Exotic Beast

The Lu Family Courtyard, with its blue-brick walls and gray-tiled roofs, was considered quite impressive in Kaoshan Village.

The morning chill had yet to disperse. Second Old Lu rubbed his hands and said to Old Master Lu:

"Father, I just heard from the villagers that Big Brother's family got another fine catch yesterday! A Red-bellied Golden Pheasant!"

Old Master Lu asked in surprise, "The eldest? Wasn't he ill? It's only been a few days—he can already enter the mountains?"

"It wasn't Big Brother who caught it," Second Old Lu said, his voice tinged with sourness.

"It was that brat Lu Chuan! Good heavens, he went into the mountains alone and brought back two fine catches in a single day. Besides that pheasant, there was also a fat rabbit!"

"Lu Chuan?" A trace of surprise flashed through Old Master Lu's eyes.

"That boy... has that kind of ability?"

Second Old Lu's tone was disdainful:

"So he made a catch. Even if he knows how to hunt, he's nothing more than a good hunter. How far can he go? How could he compare with our Lu Tao? He's destined to become a Martial Artist!"

At the mention of his precious grandson Lu Tao, Old Master Lu's wrinkles spread into a smile. "That's right, that's right!"

Thinking of Instructor Liu's assessment that Lu Tao's Bone Root was passable, Old Master Lu's heart felt as sweet as if he had eaten honey.

"If Tao'er really becomes a Martial Artist, even if he's only an Initiate..." Old Master Lu narrowed his eyes and calculated.

"He'll still receive five taels of silver in monthly pay!"

"Exactly!" Second Old Lu chimed in, his eyes turning.

"Father, that pheasant... it's quite a good thing... What do you think?"

A trace of interest flickered across Old Master Lu's face.

But then the cold gaze Lu Chuan had given him yesterday surfaced before his eyes.

That boy caught it himself this time... Old Master Lu inexplicably shuddered.

"Forget it." In the end, Old Master Lu waved his hand.

"The eldest's family will have a hard winter too. We'll... talk about it later."

Second Old Lu was somewhat disappointed, but he did not dare disobey.

"Father is right. Oh, by the way, of the two Qi and Blood Pills Instructor Liu awarded us, Tao'er took one last night."

"Oh?" Old Master Lu's spirits lifted, and he hurriedly asked, "How effective was it?"

Second Old Lu immediately grew excited.

"Remarkable! After Tao'er took it, his body was steaming hot even in the dead of winter. After practicing a set of punches, white vapor actually rose from his head! No wonder they say Martial Artists aren't ordinary people. This pill is truly miraculous!"

"Good, good, good!" Old Master Lu laughed, clapping his hands.

"That Snow Fox wasn't wasted! Tell Tao'er to train hard. As long as he can establish himself in the Martial Arts Hall, our old Lu family will have hope!"

Once he had made up his mind to learn martial arts, Lu Chuan's family each busied themselves the next day before dawn had fully broken.

Mother Lu wrapped the Red-bellied Golden Pheasant in old cloth and set off for the city early.

Her first purpose was to sell the pheasant for as good a price as possible. Her second was to inquire about the various Martial Arts Halls in the city, especially the cost of taking disciples.

Lu Chuan had specifically instructed her to ask about Martial Arts Halls that taught weapons and equipment. Those that taught only fist-and-foot techniques would not do.

After all, his Golden Finger needed to record weapons before it could display its power.

Lu Chuan checked his bow and arrows and prepared to enter the mountains.

Learning martial arts required money, and the mountains and forests were currently the fastest place for him to obtain resources.

Before he left, Lu Danian called out to him.

After a night of consideration, the man's face looked even more haggard.

Beside the bed, Lu Danian's voice was hoarse.

"Chuanzi, I thought about it all night. You're right. Right now, learning martial arts is the only way out if we want to live with some dignity."

He paused.

"With your Second Uncle's family being so greedy, the next time you catch something good, they might well find another excuse to come and snatch it again, just as they did with the Snow Fox!!"

He stared intently at his son. "I can't... stand by and watch them drain our family's marrow dry again!"

Lu Chuan nodded heavily. "Father, if you can think this way, our family has hope."

"Be careful in the mountains," Lu Danian reminded him.

"It's deep winter, and the prey has grown cunning. They're hard to find. Remember, the most important thing is to take care of yourself and keep your body healthy. That's the foundation."

"I know, Father," Lu Chuan replied.

