Ruffians and Scoundrels

The appearance of the donkey cart made the two stop laughing.

Wu Cheng pulled a dagger from behind his back and toyed with it in his hand, watching the approaching donkey cart with a cold sneer.

Li Cai had clearly noticed that the two had come looking for trouble as well. The moment the donkey cart stopped, he deliberately called out loudly, "Little Brother Lu, where did you put the vicious wolf you killed?"

As he spoke, he jumped down from the donkey cart and walked around to the back to tug at the wolf carcass.

Wu Cheng's gaze was instantly drawn to the wolf carcass on the cart, as large as a calf. He slowly put away his dagger, ignored Lu Shaolin, turned around, and left.

Li Sanbao hurried after him.

Lu Shaolin could not make heads or tails of it. He had never had any conflict with those two ruffians, so why were they looking to make trouble for him?

Did they think they could bully a young man now that Lu Zhong was gone?

Shaking his head with a smile, he jumped down from the donkey cart as well, opened the courtyard gate, and carried the wolf carcass into the yard together with Li Cai.

"Little Brother Lu, those two were here to cause you trouble, weren't they?" Li Cai asked.

"Probably. It's nothing. They're just clowns leaping about on a stage," Lu Shaolin said with a shake of his head and a smile.

He truly did not take two ruffians seriously. His current strength surpassed even Lu Zhong's—how could he possibly fear the two of them?

"As long as Little Brother Lu knows what he's doing." Li Cai nodded.

"I wonder which member of Little Brother Lu's family passed away? Why is there no mourning hall?" Li Cai glanced inside the house, puzzled.

"My father. His body couldn't be found, so everything was kept simple," Lu Shaolin replied.

"Right, take the coffin to the foot of the mountain for me. I'll go get the shovels," Lu Shaolin added, heading inside to fetch the tools as he spoke.

By the time he came out with the tools, Li Cai was already sitting on the cart waiting.

Lu Shaolin said nothing more. He placed the tools on the cart, locked the courtyard gate, stepped up, and sat beside Li Cai.

Li Cai flicked the reins, and the donkey cart headed out of the village.

Before long, the donkey cart arrived at the foot of the mountain. Lu Shaolin chose a level patch of ground, and Li Cai took the initiative to help. The two began digging together.

Both were strong, sturdy men. In merely half an hour, they had dug a pit large enough.

Lu Shaolin returned home, fetched a set of Lu Zhong's old clothes, brought some offerings, and hurried back.

After arranging the clothes inside the coffin and closing it, the two worked together to lower the coffin into the pit.

Fortunately, the pine coffin was not too heavy. Otherwise, the two of them might not have been able to lift it.

"It's getting late, and I've held you up for so long. I can handle the rest myself. Thank you, Brother Li!" Lu Shaolin said, cupping his hands in thanks.

"What are you saying, Little Brother Lu? I, Li Cai, was willing to help because I admire your skills. There's no need to thank me," Li Cai said, shaking his head.

"Thanks must still be given! Brother Li should return early, lest the shopkeeper punish you," Lu Shaolin said solemnly.

"That's true. I'll be going, then. I have indeed been out for quite a while. If I return too late, I won't escape a scolding. Little Brother Lu, remember to come find me when you have time," Li Cai said with a smile.

"Certainly!" Lu Shaolin replied with a smile.

Li Cai climbed onto the donkey cart, cupped his hands toward Lu Shaolin, cracked the whip, and drove toward the county town.

Lu Shaolin, meanwhile, began wielding his shovel, scooping up earth.

Before long, a grave mound took shape.

No tombstone was erected. The custom here was that one could only set up a tombstone after three full years.

Lu Shaolin arranged the offerings one by one before the grave, then respectfully kowtowed three times!

Since he had transmigrated into this young man's body, he naturally had to shoulder the responsibilities that came with it. Besides, Lu Zhong had been a good father—a father willing to lay down his life for his child!

After kowtowing, Lu Shaolin rose and carefully etched the location of the grave into his mind, lest it become blurred by time.

He then carried the tools and headed back toward the village.

Upon returning to his small courtyard, Lu Shaolin rushed straight to the kitchen to cook. He had eaten only five buns all day, and his stomach was truly starving beyond endurance.

After putting the rice on to steam, Lu Shaolin came outside with an Ox-Ear Pointed Knife in hand. He intended to skin the gray wolf and carve up its meat.

He had already eaten all the meat at home, and his body needed a great deal of nourishment. This gray wolf's meat would serve perfectly well.

Walking up to the wolf carcass, Lu Shaolin burst forth with strength in both arms and hung it from the iron hook on the osmanthus tree in one motion.

This was the old spot where his family processed prey.

Recalling the skinning techniques from his memories, Lu Shaolin raised the pointed Dao and got to work.

Less than half an hour later, Lu Shaolin had skinned off an intact wolf pelt.

He hung the wolf pelt to one side, chopped off a hind leg with a swing of his Dao, and carried it into the kitchen.

Before long, the aroma of meat drifted out from the kitchen.

Lu Shaolin carried a basin of stewed wolf meat and a basin of rice to the wooden table. Once seated, he dug in with abandon.

After eating and drinking his fill, Lu Shaolin cut up and salted the remaining wolf meat, then hung it in the kitchen.

As for the wolf pelt, he would take it to the county town to sell first thing tomorrow morning. After all, he only had a few copper coins left.

Elsewhere, at the village head's home.

Wu Cheng said to a woman cracking sunflower seeds in the main hall, "Aunt, that Lu boy killed a vicious wolf as large as a calf. I don't think I'm his match."

"You really are useless! You can't even beat a boy! Other than harassing women, what else can you do?" The woman spat out a sunflower seed shell with a "pah" and cursed viciously.

"It truly isn't that your nephew is useless. That Lu boy was probably hiding his abilities before," Wu Cheng explained aggrievedly.

"Enough. Jian'er will return from the county town in the next couple of days. I'll have him go with you to settle this matter and drive that Lu brat away," the woman said impatiently.

"My cousin is coming back in the next couple of days? That's wonderful! I heard Cousin has already entered the Skin Refinement Realm in the Blackwater Gang. Dealing with that Lu boy will surely be as easy as turning over one's hand!" Wu Cheng said with a smile.

"Of course. My son is naturally gifted and has already become a minor leader in the gang. Once this matter is settled, I'll have Jian'er bring you into the gang as well, so you'll stop idling about all day!" the woman said proudly.

"Thank you, Aunt. I will certainly follow Cousin's side and heed his orders," Wu Cheng said, overjoyed.

"It's good that you understand!" The woman nodded.

Early the next morning, Lu Shaolin stewed another pot of wolf meat.

After eating and drinking his fill, he shouldered his long spear, took the wolf pelt, and set out for the county town.

About an hour later, he reached the city gate.

The city guards on duty were still the same ones from yesterday. They glanced at the wolf pelt in Lu Shaolin's hand, then withdrew their gazes.

Sure enough, he was a young hunter!

Following his memories, Lu Shaolin made his way with practiced ease to a fur shop.

The signboard read, "Qiu Fur Shop."

His family had long been regular customers of this shop. The furs Lu Zhong had hunted in the past had all been sold here.

The shopkeeper was an acquaintance as well.

Lu Shaolin entered the shop carrying the wolf pelt, and the attendant at the door hurriedly greeted him. "Isn't this Little Brother Lu? You came alone?"

"Mm. Is the shopkeeper here?" Lu Shaolin asked with a nod and a smile.