A Hunt That Invited Envy

"Out of the way! Move!"

Amid the rough shouts, two burly men in black martial outfits embroidered with silver thunderclouds shoved through the crowd.

The people they pushed aside looked incensed, but when they saw the striking thundercloud emblems and the men's bulging temples, they swallowed their complaints and reluctantly stepped back.

They moved with steady strides and sharp eyes. They were disciples of the well-known Leiming Martial Hall, where practitioners were known as martial warriors. They had always been overbearing and domineering; what ordinary household would dare cross them?

The hawk-nosed middle-aged man leading them glanced at the blood seeping beneath the sled and the unmistakable outline of antlers beneath its covering. A greedy glint flashed in his eyes.

He gave his companion a look, and the man immediately turned and strode away.

Before long, the crowd parted again.

A young man in fine clothes strolled over, surrounded by four sturdy martial warriors. He looked about eighteen or nineteen. His face was passable, but his brows were steeped in the arrogance of someone raised in comfort. He idly rolled a jade thumb ring between his fingers.

His eyes fell on the crude sled, lingering especially on the thick antler-shaped outlines barely visible through the gaps in the thatch. He knew at once that they had come across a fine prize. The corner of his mouth curled with the certainty that it would be his.

"Kid, what have you got in there?" The hawk-nosed man turned to Wang Tieniu, who was guarding the sled and looked a little nervous.

"It's... a spotted deer." Wang Tieniu gripped the hem of his clothes.

"A spotted deer? Open it up and let us see." The young man in fine clothes—Lei Jun, the young master of Leiming Martial Hall—gestured casually with his chin, his tone leaving no room for refusal.

"No, Brother Meng said we aren't selling the catch..." Wang Tieniu shook his head repeatedly.

"What's with all the nonsense!" The heavily jowled martial warrior beside them had already lost patience. His broad palm swept toward the thatch with a rush of wind.

"My things. Who said you could touch them?" A sharp shout cracked like thunder from a clear sky. Qin Meng shoved through the crowd and seized the man's wrist.

He had just finished settling accounts with Shopkeeper Hu, the warmth of the silver notes still lingering against his chest. He'd come out to meet Wang Tieniu, only to run straight into this mess. Seeing the men from Leiming Martial Hall trying to seize the deer, he'd acted without hesitation.

The jowled martial warrior flushed as he tried to wrench himself free, only to find himself held fast.

Lei Jun narrowed his long eyes as he sized up Qin Meng. He seemed to be about the same age, and though his clothes were plain, he stood tall and straight.

The calm in those eyes, and the sharp killing intent clinging to him, mingled with the stench of blood, made Lei Jun temper his contempt. But his arrogance remained.

"You're the hunter?"

"These two deer look decent. Leiming Martial Hall will take them. One hundred taels."

One hundred taels! Gasps and hushed exclamations rippled through the crowd.

To ordinary farmers and hunters, it was an unimaginable fortune.

But a few well-traveled old merchants and assistants from the medicine shops only shook their heads in silence.

Judging by the outlines of the two deer, their rich blood scent, and the thick, coarse pelts visible through the gaps in the thatch, they were no ordinary spotted deer.

They were likely mature bucks from the deep mountains, perhaps even rumored rare breeds. Their antlers, blood, and every scrap of sinew, bone, and flesh were precious supplements for martial warriors, nourishing their blood and strengthening their bones.

One hundred taels? In a border market town, it might fool the uninitiated. But take the deer to the prefectural capital, and the pair of antlers alone would be worth more than that.

Qin Meng's expression remained calm. "Not for sale."

"Boy!" the hawk-nosed man barked. "The young master's offering you a price is a kindness. Here in Linshan Town, no one dares slight Leiming Martial Hall!"

"I said they aren't for sale." Qin Meng's reply was firm as iron.

"These two deer are for Luming Fort."

"For your own use?" Lei Jun scoffed, his eyes turning cold. "You think your little Bian Fort deserves such precious blood tonics? One hundred and twenty taels would feed your whole fort for a year. Don't be ungrateful."

Qin Meng said nothing more. He turned and grasped the sled's rope. "Tieniu, let's go."

That complete disregard finally enraged Lei Jun. "Stop them!"

Two martial warriors rushed forward, one on either side, hands on their sword hilts.

Qin Meng halted and spun around.

The instant he turned, a terrifying killing intent erupted—almost tangible, laced with the stench of blood and the chill of battle. It swept outward from him.

The two men charging at him bore the brunt of it. They felt as if they'd plunged into an ice cellar. Their hands froze mid-draw, and they stumbled back two involuntary steps, faces pale.

