Refusal

Li Yuan made his way with practiced ease to the outskirts of Little Ink Mountain. The "5–6" floating beside him gave him a little confidence.

Though he could not obtain a cultivation technique for the time being, he was not in such a rush. Staying alive and keeping away from danger came first.

If he could obtain a cultivation technique, he would seek one. If not, he would wait. Did he really think a technique would fall from the sky if he ran around like a headless fly looking for one?

Without a cultivation technique, he would first max out "Archery" and "Tracking."

If he could hunt well, he could at least fill his stomach. Once he had some extra money, he would find a way to move into a safer residential district.

Before long, he arrived beside a mountain spring on the outskirts and looked around.

There was no prey, but three men sat together, seemingly talking about something. Three dogs were tied to wooden stakes beside them.

These three men were the "Hunter Alliance" from Little Ink Village—the very three people Qian San had intended to recruit but had not yet gotten around to.

One of them had sharp eyes. Spotting someone in the woods and taking another look, he vaguely recognized him and called out, "Is that Yuanzi?"

Li Yuan walked out.

Once the man saw him clearly, he grinned amicably. "Yuanzi, your injuries have healed, and you didn't even tell your brothers?"

Li Yuan smiled as well. "Brother Xiong, I've only just nursed myself back to health. I came up the mountain for a stroll."

His gaze swept over the three men.

The one speaking was not tall, but he was solidly built, with a black fur coat wrapped around his upper body.

That coat had been made from the hide of a Black Bear.

Naturally, Brother Xiong had hunted that Black Bear himself.

That accomplishment alone made even Qian San reluctant to provoke him. Some people in the village called him "Brother Xiong," and after calling him that for so long, his original name no longer mattered.

The number beside Brother Xiong was "3–4," while the dog behind him was "1–2." Once Brother Xiong took hold of the dog's leash, he should be "4–6." No wonder Qian San feared him.

Of the two men beside Brother Xiong, the tall one with the youthful face was Zhang Nuli, a new hunter. His father had retired, and he himself had only been hunting for a short while. The other, whose face was covered in pockmarks, was Zhang Chuliu, usually called Zhang Mazi.

Both their dogs were "1–2," and their own strength was also "1–2." They seemed to be on the same level as Li Yuan before, only able to scrape by on the outskirts of Little Ink Mountain.

But unlike Li Yuan, whose dog had died, their dogs were still alive.

Brother Xiong patted Li Yuan's shoulders with both hands and praised, "Sturdy! Looks like Yan Niangzi has been hiding plenty of meat away. She only took it out to nourish you after you got hurt."

Then he laughed again. "My wife's the same. She won't take it out unless I'm injured, hahaha."

Beside him, Zhang Nuli said, "Brother Yuanzi, join us!"

Brother Xiong raised a hand, and Zhang Nuli immediately fell silent.

Brother Xiong slung an arm around Li Yuan's shoulders and said earnestly, "Brother, Qian San was planning to come after us. Luckily Monk Pan found out, or we really would've been in trouble.

"But Qian San is dead now. There's no telling whether someone new will come after us, and Qian Er is one of them.

"Even if Qian Er dies too, there'll definitely be others eyeing us hunters.

"Those little ruffians only stare at the meat we bring back. If you told those mongrels to hunt for themselves, could they do it?"

Brother Xiong cursed a while, then continued, "Brother, we need to stick together. There's strength in numbers. Then we won't have to fear anyone. The meat we hunt, the four of us brothers split evenly. How about it?"

Li Yuan hesitated.

Zhang Nuli said, "Brother Yuanzi, Brother Xiong is such a skilled hunter. We can follow him and still split the meat evenly—Brother Xiong is looking after us!"

Zhang Mazi, beside him, urged, "Yuanzi, join us! The four of us brothers can drink great mouthfuls of wine and eat great mouthfuls of meat. If those ruffians come looking for trouble, we'll take them down!

