UGB Chapter 8 Hunting
Chapter 8 Hunting
Time flies like an arrow; the sun rises and the moon sets.
It's already the end of September in the blink of an eye.
Besides working with everyone, Fan Zhou spends his days practicing the Nine-Style Sword.
After five days of practice, he has memorized the first move, "The Wind is Formless." Although he is not yet proficient, he has grasped its essence.
That morning, Tian Youliang began teaching them the second move, Flowing Clouds Turn a Hundred Times.
"This move emphasizes variation, requiring you to attack the enemy with three parts of your strength while reserving seven parts for yourself. You must maintain smooth breathing so you can switch to other moves at any time, so you must never use too much force..."
Fan Zhou and Liu Ergou listened attentively, slowly figuring out the tricks of the trade as Tian Youliang instructed them.
It wasn't until after 5 a.m. that the group went back to have breakfast.
It was the same greenhouse. Hou Yi was cooking, with the three little ones circling around him. Several stewards were chatting, while Fan Zhou and Liu Ergou sat waiting for dinner to be served.
Taking advantage of the free time, Fan Zhou glanced at the Heavenly Crafting Furnace. The original requirement of sixty days of replenishing essence blood had been reduced to fifty-five days, while the forging time remained at thirty days.
He had actually been thinking about this for the past few days: could the speed of accumulating essence blood be increased? Could the forging time be shortened?
But there's no clue yet.
"Perhaps once I'm stronger, I'll find a way...?"
After breakfast, the deacons left first. They had been getting busier and busier these past few days, and it seemed that their work had made great progress.
Hou Yi was still in charge of assigning tasks to the teenagers, but today was a little different:
"I'm going hunting today, who wants to come along?"
"Me! Me! Me!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Guan Qingyun immediately raised his hand and shouted, his face full of impatience.
Zhang Yu seemed interested as well, but he didn't say anything.
As for Wu Xiu and Liu Ergou, they didn't react at all.
Fan Zhou thought that he knew nothing about hunting and probably couldn't help Hou Yi much, so he kept quiet.
"In that case, then let..." Hou Yi smiled as he looked at the excited Guan Qingyun, then suddenly turned his head:
"Fan Zhou, come with me!"
"Huh?" Guan Qingyun was greatly disappointed, not expecting such a twist.
Although Fan Zhou was surprised, he was also quite interested: "Master Hou, what do I need to do?"
Hou Yi waved his hand, "Don't worry, you just need to carry the prey on your back."
He then assigned tasks to the others, and took Fan Zhou to the warehouse, where he took down a bow and quiver from the wall.
"Fan Zhou, do you know how to shoot an arrow?"
"Won't."
"It's alright, I'll teach you." Hou Yi took down a bow and arrow and handed it to Fan Zhou, and also found him a dagger.
This was the first time Fan Zhou had ever handled such things, and he couldn't help but pull out his dagger to examine it.
"Be careful, this was forged in the weapon workshop of the sword furnace, it's very sharp," Hou Yi warned.
Fan Zhou also noticed that the dagger was entirely black except for the blade, which was so bright that it clearly reflected his eyelashes, giving it a chilling and frightening appearance.
"Master Hou, does our sword-making workshop also have a dedicated weapons workshop?"
Hou Yi adjusted the bowstring and casually replied, "Of course, the armory is the main business of the sword forge. All the weapons and armor of the entire Yue army are made by the sword forge."
"As the saying goes, 'Three thousand Yue soldiers can conquer Wu,' which refers to the weapons and armor forged in the sword furnace."
Fan Zhou suddenly realized, "No wonder all the tools in this warehouse look like weapons. They were made in the arms workshop."
Hou Yi smiled with a hint of pride:
"These are just things for apprentices to practice with. The real products from the armory are things you can't buy anywhere else, even if you fight tooth and nail for them."
As he spoke, he took two more pairs of deerskin boots and handed the smaller pair to Fan Zhou:
"There are many poisonous insects in this area. It's a bit better since the area around the village has been blessed. You can't go outside without boots, and you have to make sure your clothes are properly tied up."