Qin Meng's gaze struck Lei Jun like cold lightning. "You want to rob us? Think carefully about whether the hunting knives of the border fort have tasted blood—and whether your Leiming Martial Hall can bear the charge of robbing a border fort's hunters and injuring its people."

Lei Jun's face turned an ugly mix of pale and livid, his chest heaving.

The people of the border forts stood together as soldiers and civilians, fiercely protective of their own. Making a deadly enemy of a border fort—especially in broad daylight, over a bit of property—was foolish in the extreme.

He looked into Qin Meng's frost-cold eyes, then glanced at his men, who had retreated in fear. Rage and alarm churned within him, but wariness outweighed them both.

"These two deer really aren't for sale. I already sold the two best ones to Kexianju Restaurant," Qin Meng said, softening his tone to give him a way out. "Shopkeeper Hu has four antlers. If the young master truly needs them, you can discuss it with him."

Just then, the back door of Kexianju Restaurant creaked open.

The plump Shopkeeper Hu leaned out at just the right moment and hurried over, his face wreathed in smiles as he stepped between them. "Well, well, the young master of Leiming Martial Hall honors us with his presence. Mengzi, you're far too straightforward. The antlers are in the shop."

He turned toward the crowd and called out, "Everyone, we've bought the bucks and just got four top-grade autumn antlers, rich with blood and qi. We've also got fine venison and bones. Any martial friends or gentlemen in need, come have a look!"

His words confirmed the deal, defused the conflict, and advertised the shop all at once.

Lei Jun's expression shifted. He shot Qin Meng a venomous look, as if engraving his face into memory, then forced the words through his teeth. "Fine. You've got guts."

He followed Shopkeeper Hu and the others through the back entrance of the restaurant.

The crowd immediately buzzed with discussion, and their eyes turned warier as they looked at Qin Meng.

Qin Meng remained composed as he fixed the covering over the sled.

"Let's go," he said to Wang Tieniu. The two of them dragged the catch into the flow of people on the main street.

They hauled the deer to Zhang's Eatery.

It was an ordinary restaurant in the market town, known for good food at low prices. Qin Meng's predecessor had been a regular there.

With such a bountiful haul, Qin Meng took Wang Tieniu inside to treat him to a proper meal. He ordered braised pork, roast goose, soy-braised pork knuckle, and other hearty dishes.

Wang Tieniu stared, eyes wide, and swallowed.

Qin Meng smiled. "Eat up. You worked hard this time."

Just as they were about to pick up their chopsticks, something stirred against Qin Meng's chest. A furry little head poked out, its tiny nose twitching as it stared fixedly at the meat on the table and let out a faint "yip."

Only then did Wang Tieniu notice. "Brother Meng, this... this is..."

"I found it in the mountains. It was hurt." Qin Meng kept it brief. He took the little fox out and set it beside the table, fetched a small bowl, and put a little of each dish in it.

The little fox immediately lowered its head and began eating in small but speedy bites, giving pleased little yips. A faint herbal fragrance wafted from its fur, especially pleasant.

Wang Tieniu watched enviously and tried to reach out and pet it.

The little fox was unusually clever. It dodged nimbly, then bared its teeth at him.

Wang Tieniu sheepishly pulled his hand back and muttered, "This little thing sure is shy..."

Once it had eaten its fill, the little fox licked its pink tongue and obediently burrowed back into Qin Meng's arms. It curled into a ball in a comfortable spot and went still.

After the meal, they paid and left.

With silver in hand, Qin Meng first went to a grain shop and bought over a hundred jin of grain, along with more than thirty jin of fine and coarse salt.

Next, they stopped at a cloth shop, where he bought several bolts of sturdy cotton cloth and some fresh cotton batting.

Soon after, they passed a clothing shop.

Qin Meng bought two sets of warm new clothes each for himself and Shen Qiuyue, from head to toe. Then he noticed the old, patched jacket Wang Tieniu was wearing and said to the shopkeeper, "Get two warm sets for this kid, too. Use his measurements."

Wang Tieniu froze for a moment, then his face flushed bright red. He waved his hands again and again. "Brother Meng, no, this won't do. They're too expensive."

"Wear them. The weather's about to turn cold." Qin Meng couldn't be bothered to say more and paid on the spot. He meant to visit Wang Tieniu's home to ask for guidance, so this was a chance to win them over in advance.

On the way back, Wang Tieniu hugged the bundle of new clothes that belonged to him, his face glowing with excitement. His old impression of Qin Meng as a hopeless drunkard had long since changed, and he called him "Brother Meng" with particular warmth all the way home.