punches. His body was like a willow in the wind, its tender branches swaying and dancing with the current. During the process, a flow of qi and blood slowly coursed through his muscles, making him feel as though his strength had increased considerably.

Taking advantage of a pause, he glanced sideways. His attributes were still "1~2."

But that was fine. There was plenty of time ahead. Once he cultivated this technique further, his attributes would surely change.

By the bed, Yan Niangzi lay propped up, watching intently. Yet the longer she watched, the more deeply her brow furrowed.

Yuan Ge'er, and you still say you haven't fallen into Demonic Obstruction?

This boxing practice was only so-so...

After nearly half an incense stick's worth of time, Li Yuan finished the routine and exhaled a breath of turbid air. He felt refreshed and exhilarated, far too excited to sleep.

Yan Niangzi hurriedly clapped her hands and praised him with sincere seriousness, "You did it, Yuan Ge'er. You really did it!"

Only then did Li Yuan climb back into bed.

After practicing the boxing routine, he was full of vigor, so he embraced Yan Niangzi from behind.

In the darkness came a shy voice.

The next day.

Yan Niangzi washed the bedsheets at home, while Li Yuan slung his bow over his back and headed up Little Ink Mountain again.

Yesterday, he had surveyed the right side of Second Layer Mountain, but had not yet finished. Today, he continued.

By his rough estimate, it would take another two days to fully survey the mountain's right side.

Surveying all of Second Layer Mountain would probably take five or six days.

On the third day, Li Yuan headed up the mountain with a bamboo basket on his back. Inside the basket was a sack, and inside the sack was a food box.

He casually hunted a wild rabbit on Second Layer Mountain, gutted it, and hung its foul-smelling entrails from a tree. He then removed its head and left it beneath the tree.

After doing this, he went to a mountain spring, quickly washed the headless rabbit clean, then forcibly stuffed it into the food box. He placed the box in the sack and tossed it into the bamboo basket.

On his way back, he saw several wolves in Second Layer Mountain gathered around the spot where he had discarded the rabbit's entrails.

The rabbit head was already gone. Beneath the tree, the wolves stared at the entrails hanging from the branch and howled, wanting to eat them but unable to reach them.

Just then, a gust of foul wind swept over from afar. The Striped-Eyed White Forehead came charging over. The wolves hurriedly shifted aside to make way, while the great beast scampered up the tree in a few moves, lightly snatched the entrails in its jaws, flicked its head, and swallowed them.

Li Yuan brought the food box home, where he and Yan Niangzi quietly cooked the wild rabbit and divided it between themselves.

In everyone else's eyes, Li Yuan had not caught much for three or four days, so on the fourth day, he openly brought home a wild chicken.

The passersby saw him and teased him with smiles.

"Oh? Yuanzi found another leftover?"

"Pretty lucky today, huh?"

Li Yuan merely smiled and ignored them.

There was meat at home now, but their millet was dwindling, and their copper coins were nearly gone.

Yan Niangzi wanted to help the neighbors fetch water and deliver firewood to earn some money, but Li Yuan flatly refused.

If something happened to her, he would truly regret it beyond redemption.

After discussing it, the two exchanged half a chicken for some millet from Aunt Wang next door.

Uncle Wang worked as a waiter at a restaurant in the county seat, so he could at least earn some money. Grain stores in the county were also a little cheaper than those in the village, and he would bring some back whenever he returned.

Meat, however, was expensive.

It would cost Aunt Wang much more to buy a chicken herself, while Yan Niangzi would receive much less if she sold one to the black-market traders. This exchange benefited both sides.

On the fifth day.

Brother Xiong took two brothers up the mountain, while a group of people gathered at the mountain entrance.

Though it was a famine year, and starved corpses were often seen, things had not yet reached the point where lawlessness ran rampant and the authorities had completely lost control.

Thus, without a hunting permit, ordinary people did not dare venture into the mountains. If someone reported them, a beating with clubs or imprisonment would be unavoidable. In severe cases, they could even lose their heads.

The county magistrates were familiar with using commoners as bandits to claim merit, and the crafty villagers were familiar with it too.

Were not the prisoners in the jail naturally "bandits"?

That night.

Brother Xiong and the other two men carried down another wild boar, along with two wild chickens. The people at the mountain entrance cheered, shouting things like, "There's food when you follow Brother Xiong!" and "Brother Xiong is amazing!"

Among the crowd, a fair-faced, delicately built young wife gazed into the distance with worship in her eyes. She was Feng Er.

Feng Er shouted along with the crowd.

Brother Xiong walked amid the crowd, and as his gaze shifted, it landed on Feng Er. Their eyes met.

Feng Er lowered her head shyly.

Meanwhile, Qian Er of the Qian Family and several village hooligans watched with their teeth itching in resentment. Yet they did not dare approach, and could only glare hatefully from afar.

On the sixth day.

Yan Yu and Aunt Wang went to call Feng Er to fetch water.

They called for a long time without receiving any response. Then the door suddenly opened, and a man emerged from the house while fastening his trousers. He was not tall, but he was sturdy, with a fierce air on his face and a touch of springtime satisfaction. Who else could it be but Brother Xiong?

Yan Yu and Aunt Wang hurriedly moved aside.

Once Brother Xiong had gone far away, the two rushed into the house.

They took one look.

Feng Er was dressing as well, her snowy flesh still half exposed, her face glowing with happiness.

Aunt Wang frowned. "You silly girl, how did you get together with Old Xiong?"

"Brother Xiong is capable," Feng Er said.

Aunt Wang reminded her, "But he already has a wife."

A besotted look appeared in Feng Er's eyes. She lifted her chin, her eyes sparkling. "Brother Xiong said he'll marry me. I've made up my mind too. Even if I have to become a concubine, I'll follow Brother Xiong."

Yan Yu said, "Then why hasn't he taken you away?"

In a coquettish voice, Feng Er said, "Brother Xiong said the time isn't right yet and told me to wait for him. I'm willing to wait."

Seeing her little sister like this, Yan Yu said angrily, "You silly girl, how can you be so easy to fool?"

Feng Er became angry at those words. She looked as though she were about to slap the table and stand, but then her eyes rolled, and she smiled. "Brother Xiong is much more useful than your husband. Sister Yan, are you jealous of me?"

The moment Yan Yu heard that, her temper flared. She stepped forward and said, "Feng Er, what kind of talk is that? How is my husband useless?"

"Whether he's useful or not, doesn't everyone know?" Feng Er sneered.

Seeing that smug and contemptuous look on her face, Yan Yu turned and left in anger.

Note 1: Everyone, let me explain. Peach Crisp is a part-time writer, so I write a bit at noon, then write a bit more while slacking off in the afternoon. Updates will be at 5 p.m., and after I get home at night, there will be another chapter.

Note 2: The plainclothes swordsmen from the yamen who previously came to take Monk Pan had their attributes adjusted, from "45~46" to "19~20." Some overall parameters have also been adjusted. This should make things more reasonable.