In the early morning.
Yun Hu looked at the dark circles below Qi Shaorong's eyes and said, "Hey, did you not sleep well last night?"
Qi Shaorong nodded and said, "Yep!"
"Is it because you realized stealing is wrong and you regretted it so much that you couldn't fall asleep?!"
Qi Shaorong: "… " Silly boy, your imagination is too wild. This young master couldn't sleep because of all the noise that you were making.
"Right, I didn't sleep well because I was so overcome with regret." If he'd known earlier, he would've chosen to steal clothes from a different house.
"Well, at least you're repenting your wrongdoings. Recognizing your mistakes can allow you to freeform yourself, and being good and virtuous is of the utmost importance." Yun Hu said.
Qi Shaorong: "…"
"Now hurry and go wash the clothes. You overslept. Your companion has already gotten up, he's been chopping firewood for a while now." Yun Hu said.
Qi Shaorong followed Yun Hu and saw Zhuang Hao chopping firewood.
"Hey, you're really skilled at this! Did you used to do this kind of job for other people in the past?" Yun Hu said.
Although Zhuang Hao's magic was temporarily sealed off, he still had excellent strength and control in his movements. The wood that he chopped was uniform in thickness and looked good.
Zhuang Hao glanced at Yun Hu and said, "Yeah! You guessed it."
"Then why'd you stop and decide to run out and be a thief!" Yun Hu asked.
"Because the master I worked for went bankrupt and couldn't afford to pay our wages anymore, so all the workers were fired." Zhuang Hao said.
"So your master still owes you money for that job?" Yun Hu said.
Zhuang Hao nodded and said, "Yeah."
"Then that's really too unfair. Why don't you consider cultivating! You can cultivate to become a martial artist! Oh, I know, is it because you're afraid of hard work? Everyone has a goal they want to pursue, you can't just give up because you're afraid of hard work. You should be more like me." Yun Hu patted his chest and said.
Zhuang Hao: "…" If I were more like you, then I truly wouldn't be able to make any progress at all.
"Do you know? I have a grand dream that I wish to fulfill." Yun Hu said.
Zhuang Hao smiled and said, "What's your dream?"
"To join the Flying Tiger mercenary group, become a mercenary, travel all over the world, and become a hero of this generation! Isn't this a great dream?" Yun Hu asked.
Zhuang Hao, "…Right! It's great! So, how strong are the Flying Tiger mercenaries? What about the strength of their leader!"
"Wow, you don't get out much, do you? You're so lacking in knowledge, no wonder you ended up becoming a thief!" Yun Hu said contemptuously.
Zhuang Hao: "…"
"The Flying Tiger mercenary group is the most powerful mercenary group in our town. Their leader is a superb level five marksman and very powerful." Yun Hu said. "It won��t be long before I'll be able to join the mercenary group, become a mainstay of the group, and then become the second-in-command, and then…" At this point, Yun Hu suddenly stopped.
"And then… Defeat the leader and become the leader of the mercenary group?" Qi Shaorong asked, looking at Yun Hu.
Yun Hu shook his head, and hemmed and hawed a little, "No, it's not like that!"
Qi Shaorong looked at Yun Hu's flushed face, and couldn't help finding it a little amusing. This silly boy was actually… shy. Clearly, this had something to do with the feelings of love.
"And then… Defeat the leader and marry the leader. The leader of the Flying Tiger mercenary group is a beauty." Yun Que [2] walked over carrying a basket full of wild vegetables.
"Sister, don't speak nonsense!" Yun Hu said sullenly.
Yun Que disapprovingly said, "It's not nonsense! You, you're the one who's always saying that you want to marry the leader of the Flying Tiger mercenary group."
Yun Que smiled apologetically at Qi Shaorong and Zhuang Hao and said, "My little brother likes to shoot his mouth off, you shouldn't take his words seriously."
Qi Shaorong: "…"
Zhuang Hao: "…"
"Sister, stop speaking nonsense! When have I ever done that!" Yun Hu looked at Yun Que, showing his dissatisfaction.
