Begging for Meat

Lin Xuan said, "Thank you for the reminder, Brother Qin. There's something I'd like to ask."

"Does our Garrison sell Sleeve Arrows? I'd like to get one for self-defense."

Hearing this, Qin Sheng glanced around to see whether anyone was nearby, then immediately lowered his voice and whispered to Lin Xuan.

"There are, of course, but it can't be done openly. Great Jin strictly controls hidden weapons with mechanisms. Sleeve Arrows fall under the category of crossbows. Private possession among civilians is a serious crime, and ordinary military households are forbidden from carrying them."

He paused, then continued, "Bows and arrows are standard military equipment. Even if you carry a military heavy bow through the streets, no one will question it. But anything with a mechanism, anything that does not require drawing a bow and storing force, is treated as rebellion. If you're caught, it's a capital crime. There can be no ambiguity about it."

Lin Xuan's brows furrowed slightly. "It's that strict... Then this will be difficult."

Seeing this, Qin Sheng waved a hand. The corner of his eye remained alert to the surroundings as he said in a low voice, "Don't worry, Brother Lin. Where there are policies above, there are countermeasures below. Quite a few people in the civilian world possess crossbows and concealed crossbows now. As long as no one finds out, then there's nothing to it. Just deal with every enemy who sees you use a crossbow, and you'll be fine."

Lin Xuan feigned alarm. "How could that possibly do?"

Qin Sheng nodded. "It can. I imagine Brother Lin is no wicked man. The enemies you face must surely be people steeped in sin. Kill them, and there's no harm in it. Another day, I'll have a servant deliver that thing to you."

Lin Xuan's heart tightened. He felt Qin Sheng had not said those words casually. Perhaps the man had already guessed that Lin Xuan had taken Lin An to Rou Mountain yesterday to dispose of a corpse.

So someone had finally seized this weakness of his. Still, he wanted to see exactly what Qin Sheng intended to do.

Lin Xuan solemnly clasped his hands. "Brother Qin is willing to take such a risk to help me. I'll remember this favor."

Qin Sheng smiled as though it were nothing. "You and I hunted a bear together and faced life and death side by side. How could such a small matter be worth mentioning? Remember, this thing must be kept hidden. Keep it in a concealed pocket in your sleeve normally, and do not use it unless it is a life-or-death moment."

Lin Xuan immediately asked again, "One more thing. We borrowed the Garrison's armor and weapons to hunt wild beasts. Shouldn't we give some money to the Garrison's Thousand-Household Commander as his share?"

Qin Sheng nodded. "That is indeed proper. But you don't need to pay this money. I've already set aside a portion of my bear meat for the Thousand-Household Commander."

Hearing that, Lin Xuan sighed inwardly. Qin Sheng handled matters without a drop of water leaking through. Everything he had done today was certainly not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but something he had planned in advance.

He had originally only received a forty-five percent share. If he carved out money from his own portion to "show filial respect" to the Thousand-Household Commander, the bear meat left for him would not be much.

Moreover, he had not forced the other three to contribute to the money used to "show filial respect" to the Thousand-Household Commander.

He neither harmed others' interests nor failed to show that he regarded the Thousand-Household Commander, an elder, with special respect. Everyone was happy. Though his short-term gains might be a little smaller, in the long run, he would lose nothing.

A man of great personal charisma, openly making his calculations...

Qin Sheng would surely become an extraordinary talent rarely seen in the world!

After calculating how much meat they could eat over the coming days, Lin Xuan sold the surplus bear meat and received more than seven taels of silver, far more than he had expected.

Bear meat was, after all, a rare thing beneficial to martial cultivation. Eating a pound was worth several days of bitter training. Demand exceeded supply, so its price naturally rose with the tide.

Qin Sheng sent two military households to help Lin Xuan carry the bear meat home.

"Cook this bear meat. Today, we'll eat our fill of bear meat. Cook the Bear Heart too, while you're at it." Lin Xuan set the basket of bear meat on the floor of the main hall.

