webnovel

Transmigrated In Ancient Times As a Hunter.

Cheng Duo struggled in the apocalypse for ten years, only to be betrayed by the person he considered family. After transmigrating one day, he grew cold-hearted and became a hunter, seeking a peaceful life. But when wild boars came down from the mountains, the village men came to find him… Well, the fields on the mountainside belonged to him, so he could kill the wild boars for meat. When the village kids were about to be taken away, the village chief came to him for help… Fine, those kids saved his life once and helped him set up a vegetable garden. The food he cooked was quite delicious. Later on… He inexplicably became the pillar of the whole village, a fierce and intimidating figure.

Howl_Howl · Fantasy
Not enough ratings
108 Chs

Chapter 24

Third Uncle Li saw Cheng Duo's persistence and couldn't persuade him anymore because Wu Guihua's person really couldn't be figured out!

Li Mancang, the head of the household, is the same. He appears weak, but behind every time Wu Guihua causes trouble, isn't he involved?

As the village head for decades, Third Uncle Li knows what tricks the villagers are up to in secret.

Third Uncle Li went to Li Mancang's house and relayed the news that someone wanted to buy their land. The Li family was initially happy, but when they heard the price the other party offered, Wu Guihua immediately jumped up and exclaimed, "Ten taels? Is he dreaming? The crops from our few mu of land are always among the best in the village. If it weren't for Feng-ge's wedding that requires money, I wouldn't even consider selling it cheaply!"

"These sons of bitches act like they're broke, but then they come to rob us when the time is right. Do they really think I'm easy to bully? Village Head Li, honestly tell me who this heartless bastard is. I'll go and confront him. What did I do to him? Why do people from our own village have to make things difficult for us now?"

Village Head Li silently smoked his pipe, his eyes lowered. Hearing Wu Guihua's cursing, his expression didn't change at all. "Fine, I'll tell them you won't sell," he said.

Afterward, he knocked his pipe on the ground, slowly stood up, and prepared to leave. Li Mancang hurriedly held him back, saying, "Village Head Li, we didn't say we won't sell. We haven't discussed it yet. Please don't leave!"

Village Head Li coolly glanced at him. "When the head of the household says he won't sell, what's there to discuss? Fine, I'll mind my own business."

"Village Head, please don't say that." Li Mancang looked embarrassed. Although he was the head of the household, he was saying that his wife, Changsheng's mother, was the one in charge. It was like pointing at him and saying he couldn't control his wife.

He knew Village Head Li was dissatisfied with him, but he couldn't let him leave at this moment. He could only force a smile and say, "Village Head Li, you know that Changsheng's mother has a sharp tongue. When she curses the heartless bastard, she's not cursing you, but the person who wants to buy the land. Why are you in such a hurry…"

Village Head Li narrowed his eyes and said, "I'm here to mediate. When she curses the heartless bastard who wants to buy the land, isn't she cursing me? Let me tell you honestly, that person has nothing to do with you. There's no need for you to curse them. In any transaction, it's all about demanding a high price and paying the money. If you don't want to sell, then don't!"

Li Mancang, seeing that he was truly angry, quickly agreed, "Yes, you're right. Changsheng's mother did go too far. I'll talk to her. I'll talk to her. Please don't be angry…"

He then asked Wu Guihua to apologize, who reluctantly complied. In the end, she couldn't help but say resentfully, "Village Head, we're all surnamed Li, and we're not even past the fifth degree of separation. You can't help an outsider against us!"

Since Village Head Li said that person had nothing to do with them, they weren't relatives of the Li family. Was it necessary to treat them like this for the sake of an outsider?

Li Mancang pretended to scold her and turned back with a pleasing expression. "Village Head Li, can you tell us the truth? Can the price still be negotiated?"

"The person said this is the price. Once the contract is signed, they still need to go to the government office for the transfer. There won't be a single extra tael."

"They need to go through the transfer?" Wu Guihua and Li Mancang exclaimed at the same time.

Village Head Li glanced at Wu Guihua. "Yes, if you don't want to transfer, they won't believe you!"

After saying that, he stood up. "You think it over yourselves. Come find me when you've made up your minds." This time, Li Mancang didn't try to stop him.

