Snow Fox

"No, the woodchopping knife is still too useless. Even knowing how to chop wood won't keep me fed for the time being."

Just as Lu Chuan was pondering what weapon he should record, the front door was suddenly shoved open.

"Chuanzi! Look quickly, what did I catch!"

A middle-aged man with a face weathered by the frost stepped hurriedly into the doorway, holding a snow-white fox by its pelt.

The middle-aged man before him was none other than Lu Chuan's biological father, Lu Danian.

Running home in such high spirits, he had presumably caught some extraordinary big game.

Having fully inherited his predecessor's memories, Lu Chuan did not feel the slightest sense of estrangement toward Lu Danian.

Noticing Lu Danian's hands shivering from the cold, he hurriedly spoke:

"Dad, it's awfully cold outside. Come inside and warm up by the fire first..."

Lu Danian closed the door, pointed at the fox, and grinned widely as he laughed:

"Look, Dad had some good luck today and landed a snow fox!"

Lu Chuan helped his father take off his snow-covered clothes:

"This... must be worth a lot, right?"

In his predecessor's memories, his father had never hunted a fox of this snowy white quality, so his understanding of this thing's price was rather hazy.

"Valuable! It's worth a pretty penny!"

Seeing that his son was interested, Lu Danian instantly perked up.

"This pelt can fetch at least five taels of silver, enough for us to get through a warm winter, and maybe there'll even be some left over. Dad will save it up properly and find you a wife in the future..."

Thinking of his son's marriage prospects, a glint of warmth appeared in Lu Danian's eyes.

Although Lu Chuan had little interest in marrying some rural country girl, upon hearing that they could survive a warm winter and actually eat their fill, a weight lifted from his heart.

At least the most pressing crisis for now was resolved.

He smiled and said, "That sounds wonderful. Dad, tomorrow the two of us will make a trip to town and sell this fox for a good price!"

"Alright!"

Just then, a burst of hurried knocking interrupted the conversation inside the house.

"Old Eldest! Is Old Eldest in the house? Open the door, it's me!"

The smile on Lu Chuan's face instantly froze.

This voice... was his grandfather, Old Master Lu.

They say that common folk dote most on their youngest child.

This saying found complete reflection in Old Master Lu.

His father, Lu Danian, had never been as favored by him since childhood as the second uncle; no matter what trouble the second uncle stirred up outside, the old master would always clean up his messes.

The household division had been even more outrageous. The old master claimed that those with greater capability should take a smaller share, allotting Lu Danian merely two meager mu of poor land.

As for the second uncle, he received the rest of the family's assets, including fifteen mu of farmland, several rooms of housing, and livestock.

How could two meager mu of poor land support a family of three?

Left with no other choice, Lu Danian had to prepare his own hunting bow and begin venturing into the deep mountains, only then managing to secure enough food for a full stomach.

Because of all this, the relationship between the two households was icy.

Aside from having no choice but to visit during the New Year festivals over the years, they basically had no dealings with each other on ordinary days.

Why had he suddenly come knocking today? And at this hour?

The front door opened, and standing outside was indeed Old Master Lu.

The old master had deep wrinkles on his face and a shrewd look in his eyes. Standing beside him was a sturdy lad, the eldest son of the second uncle, Lu Tao.

Lu Tao was dressed in thick cotton-padded clothes, carrying an air of impatient arrogance.

Without waiting for Lu Danian to speak, Old Master Lu stepped directly across the threshold.

Lu Danian spoke dryly:

"Dad, why have you come? It's cold inside the house, and there's nothing much to host you with..."

Old Master Lu acted as though he had not heard. His eyes fixed on the fox, shining with a sharp glint:

"Eldest, the villagers truly weren't lying. You really did get your hands on a fine piece of goods!"

Lu Tao followed him inside as well, and upon seeing the fox, his eyes lit up:

"Grandpa! This pelt is so white! Perfect, didn't Instructor Liu at the martial arts hall say he likes fine pelts? If we take it and give it to him, he'll definitely be pleased!"

Hearing this, Lu Chuan felt a sudden sense of foreboding in his heart.

In the memories he inherited, he possessed a profound understanding of the two words "Martial Artist".

They were truly people above others, capable of splitting boulders and surging with vital energy, making even the county magistrate treat them with three parts courtesy.

The county martial arts hall was the gateway for ordinary people to catch a glimpse of the martial way world.

However, whether Lu Tao practiced martial arts or not was not what concerned him; what he worried about was his own grandfather!

This old man's favoritism was notorious in the village.

Now that this snow fox had caught their eye, there was no way they wouldn't scrape up some pretense to grab a share of the spoils!

Sure enough, Old Master Lu spoke up:

"Eldest, you heard him. Your nephew is ambitious and has been selected by the martial arts hall in the city. This is a tremendous stroke of fortune! It brings honor to our ancestors!"

"But one has to show some sincerity when becoming a disciple, and Instructor Liu is particularly fond of top-tier pelts. This snow fox of yours fits the bill perfectly."

He paused, his tone softening:

"Dad knows it hasn't been easy for you, but this is for your own nephew's future! As his eldest uncle, shouldn't you support him?"

Hearing this, Lu Chuan's gaze turned cold.

Regarding the old master's favoritism, Lu Danian only felt a bone-chilling cold sweep over him. His voice trembled:

"Dad... this fox... our family is counting on this money to get through the winter, and Chuanzi is also getting up there in age; we need to save some money to find him a wife..."

