Purple Sable

Li Yuan did not stand on ceremony; he was genuinely curious and wanted to taste it.

He placed it in his mouth and chewed carefully; there was no gamey odor, and it even carried a hint of sweetness.

As he swallowed it into his belly, a subtle warm current flowed toward his limbs, feeling incredibly comfortable.

Suddenly, Li Yuan's vision jolted, and a panel manifested before his eyes.

[Skill: Consumption (Entry)]

[Progress: 1/200 points]

[Effect: Digestion and absorption capacity slightly enhanced]

[Note: Heaven Rewards Diligence; as long as you are willing to eat, there will be rewards.]

Li Zhi and the other three did not notice the pale blue panel appearing before him.

Staring at this skill, Li Yuan was somewhat astonished.

Consumption—could it be that he would grow stronger simply by eating?

Li Yuan tried eating several bowls of rice, along with some side dishes.

After waiting for a while, the panel showed not the slightest change.

"Cousin, could you give me another piece of meat to try?" Li Yuan wanted to verify his inner hypothesis.

This time, Li Wen picked up an even larger piece of meat for him.

Li Yuan ate it, and the panel immediately began to change.

[Skill: Consumption (Entry)]

[Progress: 3/200 points]

As expected, a look of contemplation appeared on Li Yuan's face.

It seemed that the skill progress would only show significant changes when he consumed these items rich in vital energy and blood.

Simply put, his appetite would increase, and his body's ability to absorb nutrients would become stronger.

In that case, once he hunted down big game in the future, he could fully digest it himself.

He had heard that in the depths of the Five Hundred Mile Great Mountain, there were even demonic beasts; if he could eat the meat of a demonic beast...

Thinking of this, Li Yuan felt even more motivated for tomorrow's hunt.

The next day, at the first light of dawn.

Li Yuan rose early, filled his stomach, packed the necessary equipment and dried meat, and went to find Li Zhi to head up the mountain together.

He did not hunt with Li Zhi often, because in the past he lacked experience, and Li Zhi would have to share his own catch with him, which had caused Clan Han to complain quite a bit.

On the outskirts of the Five Hundred Mile Great Mountain, most people in the village hunted alone to minimize disputes; since they were all from the same village, they saw each other constantly.

Only when hunting fierce beasts like the Big Worm or the Black Lump would they cooperate.

However, Li Yuan was not worried; his Archery was now accomplished, and at the very least, putting food on the table would be no problem.

Walking along the mountain path, Li Zhi would occasionally explain various precautions to him.

"If there is prey you cannot carry alone, you can fire a Whistling Arrow into the sky. Nearby hunters who see it will come to help, though of course, you must pay them. Finally, never let your guard down against others."

"I encountered that White-Striped Profound Snake meat here as well," Li Zhi said, taking a Whistling Arrow from his quiver and handing it to him.

The arrowhead of this Whistling Arrow was made of bone with a hollow structure inside and holes on the surface, shaped like a whistle; it would emit a sharp, shrill sound when fired.

Nearby hunters who heard the noise would come to assist.

"Thank you, Uncle."

Li Yuan took the arrow; this information was undoubtedly extremely important to him right now.

Soon, the two crossed the outermost region and arrived deeper into the Five Hundred Mile Great Mountain.

Even in these depths, large prey could not be encountered just anywhere.

Since the outermost perimeter had been picked clean, it was naturally the turn of this area.

Therefore, Li Yuan and Li Zhi walked along the rugged mountain paths in the jungle for a while without encountering even pheasants or rabbits.

Li Yuan was not discouraged; it was quite normal for a hunter to return empty-handed.

Not long after, Li Zhi suddenly grabbed him.

He signaled for Li Yuan to slow his movements and pointed toward the side.

"This is? A Purple Sable?"

Li Yuan's expression was excited; the price of a sable was not low.

Especially the sable fur—it was thick, not only lightweight but also possessed excellent heat retention, making it one of the favorite raw materials for winter clothing among the aristocratic youths in the county town.

He had heard a saying: "First-Grade Profound Fox, Second-Grade Sable, Third-Grade Fox-Raccoon."

From this, one could see the importance of the sable.

The sable before his eyes had thick fur and a brownish-gray coat, holding a berry in its paws and gnawing on it incessantly beneath the brush.

The creature did not look particularly heavy, but it could fetch at least ten taels of silver.

If he sold it, not only would his tax burden be resolved, but the remaining money might allow him to purchase more nourishing beast meat to properly improve the [Consumption] skill he had just awakened.

Thinking of the warm current brought by the meat chunks he had consumed last night and the jumping numbers on his status panel, Li Yuan's gaze grew even more fervent.

"Don't shoot, catching it alive is worth more, and the pelt will remain intact," Li Zhi's hushed voice sounded in his ear. "This beast is extremely alert and fast; if it senses the slightest disturbance and dives back into a tree hollow or rock crevice, all our efforts will be in vain."

Li Zhi slowly drew a small blowpipe from his bosom, along with a small packet tightly wrapped in oil paper. "Use this."

Li Yuan understood his intent: use a sedative.

Soon, the two followed behind the sable, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Snow covered the ground, and even when they occasionally lost sight of it, they could discern the direction by the tracks left behind.

About an hour later, the Purple Sable, having finished its play, returned to its den, and Li Yuan stood at the entrance.

He tore off some dried meat and sprinkled the sedative over it.

To prevent any accidents, he also set up traps in the surrounding area.

The two then waited not far away as time slowly ticked by.

Suddenly, a furry head poked out, its two large eyes staring intently at the strips of meat on the ground.

It picked up a strip of meat and tasted it a few times; before long, it slowly collapsed.

"It worked!" Li Yuan felt a surge of joy and hurried over to check.

"This trip up the mountain was a huge gain. Although we didn't encounter any big game, the price of this sable is no worse than that."

"Now, not only is the tax settled, but the extra silver might even allow me to eat meat and practice martial arts!"

Li Yuan was grinning from ear to ear.

Li Zhi took out the hemp rope and a small leather bag he had prepared, nimbly binding the Purple Sable's limbs together and wrapping its mouth a few times as well.

He ensured it wouldn't wake up halfway and bite someone before placing it into the leather bag and tying the opening tight.

"Uncle, your technique is truly swift," Li Yuan praised.

A smile appeared on Li Zhi's face as he weighed the leather bag in his hand. "Good luck, a promising start.

Selling this live Purple Sable to that Broker will fetch at least ten-plus taels of silver; let's head back and process it."

"Catching one is enough. Hunters don't follow the same rules as people in the county town."

"You must remember, harsh mountains and treacherous waters breed cunning people."

"If we catch one sable, perhaps others will only be envious or jealous."

"But what if there were two, three, or four? With dozens of taels of silver, what would you want to do?"

"No matter how much wealth you have, you must have the life to spend it."

"I understand, Uncle," Li Yuan nodded and replied.

Li Yuan also understood in his heart that for someone like him, living alone, suddenly obtaining a massive fortune was by no means a good thing.

"However, now that I have awakened my skill, after selling this sable, I will seek out a Martial Arts Hall to practice martial arts. As long as I enter the door, my skill can be continuously practiced and improved."

"By using the Consumption skill to constantly replenish my blood and qi, life will only get better and better."

It wouldn't be long before he possessed the power to protect himself.

After speaking, Li Zhi pondered for a moment and said, "I don't need a share of this sable. You take it to sell; it will make your life much easier. Just don't tell your aunt or anyone else."

"Uncle, that won't do, this is a lot of silver."

"That's enough, say no more."