Chapter 6: Tracking Technique is Radar, A Midnight Tryst with a Widow
A gentle breeze rustled through the trees, carrying the fragrance of grass and soil to Zhou Chen’s nostrils. He walked along the winding mountain path, feeling on top of the world.
Having a woman at home was truly invigorating. And the best part? No need for any of that nonsense called "love." He could focus entirely on making money while growing stronger.
"I currently have twenty-seven Fengyue Points. Mastering Archery requires eighty, while getting Tracking to the introductory level requires forty..."
Zhou Chen glanced at his personal status panel with a fraction of his consciousness: "I wonder if it needs to be maxed out to take effect, or if each point adds a bit of progress?"
He decided to test it. But should he invest in Archery or Tracking?
"I have the Thunder Light Ruyi Hand, which provides a massive boost to my Archery. At the introductory level, my archery is already comparable to mastery—anything within my sight is a guaranteed hit."
"Even if I raise my Archery to the mastery level, the hunting results will be the same as they are now. What I need most isn't more archery skill, but Tracking Technique..."
Zhou Chen quickly made up his mind.
Tracking Technique was essentially a radar. It would not only allow him to track prey more effectively for a bigger haul but also help him detect danger in advance, ensuring his safety. If he were to be ambushed by a tiger, his archery skill level wouldn't matter much; he’d likely only get one shot off before the beast was on top of him, if he even had time to shoot at all.
But with a strong Tracking Technique, it would be different. He could detect the lurking tiger or other threats beforehand and choose to counter-ambush or take a detour. In short, Tracking was radar and intelligence. Without radar and intel, he was just a blind man groping in the dark. Unless his archery reached the level of piercing through anything, it was nowhere near as useful as Tracking. Besides, higher-level archery was useless to him right now. What difference did it make if he hit a target at one hundred paces or one hundred and fifty? He had no need to hunt anything that far away.
"Tracking Technique, add points!"
Zhou Chen poured all twenty-seven Fengyue Points into it. A mysterious sensation washed over him. He felt as if he had been transported into a deep forest, living and learning there, interacting with all sorts of flora and fauna, studying their habits, and perceiving their scents and trails.
Day after day. His eyes grew sharper. His ears grew more sensitive. His sense of smell became acute. His tongue became more agile and sensitive, able to distinguish subtle differences...
"Tracking Technique has improved quite a bit. It seems each point adds value. It's a shame I'm still thirteen points short of reaching the introductory level." Zhou Chen sighed slightly and used his enhanced tracking skills to hunt.
He twitched his nose and quickly caught the scent of prey. Moving quietly, he found some wolf droppings. Based on their freshness, he knew they had been left last night. "No signs of other wolves nearby; it must be a lone wolf."
Zhou Chen tracked the beast's trail rapidly. He encountered other prey along the way and didn't hold back. Though he lacked a formal cultivation method, he could use food to build up his physical strength at this stage. Especially with his Thunder Light Ruyi Hand, which he could use for self-massage to aid digestion and strengthen his body. He was only eighteen, and his physical functions hadn't reached their peak yet.
"Another little spicy strip!" Zhou Chen flicked his finger, and a pebble shot out, shattering the head of a small green snake coiled on a branch.
Although his Tracking hadn't reached the introductory level yet, he was close. His senses were sharp, and he could see through the dangers around him clearly. "This Tracking Technique is truly powerful. I must max it out as soon as possible to equip myself with a super radar. Then, I won't have to fear ambushes from wild beasts or snakes."
Zhou Chen decided to head back early and put in some "effort" with Qin Hongyu, hoping to reach the introductory level of Tracking by tomorrow.
An hour later, Zhou Chen had harvested four wild rabbits, two pheasants, and various smaller prey.
"The lone wolf should be just ahead." Zhou Chen drew his bow, nocking an arrow, and moved forward with cautious, searching steps.
Finally, he saw the lone wolf resting under a large tree. The beast sensed his presence and suddenly sprang up, but an arrow hissed through the air, piercing its brow.
"Roar!" The lone wolf wailed, struggling to stand before collapsing, its limbs kicking as its body twitched. It didn't die instantly even with an arrow through its brain, but death came quickly enough.
Zhou Chen approached with a grin and picked up the carcass. "Hunting for today is officially done!"
Carrying his heavy load of game, Zhou Chen felt light and happy, walking with a spring in his step. On the way back, he even picked some wild vegetables.
"Yo, did Little Chen bag a wolf today?"
"Little Chen is getting more impressive by the day!"
"A direct hit to the center of the brow—Little Chen's archery is no match for even Old Man Cao. Truly, the pupil has surpassed the master!"
