C16 None of My Business

Yuan Ge attempted to lift the stone lock, managing to raise it just slightly off the ground. His face turned beet red, and his neck bulged with the effort. He couldn't sustain the lift for even three seconds before dropping the stone lock back to the ground with a thud.

After spending the entire morning straining at the bow and laboriously lifting stones, Yuan Ge was utterly exhausted, panting heavily. He could barely lift his arms, feeling as though his entire body was on the verge of collapse, with his legs even trembling slightly.

Yet, this exhaustion was precisely what Yuan Ge was seeking. Without the challenge of the bow, he would never have realized how weak his body was. Thankfully, he had a solid foundation to build upon. With a little time, he was confident he could enhance his physical condition. Winter was approaching, and the long, cold season promised to be more interesting with the addition of the hefty stone to his regimen.

Before the heavy snows arrived, however, he needed to head to the pastures and catch some rabbits to sustain him through the winter. The hunting team had faced its deadliest year, which also meant it was the year with the least food for the tribe.

The rabbits in the pasture seemed to be dwindling, a trend not unrelated to Yuan Ge. The advent of the bow and arrow had significantly increased rabbit casualties. The rabbits had grown wiser, hiding in their burrows by day and only venturing out to forage at night. On his visits to the pasture, Yuan Ge would find groups of children armed with stone spears, passing time with chatter and the occasional scuffle. If a rabbit was spotted, they would all hurl their spears in a chaotic barrage, claiming the rabbit if their spear struck true.

This led to some of the children grumbling about Yuan Ge. They argued that if it weren't for his bow and arrows decimating the rabbit population, would the grassland be so devoid of rabbits during the day?

Yuan Ge's response was dismissive: "What's that got to do with me?"

Whether others found rabbits was of no concern to him, but securing his own supply was crucial. Without a decent stockpile of rabbits for unforeseen circumstances, he faced the grim prospect of hunger in the winter months. The rabbits' reluctance to leave their burrows was no issue; Yuan Ge had his methods to coax them out.

Yuan Ge prepared a bowl of corn rice infused with aromatic herbs and shaped them into bite-sized rice balls, akin to popcorn. He returned to the grassland and scattered the rice balls near several rabbit burrows he found at random.

The rabbits, unable to forage, were famished, their eyes practically glowing green with hunger. The enticing scent of the rice suddenly filled their nostrils, leaving them bewildered. "What's that delicious smell? Move aside, let me check out what smells so good!" But no sooner had they poked their heads out than they struggled briefly and then lay still.

The Gorewood Bow, no longer a good fit for Yuan Ge, was still more than capable of hunting rabbits. Unable to draw his new bow fully, he resorted to using the Gorewood Bow in the interim.

Thanks to the rice balls serving as bait, the recent hunts had been very successful, yielding over a dozen rabbits daily. This caused some envy among the other children. Did the rabbits exist solely for Yuan Ge? Yet, the more observant kids noticed Yuan Ge's use of the rice balls to lure the rabbits from their holes. They admired his cleverness and quickly began to emulate his technique.

But once the rabbits associated the enticing aroma with lethal danger, they refused to venture out again, even if it meant starvation. This left the other children frustrated, having squandered so much corn for nothing, without catching a single rabbit.

Were the rice balls ineffective? Yuan Ge had another trick up his sleeve.

He stuffed smoldering weeds into the rabbit holes, and the smoke drove the rabbits out in a panic. They ended up thrashing about on the ground once more. After several days of this harsh treatment, the rabbits had an epiphany. "You win. I'm moving out tomorrow. Try hunting then!"

After several days, Yuan Ge's home now housed over a hundred rabbits. With this stockpile, the upcoming winter looked more bearable.

Today, he had bagged another dozen rabbits. Carrying his catch, Yuan Ge walked into the courtyard to find Jie'ao standing at the center, instructing Jieying and Jietu, "Tell Yuan Ge to get cleaned up and head over to the High Priestess right away!"

Jie'ao's tone was exceptionally cold, a clear indication that he hadn't shaken off the shadow of the hunting team's recent failure. His gaze upon Jieying and Yuan Ge was piercing, as if his eyes were sharp swords ready to run them through.

Upon Yuan Ge's arrival, all eyes turned to him. The sight of the rabbits on his back and the Gorewood Bow in his hand only served to deepen the scowl on Jie'ao's scarred face. He snorted disdainfully, "You practice dark arts and show no respect for tradition!"

Before Yuan Ge could respond, Jieying could no longer contain herself and shouted, "Watch your tone! How is my brother evil or disrespectful? How is he not striving to improve?" Jieying was well-known for her fierce protectiveness. It was a testament to her restraint that she hadn't already lashed out in defense of her brother.

Jie'ao, however, paid no heed to Jieying. In his view, she was merely a woman, and in their tribe, a man who stooped to argue with a woman was considered laughable. Without so much as a glance in Jieying's direction, he addressed Yuan Ge with an icy voice, "Put down your rabbit and clean yourself up before you meet the High Priest. Look at yourself—you resemble a wild animal!"

Yuan Ge obediently set down the rabbit but walked right past Jie'ao. Turning to Jieying, he said, "Sis, I'm hungry. Shall we roast the rabbit tonight?"

Jietu, standing nearby, silently gave Yuan Ge a thumbs-up. Any other child might have been terrified by Jie'ao's morose demeanor, but not Yuan Ge. Unfazed, he didn't even spare Jie'ao a glance, effectively dismissing him with his indifference. The mention of roasting the rabbit had Jietu eagerly rubbing his hands together as he volunteered, "I'll go start the fire!"

Struggling to contain his fury and keep his breathing steady, Jie'ao said, "This is the command of the High Priest and the Patriarch, Yuan Ge. Do you hold no regard for them either?" You may disregard me, but I dare you to show the same insolence towards the Patriarch and the High Priest. If you do, I'll have all the reason I need to deal with you.

Yuan Ge had reached his limit. Glancing at Jie'ao, he remarked, "I get it. Do you really need to repeat yourself three times?"

"You..." Jie'ao was nearly choked by his own indignation. He fumed internally, "You're unbelievably ungrateful. Here I am, the captain of the hunting team, a skills training instructor, the son of Jieyang, and the heir apparent to the chieftainship, and you have the nerve to speak to me with such disrespect? Do you honestly believe I'm powerless against you?"

Yet Yuan Ge truly didn't regard him with any significance. He turned back to the rabbit on the ground and casually suggested, "How about we take a couple of rabbits back with us?"

Jie'ao's face, marred by a scar, was nearly contorted beyond recognition with rage. He silently cursed, "Damn you!" Venting helped ease his frustration somewhat. But he realized he had been effectively dismissed and staying would only subject him to further ridicule. With this in mind, Jie'ao huffed and strode away.