After making their preparations, the two headed into the mountains together.
The mountain was overgrown with weeds, and the branches of various old trees intertwined. The thick leaves blocked out the light, making it dark and oppressive, as if one had suddenly stepped into the night.
Hou Yi walked ahead, clearing the way and constantly scanning the surrounding environment.
"The noise from Qin's quarrying has been getting louder and louder these past few days, scaring away all the birds and animals in the area. We need to go deeper into the mountains."
Qin Laoda is the market boss that Liu Ergou mentioned; his full name is Qin Zhiyuan.
Fan Zhou, carrying a bamboo basket on his back, followed behind him and asked curiously:
"Master Hou, what is Senior Uncle Qin's cultivation level? How does he possess the power to split mountains?"
Hou Yi clicked his tongue. "It's said to be the sixth level of Qi Refining."
Fan Zhou exclaimed in surprise, "Sixth level of Qi Refining is that strong!"
Hou Yi shook his head, "It's not that being at the sixth level of Qi Refining is that strong, it's that Boss Qin is strong."
"Qin Laoda is an inner disciple of the Sword Furnace, and his master is a master swordsmith. His cultivation techniques and spells are all of the highest quality, and the talismans he uses are also top-notch. It is impossible for an ordinary Qi Refining Level 6 cultivator to have his strength."
Fan Zhou understood.
It means that Boss Qin has a lot of buffs, so he is strong.
He suddenly thought of a question:
Conversely, if one is not a disciple, does not have a master swordsmith as a teacher, and does not possess high-grade cultivation techniques or top-tier talismanic artifacts, then one is very weak.
Fan Zhou was lost in thought and didn't notice that Hou Yi had stopped walking until he bumped into Hou Yi's back.
"Shh!"
Hou Yi gestured for silence, took the bow off his back, nocked an arrow, and aimed at a distant tree branch.
With a sharp twang of the bowstring, the arrow vanished instantly.
A brightly colored long-tailed pheasant fell from a tree.
Hou Yi put away his bow, slapping his thigh with delight, "What a stupid blood chicken!"
Fan Zhou, with his keen eye, ran over and brought the pheasant back.
"Master Hou, it's a big red rooster!"
Hou Yi sheathed the arrow, looked at the rooster in Fan Zhou's hand with great satisfaction, and laughed:
"This isn't your average big red rooster; it's a local wild pheasant called a blood pheasant, also known as a blood chicken. It's a great aphrodisiac!"
Hou Yi grinned lewdly: "Hehe, don't tell them when we get back, we'll sneak this chicken out for an extra treat tonight."
"I don't have kidney deficiency."
Fan Zhou found it somewhat amusing and put the blood chicken into the bamboo basket.
.........
The two continued their search for prey in the mountains.
It must be said that Hou Yi's archery skills are indeed superb, and his eyesight is also sharp. Every arrow he shoots hits its mark, and he can easily catch rabbits, pheasants, and the like.
Fan Zhou also took the opportunity to learn some archery skills from him, but due to a lack of practice, it was not very effective; he basically just aimed wherever he wanted to shoot.
The two worked until the afternoon, and Hou Yi hunted another half-grown wild boar before finally taking Fan Zhou back with satisfaction.
Back in the village, Hou Yi quickly hid the blood chicken and asked Fan Zhou to boil water while he and Wu Xiu processed the other prey.
Wu Xiu was used to it and didn't ask any more questions.
On the contrary, Fan Zhou felt like a thief and was somewhat embarrassed.
But Hou Yi was clearly an old hand; he calmly told Fan Zhou to eat less for dinner and come to his room for drinks that night.
So at night, under Liu Ergou's suspicious gaze, Fan Zhou slipped out of the wooden house and cautiously approached Hou Yi's house.
Before he could even call out, Hou Yi opened the door from the inside.
"Come in quickly, we've been waiting for you for ages."
As soon as Fan Zhou entered the room, he smelled a rich fragrance.
Hou Yi led him to a seat and first poured him a bowl of yellow wine.
