Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Handling the Aftermath Gu Sheng left a wild rabbit for Gu Erniu, but only instructed Li Lian to take good care of Gu Erniu and ensure he properly tended to his wounds. Then, he returned to his own home. The two didn’t mention anything about Li Yan. As for the aftermath, they had already reached an agreement. They decided to act as if the incident had never happened. Regarding Gu Erniu’s injury, they would claim he had been bitten by a wild wolf. Gu Sheng closed his door firmly. He threw the deer he had carried back into the wooden basin, fetched water from the well, and prepared to clean and process it. Next. He opened the leather sack, revealing the silver fox lying there intact. Gu Sheng immediately breathed a sigh of relief; he had truly been worried that the battle earlier might have damaged the fox’s coat, which would have resulted in a significant loss. For now, Gu Sheng chose not to tell Gu Erniu about hunting the silver fox. The fewer people who knew about this, the better. He would decide later, when he went to town to sell it, whether to ask Gu Erniu for help in finding a buyer. Without hesitation. Gu Sheng immediately started skinning the silver fox. While fox meat was sour and unpalatable, Gu Sheng had no intention of discarding it. He planned to make meat jerky for emergencies, or at the very least trade it for some millet. Winter was approaching soon, and Gu Sheng needed to stockpile supplies to last through the season. Although life was getting better now, it still wasn’t at a point where he could afford to waste anything. The harshest times had seen him chewing on tree leaves, after all, and this meat was undoubtedly a hundred times better than leaves. Soon. A complete silver fox pelt was swiftly stripped off. After a rinse, the traces of blood were quickly washed clean. The entire pelt measured roughly half a meter square, perfect for making a shawl or something similar. It was pure silver-white in color, and touching it revealed a texture that was soft yet warm. Winter. For impoverished families at the bottom of the social hierarchy, cold weather was a major threat. Meanwhile, for those affluent families hoarding immense wealth, items like this for warmth turned snowy landscapes into breathtakingly beautiful spectacles. Gu Sheng shook his head slightly. Though he now had some ability to protect himself and lived a better life than most of the lower-class people, he was still struggling at the bottom overall. "Still a long way to go!" He shook his head and sighed, taking stock of the day’s gains. If he could find the right buyer, this silver fox pelt alone would be worth over twenty taels. The hunting bows he had collected were also valuable, especially Li Yan’s bow, which was even better than Gu Erniu’s—a fine piece worth four or five taels of silver. When adding in the gains from deer and rabbit hunting. Gu Sheng had earned at least thirty taels of silver today! It could truly be called a windfall! The joy in his heart was hard to contain. Once he sold these goods, his foundational resources for martial arts training would be ready. This would ensure he wouldn’t run short as soon as his practice began. "Next month, I’ll join the village’s procurement team heading into town to exchange these spoils for silver coins!" 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎 Typically, villagers who wanted to follow the group into town would need to pay some money, but skilled hunters like Gu Sheng and Gu Erniu were exempt. If the team encountered mountain bandits or outlaws, they could serve as reliable fighters. Once night fell. Gu Sheng went to the spot where he had buried his bow and arrows and unearthed them, along with some short blades, discreetly bringing them back to hide in his home. ... The next day. Gu Sheng’s mood had gradually leveled out. After all, it was just killing a few hunters from the Li family fortress. He lit a fire and cooked himself a meal, eating his fill before continuing his archery practice. The battle yesterday had deeply affected him and left him with new insights. He felt. He was close to reaching the Perfect realm of archery. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Arrows shot out one after another, the act of shooting clearing the mind. Gu Sheng felt his state of mind growing increasingly calm as he fully put yesterday’s events behind him. As the sun began to set. Gu Sheng rubbed his sore wrist and arms, ending today’s training. He had practiced with great concentration today, achieving good progress—he had increased his skill proficiency by 2% or more. "At this rate, my archery will reach the Perfect realm in about a week!" Joy welled up in his heart. At that moment. A stout figure came sprinting from afar. His distinctive flattened nose made him immediately recognizable—it was Zhang Ze. Zhang Ze rushed over, looking at Gu Sheng, who had just put away his bow, and grabbed him hurriedly, pulling him along. "I knew you’d be practicing your archery here. Did you know your brother Erniu went into the mountains yesterday and got bitten by a wild wolf? Li Lian asked me to tell you. Erniu’s injuries are serious, and he won’t be able to go back into the mountains for a while." Gu Sheng immediately showed a shocked and concerned expression and said urgently: "How could he be bitten by a wild wolf out of nowhere? Brother Erniu has plenty of hunting experience; this shouldn’t happen. Did he encounter a wolf pack? Let’s go and check on him!" His mind raced. Last night, Li Lian had clearly seen him helping Gu Erniu back home. Now that she was deliberately sending Zhang Ze to notify him, it was evident that she had guessed something. He speculated that while tending to Gu Erniu’s injuries, they likely uncovered some clues. It seemed the couple intended to sever ties between Gu Sheng and Gu Erniu. If someone discovered that Gu Sheng and Gu Erniu had come down from the mountain together, then when news of Li Yan’s death emerged, they might suspect something. Erniu alone couldn’t possibly kill Li Yan and his three companions. But the two of them working together? That was entirely plausible! Fortunately, they didn’t run into anyone on the way back to the village yesterday. Gu Sheng couldn’t help but admire the thoughtfulness of Li Lian. He followed Zhang Ze and headed to Gu Erniu’s house. By now, several people had already gathered at Gu Erniu’s home. They crowded around him tightly; all of them were hunters he usually got along with, looking at him with concern. An injured leg was no minor issue. If it didn’t heal properly, future hunting efforts would be greatly affected! "Erniu, what exactly happened? How did you end up bitten like this?" "Your leg’s alright, isn’t it? Take this time to rest well. If you need any help, don’t hesitate to let us know!" "That’s right. Take care and recover. We’re all waiting for you to return to the Jianghu!" Gu Erniu’s grateful voice responded: "Thank you, brothers, for your concern. The treatment was timely, so it’s not too serious. After resting for half a month or so, I’ll still be the same strong Erniu!" Everyone burst into laughter, letting out a collective sigh of relief upon seeing Gu Erniu’s cheerful demeanor. Gu Erniu pretended to curse jokily: "Yesterday was just bad luck. I finally spotted signs of a silver fox, but ended up ambushed by a lone wolf instead. The beast bit me, but I managed to shoot an arrow that blinded one of its eyes, and it scampered off. Otherwise, I might’ve lost my life right there." "Now that my leg is injured and I can’t head back into the mountains, the silver fox’s traces are near the red maple forest, close to Little Xigu. If you’re lucky, you can go take a look yourselves. If anyone manages to bag the silver fox, you better treat me to a good drink!" Gu Erniu laughed heartily, his words a mixture of truth and falsehood. Being bitten by a wild wolf was a lie; discovering traces of the silver fox was true. The hunters’ eyes lit up instantly, and they replied with laughter: "Thanks, Erniu! If we capture a silver fox, forget just one drink; we’ll give you three!" Gu Sheng listened quietly on the side, his heart stirred. The silver fox he had hunted yesterday had indeed been at the red maple forest. "So Erniu first discovered the fox, and he and Li Yan frightened it off, allowing me to reap the benefits instead." Watching the hunters’ eager expressions, Gu Sheng simply smiled and kept silent. Since the silver fox was already in his possession, they would eventually find nothing, and their enthusiasm would naturally fade with time. With this half-true, half-false information, when the hunters ventured into the mountains tomorrow and confirmed the silver fox’s traces, they would fully buy into the story that Gu Erniu had been attacked by a wild wolf. Later, when news of Li Yan and the others’ deaths emerged, no one would connect this to what had happened. Gu Sheng silently nodded in satisfaction with the way Gu Erniu and his wife had handled the aftermath.