"You're always exaggerating about these kinds of things! Half a year ago, you claimed that you were about to break through to become a third-level martial artist. Grandpa even prepared an extravagant celebration feast for you, but then you failed to do so. Later, you said you were close to breaking through, and Grandpa prepared another celebration party for you, but you still didn't achieve any results. Then you said that you were close again, and Grandpa prepared another celebration for you again. This happened eight times, yet you're still at the second level. We wasted so much money."
Yun Hu's face reddened, and he gnashed his teeth, and said, "Sister, you can't let outsiders hear about our family matters! Besides, we ate all the food that was prepared, so it's not like it went to waste."
Qi Shaorong: "…" Eight celebration feasts, this kid couldn't have done it on purpose, right? Then again, this guy's grandpa was also strange enough. The boy cried wolf so many times, yet he still never stopped believing him.
"Sister, what are we eating today!" Yun Hu asked.
"Wild vegetables." Yun Que said.
Yun Hu looked at Yun Que and his shoulders slumped. His voice was full of grievances as he said, "Sister, why are we eating that stuff again! I'm not a sheep [3], I don't want to eat vegetables!"
"If you don't want to eat it, then don't eat it." Yun Que said calmly.
Yun Hu's expression collapsed, "Sister, don't be like this! How about I go up to the mountain and catch a wild boar to eat."
Yun Que looked at Yun Hu and said helplessly, "The mountain isn't safe. Have you forgotten? Last time, you wanted to go catch a wild boar, but you were knocked down the mountain by the wild boar and almost lost your life."
Yun Que snorted softly and said, "This is for your own good. Father died early, and our old family only has you as its successor. If you want to die, you'll still have to pass on the family name before dying."
Qi Shaorong took a deep breath and thought to himself: This sister is really tough.
"Sister, last time was just an accident. This time, I'll have two helpers with me, and nothing will happen to me." Yun Hu said.
Yun Que looked at Yun Hu and said, "Where are your two helpers!"
Yun Hu looked at Qi Shaorong and Zhuang Hao, and said, "Here!"
Yun Que looked at Qi Shaorong and Zhuang Hao and said, "No, not these two."
Yun Hu frowned and said, "Why not!"
"They can't fight or use magic at all! What use will they be? Of course you can't take them." Yun Que said.
Yun Hu: "…"
Qi Shaorong: "…" It's been a long time since he's felt this looked down on. Well, it's not like he could show his true strength now anyway.
Qi Shaorong nudged Zhuang Hao with his elbow and said, "How do you feel?"
Zhuang Hao twisted his face and said, "This is a first for me."
Yun Que looked at Qi Shaorong and Zhuang Hao suspiciously, and said, "What are you two whispering about?"
Qi Shaorong smiled at Yun Que and said, "He's never caught a wild boar before, so this is all very new to him."
Yun Hu said disdainfully, "You're already so old, yet you've never caught a wild boar before? No wonder you could only be a thief. Speaking of which, your thieving skills are abysmal. Of all the houses here, you decided to steal from my house. Our family is as poor as can be. Sometimes, when I want to go out and have some drinks, I'll search the entire house and won't be able to find even a measly copper coin."
Zhuang Hao: "…" When will he get his magic back! These current days were dragging by like years.
"Ha! You slipped up! Last time when the house was turned into a mess, you lied to me and said that it was done by a thief. So it was actually you who did it! I knew it, what thief would be stupid enough to steal from our house?" Yun Que placed her hands on her hips.
Qi Shaorong: "…"
Zhuang Hao: "…"
"Sister, help cover for me at home. I just want to go out quickly, I'll return soon." Yun Hu said.
Yun Que looked at Yun Hu and said, "You do what you can."
Yun Hu nodded and said, "I know, I know. Sister, I know my limits. If I manage to catch a wild boar, I'll stew some pig trotters for you. I heard that it can improve one's looks."
Yun Que: "…"
Qi Shaorong and Zhuang Hao followed Yun Hu and headed into the mountain forest.