Seeing the wolf and the bounty of game, the villagers looked at Zhou Chen with newfound respect. Strength was always respected, no matter where you were.
"Look at you! You can't even bag two rabbits in three days. You're useless!" a woman complained to her husband.
"Hunting is mostly luck. Little Chen must have just gotten lucky. He never caught anything before; I reckon it's his wife who brings him good fortune!"
"What did you say? Are you saying marrying me was your bad luck?"
"No! That's not what I meant!"
"Then what do you mean?"
Zhou Chen ignored the gossip and returned home with his catch.
Qin Hongyu, who had been keeping an eye out, spotted him immediately and hurried out, reaching up to help him take the basket off his back.
"Wow, Brother Chen, you even bagged a wolf, and so many rabbits and pheasants..." Qin Hongyu's beautiful eyes lit up. In these times, just having enough to eat was hard; having meat was a luxury. "Brother Chen, you’re so amazing. Marrying you was truly the greatest blessing of my life!"
She hugged his arm and shook it, her "magnificent assets" pressing against him. Zhou Chen set aside his bow, arrows, and hatchet, wrapped his arms around her slender waist, lifted her up, and spun her around twice before leaning down to capture her cherry-red lips in a deep, lingering kiss.
[Fengyue Point +1]
A long time later, Qin Hongyu was breathless, and Zhou Chen finally let her go. Her eyes were swimming with affection, her legs feeling like jelly.
"You're terrible!" she blushed, hurriedly smoothing her clothes and skirt, shooting him a coquettish glare. "Always up to no good the moment you get back!"
"Who told you to be so beautiful, Hongyu? I just can't help myself!" Zhou Chen chuckled. These words would have been considered cheesy in his past life, but Qin Hongyu blushed furiously, her heart drumming like a drum, feeling incredibly sweet.
"Go wash up and eat!" she glanced at him, turned, and swayed her full, perfect hips as she walked into the kitchen. The perfection of those hips was, of course, thanks to Zhou Chen's Thunder Light Ruyi Hand.
"Now that you mention it, I am starving!" Zhou Chen went to the washstand by the side. There was a basin of clean water that Qin Hongyu had prepared for him. He dipped his fingers in, washed his hands, and splashed some cold water on his face. "Refreshing!"
After hanging up the towel, he felt invigorated. The faint, savory aroma of meat drifted into his nose. Qin Hongyu brought the meal to the table and served him a large, overflowing bowl of white rice.
Zhou Chen sat down and started eating heartily. Having hunted since early morning and now with it being around five in the afternoon, he was indeed famished.
"Brother Chen, it seems my father is secretly seeing Widow Chen. I heard he snuck over to her house last night!" Qin Hongyu mentioned the news she'd heard today. "I went back to check, and he didn't return home until noon today!"
"Your father is a man, too. It's normal for him to want a woman. Besides, Widow Chen doesn't have a husband, so it's not a big deal," Zhou Chen said casually.
"Actually, if my father really is with Widow Chen, I think that’s fine," Qin Hongyu nodded. Her mother had passed away two years ago.
"Hmm."
Between their casual chat, Zhou Chen polished off three large bowls of rice and finally felt full. Qin Hongyu began to clear the dishes. Watching her beautiful figure, the well-fed Zhou Chen felt his mind wandering.
"Don't cause trouble, let me finish cleaning up first!" Qin Hongyu glared at him, chiding him playfully.
"What's the point of cleaning? It can wait until tomorrow!" Zhou Chen scooped her up behind the knees and, ignoring her shy protests, strode into the bedroom.
...
The sun dipped below the horizon, and the moon rose. The night was still, and all was quiet.
Old Man Qin set out in the middle of the night, his heart racing with excitement, as he quietly made his way to Widow Chen's house.
"Little Chen, I'm here. Open up!" he whispered toward the house, full of anticipation. But after a long wait, there was no movement.
"What's going on? Is she not home?" Old Man Qin wondered to himself, "Where would she be this late at night? Did she run off to mess around with some other wild man?"
"Old Qin, I'm over here!"
Under a large tree, Widow Chen waved him over.
"Little Chen, why are you out here?" He hurried over, excitedly grabbing her pale, ice-cold hands.
"Old Qin, I found a wonderful place. Follow me!" She pulled him toward the back mountain.
"What kind of place?" He frowned, feeling uneasy. "It's not safe in the back mountain at night; there are often wild beasts!"
"Don't worry, it's not far. There's a great treasure there!" She shook his arm, adding, "Do you really think I'd harm you? Don't you want to... you know?"
"Alright, alright, we'll go then!"
Though he agreed, Old Man Qin had already decided: if it was too far, he was turning back. Women were a pleasure, but his life was worth more.