Gah...
Gah gah gah...
The body of the Earth Bow seemed weak and about to break, as if letting out a trembling wail.
Li Yuan's arm bulged with strong muscles as he exerted force, the circumference of his arm far exceeding that of the average adult man, stout and solid like iron, all of this was exposed before everyone's eyes without concealment.
Brother Xiong and Qian Er both saw it clearly and were secretly astonished.
Earlier this morning, before coming here, from the rascal named Xiaohu, they'd already gathered information, speculating that this Li Yuan was a deeply hidden fierce person.
Seeing this scene now, it was as if they had glimpsed the true nature of this fierce person, confirming their speculations.
Both felt subtle changes start to occur in their hearts.
Thunk!!
Li Yuan released his grip.
The first arrow shot out towards the old poplar tree on the left.
After shooting, he didn't even look.
Yet from afar came a man's loud shout.
"Hit!"
"Really hit!!"
Brother Xiong's face turned black, while Qian Er actually looked rather pleased.
With the left side hit, Brother Xiong had lost hope.
Now only two possibilities remained: one, the right side missed, and Li Yuan followed Qian Er; two, the right side hit, helping neither.
Qian Er chuckled lightly, quickly raising his price, saying, "Li Yuan, make this arrow miss a little. Follow me, and this afternoon I'll get you another pretty concubine to enjoy the happiness of having many women."
He was raising the stakes, as well as attempting interference.
Li Yuan didn't respond, his right hand pinched, his middle and index fingers pulling out another arrow.
Bending the bow, nocking the arrow...
Whoosh!!!
An arrow shot out, and he slowly retracted his hand.
The crowd watched, only to see that arrow pierce the clouds and chase the wind, instantly touching the stone between the poplars on the right.
Bang!
The stone flew out, the arrow whizzed through the air, and only after skimming more than a dozen meters did it barely fall to the ground.
This time, even Qian Er was stunned.
The air seemed a bit quiet.
And this quiet was soon broken by Li Yuan's laughter.
"Hahaha!! Lucky to hit both arrows today, seems like heaven wants me to help neither!" Li Yuan lowered his left arm, standing still.
Brother Xiong, Qian Er, and a bunch of underlings looked over.
They saw that the usually listless youth now had eyes like lightning, stood upright like a tower, serene and calm as if a mountain was pressing down, awe-inspiring.
Several people looked at him, but after meeting his gaze, they all avoided it.
Brother Xiong was the first to react, clapping and laughing, "Brother Li is truly a good man!! I'm convinced today!!"
With that, he waved his hand, saying, "Let's go."
He swung his arms and went back the way he came.
Qian Er clicked his tongue, glanced at Li Yuan, actually rather satisfied with this outcome, as he hadn't really hoped for Li Yuan to join the Qian Family, he just wanted to interfere with Brother Xiong's recruiting, so he said, "Li Yuan, farewell."
The group had come in a grand manner, and left just as quickly.
In no time, they disappeared completely.
Li Yuan put away his bow, just before he'd used thirty percent of his skill, enough to give Brother Xiong the thought, "If I were in good shape, I could do this too."
This was advantageous, not making anyone feel too threatened, yet deterring anyone from targeting him again, so that in the future, when he hunted some deer meat, he could swagger down the road.
Just as he was about to turn, Xiaohu led three or four rascals over from behind.
On their faces were looks of admiration.
"Brother's skills, seeing them today, truly are..." Xiaohu said with a flattering tone.
Li Yuan directly interrupted him, saying, "Get the meat."
"Oh, yes, yes..." Xiaohu slouched, following behind Li Yuan, nodding and bowing hurriedly as he saw Yan Yu peering from the window, calling out, "Sis..."
Before the 'ter' of 'sister' could drop, a hard knock landed on his head.
Li Yuan coldly looked at him, "Have I acknowledged you?"
Xiaohu smiled wryly, "Brother Yuan, let us brothers follow you.
We don't want to follow you just to eat meat, each of our houses still has some grain in reserve.
The main thing is, in this Little Ink Workshop, we are just a bunch of stray cats and dogs, who appear to bully others but are actually nothing.
You're a good man, you just showed such a skill, the brothers all respect you.
Be our leader... from now on, whatever you want us to do, we'll do it."
Li Yuan coldly looked at him, then turned around and went back inside, grabbing a kitchen knife to cut off a piece of venison, and threw it to him from a distance.
Xiaohu caught it with both hands.
Li Yuan said, "Three jin, it's yours.
If you have black market contacts, you can come find me again.
Next time you speak, use your brain.
In the Workshop, there's Brother Xiong and the Qian Family, should I take you guys in to go against them?"
Xiaohu was stunned for a moment.
Li Yuan waved his hand, saying, "Go!"
Xiaohu turned and left quickly, gently closing the fence gate behind him.
...
Li Yuan returned to the house, Lady Yan also retreated from the window, gazing at him with her almond-like eyes, her small hands restlessly pinching the corner of her blue dress.
Li Yuan laughed heartily, stepping forward to pick up Lady Yan.
Lady Yan lightly pounded on him, asking with a hint of complaint, "When did you become so formidable?"
"When you thought I was possessed." Li Yuan said.
Lady Yan was momentarily speechless.
What was there to complain about?
Her husband wasn't hiding anything from her; it was she who didn't believe him.
