Urgent Matter

Once the New Year had passed, life began to grow busy.

The temperature began to rise, the Xiahe River gradually swelled, and all things sprouted anew.

Fang Yue also began following Fang Hu into the mountains to hunt.

"When hunting in the mountains, the first thing you must learn is how to recognize the paths and how to replenish supplies."

"The best prey in the mountains are tigers and leopards. Their pelts are valuable, their bones can be used as medicine, and every part of them is useful."

On the way into the mountains, Fang Hu began teaching Fang Yue the knowledge and techniques of hunting.

He also explained the merits and drawbacks of the prey found in the forests.

Although there were many docile animals, such as deer and wild goats, aside from deer antlers having some use, the rest could only be eaten for meat.

And meat was difficult to sell. In Daliushu Village and the surrounding villages, few households were willing to buy it. At most, they could trade it with others for some grain and vegetables.

The cost-effectiveness was truly low.

So they still had to hunt tigers and leopards.

In any case, adult tigers and leopards were large enough that there was more meat than they could finish eating. Whether they ate the excess themselves, cured it, or made it into dried meat for storage, it was all good.

"Mm, I understand." Fang Yue nodded.

His strength had now reached a full fifteen hundred jin. The bow he used was a Seven-stone Bow; when fully drawn, its arrows could pierce thick wooden boards within a hundred meters.

It was enough to hunt tigers!

With Fang Hu leading the way, the two soon left the village far behind and entered the vast mountain forests.

Fang Yue clearly sensed something unusual. A cold, sinister feeling abruptly enveloped him. Even with his physique, he could not help shivering.

"Since it's your first time entering the mountains, you will indeed sense some abnormalities. But as long as you don't venture too deep and only hunt around the outskirts, it won't be too dangerous. Truly fierce beasts rarely come to the outer edges of the mountains."

Fang Hu seemed to have long known what Fang Yue was feeling, and his voice carried over.

"Legend says that long ago, demons ran rampant through the world, using humans as food. That was the darkest age of humankind. Later, the Human Emperor rose to power and led the human race in a great war against the demons, driving them away. From then on, the land belonged to humankind, while the mountains and forests belonged to demons."

"So according to the legends, we have now entered demon territory."

Fang Yue's eyes widened at once. Demons?

This was the first time since his transmigration that he had heard a term related to gods, devils, ghosts, and monsters. If anyone else had said it, he would have taken it as nonsense.

But the one who had said this was Fang Hu. Fang Yue understood Fang Hu's character. Fang Hu was absolutely not someone who made alarmist claims or spouted empty words.

Since he said it, there had to be some truth to it.

"Heh, did that scare you?"

As Fang Yue was still deeply shocked, Fang Hu's voice came again.

It suddenly gave Fang Yue the feeling that even Fang Hu, who was usually stern and unsmiling, could make jokes.

"When I first heard of it, I had the same expression as you. But all these years, I've never seen any demons. There have only been some fierce wild beasts."

"After all, the Human Emperor's legend is something from over ten thousand years ago. No one knows whether it is true or false."

"Still, I once heard my master say that after crossing the boundary, you must not go farther than thirty li. I'm telling you this now: you must never break this rule. Everyone who has broken it has never appeared again."

Fang Hu's voice was solemn, without the slightest hint of jest.

After saying that, he continued clearing the way ahead.

Following behind him, Fang Yue kept thinking about Fang Hu's words, unable to calm down no matter what.

Could demons truly exist in this world?

Yet in his everyday life, he seemed never to have heard such rumors.

But the sensation from before had been especially clear. It definitely had not been an illusion.

And there was also the gigantic tiger they had killed when returning from County Town last time.

If that tiger, which had been even larger than the biggest tiger from his previous life, had only been a cub, then just how large were the adult giant tigers in this world?

There was also this world's martial arts. Compared to martial arts as a whole, his current realm was no more than a beginner who had just stepped through the door.

Yet he already possessed such strength. How powerful, then, were martial arts experts who had surpassed the Four Stages of Martial Arts?

Thus, this world was likely far from simple.

"When hunting in the mountains and tracking prey, it takes quite a while. At night, you must find safe places to settle down. On this trip into the mountains, remember these safe resting places clearly. If you enter the mountains alone in the future, you must be extra careful yourself."

"Mm, I understand, Master."

Fang Yue nodded and followed after him.

Five days later, Fang Yue and Fang Hu finally returned from the mountains.

After reentering the places where humans gathered, that cold, uncomfortable feeling gradually faded away.

Though it had been Fang Yue's first trip into the mountains, their harvest had not been much. They had only hunted one leopard, two deer, and several rabbits, without encountering fierce beasts such as tigers.

Fang Hu gave Fang Yue one deer and two rabbits, all of which Fang Yue had hunted himself.

The days that followed gradually settled into calm.

Training in martial arts, hunting.

Improving his cultivation, bettering his life.

In the blink of an eye, more than half a year had passed.

The Xiahe River had risen, and fish leaped through its waters.

Fang Yue's strength improved somewhat further, reaching two thousand three hundred jin.

He was already comparable to certain martial artists of ordinary talent who had reached great accomplishment in Skin Tempering.

By this time, his aptitude points had reached four hundred and twenty.

Though his strength had increased, Fang Yue's body had not become more robust. He had only grown another bit taller and was now somewhat taller than Fang Ergou.

Over the past half year, he had followed Fang Hu into the mountains to hunt more than ten times.

His archery skills had also been honed. He had accumulated around thirty beast pelts, along with some tiger and leopard bones that could be used as medicine. His gains could be considered quite substantial.

This day, the weather was good.

After finishing his martial arts training, Fang Yue went fishing by the river.

Whenever he was not hunting, he would fish in his spare time.

"Brother Zhi, something's wrong! Brother Zhi, something's wrong!"

Near noon, an urgent, familiar clamor rang out.

Without even looking, Fang Yue knew that Fang Ergou had come.

Sure enough, when he turned around, he saw the other boy charging toward him again.

But Fang Yue's strength was now immense. With one outstretched hand, he stopped Fang Ergou.

His other hand held the fishing rod steady, without the slightest tremor.

"What is it? What happened that has you in such a hurry?" Fang Yue asked.

"Brother Zhi, just now, just now a letter came from Xiahe County Town. After my father read it, he told me to come get you. He said there was an urgent matter." Fang Hu said, panting.

"What matter?" Fang Yue asked.

"My father didn't say. He only told me to get you over there quickly." Fang Ergou shook his head.

Just then, the fishing rod dipped slightly. Fang Yue flicked his wrist.

The rod immediately lifted, and a carp over a foot long dropped straight into the fish basket beside him.