Chapter 7: Weapons, Thugs Collecting Debts, and Feasting on Meat

"You want military hardware?" Wang Xing looked surprised.

The town was composed of drifters, and with a garrison stationed twenty miles outside the city, it was not uncommon for discarded military equipment to circulate in the market. The garrison soldiers even had fixed monthly quotas for scrapped gear, which they sold for a handsome profit.

"I actually have some. Come with me."

Although Wang Xing ran a pharmacy, he maintained trade relations with the garrison soldiers for medicinal herbs, so it was perfectly natural for him to list some discarded military equipment on the side.

Xia He was led into a room in the backyard. Once the door was closed, Wang Xing mysteriously opened a wooden crate. Xia He cast a glance inside and could not help but feel a bit startled. There were sabers, swords, bows, and arrows—everything one could imagine, though most were rusted.

"Sabers and swords are three taels of silver each; bows are six."

"So expensive?" Xia He had initially felt a spark of interest, but upon hearing the price, he immediately gave up. Finally, his eyes fell upon the pile of rusted arrows. "Uncle Wang, how do you sell these?"

Wang Xing grabbed one at random. In truth, there was little difference in the materials of most arrows—usually birch, willow, or the like—but the value lay in the arrowhead and the modified fletching at the rear.

"Fifty wen each. But tell me, Little He, are you planning to become a hunter? Do you even have a bow at home?"

Among the military hardware, bows were the most expensive, and Xia He certainly could not afford one. However, arrows were cheap, and he only needed the arrowheads to fashion into javelins. Moreover, since the arrowheads were rusted, they carried an additional effect: striking a target would directly inflict a "tetanus" status.

There were many types of arrows—those for high penetration, those for speed, and those designed for infantry or cavalry. However, the only ones sold here were common copper arrows. The arrowheads were triangular, flat-winged, and ridged; once embedded in flesh, the barbs would hook firmly into the wound. With the added tetanus effect, their lethality was quite formidable.

"Fine, how many do you want?"

"Four will be enough."

After some haggling, he eventually secured four copper arrows for 180 wen. These arrowheads were far sturdier than obsidian and would suffice for quite some time. Money and goods changed hands.

"Sigh, it's a good thing I caught such a big prize; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to afford any of this."

Xia He carefully packed away the four arrows, shouldered the wolf carcass, and headed straight home. Originally, the wolf could have been sold for its meat, but he decided against it, believing that the giant wolf had consumed enough medicinal herbs to be a potent tonic.

Just as he reached the gate, he found his nephew, Xiaowen, squatting by the entrance, drooling as he stared longingly at the wolf meat on Xia He’s back. The distance from the pharmacy to his home was several hundred meters, and Xia He found himself breathing heavily by the time he arrived.

"Xiaowen, when did you run over here? Didn't I tell you to wait for me at the pharmacy?"

Xiaowen ran over, opening his small hands to reveal the coins in his palm. "Uncle, my mother told me to return this money to you and said you should stop gambling."

Xia He looked at the 100 wen and felt a momentary daze, but he quickly understood the situation. Li Huilan’s older sister, Li Huiying, had always been a person with a sharp tongue but a soft heart. Although she had looked down on his predecessor, perhaps out of pity for her sister, she had often provided them with aid. Having returned 150 wen earlier, to have 100 wen sent back was clearly a sign that she was worried Xia He might resort to loan sharks again, and her heart had softened.

Xia He felt a mix of wry amusement and warmth; this was what family was. He decided to take the money, fearing the child might lose it on the way back, and planned to have Li Huilan return it herself later. After all, he was truly wealthy now. Selling the lingzhi had brought in nearly five taels of silver, which was enough to pay off his gambling debts and leave some extra.

"Come on, Uncle will take you home to eat meat."

Xiaowen cheered and clapped his hands in excitement. "Meat! We’re eating meat!"

A happy expression also bloomed on Xia He's face. He had been eager to share this joy with his wife all the way home. However, when he saw Li Huilan, his smile froze. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, weeping bitterly, her eyes red and swollen like walnuts.

Xia He’s heart tightened, and he rushed over to ask what had happened. She sobbed that when she went to the pharmacy to buy medicine, she discovered the prices had risen significantly. With their household already stretched thin, they could no longer afford the exorbitant costs.

Xia He breathed a sigh of relief. He had feared it was something much worse. Just as he was about to comfort her, a commotion erupted outside, followed by a series of urgent, brutal knocks on the door. He didn't need to guess to know it was Song Bao and his gang of ruffians coming to collect debts.

The door was kicked open, and Song Bao led his henchmen in, swaggering. His face was full of fat, and his eyes revealed a mixture of cunning and malice. As soon as he entered, he leered at Xia He’s wife.

Xia He’s gaze turned icy, a flicker of killing intent crossing his heart. Ignoring him, Song Bao roared, "Xia He, pay up!"

Xia He walked out expressionlessly, pulled three taels of silver from his robes, and slammed them onto the table. He said coldly, "Here is the gambling debt you wanted, every last bit. Take it!"

Song Bao and his men were stunned; they clearly hadn't expected Xia He to come up with the money so quickly. After exchanging glances, they hurriedly gathered the silver from the table. Upon counting it and confirming the amount, their surprise only deepened. This was three taels of silver—it had only been one day; where could Xia He have gotten so much money?

Song Bao had intended to offer a few mocking remarks, but he suddenly noticed the bloodstains on Xia He’s clothes. His pupils contracted, and he instantly changed his tone, smiling obsequiously. "Xia He, you... why are you covered in blood? Could it be that you really hunted a wolf in the mountains?"

Xia He remained silent, but then suddenly chuckled. "Just luck. I happened to come across a sick wolf that couldn't even walk straight, so I hunted it down."

For some reason, after receiving the money, the arrogance and mockery that had defined Song Bao vanished. Combined with the blood on Xia He and the decisive way he had repaid the debt, a sense of fear began to take root in his heart.

"Right... well, since the debt is paid, let's go."

"Wait! Leave the IOU."

Song Bao looked back at Xia He a few times before pulling a crumpled note from his robes and tossing it over. "If you need to borrow money in the future, come back to me. I’ll guarantee you get the loan the same day."

"No need. We have guests at home, so I won't be seeing you out."

Song Bao and his men were chased out, looking crestfallen. One of his henchmen could no longer hold back and cursed on the spot, "Boss Bao! Where did that brat get the money? Could he have stolen it?"

Song Bao’s face darkened, and he snapped, "You idiots, didn't you see the blood on him?"

During the time it took for Xia He to move the wolf carcass home, news had already spread that he had harvested a second-grade purple lingzhi in the mountains! The only reason Song Bao had rushed over was to see if it were true. But since Xia He was able to pay off the debt, it seemed the rumors were likely true.

"Damn it, why don't we have such good luck!"

"Luck?" Song Bao muttered. He claimed to have found a sick wolf, but looking at Xia He covered in blood, who would actually believe that?