Too many female prisoners, a special forces soldier transmigrates and marries wildly.

The day after returning from the county town, Lin Feng began to implement the next step in his plan: to reclaim the land that had been seized. However, he did not go directly to their homes, but instead chose a more roundabout and intimidating approach.

At dawn, he handed two dried wild rabbits to Liu Yun and instructed her, "Go to the village head's house and tell him that I gave them to him. Don't say anything more, just deliver them and come back."

Liu Yun was somewhat puzzled and uneasy. The village head, Lin Youfu, was clearly not a kind person; would giving him these things be of any use? But looking at Lin Feng's calm yet unwavering gaze, she still accepted the gifts, carefully wrapped them up, and left.

Shi Xiu hesitated for a moment, but ultimately said nothing. A Yue remained silent as always, only pausing slightly as she wiped the new wood-chopping knife (which Lin Feng had bought from the county town).

Liu Yun returned shortly after leaving, her face pale. "Husband, the things have been delivered. The village head's wife received them; the village head isn't home. His wife... her attitude was alright; she accepted the things and said a few polite words, but the look in her eyes... it just made me uncomfortable."

Lin Feng nodded, as expected.

"Okay. Go help Shi Xiu till the land."

He did not explain his intentions. Giving gifts was not to curry favor, but to declare—to declare that he, Lin Feng, had returned and had the ability to acquire these "mountain goods," which were quite precious in the countryside.

This was a subtle display of strength, and also a test to see how the village head's family would react.

In the afternoon, Lin Feng took A Yue into the mountains again. This time, their goal was clear: to find larger, more valuable prey, or some rare mountain goods, to increase their bargaining power for possible future "trades" or "deterrence".

After venturing several miles into the mountains, Lin Feng discovered something unusual beneath a shady rock face. Several inconspicuous vines grew on the rock face, but the soil beneath them showed signs of being disturbed, and a faint, musky, yet more refreshing scent lingered in the air.

"These are traces of 'rock musk deer,' and they're fresh." Lin Feng squatted down and carefully examined the claw marks and droppings on the muddy ground.

"This thing is very alert, fast, and good at climbing," Lin Feng whispered. "We can't chase it head-on; we have to set an ambush."

He chose a narrow crevice above a rocky crevic where the musk deer might pass, and set up a rope trap with a cleverly designed trigger mechanism, made of extremely tough vines and sharp wooden spikes. He also set up several improved, more sensitive trigger lassos in the vicinity in several possible escape directions.

After setting up the ambush, the two retreated to a concealed spot downwind and waited quietly.

Waiting is tedious and tests one's patience. The sun gradually sets, and the light in the mountains and forests becomes dim.

A very faint rustling sound came from the direction of the distant rock wall.

Rock musk deer! A-Yue held her breath.

The small beast was extremely cautious, moving slowly and stopping frequently, constantly sniffing its surroundings. It seemed to have sensed something unusual, stopping a few steps away from the rope trap, pricking up its ears, and hesitating.

The rock musk deer hesitated for a long time, seemingly feeling there was no danger, before finally stepping forward...

A sudden change has occurred!

From the bushes to the side, a dark shadow suddenly darted out, moving with lightning speed, and pounced on the musk deer! It was a large lynx that had been lying in wait! This beast had obviously been lying in wait for the musk deer, and now that its prey was about to escape, it immediately launched its attack!

Startled, the musk deer let out a short, sharp cry. Instead of fleeing forward, it inexplicably leaped to the side and rear, narrowly avoiding the lynx's attack. And... by sheer coincidence, it stepped into a lasso that Lin Feng had set up to its side and rear!

"Click!" The mechanism clicked softly, and the vine snare tightened instantly, firmly locking one of the rock musk deer's hind legs!

The lynx missed its target and, without hesitation, turned and pounced on the snareed musk deer again!

Just as the sharp claws were about to strike the musk deer's throat—

"Whoosh!"

An arrow, like the sigh of death, shot out from a concealed side, piercing the lynx's exposed soft side during its pounce with perfect accuracy. It passed right through the lynx's body, its momentum undiminished, and sent it flying diagonally, where it landed with a "thud" on a tree! The lynx let out a piercing scream, struggled twice, and then lay still.

