Gao Wu Da Ming: Starting as a military household and ascending to the rank of Martial Saint

Time passed slowly as Yu Shaowu practiced relentlessly, and it wasn't until evening that Wan returned from the Shenshan market. In her right hand she carried a small bag of grain, while in her left hand she held a quiver filled with arrows.

Yu Shaowu was somewhat surprised and quickly checked the quiver, finding a full thirty arrows inside. It should be noted that a quiver typically contained only ten arrows, costing at least a string of copper coins.

With half a bolt of cloth, Wan could only buy two jugs at most, not to mention a bag of grain.

He asked with some doubt, "Can half a bolt of cotton cloth buy so many things?"

Madam Wan smiled and said, "Cotton cloth didn't fetch a good price, so I went directly to the blacksmith's shop to exchange it. This millet was also given to me by Old He from the blacksmith's shop. He heard that my husband was going hunting, so he specially gave me some extra arrows."

Upon hearing the name Lao He, Yu Shaowu immediately remembered him. Lao He's family originated from Zhejiang, and his father had served as Yu Dayou's subordinate during the Chaozhou Campaign in the 43rd year of the Jiajing reign.

Later, Lao He's father was exiled to Baode Prefecture for a crime, and he followed him there, working as a blacksmith in the Qianhu Office as a surplus laborer. He has been here for several decades.

Influenced by his father, Lao He has always held his grandfather Yu Dayou in high esteem. Last year, when the original owner was exiled, Lao He even made a special trip to visit him.

At that time, the original owner was resentful and ignored Lao He, having almost no contact with him.

Yu Shaowu knew that although Lao He was highly skilled, he lived a very poor life due to the constant exploitation by the Qianhu garrison. It was quite rare for him to help him to this extent.

However, the help from others is only temporary; one's own strength is the most fundamental thing.

After saying this, Madam Wan's smile faded, and she glanced at Yu Shaowu somewhat awkwardly before saying, "Husband, there's... there's one more thing..."

"What is it?" Yu Shaowu asked.

Madam Wan swallowed hard and said, "I ran into Master Zhang's steward at the market today. He said he wanted to come over to discuss...discuss the matter of selling me."

Yu Shaowu said, "Didn't you tell him I changed my mind and wouldn't sell to you anymore?"

"I did tell him," said Madam Wan. "But he didn't believe me. He said you and Master Zhang had already agreed that the deal was definitely going to happen."

Yu Shaowu shook his head and said, "Don't listen to that steward's nonsense. I haven't reached any agreement with Master Zhang."

Madam Wan finally breathed a long sigh of relief, but then said with some worry, "The steward also said that he would personally come to your door after the summer tax is paid to have a talk with you."

Yu Shaowu fell silent. It seemed that Master Zhang was determined to acquire the Wan family because he felt he couldn't pay the summer tax. This fellow came from a prominent official family, and having him on one's radar was indeed a difficult situation to deal with.

However, for now, we can only take it one step at a time.

He asked in a deep voice, "Has this steward of the Zhang residence been disrespectful to you?"

Madam Wan shook her head and said, "He wasn't rude at all; he just said a few words and left."

"Let's ignore him for now," Yu Shaowu waved his hand and said, "Once we've collected the summer tax and resolved this predicament, this Master Zhang won't dare to forcibly take another man's wife."

In any case, thanks to Wan's half a bolt of cloth and Lao He's generosity, dinner was finally taken care of. Wan cooked a delicious millet porridge, which, although not a delicacy, was much more fragrant than sour rice.

Knowing that Yu Shaowu was going hunting the next day, Madam Wan specially served him extra food, while she herself only ate a tiny bit.

Yu Shaowu did not refuse. Tomorrow was a crucial battle for him. If he could not achieve anything, he would have no choice but to sell the rosewood box first.

However, in this remote and impoverished area, although rosewood is precious, it doesn't sell for much money; it's a losing proposition.

