After finishing his conversation with Manager Chen, Wang Meng came over to the group and said:
"We sold today's game for a total of 224 copper coins. Xiao Yi gets 44, and the rest of us each get one more, so 45 apiece. Is that all right?"
Chen Liu nodded at the arrangement. "I have no objections, Brother Meng."
Seeing Chen Liu agree, the other two didn't know what else to say. They could only nod and reply, "We agree."
Watching the two of them, Luo Yi knew they felt uncomfortable taking a share when they hadn't contributed today. He was just about to refuse Wang Meng when he felt something being slipped into his pocket.
Watching Wang Meng run off into the distance after slipping him the money, Luo Yi etched this kindness deep in his heart.
When he returned to the front of his home, Luo Yi knocked on the courtyard gate. "Xiao Xi, I'm back. Open up."
Hearing her brother's voice outside, Luo Xi hurried to open the gate and flung herself at him, tears welling in her eyes.
"Brother, you're finally back."
Looking at his little sister in his arms, Luo Yi reached out and rubbed her head. "Don't worry, Xiao Xi. Your brother will be fine."
After comforting his sister, Luo Yi returned to the room and took out the 44 copper coins he'd received. He thought:
"Great Qi's currency system: a thousand copper coins can be exchanged for one tael of silver, and a hundred taels of silver for one tael of gold. But in practice, it takes at least 1,100 copper coins to get one tael of silver."
The Autumn Tax had to be paid in silver, the authorities wouldn't accept copper coins instead. The exchange rate for copper to silver kept rising, and it was hard to say whether the authorities were helping drive it up.
After a whole day's work, he'd only earned forty-four coins. There was no way he could scrape together the four taels of silver for the Autumn Tax by the end of the month at this rate. Tomorrow, he'd have to go into the Mountain alone to hunt.
Seeing her brother staring at the copper coins, lost in thought, Luo Xi wondered if he'd eaten lunch after working all day. She hurried to the kitchen, fetched five pieces of Black Dough, and handed them to him.
Luo Yi didn't refuse the Black Dough his sister offered. He'd been exhausted after a whole day in the Mountain and was starving. He wolfed it down, and after finishing four pieces, he saw Luo Xi swallowing repeatedly and handed her the last one.
When Luo Xi tried to refuse, he forced the Black Dough into her hand, grabbed his bow and arrows, and headed outside.
After improving his archery today, he'd been busy hunting in the Mountain and had stopped practicing. Thinking of how powerful his skill had become, Luo Yi didn't intend to waste a moment.
He drew and loosed, again and again.
Two hours passed. When his arm muscles began to feel sore and weak, he knew they'd reached their limit for the day and put his arrows back in the quiver.
He silently called up the Attribute Panel:
Host: Luo Yi Age: 16 Realm: Mortal Skills: Archery (Beginner 58/200) Traits: None
Seeing his archery proficiency at Beginner 58, Luo Yi couldn't help feeling delighted. Even at the slowest pace, he'd be able to level up in just three days.
Worried that his arm muscles would ache the next morning, he did a few simple exercises to loosen his muscles and joints.
After a busy day, an overwhelming wave of sleepiness washed over him. He quickly washed up, returned to the open space in the room, and fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, after eating the Black Dough his sister handed him, Luo Yi thought about what Wang Meng and the others had taught him about the dangers in the Mountain the day before. He was going in alone today, so he needed to prepare thoroughly instead of charging in recklessly like yesterday.
First, he searched through the firewood pile in the courtyard and found the woodcutter's hatchet his father had used. He tucked it into his belt.
Then he went to the stove in the kitchen. Ever since I woke up, I've eaten nothing but Black Dough. It's been seven or eight days now. I wonder how much of what Xiao Xi hid is left. He searched the entire stove and found only twelve pieces. He ate ten pieces a day if he had three full meals, while his sister ate one piece each meal, which came to three a day.
The remaining twelve pieces would barely last through today. A huge weight settled on his heart. With the Autumn Tax due at the end of the month and the family's food running low, if he didn't catch anything in the Mountain today, they'd have to start going hungry tomorrow.
Luo Yi put four pieces of Black Dough in his pack, slung his bow over his shoulder, and set off toward Yunling Mountain.
Half an hour later, he reached the foot of the Mountain. Seeing no sign of Wang Meng, Chen Liu, or the others, he breathed a sigh of relief. If he ran into them, he wouldn't know how to explain why he was going into the Mountain alone.
He took down his Hunting Bow, nocked an arrow, and cautiously entered the Outer Area of Yunling Mountain.
Worried he might lose his way by wandering blindly through the Mountain's woods, he carved a mark into a tree every so often as he went.
The farther he ventured into the Outer Area of Yunling Mountain, the clearer the signs of animal activity became in the Mountain's woods.
Hearing the occasional animal call in the silent forest, Luo Yi didn't blindly chase after prey. He found a century-old banyan tree, climbed it, and carefully surveyed the surrounding terrain.
Not far from where he was, he spotted a small pool of water. Luo Yi's heart leaped with joy. All animals needed water, so if he'd found a water source, there was a good chance he'd catch something today.
He wove some weeds into a green grass hat, put it on, and headed toward the pool. When he reached it, he saw countless animal tracks along the bank, confirming his guess that animals came there to drink.
He quietly moved to the downwind side, found a large rock to sit on, and began his watch.
About half an hour later, several wild rabbits came hopping over from a distance. They warily checked their surroundings, and, finding no danger, started drinking.
Luo Yi saw six rabbits drinking from his seat on the rock. He picked the fattest one, drew his bow, and nocked an arrow. The arrow whistled through the air, pierced the plumpest rabbit, and sent it tumbling to the ground.
At the same moment the rabbit fell, Luo Xi's System Panel popped up with a notification that his progress had increased by 2 points.
Looking at the System Panel, he guessed that he could gain skill progress through real combat as well as practice, though the increase was hardly much.
Hearing the bowstring, the other rabbits scattered in all directions.
Watching them flee, Luo Yi sighed and thought, If only I could have kept them all.
As the rabbit's blood slowly seeped into the ground beside the pool, he worried the smell might put off other animals from coming to drink. He quickly stuffed the rabbit's body into his specially made pack.
Whether it was because of the blood or some other reason, no animals came to drink for the rest of the morning. Just as Luo Yi was about to give up waiting, the rabbits from earlier came back.
They approached the pool and sniffed at the ground over and over.
Worried they'd catch the scent of blood and flee, Luo Yi immediately drew his bow and nocked an arrow. He aimed at the largest rabbit. The arrow flew with a whoosh and pierced the head of a rabbit still sniffing the ground. It collapsed.
Seeing the others preparing to flee, Luo Yi didn't hesitate. He aimed at one at random and fired.
With no time to aim properly, the arrow missed the rabbit's vitals. The wounded rabbit fled into the woods with the arrow still lodged in it.
Luo Yi ran to the pool, stuffed the dead rabbit into his pack, then followed the blood trail after the wounded one.
After following the trail for several hundred meters, he found the rabbit in the bushes, unconscious from blood loss. He pulled the arrow from its lower back and tossed the rabbit into his pack.
Looking at the blood trail the rabbit had left behind and smelling the scent of blood drifting through the air, he decided not to keep waiting by the pool. After marking his route, Luo Yi headed deeper into the Mountain forest.
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