"I have at least five hundred jin of brute strength now!"
Zhou Chen raised the ox-horn bow in his hand and drew it with a light pull. The bow bent into a full moon, emitting a faint, strained creaking sound.
"I need to earn some money to buy a better bow."
In truth, this ox-horn bow of his wasn't bad, but that was only by the standards of an ordinary person; for a martial artist, it was insufficient. His chosen discipline was the Yi Archery, which required a high-quality bow to unleash its full potential. Even so, once his archery reached a divine level, he would be able to refine his skills on his own without needing to allocate points. But mastering the Yi Archery required perfect coordination between archer and bow. A fine bow was paramount.
Putting the bow away, Zhou Chen didn't rush to the hills behind the village but instead strolled through the village streets. By this time, the village men had long since begun their daily labor, mostly heading out to fish or attending to other chores.
Soon, Zhou Chen spotted two idlers: Wild Dog and Er Mazi.
"Brother Chen!"
When Zhou Chen caught sight of them, Wild Dog and Er Mazi noticed him as well and hurried forward, nodding and bowing in greeting. The display of skill Zhou Chen had used to discipline them previously was still fresh in their memories.
"I'm planning to hunt a wild boar today. Do you have time to come along and help me carry it back? I'll share some of the meat with you later."
Zhou Chen cut straight to the point without any superfluous talk. Having led Zhang Long and the others into the mountains to track the vicious tiger yesterday, he had discovered the tracks of a wild boar. With his Tracking Technique, he was certain he could find it again.
"Yes! Of course we do!"
"Brother Chen, it's our honor that you’d think of us. Even if we didn't have time, we'd make time!"
Wild Dog and Er Mazi agreed immediately. They had witnessed some of Zhou Chen's capabilities firsthand. If they could really hunt a wild boar and bring it back, it would be a huge boost to their status in the village. Besides, hunting a wild boar was far more exciting than just loafing around the village, and there was meat in it for them, too. Though there might be some risks, they didn't care.
"Good."
Zhou Chen nodded. The two men went back to fetch their gear and then followed Zhou Chen into the mountains.
"Isn't that Brother Chen? Why is he hanging out with those two slackers, Wild Dog and the other one?"
"Looks like they're going hunting. Didn't Brother Chen used to keep to himself?"
"Didn't Brother Chen kill a wolf before? Maybe he found a larger prey and needs help."
Women washing clothes by the stream watched the group with curious and surprised expressions.
Wild Dog, looking excited, asked, "Brother Chen, did you find the wild boar's den?"
"Just about."
Zhou Chen led them into the mountain depths. Suddenly, he raised his hand and released an arrow. Wild Dog and Er Mazi started in surprise and looked ahead, where a gray hare, several dozen paces away, had been struck in the hind leg. The arrow pinned the leg right through to a nearby tree trunk; the hare screamed but could not break free, lying there like meat on a chopping block.
"Brother Chen’s archery is truly divine!"
Wild Dog and Er Mazi immediately showered him with praise. Though they suspected he might have just missed his mark and happened to hit the rabbit's leg, they certainly wouldn't say so. Zhou Chen said nothing. Wild Dog nimbly stepped forward, retrieved the hare and the arrow, tied the rabbit's legs, and placed it in his basket.
In the time that followed, Zhou Chen consecutively struck two more hares and two pheasants. The hares were all hit in the hind legs, and the pheasants in the wings. At this moment, Wild Dog and Er Mazi were completely won over, their eyes full of worship. Zhou Chen's archery was truly miraculous. If he said he would shoot your hind leg, he wouldn't hit the front; if he aimed for your wing, he wouldn't hit your chest. Zhou Chen did the shooting, while Wild Dog and Er Mazi handled the retrieval. Zhou Chen felt quite satisfied.
Half an hour later, he arrived at the spot where he had found the tracks the previous day. Following the scent and signs, he finally tracked down the boars. During the trek, he had also bagged several more small hares and pheasants.
"Brother Chen, there are two… no, it's a whole nest of wild boars!"