After eating and drinking his fill, Yu Shaowu went to bed early. Although Tumen Mountain was close to human territory and no large beasts had ever appeared there, it was still connected to the Lüliang Mountains. Even the most experienced hunter would not go up the mountain in the middle of the night.

As the night passed and before dawn broke, Yu Shaowu got up early to prepare for his ascent up the mountain.

To his surprise, Wan had gotten up ahead of him and prepared his provisions for the trip up the mountain in advance—a fragrant millet dumpling wrapped in lotus leaves.

After thanking his wife, Yu Shaowu wrapped his bow and arrows in a cloth, carried it on his back, tucked a wood-chopping knife into his waistband, hid the rice balls in his bosom, and set off for Tumen Mountain.

As Wan watched her husband leave, her eyes were filled with both excitement and worry.

Tumen Mountain is about ten miles away from Yaomao Mound where Yu Shaowu is. Yu Shaowu carried his bow and arrows all the way there. It was quiet all around, without a sound.

Baode Prefecture is located in a remote area, spanning 110 li from east to west and 120 li from north to south. Such a large place has a population of only over 7,000, making it a sparsely populated area.

In addition, the heavy taxes in recent years have led to many people, both civilians and military households, fleeing every year, which has further exacerbated the population loss in Baode Prefecture.

Even so, it was still somewhat surprising that we didn't encounter a single person along the way.

After all, this area is located in the extension of the Lüliang Mountains, with abundant forest resources and is relatively safe. On weekdays, there are still some hunters and mountain people active here.

The current quiet situation is somewhat eerie.

The more this was the case, the more serious Yu Shaowu became. The wild beasts of this world were very ferocious; if human activity decreased, the activity of wild beasts would inevitably increase.

He guessed that something must have changed in Tumen Mountain, making the hunters here hesitant to come, and that as a novice, he should be more careful.

As he guessed, when he reached the foot of Tumen Mountain, he indeed saw a wooden board erected by the roadside with a few lines of text written on it: "A pack of wolves has been appearing recently. Merchants and civilians should not go up the mountain and risk their lives."

Having been on tenterhooks the whole way, seeing these few lines of text now made Yu Shaowu consider turning back.

Then I thought again, going up the mountain is death, not going up the mountain is also death. Since I'm waiting to die, I might as well die with some dignity.

With that thought in mind, Yu Shaowu ignored the notice and resolutely headed up the mountain.

However, after entering Tumen Mountain, in order to ensure safety, Yu Shaowu only wandered around the outer foothills.

There are thatched huts left by hunters everywhere, but most of them are dilapidated.

Skilled hunters banded together to hunt wild beasts in the deep mountains, while less skilled hunters could not find much in Tumen Mountain, had no livelihood, and could not afford the heavy taxes, so they fled to become refugees.

This land is gradually becoming unable to support its inhabitants. Following a historical trajectory similar to that of my previous life, the displaced people of the Northwest will soon bring about tremendous changes.

Because hunters hadn't visited for a long time, the wild animals here had gradually increased. In addition, with the system's enhancement, Yu Shaowu possessed eyesight that other hunters didn't have. He had only been searching for less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn when he spotted two plump squirrels hiding behind the leaves of a large, lush tree.

The two squirrels are facing each other on a tree trunk, seemingly preparing for a big battle.

Seeing the two squirrels poised to fight, Yu Shaowu immediately decided to call a truce. He took out his bow and arrows from behind him, bent his knees and lowered his shoulders, drawing the bowstring taut like a full moon.

Immediately, he released his grip, and the long arrow that Old He had made shot out like a flying arrow toward one of the squirrels.

This was Yu Shaowu's first time shooting a live creature. He didn't control his strength well, and the long arrow, accompanied by a whistling sound, pierced straight through the squirrel's body. As the arrow left the squirrel, a cloud of blood mist rose around it.

At the same time, the squirrel that was fighting it was hit by the arrow and seemed to be stunned. It fell straight down with the wounded squirrel and crashed heavily to the ground under the tree.

"Hooray! I won!"

Seeing his masterpiece of killing two birds with one stone, Yu Shaowu couldn't help but smile.