My Journey to Immortality Begins with Hunting-Chapter 010 - Ambition!

Li Yuan returned to Little Ink Village with a sack slung over his back. Since the pheasant hadn’t bled, there wasn’t the slightest whiff of blood on him. Still, there was no hiding his catch from those with sharp eyes.

Along the way, several people spotted him.

“Pipsqueak, did you bring something back?”

“Got lucky this time, huh? You didn’t just swipe some poor fella’s catch from a trap, did you?”

“What is it, a pheasant? A hare?”

Li Yuan only smiled. “Just a little pheasant I happened upon while strolling around. Pure luck, pure luck.”

When he got home, Yan Yu wasn’t back yet. He waited a while before hearing a noise at the fence. Peeking outside, he saw his wife in a dingy gray coat, looking rather plump around the belly—her face smudged with ash—pushing the gate open while carrying a large bamboo basket.

The sight amused Li Yuan. In these times, you couldn’t be too careful. A woman who was even slightly attractive could easily invite trouble. Maybe not today, but if times got any rougher and someone happened to set eyes on her, who knew what might happen?

In a chaotic era, it was best to act beneath notice. Even if you could eat ten portions, you only eat three; otherwise, someone was bound to come knocking.

The moment Yan Yu opened the door and spotted Li Yuan, she gave a little sigh and said, “Ahh, prices have gone up again. I had to haggle forever, and in the end I could only get one and a half kilograms of millet and one kilogram of beans for two large coins.”

As she spoke, her gaze fell on Li Yuan’s empty hands, and she looked a bit disappointed. “Didn’t manage to catch anything again today, huh?”

Though she understood her husband’s struggles, she couldn’t help feeling a bit annoyed.

Li Yuan grinned. “Why don’t you go check inside?”

“Huh?” Yan Yu froze for a moment, then hastened into the house with her basket. A quick glance around revealed a burlap sack in the corner with a plump, brightly colored pheasant lying on top.

“Li Yuan...”

She set down her basket, her eyes lighting up with excitement. For a moment, she didn’t even know what to say.

Li Yuan just said, “Hurry and make something to eat. I’m starving.”

Yan Yu beamed. “Yes, sir! You rest for a bit. You’ve had a long day.”

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Winter nights fell early, and unlike the county town, there were no street lanterns in Little Ink Village. The roads turned pitch black. One look outside and it felt like the entire world had been swallowed by cold, darkness, and loneliness. Only the small glow inside their home gave off any sense of warmth.

First, Yan Yu plucked off the pheasant’s colorful feathers, planning to sell them later. Then she rendered about half a bowl of bird fat. Separating out half the bird, she placed it on a plate and slid it toward Li Yuan.

“Li Yuan, would you take some over to Auntie Wang’s family next door?” Yan Yu said.

“Sure,” Li Yuan said, taking the plate over to the Wang Family’s place.

The Wang family lived right next door and had often helped him and Yan Yu. In fact, Yan Yu had gone shopping for grain with them the last couple of times. They’d probably seen him come home with the pheasant, and while they wouldn’t say anything if he kept it all, it might leave them feeling snubbed. Better to stay on friendly terms with your neighbors.

Yan Yu’s gesture proved she wasn’t some stingy housewife; she had a warm heart and knew how to show gratitude.

Before long, Li Yuan was knocking on the Wangs’ door, calling out, “Uncle Wang! Auntie Wang!”

A tall, rather quiet man answered. “Li Yuan, what brings you here so late?”

“Nothing much,” Li Yuan replied with a grin. “I caught a pheasant today, and my wife told me to bring some over for you.”

Uncle Wang froze for a moment, eyeing the chunk of meat on Li Yuan’s plate. “That... that’s not cheap these days. You should keep it for yourselves.”

He was an honest man, but Auntie Wang cleared her throat, clearly in favor of accepting the gift.

Li Yuan glanced inside. Seated at a low wooden table were a boy and a girl with short pigtails, both staring hungrily at the meat in his hands.

“Don’t be polite, Uncle Wang,” he said, stepping inside.

Auntie Wang hurriedly grabbed a plate to receive the meat. Once everything was settled, Li Yuan started to head home. At the door, Uncle Wang clapped him on the shoulder and said quietly, “In times like these, it's hard to find someone like you.”

“We’re neighbors, after all” Li Yuan answered simply, about to leave.

Just then, Auntie Wang ran out with a small jar in her hand. “Li Yuan, we’ve still got a bit of salt stored up. Take some back for you and Yan Yu.”

“Salt?” Li Yuan’s eyes lit up. “Thank you, Auntie Wang. I won’t stand on ceremony.”

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When he got back, Yan Yu was still cooking. It took another stick of incense’s time for her to finish. Then, at last, the porridge was ready, stirred with bird fat. Salted pheasant sat steaming on a plate. The two of them dug in like starving souls, devouring every bite and still wishing for more.

