Purple Sable

Li Yuan wasn't one to stand on ceremony. He was curious, too, and wanted to taste it.

He placed it in his mouth and chewed slowly. It had no fishy taste, and was even faintly sweet.

As he swallowed it, a faint warmth flowed through his limbs. It felt wonderful.

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

[Skill: Consumption (Beginner)]

[Progress: 1/200 points]

[Effect: Digestion and absorption slightly enhanced]

[Hint: Heaven Rewards Diligence. As long as you're willing to eat, you'll be rewarded.]

The pale blue panel appeared before him, but Li Zhi and the other three didn't notice it at all.

Looking at this skill, Li Yuan was a little surprised.

Could Consumption really make him stronger just by eating?

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

After waiting a while, the panel hadn't changed in the slightest.

"Cousin, could you give me another piece of meat to try?" Li Yuan wanted to test his suspicion.

This time, Li Wen gave him an even larger piece.

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

[Skill: Consumption (Beginner)]

[Progress: 3/200 points]

Just as he'd thought, Li Yuan's face took on a thoughtful expression.

It seemed that only eating foods that greatly replenished qi and blood would noticeably increase his skill's progress.

Put simply, his appetite had grown, and his body's ability to absorb nutrients had improved.

That meant that when he brought down big game in the future, he could digest it all himself.

He'd heard there were demonic beasts deep in the mountains. If he could eat demonic beast meat...

At the thought, Li Yuan felt even more eager for tomorrow's hunt.

The next day, the sky was just beginning to lighten.

Li Yuan got up early, filled his stomach, packed the equipment and dried meat he needed, then went to find Li Zhi so they could head into the mountains together.

He and Li Zhi hadn't hunted together very often. In the past, Li Yuan lacked experience, and Li Zhi had to share whatever game he caught with him. This had earned Li Yuan's aunt, Clan Han, plenty of complaints.

On the outskirts of the Five Hundred Mile Great Mountain, most villagers hunted alone. It helped avoid disputes; they all lived in the same village, after all, and were bound to cross paths.

They only worked together when hunting fierce beasts like Big Worms or Black Lumps.

But Li Yuan wasn't worried. His archery had improved, so at the very least he wouldn't go hungry.

As they walked along the mountain path, Li Zhi periodically explained various things he needed to watch out for.

"Some prey will be too heavy for you to carry alone. You can fire a whistling arrow into the sky, and any nearby hunters who see it will come help. Of course, you'll have to pay them. And last of all, never let your guard down around other people."

"I found that White-Striped Profound Snake meat here, too." As he spoke, Li Zhi took a whistling arrow from his quiver and handed it to him.

The arrowhead was made of bone, with a hollow interior and holes along its surface. It looked like a whistle, and when fired, it let out a sharp, piercing shriek.

Nearby hunters who heard it would come to help.

"Thank you, Uncle."

Li Yuan took the arrow. This information was undoubtedly very important to him.

Soon, the two of them passed beyond the outermost region and ventured deeper into the Five Hundred Mile Great Mountain.

Even this far in, large game wasn't something they could just stumble upon.

The outermost regions had been hunted nearly bare, so naturally people had moved on to this area.

Li Yuan and Li Zhi walked for a while along the rugged mountain trails, but didn't come across any pheasants or rabbits.

Li Yuan didn't lose heart. Hunters returning empty-handed was perfectly normal.

Before long, Li Zhi suddenly grabbed him.

He motioned for Li Yuan to move more slowly, then raised a hand and pointed to one side.

"Is that... a Purple Sable?"

Li Yuan's face lit up. Sables fetched a high price.

Their pelts were especially valuable. Thick-furred yet lightweight, they were also exceptionally warm, making sable one of the county's noble families' favorite materials for winter clothing.

He'd heard the saying, "A First-Grade Profound Fox, a Second-Grade Sable, and a Third-Grade fox-raccoon."

That alone showed how valuable sables were.

The sable before them had thick fur, brownish-gray all over. It held a berry in its forepaws and kept nibbling at it beneath the bushes and grass.

It didn't look very heavy, but it could still fetch at least ten taels of silver.

Selling it would solve his tax problem, and the leftover money might even let him buy some more nourishing beast meat to help improve his newly awakened Consumption skill.

Thinking of the warmth that had spread through him after eating that piece of qi-and-blood-rich meat last night, and the numbers that had jumped on the panel, Li Yuan's eyes burned even brighter.

"Don't shoot it with an arrow. It'll be worth more alive, and the pelt will stay intact." Li Zhi's hushed voice sounded beside him. "These beasts are very wary and fast. At the first sign of trouble, it'll dart into a tree hollow or a crevice in the rocks, and all our effort will be for nothing."

Li Zhi slowly drew a small blowpipe from inside his clothes, along with a little packet wrapped tightly in oiled paper. "Use this."

Li Yuan understood. It was a sedative.

The two of them soon followed the sable, waiting for their chance to act.

Snow covered the ground, so even when they lost sight of it, they could follow the tracks to figure out which way it had gone.

About half an hour later, the playful Purple Sable returned to its den. Li Yuan waited at the entrance.

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

To prevent anything from going wrong, he also set traps around the area.

Then the two of them waited at a distance, as time slowly passed.

Suddenly, a furry head poked out. Two big eyes stared fixedly at the strips of meat on the ground.

It picked up a strip and took a few bites. Before long, it slowly collapsed.

"It worked!" Li Yuan was delighted and hurried over to check.

"We've really struck it rich on this trip. We didn't run into any big game, but this sable's worth just as much."

"Now the taxes are taken care of, and the silver left over might even buy meat for martial arts training!"

Li Yuan grinned from ear to ear.

Li Zhi took out a length of hemp rope and a small leather pouch he'd prepared earlier. With practiced movements, he tied the sable's four legs together, then wrapped the rope around its mouth several times.

To keep it from waking up and biting someone along the way, he put it in the leather pouch and tied the opening shut.

"Uncle, you're really quick with your hands," Li Yuan praised.

A faint smile appeared on Li Zhi's face. He weighed the leather pouch in his hand. "We've had some luck. A good start.

"This live Purple Sable should fetch at least ten or so taels from that 'broker.' We'll take care of things when we get back."

"Catching one is enough. Hunters don't play by the same rules as some people in the county."

"Remember, desperate mountains and treacherous waters breed crafty folk."

"We've caught one sable. Some people might just be envious, even jealous.

"But what if we had two or three? Or three or four? What would you do with several dozen taels of silver?

"No matter how much wealth you have, you need to live long enough to spend it."

"I understand, Uncle." Li Yuan nodded.

Li Yuan understood as well. For someone like him, living alone in a single household, suddenly acquiring a huge fortune would be anything but a good thing.

"But now that I've awakened a skill, once I sell this sable, I can find a martial arts hall and start training. As long as I learn the basics, my skills will keep improving with practice.

"And by continuously replenishing my qi and blood through Consumption, life will get better and better."

It wouldn't be long before he could protect himself.

After speaking, Li Zhi thought for a moment, then said, "I won't take a share of the money from this sable. Sell it yourself; it'll make your life much easier. Just don't tell your aunt or anyone else."

"Uncle, I can't do that. It's a lot of money."

"Enough. Don't say another word."