Old Master Lu interrupted him, his brows tightly furrowed as his gaze swept past Lu Chuan.

There was not the slightest trace of concern for his grandson in those eyes, only sheer indifference.

"Getting through the winter? Would you die from missing a few meals? Your nephew is going to test for the martial arts hall!"

"When he brings honor to our ancestors in the future, won't you all share in the glory? Your vision is so short-sighted, only caring about these few mouthfuls of food right in front of you!"

With that, he reached out directly to grab the snow fox.

Lu Danian watched helplessly as the old master made his move. He wanted to stop him, but that was his father.

Decades of filial piety and dread shackled his hands and feet, leaving him utterly unable to utter a single word.

Just as Old Master Lu was about to touch the fur, a hand pressed down onto the fox first.

Old Master Lu started, followed the hand up, and locked eyes with a pair of eyes.

They were Lu Chuan's eyes.

"Grandfather,"

Lu Chuan spoke, his voice not loud,

"This fox belongs to my dad."

"You've lost your mind!"

Old Master Lu flew into a rage and pulled hard, but surprisingly failed to break free.

He had not expected that this normally honest and cowardly grandson would actually dare to resist. He raised his other hand, making a motion to strike.

Yet Lu Chuan did not give ground in the slightest, pressing down with both hands as his resolute gaze remained completely unchanged.

The two of them stood locked in a standoff.

"Dad, stop! No matter what, Chuanzi is still your grandson!"

Seeing his own son's actions, Lu Danian was stunned for a moment. Recovering his wits, he hurriedly tried to stop the old master.

He pulled Lu Chuan behind him while simultaneously reclaiming the snow fox.

This action clearly provoked Old Master Lu.

"Let go! You unfilial thing! For the sake of a useless piece of trash, you're throwing away the futures of your own father and nephew?!"

"Eldest Uncle! How dare you lay a hand on Grandpa!" Lu Tao shouted from the side, putting on a bold front.

Yet facing Old Master Lu's reprimand this time, Lu Danian no longer spoke, simply standing there in silence while holding the snow fox.

This snow fox was simply too important; without it, the family of three would struggle even to figure out how to survive the coming winter.

Even his own usually cowardly son had begun to stand up and resist. If he himself were to remain weak and spineless, would he still be worthy of being a father?!

"Dad, this is the life of our family of three!"

The standoff lasted only an instant.

Old Master Lu was not frightened by Lu Danian's words. A fierce look flashed in his eyes, and he shoved hard against Lu Danian's chest!

Having spent three days and three nights lying out in the snow, half of Lu Danian's body was numb from the cold. Caught off guard, he was shoved hard against the earthen wall, unable to even stand steady.

His grip loosened, and the snow-white fox slipped from his hands and flew out.

Lu Tao quickly stepped forward, cradling the fox in his arms with a smug smile plastered across his face.

"My... snow fox..."

Leaning against the wall, Lu Danian watched his nephew clutching the fox and his ruthless, cold-blooded father. A wave of immense powerlessness instantly washed over him and engulfed him.

The pillar of this household had completely collapsed at this very moment.

"Scoundrel! Put that down!"

Lu Chuan clenched his fists, his gaze turning chillingly cold as he moved to lunge at Lu Tao.

"Chuanzi! Don't!"

Lu Danian's voice trembled, but he tightly grabbed Lu Chuan's arm.

Although Lu Tao was young, he was tall and sturdy, towering over Lu Chuan by a good half-head—otherwise, he wouldn't have caught the eye of the town's martial arts hall.

With his own body currently feeling far from well, if the two of them started a fight, Lu Chuan would likely come out on the losing end.

"Leave this to me, don't you make a move..."

Old Master Lu watched the defiant Lu Chuan with cold eyes, his face showing not a shred of emotion.

"You've truly rebelled! Mannerless wretch!"

These words completely triggered Lu Danian, and he abruptly raised his head.

Old Master Lu felt somewhat unnerved by that look, yet he still forced himself to maintain his dignity:

"What? You still intend to..."

"Dad."

Lu Danian interrupted him, his voice calm,

"Take this fox. Consider it your son's... final act of filial piety to you."

A hint of smugness flickered across Old Master Lu's face; it seemed the eldest son had caved after all.

However, his son's next words caused his expression to change drastically.

"From this day forward,"

Lu Danian said every word distinctly and with extreme slowness,

"Whether my branch lives or dies, whether we attain wealth or go begging, it will have nothing more to do with you or the Lu Family Old Residence. Let our fates be decided by the heavens."

Having spoken these words, Lu Danian collapsed directly against Lu Chuan, looking as though all his life force had been drained away.

"Dad! Hang in there!"

Seeing this, although Lu Chuan still harbored unwillingness in his heart, he understood Lu Danian's intent.

He then helped Lu Danian to the bed in the inner room. After lying down, Lu Danian said weakly,

"Chuanzi, don't you worry. It's just a snow fox; I have other ways. I won't... let you and your mother starve..."

"Dad, I believe you. I believe you can hunt something even better."

Lu Chuan grasped Lu Danian's large, calloused hand, his voice steady,

"Don't think about anything right now, just rest a moment. Are you extremely hungry? There's still some porridge left in the pot, I'll go heat it up for you right away..."

Lu Danian's lips moved a few more times as if he wanted to say something else, but he could not articulate it fully.

Before Lu Chuan could speak, his head tilted to the side, and his entire body went limp.

"Dad!"