But before she could fully express her emotions, she said, "You're so capable now, why don't you go take a concubine this afternoon?"
"No, I'm just focused on Sister Yan." Li Yuan replied.
Lady Yan blushed, "What are you saying? Why so crude... can't you speak properly?"
Before his time travel, Li Yuan was a pig butcher. Though he was a literary youth before the butchering, the two never quite merged, nor did they transform him into a "midnight pig butcher poet," aside from bringing him some inferiority complex during class reunions.
"Sister Yan, I'm just a rough person, how can my words not be rough?"
"A rough person? How come I didn't know?" Yan Yu thought about it and felt that Brother Yuan seemed quite normal, not having shown much roughness before.
Li Yuan raised an eyebrow and asked in return, "You didn't know?"
Hmm?
Lady Yan was momentarily stunned, then blushed, pounding him playfully with her fists, "Naughty!"
Li Yuan laughed heartily, put Yan Yu down, and said, "I've wasted enough time; I need to head up the mountain."
"There's still meat at home."
"Today I'll hunt a roe deer, and tomorrow I'll exchange it for some money." Li Yuan took the firewood blade across his back, saying, "Aren't we running out of millet?"
Lady Yan replied with annoyance, "You talk about hunting a roe deer like it's easy. Are the wild beasts of Xiao Mo Mountain your livestock?"
"Yes, they're my animals." Li Yuan answered matter-of-factly, then walked out under Lady Yan's stunned gaze...
...
By evening, Li Yuan returned under Lady Yan's stunned gaze, with a roe deer on his back.
Snow had started to fall lightly from the sky.
Li Yuan threw the deer into a corner.
In the freezing cold, the deer would be fine for a night.
After bathing, the two of them lay down on the bed, embraced.
After some playful tussle, Lady Yan lay gently in Li Yuan's embrace, whispering sweet words.
"Brother Yuan, Feng'Er came to apologize to me today, saying he shouldn't have talked about you like that the other day..."
"Today when I was out, there were quite a few people wanting to talk to me.
But I only spoke with Aunt Wang.
I told Aunt Wang that my husband wanted to sell some meat.
Aunt Wang said she'd have her husband ask at the tavern tomorrow to see if they'll take it.
If the tavern does accept it, the price will certainly be better than these grain merchants."
Li Yuan thought for a moment and said, "Alright, let Uncle Wang ask.
However, I still need to sell this deer tomorrow, otherwise, the meat won't be fresh."
...
The snow fell heavily all night.
By the next day, it was knee-deep.
At the door, Lady Yan supported the roe deer for her husband with her hands, breathing out a warm puff of air, "Come back early."
Li Yuan answered, carrying the bow and deer, stepping heavily as he walked away.
In this snow-white, pure, and lonely world, there were suddenly far fewer people out and about.
The grain merchants doing business in the village weren't from the familiar Fulin Commerce Association that the Qian Family knew, but another group that Li Yuan hadn't previously paid attention to.
At that moment, as he arrived at the grain shop with the sack on his back, he looked up and saw a sign that read "Sihe Commerce Association," and stepped inside.
Inside, there was an inexplicable commotion, and it was unclear what was happening.
A man stopped him, asking, "What do you want?"
Li Yuan said, "I'm here to sell meat; do you take it?"
"Open it up and let me see."
Li Yuan lowered the sack and opened it.
The man came over, saw that it was a whole roe deer, frowned in thought, suddenly seeming to remember something, and asked, "Are you Li Yuan?"
Li Yuan said, "Yes, I am."
The man laughed, "You've been quite something these past few days."
Li Yuan chuckled wryly, "Just barely managing to keep food on the table for the family."
The man looked him over and suddenly said, "Let's get acquainted. My name is Zhao Feng; I oversee this grain shop."
Li Yuan looked at him and saw a sign over his head reading "2~3," indicating that he was not at the Entry Grade, but was strong among ordinary people.
"Brother Zhao, pleasure to meet you." Li Yuan offered a fist salute.
Zhao Feng said, "For this roe deer, I'll give you the county rate; I won't cheat you."
Li Yuan said, "Thank you, Brother Zhao."
Zhao Feng called for the grain, and someone from the shop took the deer to weigh it directly.
Meanwhile, Zhao Feng said, "I know you're a good man and also skilled at archery. Are you interested in joining our Sihe Commerce Association?"
Noticing that Li Yuan was about to speak, Zhao Feng waved his hand and said, "Let me finish first."
He smacked his lips, walked a few steps with hands behind his back, then looked firmly at Li Yuan and said, "To be frank, in a few days, we're going to withdraw from Shanbao County."
"Why is that?" Li Yuan asked curiously.
Zhao Feng lowered his voice and said, "The Red Lotus rebels have risen. This Shanbao County is too close; we need to pull out! Currently, our association is recruiting brave men for the retreat. Do you want to join us?"
Li Yuan hesitated for a moment, then when the grain shop people brought the large coins over, he said, "Brother Zhao, let me think it over at home."
He didn't want to agree.
The bond was shallow, and trust was questionable.
Also, being a guard for a commerce association in these turbulent times was a dangerous job.
The association had to run everywhere, and you had to follow everywhere.
And forest-bandits, as well as these Red Lotus rebels Zhao Feng mentioned, weren't they targeting such commerce associations?
Zhao Feng said, "Alright, if you decide, just come here and inform me within three days."