Lin An nodded. At noon, she had already heard that four young heroes from the Garrison had hunted and killed the Bear Demon, so she had long expected this.

Chen Fang was deeply shocked by the changes in her son these past days. At noon, she had heard that four youths had killed the Bear Demon and mentioned it to Lin An. Lin An had said Lin Xuan was one of those four youths, but Chen Fang had not believed her.

Only now, with so much bear meat laid out before her eyes, did she finally believe it.

Before long, Lin An had cooked the bear meat. Its fragrance spread everywhere, and practically the whole neighborhood could smell it.

Lin Jie was naturally no exception. He too had heard of the four youths from the Garrison hunting the Bear Demon, and he knew Lin Xuan had been one of them.

Smelling that enticing aroma of meat, Lin Jie felt resentment rise in his heart.

He had never been able to stand seeing his elder brother's family live well. His elder brother's household had already dwindled in male heirs and was on the verge of collapse.

Yet now this orphan and widow were eating Bear Demon meat. It was a great tonic that aided martial training, worth five or six times as much as ordinary pork. How could he not crave it?

Then he remembered how he had tried to trick Lin Xuan into moving a corpse, only to be rebuked instead, and how his plans to seize the Lin Family's twenty mu of private farmland had repeatedly come to nothing. Jealousy and anger surged through him. At once, he shamelessly hurried toward the Lin Family home.

He pounded on Lin Xuan's door, his voice booming. "Xuan'er! An girl! So it was you who hunted the Bear Demon! No wonder it smells so good."

Chen Fang was carrying bowls and chopsticks when she saw Lin Jie. Her expression instantly darkened.

This old thing had always been harsh and heartless. Usually, they could not avoid him fast enough. Now he had come calling as soon as he smelled meat. He definitely had no good intentions.

Still, she opened the door, thinking they ought to make things clear face-to-face. Otherwise, if this fellow kept knocking on their door, wouldn't he annoy them to death?

Lin An stood by the pot, her almond-shaped eyes fixed on Lin Jie. Her gaze was icy and full of wariness.

Lin Xuan sat by the table. He raised his eyes and glanced at Lin Jie, his expression and tone both calm. "What is it?"

Lin Jie rubbed his hands, his eyes glued to the basin of dark brown bear meat. Grinning broadly, he said, "You child, your Second Granduncle came over to share in the good fortune after smelling the fragrance! I heard you hunted the Bear Demon with Young Master Qin from the Garrison. You've really grown capable! This bear meat is a martial training tonic. These old bones of mine have been suffering from aching shoulders and back lately. Could you spare me two or three pounds to nourish myself? You could count it as fulfilling your filial duty to your clan elder!"

Every word dripped with entitlement, as though the bear meat should have included a share for him in the first place.

Hearing this, Lin Xuan nearly laughed in anger. How did this man have the nerve?

A cold smile curled at his lips as he said directly, "Two hundred and fifty copper coins per pound."

Lin Jie frowned at that. This price was somewhat higher than the market rate.

"We're family. Why talk about money?"

Lin Xuan said, "Even blood brothers must settle accounts clearly! Do you want it or not?"

"This... you..." Lin Jie was left speechless. He had not expected Lin Xuan's attitude to be so decisive and resolute, leaving no room for sentiment at all.

Lin Xuan was annoyed. This old thing simply wanted to freeload, so he directly ordered him out. "If you don't want it, then get lost. We're still waiting to eat."

"Are you leaving on your own, or do you want me to throw you out?"

Only then did Lin Jie leave with his tail between his legs.

Lin Xuan shut the door and began wolfing down bear meat.

He also ate more than half of the cooked Bear Heart. This thing was enormously beneficial to eyesight. Combined with Sharp Eyes, he might well be able to precisely observe an enemy's movements from a hundred paces away during the day in the future.

It might even offset Sharp Eyes' weakness of diminished night vision.

He intended to seize the time and train bitterly before the bear meat's true qi completely dissipated, maximizing his gains.