After Village Head Li left, Feng-ge emerged from behind the hall. He had been eavesdropping all along, and when Uncle Li was nearly driven away by his mother's anger, he was anxiously stomping his feet behind, barely stopping himself from coming out…

Feng-ge looked at Li Mancang and Wu Guihua with shining eyes. "Father, mother, let's sell, alright? Ten taels is enough! After I get married, I will definitely come back to see you often."

He remembered that the Yan family was in the south, and it might not be convenient for him to return to his parents' home. He quickly added, "Even if I can't come back myself, I will send someone back. Just sell it, ten taels of silver is already quite good…"

In ancient times, when gers visited their parents' home, they had to bring gifts. When he said he would come back more often, he was actually hinting that he would bring back more things from his parents' home.

"Ten taels is too low…" Wu Guihua still felt a pang of pain. Even the smaller plots of land in the village could fetch eleven or twelve taels. Their land was good!

This spring, when they started planting, his father specially brought Changsheng to dig and fertilize the soil. It was such a cheap sale, and she couldn't accept it.

Feng-ge pouted his lips. "It's not like we can't make up for it. Just deduct a bit from the bride price, and it'll be fine…"

"You don't understand the ways of the world, child!" Wu Guihua pressed his head impatiently. "Who would complain about having more money?"

Li Mancang clearly thought the same way and nodded in agreement. "That's right."

Feng-ge actually looked down on his parents' small-mindedness, but he obediently kept quiet when he thought about them saving money for his dowry.

Feng-ge was a smart person. He knew there was no point in causing a fuss. His parents would surely find a solution.

Sure enough, the next day, Li Mancang went to talk to Village Head Li, and although he couldn't make the final decision, he asked for Cheng Duo's opinion and arranged a meeting between the two sides.

When Wu Guihua learned that it was Cheng Duo, this disaster, who wanted to buy their land, her face immediately darkened.

She felt that Cheng Duo was not compatible with their family. Why did their cows die as soon as this disaster arrived in the village? He even assaulted someone, causing them to almost be targeted by the two ruffians Li Da and Li Er…

But despite Wu Guihua's aggressive nature, she understood that the situation was stronger than individuals. In the interest of money, on the day of the meeting, she not only put on a smiling face for Cheng Duo but also said many good things, breaking her usual pattern.

At this moment, she was thinking in her heart that once Feng-ge got married, she would definitely ask Young Master Yan to help drive this disaster out of the village!

Once this disaster was gone, their land would no longer be at stake. Otherwise, Cheng Duo might take the land along with him.

Cheng Duo was unaware of Wu Guihua's thoughts. Thanks to Village Head Li's mediation, he didn't go too far and agreed to offer an additional 250 wen per mu of land, totaling 41 taels for the four mu.

Even though it was just one tael, and they couldn't make Young Master Yan wait any longer, and Li Mancang finally made the decision to sell.

The Li family was anxious, so Village Head Li proposed to Cheng Duo that they call Liu Shusheng from the village. They would write the contract of sale today.

Although Village Head Li could write, his handwriting was not pretty, and Cheng Duo needed to bring it to the county office for the transfer. To avoid being criticized by the county officials and to seize the opportunity to ask for money, it was best to find someone with good handwriting.

Cheng Duo had no objections and called a child from outside the courtyard to run an errand for one wen. The child happily went to find the person.

Cheng Duo had heard of Liu Shusheng from Yong-ge. He knew that Liu Shusheng had sporadically studied for several years, exhausting the family's resources, and only managed to pass the provincial examination for children.

Moreover, his academic achievements were not outstanding, but he had fully embraced the traditional mindset of scholars. He was initially disdainful of selling his calligraphy for money, but his parents, who were as stubborn as old oxen, died after years of unsuccessful attempts. He had no choice but to start selling his calligraphy to earn money.

However, since the villagers were illiterate, there were few opportunities for him to write letters. He could only go to Twenty-Li Slope, to find some copying work. Ink, brushes, paper, and inkstones all cost money and were quite expensive. Moreover, he enjoyed reading books and copied slowly, so he was as poor as a church mouse.

Cheng Duo was amazed by Liu Shusheng's sunken cheeks, thinking how admirable he was. Even in such poverty, couldn't he just open an enlightenment class in the village?

