Chapter 9

Lei Xingfeng was puzzled by the idea that cultivating Lei Lun Li (Thunder Wheel Force) required killing people. The old man explained, "Thunder Wheel Force is violent, and killing can serve as a means of venting. Those who cultivate Thunder Wheel Force will have many enemies. Of course, you can also use other methods to vent your emotions, as long as you can resolve the negative effects of cultivating Thunder Wheel Force. This is one of the major drawbacks of cultivating Thunder Wheel Force."

Lei Xingfeng had only cultivated about forty units of Thunder Wheel Force, so its influence on him was not significant. However, once he reached a hundred units, the effects would gradually become apparent. The old man continued, "Killing before reaching a hundred units of force, hehe, will greatly benefit your control over Thunder Wheel Force."

Lei Xingfeng could not fully understand, but he did not resist. Otherwise, he wouldn't have decisively killed people in the wild. This was also due to the long-term influence of the people from Hu Ya Fort. He had seen too many hunters die at the hands of the Eagle Clan hunters. One of Aunt Qing's sons, who had given him the tough hide of a wild bull, was killed by the Eagle Clan hunters. Therefore, he felt no psychological burden when killing.

Even if he couldn't understand, Lei Xingfeng accepted everything. In this world, the moral standards of his previous life could not be used to measure things. He said, "Grandpa, this time I hunted two wild bulls. Unfortunately, I encountered the Eagle Clan hunters, so most of the meat is still in the tree house. I don't know if I'll have the chance to retrieve it. I brought back a complete wild bull hide and horns, as well as a lot of meat. Uncle Ke and the others were very considerate and gave me most of it."

The old man said indifferently, "As long as there's enough to eat, your current task is not to hunt as much as possible, but to focus on cultivating. Once you reach a hundred units of force, you can still go hunting even during the cold season."

Lei Xingfeng was surprised, "Hunting during the cold season? That would freeze people to death!"

The old man said, "You are no longer an ordinary person. Once you cultivate Thunder Wheel Force, you are stronger than all ordinary people. You can't measure things by your old standards!"

Lei Xingfeng said, "Alright, I'm not used to it yet."

The old man laughed, "You'll get used to it gradually. Focus on cultivating."

Lei Xingyao returned from outside, carrying a small basket filled with wild vegetables. Every year, she would gather a lot of wild vegetables, not only for eating but also for drying to consume during the cold season. Seeing the large baskets, she knew her brother had returned and excitedly rushed into the room, throwing herself into Lei Xingfeng's arms. She hadn't seen him for two days and was already very uncomfortable. She said, "Brother!"

Lei Xingfeng smiled and hugged her, saying, "You've been gathering wild vegetables again. You don't need to gather too much this year; I'll bring back a lot of meat."

Lei Xingyao said, "I like eating wild vegetables." She then got out of Lei Xingfeng's arms and said, "I'll go organize them. I picked a lot of fine red fruits today. I'll hang them outside to dry!" Fine red fruits are similar to hawthorns and can be stored for a long time when dried. When cooked with meat, they make the meat incredibly tender, serving as a seasoning. During this season, almost all women and children go out to gather them.

The little girl was very diligent, hanging the fine red fruits on ropes to dry. After organizing them, she went to prepare the wild bull meat Lei Xingfeng had brought back, hanging it under the eaves to dry. This would be the main food during the cold season.

Seeing the little girl, who was as busy as a bee, Lei Xingfeng couldn't help but sigh. A six-year-old girl was already taking care of the entire household. Fortunately, the people in this world had excellent constitutions and great strength. Even a six-year-old girl could carry fifty to sixty pounds of things as if it were a game, without any difficulty.

Less than an hour after returning home, Ke Dashan and two others came to visit. Lei Xingfeng was surprised, "Uncle Ke, is there something wrong?"

Ke Dashan couldn't help but laugh, "You're really resting at home? Come with us, there's still a lot of meat in the tree house. If we don't bring it back, it would be a waste."

Lei Xingfeng said, "Didn't you say the Eagle Clan people had invaded?"

Ke Nanshan said, "Even if they invade, we still need to prepare food for the cold season. What else can we do?"

The old man said, "Feng, go. I and Yaoyao will be fine at home. You don't need to worry." He knew that once the cold season arrived, food would be a major issue. In the past, the two children had to search for food, often going hungry. He didn't want the children to go hungry, but his injuries required rest and he couldn't go hunting. If his condition worsened, it would be over, and he couldn't leave the children behind.

Lei Xingfeng said, "Alright!" The four of them each carried empty large baskets and set off together.

After giving a few instructions to Yaoyao, the little girl, though reluctant, understood that her brother was doing it for the food during the cold season. She waved goodbye obediently. Ke Dashan sighed, "My daughter isn't as well-behaved as Yaoyao. She just knows how to eat and is almost lazy."

Ke Nanshan said, "That's because you're a hardworking father, so your daughter is spoiled."

