My Journey to Immortality Begins with Hunting-Chapter 056 – Making Progress

By early morning the next day, a soft spring breeze swept through Gemhill County, stirring the blossoming trees and flowers. Mountain streams trickled musically, and the once-dry creek beds were now flowing again. Creatures from deep in the hills crept out to drink at the water’s edge.

At dawn, the four Qian brothers were already up and ready, each holding a valid hunting permit. With so many local men gone, the permits from a few households had become all but useless.

Qian Da, knowing better than to just snatch them up, had bought them fairly. His younger brothers couldn’t grasp why he went to such trouble, so he explained that if you want to work for a big shot in the long run, you had to keep your hands clean and avoid nicking petty gains here and there.

“If you want to act without restraint,” he’d said, “you need to understand the rules first. And if you want to ride the coattails of someone important, you don’t drag them down with shady behavior.”

Qian Er and the other two did not fully understand the reasoning. But they did know that without their eldest brother, the Qian Family wouldn’t stand a chance. In the past, as long as Qian Da was around, the family thrived. But once he left, Qian San had been killed and Qian Er was conscripted into the army.

Sure enough, that morning when Li Yuan arrived and learned how they’d acquired the four permits, he offered Qian Da an approving nod. “Good work.”

Though they’d only interacted a couple of times, Li Yuan could already tell Qian Da was on a different level from his brothers—more clear-headed, with a better grasp of the bigger picture. Of course, real trust would take time.

For now, Li Yuan simply planned to have the Qian brothers transport his catches. He’d know exactly how much those goods sold for, and if they ever tried anything shady, at worst he’d only lose a bit of money.

The five of them headed into the mountains. Li Yuan deliberately walked in front, his back turned to the brothers, but they never gave him cause for concern.

Soon after, Li Yuan led Qian Da deeper into the hills, leaving the other three brothers at the entrance with two handcarts.

The scenery felt much the same as before. But the tiger Li Yuan had once named Calico never showed up. That dampened his spirits a bit.

Without lingering, he swiftly brought down a wild boar, two deer, and some smaller game before deciding to call it a day.

To Qian Da, it was an eye-opening display. Even for a skilled martial artist, Li Yuan was downright frightening in how quickly and accurately he hunted, as though he knew precisely where each animal was hiding. It felt less like hunting and more like harvesting well-fed livestock.

Afterward, Li Yuan took the four Qian brothers to the Ginger Tavern, where he was already on familiar terms with both the proprietress and the manager.

The proprietress of the Ginger Tavern had once visited Li Yuan’s home, bringing wine and tea. Manager Wu had even shared a round of drinks with him. Combined with the fact that Li Yuan always delivered fresh meat and kept his prices fair, everything naturally fell into place.

Manager Wu did let him know, however, that the restaurant would need four to five days to use up such a large supply of meat. Only then would they be ready for the next delivery. Li Yuan agreed, setting the next drop-off for four days later. Like this, his new business venture was officially up and running.

When their transaction was finished, Li Yuan tossed a single tael of silver to Qian Da and pocketed the remaining 40 taels. Before leaving, he patted Qian Da on the shoulder. “I’ll be back at Little Ink Village in three days. We’ll hunt at night next time. Just store any game you catch overnight and deliver it the following day.”

Qian Da thumped his own chest and grinned broadly. “Don’t worry! I’ve traveled all over; I know exactly how to handle this.”

Li Yuan simply nodded in response and headed off.

After he was gone, Qian Da and his brothers pushed their carts toward the fork in the road. There, Qian Da gave Qian Si a meaningful look. Qian Si quickly flipped his jacket, pulling up a hood to hide his face, and took off in the direction of the black market. The rest waited at the roadside.

It was quite a while before Qian Si returned. He leaned in close and spoke in hushed tones, “Big Brother, it’s for real. Everyone knows he’s Senior Li’s direct disciple. They call him Young Master Li.”

“How does he usually act?”

“Apparently, he keeps a low profile, just sticking close to Senior Li and training. Folks say that originally, he was assigned to the central market. But on his very first day, he fell ill and went home to recover.”

“Got sick?”

“While he was resting, the associate who was supposed to handle the central market with him...well, that one turned up dead. They found the body in the water, bloated beyond recognition. It’s not the first time this sort of thing has happened. There are rumors the Wei Family might be involved.”

Qian Da frowned slightly. His eyes flickered with a shrewd light, weighing and judging the information. Finally, he muttered, “Young Master Li...quite a figure indeed.”

He glanced at his brothers. “You hear that? From now on, we’re sticking with Young Master Li. We do whatever tasks he gives us, and do them right!”

“Yes, Big Brother!”

“Fifth Brother!” Qian Da barked, “What’s the most important thing when you throw in your lot with someone?”

“Loyalty!” Qian Wu answered.

“That’s right! Before you pledge yourself, it’s normal to weigh your options. But once you’ve decided, you stay loyal. From here on, even if the king of heaven himself shows up, we only take orders from Young Master Li, unless...” Qian Da paused, “he fails to hold his own.”

