Chapter 003 - Troubling Times
Li Yuan had briefly considered heading straight to the deeper part of the second ridge, now that he had Intermediate Archery under his belt. In games and novels, once you leveled up, taking on the next wave of enemies usually became much easier. But he decided it wasn’t worth the risk.
From his memories, he knew Yan Yu still had a bit of emergency money—400 coppers, or four large coins.
In times of plenty, those four coins could buy 20 kg of millet. Now, he’d be lucky to get six kilograms out of it. In truth, that much was only possible on the black market, which was too far away and too dangerous.
The only option closer to home was the grain shop in Little Ink Village, where greedy merchants hoarded food to profit from people’s disasters. Four coins there would stretch to maybe four kilograms, still enough to keep him and Yan Yu fed for a couple of weeks if they rationed it carefully.
Since they still had a bit of time before the money ran out, there was no rush to venture past the second ridge.
Li Yuan glanced again at the numbers on his status window, feeling at least somewhat hopeful. “I’ll spend the next two days testing things out. Maybe I can figure out how to earn more stat points each day.”
With that, he turned back toward the dried creek. Just then, from the dim woods not far away, he spotted a 3~5 drifting into view. Instantly, he spun on his heel to run. But the moment he bolted, that 3~5 picked up speed as well.
A sharp male voice called out behind him, “Oy, pipsqueak! Why’re you running?”
Lu Yuan stopped. He recognized that voice. It was Qian San, another hunter. He was tall, burly, and everything Li Yuan wasn’t. Plus, Qian San had four brothers at home, giving him a strength in numbers that Li Yuan, alone and without kin, sorely lacked.
Sure enough, a powerfully built man soon emerged from the trees, his face untroubled, eyes bright with an unmistakable air of aggression. He carried a crude wooden crossbow in his right hand, held the leash of a vicious-looking yellow dog in his left, and had an eastern-style hatchet strapped to his back. [1]
Qian San jogged up and clapped a heavy palm on Li Yuan’s shoulder. “Heading home empty-handed again, eh? Don’t tell me you want that pretty wife of yours to starve.”
Despite the casual tone, Li Yuan knew they weren’t close. That overly familiar manner was Qian San’s way of keeping him in check.