“System Panel?”
Chen Xun’s eyes brightened slightly.
He never expected to bind to a System.
In his previous life, he had been an heir to ancient martial arts and one of the successors to Xingyi Fist. Even in this Martial Dao World, surely he could make a name for himself?
Chen Xun didn’t dwell on it and opened the panel.
🟡Chen Xun: 16 years old🟨
🟡Skill: Archery🔵Uninitiated🟦0/10🟨
🟡Cultivation technique: Xingyi Fist🔵Uninitiated🟦0/100🟨
🟡Cultivation: None🟨
🟡Starting Martial Dao Points: 10🟨
With ten Martial Dao Points, he guessed they were either a leftover from his previous life or points his predecessor in this life had saved up.
Though he didn’t know how to accumulate them, he figured he could use them to directly add points to his skills and cultivation techniques.
After a moment’s hesitation, he put them all into Archery.
🟡Archery🔵Initiation🟦0/100🟨
🟡Effects: Tracking +3, Accuracy +2, Strength +1🟨
In an instant, a wealth of information and memories surfaced in his mind.
It felt as if they came naturally to him, as though he had been born with them.
His hunting skills, his aim when drawing a bow, and everything else improved in an instant.
Tracking would let him follow wild beasts. As for the other two, they enhanced his physical abilities.
“This body is in terrible shape, but there’s nothing I can do about that. I’ll make do for now.”
“Once I’ve nursed it back to health, I’ll start cultivating the Martial Dao.”
Without another word, he took the bow in hand and slung the quiver over his shoulder. He looked inside and saw three rusty iron arrows left. That was better than nothing.
He walked straight out.
Outside the door, Chen Rou was pacing. When she saw him come out, she seemed to steel herself and fight back her fear as she spoke. “Big brother... I can work hard and do all the chores at home. Could you please not abandon me? Please don’t sell me...”
Chen Xun sighed inwardly.
“Just make sure you cook at home. When I come back from hunting in the mountains, no one will sell you. I’ll find another way to deal with the money.”
“R-really?”
Chen Rou’s eyes lit up, and she looked at him expectantly, seeking confirmation.
But Chen Xun didn’t give her much time. He quickly left. Time waited for no one. If he couldn’t gather enough money, then even if he didn’t want to sell Chen Rou, the Blood Wolf Gang wouldn’t be so accommodating.
Chen Rou watched Chen Xun’s retreating figure, her gaze growing resolute.
“Since Big Brother says he won’t sell me, I have to do my best.”
Though she didn’t know how much of what Chen Xun said was true, she had no choice but to believe him for now.
“Big Brother seems a little different...”
She pondered this as she hurried to light the fire. Glancing at the rice jar, where only half a scoop of rice remained, she hesitated, then scooped it all out.
......
Dahe Village lay at the foot of a barren mountain called Camel Mountain.
Its two peaks faced one another in the distance, like the humps of a camel.
“Though this barren mountain is poor, it’s the only unclaimed mountain nearby, and large beasts live deep within it.”
He had no other choice.
“Too poor to buy fields, we can barely grow rice; even the lake is now rented out.”
This was no mere saying. Most mountains, rivers, and lakes had been seized by the aristocratic clans. Even fertile mountain ranges and rich peaks no one had heard of were owned by wealthy families, with Mountain Keepers guarding them. Anyone who trespassed could be killed without consequence.
The times were hard, leaving ordinary people no way to live.
That was no exaggeration. They truly were given no way to survive.
Of course, this applied only to the lower classes. The upper classes still wore gold and silver and lived in luxury, while the rich feasted behind vermilion gates and the poor’s bones lay exposed in the wilderness.
“Footprints?”
“A medium-sized beast?”
“I actually found one?”
As soon as he entered the depths of Camel Mountain, he spotted a footprint. It was almost impossible to detect, but his tracking skills were exceptional; the System had boosted them by a full three points.
He could easily tell it belonged to a medium-sized beast.
“It should be a deer.”
He said this with certainty.
He pressed himself against a tree and concealed himself.
His footsteps were extremely light.
He drew a rusty iron arrow from his quiver.
At the same time, he heard a faint sound and immediately moved closer.
The next moment,
he spotted a deer by a pool, just as he had expected.
It was about the size of a calf.
It seemed to be an adult deer, though it hadn’t grown very large. Now, some instinct seemed to warn it of danger.
It anxiously looked around, yet couldn’t bring itself to leave the pool. But when it lowered its head again—
A sharp whistle cut through the air, followed by the twang of a bowstring. By then, it was too late for the deer to flee.
The arrow plunged straight into its spine, robbing it of the strength to stand. Dragging its battered body, it cried out and tried to crawl away, but to no avail.
A second arrow struck, sinking into its neck and leaving it no chance of survival.
Only after all this was done did Chen Xun emerge from behind the tree.
He breathed a sigh of relief as well.
Archery Initiation hadn’t made him able to hit whatever he pointed at, but against such a large target, he could shoot almost as reliably as a seasoned hunter.
What delighted him was this:
On the panel,
Martial Dao Points +3, Archery +2.
At last, he understood how Martial Dao Points were earned.
They could be obtained by killing prey.
Then... what about people?
This was a world where might made right: the strong could soar through the heavens and burrow through the earth, while the weak had lives as worthless as ants.
“Archery can also accumulate experience through proficiency. If so, won’t I be able to improve at an astonishing pace?”
His eyes shone.
He saw a possibility.
In the end, Xingyi Fist would shine in this world, in his hands!
“Deer blood, antlers, and venison are all valuable.”
“But this deer’s hide isn’t in good condition, so it’s probably worth about five taels of silver.”
He fell silent for a moment, but said nothing more.
Five taels of silver was already a considerable sum, enough to cover a family’s corvée fees for half a year.
But it still wasn’t enough!
“I’ll head back first and sell the deer. Then I’ll see if I can raise my Archery to minor mastery today.”
“Or perhaps I can practice Xingyi Fist. If I can improve my strength, I’ll have a better chance of hunting more prey tomorrow.”
Today had only been a small test.
Tomorrow, perhaps he could improve his skills or cultivation technique further!
Then venturing into the mountains would be much easier.
After all, though he had reached Archery Initiation, he still didn’t dare venture into the depths of Camel Mountain.
Large beasts lived there.
And in the barren mountains, the most terrifying thing wasn’t the prey—it was people!
Without another word, Chen Xun bound the deer with vines, covered it with broad leaves, then wrapped it in dead branches.
He disguised it as a bundle of firewood.
Blood was still dripping, but there was nothing he could do except smear yellow clay over the wounds to stop most of it from spilling out.
He arrived at Donglai Restaurant in the county town.
After looking at the sign, he went inside.