Chapter 7: Murder and Looting? No, I'm Here to Deliver an Axe and a Bow

The sharp hoe was only a finger's width away from Du Dahai’s neck.

Although Chu Feng was not heavy, leaping from such a height and crashing onto someone would be hard to withstand.

That blow immediately overwhelmed Du Dahai. He felt chest tightness and shortness of breath.

After a moment, Chu Feng feigned surprise and asked, “Village chief? What are you doing?”

There was no other reason; he just wanted to intimidate Du Dahai. Indeed, Du Dahai looked quite frightened.

“I…I came to find you to go hunting together!” Du Dahai replied, his expression innocent.

Chu Feng gradually descended from him but kept his eyes firmly fixed on Du Dahai.

Du Dahai, who was always decisive in the village, now appeared somewhat guilty upon seeing Chu Feng.

Yet, he was telling the truth. Though he was the village chief, it was not an official position. He had no salary from the government, nor any real authority. His power came solely from the prestige accumulated by his family over three generations in the village.

Like other villagers struggling to make ends meet, Du Dahai’s household was no better off.

Judging by his demeanor, he probably had long wanted to venture into the mountains but dared not due to the eerie legends surrounding Jade Dragon Mountain.

Seeing Chu Feng boldly ascend the mountain and actually find prey, Du Dahai finally followed him up.

Chu Feng said nothing, silently watching Du Dahai.

Du Dahai knew his behavior was odd. If he wanted to hunt, why trail behind someone else?

Feeling awkward, he rummaged through a cloth bag on his back and took out something.

It was an axe.

In this era, axes were strictly forbidden. Anyone caught with one by the authorities would surely be arrested.

“Xiao Feng, I’m old and not skilled at hunting, but my family really needs some nutritious food. I’m giving you this axe—can you help hunt some prey?” Du Dahai pleaded.

Chu Feng took the axe, weighing it in his hand. Surprisingly, it was quite heavy.

“If you wanted to hunt, just say so. Following behind me made me think you intended to rob or kill.”

“Don’t think that way—we’re from the same village. How could that be?” Du Dahai responded.

“What else do you have in your bag?” Chu Feng asked curiously since Du Dahai’s pack still bulged even after taking out the axe.

“A bow, for self-defense,” Du Dahai said, then pulled out a bow from his pack.

The bow lacked a string, and the body was blackened, marked with years of wear, even stained with faint dark red.

Seeing these items, Chu Feng realized Du Dahai truly meant no harm.

Both the axe and bow were absolutely forbidden items.

Even without a bowstring, it was dangerous. If discovered, it would lead to a raid and the destruction of the family.

If Chu Feng reported them, Du Dahai would be finished.

“Village chief, you’re really bold,” Chu Feng said with a strange expression.

“Xiao Feng, only heaven and earth know about this…” Du Dahai began.

“Only you and I know. When you came up, did anyone else know?”

“No one knew. I came up quietly. I meant to catch up and tell you, but you moved too fast. Without your footprints, I’d have lost you long ago.”

Just then, a rustling sound came.

“Can you climb trees?”

“Yes!”

The two quickly climbed a nearby large tree.

Soon, a flock of sheep ran past beneath them.

“Sheep! Sheep!”

“Shh!” Chu Feng hushed the village chief.

Du Dahai quickly closed his mouth.

They both watched the hurried sheep below.

Du Dahai was excited and joyful at the sight, but Chu Feng was shocked.

Rock sheep!

A creature believed to live only at high altitudes.

Chu Feng had thought the Great Qian Dynasty was a country located centrally in its territory, and that his current position was in the north.

But now it seemed otherwise.

He felt he needed a map to understand exactly where he was.

Du Dahai tugged anxiously at Chu Feng’s arm, urging him to act, but Chu Feng remained still.

The sheep hurried along below.

Rock sheep were leisurely creatures, not usually so panicked.

They typically lived atop mountains, so why were they suddenly fleeing down the slope?

“There’s something chasing them,” Chu Feng said.

“Chasing them?” Du Dahai looked confused.

At that moment, as the rock sheep passed beneath them, a white animal with black spots appeared.

Compared to the clumsy rock sheep, this creature immediately spotted Chu Feng and Du Dahai in the tree.

It stopped, glaring fiercely at the two above.

Du Dahai felt as if his breath had stopped. Clinging tightly to the tree trunk to avoid falling, he panicked.

“It’s a big cat—a white big cat.”

A snow leopard crouched silently below.

It didn’t move, but Chu Feng picked up the axe.

Du Dahai was startled, thinking Chu Feng might climb down to hunt the snow leopard.

“Chu family boy, don’t be foolish! This big cat is fierce. It jumps up and grabs a person’s neck. If it catches you, no one can save you,” Du Dahai warned.

Chu Feng knew how powerful a snow leopard was but that didn’t mean its fighting ability surpassed an adult human.

The snow leopard was not large compared to true beasts—in fact, rather small.

It had followed the rock sheep but hadn’t attacked them, indicating it sought the lambs because it couldn’t take on the adults.

Chu Feng didn’t climb down. Instead, he snapped off some branches and used the axe as a knife to carve sharp wooden arrows.

“What are you doing?” Du Dahai asked in surprise.

Chu Feng dismantled a trap, taking out a worn deer tendon.

By length, it seemed just right to tie onto the bow.

“Village chief, you wanted something nutritious, right? Give me the bow.”

Seeing the bow in Du Dahai’s hands, Chu Feng had already decided. Making a bow from scratch took a lot of time; having one ready was too good to pass up.

So, before Du Dahai’s eyes, Chu Feng assembled the bow.

Before becoming an outdoor streamer in his past life, Chu Feng had served in the military and practiced various skills like rock climbing, archery, and horseback riding.

Having a bow greatly aided his hunting.

When they looked down again, the snow leopard had vanished.

Du Dahai sighed in relief.

“The big cat’s gone. It scared me to death. If it tried to climb the tree, it would be trouble.”

“If it tried to climb, it would be easier,” Chu Feng smiled.

A leopard the size of a large dog was indeed frightening, but climbing a tree limited its speed and agility.

With weapons, Chu Feng and Du Dahai could handle it easily.

“The rock sheep are circling and heading further up the mountain,” Du Dahai hurriedly reminded.

Chu Feng didn’t need the reminder; his eyes were already searching for a target.

Rock sheep were large animals. Hunting one would feed their families for a long time.

But such prey was dangerous. Even the snow leopard wouldn’t attack a full-grown rock sheep.

Chu Feng didn’t know the bow’s draw weight or power.

If it was too weak, the arrow might not penetrate the sheep’s hide.

So Chu Feng aimed to find a lamb.

“Found one!”

Du Dahai was bewildered as Chu Feng bent his bow and drew an arrow.

With a swift whistle, a wooden arrow shot swiftly toward the young rock sheep.