8: Chapter 8 Still Vigorous in Old Age

That night, Ye Jing did not hesitate to use another wisp of Immortal Light, and his body instantly felt a bit lighter.

He shook his wrist, feeling as though he had regained some of his strength.

He tried taking a few steps; his pace was already much lighter, and that stiff feeling of being unable to move his legs was gone.

Thinking about joining the hunting party in the deep mountains tomorrow, with this strength, he could handle it whether it was scouting the path, setting traps, or encountering minor trouble.

He wouldn't have to make his two sons worry about him every second, which made Ye Jing feel much more at ease.

After getting everything ready, Ye Jing went to bed to rest up for tomorrow's hunt.

He rolled over and soon fell into a deep sleep, his breathing much steadier than usual.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking.

Ye Jing got up early, had some porridge, told Wu Guiyun to look after the house, and then followed his sons to the threshing floor.

Soon, the group arrived at the threshing floor at the edge of the village. It was spacious and flat, with some chaff still remaining on the ground. Wooden poles for hanging grain ears stood at the edge, surrounded by yellowing corn stalks.

Over twenty people had already gathered at the threshing floor, each carrying bows and arrows, machetes, and cloth bags containing dry rations and water.

Ye Jing scanned the crowd; most were unfamiliar faces. It seemed that not only Liu Village, but many nearby villages had also gathered, ready to try their luck in the deep mountains and hunt more game.

The crowd surrounded a tall, strong man with a fleshy face and a scar, looking extremely fierce.

This man was a hunter from Chen Family Village named Zhang Youqiang. He had practiced martial arts in his youth, possessed ample mountain experience, had great archery skills, and was proficient in hunting techniques.

The people around hoped Zhang Youqiang would lead the way into the mountains.

When the people from Liu Village saw someone from Chen Family Village leading, their faces were filled with resentment.

This was because Liu Village and Chen Family Village had never gotten along.

The reason was that Liu Village and Chen Family Village were located close to each other.

The farmland of both villages relied on a river flowing from the Qinling Mountains for irrigation. However, for their own convenience, Chen Family Village had actually diverted the river so that all the water flowed to their village.

Liu Village had to take a long detour to irrigate their crops, which was extremely inconvenient.

The two villages often had friction over the river issue, accumulating a lot of resentment.

Now, in order to gather enough tax silver, the two villages could only set aside their old grudges for the time being and cooperate to hunt in the mountains.

Everyone was almost ready and about to set off.

Zhang Youqiang glanced at the people from Liu Village and asked casually, "How many people did your Liu Village bring?"

Wang Laosan from Liu Village stepped forward and said, "Ten people in total."

Zhang Youqiang's gaze swept through the Liu Village crowd. Seeing a frail old man mixed in with the young men, he frowned.

He said mockingly, "Oh! Isn't this Old Man Ye? What, you want to follow us into the mountains to hunt too?"

Ye Jing nodded and said calmly, "Yes, I also want to contribute my part for everyone."

As soon as he said this, the people from Liu Village realized that Ye Jing actually wanted to participate. They all looked at him, their eyes full of surprise.

"Old Man Ye, have you gone senile?"

Hearing Ye Jing's words, Zhang Youqiang's gaze swept over his gray hair and hunched back. He said disdainfully, "Hunting in the mountains isn't like playing chess or chatting at the village entrance. When we encounter wild boars or bears, even us strong young men get nervous. With your old bones, you'll probably be panting before you've even walked three miles. Do you expect us to protect you?"

Hearing this, the people of Liu Village felt embarrassed. Ye Xuan stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Zhang Youqiang, since my father came, he naturally has his reasons. We're all here to gather enough hands to enter the mountains; one more person means one more bit of strength."

"What reasons could he have?" Zhang Youqiang curled his lip, his gaze sweeping over Ye Jing's thin, dry hands. "I think he's just bored and wants to join the fun. Is Liu Village out of people? Bringing an old bag of bones to make up the numbers. If we really run into danger, he probably won't even be able to protect himself."

Ye Yi's face turned red with anger, and he clenched his fists, ready to charge forward. Ye Xuan was also extremely furious, staring intently at Zhang Youqiang.

Even Hei Feng let out a low growl, baring its teeth in anger.

