Setting Out (Please Follow Along)

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

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

When he saw Li Yuan come in, he looked up. "You're here because of Black Lump, aren't you?"

"Yeah, Uncle. Chicken Brother said his father brought back some news. Is it true about Black Lump?"

Li Yuan sat down across from Li Zhi.

Li Zhi set down the hunting bow in his hands, his expression grave.

"It's true. The place is a little way past the wild woods to the south.

"Beyond there are the mountains claimed by the Wang and Lin families.

"That beast is big. It probably came out because it was starving.

"A couple of days ago, it ate two herb gatherers who'd gone looking for a lucky break. One of them came back with a huge chunk of flesh torn from his arm."

He glanced at Li Yuan, understanding what he was thinking.

"That beast won't be easy to deal with. It's thick-skinned and tough, and it's strong. One swipe from its paw could shatter your bones.

"It's far more dangerous than the wild boars you've hunted in the nearby mountains.

"Back then, your father and I, along with a whole group of people, barely managed to wear one 'Black Lump' down until it died.

"Of course, your father also..."

As Li Zhi spoke, he recalled what had happened back then.

Then he realized he'd said something he shouldn't have, and fell silent.

At that, Li Yuan replied, "I know it's dangerous, but this is a rare opportunity.

"Other people are afraid to go. I want to give it a try.

"Right now, I need a better bow."

Now that Li Yuan's strength had improved, his old bow, with a draw weight of only eighty jin, was no longer suitable for him.

If he bought a better bow and arrows, he would have a much better chance of killing Black Lump.

Li Zhi understood what Li Yuan meant.

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

But against an adult black bear, if the bowstring wasn't strong enough, even the best arrows wouldn't pierce its hide.

"You want a heavy bow? What draw weight?" Li Zhi asked.

A bow's draw weight was usually measured in "jin" or "shi." One shi was roughly equivalent to one hundred and twenty jin.

"At least one and a half shi. Two shi would be even better." Li Yuan estimated his current strength.

His strength would continue to grow, so he could buy one that was a little beyond what he could draw now.

He was currently training in Five Animals Fist, and his strength had increased considerably. His arm strength far exceeded that of ordinary people, so drawing a powerful bow wouldn't be a problem.

The stronger the bow, the faster the arrow flew and the greater its penetrating power. That was what it took to bring down thick-skinned beasts.

Li Zhi pondered for a moment. "A two-shi bow... That's the kind used by the best soldiers in the army.

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

"He's old now and retired from the army to make bows.

"He's skilled, so he should have some good ones. They won't come cheap, though.

"The arrows will need to be specially made, too. Use heavy arrows with sturdy heads, preferably willow-leaf or triangular ones. They're good for drawing blood and piercing armor."

"I've still got some silver. I don't know if it'll be enough," Li Yuan said.

"Then it's settled. I'll go to town with you first thing tomorrow morning." Li Zhi knew his nephew had a mind of his own.

Early the next morning, after finishing his usual stance training, Li Yuan went into town with Li Zhi, heading straight for Zhang's Bow Shop.

The shop was small, and bows and arrows of all kinds hung inside. The air was tinged with the smell of wood, glue, and ox sinew.

Old Man Zhang was a thin, elderly man with sharp eyes and calloused fingers.

After hearing what Li Yuan needed, he sized him up, eyeing his muscles as if he doubted how strong he was.

Li Yuan looked only a little stronger than an ordinary man, nowhere near the bulky, muscle-bound sort.

Still, Old Man Zhang went into the back room and brought out several strong bows.

"This one's one and a fifth shi, made of yew. It's got good spring.

"This one's one and three-fifths shi. It's made of mulberry wood backed with ox sinew, so it's powerful.

"This is the heaviest, close to two shi. It's a composite of mulberry and yew, reinforced with water buffalo horn. Draw it to the full, and it can pierce ordinary iron armor from a hundred paces."

Old Man Zhang pointed to the last bow, a longbow that was pitch-black all over, with a broad, full curve.

Li Yuan took the two-shi bow. It felt heavy in his hands.

Then he fitted the bowstring.

He drew a deep breath, set his feet slightly apart, gripped the bow firmly with his left hand, and hooked the string with his right. Bracing through his waist and back, he drew it open slowly. The bowstring gave a faint twang.

Then he slowly eased off, returning the string to its original position.

A bow could be drawn without an arrow, but the string must never be released while empty.

That was something every hunter and archer had to remember.

A flicker of surprise crossed Old Man Zhang's eyes. Then he nodded. "Good lad. You're strong!

"This bow suits you. It won't go to waste in your hands."

Li Zhi finally breathed a sigh of relief. He'd truly worried Li Yuan wouldn't be able to draw it.

After bargaining, Li Yuan paid eight taels of silver for the two-shi bow.

He also ordered three quivers of arrows, ten to a quiver. They all had heavier shafts and thick, willow-leaf-shaped iron arrowheads.

The arrowheads were shaped like willow leaves and had blood grooves. Their triangular points could pierce armor, giving them tremendous penetrating power.

A quiver cost one tael of silver, so the three came to another three taels.

With a spare bowstring and some odds and ends, the total for the trip came to a full twelve taels of silver.

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

He'd have had to buy these things sooner or later, but just as there was no turning back once an arrow left the bow, if he failed to hunt Black Lump, his progress in cultivation would slow dramatically.

After buying everything, Li Yuan made his decision at once: he would go kill the beast.

The two returned to the village entrance and spotted an old hunter waiting there.

He was Chicken Brother's father, Chen Quan. Li Yuan called him Uncle Chen, too.

Chen Quan was short and dark-skinned, with a mouthful of large, yellow teeth stained by smoke.

Chen Quan grinned. "Brother Yuan, Chicken Kid says you're a real whiz at martial arts.

"Good lad, you've got a bright future! This time, when we hunt Black Lump, you can see how us old-timers do things—and get some practice in, too."

The three of them said no more. Li Zhi, the most experienced, took the lead.

They set off toward the area to the west, near the edges of the mountain forests claimed by the Wang and Zhao families.

The mountain path was rugged. None of them chatted; the farther in they went, the more dangerous it became.

Chatting would only distract them.

All three kept their eyes on the traces on the ground.

After about an hour, the sun had risen higher, and the mist between the trees had gradually cleared.

Li Zhi suddenly crouched and parted a clump of bushes.

Then he pointed to a clear pawprint in the dirt and several patches of bark torn from a tree. "Look here."

The pawprint sank deep into the mud and was as big as a bowl. A few black hairs lay scattered beside it.

Not far away, a tree trunk looked as if it had been smashed apart by sheer brute force.

"It's Black Lump. Judging by the footprints and the force of it, it's a big one—probably over four hundred jin."

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

Li Zhi stood and surveyed their surroundings.

"It's been active around here for a while. If we follow this path, we might find its den."

"But we have to watch our surroundings, too. These beasts are getting clever. They'll ambush people."

These were the lessons passed down from one generation of hunters to the next.

Following the traces, the three of them went farther into the forest.

Sure enough, near a relatively open slope, they found a snow-covered path that had been trampled down.

At the end of it was a cave.

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