Making A Fortune Through Hunting To Support My Wife - Chapter 36

In a small village, secrets are hard to keep. By lunchtime, news of Xu Jing and Sun the Great Hunter leading a wealthy lady into the mountains had spread like the wind to Song Yu and the others.

Mother Lu comforted her, saying, “Xiao Yu, don’t listen to the villagers’ nonsense. Isn’t Sun the Great Hunter there alongside Jing’er? That lady brought several attendants with her. Those gossips in the village just love to stir up trouble, they have no filters on their mouths.”

She couldn’t help but spit in disdain. “I think those troublemakers deserve a good thrashing with a club for ruining someone’s reputation.”

Song Yu sensed her concern but wasn’t worried at all. Xu Jing was actually a woman with that layer of truth, there was nothing to gossip about. “Auntie, I trust Ah Jing. People will talk regardless, we’ll just mind our own business.”

“That’s because you young wives are shy. I’m not. If I run into the ones starting these rumors, I’ll have to give them a piece of my mind for Jing’er’s sake.”

Song Yu gave a soft hum of agreement. Neither continued the topic, instead carrying a basin of dirty bowls and plates back to the kitchen to wash. Before long, Mother Chen and her daughter also returned with the remaining dirty dishes.

Having worked together for some time, they had become familiar with one another. Auntie Chen was a woman of few words, answering briefly when Mother Lu spoke to her. Her daughter, Chen Xiaojiang, was more talkative, steady and mature, possessing a groundedness that set her apart from other village girls.

Because of Mother Lu, Lu Ying had also been frequenting the Xu household lately.

“Sister Song, I see your house is more than half-finished. Have you picked a date for the beam-raising ceremony?” Lu Ying asked. “Once the date is set, I’m waiting for the feast! Your house being completed is the biggest event in the village this year.”

Hearing this, Mother Lu glared at her daughter, about to scold her, but Song Yu cut in.

“Not yet. We have to wait for A-Jing to return before we can settle the arrangements. I’ll likely need your help when the time comes.”

“I’ll be waiting then!” Lu Ying ducked behind Song Yu to hide from her mother’s sharp gaze.

While the Xu courtyard was lively, Xu Jing’s group had packed their gear and was pushing deeper into the Great Yue Mountains.

Around four in the afternoon (the hour of the Monkey), they finally entered the range where deer herds were active. After a day of mountain trekking, everyone was exhausted. Xu Jing and Ping’an found a suitable spot to set up camp and pitched the tents.

The main tent was for the “Official Zhu,” while Xu Jing and the others built a simple temporary shelter for their rest over the coming days. They gathered dry wood for the evening bonfire and scattered medicinal powder around the camp to ward off predators.

Night watch was a necessity in the wild. Official Zhu did not concern herself with this, leaving the others to decide. They eventually split the watch into three shifts of two hours each. Ping’an the pageboy took the first, followed by Xu Jing, and finally Sun the Hunter.

As darkness fell, the forest, dangerous enough by day, became terrifying. Nocturnal venomous insects and snakes slithered through the gaps of decaying leaves and tangled roots.

Soon, a bonfire rose in the clearing. Xu Jing and Sun returned from patrolling the perimeter to find Ping’an and the others huddled by the fire, roasting food. Surprisingly, the refined Official Zhu was among them.

“You two have returned from patrol. Did you find anything unusual?”

The two hunters exchanged a glance, and Xu Jing stepped forward to answer. “Reporting to the Official: there are no signs of large predators nearby, only common insects. It should be a peaceful night.”

Zhu Ci nodded slightly, her long brows arching with a faint smile. “No need to be so formal. I am traveling incognito. Come, you two, sit and talk.”

“I have to hunt with you tomorrow,” she continued. “Since you are familiar with the terrain, tell me what I should watch out for while we have the time.”

She spoke with grace and politeness. Setting aside her aura of authority, she showed no arrogance. Xu Jing and Sun made a polite show of declining before sitting down as requested.

Xu Jing shared what she could: “To answer your Excellency, while this is deer territory, there are black bears on the farther peaks, as well as leopards and wolves. You should try to avoid them during the hunt. We didn’t bring gear for trapping bears, and while a lone leopard is manageable, if we encounter two or more, it’s best to retreat.”

“Yes, yes, Jing’er is right,” Sun the Hunter added, his hands resting awkwardly on his knees as he nodded in agreement.

Unlike Xu Jing, Sun was a true native of Great Yue Village. The highest official he had ever seen was the town mayor from a distance. He usually only dealt with low-level runners and clerks. To him, the “will of an official” was a heavy thing. Even though Official Zhu was a woman, she represented the ruling class, and Sun couldn’t help but feel a sense of trepidation.

Zhu Ci glanced at Xu Jing and replied, “I have noted it. I will rely on you two to remind me then.”

“You are too kind, Excellency. Since we are guiding you, it is our duty to warn you of the dangers.”