Li Yuan couldn’t remember the last time anything had tasted so good.

After dinner, Yan Yu washed the pots, scrubbed the dishes, and heated up water so they could both wash up. Li Yuan lounged on the bed like a lord, more from Yan Yu’s insistence than his own laziness. Any time he tried to help, she shooed him away.

Night fell early in the winter. Once darkness came, Yan Yu removed her ugly disguise and swapped her dusty gray coat for a blue blouse dotted with white flowers. She was petite and slender, but her figure still curved in all the right places. Though a bit pale from lack of proper nutrition, her features had all the makings of a true beauty.

Late at night, there weren’t too many things on Li Yuan’s mind. Before long, he moved behind Yan Yu, who was still busy washing dishes, and wrapped his arms around her waist.

She let out a playful protest. “I’m not done washing yet.”

“Then keep washing,” he murmured into her ear.

Yan Yu blushed, her body suddenly shivering as though touched by an electric current. She caught her breath in soft gasps and said, “You rascal, at least blow out the candle first...”

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Early the next morning, Li Yuan was still in bed, curled up with Yan Yu, when the sound of commotion came from outside. People seemed to be rushing around, chattering noisily.

From his arms, Yan Yu lifted her head, a red silk ribbon slipping into view as part of her disheveled underclothes. A hint of pale skin peeked through.

“What’s going on out there?”

“No idea.”

“I’m going to check.” Yan Yu wiggled free, stood up right in front of him, and began pulling on her clothes and trousers without a trace of shyness. She hurriedly did up her disguise, using ash and various scraps of cloth to look gray and shapeless. Once she looked a good deal plumper and plainer, she headed out the door.

Upon leaving the house, she found she didn’t need to ask anybody to know what the fuss was about. A single glance made it obvious. Three men were carrying a wild boar on bamboo poles into the village.

The boar had already been gutted and drained of blood; its innards had been strung up in the woods as an offering to the mountain gods. Even so, the beast had to be nearly 100 kg. Three grown men could still barely carry it.

Sure enough, those three men were Bear, Ugly Zhang, and Zhang Nuli. Villagers trailed after them in admiration, some even drooling at the sight. In these hungry times, who could resist the sight of so much pork?

“Bear's really got skills!”

“You said it. This big ol boar has got to have a ton of lard.”

“Hey, Bear, can I join up with you too?”

“He’s the best! No wonder everyone calls him Bear!”

Voices of praise rang out all around, until a sly, taunting tone cut through the crowd.

“Well, now. Killing such a huge boar and not sharing with everyone? Don’t you think that’s a little selfish?”

Heads turned toward the speaker, Qian Er of the Qian Family. He stood with two cronies behind him, pushing to the front of the crowd.

“Some folks here are practically starving,” he said. “And you three are living the good life, eating and drinking your fill. Think you can ignore the rest of us? Huh?”

Qian Er lifted his hand and swept his gaze over the onlookers, trying to rally them to his side. Just then, Bear abruptly set the boar down, pulled a sharp knife from behind his waist, and ran it along his forearm as if wiping the blade clean. Then he pointed it straight at Qian Er.

“Beat him up!” Bear shouted. “Anybody who does gets to take some of this meat. The harder you hit, the more you get. That’s a promise from me.”

Everyone looked at each other in uncertainty.

Bear didn’t seem flustered; he just plopped himself down on top of the boar, swung his knife, and sliced off a dripping hunk of pork leg.

Holding it up high, he hollered, “The first one to take a swing can have this. Know why? Because anyone who fights Qian Er is my brother. And who knows, maybe next time I go hunting, I’ll take you along.”

There was a tense silence. Then, all of a sudden, a few young men grabbed sticks and charged forward.

Qian Er barked, “Who dares? Who dares!”

But the young men still attacked, crying out that they’d rather follow Bear. The scuffle grew as more people piled in.

Qian Er had offended so many in Little Ink Village over the years. Now, with Bear backing them up and the promise of meat, plenty were eager to settle a score.

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Yan Yu, seeing the brawl break out, turned on her heels and hurried back home. She told Li Yuan everything, sounding a little sour about it all.

Though she didn’t say it outright, Li Yuan could sense the implied comparison. They bagged a huge boar, while he only managed a pheasant.

He, on the other hand, felt relieved he hadn’t joined up with Bear’s group. Clearly, they were ambitious and restless. They’d only just formed their hunter alliance and were already going head-to-head with the Qian Family.

“Li Yuan,” Yan Yu fretted, her eyes darting nervously, “Bear took Zhang Nuli and Ugly Zhang under his wing. Aren’t you also one of the hunters in the village? Maybe you should join them too?”

Li Yuan just slipped an arm around her shoulders and said with a grin, “Don’t worry yourself with what’s going on outside. I know what I’m doing.”