Qin Meng exhaled a breath of stale air, finally finding a moment to look at this so-called "home."
Three mud-brick thatched huts. The walls were built of mud bricks, riddled with cracks, and the thatch on the roofs was sparse.
Inside were two battered wooden beds, a crooked-legged table, and several clay jars.
In the kitchen, Shen Qiuyue stood before the nearly empty rice jar, carefully scooping out half a bowl of yellowish millet with a wooden bowl. Her face was full of worry.
"Dilapidated house, broken beds, empty rice jar—bare walls all around!" Qin Meng sighed helplessly. He had to get into the deep mountains soon and find a way to earn money to support the family.
For lunch, the wild-vegetable gruel was so thin you could see your reflection in it.
The only bowl that was a little thicker sat in front of Qin Meng.
The bowl in front of Shen Qiuyue, meanwhile, was almost all clear broth.
"Eat quickly. After you finish... get some good rest." Shen Qiuyue lowered her head, her voice soft.
Qin Meng didn't refuse. In two or three gulps, he poured the bitter gruel down his throat. The warm food landed in his empty stomach, bringing a little warmth with it.
He knew this was the family's last meal.
"I'm going out for a while." Qin Meng set down his bowl and stood up.
Shen Qiuyue's hand trembled, and her chopsticks nearly fell. She jerked her head up, panic impossible to hide in her eyes. "You haven't recovered yet. Where are you going?"
"I'll head into the mountains and try my luck," Qin Meng answered after a moment's thought.
From the memories he had merged with, he knew that the beasts in this world were larger and more ferocious. Among them were Exotic Beasts and Demonic Beasts with awakened bloodlines. Without exceptional skill, an ordinary hunter faced grave danger entering the forest.
Sure enough—
"No!" Shen Qiuyue sprang to her feet and grabbed his arm. "You can't go into the mountains! Something's wrong this year. Several hunters from the fort have died, and even Elder Wang says there'll most likely be a beast disaster this winter."
"Mengzi, I'm begging you, don't go..." Her voice trembled, choked with tears.
Just then—
"Bang, bang..." A violent pounding suddenly sounded at the door.
"Qiuyue, open up! I know you're in there!" a shrill, duck-like voice shouted.
"It's Qin Lai." Shen Qiuyue's face instantly turned deathly pale.
Qin Meng's gaze turned cold. He pressed down on her icy hand. "Don't be afraid. I'm here."
He opened the door and stepped into the courtyard.
But the broken gate was kicked open, and three men barged inside.
At their head was a burly, middle-aged man: Qin Lai. Behind him followed two stocky men with fleshy, scowling faces and unfriendly eyes.
Qin Lai sauntered into the courtyard. Spotting Qin Meng, he grinned. "Well, Qin Meng, you little runt. You've got a tough life—still not dead yet?"
His gaze immediately latched onto Shen Qiuyue behind him. He reached out to touch her arm. "Little sister Qiuyue, I don't think you'll be able to repay those fifty taels of silver. How about—"
"Smack!"
Qin Meng caught his wrist in midair.
Qin Meng's fingers were cold, but his grip was astonishingly strong. Qin Lai struggled, but couldn't wrench himself free.
"Let go, you consumptive—" Qin Lai snarled, but the words caught in his throat.
A Ring-pommel Saber was already pressed against his neck, its icy edge making his Adam's apple bob.
The courtyard fell silent at once.
"You brat, you're asking to die!" The two men behind Qin Lai started to move.
"Back off!" Qin Meng lowered his wrist slightly, and the blade sank halfway into the flesh.
"Stand down..." Qin Lai ground out through clenched teeth, cold sweat breaking over him.
The neighbors' murmurs buzzed around them:
"They agreed on seven days. How can he come to collect the debt before the time's up?"
"Exactly! Qin Lai's going back on his word. He's bullying honest people!"
Qin Lai's face turned livid. His eyes shifted, then he suddenly forced an ugly smile.
"Fine... Qin Meng, you've got guts."
He stared at the blade just inches away and spoke each word slowly:
"The deadline's already two days past. Five days remain."
"I'll give you five more days. If the silver isn't ready by then..."
He lowered his voice, menace glinting in his eyes. "I'll come back, tear down this shack, and take her away."
"I'll repay the money." Qin Meng slowly withdrew the saber and coldly spat out the three words.
Qin Lai touched the bloody mark on his neck, spat viciously, and turned to leave. The resentful look in his eyes was like a venom-coated needle.
When the courtyard gate closed again, Shen Qiuyue's legs gave way, and she could barely stand.
Qin Meng steadied her and helped her back inside to sit down.
"Something's off. There was something wrong with that man's eyes." Qin Meng furrowed his brow. Would a scoundrel like Qin Lai really lend money out of regard for their shared clan?
When things defied reason, there was bound to be a demon behind them!