Wild Dog looked ahead at the boars, which had spotted them and were eyeing them with hostility. He swallowed hard, his legs turning to jelly. It was a pair of large boars—one male, one female—and seven or eight piglets the size of village dogs. The male boar was massively built, its hide coated in a layer of mud like armor, its two tusks sharp as scimitars. It pawed the ground, staring at the three of them and letting out angry snorts. The female boar huddled the piglets behind her, also glaring at the trio.
"Roar!"
The male boar let out a bellow and launched a fierce charge at Zhou Chen. It hit like a tank, seemingly capable of smashing through anything in its path. Its unstoppable momentum made the legs of Wild Dog and Er Mazi tremble. Only when facing the boar did they realize how terrifying it truly was.
*Whoosh! Whoosh!*
Zhou Chen drew his bow and released two arrows in one fluid motion. They struck instantly, burying themselves deep into the male boar's eyes and piercing its skull.
"Roar!"
The boar shrieked, but momentum carried it forward. The female boar followed closely behind, initiating her own charge. Zhou Chen again released two arrows, which struck her directly in the eyes. Although struck, neither boar died instantly; they crashed to the ground only to scramble back up, struggling. But blinded, they ran only a few steps before slamming into a large tree. Zhou Chen knew they were finished.
Seeing the piglets scattering to flee, Zhou Chen began throwing stones. With the super-fast speed and immense power of his Thunder Light Ruyi Hand, he moved faster than he could with a bow, hurling dozens of stones in an instant. The stones struck the piglets in their legs and skulls. Before they could run more than a few meters, they were all brought down; some were killed instantly, others knocked unconscious. In short, the entire family had been wiped out by Zhou Chen.
Wild Dog and Er Mazi stood with their mouths agape, stunned. This was brutal! His stone-throwing and archery were simply invincible!
"Brother Chen, you’re truly a god! How did you train to get this good?"
Wild Dog and Er Mazi turned their heads stiffly, their eyes burning with fervor. If they could learn these skills, they could walk anywhere in the world with their heads held high.
"Nothing to it. Just practice until you're proficient," Zhou Chen said, maintaining a cool, detached air. "Just shoot a lot."
The two large boars lay on the ground, their bodies twitching. Zhou Chen stepped forward to check on the seven piglets; four were still alive, so he tied their legs and put them in his basket. Wild Dog and Er Mazi came forward to help, but looked at the two large carcasses, troubled.
"Brother Chen, how are we supposed to carry these back?"
"You two just need to carry one." Zhou Chen looked at the boars—the male was about four hundred jin, the female over two hundred. "You two take the female."
Wild Dog and Er Mazi nodded. Even the female boar would be difficult for the two of them to carry, especially on the rugged mountain paths. But what about the male? Before they could ask, Zhou Chen grabbed the hind legs of the male boar and hoisted it directly onto his shoulder.
"Holy shit!"
Wild Dog and Er Mazi dropped their jaws. Was this innate divine strength, or the result of his martial arts?
"Br... Brother Chen, have you mastered some kind of martial art?" Wild Dog swallowed, shocked.
"No, just a bit of extra strength, that's all," Zhou Chen said calmly.
Wild Dog: "..."
Er Mazi: "..."
*That's a bit more than just "a bit"!* They knew Zhou Chen was also carrying the piglets, each of which weighed twenty jin.
"Let's go!" Zhou Chen urged.
"Right!"
The two men hurried to lift the female boar and, carrying the hares and pheasants, followed Zhou Chen. Before long, they were panting, their faces flushed red like dates. They gazed at Zhou Chen's back—straight as a mountain, carrying the massive boar and the piglets—and their awe deepened.
*We absolutely must stick close to Brother Chen!*
Over an hour later, the pair huffed and puffed as they followed Zhou Chen back into the village. As soon as they returned, their hunched backs straightened, their heads tilted up, noses in the air, faces glowing with pride.
"My god, Brother Chen hunted two wild boars!"
With the cry of surprise, many in the village were stirred, running out to see the commotion.
"Mistress Zhou, your husband has caught wild boars!"