Chapter Six, Prosperous Era (Six)
Moo! The swiftly running roe deer let out a mournful long cry and slowly fell to the ground. Li Xu was overjoyed, quickly grabbing his bow and running forward. It was early autumn, and the game in the mountains had fattened over the spring and summer, with thick meat and rich fat. Dragging such a large roe deer to his uncle's inn would surely provide a signature dish for at least half a month. The skin of the roe deer could be sold to wealthy families for making boots, which would also fetch another twenty to thirty coins.
After pursuing for approximately two miles along the mountain path, Li Xu discovered an opening beneath a protruding rock wall. The bloodstains left by the wolf had faded by this point, yet they intermittently trickled into the depths of the cave. Li Xu turned sideways, pressing his body against the rock wall. With one hand holding a knife, he picked up a stone with the other and threw it inside.
A cold sweat immediately rolled down Li Xu's forehead. He quickly took two steps back, leaning against the stone wall, and swung his curved knife up and down. The wild wolf, however, seemed to be asleep, remaining completely still. It neither stood up to fight Li Xu nor attempted to crawl out of the cave to escape
Little wolf cub! Li Xu ran over, picked up the fluffy little wolf, and raised his hand intending to throw it against the rock. However, the warm sensation in his palm made him feel a twinge of reluctance. After a moment's hesitation, the little wolf, with its eyes closed, began to nibble at the edge of his palm with its mouth. It was a tingling sensation, indescribably amusing
"This thing is worth three coins?" Li Xu cherished the "treasure" that had almost cost him his life, picking it up and placing it back into the quiver on his back. "I’ll sell it to Zhang's Xiao Wu for four coins another day; after all, he never shoots straight!"
The arrow shot through the air like a meteor, grazing the top of the wolf's head with a "thud" as it embedded itself half a foot into the ground. The beast in the distance was also startled, letting out a low, angry roar, scratching the ground with its front paws before leaping into the air, aiming directly for Li Xu's throat.
Encountering a wolf, the worst thing to do is to turn and flee. Li Xu was more familiar with this principle than anyone else, yet at the critical moment, the bow in his hand refused to obey his commands. The feathered arrow wobbled on the bowstring, moving up and down, but he could not aim at the wolf's head. As the wild wolf approached step by step, about to lower its front limbs, Li Xu was so frightened that his soul seemed to leave his body, and he released an arrow in panic.
Hey! Li Xu shouted loudly and stepped forward. The sled was pulled with a creaking sound, slowly sliding forward under his guidance. After stumbling a few steps, he felt the wild grass slipping beneath his feet. Looking down, he noticed a streak of blood on the green grass, slanting upward, pointing far away into the dense forest.
"You little brat, what kind of trick are you playing!" Li Xu shouted angrily, rushing forward a few steps to a large tree with a trunk thick enough to embrace. He leaned against the tree trunk, using his knife to guard his neck, and suddenly turned around. Contrary to his expectations, the wolf did not sneak up behind him as the legends suggested, attacking the moment he turned his head. In the vast forest, there was nothing but the shadows cast by the setting sun. The sound of autumn cicadas could be heard intermittently among the branches, mixed with his own heavy breathing. In the vast forest, there was nothing but the shadows cast by the setting sun. The sound of autumn cicadas could be heard intermittently among the branches, mixed with his own heavy breathing.
The stones echoed in the cave, yet no wild beasts were startled out. Li Xu squatted at the cave entrance for a moment, unable to hear any heavy breathing from within. Gathering his resolve, he mustered his courage and ventured inside.
At this moment, Li Xu could no longer afford to aim; he drew an arrow and released it immediately. As soon as the arrow left his hand, he discarded the bow and pulled out a short knife for self-defense from his waist, swinging it wildly with his eyes closed. After a while of flailing, he felt no pain in his body and heard no sound from the wild wolf. His heart, which was about to leap out of his throat, gradually calmed down. Gathering his courage, he secretly opened his eyes a small slit and vaguely saw a long streak of blood on the ground. The wild wolf, the size of a donkey, had long since vanished without a trace.
Could it be that in my panic I shot that arrow and injured that beast? Li Xu thought in astonishment. As curiosity arose, he immediately regained some strength. With his courage bolstered, he greedily set his sights on the wild wolf.
It turned out that the beast resented me for stealing its food, no wonder it came after me with such ferocity! Li Xu finally understood why, right after he shot down the roe deer, a fierce wolf appeared. Reflecting on the life-and-death danger he had just faced, his heart continued to race. The mountain wind blew past, causing every pore on his body to tighten involuntarily. When he reached out to touch himself, he realized that his clothes had long been soaked with cold sweat, clinging damply to his body
The wild roe deer in the mountains is often referred to as foolish; although it runs quickly, it rarely makes sharp turns. It was also a stroke of luck for Li Xu, as the arrow shot with a whoosh, striking precisely beneath the deer's lower back and penetrating deep into its chest and abdomen
In the Shanggu region, the local populace is a mix of Hu and Han, characterized by a robust and fierce culture. At this moment, peace has not long been established in the realm, and prominent families still maintain the tradition of having the young members of their clans learn swordsmanship and archery. They hope that if any young man from the clan achieves some renown in military service or through scholarly pursuits, the entire family's influence will consequently soar. Even if the youths do not have the opportunity to gain fame on the battlefield, when bandits come to plunder, the elders of the clan can organize them to protect their homeland.