Lei Xingfeng didn't want to say more. In the past, he had no ability, but now, as long as he worked hard, he believed he could provide for his grandfather and sister.

...

The four of them rushed to the tree house, arriving just as it was getting dark. They knew it would be too dangerous to be on the road after dark.

Ke Nanshan found that some of the traps he had set up on the tree had been destroyed, but the wild animals that tried to get the meat from the tree house had suffered. The wild bull meat in the tree house was undamaged, and they were lucky to return quickly. If they had waited until the next day, there might not have been much left.

Ke Dashan said, "Nanshan, Ke Shi, go reset the traps. Feng, you keep watch." He had noticed that Lei Xingfeng had keen senses and was good at keeping watch.

Lei Xingfeng nodded and said, "I'll go up." He quickly climbed to the branch where he had cultivated the night before, sat down, and began to cultivate. He knew there was no immediate danger, so he focused on cultivating to reach a hundred units of force as soon as possible. The old man had said that once he reached a hundred units of force, he could hunt even during the cold season, which was very important to him.

Nothing happened that night.

The next morning, as Ke Dashan and the others were organizing the remaining wild bull meat, another hunting team arrived. They were also from Hu Ya Fort and consisted of seven people. Led by Ke Dashan, they came to the tree house, and the small tree house was soon crowded. Their prey was not much, and compared to Ke Dashan's team, this hunting team's luck and strength were much worse. They had only hunted small animals like wild chickens and rabbits.

Wild chickens and rabbits, in the eyes of the people in this world, could not be considered main food. An ordinary person could easily eat three or four wild chickens in one meal, which was not enough. Hunting large animals was what made a hunter truly qualified.

Seeing the wild bull meat hanging in the tree house, the seven people from the hunting team were all envious and jealous. The leader, Hu Daniu, said, "Heaven, you actually hunted a wild bull! Dashan, how did you do it?"

Ke Dashan laughed and said, "Old Hu, not one, but two wild bulls!"

The sound of gasps filled the air. The seven people looked at Ke Dashan differently. If they could hunt wild bulls, even a few would be enough to safely get through the cold season. As long as they hunted some small animals, they could survive. What was more important than safely getting through the cold season? For the hunters in this world, having enough food was a happy thing.

Hu Daniu was suspicious, but seeing so much wild bull meat, he couldn't deny it. He laughed, "Hehe, Dashan, did you hunt them yourselves? This thing... isn't something a few people can kill... By the way, where are the horns and hide?"

Ke Nanshan said, "We've already taken them back once." He was secretly relieved that they had returned, otherwise, the remaining meat would have gone to these people.

Hu Xiaohu, Hu Daniu's cousin, was the strongest hunter in Hu Daniu's team, on par with Ke Nanshan. He asked, "How did you kill two wild bulls?" He still didn't quite believe it. It was too eye-catching, and now was the late hunting season. If they couldn't gather enough meat, they would go hungry during the cold season, and no one wanted to go hungry.

Hu Daniu's mouth moved, but he didn't stop the question. Such inquiries were considered impolite, as they involved the secrets of the hunters, but he also wanted to know.

Ke Dashan said, "Well, hehe, Xiaohu, it's all about individual skills."

Hu Daniu's team had a middle-aged man with a beard, whose hair was already white. The hunters called him Hu Baotou. He was the last to climb up and noticed the atmosphere was a bit off. Seeing Lei Xingfeng, he couldn't help but smile, "Feng, you're also out hunting. Time flies."

Lei Xingfeng hurriedly approached, "Uncle Baotou, you're in this team?" He had never known Hu Baotou was in this hunting team. Hu Baotou had once helped him, giving him some food when he was in trouble.

Hu Baotou said, "Last time... didn't I say? If you want to join a hunting team, come to me. I see you joined Dashan's team."

Lei Xingfeng said, "Uncle Baotou, I... I don't want to make it difficult for you." He knew that Hu Baotou was just an ordinary member of the team and couldn't decide to bring people in. He needed the agreement of most of the team members, which was hard to achieve.

Hu Ya Fort had over a thousand people, and although most of them looked familiar, Lei Xingfeng only knew a few hundred. He also didn't know the composition of the various hunting teams.

Hu Daniu and Hu Xiaohu didn't recognize Lei Xingfeng, but they certainly looked familiar.

Lei Xingfeng always maintained a grateful heart towards those who had helped him. He pulled Hu Baotou to the side and asked quietly, "Uncle Baotou, how long have you been out?"

Hu Baotou sighed and whispered, "This trip hasn't been smooth. We dare not touch the powerful ones, and there are few small animals. We've been out for three days, and this is all we've got. If we can't hunt larger prey, this trip will be a failure."

Lei Xingfeng hesitated. He understood the implications of Hu Baotou's words. He wasn't really sixteen, and his thoughts were much more complex than these hunters. The people here had little contact with the outside world and maintained a very simple and honest way of life, with little deception.

"Uncle Baotou, those two wild bulls were hunted by me."

"What? You hunted them!"