"When?"
Wild Dog was stunned. Zhou Chen had snatched his blade right from under his nose without him even noticing. If Zhou Chen hadn't just taken his weapon, but had slashed him instead, wouldn't he have been dead before he even realized what happened?
"Do you want me to let a little blood for you both?"
Zhou Chen’s lips curled slightly as he tapped the blade against the faces of Wild Dog and Er Mazi. The cold steel felt stinging against their cheeks. The two were terrified, yet they dared not make a move.
"Brother Chen, it's a misunderstanding!"
"A complete misunderstanding!"
Er Mazi squeezed a miserable, fawning smile onto his face. His entire arm was still numb, and he dared not lift a finger against Zhou Chen—especially since his blade was now in the other man’s hand.
"Brother Chen, we just heard you got married and came here specifically to offer our congratulations!"
As he spoke, Wild Dog, heart aching, fished a silver coin from his tunic and held it out respectfully. He knew Zhou Chen might not dare to kill him, but beating them up or bleeding them a little was certainly within the realm of possibility.
"Oh, so it's congratulations? Why didn't you say so earlier!"
Zhou Chen took the silver offhandedly and fixed his gaze on Er Mazi.
"That spineless cur, Wild Dog!" Er Mazi cursed inwardly, but, bowing to the situation, he pulled out his own silver coin, his heart aching with every cent.
"You’d best not be seen hanging around my house, or I’ll break your legs!"
With that, Zhou Chen stepped past them and walked away. After a few paces, he paused.
"Wild Dog, your blade. Here."
Wild Dog turned his head just in time to see a streak of cold light whistle past his nose. With a sharp metallic ring, the knife buried itself into a tree five yards away, vibrating rhythmically.
Wild Dog’s legs trembled, and he subconsciously touched his nose.
"Thank god! It's still there!"
While relieved, he felt a cold chill run through his soul. Only when Zhou Chen had completely disappeared from view did the two finally regain their senses and approach the tree. When they saw the knife, their pupils contracted and their spirits shivered: the tip of the blade had pinned a cicada to the bark.
"Hiss!"
They weren't naive enough to believe this was a coincidence. This was a clear warning from Zhou Chen. If they didn't learn to behave, that cicada would be their fate.
"Zhou... Brother Chen, how is he so formidable?"
"I heard Old Man Cao had some kung fu skills. It seems Brother Chen inherited his true mantle—the student has surpassed the master!"
The two exchanged a glance and mentally marked Zhou Chen as someone never to be trifled with.
Meanwhile, Zhou Chen was fiddling with Er Mazi's short blade, feeling quite pleased. "Thunder Light Ruyi Hand is truly impressive!"
He looked at his own hands. As a hunter, he had always known how to throw things, but his accuracy had been mediocre. Today, however, he had struck a cicada on a tree five yards away with a casual flick. That was the power of the Thunder Light Ruyi Hand. And this was merely its basic application; its other functions remained to be explored.
With the aid of the Thunder Light Ruyi Hand, he could easily floor dozens of men in close-quarters combat without even needing a weapon. One grab, and his opponent would go numb and lose all ability to fight. And he was so fast that no one could get close to him. At range, he had his archery, and with his increased hand speed, he could loose arrows faster than ever.
"With my current strength, as long as I don't run into martial artists or supernatural horrors, I’m safe. But this world is far from peaceful; I still need to find a way to acquire actual martial arts..."
As a transmigrator with a cheat code, Zhou Chen naturally wanted to see the scenery from the mountain peaks. Besides, only power would allow him to live a better life. He opened his personal interface.
He had sixty-nine Fengyue Points, which he could use to upgrade his skills. He suspected that engaging in matters of romance or charm would earn him more. Skills were categorized into seven levels: Novice, Proficient, Mastery, Minor Achievement, Major Achievement, Perfection, and Transcendent. His best skill, Archery, was only at Proficient (15/20), though it wasn't far from Mastery.
"Archery, upgrade!"
Zhou Chen’s intent shifted, and five Fengyue Points were applied to his Archery. The skill column changed instantly: Archery (Mastery 0/40).