"Yesterday, that Xiao Fei dared to act tough in front of us. Brother Xiong slapped him so hard he couldn't recognize his own mother. What could he do about it?

"Disasters are everywhere now, and these are chaotic times. The four of us together can surely carve out something great. Then we'll share blessings and bear hardships together."

Li Yuan had been somewhat tempted at first.

After all, being part of a small group would make him less conspicuous.

But after hearing Zhang Mazi say that, and seeing the restless drive and daring in all three men's eyes, he immediately made his decision.

"Brother Xiong, I'm glad you'd consider me a brother.

"But I don't have any grand ambitions. I just want to hunt a little, live a modest life, neither fight nor scramble with others. A wife, children, and a warm bed—that's enough for me."

"We're the same, hahaha!" There was a trace of displeasure in Brother Xiong's eyes, but he still laughed heartily.

Li Yuan said, "Thank you very much, Brother Xiong. If there's nothing else, I'll go look around some more."

Zhang Mazi frowned and called out, "Yuanzi, what's wrong with you?"

Brother Xiong waved a hand. "Fine, Yuanzi. We're different from Qian San. We truly want to open our hearts and become brothers. It's all right if you haven't woken up to it yet. Once you do, come find your brother anytime."

"Thank you, Brother Xiong." Li Yuan forced another smile, then turned and headed farther away.

Once he saw Li Yuan had gone far away, Zhang Mazi began cursing. "That Yuanzi doesn't know what's good for him."

Brother Xiong said, "Enough. He was polite enough. He just looks like that wild boar scared the courage out of him. Once he can't catch any prey on his own, he'll naturally come back looking for us."

Zhang Mazi burst out laughing.

Zhang Nuli beside him laughed along.

Brother Xiong said, "Forget about him. Today, the three of us will go take a look around Second Layer Mountain."

Zhang Mazi patted his backside and stood up. "We'll listen to Brother Xiong."

The three men took their dogs and made their way deeper into the mountains.

Li Yuan watched the three enter Second Layer Mountain, then quietly followed them into the mountain pass.

After entering, he hid behind an old tree. Only after he saw the three men enter a gorge did he circle around and head in another direction.

This was when Advanced Tracking showed its worth.

He could better conceal his presence by using the surrounding environment, and his movements became lighter and quieter, like a predator preparing to hunt, stalking step by step toward the distance.

Beyond Second Layer Mountain, the situation was indeed completely different from the outskirts of Little Ink Mountain. Before long, Li Yuan spotted a wild boar.

The boar was rooting around in the ground, though who knew what it was doing. Above its head floated the number "3–4."

Li Yuan quietly drew an arrow from his quiver. After hesitating slightly, he lowered it again.

If he killed such a large boar, it would be too conspicuous when he brought it back.

Better look for smaller prey.

He retreated quietly, and the wild boar did not even notice him.

After going around the boar, Li Yuan started walking in the other direction.

He walked for most of the day without seeing any prey. The forest was like a maze; every direction looked the same.

Li Yuan immediately began appreciating the benefits of a hunting dog.

If he could raise a good dog, who knew how much trouble it would save him.

A dog's nose was incredibly keen. Once it caught a scent, it could follow it to find prey. It was far more efficient than wandering around blindly like this.

As he was thinking, his body suddenly paused. Not far away, a pheasant was walking through the low shrubs of the forest.

The pheasant looked around vigilantly as it walked. Its claws pressed down on dead branches, making cracking sounds, while "0–1" floated above its head.

The pheasant looked left, then right.

The low shrubs happened to conceal its body.

But to Li Yuan, the "0–1" hovering above its head was far too conspicuous.

He swiftly took out a smooth pebble.

After the pheasant walked a little farther, it suddenly sensed danger and hurriedly turned its head. A cold glint shot toward it with a whoosh.

Thud!!!

The pebble struck the pheasant's head. Its skull shattered at once, and it dropped dead on the spot.

Li Yuan quickly went over, grabbed the pheasant, stuffed it into the burlap sack he had prepared, and hurried back.