Village Head Li clearly knew his character and didn't waste any words. He directly explained the terms of the deal and asked Liu Shusheng to prepare the contract.

Even if the villagers are generally poor, he doesn't ask for money. He would accept some food and vegetables at least, so he wouldn't starve like this…

Liu Shusheng, after all, was someone who had passed the provincial examination for children. His handwriting might not be excellent, but the arrangement and sizing were fine. Cheng Duo could tell, but he couldn't write. After Liu Shusheng finished writing, Cheng Duo took a look and nodded, saying, "It's good."

Liu Shusheng had encountered many people who pretended to be knowledgeable but didn't understand a thing. He thought Cheng Duo was a brute who couldn't possibly read. When he saw Cheng Duo pretending to understand, he gave him a sideways glance and said, "You understand what it says just by looking at it? You say it's good?"

"…" At the very least, Cheng Duo had received twelve years of compulsory education. Although he had forgotten much of his knowledge due to the long apocalypse, insulting him for not being able to read was too much!

Cheng Duo picked up the contract and read it aloud, then asked Liu Shusheng, "Did I make any mistakes?"

Liu Shusheng's face turned red and green. He really wanted to say that Cheng Duo could read, so why did he spend money to hire him to write? He was originally the most knowledgeable person in the village and took pride in it, but now that Cheng Duo could read too, he inexplicably felt a bit threatened…

Liu Shusheng had the intention to show off his knowledge in front of Cheng Duo, but Cheng Duo ignored him after asking the question and turned to Li Mancang and Wu Guihua, saying, "Is there anything else you want to add?"

In truth, the written text that Liu Shusheng wrote was too obscure. Cheng Duo read it once, and Li Mancang and Wu Guihua only understood the general idea. But to avoid showing weakness, they pretended to understand and shook their heads together.

Their eldest son, Li Changsheng, sneakily glanced at Cheng Duo and felt that Cheng Duo was truly amazing. He could even read, and he had even shut down Liu Shusheng!

Cheng Duo only had eight taels of silver on him. He hadn't exchanged the silver notes given by Wei Ling because it was more convenient to keep them. So, he decided to go to the county office to exchange them for a new land contract. After asking Village Head Li about the existence of a wealthy bank in the county, he simply asked Li Mancang to accompany him with the land contract.

Of course, as a middleman and the village chief of Yang Village, Third Uncle Li also had to go along.

Wu Guihua was impatient and urged them to set off that day. Since they would have to stay overnight in the county, it wasn't too late for them to leave at this time.

Cheng Duo was initially worried that Village Head Li, being old and frail, might have difficulty walking later on, but he underestimated the old man's physical strength. This farmer, who had worked in the fields all year round, was still vigorous even in his seventies and eighties, much more spirited than those young people who sat in front of computers in the pre-apocalyptic era.

However, even so, walking for several hours on the mountain road made Village Head Li exhausted. The three of them stopped to rest in a wooded area by the roadside. Village Head Li lit a pipe and happily said that they were only a dozen miles away.

Cheng Duo: It still takes over an hour to walk a dozen miles!

With a grim face, he walked up and took the pipe from Village Head Li's hand, shaking out the tobacco and extinguishing it, then handed the pipe back to him.

Village Head Li was stunned. Cheng Duo said, "Smoke it when we go back." How could he smoke immediately without catching his breath? What if he smoked it all at once and felt dizzy later?

Village Head Li was about to ask why when three bandits holding large knives and wooden clubs rushed out of the forest, saying, "Robbery! Hand over your valuables!"

Village Head Li was shocked. Did Cheng Duo know in advance that lighting the pipe would attract bandits? But he had only lit one pipe. He didn't set the entire mountain on fire, and why did these bandits arrive so quickly?

Contrary to him, Li Mancang saw the bandits and instantly turned pale as a sheet. He still had the land contract with him. If he had known, he wouldn't have sold the land to Cheng Duo. Otherwise, they wouldn't have encountered bandits on the way!

He tightly pressed his waist with both hands, and his legs couldn't help but tremble.

The leader of the bandits saw his actions and knew that he had something valuable on him. He brandished his big knife and pointed at him, saying, "What good stuff do you have hidden on you? If you don't want to die, take it out quickly!"