"This is rice wine from my hometown. Try it and see how it tastes."
Fan Zhou took a small sip and found it smooth on the palate, with a sweet taste and a slight astringency.
"Mmm, delicious!"
Hou Yi chuckled, "If you like the taste, that's good. Come on, have some food!"
On the table was a small charcoal stove with a large earthenware pot burning on it, making a bubbling sound. There was also a plate of peanuts and a plate of pickled radish peels.
Hou Yi lifted the pot lid, revealing glistening, dark red chicken, and placed a large chicken leg on Fan Zhou's plate.
"This chicken must be at least three or four years old. It's very firm and meaty. I stewed it for more than half an hour until it was tender."
Fan Zhou didn't stand on ceremony and grabbed a chicken leg to gnaw on. It was indeed tender and juicy, with skin that was bouncy and meat that was so delicious it made his mouth water.
"Master Hou, your cooking skills are absolutely amazing!"
Hou Yi, biting into another chicken leg, said smugly:
"Of course! I'm a genuine Tier 3 spirit chef! Come on, let's drink!"
Fan Zhou clinked bowls with him and asked curiously, "A spirit chef? Is that similar to a spirit farmer?"
"Yes, they're pretty much the same. They're basically just cooks, except they cook dishes that contain spiritual energy," Hou Yi replied, his words slightly slurred.
"Spiritual farming and spiritual cooking are skills that cultivators use to make a living. Other skills include drawing talismans and refining pills, taming beasts and refining gu."
This was the first time Fan Zhou had ever learned about these things in the cultivation world, and he was greatly intrigued.
Taking advantage of Hou Yi's enthusiasm, he quickly continued to ask:
"So, which of these side hustles is the most successful?"
Hou Yi picked up a peanut and popped it into his mouth; his lean face was already flushed.
"It goes without saying that talismans, arrays, artifacts, and elixirs are the best."
Fan Zhou recalled that Tian Youliang had previously told him that he would be a spirit farmer under his command, but he wondered what the treatment would be like and whether there would be any future prospects for such a position.
"Master Hou, is Lingnong considered inferior?"
"Pfft!"
Hou Yi almost burst out laughing: "It's not just inferior, it's the worst of the worst!"
Fan Zhou's expression stiffened slightly; in fact, this answer was within his expectations.
Hou Yi knew he was brought by Tian Youliang, and patted him on the shoulder, saying:
"A-Zhou, if you want to live a peaceful life, then Lingnong is undoubtedly the best choice. But if you want to achieve something great, then you still need to learn something else."
Fan Zhou smiled wryly, "But I don't know what I can choose either."
"It's nothing!" Hou Yi downed the wine in his bowl in one gulp.
"This Langdang Mountain Market has just been developed, so there are still many opportunities."
Hou Yi put another chicken wing on Fan Zhou's plate, "Alright, alright, eat more meat!"
Fan Zhou picked up his glass. "Master Hou, let's drink."
"good!"
The two ate and drank heartily, showing off their gluttony, and quickly finished the four or five pounds of blood chicken.
Fan Zhou didn't linger. After thanking Master Hou for the treat again, he went back to his room to sleep.
But strangely, his lower abdomen was burning intensely, making him restless and agitated.
"No way, could this blood chicken really be an aphrodisiac?"
Fan Zhou sat up and suddenly felt a numbness in his body. A familiar feeling of emptiness spread throughout his body, and the burning sensation in his abdomen disappeared instantly.
"This is……"
Fan Zhou quickly checked the Heavenly Crafting Furnace within his body, and saw:
The Ten Styles of the Sword are already in the furnace!
[Forging materials: A wooden sword, and 54 days' worth of stored essence blood.]
[Estimated forging time: 30 days (starting after forging materials are stockpiled).]
"Fifty-four days to store essence? I checked this morning and it was fifty-five days!"
Fan Zhou was greatly shocked; the time for storing essence blood had actually been reduced by one day!
This is a situation that has never happened before.
Fan Zhou's expression brightened:
"Could it be because we ate that blood chicken?"