Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Skin Peeling
Translator: 549690339
Perhaps it was last night’s brutal slaughter, the strong scent of blood scared off the surrounding wild beasts. After the pack of Wild Yellow Dogs left, no other wildlife dared to disrupt him.
Lu Yuan had a good night’s rest.
By the time he woke up, he was completely restored, feeling refreshed and invigorated.
He scooped some water from the well for a simple wash, then started the fire and began to cook breakfast.
Living in the mountains, Lu Yuan didn’t have many options. Aside from half a container of rice and a small amount of wild vegetables, he had nothing else.
Oh, wait, he still had seven pieces of smoked meat left that in total weighed about ten pounds, not too bad actually.
Half a bowl of rice, a slice or two of smoked meat, and a handful of wild vegetables made up today’s porridge.
“Hmm, having both rice and meat isn’t too bad.”
Looking at the bubbling rice and meat in the pot, Lu Yuan joked bitterly to himself before walking towards the cave’s entrance.
The porridge wouldn’t be ready for at least another hour. He could use this time to deal with the corpses outside the cave.
But just as he was about to start walking, he paused, went to the stone wall beside him, picked up the Hunting Bow and short knife he had used last night. Only after he had secured his equipment, did he proceed to walk outside.
“Those three corpses of Wild Yellow Dogs should still be there after a night’s time.”
Lu Yuan walked to the door, looking outside through the gaps in the wooden door. Spotting three immobile corpses, he nodded faintly.
It seemed no other creatures came after he went to sleep last night.
However, he never let down his guard.
Although no creatures had visited the doorway, who knew what dangers lurked outside the cave?
Wild Yellow Dogs were cunning, cruel creatures with a strong sense of revenge.
Animals that offended them were either immediately killed by the pack, or remembered for future vendetta, pursued relentlessly until revenge was exacted.
Lu Yuan had killed three of their companions last night. He found it hard to believe that the Wild Yellow Dogs had given up on vengeance so easily.
“Hmm, let’s see if there’s an ambush waiting for me.”
After observing the bodies for a while, Lu Yuan picked up a stone and threw it towards the outside of the wooden door.
Bang!
The stone landed onto the stone floor, making a clear, resonating sound.
The noise echoed down the tunnel, reaching far distances.
“If there are any Wild Yellow Dogs waiting outside, they should be able to hear this noise.”
Lu Yuan watched as the stone rolled alongside him, giving up once it lost its momentum. After waiting for a long time, he squinted his eyes: “Could it be true that there’s no ambush waiting outside the cave? Have those Wild Yellow Dogs really left?”
This thought crossed his mind.
But to err on the side of caution, Lu Yuan picked up a few more stones and threw them outside through the same gap in the door.
He put more strength into his throws this time, causing the stones to land further away and make louder noises.
Nevertheless, even after several attempts, no sound came from outside the door.
At this point, Lu Yuan could finally confirm that there was no ambush waiting for him outside.
“It seems that last night’s slaughter genuinely scared off those vicious beasts. They dare not loiter around my cave.”
Recalling the scenes from last night, he still felt a slight tremor in his heart.
There was the thrill of the kill, the fear of facing danger, and the bewilderment towards his own feelings.
In the past, Lu Yuan wouldn’t dare to kill even a chicken or step on a caterpillar.
But last night, he had killed a Wild Yellow Dog without a second thought, and later shot dead two others without batting an eye.
He had performed those acts casually without the slightest ripple in his state of mind, as if he was just eating and drinking
“Did I reveal my inherently violent personality, or did the instinct of the original body influence my subjective consciousness, or was it a combination of both?”
Faced with this question, Lu Yuan wasn’t sure of the answer.
Squeak——
With considerable effort, he removed the wooden boards and column, released the door latch, and the door once again connected the secure tunnel to the outside world.
Upon reaching the bodies of the Wild Yellow Dogs and inspecting them, Lu Yuan was assured that these animals were truly dead.
After some thought, he grabbed one of the Wild Yellow Dog’s corpses and began dragging it towards the mouth of the cave.
The locale of Lu Yuan’s dwelling was at the base of a cliff, surrounded by a large expanse of dense forest filled with various wild plants and flowers, many of which were taller than a man. It was a truly wild place.
Further away, there was a stream that extended down from the mountain.
The water from the stream was clear and sweet, nourishing countless creatures in the mountains.
With a thud sound, he tossed the last corpse beside the stream.
“Such heaviness.”
Gazing at the scattered corpses at his feet, Lu Yuan wiped his sweat, took a deep breath, then took out a dagger from his waist and thrust it into the corpse to begin skinning it.
Among various beasts, the skin of the Wild Yellow Dog doesn’t fetch a high price due to its color and smell.
However, the skin of three Wild Yellow Dogs could still earn him a tael or two of silver if sold in the market, which was pretty decent.
Don’t underestimate a couple of silver taels.
According to the recollection of the original owner’s market visits, a pound of pork costs about 20 cents and a pound of rice, 3 cents. According to current silver prices, a tael of silver equals 900 cents and allows you to purchase 300 pounds of rice.
300 pounds of rice is just enough to feed an adult for a year if you’re careful.
Of course, as a Hunter who travels the mountains and fights wild beasts routinely, 300 pounds of rice will not suffice.
The original body had a daily requirement of 1.5 pounds of rice and some meat to maintain his strength and combat wild beasts in the mountains.
Earning half a year’s worth of rice money thus was quite a substantial income.
Having transitioned to this new life as a Hunter, Lu Yuan must now plan for his future livelihood over the long term.
His current stateless identity isn’t conducive to future-development.
Changing this status—whether by becoming a registered citizen or pursuing other ventures—will require money.
Or even worse, the thought of an immortal dying from hunger is quite unthinkable. Hence, making money is of immediate importance.
“I need to make money.”
Lu Yuan thought to himself as the sharp dagger in his hand tore through the skin of the Wild Yellow Dog. The inherited memories were sparked, and he peeled off the skin from the corpse with ease.
With his inherited experience, skinning the dogs presented no challenge despite never having performed this activity before crossing over.
Only half an hour passed when three complete Wild Yellow Dog skins were neatly stacked to one side.