Beasts shed their fur in the spring and autumn seasons, with one season for losing down and the other for growing it back. Therefore, the fur of wild animals is most valuable in autumn; a large wolf pelt could be worth as much as 2 stones of wheat. Imagining his mother's smiling face upon bringing the wolf pelt home, Li Xu's courage grew even bolder. He gathered some branches to cover the roe deer and, with his short knife held upside down for protection, followed the blood trail.
Li Xu could hardly believe that his wild flailing with the knife had actually scared off a fierce wolf. He turned around several times with the knife in hand, and only when he stepped on the corner bow on the ground did he truly believe that he had turned danger into safety. He spat contemptuously at the corner bow that had caused him trouble and raised his foot, intending to kick it to pieces. Just as he lifted his leg, he smiled and slowly lowered his foot again
Just as he bent down to drag the front leg of the roe deer, a sudden chill ran through his heart. Li Xu hurriedly looked up and saw a wolf, the size of a donkey, slowly emerging from the woods, its greenish eyes fixed intently on him
Could it be that the vile beast anticipated my inability to carry the prey down the mountain, which is why it chose not to compete with me? Li Xu silently lamented in his heart; being deep in the mountains, it was utterly impossible to expect anyone to come to his aid. After pondering for a moment, he suddenly had a clever idea. He chopped off a few branches and vines to make a sled. He rolled the carcass of the roe deer onto the sled bit by bit, securing one end of the vines to the sled and resting the other end on his shoulder
Such a great opportunity, how could Li Xu let it slip away? All the fatigue in his body vanished instantly. He took out an arrow and pulled the bowstring back fully in one motion. With a release of his fingers, the feathered arrow shot towards the roe deer like a meteor.
Bang, bang, bang! Li Xu heard his heartbeat echoing in the cave, his throat felt as if it were on fire, an indescribable thirst overwhelming him. Gathering his courage to move forward once more, he discovered that the wild wolf's eyes had long since lost their luster. Beneath its forelegs, a small head was desperately sucking the last remnants of milk.
Ah! Li Xu shouted in fright, quickly straightening his body and nocking an arrow. Although he came from a humble background, he was still considered a well-bred young man, usually well cared for and with little experience hunting alone in the mountains. He had never even heard of such a large wolf, let alone encountered one face to face.
As the sun was about to set, Li Xu dared not delay any longer. He walked up to the roe deer, attempting to lift it onto his shoulder. His arms shook for a moment, then fell weakly to his sides. His entire body felt sore and limp, and he found himself unable to muster even a fraction of strength.
Li Xu's archery skills are considered unparalleled among the members of his clan. Although he does not possess the legendary ability to hit a target from a hundred paces, he is somewhat confident in hitting seven out of ten shots within fifty paces. Occasionally, he has even experienced the miracle of hitting a hare from one hundred and fifty paces away. However, today his luck is truly poor; after shooting over twenty arrows, retrieving them for repeated use, and nearly losing their fletching, he has not managed to hit a single living creature. The 'precious bow' in his hand, valued at three taels of silver according to his aunt, is extremely difficult to draw. Not only is it hard to pull fully, but the bow arms also tremble slightly, causing the arrows, which he has painstakingly aimed, to veer off course. After shooting for half a day, Li Xu, who usually has some physical strength, finds his arms weak and his fingers raw. If it were not for his reluctance to part with this bow worth several thousand wen, he would have long since unstrung it, tossed it aside, and smashed the bow against a rock to use as firewood.
Seeing only one injured wild wolf, Li Xu became bolder and approached with a knife, intending to "skin it and take its life." Before he could get close, a low moan suddenly reached his ears, and the wolf's front limbs began to move.
As the sun began to set behind the treetops, Li Xu could only walk down the mountain with his head hung low. The Daqingshan Mountain range stretches for hundreds of miles, and after dark, wild beasts often roam. He dared not delay too long while hunting alone in the mountains. Just as he was walking, he suddenly heard rustling sounds coming from the bushes. Looking up, he saw a plump roe deer rushing away from about thirty steps to his left front.
The cave is not deep, and its entrance faces west. At this moment, the fading light of the setting sun happens to shine in, casting a faint glow on a gray-black wild wolf. The wolf has a long arrow embedded in its belly, its body a dark red color. The feathers at the tail of the arrow have long been worn down, clearly the one shot by Li Xu in a moment of panic. It is lamentable that this wretched creature possesses such tenacity for life; despite sustaining such a severe injury, it still manages to crawl back to its cave.
Looking back at the roe deer, it was already thoroughly dead. Blood had oozed from the arrow wound in its belly, darkened and spread across the ground in a large pool. Upon closer inspection, he noticed a massive wound on the deer’s hind leg, deep enough to see the bone, clearly inflicted by that vicious wolf. Even if Li Xu had not shot it with an arrow, it would not be long before it bled to death.