Xu Jing pointed out several other precautions, all of which Zhu Ci acknowledged with a nod.

“You truly know this place well,” Zhu Ci remarked. “The forest is dense and I’ve seen cliffs along the way. Are there many precipices or crags in this specific area?”

A flash of thought crossed Xu Jing’s eyes. “Not many cliffs or crags here, but there are many valleys and mountain paths. To the north, the ancient trees are massive with gnarled roots, and the fallen leaves are knee-deep. To the east, the mountains stretch on; that’s where the bears den. The south is just similar mixed forest, nothing special.”

At this, Sun the Hunter couldn’t help but interject: “There are some peaks in the south with few trees and many rocks. I remember one mountain where the stones are as red as dried blood. It’s very unlucky, best to stay away.”

“Such a place exists? I haven’t seen such peaks,” Xu Jing said, feigning surprise while her mind quickly latched onto the detail.

She subtly observed Official Zhu, who remained smiling but showed a flicker of interest. “How is it unlucky?”

Sun hadn’t expected her to care. He looked at Xu Jing instinctively, and seeing no objection, he explained nervously. “Excellency, it’s a rural saying. They say if the stones are crimson, it means people were buried there and their blood soaked into the rocks. The stones carry a grudge, otherwise, why would they be such an eerie red?”

After speaking, he shut his mouth awkwardly. The atmosphere became momentarily subtle.

Just then, Ping’an finished heating the food. The aroma of roasted meat cakes filled the air. Zhu Ci simply remarked, “The Master did not speak of the supernatural,” and dropped the subject. she ordered Ping’an to distribute the cakes and ate with them.

Perhaps it was the shared food or Zhu Ci’s lack of pretension, but the tension eased as they chatted about trifles. The night passed peacefully under the watch of the three.

The next morning, the hunt began.

The spot Xu Jing and Sun had chosen was excellent. Before noon, they found fresh tracks. Xu Jing, acting as the “tracking expert,” led the group to a clearing where they discovered a small herd of about a dozen deer.

Bows were drawn, and arrows flew like streaks of light. The herd scattered in panic. Xu Jing and Zhu Ci were both superb archers, each hit a deer in the carotid artery, sending sprays of blood into the air. The two wounded deer let out mournful cries and struggled violently, trying to follow the herd before eventually collapsing in tremors.

Sun the Hunter’s skill was slightly lesser, his arrow only grazed a deer’s belly, and the wounded animal escaped into the woods, making it difficult to track.

Xu Jing and Sun went to retrieve the two fallen deer. Zhu Ci looked at the sturdy bucks and then at Xu Jing, praising, “Your archery is impressive.”

“Your Excellency overpraises me; it was thanks to your leadership,” Xu Jing replied with a cupped-fist salute.

Zhu Ci chuckled, but her gaze suddenly narrowed, landing on the bow on Xu Jing’s back. “Your bow? It looks a bit strange, different from ordinary bows. Quite unique.”

“I modified it slightly, adding some stabilization and a sight to make it more suitable for hunting.”

In truth, Xu Jing wanted to make a compound bow, which would be far more efficient and accurate, but she hadn’t found a skilled enough craftsman. In this era of hand-forged tools, complex machinery wasn’t easy to produce. While a compound bow was out of reach, she could manage a reinforced recurve bow using available materials. In the apocalypse, silent long range weapons like bows were highly sought after, quiet and capable of being imbued with various powers.

As for crossbows or repeating crossbows, Xu Jing had no intention of revealing those until she had more status. If she did, someone would likely show up the next day to silence her and the entire village. Besides, she wasn’t looking to join the military yet, better to keep her options open.

Zhu Ci gave her a long look and nodded. “You are indeed resourceful.”

She didn’t pursue the topic. Xu Jing and Sun each shouldered a deer and headed back to camp.

Upon arrival, the camp was empty. Ping’an and Manager Zhang were nowhere to be found. Sun muttered, “Where did those two go? Luckily their Official didn’t come back with us, or they’d be in for a lecture.”

A lecture? Xu Jing suspected it was the Official herself who had sent them out. She ignored Sun’s comment and reminded him, “Let’s just process the deer for the Official, so the smell of blood doesn’t attract predators.”

In the afternoon, their luck ran out, and they found no more fresh tracks. Since the previous herd had moved toward the territory of bears and leopards, they decided not to risk pursuing them.

By evening, Ping’an and Manager Zhang returned. Though they had cleaned themselves up, they couldn’t hide their exhaustion.

Xu Jing surreptitiously observed Manager Zhang. Sure enough, his boots were stained with a reddish mud that looked like clay. Looking higher, she noticed a faint crimson tint under his fingernails.

Sun, unaware of the implications, foolishly asked Ping’an where they had been. Ping’an laughed it off, vaguely saying the Official had given them errands to run. Sun took the hint and stopped asking.