Ye Jing stepped forward steadily, looking at Zhang Youqiang with a sharp gaze. "Zhang Youqiang, you're wrong. Who says old bones can't do it? When I was hunting in the mountains in my youth, you were probably still playing with mud somewhere!"

Zhang Youqiang was stunned for a moment, then sneered. "Oh! You're quite the boaster, Old Man Ye! Fine, if you can pull back this bow of mine, I'll take you into the mountains. How about it?"

With that, he took a black hard bow off his back. The bow's body glinted with a cold light; it was clearly no ordinary item.

Zhang Youqiang handed the bow to Ye Jing and said disdainfully, "Even a young man would have to put in some effort to pull this bow of mine! Don't say I didn't warn you! Don't hurt yourself by trying to be brave!"

Seeing this, Ye Yi hurriedly said, "Father, don't bet with him. This bow looks heavy; how could you possibly pull it back!"

Ye Xuan also advised, "Father, he's just intentionally making things difficult for you. There's no need to get angry with him."

The people from Chen Family Village were also certain that it would take at least a hundred catties of force to pull this bow back. This old bag of bones had no chance!

Ye Jing took the bow, looked up at Zhang Youqiang, and said with a firm gaze, "Fine! I'll bet with you!"

"Father!" Ye Xuan and Ye Yi shouted at the same time, their faces full of worry.

Ye Jing waved his hand, signaling them not to worry.

He took a deep breath, gripped the bow handle with both hands, and applied a bit of force with his arms.

At first, the bow only bent slightly. Zhang Youqiang immediately mocked, "See, I told you he had no chance!"

But in the next second, Ye Jing exerted force with both arms. Though the muscles on his arms weren't prominent, they exploded with power. The hard bow was pulled back bit by bit, the bowstring pulled taut, making a slight creaking sound.

Zhang Youqiang's laughter stopped abruptly. The people of Liu Village widened their eyes, and the people of Chen Family Village were also stunned.

Immediately after, Ye Jing lowered the bow, quickly pulled an arrow from the quiver, notched it on the string, and pulled the bowstring back again, drawing the arrow.

His gaze locked onto an old willow tree stump seventy paces away.

With a "whoosh," the arrow flew out like a shooting star, steadily hitting the center of the tree stump, the fletching still vibrating slightly.

The people of Liu Village instantly cheered, "Great! Elder Ye is amazing!"

Ye Yi shouted excitedly, "I knew you were capable, Father!"

Ye Xuan also breathed a sigh of relief, a happy smile appearing on his face.

Zhang Youqiang's face turned pale and red in turns. He hadn't expected Ye Jing to actually be able to pull the bow and hit the target.

He snorted and said disdainfully, "I'll admit you have some skill, Old Man Ye. But don't get cocky; this bow of mine is only a hundred catties. This little bit of skill of yours doesn't amount to much in the mountains."

One should know that Zhang Youqiang could pull a bow of over two hundred catties and hit prey a hundred meters away. Ye Jing's current display was simply not enough in his eyes.

Ye Jing threw the bow back to him and smiled faintly. "Since I won the bet, I'm coming into the mountains."

Zhang Youqiang bit his teeth and said reluctantly, "Hmph! Let's go! But I'm warning you now, once we're in the mountains, everyone acts on their own. If something happens, don't come looking for me!"

After this interlude, the people in the hunting party didn't look down on Ye Jing as much, and everyone headed into the mountains together.

Ye Jing set off, his steps still light and brisk. He didn't look like an eighty-year-old man at all.

Ye Xuan and Ye Yi were also surprised to see their father in such high spirits.

"Second brother, I think Father really is different. He seems to have grown much younger!" Ye Xuan couldn't help but whisper to Ye Yi.

Ye Yi was also surprised. He saw that Ye Jing, walking ahead, didn't even need a cane and was walking very steadily.

"Could it be that Father's health is so robust that he's undergoing some kind of rejuvenation?"

The two brothers discussed in low voices, and Ye Jing heard everything.

Hearing his two sons' whispering, the corners of Ye Jing's mouth curled up imperceptibly, but his steps didn't falter in the slightest.

He knew his recent changes couldn't be hidden from those close to him. It was just that he couldn't explain the reasons behind them yet. If they asked later, he would just find an excuse to brush it off!