Chapter 15: With No Grain Left, the Whole Village Joins Chu Feng on the Hunt

Two government agents looked at Chu Feng with a playful glint in their eyes.

“Boy, is it true what they say—that you have no grain at all?”

The villagers felt a bit afraid whenever the agents showed up, but Chu Feng was unfazed. Instead, he asked, “Wasn’t the grain supposed to be paid once a month before? Why is it now every half month?”

The villagers had the same question but dared not voice it. After Chu Feng asked, all eyes turned to the agents.

One agent sneered, “Do we owe you an explanation? Just remember, from now on, grain payments are every half month. Fail to pay, and it’s straight to prison!”

“Isn’t that a death sentence for us? The winter wheat was just planted and hasn’t grown yet!”

“Yes, my elderly mother hasn’t eaten, and the children are starving!”

“We can’t possibly pay every half month. You can’t do this to us!”

For the first time, the villagers began to resist, though only with words.

The agent drew a long knife, and immediately the village square fell silent.

“Enough talk. Do you have grain or not? If not, you’re coming with us to jail!”

“We have it! We do! This is the grain from the two families; sir, you can count it.”

The village chief saw the tension rising and intervened. Letting Chu Feng continue would only lead to conflict with the agents. The people could never win against officials—nothing was more important than surviving in peace.

“Speak up earlier!”

The agent took the grain and weighed it—it was even a bit more than required. He nodded, “Alright, no issues. We’re leaving.”

The two agents turned and left, soon disappearing from sight.

“You… Chu Feng, how could you possibly have grain?” Chu Long questioned in disbelief.

“None of your business,” Chu Feng dismissed him.

At first, he felt they were family and wouldn’t embarrass him, but now it seemed unnecessary to associate with them. They were trying to send him to jail.

“Where did you get the grain? You just got lucky picking up some game in the mountains. How could the family have grain? Did you steal it?”

“Would I mix stolen grain with my family’s? Are you saying my family’s grain is stolen?” Du Dahai was enraged upon hearing this. He glared coldly at Chu Long, his gaze sharp enough to silence him immediately.

“Furthermore, in Yulong Village, we stand as one. We never allow betrayal or reporting to outsiders. Wei Xiaoxia, Chu Long, this is your first and last warning. If you dare do this again, don’t blame us for driving you out of the village!”

The village sat near Yulong Mountain, naturally named Yulong Village. Du Dahai’s words struck fear into Chu Long and Wei Xiaoxia.

In these chaotic times beyond the village, they might not even survive.

The two slunk away, but the villagers in the square wore grim expressions.

Wang Wei sat down heavily in the snow, sighing deeply.

“Enough with the faces! I thought someone died at home. Nothing’s happened, so hurry back.”

“Go home? How can we go home? What’s the difference from someone dying?” Wang Wei couldn’t help but say.

Now the government demanded grain twice a month. Their remaining supplies couldn’t last. Soon, people would starve to death.

All the villagers shared Wang Wei’s thoughts—they were victims.

Suddenly, Wang Wei proposed, “Why don’t we go hunting in the mountains like Chu Feng?”

“That’s nonsense! Do you think hunting is easy?” Du Dahai scolded.

“It’s not easy, but why can Chu Feng succeed? If he can, why can’t we?” Wang Wei retorted.

“Right, village chief, you can’t be so biased. You told us the mountain was cursed but told Chu Feng he could hunt there. So Chu Feng eats meat, but we starve. That’s unfair!” Sun Can, another young villager dreaming of a better life, joined in.

The nearest city was ravaged by war. With no education or prospects, the idea of hunting to eat—or even to trade meat in town—was a glimmer of hope.

Sun Can and Wang Wei began to shout together, and other villagers looked expectantly at Du Dahai.

Du Dahai realized he might not be able to stop them this time.

“Are you sure you want to hunt?”

“Of course! I believe we can be better than Chu Feng!” Wang Wei declared.

Although Chu Feng’s reputation in the village had improved, young men still competed among themselves. Wang Wei considered himself equal to anyone.

“Fine, but I have three conditions!” Du Dahai’s face grew serious.

“First, listen to Chu Feng! He’s far more skilled than you.”

“Second, no one can fall behind once we enter the mountain; everyone must stay together.”

“Third, even if we catch prey, don’t fight over it. Everyone participating shares the food. Since the whole village is starving, we must divide food evenly so all can survive.”

This was why Du Dahai was village chief—he thought of the village, not himself.

The villagers agreed to follow his words.

Du Dahai looked at Chu Feng.

Chu Feng nodded, “No problem. We already encountered a herd of wild sheep before. Just catching a couple would feed the whole village.”

Du Dahai breathed a sigh of relief. The mountains were dangerous, and without a capable leader, he feared accidents.

“Father, I want to go too!” a thin young man stepped forward, dressed warmly but clearly fragile.

He was about Chu Feng’s age and bore a strong resemblance to Du Dahai.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Go home!” Du Dahai shouted angrily.

“Father, if you won’t let me go, I’ll head into the mountains now and never return. Rather than be a burden at home, I’d rather die,” Du Cheng said with a trembling voice and a tragic expression.

Chu Feng realized this young man was Du Dahai’s son, reportedly a year older than him, now twenty-six but always weak.

He had been cared for by his parents since childhood and always felt like a burden.

Now that he was finally standing on his own, he wanted to contribute—even if only to carry things behind the group. He didn’t want to be useless.

Chu Feng immediately recognized Du Cheng’s problem: severe malnutrition causing low immunity. No wonder he was sickly all his life.

In a modern world, antibiotics and good food would fix this easily. Here, survival itself was a luxury.

Du Dahai’s expression twisted with conflict, but after a long pause, he relented, “Alright, you can come with us. But remember the rule: follow orders!”

Du Cheng smiled, “Don’t worry, Father. I’ll obey.”

“Alright, everyone, old and young, go home and bring your tools. Gather at Chu Feng’s house. We’re going hunting in the mountains!”

As the crowd dispersed, Chu Long quietly peeked from behind a house.

“Hunting? With a luck-based loser who just happened to find a pig leg? If you go hunting, I’ll have you all thrown in jail!”