Lu Danian seemed to hesitate for a moment. Then his expression became extremely solemn.

"By the way, since you'll be entering the mountains often from now on, having some ability will inevitably make you bolder. But there's one place you absolutely must not enter!"

Lu Chuan's heart tightened. "Father, what do you mean? Is there somewhere especially dangerous in the mountains?"

"Indeed. Go more than fifty li south of the village, and you'll come to a place called Black Wind Ridge."

"Black Wind Ridge?"

"Yes. In those woods... there's an Exotic Beast."

"An Exotic Beast?!" Lu Chuan's pupils contracted slightly.

In his memories, his father had never mentioned this before.

"It isn't an ordinary tiger, leopard, bear, or boar." Lu Danian sank into his memories.

"When I was young, I followed several old hunters from the village. Relying on our numbers and good weapons, we wanted to explore deeper inside..."

"That time, we brought six of our finest hunting dogs. Every one of them was an expert that had chased wild boars."

"Not long after we entered the ridge, the pack began barking like mad. We couldn't suppress them at all. Then it... came out."

"It was a Savage Bear, different from ordinary Black Bears. Its eyes were dark red, and its hide was rough and its flesh thick. Old Zhang shot an arrow at it, but the arrowhead shattered and flew off, leaving behind only a white mark."

"With one swipe of its paw, it killed the lead dog charging at the front. The other dogs leaped on it and bit, but couldn't even pierce its fur. Six fine hounds... all died in there."

"We panicked and attacked it with hunting forks and hatchets, but we couldn't hurt it at all."

"In the end, we were lucky enough to lure it into a Wild Boar Pit we had dug. Only after trapping it there did we manage to escape."

The lingering fear remained in Lu Danian's eyes.

"Later, we learned that it wasn't an ordinary bear. It was an Exotic Beast known as a Stone-hide Bear."

"After that, I never dared set foot in those old woods of Black Wind Ridge again."

Lu Chuan realized how serious it was and did not dare be careless.

A Stone-hide Bear impervious to blades and spears... With the little ability he had now, he was indeed far too weak.

"I suppose an Exotic Beast like that can probably only be dealt with by a Martial Artist."

After bidding farewell to his father, Lu Chuan slung his hunting bow over his back and entered the mountain forest once more.

This time, on the road from home to the village entrance, he encountered none of the mockery he had faced before.

"Chuanzi, entering the mountains again?"

"Be careful. It looks like it's going to snow again!"

"Brother Chuanzi, when I grow up, can I learn to hunt from you?"

Even hunters who often entered the mountains came over, hoping to find a companion. "Chuanzi, want to go up the mountain together? We can look out for each other!"

Lu Chuan refused.

When he arrived at Thicket Slope again, Lu Chuan immediately focused and activated Eagle Eye.

However, perhaps because the weather had grown increasingly cold, the mountain forest seemed exceptionally silent, and traces of living creatures had become much sparser.

He patiently searched inch by inch.

After nearly half a day of effort, he finally spotted a gray-feathered mountain pheasant in a patch of withered grass. It was a full circle smaller than the Red-bellied Golden Pheasant from before.

Without hesitation, Lu Chuan held his breath, nocked an arrow, and drew the bow.

The arrow struck its target with perfect accuracy.

The mountain pheasant only flapped twice before falling silent.

After lifting the catch, which weighed just over a pound, Lu Chuan had intended to search around a little longer.

But before long, goose-feather snowflakes began drifting down from the sky.

Lu Chuan knew that if he stayed any longer, not only would he be unlikely to gain anything, but even descending the mountain might become a problem. He therefore hurried home.

When he returned, he set down the gray-feathered mountain pheasant, feeling somewhat irritated.

"I worked all morning, and this is all?" Lu Chuan frowned.

"It's probably worth about one qian of silver... For the other families in Kaoshan Village who only seek enough food to get by, that would be sufficient. But I want to learn martial arts..."

Ten qian made one tael.

Although he did not know the exact cost of learning martial arts, he understood that this little silver probably would not even let him touch the threshold.

Just then, the door opened, and Mother Lu returned.

A sack of rice was strapped to her back, and she took five qian in loose silver from her bosom.

"The price of rice has gone up again."

Mother Lu spoke helplessly.

"That pheasant... was excellent quality, and it sold for one tael and two qian. After selling it, I hurried to the grain shop and exchanged the money for this sack of coarse rice. It cost nearly seven qian of silver."