Shen Qiuyue grabbed his wrist. "Mengzi, there's still a little money left at home. You—you should run. As far away as you can. Don't worry about me..."
"I'm not running," Qin Meng interrupted her. "And I'll never let Qin Lai take you away."
"I'll find a way to get the money."
He stood and glanced at the empty rice jar. "Hunting. It's a quick way to make money, the only way to earn some fast right now."
Shen Qiuyue looked up, despair filling her eyes. "But the game in the mountains isn't easy to hunt. What if you run into tigers, leopards, jackals, or wolves...?"
"I'll stay near the outskirts. I won't go deep," Qin Meng said firmly.
Having grasped saber techniques, grown stronger, and gained the rich hunting experience from his previous life, he was fairly confident he could use hunting to get them out of their predicament.
"I'll be back before dark," Qin Meng added, trying to reassure her.
Shen Qiuyue looked into his dark, calm eyes. The muddled, violent look he'd once had was gone. All that remained was a resolve as deep as the abyss.
She bit her lip, then suddenly got up and rushed into the storage room. A moment later, she came out carrying a dust-covered Hunting Bow and an old quiver.
"This is the one my brother used back then." Her voice choked with emotion. "I was afraid you'd sell it, so I kept it hidden. The bowstring's ruined, but the bow itself is fine."
Qin Meng took the bow.
It was made of hard elm, its grip worn smooth.
As he ran his hand over the bow, a strange sense of familiarity surged through his whole body.
"Do we have hemp rope?"
"We do." Shen Qiuyue found some hemp fibers.
Qin Meng sat on a stone block, his fingers flying. With practiced hands, he twisted and wound the fibers. Before the time it took to drink a cup of tea, a uniform, sturdy bowstring had taken shape.
Shen Qiuyue watched from the side, her gaze dazed.
This calm, focused man was so unfamiliar that her heart trembled, yet somehow a faint glimmer of hope stirred within her.
After tightening the bowstring, Qin Meng tested its pull. It would do.
He drew an arrow, nocked it, turned sideways, and raised the bow.
"Twung—whoosh!"
The arrow struck a wooden post drying beside the courtyard wall, its fletching quivering with a hum.
Shen Qiuyue covered her mouth.
Qin Meng remained expressionless as he drew another arrow and raised the bow.
The second arrow, the third, the fourth...
Every arrow bit into the wood. The last one split the shaft of the arrow before it, dead center.
At that very moment, several lines of pale golden text appeared before Qin Meng's eyes:
[Comprehended an inferior Martial Skill: Chain Arrow] [Chain Arrow—Beginner (1/100)] [Martial Skill Progress: 1%] [Effect: None.]
The lines of text slowly faded. Qin Meng lowered the bow, already reaching a conclusion!
This system truly incorporated every skill he mastered into its framework.
He slung the bow over his shoulder, checked the seven or eight arrows in the quiver, then wrapped the Ring-pommel Saber in a piece of rag and tucked it under his arm.
"Lock the door and stay inside. Don't open it for anyone." He reached the doorway and glanced back at Shen Qiuyue, who was full of worry. "Wait for me to come back."
Shen Qiuyue hurried to the door, tears blurring her eyes. "Mengzi, be careful. Come back alive. Otherwise, I, Shen Qiuyue, won't go on living either."
"Don't go deep into the mountains."
"All right!"
With that, he pushed open the courtyard gate and disappeared into the dappled afternoon light.
The gate closed. Leaning against the door, Shen Qiuyue thought of Qin Meng's eyes, his voice, the fierce courage he'd shown as he drew and loosed the bow. Choking on her tears, she murmured,
"He's changed. He really has changed."
Luming Fort wasn't large, but it had plenty of residents. It was also a military settlement.
Qin Meng's former self had been a drunkard, a gambler, and a wife-beater, with a terrible reputation. In this isolated settlement, no one was more hated than a scumbag like that.
But he held his back straight, ignored the strange looks, and strode through the fort.
Luming Mountain lay just seven or eight li west of the fort. Its ridges stretched into the distance, its forests deep and lush.
In years past, herds of deer had gathered there: Green Deer, Spotted Deer, and Red Deer. Now and then, even the auspicious White Deer appeared, its coat as white as snow, and the locals regarded it as a mountain spirit.
Every spring and summer, the vegetation grew lush and thick. The stags called to one another as they sought mates, their cries carrying for miles without pause, day or night. Thus the mountain was named "Luming," meaning "Deer's Cry." The garrison at its foot took its name from the mountain and became Luming Fort.
Qin Meng walked at a brisk pace, reaching the foot of the mountain in half an hour.
The forest's outline rose and fell in the distance like a colossal beast lying in wait.
Qin Meng touched the cold saber hilt, then hefted the Hunting Bow on his shoulder. Drawing a deep breath, he stepped toward the shadowy forest.
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