In fact, these bandits on the road were also selective. Cheng Duo's group consisted of three people. Village Head Li was an old man with gray hair, Li Mancang was thin and short, and the only sturdy one was Cheng Duo, who had empty hands.

On the other hand, they had knives in their hands, even though they only had one!

In this era, ordinary people were already frightened when they saw bandits, not to mention when the bandits were holding a sharpened black iron knife.

This kind of knife was similar to the official knife carried by yamen officers. Although the bandits and yamen officers had different identities, they had the same deterrent effect on the villagers.

Village Head Li and Li Mancang both knew that Cheng Duo could fight, but that was when everyone was unarmed. No matter how powerful Cheng Duo was, he was still flesh and blood. If he got slashed, he would still bleed. So they didn't have much hope.

Li Mancang, with a mournful face, took out the land contract, while Village Head Li tremblingly fumbled for his money pouch, advising Cheng Duo, "Don't resist. You can earn more silver, but if you lose your life…"

Before he could finish speaking, Cheng Duo had already rushed forward. Village head Li saw the big knife brandished by the leader of the bandits and silently exclaimed in his heart. Thinking of the scene where Cheng Duo would soon be covered in blood, he turned away his old face and couldn't bear to watch…

But soon he realized that he was wrong. Cheng Duo rushed over, kicked away the leader of the bandits, and then grabbed the wooden club from the second bandit's hand. With a single blow, he knocked down the burly bandit, who was as tall as a horse, causing him to fall to the ground with stars in his eyes.

The last bandit, a thin and wily one, got scared and turned to run, but Cheng Duo kicked him in the knee pit. The sight of him falling face-first into the ground made both Village Head Li and Li Man Cang frown in unison.

After a few months of leisure, Cheng Duo had become much calmer than when he first arrived. He incapacitated the three bandits without causing them any serious harm and stopped there. He didn't intend to kill them.

He picked up the knife of the bandit leader and turned around to hand it to Village Head Li. "Take this, Third Uncle."

Village Head Li was dazed. "Oh, oh…"

Cheng Duo then went to the three bandits and took off their belts one by one.

The three of them were on the verge of tears. What was this bloodthirsty guy doing by taking off their belts? Did he want to spare no one, leaving them defenseless?

The three men on the ground struggled hard while clutching their pants. Especially the thin monkey-faced bandit who had broken his nose when he fell, blood was now streaming from his nose, making him look quite comical.

Cheng Duo lifted each of them and bound them with their belts, stringing them together.

"What are you going to do?" The three bandits struggled vigorously.

Village Head Li mustered up his courage and asked, "What do you plan to do with them?"

Cheng Duo thought for a moment. "Should we take them to the county yamen?"

Leaving them behind would only bring disaster. Although this road led to the county town, it was mostly traveled by poor peasants. These three guys robbed them of their money, which was tantamount to taking their lives.

Cheng Duo deliberately said this in front of them. If these bandits had any trump cards, they would definitely reveal them now.

Sure enough, the leader of the bandits' face changed when he heard Cheng Duo's words. His eyes flickered, seemingly thinking of something. He suddenly frowned and threatened, "You better let us go!"

"Oh, why should I?" Cheng Duo raised an eyebrow.

"We are from Black Tiger Gang. If you don't let us go, our leader Black Tiger will definitely not spare you!"

The other two men showed surprise on their faces upon hearing his words, especially the tall and burly fool. If it weren't for the monkey-faced bandit's prompt action, twisting his waist, he would have shouted out.

The monkey-faced bandit quickly chimed in, "That's right! You're from the nearby village, right? If our leader comes looking for you, it won't just be your problem. The whole village will suffer!"

Village Head Li and Li Man Cang both turned pale at the same time. Li Man Cang trembled his voice and said, "Cheng Duo, you'd better let them go. We can't afford to provoke these bandits…"

Village Head Li also advised, "Cheng Duo, let it go."

"It's fine, Uncle Li. Just wait a moment," Cheng Duo turned around and reassured him. With his strong abilities and an air of having everything under control, Village Head Li looked at him and inexplicably felt less panicked. His gaze steadied, and he quietly stepped aside. Li Man Cang had no choice but to follow suit.

Cheng Duo sneered in his heart. If he couldn't see through these guys' bluff, then he would have wasted his ten years in the apocalypse!