"You two, don't be afraid. Just follow me, your Big Bro Hu. The wild boar is nothing impressive. Don't worry, as long as you follow your Brother Hu, I promise that you'll return unscathed. Just who am I, your Brother Hu! I'm a man who's destined to become a hero." Yun Hu said confidently.
Qi Shaorong rolled his eyes and thought: These kinds of words, coming from the mouth of a person who was almost killed by a wild boar, really wasn't convincing at all!
Yun Hu strode forward in large steps, Zhuang Hao followed behind with his arms folded.
Qi Shaorong tilted his head and turned to Zhuang Hao, "Look at this guy, when do you think he'll break through to become a third-level martial artist!"
Zhuang Hao looked at Yun Hu and said, "He should already be on the verge of breaking through, but he doesn't know how to reach the turning point yet. If he can reach it, then he might be able to break through tomorrow, but if he can't figure it out, then even after another ten years, I'm afraid…"
Zhuang Hao thought to himself: Yun Hu aptitude was actually pretty good. If this guy had been born in a better-off family and had a good teacher instructing him, then he should have broken through long ago. However, he was born in a small mountain village, and there were very few people in the village who were knowledgeable about these things.
Qi Shaorong's lips curled and he said, "How unfortunate…" It would definitely be difficult to get an idiot like that guy to figure out how to break through!
A grunting sound traveled over, and wild boar, with long, sharp protruding tusks and a body length of three meters ran out.
Qi Shaorong quickly climbed up a nearby tree. Although his magic was sealed, Qi Shaorong's speed when it came to running for his life remained unaffected.
Yun Hu stood in front of the wild boar, and clenched his axe tightly in his hand. He said, "Don't be afraid, I can definitely block it. Follow your Brother Hu and you'll get to eat meat."
Qi Shaorong looked at Yun Hu and couldn't help gritting his teeth. Yun Hu, this idiot, he wasn't purposely looking for death, was he… This idiot, just hide! Yep, he's going to die, how should they explain this to that old man?
The wild boar stomped its foot and charged at Yun Hu.
Qi Shaorong looked at Yun Hu's slightly trembling legs and covered his eyes. If he's scared, then he should hide! What was he doing?
In the twinkling of an eye, Qi Shaorong saw Zhuang Hao, who had already climbed to the top of the tree, lightly jump down from the branches, landing right on top of the wild boar. Zhuang Hao hit the wild boar in the head, and the wild boar immediately fell on the ground.
Seeing the wild boar collapse, Yun Hu rushed up and abruptly slashed at the wild boar's head.
Qi Shaorong climbed down, looked at Zhuang Hao, and whispered, "Your strength is restored?"
Zhuang Hao shook his head, and said, "No."
"Then how…?"
"I've received special training in the past. Even if I can't use any magic, my own physical fitness is more than enough to deal with this kind of wild boar." Zhuang Hao said.
Qi Shaorong rolled his eyes and said, "If you're so powerful, why were you discovered when you tried to rob their house?"
Zhuang Hao blushed and said, "It's because I was inexperienced!"
Actually, even without magic, he still could've easily dealt with Yun Hu and the others, but then their whereabouts would've been exposed.
Qi Shaorong looked at Zhuang Hao and said, "Oh, inexperience sure is debilitating! If you have the opportunity in the future, you should accumulate more experience."
Zhuang Hao: "…" This kind of thing, only experiencing it once was already unforgettable enough. In their current situation, it's better to keep a low profile.
Footnotes:
Tiger Leaving The Mountain: The title is actually an idiom "虎落平阳", which is when a tiger leaves the mountain and falls to flat ground and is stranded there. It's a metaphor for losing power. I didn't know how to translate it lol.
Yun Que: The "yun" in Yun Que and Yun Hu's names means "cloud". "Que" means sparrow, and "hu" means tiger. "Yun Que" put together actually means skylark, like the Eurasion skylark, which is another kind of bird.
Sheep: It originally says "animals that go baa", probably referring to animals like sheep and other herbivores.