Chapter 31 - The Fragrance of the Deer
Chapter 31 of "Journey to the End of the Night" starts with unexpected events: The young ladâs eyes brimmed with excitement, his cheeks flushed with delight at having gained... Find out more!
The young ladâs eyes brimmed with excitement, his cheeks flushed with delight at having gained the iron bow.
He struck a mighty pose, drawing the iron bow into a perfect arcâhis action eliciting a round of resounding cheers and shrill shrieks from the girls.
The iron bow seemed to be of significant heft; even a grown, muscular man might not be able to draw it fully.
Yet, the youth did it with effortless grace, earning the respect and applause of all present.
Having acquired the new bow, the young lad did not immediately test its power; instead, he held the iron bow and walked towards Baili An.
His eyes shone brightly, exuding an air of high spirits.
Upon his approach, he introduced himself, âMy name is Qi Yang.â
Out of courtesy, Baili An stood to respond, âMy name isâŚâ
He hadnât finished stating his name when the other interrupted, âI know your name.
I heard it when you first introduced yourself as the Scavenger Si Chen.â
Perhaps among the mortals present, this young man named Qi Yang was the most distinctive.
He was capable of cultivation, possessing the strength to take on a hundred men.
With him alone entering the mountains to hunt, the village would not have to worry about a lack of meat for the entire year.
Therefore, his uniqueness led to a somewhat casual and impolite demeanor, with an air of arrogance evident in the corner of his eyes and the arch of his brows.
He glanced at the white deer at Baili Anâs feet and continued, âBut donât be mistaken; I remember your name not because you are something special, but because Iâm exceedingly interested in this spiritual deer beside you.â
The mountain villagers immediately crowded around, curious.
They whispered among themselves.
âHas Qi Yang singled someone out to bully, picking on the newcomer?â
âDidnât you hear?
Qi Yang has taken a liking to that deer.â
âWell, that kidâs in for it now.
Qi Yang is the renowned bully of the village.
Whichever girl he fancies ends up with the same treatment and eventually enters his room.â
âBut thatâs because the girls are willing, right?
Qi Yang is different from us; he has been guided by the Immortal and is so powerful because he practices Immortal arts.
The girls are thrilled to serve him.â
âBut that deer is not a girl; it wonât be pleased.â
âHeh, letâs just wait and see.â
Baili An, looking at the defiant youth before him, said calmly, âThis deer is mine.â
Qi Yang smiled and lifted the iron bow in his hand, offering it forth.
As he did so, he intentionally put extra force into his hands, causing an evil wind to whip towards Baili Anâs cheeks.
An ordinary person would surely be startled.
But Baili Anâs gaze remained calm, unflinching as he eyed the iron bow before him.
This left Qi Yang slightly disappointed.
He thought to himself, Could this kid be a fool?
Whatever.
This deer, I must have!
âI know the deer is yours.
I wonât take advantage of you.
Iâll exchange this iron bow for it,â Qi Yang said.
Without a second thought, Baili An flatly refused, âNo exchange.â
Qi Yangâs eyes darkened slightly, a bitter edge to his demeanor.
Fortunately, it seemed that in front of the villagers, he restrained himself due to his status and didnât resort to outright aggression and robbery.
He looked down at the beautiful white deer pulsating with Spiritual Energy at Baili Anâs feet.
He sneered with a mocking patience, âI suppose, a simple Scavenger from the forests wouldnât have seen much of the world.
You think this iron bow Iâm holding is just a mortal item?
Let me honestly tell you, this bow is a top-grade weapon, worthy of being counted among the treasures of an Immortal Sect family.
Exchanging it for your deer, you would be making a huge profit.â
Qi Yang spoke with haughty pride, his confidence on full display.
His expression and demeanor suggested that by taking his bow, Baili An would be the one gaining a significant advantage.
Baili An, amused inwardly, understood that not only was this bow a mere treasure, but it was a Low Grade one at that.
As he had claimed, since waking up from the ancient coffin, he hadnât much experience of the world, yet to him, this bow was far from a top-grade weapon.
âSince this bow is as outstanding as you describe, you might as well keep it.
I donât understand archery; I only know about raising deer,â Baili An refused once more, with gentle tact.
But Qi Yang, dead set on obtaining the deer, could not be dissuaded by a few words.
He scoffed coldly, thinking if he wonât drink to a toast, he must drink to a dare, âIf you donât want to trade the deer for the bow, thatâs fine.
Letâs settle this like men instead.
Weâll have a duel.
If you win, you can have the bow, but if you lose, the deer becomes mine.
Of course, Iâm not one to take advantage of newcomers.
Even if you lose the deer to me, Iâll still give you the bow.â
Qi Yangâs face bore the expression of a strong man pitying a weaker one, almost as if bestowing charity.
The surrounding villagers glanced at each other; some felt Baili An was being ungracious, while a few thought Qi Yang too domineering, placing unreasonable demands.
But everyone understood one thing for certain.
The youth facing them nowâpale and wanâdid not seem a match for Qi Yang in the slightest.
So many robust men in the village had been easily swept aside by Qi Yangâs hand alone.
This Scavenger lad, looking like he hadnât had a full meal in years, would likely not even stand one move against Qi Yang.
Any smart person would refuse such a duel.
And that was precisely what Qi Yang thought too.
But he didnât need his opponentâs agreementâwithout waiting for Baili An to speak, he had already posed himself for attack, the heavy iron bow plunging deep into the earth.
The force was so great that the massive iron bow sank halfway into the ground, stunning many of the villagers.
âThatâs fine by me.â
Contrary to expectation, Baili An agreed calmly and promptly.
Qi Yang, poised for attack, froze, his expression turning baffled.
The villagers also paused in confusion, then some quickly got the joke and burst out laughing, âThis Scavenger kid is too proud.
Qi Yang seriously proposed a trade, and he wouldnât accept, insisting on taking a beating before handing over the deer willingly.â
âHow foolish.
Had he agreed from the start, thereâd be no issue.
Even the strong men in our village suffer for days after taking just a couple of hits, and thatâs when Qi Yang is holding back.
This kid is asking for trouble; heâs in for some real pain.â
âGuess how many days heâll be in bed after Qi Yangâs punch?â
âHa, does the kid even have a bed?
Heâs just a penniless Scavenger.
Heâll probably find some cave to lie in for ten days or a fortnight, unnoticed, maybe even starve to death.â
âServes him right.
Had he just agreed to trade with Qi Yang from the get-go, none of this would be happening.â
The strapping man who had begun gnawing on a lamb leg to strike a conversation with Baili An earlier stroked his chin.
Chuckling, he said, âA fight wouldnât be too bad.
The boy is handsome, and my sister fancies him.
If heâs badly injured and nobody cares for him, Iâll drag him home on my sisterâs behalf, nurse him back to health, and make him our brother-in-law.â