A profound, mystical sensation washed over him. His consciousness seemed to be transported to a forest, where he practiced archery day after day, his mind empty of distractions, sweat pouring down his brow. His skills improved incrementally over time until he finally reached Mastery.
Zhou Chen snapped back to reality, realizing only a split second had passed. When he gripped his bow, an incomparable sense of familiarity flooded his mind, as if he had practiced for another two and a half years. Even his body and arms felt significantly stronger!
"Excellent!" Zhou Chen’s lips curled into a satisfied smile. Upgrading didn't seem to drain him; instead, it enhanced his physical vitality. "It seems Fengyue Points are essentially pure energy. Sixty-four points left!"
He continued to pour forty points into Archery: Archery (Minor Achievement 0/80). Then, he added fifteen points to Tracking: Tracking (Mastery 0/40).
The familiar sensation returned. His understanding of archery deepened, and his arms grew even stronger. With a Minor Achievement in Archery combined with the Thunder Light Ruyi Hand, he felt his skill was on par with someone who had reached Perfection. He could split a willow leaf from a hundred paces—perhaps not hitting the mark every single time, but coming remarkably close. The mastery in tracking made his five senses—sight, smell, and hearing—sharper than ever, allowing him to discern the tracks of prey from the most subtle traces.
He checked his panel again.
【Fengyue Mirror】
【Owner: Zhou Chen】
【Martial Arts: None】
【Realm: None】
【Supernatural Power: Thunder Light Ruyi Hand】
【Skills: Archery (Minor Achievement 0/80), Tracking (Mastery 0/40), Trapping (Proficient 2/20), Throwing (Proficient 8/20), Fishing (Novice 6/10)...】
【Fengyue Points: 9】
"With my current strength, catching game shouldn't be difficult!" Zhou Chen was in high spirits, brimming with ambition. "Once all my skills reach their peak, I’ll go hunt that fierce tiger and avenge Old Man Cao!"
Carrying his bow, Zhou Chen headed back into the mountains. Along the way, he remained alert; he wouldn't let his newfound power make him careless.
Suddenly, he spotted a bamboo snake hidden among the branches, perfectly camouflaged. It was coiled, ready to ambush prey. Zhou Chen reached out in a flash of lightning, grabbed the snake by its neck, and gave it a shake. The snake went limp, hanging listlessly from his hand—it had been completely numbed.
"Thunder Light Ruyi Hand is incredibly useful!"
He tossed the limp snake aside and continued his hunt.
*Cluck! Cluck!*
Moments later, a pheasant screeched and took flight. Zhou Chen drew his bow and released the string. The arrow tore through the air and struck the bird's wing with precision, bringing it down.
Pheasant +1.
Next came:
Hare +1.
Hare +1.
Pheasant +1.
"Two hares, two pheasants..." Zhou Chen looked at his haul with satisfaction, rolling two pebbles in his hand. At a distance of ten yards, he didn't even bother with the bow; he simply threw the pebbles. Especially with hares, whose pelts were valuable, using a stone wouldn't damage the hide. His throwing skill had improved rapidly through practice and was nearing the Mastery level.
"Half an hour more, then I head back." Zhou Chen glanced at the sky. It was past noon, and the sun was scorching. Though it was early, he hadn't eaten lunch, and as a newlywed, he was eager to get home and study how to acquire more Fengyue Points.
*Whoosh!*
A white shadow flashed through the grass nearby with incredible speed. Zhou Chen’s eyes sharpened, and he flicked a pebble out.
*Thwack!*
The stone tore through the grass and struck the prey with a sharp thud, followed by a piercing cry of pain.
"Looks like a fox!"
Zhou Chen strode over, bow in hand, and sure enough, he found a white fox.
"Yip! Yip! Yip!"
Seeing Zhou Chen, the white fox bared its teeth and let out a vicious cry, as if trying to bite him. Zhou Chen reached out and grabbed it by the scruff of the neck, lifting it into the air. The white fox felt a surge of electricity course through it; its whole body went numb, and it lost all strength to struggle.
Fengyue Points +1.
"Huh?" Zhou Chen’s eyes widened. What on earth was this?