Departure (Seeking Reads)

Returning to the village, Li Yuan went straight to his uncle's house.

Inside, Li Zhi was wiping down his hunting bow by the light of an oil lamp.

Seeing Li Yuan enter, he looked up: "You're here about the Black Lump, aren't you?"

"Yes, Uncle. Chicken Brother said his father brought back news. Is the business with the Black Lump true?"

Li Yuan sat down across from Li Zhi.

Li Zhi set aside his hunting bow, his expression grave:

"It is true. The location is just a bit further in past the southern wild woods.

Beyond that area lies the mountain range claimed by the Wang Family and the Lin Family.

That beast is quite large; it likely ran out because it was starving.

Two days ago, it ate two herb gatherers who were trying their luck. One had a large chunk of flesh torn from his arm before he managed to escape."

He looked at Li Yuan, understanding his nephew's intentions.

"That beast is not easy to deal with. Its skin is thick, its flesh is tough, and its strength is immense. One swipe of its paw can shatter your bones.

It is far more dangerous than the wild boars you hunt in the nearby mountains.

Back in the day, your father and I, along with a whole group of men, barely managed to wear a 'Black Lump' to death.

Of course, your father also..."

Li Zhi spoke as he recalled the scene from back then.

Then, realizing he had said something inappropriate, he fell silent.

Hearing this, Li Yuan replied: "I know the danger, but the opportunity is rare.

Others may not dare to go, but I want to try.

Right now, I need a better bow."

With the recent breakthrough in Li Yuan's strength, his original bow, which only had a draw weight of eighty jin, was no longer suitable for him.

He needed to buy a better bow and arrows so that his success rate in hunting the Black Lump would be higher.

Li Zhi understood what Li Yuan meant.

The bow Li Yuan currently used had enough power for ordinary prey.

But against a mature black bear, if the bowstring's draw weight wasn't enough, even the best arrows wouldn't pierce its hide.

"You want a heavy bow? What draw weight are you looking for?" Li Zhi asked.

A bow's power is usually measured in "li" or "shi," with one shi being approximately one hundred and twenty jin.

"At least one and a half shi, preferably two," Li Yuan estimated his current strength.

His strength would continue to grow, so he could afford to buy one with a heavier draw.

He was currently practicing the Five Animals Fist, which had significantly increased his physical power; his arm strength far exceeded that of an ordinary person, so pulling a heavy bow would be no problem.

The stronger the bow, the higher the initial velocity of the arrow and the greater the penetration, which was the only way to be effective against thick-skinned beasts.

Li Zhi pondered for a moment: "A two-shi bow... that is what the experts in the military use.

Old Man Zhang at Zhang's Bow Shop in the county town used to be an archer in the army.

Now that he's old, he's retired to make bows.

His craftsmanship is excellent, so he should have good stock, though the price won't be cheap.

The arrows must also be custom-made. Use heavy arrows with sturdy heads—willow-leaf or three-edged tips are best for bleeding and armor penetration."

"I still have some silver; I'm not sure if it's enough," Li Yuan said.

"That's fine. Tomorrow morning, I'll go to the city with you to take a look," Li Zhi said, knowing his nephew had a mind of his own.

Early the next morning, after finishing his usual stake-standing practice, Li Yuan and Li Zhi headed into town and went straight to Zhang's Bow Shop.

The shop was small, filled with all kinds of bows and arrows, and carried the scent of wood, glue, and ox tendon.

Old Man Zhang was a lean, withered old man with sharp eyes and calloused fingers.

After hearing Li Yuan's requirements, he sized him up, looking at his muscles with a hint of skepticism regarding his strength.

Li Yuan looked only slightly stronger than the average person, far from the bulky physique one might expect.

Nevertheless, he went into the back room and brought out several heavy bows.

"This one is one point two shi, made of cudrania wood; it has good elasticity.

This one is one point six shi, made of mulberry wood reinforced with ox tendon; it has plenty of power.

This one is the heaviest, nearly two shi, a composite of mulberry and cudrania with water buffalo horn added. At full draw, it can pierce standard iron armor within a hundred paces."

Old Man Zhang pointed to the last bow, which was pitch-black and had a full, elegant curve.

Li Yuan took the two-shi bow, feeling its heavy weight in his hands.

He immediately strung the bow.

He took a deep breath, feet slightly apart, left hand gripping the bow handle firmly while his right hand hooked the string. With strength surging from his waist and back, the bowstring emitted a faint hum as he slowly drew it back.

Then, he slowly eased his strength, allowing the bowstring to return to its original position.

A bow can be drawn empty, but it must never be dry-fired.

This is a rule every hunter or archer must keep firmly in mind.

A flash of surprise crossed Old Man Zhang's eyes, followed by a nod: "Good lad, good strength! This bow is well-matched to you; it's no waste."

Li Zhi also let out a sigh of relief; he had truly been worried that Li Yuan wouldn't be able to draw it.

After settling the price, this two-stone heavy bow cost Li Yuan eight taels of silver.

Li Yuan then ordered three quivers of arrows, ten per quiver, all using weighted shafts and thick, willow-leaf-shaped iron arrowheads.

This type of arrowhead resembles a willow leaf, features blood grooves, and is three-edged for armor-piercing, possessing immense penetrating power.

Each quiver cost one tael of silver, making the three quivers another three taels.

Adding in spare bowstrings and other miscellaneous items, this trip cost him a full twelve taels of silver.

The silver Li Yuan had saved up previously was suddenly more than half gone.

Although these items were things he would have to buy sooner or later, just as an arrow fired from a bow cannot turn back, if he could not hunt down this Black Lump, his cultivation progress would be significantly slowed.

After the purchase, Li Yuan made a prompt decision: he would go to hunt that beast immediately.

The two returned to the village entrance and looked toward an old hunter who had been waiting there for some time.

That was Chicken Brother's father, Chen Quan, whom Li Yuan also called Uncle Chen.

Chen Quan was short in stature with dark, tanned skin and a mouthful of yellow teeth stained by smoke.

Chen Quan grinned and laughed: "Brother Yuan, I heard from Chicken Kid that your martial arts training is quite impressive. Good lad, you have a bright future! This time hunting the Black Lump, it's the perfect chance for you to see the methods of us old folks and get some practice in."

Without further ado, the three of them set off, with the most experienced Li Zhi in the lead.

They headed toward the western edge of the forest, near the lands of the Wang and Zhao families.

The mountain path was rugged, and none of them chatted; the deeper they went, the more dangerous it became.

Talking would only distract their attention.

Everyone kept a close watch on the tracks on the ground.

After walking for more than an hour, the sun climbed higher, and the mist in the forest gradually dissipated.

Li Zhi suddenly crouched down and pushed aside a cluster of bushes.

He immediately pointed to a distinct claw print on the ground and several patches of torn bark, whispering: "Look here."

The claw print was deeply embedded in the soil, the size of a bowl, with black fur scattered nearby.

Not far away, a tree trunk appeared to have been snapped by sheer brute force.

"It's the Black Lump. Judging by these footprints and the force used, it's not small—likely over four hundred pounds."

Chen Quan leaned in to take a look, his expression grave.

Li Zhi stood up and scanned the surroundings.

"It has been active in this area for some time. If we follow this path forward, we might be able to find its den."

"But we must also be careful of our surroundings; these beasts are starting to develop intelligence and will ambush people."

These experiences were passed down from generation to generation of hunters.

Following these traces, the three of them ventured a bit deeper into the forest.

Sure enough, near a relatively open slope, they discovered a path through the snow that had been trampled down.

At the end of it was a cave.

"We'll set the traps around here," Li Zhi said.