Chapter 16: Chapter 16: Catching Moles, Breakthrough

"Tian Family?""Yes," Chen Yuan quickly said with a very assertive tone, "The day before yesterday, Tian Chuan sneaked into our house to steal food and got into a conflict with my two younger brothers and was killed by them. They must hold a grudge and wait for an opportunity to retaliate in the mountains."

"How bold!" Chen Lao grew more convinced, "We should go find those Tian Family members and demand an explanation!"

"Don't rush, let's wait for Grandpa to come back home, and I will ask for his advice."

"Alright, just call us when you need us."

"Old Fifth has had a tough day today."

"No need for that, we're all family, no need for formalities. It's getting late, I'm heading back."

"Take care."

As soon as Chen Lao left, Chen Yuan's expression quickly vanished, becoming expressionless and even a bit resentful.

"Foolish third brother—to die in the mountains is one thing, but he also took the Nine Skills with him. There are still many techniques and magic skills that I haven't fully learned, and now where am I to find this martial arts book."

...

Hongshan Village was draped in silver, and white snow covered the scattered houses.

The heavy snow from the previous day showed signs of stopping, and the sun rarely made an appearance in the sky.

Because of the incident at the Chen Family, many hunters in Hongshan Village hadn't gone hunting for a day and were restless.

Early in the morning, numerous villagers, either leading hunting dogs or carrying various hunting tools, went up the mountain to hunt in pairs and groups.

Hongshan Village was unusually noisy.

Children played and frolicked, their laughter echoing through the alleys.

Despite the freezing weather, the atmosphere enlivened and became more animated.

As a child from a poor family, Shen Qing also got up early, filled his stomach with some meat, took some bran cakes and other hunting necessities, and headed up the mountain before anyone else.

Still alone.

Previously, Shen Er and other clan members had taken him a few times, but his hunting skills were mediocre; not only did he have to share some of the game, but he was also somewhat of a burden.

Gradually, no one was willing to take him anymore.

So, he always went up the mountain to hunt alone.

His hunting skills had progressively improved, and now he was able to handle it alone and wasn't worried.

With his remarkable hunting skills, it didn't take long for Shen Qing to successfully capture a pheasant and two mountain hares.

"Eh? Is that a badger?"

While hunting in the woods, Shen Qing was surprised to discover traces of a badger.

The fur of a badger, unique in color and highly glossy, thick yet soft, is the preferred choice for making luxurious apparel in the county town.

It could be used to make warm fur robes that also showcased one's status, or as accessories like shawls, scarves, and even for decoration, spread on thrones or hung on walls.

It could fetch a high price during winter!

Even a normal one could sell for six or seven silver taels, making it a prime target for winter hunting, second only to foxes and minks.

It was indeed a great fortune.

He noticed the badger's tracks heading deeper into the mountain.

Seeing that it was still early, Shen Qing hesitated for a moment but felt he could try to catch it. seaʀᴄh thё Novёlƒire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"My skills are sufficient to feed my elder sister and myself, and now that I have mastered the Nine Skills and my Qi-Blood has increased, I can also withstand some risks."

"Might as well be a bit bolder and explore a few deeper parts of the mountain, and hunt this badger."

"If I could catch one, although it might not compare to rare delicacies, I could still earn a few thousand large coins."

"We are all hunters, relying on the mountain for food, surviving on our skills. Even if I casually catch one or two, I can handle it, and no one would say anything."

Shen Qing knew in his heart that for a rootless hunter like him, suddenly acquiring a fortune was not a good thing.

Easy to obtain, hard to keep.

But with the Water Ink Panel, the Nine Skills would continue to breakthrough sooner or later, reaching the Great Perfection of Qi-Blood.

It won't be long before he would surpass Chen Yuan.

There was no longer anything to fear.

"I can kill people, so what's hunting a raccoon dog?"

Shen Qing quickly made up his mind and followed the trail into the depths of the forest in the mountains.

His hunting skills had already improved significantly. He could easily identify the traces left by the raccoon dogs on the ground and knew their directions and habits.

After walking for almost half an hour, Shen Qing suddenly stopped, his gaze sharply fixed on a certain place, his eyes flashing with excitement.

He found a hidden small hole, which was a raccoon dog's den.

Shen Qing cautiously took out some fine threads and began to carefully set up the trap.

He used the surrounding branches and snow for camouflage, placed some rodents near the entrance as bait, and gently sprinkled some specially made poison powder.

After setting up the trap, Shen Qing hid behind a large tree and quietly waited.

As time ticked by, suddenly, there was a rustling sound from the entrance, and a chubby, furry little raccoon dog peeked out its head.

It blinked its watery big eyes, curiously surveying its surroundings.

Seeing the little raccoon dog enter the trap, Shen Qing secretly rejoiced.

Soon, the little raccoon dog was indeed overwhelmed by the poison powder and collapsed softly into the snow.

"Success!"

Shen Qing hadn't expected the poison left by the Chen Family to be so formidable, allowing him to succeed so smoothly.

He ran over quickly, satisfied, and tucked the little raccoon dog into his clothes, grinning broadly.

"This time I really stumbled upon a windfall! Although this raccoon dog is a bit small, it can still be sold for five to six thousand large coins, equivalent to the earnings of uncle's fellow hunters for five to six months. I've struck it rich!"

...

When he returned home, it was still early.

Shen Qing brought all of today's game home, without showing off outside.

And that raccoon dog, worth several thousand coins, he tied up well, took some ice blocks, and placed them at the bottom of the jar, without even telling Shen Fang.

After handling things briefly, Shen Qing, with a book in hand and cheerfully carrying a pheasant, went to Zhang Shuyuan's house.

"Sir, I'm here to learn today's characters."

Walking into the house, Shen Qing behaved very respectfully, as if he truly regarded Zhang Shuyuan as a mentor.

This respect was very gratifying to Zhang Shuyuan.

Upon raising his eyelids and seeing Shen Qing holding a large pheasant, he was somewhat surprised.

He was well aware of Shen Qing's situation and now seeing him bring a whole one, he couldn't help but pinch himself in secret.

This child was already poor, and yet he was taking things from him like this.

That was really dreadful.

But since he had already come, it would be too much of a pity to refuse.

Thus, in the following instruction, Zhang Shuyuan became extremely serious, a stark contrast to his casual attitude the previous day.

"Read and write everything you learned yesterday."

"Yes."

Shen Qing did as Zhang Shuyuan instructed, one after the other.

The result of Shen Qing's performance exceeded Zhang Shuyuan's expectations, so he immediately started teaching him the next sixteen characters.

After studying for more than an hour, coupled with his fervent studying the night before and early morning, Shen Qing noticed a new change in the water-ink characters in his vision.

[Skill: Recognize Characters and Read (Entry Level)]

[Progress: 101/100 points]

[Status: Upgradable]

[Note: Mastering this skill grants reading and writing capability, continued practice can break through to new realms, with a certain chance to awaken the "Memorize" Sight.]

Shen Qing's expression remained unchanged, but he felt a slight joy in his heart.

"Breakthrough!"