The whole process happened in the blink of an eye.

Lin Feng slowly emerged from his hiding place, the bowstring still trembling slightly. He didn't look at the dead lynx, but instead walked to the still struggling musk deer and crouched down.

When the musk deer saw him, it struggled even more fiercely, its eyes filled with fear.

Lin Feng moved with lightning speed, gently pressing a spot on the back of the musk deer's neck. The musk deer stiffened, then went limp and lost consciousness. This was a simple technique he had learned in his previous life, capable of temporarily stunning small animals without harming their lives—a live musk deer from which fresh musk could be extracted was far more valuable than a dead one.

A-Yue emerged from her hiding place, looking at the unconscious musk deer on the ground and the lynx pinned to the tree, then at Lin Feng's calm face, her heart filled with overwhelming shock. The lynx's sudden attack was so fast she could barely see it, yet Lin Feng's arrow had struck with pinpoint accuracy in the nick of time! His prediction, reaction, and archery skills were simply unbelievable!

"The lynx pelt is also good, take it with you." Lin Feng said simply, and began to remove the noose from the musk deer's legs, and carefully tied its limbs with the thin rope he had brought, taking special care not to squeeze the scent glands under its belly.

A-Yue silently walked over and laboriously removed the lynx carcass that was nailed to the tree.

When they returned to the courtyard carrying the lynx and the rare rock musk deer, the commotion was even greater than when they brought back the wild boar and roe deer. Rock musk deer were something even the village's veteran hunters had rarely seen, let alone captured alive!

Lin Feng didn't delay and immediately began processing the animal. Skinning and butchering the lynx was a given. He carefully placed the musk deer in a makeshift wooden cage, feeding it water and some grass. He needed the musk deer alive, at least until he extracted fresh musk and was certain it could survive or be released.

"Tomorrow, we'll go to the county town again." Lin Feng made his decision, looking at the terrified and uneasy musk deer gradually waking up in its cage. Live musk deer and fresh musk are more valuable than any fur or meat, and they are also the key to opening doors to higher-level connections.

The next day, he took A-Yue and went into the city again.

Instead of going to Yuelai Tower, he used the waist token given to him by Steward Liu to find a small side door in the back alley of the county government office. The guards saw the waist token, and also saw the wooden cage (containing a drowsy musk deer) that A-Yue was carrying behind Lin Feng and the intact lynx skin draped over her shoulder. They dared not delay and quickly went in to report.

A short while later, Steward Liu came out in person. His eyes lit up noticeably when he saw the musk deer in the wooden cage.

"Deputy Squad Leader Lin, what's going on here..." Steward Liu rubbed his hands together, his tone becoming much warmer.

"I managed to find a live musk deer and some lynx pelts in the mountains. I thought they might be useful to Manager Liu, so I came to bother you," Lin Feng said, getting straight to the point.

"A rock musk deer! And it's alive!" Manager Liu approached and examined it closely, his face beaming with joy. "Good stuff! Really good stuff! Deputy Squad Leader Lin is indeed very capable! Quickly, please come inside!"

After ushering Lin Feng and A Yue into a side room in the courtyard, Steward Liu closed the door and lowered his voice: "To be honest, Brother Lin, the county magistrate has recently caught a cold and is feeling weak and feeble, requiring top-quality tonics. This musk from the live rock musk deer is the finest warming and invigorating substance! And this lynx skin would make an excellent mattress!"

Lin Feng smiled slightly: "Then please ask Steward Liu to convey this to Your Excellency, as a small token of my appreciation. I only wish Your Excellency a speedy recovery and that you may bring blessings to the people of Lin Yuan."

Manager Liu beamed with delight upon hearing this. Lin Feng's words were well-chosen, and the delivery was timely.

He thought for a moment and said, "Brother Lin's kindness is appreciated, I will certainly convey it. So, I'll set the price for this musk deer and lynx pelt at... eight strings of cash! Also, if Brother Lin ever has any more of these fine mountain goods in the future, or needs my help in any other way, please don't hesitate to ask!"

Eight strings of cash! This far exceeded Lin Feng's expectations.

More importantly, Manager Liu's attitude clearly indicated that he regarded him as "one of his own" who was worth getting along with in the long term.

