Chapter 6: Danger? Who's to Say Who's Really in Danger!

He first pointed at himself, then toward the forest outside the door, mimicking the action of drawing a bow and firing an arrow. He then gestured toward Wang Erhu’s house with a meaningful expression, before patting Kobayashi Yukiko on the shoulder with a sharp, warning gaze.

His meaning was clear: I am going into the mountains to hunt; you must be careful of Wang Erhu and protect yourself.

Kobayashi Yukiko’s body trembled slightly. She kept her head bowed, as if she had seen nothing and heard nothing, though her fingers, clutching the corner of her clothes, tightened even further.

Xu Feng let out a cold snort in his heart and said no more. He had given the warning; this Japanese woman was clever, and whether she lived or died was up to her own fate. He was curious to see how she would handle herself when left unattended and faced with a clear danger.

He pulled the door open, cast one final glance at Kobayashi Yukiko, and strode out. His figure soon vanished into the thin morning mist.

The courtyard gate creaked as it was pulled shut, leaving Kobayashi Yukiko alone in the house. She slowly lifted her head, her eyes fixed on the closed door with a complex look. The timid expression she had worn earlier faded away, replaced by a calmness and vigilance that belied her appearance.

Wang Erhu... the desire in that man’s eyes made her shudder.

And Xu Feng—the man who had "bought" her from Old Li and now treated her as bait—his true intentions were even more unfathomable. She walked to the window and, peering through the small lattice, watched the outside surroundings with caution.

[Ding! Favorability change: Kobayashi Yukiko. Current favorability: -9 (Increased vigilance, confusion)]

The system notification echoed in Xu Feng’s mind.

-9? Increased vigilance, and confusion added to the mix?

Xu Feng’s mouth twitched. It seemed his actions had made him even more of a mystery to her. No matter; as long as she could protect herself and not let that fool Wang Erhu take advantage of her, that was enough. Otherwise, his "bait" would have been wasted.

...

Xu Feng took a deep breath of the cool morning air in the forest, scented with grass and damp earth, which refreshed his spirit.

The mountain behind Laohegou Village was known to locals as "Black Bear Gully." It wasn't because the area was overrun with black bears, but because the forest was dense and the terrain, crisscrossed with ravines, was so complex that ordinary people dared not venture deep inside.

Having spent years maneuvering through the deep forests of the Northeast against the Japanese invaders, such terrain was nothing to Xu Feng. He didn't rush into the depths, but instead familiarized himself with the perimeter, searching for traces of wild animals. Though Wang Erhu’s bow was decent, there were only a dozen arrows in the quiver, so he had to use them sparingly.

He soon found several piles of fresh rabbit droppings near a thicket, along with some nibbled tender grass.

Xu Feng’s eyes lit up. He had a lead!

He crouched down, carefully observing his surroundings. He pulled an arrow from the quiver, nocked it on the bowstring, held his breath, and slowly drew the bow.

The string was pulled back about two-thirds of the way, emitting a faint creak. Xu Feng frowned slightly. The bow was well-maintained, but having sat unused for so long, the joints where the bow body met the string were a bit stiff. It seemed that kid Wang Erhu only kept the bow as a decoration to brag about his hunter background, rarely using it.

He didn't force a full draw, keeping the tension steady as his eyes, sharp as a hawk’s, scanned for potential targets.

Xu Feng was a veteran of many battles, carrying dozens of scars of varying sizes. The most severe was on his right shoulder—a gunshot wound from a German Mauser 98k during the Battle of Gule. That bullet had left his right arm unable to exert full force, and the wound had never fully healed. He wasn't pulling back only two-thirds because he didn't want to; he simply couldn't.

Minutes ticked by. The forest was filled only with the rustling of leaves and the occasional birdcall. Xu Feng was incredibly patient, remaining as still as a stone integrated into the environment.

Suddenly, the grass nearby stirred. A grayish-brown wild rabbit poked its head out, its long ears twitching as it scanned the area vigilantly.

Now!

Xu Feng’s gaze hardened. Almost the moment the rabbit appeared, his fingers relaxed.

*Whoosh!*

The bowstring vibrated as the arrow took flight, whistling through the air with lightning speed, straight toward the rabbit. The rabbit clearly sensed the danger and kicked its back legs to bolt, but Xu Feng’s arrow was too fast and too precise.

*Thwack!*

With a soft sound, the arrow pierced through the rabbit’s eye socket and out the back of its skull. The rabbit didn't even have time to shriek; it twitched twice and went completely still.

A kill with one shot!

A satisfied smile appeared on Xu Feng’s face. It seemed his skills hadn't rusted. Though this body lacked nutrition and bore many old wounds, the foundation remained. It might be a stretch for warfare, but hunting was no problem at all.

He walked over, picked up the rabbit, and weighed it—about three or four pounds. Enough for a good meal for him and that Japanese woman.

Having made a good start, Xu Feng felt more confident. He tied the rabbit with a straw rope, hung it from his waist, and continued deeper into the forest. Although the old injury in his right shoulder made drawing the bow somewhat strenuous, it was more than enough to handle such small prey.

After walking through the mountains for a long time, he grew tired. He sat down on a wind-sheltered rock and unhooked his water skin for a drink. The water was cool, making his head feel clearer.

Thinking back to Kobayashi Yukiko... her bright, vigilant eyes appeared in his mind. This woman was definitely not as simple as she looked. Leaving her home alone to face someone like Wang Erhu was indeed a risky move.

But he had to do it. He needed to figure out her background as quickly as possible. If she couldn't even handle Wang Erhu, then all his previous vigilance and Japanese-language probes were unnecessary. If she truly had some hidden agenda or a concealed identity, she would be most likely to reveal it under such pressure.

"I hope I don't overplay my hand," Xu Feng chuckled to himself. He wasn't worried that Wang Erhu could actually do anything to Kobayashi Yukiko; he was worried that if she turned out to be a tough nut to crack and ended up crippling Wang Erhu, that would be a real problem. How would the villagers see it? How would he explain his "picked-up wife" suddenly displaying such lethal combat skills?

But then again, even if she did end up beating Wang Erhu to a pulp, it might not be a bad thing. At the very least, it would deter the other unsavory characters in the village.