Chapter 14: The Hunting Party

Early the next morning, Yun Qing slung her linen bag over her back, fastened a dagger at her waist, and waited for the hunting party at the gathering point in the village square.

In the square, as always, team leaders were registering those leaving and returning to the village. Yun Qing still didn't fully understand why Ye Family Village required daily check-ins for going out and coming back. She had asked before, but everyone simply said it was for convenience.

Convenience was not something Yun Qing had witnessed; perhaps it was for safety, to prevent outsiders from slipping into the village unnoticed.

Ye Xiaolang arrived early as usual. Before they even set out, he took on the role of her instructor: "Hunting is different from slaughtering poultry or livestock. Different prey require different approaches. Bringing you along today, you should observe closely—how much you can learn depends on your own understanding."

"What kinds of wild beasts do we usually encounter?" Yun Qing wanted to gauge the creatures’ levels through Ye Xiaolang’s descriptions, so she could plan her own advancement.

"There are rabbits, mountain goats, wild boars, wild cattle, snakes, wolves, tigers, brown bears, and dozens more. The farther from the village, the more likely you are to encounter them. Large carnivores rarely appear near the village, since the guards frequently clear them out."

Yun Qing nodded. That made sense; after all, this wasn’t a game where only rabbits would appear in one zone and only wolves in another.

As a newcomer to the hunting party, Yun Qing hadn’t been assigned any specific responsibilities yet. The group wanted to see if she could handle the intensity of the hunt and assess her reflexes.

"Today, you’re in luck. We’re heading somewhere not dangerous, and we’ll be back by afternoon."

That truly was fortunate—she could still visit the smithy to gain some crafting experience.

As they conversed, the hunting party gathered in full—eight people, including Yun Qing: five men and three women. Ye Xiaolang introduced everyone.

The group leader was Ye Mao, also the captain of the seventh team, a man around thirty. His steady stride revealed him as an experienced hunter.

Most striking was Wenjing Ye. True to her name, she exuded a quiet, gentle air; her smile never exposed her teeth, her steps were light, her voice soft. Even the bow and dagger she carried were adorned with beautiful patterns.

Yun Qing thought to herself, “I wonder how she graduated from the slaughterhouse.”

As if reading her mind, a boy of about fourteen or fifteen murmured with admiration, “Sister Wenjing just returned from martial arts training in the county.”

Ye Mingyu, despite his youth, had well-developed muscles on his arms. Like Yun Qing, he was an odd-job worker for the hunting party and had been with the team for some time.

Training in the county surpassed the town-level training Master Li had mentioned—it was a tier higher, likely reaching the Postnatal Realm. She certainly hadn’t slaughtered pigs in the abattoir. Yun Qing raised her brow inwardly; gold and silver were always valuable.

The other female hunter was Aunt Six Ye from the relief station—the very woman who had given Yun Qing food when she first arrived at Ye Family Village. Now, Aunt Six had traded her kitchen knife for a bow and long blade, and her presence was entirely different.

There were also two men in their twenties, the honest-looking brothers Ye Hai and Ye Tao, who flanked Wenjing Ye like bodyguards.

Yun Qing couldn’t discern the levels of any of them, not even Ye Mingyu’s. They were all at least level 21.

They set off!

About ten kilometers from the village, Captain Ye Mao spoke: "Today we’re only going to the edge of the Poisonous Wheat Fields. Still, everyone must stay alert. We’ll rest here for a bit; the fields aren’t far ahead."

"Alright!"

As they rested and adjusted, a rustling came from the grass. Yun Qing’s eyes lit up—perhaps a rabbit?

Peering through the sparse grass, she spotted the source of the commotion about two meters away—a black snake, roughly the thickness of her forearm, slithering deeper into the brush.

Snake. Level 15.

A snake!

Instinctively, Yun Qing’s heart raced, her skin prickled with goosebumps. Her left hand gripped the dagger at her waist, while her right hand prepared to hurl a large stone from her bag.

This was her first time seeing such a fast-moving snake, and such a large wild one. Its thick, black body, its odd, sinuous movement, its slick, agile form—all conjured visions of being constricted by a snake, making her feel cold and uncomfortable.

“Thwack!” An arrow whistled through the air, striking the snake’s head with precision and sinking into the earth.

The nearly two-meter-long snake thrashed violently in its death throes, flattening the grass around it.

The powerful convulsions and the glistening, scaly body unnerved Yun Qing, who was standing nearby.

Red blood oozed from the arrow wound. As the snake’s health bar drained with each spasm, it soon ceased struggling, its body coiling into a strange shape.

A gentle voice reminded her, “Clean it up.”

Yun Qing glanced back to see Wenjing Ye smiling at her. Judging by the bow in her left hand, she must have been the archer.

That calm, unruffled demeanor—her composure was as if she’d merely picked a sprig of flax. It was clear this wasn’t her first kill; only with countless practice could one remain so at ease. Perhaps martial arts training in the county wasn’t so easy after all.

Yun Qing nodded unconsciously and approached the snake’s corpse.

"Snake corpse—cannot be harvested. Level 15 foraging skill required."

Yun Qing pressed her feet on either side of the snake’s body near the arrow wound. Gritting her teeth and masking her discomfort, she bent down, gripped the arrow with both hands, and adjusted her strength until the crosshair at the snake’s head lined up perfectly. She yanked the bloodied arrow free in one swift, clean motion.

Gazing at the bloodstained arrow, Yun Qing said to Wenjing Ye, "I’ll clean it before returning it to you."

Wenjing nodded, “Alright.”

There was no water here, and the team wouldn’t wait for her to dissect the snake. This was a cobra; its venom glands and gall bladder were valuable for medicine and could be given to Doctor Ye upon return.

Yun Qing plucked a few broad leaves, clenched her teeth, locked her jaw, and, face expressionless, grabbed the snake’s body and tucked it into her pack.

She showed no emotion outwardly, but inside she was screaming. She didn’t want to pick up the snake, and even less to carry it in her bag. It felt like a thorn in her back.

She longed to find a hidden spot and weep; she truly had a phobia of snakes.

Yet snakes were among the most common animals in and around the village; she couldn’t afford to be afraid. There would be even more to face in the future.

Ye Mingyu reminded her, “Next time you encounter such a venomous snake at this distance, be careful—it might attack you. It’s best to strike first. Even as odd-jobbers, we are hunters too.”

Yun Qing nodded, “Alright.”

She’d only thought to let the snake go since it was moving away. But if she had another chance, with so many teammates and guaranteed safety, she’d throw her stone. With luck, she might even gain some experience for killing it.

After a short rest, the group pressed on toward the edge of the Poisonous Wheat Fields, just as the captain had said.