"Then thank you very much, Manager Liu." Lin Feng cupped his hands in thanks, without declining. He knew that sometimes accepting someone's offer and goodwill was also a sign of trust.

After the transaction was completed, Steward Liu personally escorted Lin Feng out the side gate, his attitude even more cordial than last time. "Brother Lin, come again often! By the way, Captain Li from the city defense battalion might be coming to the yamen in a couple of days. Captain Li is a generous man who enjoys archery and horsemanship; I'll introduce you to him then."

"I couldn't ask for more, thank you for your trouble, Manager Liu." Lin Feng's heart stirred. The captain of the city defense battalion was a powerful figure. If he could befriend him, there would be many benefits.

Carrying the heavy eight strings of cash, Lin Feng did not leave the county town immediately. He and A Yue went to Zhang's blacksmith shop again.

Zhang Tie was sweating profusely in front of the furnace when he saw Lin Feng. He nodded and pointed to a pile of things covered with an oilcloth in the corner. "The goods you requested are almost ready. Sixty arrowheads have been made, according to your design, using top-quality refined iron, and the quenching is done properly. The hand axe and machete are also finished, and the wood-cutter's knife has been reforged with steel. I guarantee you'll be satisfied. Come and take a look."

Lin Feng walked over and lifted the tarpaulin. Fifty triangular armor-piercing arrowheads (Zhang Tie had made ten more) were neatly stacked, gleaming coldly, with distinct edges and even weight distribution. The hand axes were short and powerful, their blades gleaming with a bluish-black light, their backs thick and heavy, suitable for chopping and smashing. The machetes had wide, thick blades, thick backs and thin edges, powerful and heavy, suitable for chopping hard objects. The reforged woodcutter's knife hadn't changed much in style, but the material was clearly different; the blade gleamed coldly, and the handle had been replaced with a more comfortable hardwood.

"Excellent craftsmanship!" Lin Feng praised sincerely. Zhang Tie's skills were even better than he had expected.

"The rest of the money." Lin Feng settled the final payment and gave Zhang Tie an extra 500 coins. "Master Zhang's skills are superb; this is a token of my gratitude. I may need Master Zhang's help in the future."

Zhang Tie didn't refuse, took the money, and a smile appeared on his dark face: "Sir, you're very generous. If you need anything in the future, feel free to come."

After leaving the blacksmith's shop, Lin Feng purchased another batch of grain, cloth, salt, iron, and other supplies, and hired a cart to transport them back.

When the fully loaded donkey cart drove into Xiahe Village again, it attracted even more attention than before. The villagers looked at the obviously valuable goods on the cart, at Lin Feng's calm face and A Yue's silent yet upright figure, their whispers filled with more awe and curiosity.

Village head Lin Youfu naturally heard the rumors too. When he learned that Lin Feng had not only sold his mountain produce but also gotten in touch with Steward Liu of the county government, and might even know people from the city defense battalion, he sat in his main room, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty. He could have dismissed the wild rabbits Lin Feng had sent earlier as a gesture of goodwill or a test. But now, it seemed this orphan, whom he had once easily manipulated and sent to fill a military household position, was truly different. Not only could he hunt and repair houses, but he also seemed to have connections in the county town. Those few acres of meager land… were becoming a bit of a hot potato.

At night, the aroma of stewed lynx meat wafted through the courtyard. At the dinner table, Shi Xiu and Liu Yun looked at the increasingly full grain bins, cloth, and silver in their home, their faces beaming with undisguised joy and contentment. A Yue ate her meal silently, her gaze occasionally sweeping over the pile of newly forged, gleaming arrowheads in the corner, then at Lin Feng's calm profile, lost in thought.

It was late at night.

Lin Feng lay on a straw mat, his arms as a pillow, gazing at the roof that had been repaired and was no longer drafty.

The musk deer and lynx were an unexpected bonus, and they accelerated his plans. With Steward Liu's connection firmly established, Captain Li of the city defense battalion might be a new breakthrough. Basic necessities at home were temporarily secured, and the women were gradually settling down.

So, the next step is to completely solve the land problem.

There was no time to delay. With limited leave, he had to clear away the biggest potential obstacle for his family and lay a relatively solid foundation before returning to the military camp.