He glanced at the leader of the bandits and then at the skinny monkey-faced one, suddenly revealing a ferocious smile. "So, you guys have a stronghold, huh? Fine, take me there. I'll kill everyone in your entire stronghold so that you won't have to worry about retaliation."

The leader of the bandits, Zeng Datou, upon hearing Cheng Duo's words, seemed to remember something and turned pale with fear. Trembling all over, he stammered, "You, you're joking. You're just one person, and our boss has over a hundred subordinates…"

The monkey-faced bandit also had a pale and conflicted expression, as if he was about to vomit. Only the big and foolish one seemed unaffected.

Cheng Duo didn't understand why they were reacting like this. He hadn't even used his threatening methods yet, and these guys were already so frightened. Were they really that useless? Regardless, he still needed to intimidate them.

Cheng Duo took the large iron knife from Uncle Li and looked at Zeng Datou and the monkey-faced bandit with a menacing smile. Together, they awkwardly dragged the big and foolish one backward. "Don't… don't kill us!"

Little did they know, Cheng Duo was just holding the knife in his hand, gripping the handle with one hand and pinching the blade with the other. With a loud "bang," the knife snapped into two pieces.

"…" Cheng Duo felt a bit embarrassed. He had intended to break the iron knife and fold it into a ball, but he didn't expect ancient iron tools to be so brittle. It broke as soon as he applied force…

But since it was broken, there was nothing he could do. He threw away the handle and folded the broken blade layer by layer. Finally, he pressed it hard, turning the once sharp knife into a flat piece of iron. He used the iron piece to knock against Zeng Datou's face. "Based on my skills and strength, do you think I have the ability to kill everyone in your stronghold?"

Zeng Datou's face was stinging from the sharp blade, but the pain on his face was far less terrifying than Cheng Duo's words. Was this guy even human?

He had enough strength to casually twist iron, as he had just demonstrated, and when they came to attack him earlier, he didn't even know how he was knocked down. He only felt a sharp pain in his stomach, and then he fell to the ground.

The feeling of blacking out from the intense pain was still haunting him. What scared him even more was the killing intent emanating from Cheng Duo. Even their former leader, Black Tiger, wasn't as terrifying as him! Black Tiger had killed people before, and they had witnessed him personally deal with several people!

Cheng Duo continued, "I know you guys probably don't want to lead the way, but it doesn't matter. I'll kill one of you first, and the remaining two will definitely be willing… It doesn't require so many people to lead the way. It's troublesome!"

As the executioner tossed the iron piece in his hand to the old man behind him and turned his head as if contemplating whose neck to twist first… The timid monkey-faced bandit couldn't bear it anymore and shouted, "Stop! I'll tell the truth! Black Tiger's stronghold has already been wiped out. Only the three of us managed to escape. There's no one else left! Take us to the county yamen. We're willing to go to the county yamen!"

The big and foolish one looked at him in surprise, seemingly feeling a bit wronged. "Just a moment ago, I wanted to say that, but you didn't let me. And now you're saying it…"

Zeng Datou lowered his head in frustration but didn't think there was anything wrong with what the monkey-faced bandit did. Rather than letting this executioner run in vain and end up killing them out of frustration, it was better to go to the county yamen for safety. Once they reached the county yamen, they would at least have a way out.

Cheng Duo: "…"

He had underestimated them. He thought they were so pitiful and had no background. It turns out they had an "organization" after all, and the Black Tiger stronghold really existed! However, their former leader must have been too arrogant and offended someone in the same line of work or a merchant caravan. So, accidentally, the entire stronghold was wiped out.

Zeng Datou and the other two were coincidentally sent out to find targets and thus escaped the disaster. When they returned the next day and saw the corpses scattered throughout the stronghold, they were scared out of their wits! Thanks to the sharp eyes of the monkey-faced bandit, they found this black iron knife in a crevice, allowing them to escape to this prosperous place and continue their promising career as bandits.

Unfortunately, their luck wasn't too good as they encountered Cheng Duo on their first solo operation…

Upon hearing their words, Cheng Duo felt relieved and calmly dragged the three bandits to the county yamen… Well, even if they couldn't claim a reward, considering his efforts in rooting out the strong and aiding the weak in his county, they should at least grant him a reduction in oppressive taxes, right?