“Yes, Big Brother!” the others chorused.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

That evening, Li Yuan lay in bed with Yan Yu, whispering sweet nothings beneath the warm covers. They had already shared a vigorous round of intimacy beforehand.

Ever since she began living a life of relative comfort—eating well and dressing in fine clothes—Yan Yu, an educated woman, had blossomed into a more voluptuous and alluring beauty.

The most striking thing was how she knew exactly how to captivate him. With light makeup and a silk dress that hugged her curves, she would lower herself into a teasing pose, feigning reluctance yet clearly inviting.

A cool glance at the corner of her eye was enough to entice him beyond measure. Yet she never dressed so provocatively for anyone else, refusing to wear that tight, seductive silk dress as soon as they stepped outside.

At this point, that silk dress lay discarded on the floor. Wearing only a newly bought half-moon undergarment, she reclined lazily in Li Yuan’s arms.

A slight concern crept into her voice. “Husband, the Qian family used to be bullies in our village. Are we really safe doing business with them?”

“What’s the problem?”

“Well...for example...” Yan Yu began, then trailed off, finally giving a quiet laugh. “Then again, you are Young Master Li, a ninth rank martial artist. It’s not like they can do anything to you.”

Read latest chapters at freёweɓnovel.com Only.

Leaning close to his wife’s ear, Li Yuan boasted playfully, “I’m telling you, there’s probably no ninth rank in Gemhill County who could beat me in a real fight.”

His current explosive strength could reach 140, and even his master Senior Li was only at 145. Despite Senior Li’s injuries, he still kept the black market in line.

With Li Yuan’s overall power peaking at 140, who else in the county could stand against him?

Yan Yu giggled. “Really?”

“Guaranteed,” Li Yuan replied with a grin. “But don’t go telling anyone else.”

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

The next afternoon, Li Yuan left home with a pouchful of silver, ostensibly heading toward Little Ink Village.

Halfway there, he ducked into a small grove and quickly changed into a springtime cloak he’d purchased earlier, complete with a hood and a cheap mask to hide his face. Then he turned back in the direction of Silver Creek.

On his way, he passed a blacksmith’s shop and spent six taels of silver on a quality sleeve dagger.

According to the smith, he’d used only his best materials. Its blade was razor-sharp, on par with the weapons carried by the sect disciples.

This sleeve dagger stayed concealed in its hilt, which was hollow and equipped with a spring mechanism.

In normal circumstances, the blade remained hidden; when needed, you pressed a button, and the dagger sprang out, giving you a foot or so of steel to work with. It was compact and easy to stash away—ideal for surprising an enemy or simply keeping a weapon close at hand.

Satisfied with his purchase, Li Yuan boarded a boat once more, heading straight for the black market.

Li Yuan had already investigated which stalls sold the best demonic beast meat in the black market. He knew exactly where to go, what the surrounding neighborhood was like, the general strength of those around him, the seller temperament of the sellers, and the likelihood of getting robbed afterward.

He also knew how much to buy, and how much of his own strength to reveal, so he wouldn’t draw unwanted attention. He even had a plan for which route to take on his way out.

Once he entered the black market, he headed straight for that familiar stall. He put on a small show, casually squeezing a silver ingot into a silver ball, an impressive trick typical of a ninth rank martial artist. He then purchased 15 kg of ninth rank demonic beast meat for 20 taels of silver. Right after he finished the deal, he hurried off, took a slight detour, and by the time he arrived home, night had already fallen.

Under cover of darkness, Li Yuan returned, immediately cutting off two and a half kilograms of the meat to wash and prepare. He crouched by the stove to light the fire and spent over an hour cooking it. Demonic beast meat was notoriously tough, and it took that long for it to soften.

As soon as the meat was tender, he devoured it in quick bites, set his bowl aside, and took only a brief rest before starting to cultivate his shadow blood again.

Just as he expected, the process moved noticeably faster after eating demonic beast meat. He could feel the improvement coursing through him.

But then came the side effects. After his training, Li Yuan felt a restless heat throughout his body. The heightened power of shadow blood stirred all sorts of distracting impulses he needed to quell.

Glancing over, he noticed Yan Yu leaning on the windowsill in a seductive, hip-hugging dress. Despite it being well past midnight, she had waited up for him.

He felt a rush of affection. Smiling, he asked, “When did you buy that?”

“Earlier today,” she replied with a playful giggle.

A single, unblossomed apricot tree stood in the courtyard, yet it seemed as if springtime filled every corner.

Li Yuan slipped closer, but Yan Yu reached out, pressing a finger to his forehead, pushing him away as she laughed. “Ah, ah, ah! No coming closer.”

“What’s this all about?” Li Yuan teased, raising an eyebrow.

With a mischievous smile, Yan Yu said, “I had a drink with the proprietress of the Ginger Tavern this afternoon. She taught me some...interesting little tricks. I’m going to test them on you tonight.”

Li Yuan tried to move in again, but Yan Yu gently resisted, her voice taking on a teasing lilt. “No naughty business now...”

Too worked up to hold back, Li Yuan pried her hands away.

She laughed, continuing to put up a mock fight. “I said no...”

As the night wore on, the quiet darkness around them began to pulse with warmth and excitement.