Red-bellied Golden Pheasant

"Something's there!"

Lu Chuan's heart leaped. He quickly lowered his stance and moved silently behind a clump of bushes.

He focused again, staring toward that flash of red.

With the distance closed, the red was unmistakable—a single, brightly colored feather, about a foot long.

Then he soon spotted its owner.

It was a Red-bellied Golden Pheasant!

Slightly larger than an ordinary pheasant, it was huddled in the brush, pecking now and then at grass seeds beneath the snow.

In Lu Chuan's memory, this bird's plumage was dazzling, often called a phoenix by the mountain folk in private. It was extremely rare, and its value far surpassed that of an ordinary Mountain Pheasant.

Its most striking feature was the long tail feathers, and its meat was said to be exceptionally tender and nourishing.

"A fine prize..." Lu Chuan's eyes sharpened.

He carefully estimated the distance—about fifty paces, well within his hunting bow's effective range.

The Red-bellied Golden Pheasant kept pecking, unaware of Lu Chuan lurking behind and to the side.

Lu Chuan didn't hesitate.

He drew a reasonably sharp arrow from his quiver and nocked it to the bowstring.

He locked onto the pheasant.

The bow bent like a full moon.

The arrow flew like a shooting star!

"Whoosh!"

A short, piercing sound tore through the mountain forest's silence.

The next moment, a dull thud, followed by a mournful cry!

The arrow struck the pheasant's chest, piercing clean through.

The wounded Red-bellied Golden Pheasant flapped violently.

Lu Chuan immediately sprang from his hiding spot and dashed forward in a few strides.

The pheasant was still struggling. Lu Chuan quickly grabbed its neck, found the right spot, and twisted hard, putting it out of its misery.

Only then did Lu Chuan exhale a puff of white breath, his heart brimming with the thrill of a successful hunt.

"First prey of my life!"

The corners of Lu Chuan's mouth finally curled up, unable to hold back.

This Red-bellied Golden Pheasant was worth far more than an ordinary Mountain Pheasant.

He quickly tied the pheasant with a grass rope he carried and hung it at his waist.

Having scored one hit, Lu Chuan wasn't satisfied with turning back just yet.

Getting into the mountains wasn't easy—he'd braved the cold for over an hour and wanted to find more.

He slowed his pace and searched deeper into Thicket Slope.

Before long, in a sheltered patch of grass, he spotted a few inconspicuous black pellets, round, slightly larger than soybeans, with rough surfaces.

"Rabbit droppings."

Lu Chuan's heart lifted.

The droppings were of Middle Grade dryness, plump and full. The creature that left them was no small one.

Wild rabbits were cautious but left traces. They often followed fixed routes, and this trampled path was called an Animal Trail.

Using this clue, Lu Chuan successfully found an Animal Trail nearby.

On this trail, he soon discovered a few fresher droppings.

"Fresh ones! Dropped not long ago!" Lu Chuan's spirits soared.

He followed the intermittent, faint traces, advancing step by step.

These traces eventually led to a pile of rocks.

At the base of the rock pile, he found a plump wild rabbit, resting in ambush.

Lu Chuan drew another arrow, nocked it, and drew the bow, his movements smoother than when he'd hunted the pheasant.

"Whoosh!"

The arrow left the string, cutting through the air!

"Squeak!" A sharp cry rang out.

Lu Chuan hurried forward and saw an arrow deeply embedded in the neck of a gray wild rabbit—a clean kill.

He reached down, grabbed the rabbit by its long ears, and weighed it in his hand. It was heavy, probably seven or eight jin.

"Really heavy!"

Lu Chuan tied the fat rabbit with a grass rope as well and hung it from his waist alongside the pheasant.

One on each side, both carrying plenty of weight.

As the sky darkened and his harvest was substantial, Lu Chuan decided to head home.

The road was still cold, but when he saw the two catches on his body, his heart felt much better.

"Tonight I'll not only eat my fill, but there's meat too!"

He walked all the way to the village entrance, eager to get home, only to run into an unexpected person.

"Lu Chuan?"

A slightly surprised female voice came.

