Over the course of that day, Li Chen and the others hunted a roe deer, a wild boar, a Yellow Azure Beast, and several wild rabbits of various sizes.
There were no true demonic beasts among them, but for the wilderness on the outskirts of the city, it was already a bountiful haul.
What pleased Li Chen even more, however, was discovering the advantages of Shape-Stealing Skin-Painting. Through this, he also came to understand how he should follow his own Dao Path.
Once they returned to the city, though, they still had to dutifully sell their prey for money, just like all the other rough-and-tumble rogue cultivators, scraping together a livelihood and meager resources for cultivation.
They went to the Market Fair again. Since their prey was ordinary, they simply found a shop along the street and sold the animals by the head, earning a little over three hundred in total.
The following day, the three ventured into the wilderness again, deliberately trying their luck in a different direction.
Old Hou said he knew of a nearby lake that was very likely to draw wild beasts looking for water.
Unfortunately, water sources were plentiful around the Commandery Seat, and that lake was far from their only option.
This time, however, their luck seemed good. They actually came across a herd of wild oxen.
Before Li Chen and the others lay a broad lake at the foot of the mountains, like a shining pearl adorning the earth. The clear sky had dyed its surface a deep azure.
Green grass resembling clover grew thickly along the shore, with purple flowers carpeting the ground-a truly lovely sight.
A gentle breeze drifted past, and ripples glittered across the lake with a bright radiance. Beneath that light, which seemed suffused with spiritual grace, the wild oxen stood in the shallows by the shore, leisurely drinking and grazing.
Watching from a distance, Old Hou said happily, "Wonderful! There's actually a herd of wild oxen here. How did I never notice them before?"
Wild oxen made fine prey. They were large, and their meat was popular with everyone. Even one that had not cultivated into a nature spirit could fetch over two hundred talisman coins, while nature spirits that had already surpassed their species' limits were worth even more.
All three set their sights on a particularly conspicuous, powerfully built bull within the herd. It measured nearly ten feet in length, and one glance was enough to tell that it had absorbed considerable spiritual energy from heaven and earth and embarked on the cultivation path of a nature spirit.
Old Hou said, "By the unwritten rules, we can't drain the pond to catch every fish when hunting ordinary beasts. Let's just take down that big one. That fellow must weigh over three thousand jin. He already counts as a low-grade nature spirit!"
After studying the terrain, however, he frowned slightly. "Little brother, this place doesn't really let you put your abilities to use."
Li Chen said, "That's true. The terrain nearby is open, with no bushes or tall grass."
The silent stealth granted by the Tiger Demon leader's skin required terrain to work. Without forest or grass for cover, only blind oxen could fail to notice such a large figure covered in black and yellow stripes.
Old Hou thought for a moment, then said, "We'll scare the herd into running, then chase down the big fellow."
That was experience speaking. An old hand like him could always find a way.
However, things did not go as smoothly as they had imagined.
When the three adjusted their approach and tried to startle the herd toward a nearby low slope, the wild ox leader instead led more than a dozen oxen charging straight at them, with the momentum of a thousand troops and ten thousand horses.
Every one of those oxen was fat and sturdy, while their leader resembled a small elephant. As they ran, even the earth seemed to tremble.
"Get out of the way!" Old Hou had no time even to curse, hastily shouting a warning.
Being charged and trampled by a herd like this was no laughing matter.
Just then, You An, who had done nothing throughout yesterday's hunt, suddenly let out a roar and charged forward in excitement.
Old Hou cried anxiously, "You An, what are you doing?"
Li Chen called out as well, "You An, come back!"
But the next moment, something happened that left both of them stunned.
As You An ran, spiritual light appeared around him. Armor-like pieces of equipment began assembling across his body, soon covering more than half of it and bulking him up as though he had donned a heavy suit of armor.
Yet his figure did not look cumbersome. Instead, he had the imposing, mighty bearing of a general.
The armor was grayish-white overall, but a metallic sheen flowed over it, giving it a strikingly solid appearance.
Once the entire assembly was complete, a faint glow of spirit essence emerged, blazing red like fire. Even from over a hundred feet away, they felt as though a scorching breath were rushing into their faces.
Both exclaimed in astonishment, "War Armor!"
What covered You An's body was an Artifact Dao creation known as "War Armor," capable of helping ordinary people wield extraordinary strength and speed!
Isn't that the powered mechanical exoskeleton armor from the science fiction of my previous life-the legendary personal mech?
Li Chen was even more astonished inwardly.
From what he had known in his previous life, mechs were fully termed mechanized powered armor and came in personal and heavy varieties.
Powered armor in an exoskeleton configuration was generally considered relatively easy to manufacture. In fact, before Li Chen transmigrated and was reborn, prototypes had already appeared in reality. They simply had not been as mature or refined as what You An was using.
When Li Chen was still young in this life, he had already seen such things several times among passing merchants and rogue cultivators. He had even watched his father repair them for others, so he knew they were a Mechanical Martial Artist's most important treasure.
Mechanical Martial Artists were an unusual type of Puppeteer unique to the Eastern Victory Continent. Strictly speaking, they fell somewhere between Artifact Cultivators and Body Cultivators.
Puppeteers interested in modifying the human body, and even people like Old Hou who had mechanical prosthetic limbs or organ components implanted, could all choose this Dao Path.
Although Mechanical Martial Artists were not particularly rare, most were private soldiers of powerful aristocratic clans, or accomplished Puppet Masters who modified themselves to study the mysteries of life and practiced martial arts on the side.
The poor could study letters, but martial training took wealth. That saying held true in any world.
For a rogue cultivator like You An to choose this as his main Dao Path made one worry about how capable he could really be.
Very soon, however, You An used deeds to change Li Chen's opinion completely.
Facing the charging herd, You An advanced rather than retreated. He actually leaped into the air, descended like a divine warrior from heaven, landed precisely amidst the oxen, and smashed a fist into their leader's head.
Boom!
Amid a thunderous crash, the enormous bull's head burst apart. You An forcibly stopped its mountain-like body, bringing it to a complete halt on the spot.
"Fuck!" Old Hou cursed aloud in shock.
The frightened herd scattered, abruptly changing direction and fleeing in all directions.
A short while later, Li Chen and Old Hou came forward to join You An. Neither had any mind to examine the prey; instead, they looked at him.
Old Hou clicked his tongue in amazement. "Brother You, you really kept your abilities well hidden. You're actually a Mechanical Martial Artist!"
You An gave an honest, good-natured chuckle. "That's right."
"You An, there's nothing else to say. Impressive!" Li Chen praised him sincerely.
While inwardly marveling that one truly could not judge a person by appearances, he also could not help growing curious about You An's origins.