Lu Chuan paused mid-step and looked back.

A girl about his age stood by the roadside, wrapped in a half-worn thick cotton jacket, her cheeks flushed red from the cold. She was none other than his predecessor's goddess, Xinghua.

"It really is you," Xinghua said, looking him up and down.

"Why haven't you shown up for so long? And... why didn't you come bring me fish that day? You made me get my hopes up for nothing..."

Lu Chuan's eyes turned cold.

In his memory, it was this very village girl who, with a single line—"I want to eat fish"—had sent that fool of a predecessor jumping into an icy river in winter.

Goddess? She was nothing but a shrewd village girl who enjoyed being chased.

His predecessor was just one of the dumb, simpering dogs she kept on a leash with scraps of kindness, the easiest to boss around.

Now, hearing her bring up that incident, her tone held not a shred of guilt. She was even blaming Lu Chuan for not catching the fish.

Absolutely...

He gave a faint grunt in reply and turned to leave.

He had no mood to waste words on this scheming village girl.

"Hey, what's the rush?"

Xinghua followed him. She had already spotted the red-bellied golden pheasant hanging at Lu Chuan's waist.

Even in the dim light, its feathers shimmered with a gorgeous luster, and the fat wild rabbit beside it was also substantial.

Her eyes practically lit up. "Lu Chuan, this... did you catch this up in the mountains today? Since when did you have this skill?"

Lu Chuan sneered. "What, you want it?"

Xinghua actually took that as an offer. Or rather, she was used to Lu Chuan giving her whatever she asked for.

"I won't ask for much. Just leave this pheasant for me! My mother's been looking pale lately, and it'd be perfect for stewing to nourish her!"

Lu Chuan stopped walking, almost laughing in anger.

Unbelievable. She really had the nerve to say that!

In terms of value alone, how precious was this red-bellied golden pheasant?

If he took it to town and found a buyer who knew its worth, even one tael of silver might not be enough. The wild rabbit was worth at most a few dozen coppers.

And here she was, casually demanding the most valuable one with a single light sentence.

Seeing Lu Chuan's face turn cold, Xinghua felt a flicker of displeasure.

She pouted. "Why aren't you saying anything? It's just one chicken, no need to be so stingy, right? Back when your dad got mountain goods, he gave plenty to me too..."

"That was then." Lu Chuan turned and walked away.

But Xinghua panicked and grabbed his sleeve, complaining, "Lu Chuan, where are you going? You haven't given me the pheasant yet!"

"Give you my ass! Get lost!"

Xinghua's eyes went wide with disbelief.

Lu Chuan... this simp actually cursed at her? And told her to get lost?

"You dare... you dare curse at me?!" she shrieked.

"Lu Chuan! If you don't give me that pheasant today, you're not leaving! My dad's in charge of the village irrigation ditches. Believe me, I'll have him block the ditch to your family's plot next year and dry out your crops!"

She lifted her chin arrogantly, waiting for this simp to panic and apologize, then obediently hand over the prey.

But Lu Chuan didn't even glance at her. His steps never faltered.

That only enraged her further.

Seeing him about to walk off, thinking of the valuable pheasant, and remembering how she, of all people, was being treated like this by a poor brat she looked down on, a surge of spiteful fury rushed to her head.

"Give it here!"

Her malice got the better of her, and she lunged straight for the pheasant hanging at Lu Chuan's waist!

Already on guard, Lu Chuan sidestepped the moment she pounced.

But this action completely ignited Lu Chuan's fury.

"Looking for a beating!"

He barked, his right hand lashing out.

"Slap--!"

A crisp, resounding slap landed squarely on Xinghua's greedy face.

Her head snapped to the side, and she yelped in pain.

The searing sting on her cheek left her stunned for a long moment before she snapped out of it.

"Ah--!"

"Lu Chuan! How dare you hit me! Just you wait! I'm telling my father! You ungrateful bastard! You'll see!"

She wailed curses as she stumbled back toward the village, disheveled.

Lu Chuan watched her retreating figure, nothing but disgust in his eyes.

Trouble might not be over yet, but he felt no regret for that slap.